Aton Blankson-Wood and Kevin McHale Will Lead Private Industry Readings of SA•PI•O•SEX•U•AL

Jim Kierstead will present two private industry readings (by invitation only) of sa•pi•o•sex•u•al, a new play by Aurin Squire. Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the readings will be held on Friday, March 27 @ 11am and 2pm. For inquiries, please email SapioRSVP@gmail.com.

Two "sapiosexuals" meet on Valentine's Day and turn a flirtatious debate into a brutally honest and darkly funny showdown about love, ego, and the illusion that intelligence can shield us from heartbreak.

“What a pleasure it is to bring this intelligent, witty, and heartfelt play to life with these fantastic actors and dear friend and colleague Christopher Renshaw,” states Mr. Kierstead. “I can't wait for everyone to meet these characters.”

The cast includes Ato Blankson-Wood (Cabaret, Slave Play, Hair) and Kevin McHale (The 25h Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, ”Glee"). The production stage manager is Kelly Merritt. Casting: ARC (Duncan Stewart, CSA & Patrick Maravilla, CSA)

Biographies

Aurin Squire (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and multimedia artist whose work spans Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theater, and prestige television. He wrote the book for the Tony-nominated Broadway musical A Wonderful World (Studio 54), and his new dark comedy My Favorite Sociopath premieres at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in July 2026. The recipient of the Helen Merrill Prize for Emerging Playwrights and Seattle Public Theatre's Emerald Prize, Squire is a Juilliard graduate whose plays — including Obama-ology and To Whom It May Concern (three New York LGBT Theatre Awards) — have been produced in London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond. His multimedia installation Dreams of Freedom, created for the National Museum of American Jewish History, earned three national museum awards and is part of the museum's permanent collection. On television, he has written for "This Is Us" and "BrainDead" and served as Co-Executive Producer and writer on "The Good Fight" and "Evil."

Christopher Renshaw (Director) born in Reading, England and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, is an internationally acclaimed director of plays, operas, and musicals who has worked with artists ranging from Boy George and Vincent Price to Luciano Pavarotti and Joan Sutherland. His career includes major successes such as the long-running West End hit We Will Rock You, his Tony-winning Broadway production of The King and I, and the enduring production of The Mikado at the Sydney Opera House. He co-conceived Taboo with Boy George, created the internationally staged musical Zorro, and developed Carmen La Cubana, which has toured major cities worldwide. Other projects include Pure Imagination, Love Sick, and A Wonderful World, a musical about Louis Armstrong that premiered in Miami and opened on Broadway in 2024. During the pandemic he also appeared as an actor in Seven Deadly Sins, and in 2025 he directed the acclaimed production of The Code at Southwark Playhouse. He now lives in Miami Beach.

Jim Kierstead (Producer) is a Grammy-nominated, Emmy, Olivier, and six-time Tony Award-winning producer. In addition, he has been a co-producer of over 35 Broadway productions with 18 Tony nominations. Off-Broadway projects include The Gospel According To Heather, Unexpected Joy, Yank!, and Thrill Me - The Leopold & Loeb Story. He has produced London productions including The Code, Waitress, Dreamgirls, Pretty Woman, Be More Chill, Unexpected Joy, Yank!, Thrill Me, Flowers For Mrs Harris, Brokeback Mountain, Night of the Living Dead, and Aspects of Love. Currently on Broadway are Hadestown, Buena Vista Social Club, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Fear of 13. Jim is the President of the Board of Directors of The York Theatre Company and is on the Board of Primary Stages and Abingdon Theatre Company, and is the founder of the digital theatre content creation company Broadway Virtual.