Cast Set For World Premiere of JENNA & THE WHALE at Ground Floor Theatre

Ground Floor Theatre in collaboration with Broadway United has revealed the cast for Jenna & The Whale by Vanessa Garcia and Jake Cline directed by Lisa Scheps running August 10 – 26, 2023 at Ground Floor Theatre. Tickets on sale now at groundfloortheatre.org/jenna.

Originally previewed during the pandemic for Broadway Virtual, the new play by Miami playwrights Vanessa Garcia and Jake Cline,Jenna & the Whale is about life, death, and who we are as a community of individuals. It’s about the things we see and what we can’t, the things we know and the things we struggle to understand.

“When we embarked on telling the story of a girl in a whale, we hoped people would see it and recognize themselves. When Lisa at Ground Floor read the play, and responded the way she did, full of grounded metaphor; full of both ocean and earth and an understanding of something bigger, well, we just felt super grateful that this place and this director, who really got our piece, would be premiering it along with this incredible cast,” said playwrights Vanessa Garcia and Jake Cliine

The cast is comprised of Kelsey Mazak as Jenna, Matthew Vo as Jonah, Keaton Patterson as Coco, Jennifer Jennings as Lynn, Tonie Knight as Rita, and Brooke Ashley Eden as Deputy Taylor.

With direction by Lisa Scheps, the production team includes scenic design by Allie Kemmerer, lighting design by Jacqueline Sindelar, costume design by Pam Fletcher Friday, puppet design by Connor Hopkins, sound and video design by Lowell Bartholomee, graphic design by Shannon Grounds along with Nathaniel Williams as technical director, Andy Grapko as intimacy director, Kelsey Moringy as assistant director and stage manager, and Astrid Rangel as production stage manager.

Jenna & the Whale | August 10 – 26, 2023

WORLD PREMIERE

by Vanessa Garcia and Jake Cline | Directed by Lisa Scheps

Scenic Design by Allie Kemmerer | Lighting Design by Jacqueline Sindelar | Costume Design by Pam Fletcher Friday | Puppet Design Connor Hopkins | Sound and Video Design by Lowell Bartholomee

groundfloortheatre.org/jenna

Following a surfing accident off the coast of Dunes Beach, Florida, Jenna wakes to find herself in the company of a young man named Jonah. He tells her that they are inside the belly of a whale, that he has been here for three years and that there is no chance of escape. Jenna refuses to accept that, and she becomes determined to free them both. Meanwhile, as members of Jenna’s hometown worry about her fate, an unexpected visitor arrives to challenge the bonds and beliefs of this already fractured community.

Written by Miami playwrights Vanessa Garcia (Amparo: Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas and #Graced) and Jake Cline (Purple Hearts), Jenna & the Whale is about life, death, and who we are in a community as individuals. It’s about things we see and what we can’t, the things we know and the things we grapple to understand.

ABOUT Vanessa Garcia

Vanessa Garcia is a Cuban-American multidisciplinary writer -- screenwriter, playwright, novelist, and journalist/essayist -- who has written and worked for Sesame Street, Caillou, and other shows. She’s the author of the novel, White Light, which won an International Latino Book Award and was one of NPRs best books of 2015. Her first Picture Book for children, What the Bread Says, launched October 1, 2022. Theatrically, she’s the author of The Amparo Experience, an immersive hit that People en Español called “Miami’s Hottest Ticket.” Other plays include: Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas, which she co-wrote with Richard Blanco and #Graced, which premiers this year at Zoetic Stage in Spring, 2023. Her journalism, essays and thought pieces have appeared in The LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, National Review, ESPN, The Hill, Catapult, Narrativel.ly, and numerous other publications.  She holds a PhD from the University of California Irvine in Creative Nonfiction. Her dissertation focused on Cuba.

ABOUT Jake Cline

Jake Cline is a Miami-based playwright, literary critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He has written for The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Outside magazine and other national outlets. A member of PEN America and the National Book Critics Circle, Cline in 2020 was a finalist for the NBCC’s Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing. He was a member of the 2019-2021 class of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs’ Playwright Development Program, which presented a public reading of his play “The Mountains.” By day, Cline works as publications director at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. He lives in Miami with his wife, Yvette, and rescue beagle, Doug.

Performances are August 10 – 26, 2023 at Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Road, Suite 122, Austin, TX at the corner of Springdale and Airport. Performances are Thursday through Saturday nights at 8:00PM and Sundays at 5:00PM. The “First Friday” performance on August 11 includes a reception. GFT will be live streaming two performances (July 23 and 24) Ground Floor Theatre believes in “theatre for everyone” regardless of ability to pay, so tickets are always Pay What You Can. Suggested ticket prices are $25 for general admission and $45 for VIP. VIP seating includes a reserved seat, a glass of bubbly and the assurance of helping GFT keep the Pay What You Can policy. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at groundfloortheatre.org/jenna.

SEASON PASSES: Season passes are available for the 2023 season. Season passes are a way for patrons to support GFT’s Pay What You Can policy by paying a bit more for tickets. Passes can be used in any way you like – from all tickets for one show or spread them around for the season. Season passes for the remaining 2023 Season (two shows) are now available at $100 per pass. For more information or to purchase a season pass please visit groundfloortheatre.org/seasonpass.

About Ground Floor Theatre:

Ground Floor Theatre (GFT) produces works focusing on historically underrepresented communities. It serves as an incubator to foster and grow new and groundbreaking works that shine a light on groups that are often overlooked. It is also a home for the Austin theatre community to come together and learn from one another in order to help Austin continue to excel as a leader in The National Theatre community. For more information visit www.groundfloortheatre.org.

About Broadway United:

Broadway United was formed by business partners Jim Kierstead and William Fernandez. With over 20 years of producing experience between them, in the mediums of theatre, film, and television, Broadway United is committed to creating quality content that promotes equitable participation across multiple mediums.

From time to time, Broadway United co-produces Broadway productions of musicals and plays. Broadway United believes that carefully selecting projects based on subject, quality, management team, and marketing strategy gives the the most chance of a successful investment for their investors and the Broadway United team. If you would like to learn more about their strategy, please visit www.broadway-united.com.

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