PROGRAM: QUIK-MART
ONLINE READING VIA ZOOM:
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6 @ 7:00 PM ET | 4:00 PM PT
This reading is free with a suggested donation of $10. make a contribution here.
A portion of the proceeds will go to support National Asian American Women’s Forum, a nonprofit organization that works for social, political, and structural change for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls. Using a reproductive justice framework, THEY elevate AAPI women and girls and work to impact policy and drive systemic change in the United States.
CAST
Vandit Bhatt | Abdullah
Nina Mehta | Zeena
Cheech Manohar | Saj
Ariel Estrada | Manu
Nicole Javier | Pania
David Anzuelo | Bill
Zaya Kolia | Customer/Stage Directions
McLean Peterson | Customer/Stage Directions
Charles gershman
Playwright
Charles Gershman (playwright) is a Midwest-bred queer playwright/screenwriter. He is a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow, a 2019 Chesley/Bumbalo Playwriting Award winner, and a Relentless Award semifinalist. His work has been produced or presented by The New Group, All For One, 59E59, Theatre503, the American Playwriting Foundation, the Lark, the Blank Theatre, and others. His play Free & Proud recently had an acclaimed run in the UK (Edinburgh Fringe, Theatre503), where it was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and the SIT-Up Award and called ‘One of 10 must-see queer shows in town’ (London Evening Standard). It is published by Bloomsbury. Other awards: Best Overseas Play Award (Edinburgh Fringe), Chair's Award (NYU-Tisch), Princess Grace Award (semifinalist). Charles earned his MFA in dramatic writing at NYU-Tisch in 2018. He is a member of the BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theatre Librettist Workshop and a visiting assistant professor of writing at Wesleyan University in 2021-2022. Representation: Susan Gurman / Gurman Agency LLC. http://www.charlesgershman.com/
JEFFREY LO
Director
Jeffrey Lo (He/Him/His) is a Filipino-American playwright and director based in the Bay Area. He is the recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award, the Emerging Artist Laureate by Arts Council Silicon Valley and Theatre Bay Area Director's TITAN Award. Selected directing credits include The Language Archive and The Santaland Diaries at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Hold These Truths at San Francisco Playhouse, Vietgone and The Great Leap at Capital Stage, A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Eurydice at Palo Alto Players (TBA Awards finalist for Best Direction), Peter and the Starcatcher and Noises Off at Hillbarn Theatre, The Grapes of Wrath, The Crucible and Yellow Face at Los Altos Stage Company. As a playwright, his plays have been produced and workshopped at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, The BindleStiff Studio, City Lights Theatre Company and Stanford University. His play Writing Fragments Home was a finalist for the Bay Area Playwright's Conference and a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Playwright's Conference. Jeffrey has also worked with the Oregon Shakespeare. http://www.jeffreywritesaplay.com/
Mars neri
PRODUCTION stage manager
Mars Neri (they/them) is a Stage Management major and Gender Studies minor at Fordham University. They are also a chair for Fordham Theatre’s BIPOC Alliance, and the 2021-2022 head of the Fordham Theatre AAPI Affinity Group. Fordham Mainstage: Everybody (ASM), Airline Highway (Crew). Fordham Studio: Even So (PSM), Halo Halo (PSM), into me see (PSM), The Moon and the Wolf (ASM), A Butterfly Dreams... (CD), The Wallpaper Project (CD). Signature Theatre DC: 12 Million Footsteps (SM), The Spoken Word (SM). Leviathan Lab: Pedicab (PSM), Paper Swag (PSM), Lola Luning’s First Steps (PSM). Song Collective: Gong Show (SM). Other: Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Abridged (PSM).
Vandit Bhatt
”Abdullah”
Theatre (Select): Indian Ink (Roundabout and The American Conservatory Theatre), Harper Regan (Atlantic Theater Company), Skin, Asking For Trouble, The Unusual Love Life of Bedbugs (all at The Ensemble Studio Theatre), Bike America (Ma-Yi Theatre Company), The Hard Problem (American Conservatory Theatre), Disgraced (Denver Center for The Performing Arts). TV: New Amsterdam (NBC), Quantico (ABC), FBI: Most Wanted (CBS), God Friended Me (CBS), The Michael J Fox Show (NBC), Younger (TV Land), Madame Secretary (CBS). Film: Ripped, 42 Seconds of Happiness, Sure Fire. Upcoming: Paris is in Harlem, Starch, Superman’s A Dick. Website: www.VanditBhatt.com Social Media: @TheVanditBhatt
NINA MEHTA
”ZEENA”
Nina Mehta is an actor, writer, producer, and director in New York. Stage: MACHINE LEARNING (VoxFest, 2019), SOME PROBLEMS FOR THE MOOSE LODGE (13th Annual Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival, Provincetown, MA), UNCOVERING (Director, 2017 Collective:10), ZERO EFS (Director, 2016 Collective:10), BREAKING PHILIP GLASS (2015 Collective:10), JACKSON HEIGHTS TRILOGY (Theatre 167), JACKSON HEIGHTS 3AM (QueensTheatre). FILM/TV: "All Square" (World Premiere 2018 SXSW), "The Rainbow Experiment" (Official Selection, Slamdance 2018), "Crashing" (HBO), “Girls” (HBO), "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central), "The Box" (Official Selection New Zealand International Film Festival, 2010). Nina is also a digital content and video producer and activist. Find her: Instagram/@msmehtaifyourenasty.
