Second Stage Reading Series
Celebration of New Writers of Color
With works by Carmen Amon, Mabelle Reynoso, Roy Sekigahama, Gill Sotu, Christian St. Croix
Featuring Anise Ritchie, Kris Bona, Walter Murray, Imahni King-Murillo, Arianna Vila & Shirley Johnston
Produced by Will Cooper & Ron Christopher Jones
Directed by
Ron Christopher Jones
About
San Diego has a diverse and underrepresented pool of talented playwrights. Part of our mission is to produce new works. TRTC is dedicated to providing experiences and opportunities for BIPOC, AAPI, and Latinx artists and diverse audiences, both onstage and off. Our evening of writers of color includes short new pieces with a discussion afterward. Our team of Co-Producer/Director Ron Jones and Co-Producer Will Cooper bring together local talents in the best light, to introduce you to the next artistic wave.
The Works
The Sunset Tour
By Mabelle Reynoso
Featuring Walter Murray, Anise Ritchie & Arianna Vila
A teenage mother Naomi gets a surprise visit at work from her long-absent father recently released from prison. Complications arise when the girl’s grandmother, the owner of the business, blames him for Naomi’s mother’s death.
You've Reached Justin
By Christian St Croix
Featuring Kris Bona & Imahni King-Murillo
Daniel only planned for a night out of clubbing with his best friend and crush, Justin. But before they can meet, monsters fall from the sky and begin attacking the city. When Justin won't answer his phone, Daniel starts out through the carnage and chaos to rescue him, leaving voicemails along the way. You've Reached Justin blends sci-fi and horror with romance to deliver a heart pounding short about the complexities of crushes and monsters.
My Son’s Red Dress
By Roy Sekigahama
Featuring Walter Murray & Shirley Johnston
Alex, divorced and living apart from Melanie and their son Davy, has arrived after many months without any contact to take Davy on a vacation with him. He finds Davy dressed in a red dress and learns that the boy is probably transgender. He confronts Melanie, who supports Davy’s decision, and is forced to come to terms with his own prejudices.
Make This World
A Musical by Gill Sotu
Featuring Imahni King-Murillo, Kris Bona & Arianna Vila
Paul and Jonah have chained themselves to their lockers in the hallway of their high school to protest what Paul, a student leader and class valedictorian, sees as an inferior educational system that damages the career prospects of black students. The principal has threatened to call the police, and Paul, being over the age of 18, could face jail time. His girlfriend and Jonah try to talk him out of his crusade as time is running out.
Game Night
By Carmen Amon
Featuring Anise Ritchie, Shirley Johnston, Kris Bona & Arianna Vila
Steph and Moxie haven’t heard from their friend Beth for over a month when out of the blue they get an invitation from her to attend a game night at a location they’ve never heard of. Nobody greets them when they arrive, but they soon hear Beth’s phone ringing in a locked bathroom. What follows is a story of past trauma and the revelation of a surprising truth that opens new avenues of friendship for the trio.
Playwrights
Carmen Amon
Writer
Carmen is a proud Queer Chicanx Theater Artist in the Greater San Diego area. She has been writing from the heart since 2008. She has been working professionally as a Freelance Costume Designer since 2016. She graduated the same year with a Bachelor's Degree in Theater with an Emphasis in Costume Design from San Diego State University. Her designs have been featured at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theater, MOXIE Theater, Junior Theater and Pacific Ridge School.
Mabelle Reynoso
Writer
Mabelle Reynoso is a multidisciplinary storyteller and teaching artist who works in non-traditional theatre spaces including classrooms, community centers, and correctional facilities. She is co-host of the podcast Hey Playwright and leads TuYo Theatre’s Pa’ Letras, a new play development workshop for emerging Latinx playwrights. Recent works include the script for Noel Noel, the San Diego Symphony's 2021 holiday show at the Rady Shell, Remember That Time, featured on the local panel of the 2021 San Diego REP Latinx New Play Festival, and ¡Lotería: Game On!, a 2021 ReImagine: New Plays in TYA grant selection. Mabelle has a BFA from New York University, an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Education for Social Justice at the University of San Diego. Mabelle is a member of the Dramatists Guild, TYA/USA, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She was proudly born in Tijuana, Mexico.
