SENSITIVE GUYS by MJ Kaufman
Staged Reading Co-presented with AFTER (American Foundation for Transgender Excellence and Recognition)
Directed by Jacey Little
Monday June 5, 2017 @ 7:30pm
Rec Room, 100 Jackson St., Houston, TX 77002
Staged Reading Co-presented with AFTER (American Foundation for Transgender Excellence and Recognition)
Directed by Jacey Little
Monday June 5, 2017 @ 7:30pm
Rec Room, 100 Jackson St., Houston, TX 77002
The Men’s Peer Education group at Watson College is dedicated to unpacking and exposing male privilege. These “sensitive guys” believe that through increased self-awareness they can end sexual violence on campus; but when a shocking rumor surfaces, the group is shaken to the core.
SENSITIVE GUYS features a cast of women and gender nonconforming actors, double cast as male and female characters, who try to understand men who are trying to understand masculinity.
“Sensitive Guys” was Developed at InterAct Theatre and PlayPenn in 2016.
SENSITIVE GUYS features a cast of women and gender nonconforming actors, double cast as male and female characters, who try to understand men who are trying to understand masculinity.
“Sensitive Guys” was Developed at InterAct Theatre and PlayPenn in 2016.
PRESS
Photos by Tasha Gorel of Natasha Nivan Photography.
SENSITIVE GUYS Artists
MJ Kaufman (Playwright) MJ Kaufman is a playwright and devised theater artist working in New York and Philadelphia. Their work has been seen at the Huntington Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, the New Museum, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, Page73, Colt Coeur, Yale School of Drama, Lark Play Development Center, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Aurora Theater, Crowded Fire, Fresh Ink Theatre, New Harmony Project and performed in Russian in Moscow. MJ has received awards and commissions from the Program for Women in Theater, the Playwrights Foundation, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Young Playwrights Inc., and the Huntington Theatre, where they are also a playwriting fellow. MJ received the 2013 ASCAP Cole Porter Prize in Playwriting, the 2013 Global Age Project Prize, and the 2010 Jane Chambers Prize in Feminist Theatre. MJ is currently a member of the Public Theater’s Emerging Writers’ Group, a core playwright at InterAct Theatre, and a member of the WP Theater Lab. Originally from Portland, Oregon, MJ attended Wesleyan University and recently received an MFA in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. MJ has taught playwriting at Fordham University, Wesleyan University, SUNY Purchase College, the University of the Arts and as a teaching fellow at Yale College.
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Mai Le (Pete/Amy) Previous local roles include: Rhiannon/Evelyn/Dre/Gloria/The Zoogoers in Precious Little by Madeleine George (Next Iteration Theatre Company, or NITC); Fiona in in a word by Lauren Yee (NITC); Working Lunch by B. N. Reichenberger (Boiling Point Players); Christie in CREEP by MT Cozzola (Wordsmyth Theatre Company); Kate as Stage Directions in 10 Ways on a Gun by Dylan Lamb (Landing Theatre Company); Penny Stripling in The Baby by Lisa Omlie (NITC); Ly in Time is the Mercy of Eternity: A meditation in four acts by Deb Margolin (NITC); Amber/Bethany/Ginny in As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane (Queensbury Theatre); Peggy Norris in The Me Generation by Catherine Rush (Landing Theatre Company); Estelle in No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre (Firecracker Productions); Ariel in The Tempest (Company Onstage); and Betty/Kafka in All in the Timing by David Ives (Landing Theatre Company)
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Jacey Little (Director) is the Artistic Director of Horse Head Theatre Co. (HH), Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Co. company member and Production Manager at the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO). In 2017, Jacey will direct the Houston Premieres of Church by Young Jean Lee with Horse Head, and Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith with Mildred’s Umbrella. Jacey’s past work includes the development and direction of The Whale; or, Moby-Dick* by Timothy N. Evers, Philip Hays & Herman Melville (Houston Press 2015 “Best New Play” Winner) and Spaghetti Code* by Abby Koenig (BroadwayWorld Houston 2014 “Best New Play or Musical” Winner) with HH; the development & direction of Dialogues on Grace Workshop Performance by Cressandra Thibodeaux at 14 Pews; Dollface* by Katharine Sherman with Mildred’s Umbrella (Houston Press 2016 “Best New Play”) and Ten Ways on a Gun by Dylan Lamb with The Landing Theatre Company. Jacey is the former Literary Manager and Dramaturg for the Alley Theatre. Highlights of her Alley dramaturgy credits include Warrior Class* by Kenneth Lin, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Arena Stage co-pro directed by Robert O'Hara) and What We’re Up Against* by Theresa Rebeck. As a freelance dramaturg, Jacey has worked with The Landing Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company, Wordsmyth Theatre Company, 14 Pews and Obsidian Theater. Jacey received her MFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre Historiography from University of Houston and her BFA in Dramaturgy with an English Literature minor, from University of Oklahoma. *Indicates a world premiere.
