BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY at Open Space Arts

Jason Bowen is a Chicago-based actor. He works as a corporate entertainer traveling the world hosting and emceeing live events.  Most recently, Jason spent two years touring nationally with Murray & Peter Present's Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, performing as Stanley and Burt in venues across the country. He previously served as Cruise Director and Master of Ceremonies aboard the Norwegian Jade, leading entertainment programming while sailing the Mediterranean. In addition to his extensive acting credits, Jason was one of the original founders of Quest Theatre Ensemble as well as a production manager for Northwestern University's Opera Department. Known primarily for comedy, musical theater, and spontaneous audience work, Jason takes on a distinctly different challenge in Jerker, moving into the play's intimate, vulnerable, and sexually explicit world.

Joshua Bowen is a Chicago-based entertainment attorney, actor and producer. A graduate of Michigan State University’s theatre program, he began his professional career as an actor in New York City before expanding his work into producing, live entertainment, and law. His stage credits include As You Like It and Twelfth Night with The Glass Eye in New York, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Open Book Theatre in Michigan, and Blue Nativity with Quest Theatre Ensemble in Chicago. Josh has continued creating work behind the scenes, including co-writing, directing, and producing Me: A Narcissistical Musical Cabaret Featuring Me: Jason Bowen, which was performed in Michigan and the Chicagoland area. Jerker marks Josh’s return to acting after almost a decade away from the stage and his first time directing a full theatrical production.

Tim Bruns (Max, he/him) is thrilled to be part of Open Space Arts' staged reading of A QUIET END. As a Chicago-based actor, Tim most recently played King Philip in THE LION IN WINTER (Parker Players). Other favorite theatre credits include Sebastian in THE TEMPEST (Elgin Theatre Company), Oscar Wilde in GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE (Janus Theatre Company), Pastor John Hidge in TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH, TOO MANY (Grove Players), and Anthony Marston in AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (North Riverside Players). Outside of theatre, Tim can be found watching acclaimed films, having fun in dance class, playing volleyball, or rocking out on a drum set.

Keith Butler (Kenny, BLOOD SPILL) is thrilled to be performing with Open Space Arts again. His work has also been seen with A Real Read and Barry B. Productions. His most recent appearance with Open Space Arts was in the production of The Kramer Project at Center on Halsted. Keith studied Theatre and Dance, with an emphasis in Theatre and a minor in African American Studies. Audiences may also recognize him from the title role of Kevin in Kevin’s Room. His television and film credits include How I Met Your Mother, Dreamgirls, and Commander in Chief. In 2021, Keith added author to his credits with the release of his memoir, Little Black Gay Boy. He is grateful for the continued support of his family and friends in everything he does. HIV/AIDS is still present in our world, and we cannot stop talking about it. Know your status.

Zack Chaykin (Jason) is thrilled to appear in A Quiet End at Open Space Arts. Recent theatre credits include GLASS.  KILL.  BLUEBEARD’S FRIENDS., THE ORESTEIA, and I CAN GET IT FROM YOU WHOLESALE. He holds an MA in Classical Acting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College.  Shoutout to the love of his life, his husband Jonas, who has never stopped believing in him, and his incredible parents who have always been a pillar of support. 

Sandro Fullone is a Chicago-based actor and filmmaker and a graduate of Illinois State University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre-Acting with additional studies in film and stage combat. His performance training includes acting, movement, and stage combat, and he is passionate about telling stories that explore human nature and create a sense of connection between performers and audiences.

Originally drawn to acting through a love of storytelling, Sandro hopes to build a career across theatre and film, creating work that inspires people, helps them feel understood, and leaves a lasting impact. He is grateful to be making his Chicago professional acting debut with ONE as part of Open Space Arts' Before We Are History.

Tierza Scaccia is an actress, comedian, photographer, and professional collector of weird jobs and interesting stories. She’s been acting since she was 16 and has performed everywhere from Second City, iO, and The Annoyance to film sets, stages, and whatever strange adventure came next. She’s appeared in more than 40 films and productions and has a particular fondness for dark comedy, complicated women, and characters who probably need a little therapy. When she’s not acting, Tierza can usually be found behind a camera, rescuing an animal, or getting herself into another creative scheme. She’s thrilled to be part of this production and hopes you enjoy the ride.

Caden Zane Marshall (Billy, he/him) is deeply honored to join BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY to spotlight vital stories from the AIDS pandemic. A Chicago-based actor, certified ASL interpreter, and theatre researcher, Caden reaches millions as @TheMusicalDealer. Favorite credits include Melchior in Skylight Music Theatre's Deaf production of SPRING AWAKENING, Theo in OUTtv's OPEN TO IT*, and Assistant Director for the Deaf adaptation of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Janesville PAC. Caden is deeply involved with accessibility and Deaf theatre, and hopes to use his skills to uplift diverse stories for the rest of his life. CadenZane.com

Shaun Rosten (Tony, A QUIET END, he/him) is honored to take part in this 40th-anniversary staged reading of Robin Swados' play. A founding member of El Bear, recent credits include OF AMERICA: A MALL DELIRIUM and MR. MORAL & FRIENDS (El Bear, Rhino Fest), THAT UGLY THING YOU MIGHT DO (BeauTown Cabaret), THE INFINITY PLAY, and HIT ME LIKE A FLOWER (Curious Theatre Branch). He is grateful to spend part of his life saying other people's brave words.

