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The Red Suitcase show poster

The Red Suitcase at The Broadwater Theatre Mainstage

Dates: (8/10/2023 - 9/3/2023 )

Theatre:

The Broadwater Theatre Mainstage


1076 Lillian Way
Los Angeles, 90038

Phone: (714) 689-8116

Tickets: $38 - General Admission / $33 - Military, Seniors, Students

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  3. The Red Suitcase

The Red Suitcase


P3 Theatre Company, in association with the Del Shores Foundation and Beard Collins Shores Productions presents…

a World Premiere Play

THE RED SUITCASE

by Jiggs Burgess

Directed by Del Shores

Assistant Direction by Blake McIver Ewing

at the Broadwater Theatre (Mainstage) in Hollywood

1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA 90038

August 10th - September 3rd, 2023

August 10th/11th: Preview Performances

August 12th: Official Press Opening

Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:00 pm

Sundays @ 2:00 pm,

Q&A with actors/creatives following Sunday performances

 

The Best Play Winner for the Del Shores Foundation Writers Search, The Red Suitcase follows Pogue's life from his unusual birth to the death of his father.

The play explores the sometimes difficult relationships between fathers and sons and how the sins of generations can be passed along unintentionally.

Pogue is led on a journey that takes him from, "we are the sins of our ancestors" to "we are the hope of our ancestors." A play of hope, survival, and the discovery of self-worth.

Starring: Emerson Collins, Kristen McCullough, Bruce Melena, Charlotte Louise White, Mat Hayes, Pam Trotter, and Tiago Santos

Cast and Creative team for The Red Suitcase at The Broadwater Theatre Mainstage

Cast

Emerson Collins

Pogue
Emerson Collins is an actor, director and producer best known for four seasons of BRAVO’s The People’s Couch and being featured as “Steve” performing “Will I?” in RENT on FOX. In film, he produced and starred in Del Shores’ Sordid Lives sequel, A Very Sordid Wedding which opened number one at the specialty box office. He produced and starred in Southern Baptist Sissies, which won 15 film festival awards including one for Emerson as Best Actor in a Feature Film from the Red Dirt International Film Festival, and he produced Blues For Willadean, starring Beth Grant and Octavia Spencer. Emerson also produced the world premiere of Del Shores’ play Yellow, winner of the LA Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best Production, a national tour of Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies on stage, and co-produced while recurring in Sordid Lives: The Series for LOGO. He produced and directed, for stage and then film, Del Shores’ Six Characters In Search of a Play. Emerson won the Desert Theatre League Award for Best Actor in a Comedy for his performance in the Regional Theatre Premiere of Buyer & Cellar and appeared in the world premiere productions of The Boomerang Effect and The $5 Shakespeare Company. With Del, he hosted the number one UBN Radio show for three years on LGBTQ news. He also assistant directed and starred in the world premiere production of A Very Sordid Wedding on stage. Emerson was honored as one of the OUT 100, serves as Program Director for the Del Shores Foundation, and appears regularly as a speaker on LGBTQ representation in film at film festivals nationwide and internationally. Last year he produced and performed a nationwide tour with Blake McIver of their duo cabaret show I Dreamed A Dreamgirl. www.emersoncollins.com


Kristen McCullough

April
Kristen was bit by the acting bug in the third grade and has been acting professionally since the age of 14, beginning her professional career at The Wortham Theater in Houston. She has worked on numerous productions including a successful run at the Coast Theater in the world premier of Del Shores’ YELLOW, originating the role of Kate which earned her an LA Weekly Award and a Backstage Garland Award. In addition, her film credits include Blues for Willadean with Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Beth Grant. Kristen is so grateful to the P3 Theater Company for the opportunity to work once again with Del Shores and Emerson Collins in this exciting world premier. As always she thanks John, Meara and Oliver for their love and support.


Bruce Melena

Bud
Bruce is excited and honored to be making his return to the stage with the P3 Theatre Company in the World Premier of Jiggs Burgess’s “The Red Suitcase” at The Broadwater Main Stage in Los Angeles . His past theater credits include “My Time”(Kirk) at the Intar Theater in NYC, “Fifth of July” (John Landis) at The Attic Theater, “MM” (Jack Peace) at the St. Genesius Theater, “MacGuffins I & II” (Sharkey/Eddie/Sanger/Bobo) at The Court Theater, “The Fortune Seller” (Butch) and “Barefoot in the Park” (Victor Velasco) at the Tamarind Theater all in Los Angeles. Thank you Del, Jiggs, Jon, and all involved with “The Red Suitcase”.


