Theater 171: 2064: A GAYS ODD-ESSY
Synopsis:
In 2064, Bruce Koinstra, an 85-year-old history professor, passes away in a moon colony senior housing complex. Following his memorial service, his husband of thirty years, Kirby, along with his forty-year old daughter Septima; and teen grandson Plurial gather at Bruce's Midwest Victorian home. They await the reading of Bruce's will and the demolition crew scheduled to raze the house. Reflecting on Bruce's life, they discuss the era when LGBT rights were restricted by archaic laws and when racial discrimination was widespread.
Writer
Lorenz Qatava
Lorenz Qatava is the playwright. He also wrote Speak My Words, Tell My Truth, a performance piece based on the stories and writings of five Black gay writers. He additionally wrote and published a gay romance novel set in the Southern Oregon wildfires called Rain After the Fire, as well as the plays The Rustin Arrest and On the Verge.
Lorenz Qatava
Director
Bernadette Armstrong
Bernadette Armstrong moved to Los Angeles to work in film in the late 1990’s and after her first two films went to festivals she took a short hiatus from writing until she fell in love with small theater. Since 2008 she has had several successful theater projects produced in No Hollywood. Her play The Reading Group was named Pick of the Week by LA Weekly Magazine and in 2017 her play Simple Lives was nominated for Outstanding Writing of an Original Play or Musical by the Valley Theater Awards (the only woman nominated).
Bernadette Armstrong
Cast
Daamen Krall as Bruce
Daamen has worked as a professional actor/voice-over artist in films and television for the past 38 years. Some of the recent film credits include THE POST, CARS III, AMERICAN PASTORAL, UNBROKEN 2, and, for television, SLEEPY HOLLOW and MADMEN. One of his favorite projects was starring in the title role of the award-winning remake of THE CABINET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI. He also produced the award-winning short film HIDE. Under the banner of MIDNIGHT SCREAM PRODUCTIONS with partner Robert Shelby, he is currently in post-production for the web series THE LISTENER. Daamen is also the host and sometimes cast member of the return of radio’s theatre of thrills, SUSPENSE, which is ha gained fans around the world and was nominated twice for a Peabody Award.
Daamen Krall
Matthew Scott Montgomery as Kirby
Matthew Scott Montgomery has theater background: Stage Kiss (The Geffen Playhouse); YELLOW (Best Actor winner at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, The Coast Playhouse); Dead Boys (writer/star, West Hollywood One City One Pride Excellence in LGBT Theatre Winner; The Blank Theatre, Celebration Theatre); I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Musical (El Cid, Three Clubs); Anchorman: The Musical (El Cid); A Walk to Remember: The Musical, The OC Musical, BROLESQUE (Rockwell Table & Stage); Definitely Not Clue: A Live Murder Mystery Musical for Twitch (After Hours Theatre Company). His film, television, and web include the following: Southern Baptist Sissies; Jane the Virgin (CW); White Famous (Showtime); Sonny With a Chance; So Random!, Shake it Up!, Austin & Ally (Disney Channel); SMOSH (recurring); and Nasty Habits. AEA & SAG/AFTRA. You can also follow Matthew on Instagram: @matthew_scott_montgomery
Matthew Scott Montgomery
Elaine Mello as Septima
Elaine Mello is excited to be participating in the Open-Door Podcast. Elaine has been working with Bernadette on many projects and continues to do so because of her creative talents and willingness to seek innovative and thought-provoking material. Grateful to be part of such an accepting movement of the arts.
Elaine Mello
Larry Coleman as Plurial
Lawrence G. Coleman III is a Black American Actor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is on work in Film and Television and avant-garde theatre. He currently works as an Office Manager on campus for UCLA. He attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2017 and has been working since 2019. Credits: “My Psycho Party Planner”-2019 Lifetime Network, “Bilk” 2020 Short Film and “ZJU’s Urban Death” 2021 Theatre Show.
Lawrence G. Coleman III
Sound Production:
Oak House Recording Studio in Pasadena, CA with Sound Engineer David Peters.