Cindy Circo Zahora (Doctor/Stage Directions, A QUIET END, she/her) is an actor and writer, who is honored to be a part of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY.  Cindy was in the original cast of Instant Theater (Chicago), Lock Up the Grass, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and many other scripted plays, improv shows, commercials, ads and local TV productions.  Most recently she appeared in Dan Castellaneta’s LONG FORM IMPROV SHOW, and the independent film MIDWEST (in post-production). In addition to the Second City Workshops, Cindy studied with Aretha Sills (ViolaSpolin.org), and with Larry Grimm at Actors Training Center.  For fun Cindy paints, writes, travels, and has spent years taking care of “unadoptable” cats with special needs.

ROBERT CHESLEY (Playwright, JERKER) (1943–1990) was a pioneering gay playwright, composer, critic, and activist whose work boldly explored sexuality, love, and the AIDS crisis. A leading figure in San Francisco’s gay theater movement, he wrote Night Sweat (1984), one of the first full-length plays to confront AIDS. His groundbreaking JERKER (1986) sparked national controversy when a radio broadcast prompted an FCC censorship battle. Chesley wrote ten full-length and 21 one-act plays, fiercely defending gay sexual expression against stigma and repression. He died of AIDS-related complications in 1990 at age 47, leaving an enduring legacy in LGBTQ+ theater.

JEFF HAGEDORN (Playwright, ONE) (1957–1995) was a Milwaukee-born playwright who became an important voice in Chicago’s gay theater movement. In the early 1980s, he helped found Lionheart Gay Theatre, where his groundbreaking play ONE premiered in 1983. Widely recognized as one of the first plays to address the AIDS epidemic, ONE gave voice to the fear and uncertainty surrounding the emerging crisis. Hagedorn wrote 11 plays, including The Layman’s Guide to Safe Sex, and helped establish the theater company SYZYGY. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1995, leaving a significant legacy in LGBTQ+ theater history.

Lee Raines (Playwright, BLOOD SPILL)

Lee Raines (he/him/they) is a queer, HIV-positive playwright based in New York City who has lived with HIV since 1989. His plays are comedic in tone while drawing on his experience of the AIDS crisis, exploring love, loss, stigma, community, and joy. He is currently Director of Artistic Programming and Outreach for Write It Out!, the playwriting program for HIV-positive writers created by Donja R. Love.

Raines began his career as a musical theatre performer, appearing in productions including Chicago with Chita Rivera and The Rocky Horror Show with Wendy O. Williams, and collaborated for more than 20 years with New York performance artist Penny Arcade. He also has extensive Chicago-area theatre connections, earning his Equity card at Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre in 1980 and later working at Marriott, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Briar Street Theatre, and the Goodman Theatre.

About BLOOD SPILL

BLOOD SPILL began in 1995 as a five-minute comic sketch created through a writing program for HIV-positive writers overseen by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Raines revisited and expanded the work in 2020 through the inaugural cohort of Write It Out!, the playwriting program for people living with HIV founded by Donja R. Love. The ten-minute play received a reading at the inaugural Atlanta Dramatists Diversity Festival at the Academy Theatre in April 2025 and will be presented at The Flea in New York City on September 21, 2026, directed by L. Morgan Lee. Raines is currently developing BLOOD SPILL into a full-length play.

A Quiet End is Robin Swados’s first play. It has received wide praise for productions including Theater-off-Park, New York; International City Theater, Los Angeles; Offstage Theater Center, London; American Repertory Theater, Amsterdam (which he also directed); Repertory Theater of St. Louis (Best New Play 1987, St. Louis theater critics); and the Weekend Theater, Little Rock, among others.  A Quiet End has been included in the Best Monologues for Men; Best Scenes for Men; anthologized in Gay & Lesbian Plays Today; and is the focus of an entire chapter of Robert Vorlicky’s Act Like a Man: Challenging Masculinities in American Drama (University of Michigan Press, 1995).  Robin Swados lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Esau Andaleon is a theater technician based in Chicago. Stage management credits include Richard III, The Duchess of Malfi, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Babes With Blades), Invaders of Mathmatica (Ghostlight), Krossroad the Musical (CIRCA Pintig), PRICK (Proboscis), The Seagull (Red Theater), Pink Ribbon Plays (Nothing Without A Company), Antigone (Promethean), and 4000 Miles (A Short Leap). Scenic construction credits include Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel (Northwestern Bienen School of Music) and A Mid-Course Correction & Interplay (On the Spot). Playwright credit includes The City of John (Essential Invisible).

Riley Bulson (Stage Manager, she/her) is a Chicago-based stage manager and theatre artist, excited to be a part of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY at Open Space Arts! She is an undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago, where she serves as Production Management Coordinator for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Previous credits include EELPOUT! (Shattered Globe Theatre), NATIVE GARDENS (Theatre EVOLVE), AVENUE Q (Paul Bunyan Playhouse), and SANCTUARY STORIES. University credits include A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and LEGALLY BLONDE. Riley gratefully acknowledges Miranda Anderson and April Browning for their continuous mentorship, and her friends for their unwavering support.

Abby Papenfus (Production Stage Manager) is excited to be a part of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY at Open Space Arts. Abby is a Chicago-based stage manager from Toledo, Ohio. Recent credits include Production Stage Manager for the staged reading of SIGNS OF LIFE. Abby has worked two summers at Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Michigan, in their summer stock season as a Stage Manager. These credits include DEAR EVAN HANSEN, THE 39 STEPS, DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, GIRL WHO SWALLOWED A CACTUS, and SNOW WHITE. Abby received a B. A in theatre from the University of Toledo in May 2026. She is super excited to get her journey going in the Chicago theatre world.