HEAUX CHURCH to Make West Coast Premiere at The Elysian

Celebration Theatre and The Elysian have announced the West Coast Premiere of HEAUX CHURCH, written and performed by Brandon Kyle Goodman (Big Mouth, Human Resources) and directed by Lisa Owaki Bierman. Presented in association with Lena Waithe, the production plays a strictly limited one-week engagement, November 5-8, 2026, at The Elysian in Frogtown.

The show arrives in Los Angeles fresh from an extended World Premiere at Off-Broadway's Ars Nova and a nomination in the Theater category at the 2026 Queerties. Goodman is joined by the full original New York company, DJ Ari Grooves and puppeteer Greg Corbino.

Part sermon, part confession, part dance party, HEAUX CHURCH is a service of self-love. Goodman, a former pastor's kid, takes the pulpit to deliver the sex talk most of us never got, with music, storytelling, and a lot of laughter. The show goes after the shame many queer people were raised with and replaces it with joy, pleasure, and permission to be exactly who you are.

'I'm bursting with excitement to bring HEAUX CHURCH to Los Angeles. What started as a pandemic musing with director and longtime collaborator Lisa Owaki Bierman grew into an Off-Broadway dream come true,' shared creator Brandon Kyle Goodman. 'Now, we've refocused the show for touring so we can share its heaux-ly experience with anyone seeking community fellowshipping, unabashed liberation, and an exuberant night out!'

Emmy-winning writer, actor, and producer Lena Waithe, who has been attached to the show since its debut, praised: 'HEAUX CHURCH is a funny, animated show that shows up for a generation of kids that never got a proper sex education. Thank God for Brandon Kyle Goodman for teaching us about all the things we never even knew we desired.'

The production marks a natural home for the show. Since reopening its century-old Frogtown building as a nonprofit comedy house in 2021, The Elysian has become one of Los Angeles's most vital stages for boundary-pushing comedy, hosting acts like Joel Kim Booster, Nicole Byer, Cameron Esposito, and a new generation of comedic voices developing their most daring work. HEAUX CHURCH fits that tradition, turning a church service into a comedy of liberation.

"Our 44th Season, 'The Year of Desire,' asks each of us to voice our deepest wants and needs without shame or judgment,' said Christopher Maikish, Producing Artistic Director of Celebration Theatre. 'Brandon's joyfully provocative, sexy, and invigorating play is the perfect kickoff for our community, and we are elated to join hands with The Elysian to present this West Coast Premiere."

HEAUX CHURCH opens Celebration Theatre's 2026-27 season, which continues in December with Trans Lineage: Instructions for Desire, three World Premiere one-acts by Nova Cypress Black, Eka Savajol, and Astrid Solace, directed by Nico Pang and co-produced with Outside In Theatre, and in Spring 2027 with Ride the Cyclone, directed by Michael Matthews at The Hudson Backstage.

CREATIVE TEAM

Scenic Design: Max de Berardine, Original Scenic Design: Lawrence E. Moten III · Lighting Design: Derek Scully · Original Costume Design: Mika Eubanks Original Sound Design: Christopher Darbassie · Puppet Design: Greg Corbino Video Design: Stivo Arnoczy · Production Stage Manager: Shawna Voragen Lead Producer: Petey Gibson

ARTIST BIOS

Brandon Kyle Goodman (Writer/Performer) As a writer, actor, host, and sexual/mental wellness advocate, Brandon Kyle Goodman (BKG, they/them) is best known for their work on Netflix's smash hit and Emmy-nominated animated comedy series, Big Mouth, and its spin-off, Human Resources; Amazon's Modern Love, Hulu's Plus One, Netflix's Feel the Beat, and ABC's Abbott Elementary.

In 2024, BKG launched their podcast, Tell Me Something Messy! with the iHeart network. On the show, celebrity guests and experts divulge their messy stories, all with the intention of helping people lead more liberated lives. BKG continues their hosting duties, joining E! News for RE!CAP where BKG and co-hosts serve up hot takes on Hollywood's biggest nights.

BKG shares an inspiring and uplifting message of self-love and acceptance with their first book, You Gotta Be You, released in 2022. Written in the same refreshingly honest voice as their viral Instagram posts, they explore the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender, and the lessons that would guide them to their most authentic self. They continue their writing on relationships, sex, and identity for their Messy Mondays Substack.

BKG has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Well+Good, OUT, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and many more. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, BKG is currently based in Los Angeles. www.brandonkylegoodman.com

Lisa Owaki Bierman (Director) - A Los Angeles-based director working in the worlds of immersive and experiential theater, Lisa Owaki Bierman's work includes clowning, dance theater, puppetry, and puzzles and has appeared at Ars Nova, the Skirball Center and the Santa Monica Pier, amongst others. Recent collaborations include the World Premiere of Heaux Church with Brandon Kyle Goodman, From Rufio to Zuko with Dante Basco, Abbale, Hebrew for Daddy with Bodies in Play, and The Builder and the Dove with Mister and Mischief.

DJ Ari Grooves -An Artist, DJ, and interstellar force excited to be the 'First Lady' of the Heaux Church Family, You've seen this 'ATLiean' Broadway performer as 'Tina Turner' in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical on B'way and the 1st Nat'l North American tour, Little Shop of Horrors Off' Bway (2020 Lucille Lortel Nom), Head Over Heels, and more. Her Film/TV credits include In the Heights (Warner Bros.), Spider-Man: Homecoming (Sony). TV: 'The Get Down' (Netflix),'Law & Order: SVU' (NBC Universal), 'IF' (Paramount). Ari's DJ credits include Lincoln Center, The Living Room, Iron Bar, Solomon and Kuff, Harlem Nights Bar, Soho House NYC, and many Broadway parties. Ari was the official DJ for the '75th Annual Tony Awards After Party Gala" in 2022. Yes, she is that girl...period! 'Get that head, Get that Bread, AND LEAVE LOL!'