Roy Sekigahama
Writer
Roy joined a playwriting workshop in 2016. His first short play, Face the Music won third prize in Script Tease of Short Plays in 2016; and Stuck in a Closet won Honorable Mention in 2019. The Purple Swastika was a semifinalist in 2017 and his second Jewish-themed play was Top 5 in 2020 in the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s 5-Minute Play Festival. In 2021, Not Crazy, Rich or Asian was selected for The PGE Faces of America Monologue Festival #3. Roy’s first full-length play, Desert Rock Garden received a reading in 2019 and his second full-length play, The Ghosts from the Pali received a reading in 2020 for New Village Arts’ Final Draft New Play Festival. A full production of Desert Rock Garden will be performed in 2022 at New Village Arts which was awarded grants from the California Civil Liberties Program and the National Endowment for the Arts. Roy ushers at many theaters in San Diego. He is a member of the Dramatist Guild and sits of the Board of Directors of Playwrights Project.
Gill Sotu
Writer
Gill Sotu is a veteran, poet, playwright, DJ, and performing artist. He is a 2x Grand Slam Poetry Champion, 2x Raw Performing artist of the year, and a 3x TEDx San Diego presenter. Currently, he is a teaching artist and a commissioned playwright with The Old Globe Theatre, a teaching artist with The La Jolla Playhouse and the Poet in Residence for the San Diego’s Writer’s Fest. He has been commissioned to produce original pieces for leading arts and community organizations around the country and is honored to be a part of this event.
Christian St. Croix
Writer
Christian St. Croix is a queer playwright currently living in San Diego, California. He was recently featured in American Theatre Magazine’s “Role Call: People to Watch” installment. His works include new play, The Forgotten Beasts; Zack, winner of the 2021 Young-Howze Theatre Award for Best Comedic Writing; And All the Birds Loved Her, an audio play commissioned by Blindspot Collective and the La Jolla Playhouse and Follow the Fireflies, a monologue published in New World Theatre’s 08:46 collection celebrating Black writers.
Cast
Anise Ritchie
Actor
After a LONG time off due to the pandemic, Anise returned to Moonlight Theatre as Erzulie in Once On This Island. Anise has appeared with Pete Townsend and Des Anuff in the stage reading of TOMMY at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA. She was also part of the National Tour Company of Menopause the Musical which played at the Welk 2 years ago. Anise is one of the original cast members of Disney’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at The La Jolla Playhouse and Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey. She is also on the original cast recording. She debuted her Cabaret TalkShow LIVE LAUGH LOVE in 2020. Other accompaniments include: Cygnet Theatre in Rock of Ages as Justice, A Little Night Music as Madame Armfeldt, Big Fish at Lamb’s Players Theatre, Boomers, Violet, Tommy at San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Life Story of Sammy Davis Jr, How The Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe Theatre, Leap of Faith at the Ahmenson Theatre in Los Angeles, Nightmare Alley at the Geffen Playhouse Los Angeles, TheaterWorks (Bay Area) Once on this Island, Caroline Or Change, Sparks, California Conservatory Theatre (Bay Area) A Grand Night for Singing, Smokey Joe's Café, Woodminister Amphitheatre ( Bay Area) Sophisticated Ladies, Sierra Rep. Columbia Actors Repertory Beehive-The 60’s Musical, North Coast Rep. Lorraine Hansberry, San Francisco Ain’t Misbehavin, Eubie, The Dance On Widows Row, Townsend Opera Players Showboat, Portland Civic Theatre and Oregon Shakespeare Festival Little Shop of Horrors. Anise has toured Europe singing opera, gospel and many styles of music. Last year she was on tour in Marseille, France singing opera and gospel with Carolyn Anderson. Anise has also performed at the Redlands/San Francisco Theological Seminary for their Christmas programs. Her voice can be heard on many voice-overs, television commercials, San Diego ZOO in Africa Rocks and now on many Zoom performances. Proud member of Actors’ Equity.