Cheech Manohar
”SAJ”
Cheech Manohar is an actor and comedy writer, born in Wollongong, Australia and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He was recently selected as a 2021 Fellow in the Warner Bros. Television Writers’ Workshop. He’s perhaps best known for originating the role of Kevin Gnapoor, the rapping mathlete, in the Broadway company of Mean Girls. He also appeared as Sanjay on the HBO show Mrs. Fletcher. Cheech can next be seen in the Paramount+ Feature Film Jerry and Marge Go Large. Syracuse Drama Alum. Represented by A3 Artists Agency. @cheechmanohar
Ariel Estrada
”MANU”
Ariel Estrada is an actor, producer, writer, and advocate in support of Asian American equity in the performing arts. As an actor, he has performed on television, film, commercials, digital media, and Off-, and Off-Off-Broadway. As a producer, Ariel is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director for Leviathan Lab, a nonprofit creative studio for Asian American performing artists. As an arts administrator, he is the Marketing & Membership Director for the Consortium of Asian American Theatres and Artists and the Director of Marketing for 59E59 Theaters. He was previously the National Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator for Actors’ Equity Association. He was designated an Emerging Arts Leader by New York Foundation for the Arts, a Rising Leader of Color by Theatre Communications Group, and a member of ArtEquity’s 2021-22 BIPOC Leadership Circle. As a grant writing consultant and has won over $190K in grant funding for small NYC nonprofits of color. He is also a Fortune 500-level graphic designer. arielestrada.com | leviathanlab.com | FB: /ariel.estrada1 | TW: @arielestrada | IG: @arielestrada1 | LI: /arielestrada
Nicole Javier
”PANIA”
Nicole Javier is an actor, teaching artist, and yogi, and is so thankful for online opportunities to find community and share stories across the world. Regional credits include: South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Shakespeare Orange County, Aurora Theatre Company, Crowded Fire Theatre, San Jose Repertory. She holds an MFA in Acting at University of California San Diego, and a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University. Nicole currently resides in Los Angeles with her pup, Zorro. http://www.nicolejavier.com/
David Anzuelo
”BILL”
Theater acting credits: Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven (Labyrinth/ Atlactic ); Fishmen; Se Llama Cristina (Intar); Intimacy; Aunt Dan & Lemon (New Group). Regional Theater: Mother Road (Arena) ; Frost/Nixon (Rep Theater of St. Louis); Oedipus El Rey (Woolly Mammoth). Film: A NY Christmas Wedding (Netflix, iTunes); A Walk Among The Tombstones; Remember Me; You Won’t Miss Me. TV acting: The Americans; Elementary; Succession; Blue Bloods; White Collar; Person Of Interest; Strangers; Deadbeat. David is a member of Labyrinth Theater Company; Rising Phoenix Rep and is the founder of UnkleDave’s Fight-House. https://www.davidanzuelo.com/
Zaya Kolia
”CUSTOMER | STAGE DIRECTIONS”
Zaya Kolia is a Bay Area native. He received his Bachelor in Fine Arts in Acting from the Academy of Art University where his credits include Flan in Six Degrees of Separation, Joshua and Martin in Cloud Nine, Barnett in Crimes of the Heart, Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone and Kevin Rosario in In the Heights. Other credits include Frank Jr. in Saturday Night Fever at Broadway by the Bay, The Wizard of Oz at Berkeley Playhouse, Khadim in The North Pool at Bread & Butter The Captain in Anything Goes at Hillbarn Theatre, Ludovic and Augenti in Passion, Harry and Martin in Cloud Nine both at The Custom Made Theatre Company, Azad in On the Periphery with Golden Thread and Crowded Fire Theatre company, and most recently Tiny Beautiful Things at Los Altos Stage Company. He is very excited to bring another piece of art to life! https://www.zayakolia.com/
Mclean peterson
”CUSTOMER | STAGE DIRECTIONS”
McLean Peterson is a New York based actor and singer. Select theatrical credits include IvankaPlay (Edinburgh Fringe) Pop Punk High (les Poisson Rouge), Convention (Irondale), Assassins (Secret Theatre), CRACKS (NY Fringe). Recent Film/TV credits include: Zero Avenue, Birdie, Jessica Jones (Netflix), and The Chaperone (PBS). Upcoming: Steps (Blake Rice), Summoners (Terence Krey). Follow @mclean18 and visit www.mcleanpeterson.com for more.