Theatricus To Present Free Staged Readings of LITTLE REDS and THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS

Theatricus, the nonprofit performing arts collective focused on amplifying new theatrical voices, will present two one-day staged readings of Little Reds by Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm and These Violent Delights by Jonathan Josephson. Both works were selected as the 2nd- and 3rd-place winners, respectively, in the inaugural VOX NOVA Playwright Festival.

The staged reading of Little Reds will be held November 22, 2025, at the Lamanda Park Branch Library in Pasadena, directed by Paul Millet.

The staged reading of These Violent Delights will take place December 6, 2025, at the same venue, directed by Todd Andrew Ball.

Admission is free for both readings, with seating limited to 50 attendees per performance. Donations to support Theatricus’ programming are welcome.

LITTLE REDS
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/staged-reading-of-little-reds

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/staged-reading-of-these-violent-delights

About the Plays

In the dramatic work Little Reds, DAFF struggles to juggle her responsibilities to her sick mother, her younger brother, and the drug dealer that may be in love with her - all while making plans to escape her "sh*t-stain of a small town."

Development History: Little Reds was a Finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference and the David Ross Fetzer Emerging Artists Grant, and received readings at Fierce Backbone, Bennington Theatre, The Fountain Theatre, and Theatre of NOTE. It received developmental support through Fierce Backbone and The Fountain Theatre.

These Violent Delights is a bold, irreverent re-working of Shakespeare's world-where love, death, alchemy, and comedy collide.

It's three days after the demise of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers; Verona is in mourning, Benvolio and Rosaline are heart-broken... but the two schemers have a plan. They've independently procured magical elixirs from Apothecary with hopes of bringing their beloveds back to life. But when they accidentally double-up their dosage, something goes wrong... horribly, deliciously wrong. Now it's up to Friar Laurence, Juliet's Nurse, Shylock of "The Merchant of Venice," and Beatrice of "Much Ado About Nothing," and a whole lot of Balthasars to right the world again.

Development History: Commission via Pasadena Individual Artist Grant (staged readings at Pasadena Playhouse/Carrie Hamilton Theatre and Theater West, 2019). Additional readings with PlayGround (2023) and Just Write, Lakeland (2024). Additionally, the first scene,This Hungry Churchyard, has won many awards as a stand-alone play including recognitions from Short+Sweet Dublin (Best Playwright), Short+Sweet Hollywood (Judge's Award), Stage It 10-Minute Play Festival CPA Bonita Springs (Finalist, publication), and is also published as a part of Josephson's collection of short sinful plays Seven Deadly Tens.

About the Playwrights

Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm (he/they) is an award-winning writer who's had 900+ productions of their plays staged in 25+ countries, 12 published scripts, 8 produced albums, and 3 shipped video games. Their newest game, Screamer, starring Troy Baker (The Last of Us) and Aleks Le (Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle), comes out in 2026. Their musical Chasing the Sky has been running open-ended in Poland since spring 2023, their first comic book will be published next spring, and they've received over 60 awards and nominations for their work.

Jonathan Josephson is an emerging voice in contemporary theatre whose work spans dark comedy, genre-twist theatre, and bold rewritings. His catalogue includes Norine & The King of Swatsville, The Legend(s) of Sleepy Hollow, and of course his award-winning These Violent Delights. Josephson was also one of the Co-Founders of Unbound Productions and authored several of Wicked Lit's productions including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Chimes: A Goblin Story, A Ghost Story, The New Catacomb, Las Lloronas, Anansi and the Demons, and The Grove of Rashomon. More than fifty of his plays have been produced at schools, theatres, and non-traditional theatre spaces around the world. He brings a sharp wit and a fearless approach to form and genre-making this reading an opportunity to engage with storytelling that pushes boundaries.

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