Theater 36 Part 2: SUPERNOVA
Summary
Supernova, written by Elisabeth Hawes of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, directed by Bernadette Amstrong as part of Open-Door Playhouse’s Prison Plays series. The play will premiere in two parts on the Open-Door Playhouse Podcast, Wednesday, July 14th, and Wednesday, July 21st. The podcast is FREE to listen to and download, but donations are greatly appreciated.
Supernova gives voice to the multi-faceted women in lockup and highlights the need to bring the rights of children of the incarcerated into the equation of mass incarceration.
Open-Door Playhouse’s Prison Plays series was created to give writers serving time in prisons all around the country a voice through theater. Presented in collaboration with the PEN America Prison Writing Program. Open-Door Playhouse has presented work from the PEN Prison Writing Program as well as work submitted independently.
Writer
Elizabeth Hawes
is an award-winning writer and prison abolitionist. She has worked as an actor for 25 years. Supernova is her fourth play.
Elizabeth M Hawes
Director
Bernadette Armstrong
Bernadette moved to Los Angeles to work in film in the late 1990s 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 is also the producer and founder of Open Door Playhouse Podcast!
Bernadette Armstrong
Cast:
Goreti da Silva (as Margie, Kristen, Rhonda)
Since moving to Los Angeles from Canada, Goreti da Silva has worked in many films, tv programs, theatre, and improv shows. Most recently, you may have seen her on Big Little Lies, a Toyota commercial, or heard her voice in one of many radio plays on Opendoorplayhouse.org.
Goreti was awarded The Michael Grossman Most Inspirational Award for her body of theatre work in the Desert; and she won the Valley Theatre Award for her work in “Park Plays: Portland”.
When not performing, Goreti fills her "well" by teaching Improv, Theatre Arts, Playwriting, and Acting to underserved youth who write plays in which they later perform. Though Goreti has produced and directed dozens of plays, she continues to be surprised, delighted and inspired by our next generation of leaders.
Goreti da Silva
Sue Gisser (as Iris, Memphis, Nisa, Phyllis, Rena)
Sue Gisser is trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Steppenwolf West, the Groundlings, iOWest, Second City, Antaeus Academy, Theatricum Botanicum, and holds a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers. In her professional career, Sue is blessed to seldom work with a director, show, or theatre company only once. She's recurred on "Shameless," "Strangers with Candy," and "Solved;" did multiple spots in campaigns for 'Burlington Coat Factory,' 'Mercury Insurance,' and 'Cedar Fair;' completed 20 tours between the Shoestring Players, Open Window Entertainment, and the George Street Playhouse; her films include "The Activist" and "In the Air"- both by French Director Cyril Morin. This is her first podcast, and she's totally hooked. Playing Char has been an honor. Sue is grateful to Bernadette for opening up this new world to her, and for the opportunity to work on this beautiful play, with such strong, talented women! @suegisser
Sue Gisser
Rosemary Thomas (as Josi, Karen, Posey)
As an actor, writer, and part-time producer, Rosemary is now finding time to practice living life from a conscious, peaceful, and grateful perspective. In the TV arena, her most recent appearance was on Better Things. She’s done several National commercials, shorts, and a few films. Her first theater performance was playing Rose in Fences. She’s a proud member of SkyPilot Theatre Co., a volunteer member of Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival and so pleased to be involved with Open-door Playhouse.
Rosemary Thomas
McKenna Koledo (as the Child)
McKenna Koledo is an actress, singer, and dancer from the Bay Area, based in Los Angeles. She grew up in Musical Theatre, starring in roles such as Roxie Hart in “Chicago”, Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray”, Kate Monster in “Avenue Q”, and Mulan in “Mulan”. From school productions to community theatre, to audio dramas, McKenna rediscovered her love of acting and is moving to New York City to actively pursue her artistic career.
When McKenna is not acting, she spends her days working as a Creative Strategist at an integrated marketing agency developing creative ideas for brands such as Netflix, Disney, and IMDb.
Big thanks to Bernadette and Open-Door Playhouse for the opportunity to be a part of this special project!