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Rachael Logue* (Jordan/Katie) At Stages Repertory Theatre, Rachael has played Cindy Lou in all 3 of the Wonderettes stories including the world premier of the 4th installment The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On (Original Cast Album.) Other favorite shows include Dollhouse, Steel Magnolias, & Grey Gardens. TUTS:White Christmas, The Shoemaker and the Christmas Elves. Oregon Cabaret Theatre: The Marvelous Wonderettes. Hyde Park, London: Twelfth Night. The Ensemble Theatre: Stick Fly. Texas Repertory Theatre: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Smoke On The Mountain. Education: SHSU, B.F.A. Musical Theatre. Rachael is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Rogue Productions where she most recently played Matt Damon in Rogue's first show Matt & Ben.www.rogueproductionshtx.com
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Britney Walker-Merritte (Danny/Diana) is thrilled to be making her debut at Horse Head Theatre Company. Recent credits include Esther in Intimate Apparel, Cook/Ensemble in Amadeus (TheatreSquared). At the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, she appeared as Phebe in What Holds the Future, Sarah in Perfect Adornment, Clarinda in Secrets of the Midwives, and Phillis in Faith Hope and Love. She wrote/performed/produced A Night of Poetry, Poetry for Mothers, and The Voice that Speaks. She holds an MFA in Acting from University of Arkansas.
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Jacob Offen (Will/Leslie) is a recent MFA graduate of the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Houston. Some of his performances there included Brutus in Julius Caesar ,The Stage Manager in Our Town (directed by Horse Head's own Philip Hays), and Joe Keller in All My Sons. Jacob is a Colorado transplant where he worked in the Northern Colorado theatre scene for eight years, appearing in roles such as Dr. Frank N' Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, and Hamlet in Hamlet. Jacob has also worked for the Texas Shakespeare Festival, and will be working with Houston Shakespeare Festival this summer as Sir Toby in Twelfth Night, and King Edward in Richard III.
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Dee Dee Watters (Admissions Officer/Stage Directions) a Transgender leader, teacher, and performer. Using her skills and talent to not only entertain the community but to also educate the community. Providing infotainment in the form of spoken words, monolog and currently directing the stage play Family After All! Dee Dee has been listed in various magazines, articles and recently noticed in the Huffington Post and featured on the TLC network! She's been awarded numerous awards and has made history within the trans community. A Houstonian at the age 16 living in hotels being denied shelter because of her gender (Transgender) she found herself in some scary places... Now she is the COO for Koncept Kit a Kreative Marketing Firm and founder of T.W.C.U.C. Transgender Women of Color United for Change, Executive Director for the Transgender National Alliance and Madam chair for Black Trans Women Inc. she has a vision of building community, inclusion and equal rights for ALL!
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Leah Short (Dramaturg) holds a B.F.A. from University of the Ozarks in Theatre and Sociology and an M.A. in Theatre Historiography from University of Houston. Professional credits include dramaturgy at the Alley Theatre, Catastrophic Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Horse Head Theatre Company, and Black Lab Theatre, with directing and design credits at Clarksville Children's Company in Clarksville, AR, and stage management credits with Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA and Horse Head Theatre Co. Her most recent production work is as dramaturg of HH's 2016 drama Lidless. Leah is Company Manager of Horse Head Theatre Co. and a Theatre teacher and director in Alvin ISD.
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Stoo (Tracy/Tyler) is a singer-songwriter and performance artist currently residing in Houston. They were last seen in the performance art pieces, Sad Pretty Boys by Vincent Tiley (Experimental Action Performance Art Festival) and Shannon Lane by Jana Whatley (Box 13 Art Space). Past regional theatre credits consist of Straight White Men, Panto Snow Queen (Stages Repertory Theatre) and The Christians (Alley Theatre).
*Actors Equity Association artist
ABOUT THE CO-PRESENTER: The American Foundation for Transgender Excellence and Recognition (A.F.T.E.R.) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that seeks to recognize, celebrate, and employ the strength in the great diversity within the transgender community to help people move beyond the state of transition, by providing guidance, funding, outreach, visibility and support to address the issues affecting both transgender people and their allies. In short, we seek to help people find their AFTER.
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