Charlotte Louise White

Grandma Evans
Charlotte is honored to be appearing at P3 Theatre Company under the excellent direction of Del Shores. She has appeared on stage in Dallas and Addison, Texas. Two of her favorite plays are Agatha Christie’s “Love From A Stranger” as Aunt Lou and “Murder On The Nile” as Louise. Her favorite role was Mama Wheelis in Shores’ "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will" at Garland Civic Theatre. Film credits are "Sleep No More”, “Drawing A Blank", "Nana's Secret Recipe", and "A Dark Destiny". She is represented by Bankston Talent Agency. Her special thanks go to Jiggs Burgess and the wonderful cast and crew who have shared this experience


Mat Hayes

Player 1
Mat is SO excited to be making his Broadwater debut and joining the P3 family. Originally from Decatur, Alabama, Mat Hayes is a multi-award winning filmmaker and podcaster (Cognitive streaming on various platforms, Shafted, co-directed by Del Shores & Emerson Collins is currently winning festivals, Fagnostic Podcast wherever you get your podcasts). Before running aground in LA, Mat was a cruise ship singer, toured with shows, regional theatre productions, performed at Dollywood, and other dinner theatres in the Smokey Mountains. His dog, Porter Wagger, is named for Dolly Parton’s late singing partner. His activism revolves mostly around the dialogue between sexuality and faith, hence his chart-topping podcast. He also serves on the board of The Del Shores Foundation, which exists to elevate the works of queer, southern storytellers. The most important thing to Mat is to create space for others, for in doing so, it allows others to create space for others, and so on. That is how we fix this world. Live truthfully and vulnerably, and we’ll get through this thing called life. 15 years ago after watching Sordid Lives for the first time, he messaged Del Shores on Facebook and said, “I hope to audition for you one day!” And here we are… Other Film: With A Whimper premiering late 2023, The Counter: 1960, TV: Jane the Virgin, 911. Theatre: Ovation Award for Celebration’s The Boy From Oz. mathayes.com @hayesonit


Pam Trotter

Player 2
Pam is excited to join the P3 Theatre Company & create the colorful characters in The Red Suitcase. After working with Director Del Shores on his award-winning play “The Trials & Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife” covering the roles of LaSonia and the Blue singer, it is an absolute honor and privilege to get the opportunity to play again. Pam has become known for her versatility in all aspects of entertainment, from a soul stirring blues, gospel, and jazz singer to making a significant mark as an actress, playing character roles ranging from a precocious 10-year-old to a spunky 70-year-old in film, television, radio, stage and recording. Originally from St. Louis, Mo, now residing in Los Angeles, CA, she has toured across the United States & Canada with the Broadway National Tour of The Color Purple in her dream role of Sofia. Other stage credits include: An Octoroon (The Fountain Theatre), The Trials & Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Ain’t Misbehavin, Smokey Joe’s Café, Big River, Blues in the Night, and numerous others. She can be seen on primetime, streaming shows & movies such as, Swarm, American Auto, Maggie, NCIS LA, Big Shot, Life In Pieces, Shameless, General Hospital and numerous others. Pam is looking forward to sharing the characters of “The Red Suitcase” with you. Enjoy the show!


Tiago Santos

Player 3
Tiago is proud to be making his P3 Theatre debut! He is a first-generation LA native. Alumni of Pacific Conservatory for Performing Arts (PCPA). Past credits include The Human Comedy at Actors Co-op, Addams Family the Musical at PCPA, and Comedy of Errors at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Currently, Tiago takes acting classes at Jamie Wollrab Studio and Playhouse West. He is excited to begin the process of telling this beautiful story of The Red Suitcase! Follow him on IG; @siago.tantos


Creative Team

Jiggs Burgess

Playwright
Jiggs was the inaugural winner of the Del Shores Foundation Writer’s Search for The Red Suitcase. Jiggs’ work has also been a finalist in the Eugene O’Neill playwriting competition. Produced by P3 Theatre Company, Wounded, act two of his play Wounded/Sparrow, was performed to great acclaim at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe festival. Other works, including The Girl In The White Pinafore, The Book of Dog, and Anna Mae continue to be produced coast to coast in educational theatre. This is his first full professional production as well as the world premiere of The Red Suitcase.


Del Shores

Director
Del Shores has written, directed and produced successfully across studio and independent film, network and cable television and regional and national touring theatre. He is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. He wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got The Will? He has written eleven plays, produced thousands of times worldwide, four adapted for screen. His publisher is Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. In television, Del wrote, directed, executive produced and created the LOGO series, Sordid Lives: The Series. He also wrote and executive produced Showtime's Queer As Folk for the last three seasons, wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey. He has directed Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer; Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-John; Emmy winners/nominees Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Bobbie Eakes, Patrika Darbo and Rue McClanahan; Spirit Award winner Dale Dickey; Screen Actor's Guild Award-winner Beth Grant; as well as Caroline Rhea, Debby Holiday and David Steen. As a performer, Shores has performed in hundreds of standup gigs, with multiple national tours and four live filmed DVDs including his one man play Six Characters In Search of a Play. He is a GLAAD Award, NAACP Award and a LA Weekly Lifetime Achievement award winner. In March 2023, he was given The Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award “for groundbreaking and distinguished achievements in LGBTQ+ playwriting and arts advocacy by The Celebration Theatre.


