Open Fist Theatre Company To Present Los Angeles Premiere Of Catherine Butterfield’s BROWNSTONE

Open Fist Theatre Company will present the Los Angeles premiere of Brownstone, a play by Catherine Butterfield, directed by Ron West. The production will open Saturday, January 24, at Atwater Village Theatre and run through February 28.

Set on the second floor of a New York brownstone, Brownstone unfolds across three different time periods—1937, 1978, and 1999—with each story taking place in the same apartment. The play follows three couples navigating ambition, identity, and relationships within their respective eras, allowing the stories to overlap and echo across time.

The cast includes Rosie Byrne and Amber Tiara as Deena and Maureen, aspiring actresses newly arrived in New York during the late 1970s. Matthew Goodrich and Chelsea Spirito portray Stephen and Davia, a wealthy young couple in the 1930s with dreams of relocating to Paris. Isaac W. Jay and Jade Santana appear as Jason and Jessica, a career-driven couple at the turn of the millennium.

Butterfield has described the play as an exploration of how language, aspirations, and social conventions evolve while underlying human desires remain consistent. Director Ron West notes that while each era in the play is distinct, the characters’ motivations reveal striking parallels across generations.

Brownstone was originally commissioned and produced by Laguna Playhouse, where The Los Angeles Times described it as “a well-crafted, involving character study” and “a theatrical pleasure.”

The creative team includes scenic consultant Jan Munroe, lighting designer Gavan Wyrick, sound designer Kermit Frisbee, Costume Designer Mylette Nora, and properties designers Bruce Dickenson and Ina Shumaker. Carmella Jenkins and Beth Robbins co-produce for Open Fist Theatre Company, with John Dimitri serving as production stage manager.

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