Kris Bona
Actor
Kris Bona is a proud Fil-Am Actor and Singer based in Temecula. He is also a BFA Musical Theatre graduate from AMDA-LA. Select Regional: Invisible the Musical (54 Below). Disney’s Mulan (Tuacahn). Mamma Mia (La-Mirada). On This Side of the World (Musical Theatre West). Kinky Boots (3-D Theatricals). The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Palos Verdes). Seussical (Candlelight Pavilion). Little Shop of Horrors (New Village Arts). Special thanks to Ron. Gratitude from God. Support from DA/BM/CM. For Mama and Papa, Love you! #RepresentationMatters #BLM #StopAsianHate
Walter Murray
Actor
Walter is well-known to San Diego audiences for his many appearances on local stages. Since the mid-1980s Walter has been seen at The Old Globe, Sledgehammer Theatre, Fritz Theater, San Diego Repertory Theatre, SD Black Ensemble Theater (Co-Founder and Executive Director), New Village Arts, Lamb’s Theater, North Coast Rep, and The Roustabouts Theatre Co. He has also appeared in productions in Los Angeles and New York. Film appearances include Your Name Here and The Case Regarding Joan of Arc. Thank you, Drs. Stanton, Epston, and Levine.
Imahni King-Murillo
Actor
Imahni is a San Diego native who has been in the theatre world since he was eight years old. Starting with shows at San Diego Junior Theatre, Imahni then went on to be in the Old Globe’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Boo Who - 2013/Danny Who - 2014) and Moxie Theater’s Our Lady of Kibeho (Emmanuel). Other performances include San Diego Musical Theater’s Ragtime (Coalhouse Gang) and The Roustabout Theater Co.'s Fences (Cory). Currently, Imahni is the co-founder and Artistic Director of TYPA Theater Company, an organization dedicated to providing professional quality performance opportunities to teenagers for no cost.
Arianna Vila
Actor
Arianna Vila is thrilled to be performing at the Roustabouts Theatre for the first time! Favorite past credits include Nina in In the Heights, Diana in A Chorus Line, and Rosalia in West Side Story. She is currently a first-year Linguistics major at UCSD, but will continue to pursue theatre professionally.
Shirley Johnston
Actor
Shirley Johnston is so excited to participate in an evening of Staged Readings by upcoming BIPOC writers. Shirley is a singer/dancer/actor/choreographer/director and dance teacher for over 30 years in San Diego and New York City. Currently she teaches at San Diego Musical Theatre and has recently become their Academy Manager. Some of her favorite roles: Jacqueline in La Cage aux Folles, Brenda Smokey Joe's Cafe, Charlayne Ain't Misbehavin', Fortune Teller Sideshow, Bonnie Anything Goes, Charlotte A Little Night Music, Lucy Avenue Q, Cassie A Chorus Line, Medda Larkin Newsies, Mrs. Phelps in Matilda and The Witch in Big Fish.
Production
Ron Christopher Jones
Co-Producer/Director
Ron was born and raised in San Diego. Ron has been a professional stage and film actor for over 25 years. He is the 2021 Winner of Best Actor at the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project, also 2018 winner of Best Actor and Best Fight Choreographer, and the 2015 winner of Best Supporting Actor, at the San Diego Film Awards. Ron spent the last 2.5 years as Production Manager for San Diego Musical Theatre, overseeing all creative aspects of shows from design to closing night. Ron is an avid filmmaker, and during the pandemic his production company, RCJones Productions, created and filmed many outdoor concerts and events.
Will Cooper
Co-Producer
Will Cooper is a founding partner in the award-winning The Roustabouts Theatre Co., is a playwright based in San Diego. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild and a former Network Playwright at the nationally renowned Playwrights Development Center Chicago Dramatists. His first play, Book of Leaves, was a finalist at the prestigious Ashland News Plays Festival. His play Jade Heart premiered in Chicago where it garnered enthusiastic critical and audience acclaim; it had its highly successful west coast premiere at MOXIE Theatre
in San Diego. His other plays include Shadows of Athens, Movement Man, and Margin of Error, which kicked off the inaugural season of The Roustabouts Theatre Co. It was nominated by the San Diego Critics Circle for its Craig Noel “Outstanding New Play” award. His play gUnTOPIA premiered on March 13, 2020, presented by TRTC at the MOXIE Theatre in San Diego, but was forced to close after opening night due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Among his works-in-progress is Bark, an adaptation of a real-life story from the autobiographical works of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince. www.willcooperplaywright.com
Charmaine Reed
Stage Manager
Alexa Querin
House Manager