Blake McIver Ewing

Assistant Director
Blake McIver Ewing is thrilled to be a part of the creative team of this beautiful World Premiere production! Some of Blake’s regional directing credits include productions of The Light in the Piazza, Elton John & Tim Rice’s AIDA, & Hairspray. Off Broadway, he directed and choreographed “I Dream of Jackie” & “I Dream of Jackie 2: Jackie’s Nightmare” for Ru Paul’s Drag Race star Jackie Cox. Blake conceived and directed an immersive concert of the three musical versions of the “A Star is Born” films at Rockwell Table & Stage in LA as well as directed and choreographed the multi-city “Ménage A Tour” for recording artist Ariana Savalas. Blake has toured extensively with his own cabarets “Blake Sings Barbra: The 94 Concert” & “Confessions of a Child Co-Star” and last year he and Emerson Collins performed a 12 city tour of their duo cabaret review “I Dreamed a Dreamgirl.” A self-proclaimed “recovering child actor”, you may remember Blake from many TV and Film appearances in the 90s!


Anna Kupershmidt

Production Stage Manager
Anna is excited to make her debut with P3 Theatre Company and to be continuing her journey at the Broadwater Theatre, where she previously had the wonderful opportunity to be the Stage Technician for 16 shows in the Studio Theatre Space during The Hollywood Fringe Festival. She was the Stage Manager for the world premiere of ‘The Pilot Who Crashed The Party’ (Public Works Improvisation Theatre & Paul Sand Projects) in the Main Stage Theatre space this past April. Anna also has had the greatest pleasure stage managing her first musical this past May, ‘Kinky Boots’, with the LACC Theatre Academy where she stage managed multiple productions during the course of 2018 to 2020. She has worked with The Hudson Theatre on ‘Southern Girls 2023’ & ‘Four Dogs and a Bone 2019’ and The Fountain Theatre on ‘Walking The Beat 2019’ & ‘Detained 2021’. Enjoy the show!


Adam Matthew

Sound Designer
Adam is thrilled to be a part of the world premiere production of The Red Suitcase! With three decades of theatrical experience, Adam currently serves as the Production Manager at A Noise Within. Additionally, for the past 10 years, he’s been the Technical Director and Production Stage Manager for the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. Notable among his favorite past sound designs are "The Exonerated" at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, as well as "The Snow Queen," "Dracula," and 4 seasons of the Annual Playwrights’ Festival at Key City Public Theatre. Alongside his artistic pursuits, Adam cherishes his partner Raven, chosen family, and his beloved pups Mallow and Taro. He remains a steadfast advocate for live theatre, pushing boundaries, and ensuring the arts thrive.


Jesus Hurtado

Scenic and Projections Designer
Jesus is a recent graduate from The University of Southern California, class of 2022. He received a BFA in Theater Design with an emphasis on scenic and projection design. The past year Jesus has been working as an assistant to several theater designers in Los Angeles, San Diego, and New York. Some of his recent productions include Destiny of Desire (Old Globe Theater), The Ants (Geffen Playhouse), Summer, 1976 (MTC), and The Harder They Come (The Public Theater). This is his P3 Theatre Company and Broadwater Theatre stage debut and is very excited to be a part of this production!


Krys Fehervari

Co-Producer / Hair/Makeup/Props
As an award-winning designer and master stylist, Krys Fehervari has significantly raised the bar in the world of hair and makeup. She has a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of California at Irvine, and has trained in England. Krys has both cosmetologist and esthetician licenses. Fehervari’s designs boast knowledge in all aspects of beauty design: skin care, wigs, makeup, cutting, coloring, and expert knowledge of period styles. Krys’ passion and creativity have won her rave reviews and numerous awards in the theatrical, print, film, and television communities. Her media credits are extensive. She has done numerous plays, films, commercials, infomercials, print work, television, and personal image development. She has styled for Disneyland, the L.A. Opera, and many different Theatre companies. Her work has been seen on PBS, the Hallmark channel, National Geographic Wild channel, PBS- Japan, and Bill-boards across California. She has also been recognized by: many film festivals, Drama Logue, the Ovation awards and the salon industry for her outstanding execution and design.


Frank McKown

Lighting Designer
Frank has lit over 150 projects, including plays, musicals, concerts, dance performances, award shows, benefits, retail/restaurant spaces, architecture, and...a bar mitzvah! He has garnered several awards for his theatre and dance productions and has been nominated for Ovation and LA Drama Critics Circle Awards. www.franklylit.com


Shon LeBlanc

Costume Designer
Celebrating 38 years in the business, Shon LeBlanc has designed over 500 shows. Primarily a stage designer, he has also done tv: Encore for Disney Plus. Films: Lobsterman from Mars, Toolbox Murders, Waxworks(ACD),Quasi(ACD) No God No Master. He has done several world premiere productions including 4 Athol Fugard shows. The Human Comedy, KittyHawk, Little Women, and The Art of Seduction to name a few. He has also done west coast and LA premieres, including Murder on the Orient Express, 1940s Radio Hour, The Men From the Boys. A multi award winning designer he is the recipient of 9 Dramalogue awards, 5 Garland Awards, including a Local Hero award, a Drama Circle Critics award, 2 Ovations and numerous nominations. Shon has done shows for Kentucky Opera and Shakespeare, Charlottesville Opera, Ogunquit Playhouse and the Hoogland Center in Springfield IL. Shon is the co-owner of Valentinos Costume Group, inc in North Hollywood, and a member of the Costume Designers Guild, 892




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