McKenna Koledo
Zelda Kimble (as Katelyn, Sophie)
Zelda Kimble is from Singapore, but currently lives in LA and has been acting her entire life. She likes champagne, glitter, and murder mysteries. She owns too many candles and has a paranormal podcast called Across the Veil.
Zelda Kimble
JayCee Porter (as Amie, Angel, Kellie, Terra)
JayCee Porter graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BA in Theatre and a Minor in Musical Theatre in 2018. She’s been acting since she was 3, with her most recent film credits being Separation (2020), La Voz (2020), and Backyard Camping (2019). As a Soprano, she’s starred as the Beggar Woman/Lucy in Sweeney Todd, Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, and Monteen in Parade. This is her first podcast and she’s so excited to be included in this cast of stellar women.
JayCee Porter
Gloria Tsai (as Roxy, Erin, Daisy, Bobbie)
Gloria Tsai is a Taiwanese-Texan actor/voice actor originally from Austin. After leaving a corporate career in 2015, she decided to pursue her childhood passion for performing and in late 2018 relocated to LA. In the Fall of 2019, Gloria was cast in “The Joy Luck Club” at Sierra Madre Playhouse (SMP), directed with LA Arts Commissioner & former East-West Players Artistic Director, Tim Dang. She returned to SMP in July of 2020 for a virtual production of “Yellow Face” by D.H. Hwang. And this past December, she played Clara Stanton in "Sex" by Mae West. Gloria’s VO career is just beginning! She completed her demos and narrated 2 romance novels in 2020. She has trained with famous vocal coaches: David Sobolov, Steve Blum, Bob Bergen, and Eliza Jane Schneider. Learn more at GloriaTsai.com or check out @glowtsai on all socials.
Gloria Tasi
Pat Loeb (as Drea, Jayda, Nelle, Val, Misty)
PAT LOEB has performed in film and TV, along with theaters all over the world, even getting a few awards for it. Favorite shows include the UK premiere of FOLLIES, the villain in several productions by the Caribbean-American Theatre Company, and Mabel in PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Most of her work has been focused on opportunities tied to creating more inclusion and diversity with productions by companies such as Deaf West. Recent work includes a few small films, several TV shows, and workshops for musicals and plays with NMI, Playground-LA, and other developmental projects. Also a director, Pat has worked with both youth and adults on developing work that makes a difference both to the presenters and their audiences. Her primary focus over the past 45 years has been as a professional stage manager for events, conventions, theatre, dance, opera, and more. And for the past 40 years, she has directed The Music Companie, performing as costumed carolers every holiday season, along with booking professional singers all over Southern California.
Pat Loeb
Rhikki Asahi (as Ashly, Tameka, Nisa, Ebony, and Brooke)
Rhikki Asahi is an actress, writer, and director based out of Southern California. Having performed in projects spanning from Shakespeare to psychological thrillers, she loves throwing herself into completely different roles. With a special interest in the realistic portrayal of everyday life and intersectionality, she’s honored to lend her voice to such a stunning and moving project.
Rhikki Asahi
Gena Kay (as Angie, Ava, Margaret, Mavis, Steph, TJ)
Gena Kay grew up on a farm in Indiana, where she wrote and performed various porch shows for uninterested siblings and barnyard animals. Her sister’s farm was inspiration for Gena’s children’s book currently being illustrated, based on a Thanksgiving turkey that escapes the dinner table. While attending Ball State University, David Letterman was kind enough to give her some $$ when she won his scholarship. Chosen from over 1200 ladies in a Talent Search for Aaron Spelling’s daytime soap Sunset Beach, Gena got Californicated and was hooked. Currently, Gena is an actor, writer, producer, and fun alert: proofreader living in Los Angeles and leaving Los Angeles every chance she gets to see as many countries as she can. So far she’s visited all 50 states and about 66 countries, but who is counting? She spent half of Covid Zombie Apocalypse 2020 out of the country, volunteering in Africa, and “stuck” on a paradise Greek island. Somehow, she survived and is honored to be a part of such an impactful production as Supernova.
Gena Kay
Sound Production:
Recorded at ES Audio Services in Glendale, CA.
Recorded and Mixed by Hall Cantrell
Sound Editor: Hall Cantrell
