Casting has been revealed for the upcoming Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College season, which presents in-development works.
TV star and comedian Jeffery Self will lead the presentation of Drew Droege (Bright Colors and Bold Patterns)'s Messy White Gays, along with Droege, Nico Greetham, Aaron Jackson, and Pete Zias. Droege and Zias are reprising their performances from the play's public reading hosted at NYC's Soho Playhouse earlier this year.
Set in Hell's Kitchen, the new work centers on Brecken and Caden, who murder their throuple-mate just as friends are arriving for brunch. The project is being produced by The Fabulous Invalid, with the Powerhouse presentation set to perform July 19-21.
Messy White Gays is one of two plays receiving full workshops as a part of the upcoming season. The other is Jonathan A. Goldberg and Jenny Turner Hall's A Simply Herstory, running July 5-7. The cast will feature Florencia Lozano, David Shih, and Colleen Werthmann. Meghan Finn is directing the work, based on Jocelyn Kuritsky's podcast. Series director Donya K. Washington is producing.
The season will also include two musicals, beginning with Dorie Clark and Marie Incontrera's Absolute Zero. The cast will include Gabi Carrubba, Jerusha Cavazos, Jess Darrow, Kasper, Maya Lagerstam, Youran Lee, Crystal Lucas-Perry, and Tatum Marshall. Ellie Heyman is directing the piece, which follows the CIA's efforts to stop a terrorist group that has developed the ability to reach the lowest temperature known to humanity. Bo Park is choreographing, with performances running July 12-14.
The other musical is Shanghai Sonatas, running July 26-28. The cast will include David Abeles, Lauren Blackman, Eric Bondoc, Kelsey Anne Brown, Cáitlín Burke, Debra Cardona, Amelia Fei, Jason Forbach, Neal Mayer, Regene Odon, Julian Remulla, Ryan Vona, and Xiaoqing Zhang. The piece, about a WWII refugee who forges an unlikely friendship with a troubled Chinese teenager in Shanghai, features music and a concept by Sean Gao, a book by Alan Goodson, and lyrics by Joyce Hill Stoner. Chongren Fan is directing, with arrangements and music direction by Asher Denburg. Diane Fisher and LED Theatrical Productions are producing, with performances running July 26-28.
For tickets and full season details, including a slate of readings, visit Vassar.edu.
