To kick off its 25th season, The Garage Theatre will present the world premiere of Tragedy Giftshop by Ryan McClary, directed by Matthew Anderson. Tragedy Giftshop is set in Townesville, USA, a small community paralyzed by a recent school shooting. As these citizens are busy putting the shattered pieces of their lives back together, a new business comes to Main Street; a franchising gift shop professing to be a balm for the all-too-common American tragedy: the mass shooting. As they grapple with the hard facts - and intersections - of grief and consumerism in modern-day America, the folks of Townesville search for answers, comfort, and even community, at the Tragedy Giftshop.
Director Matthew Anderson brings together a stellar ensemble cast of returning Garage favorites, plus new faces from the Long Beach community including several students from the nearby Renaissance High School for The Arts. This is the fourth play McClary has premiered at The Garage Theatre, and his second time working with director Matthew Anderson. McClary’s past Garage Theatre accomplishments were 2022’s Private Lives of Imaginary Friends, 2015’s Wet Hot American Summer... The Play?, and 2013’s Ravens & Writing Desks co-written with Angela Lopez.
Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre Schedule
Jerome Wallace plays Declan Forrester in Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre Photo Credit: Diana Kaufmann
Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre L to R: Madi Burns as Heather Morton & Rory Cowan as Chris Udall Photo Credit: Diana Kaufmann
Whitney Ellis as Greta Welles in Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre Photo Credit: Diana Kaufmann
Whitney Ellis as Greta Welles in Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre Photo Credit: Diana Kaufmann
Cast and Creative team for Tragedy Giftshop at The Garage Theatre
Cast
Jade Dodgen
Lucy Baker
Jade (16) is currently an 11th grader at Renaissance High School for the Arts, studying theater and classical jazz music in pursuit of a career in performing. Highlight credits include Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and Father in Eurydice. This marks Jade’s first performance with the Garage Theater.
Rory Cowan
Chris Udall
Rory is delighted to continue his long association with the Garage Theatre. Tragedy Giftshop is his eleventh production with the Garage and his first as a proud company member. His past Garage productions include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Misery, Killer Joe, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and Cannibal: The Musical.
Madi Burns
Heather Morton
Madi is ecstatic to be in this production! Recently performing as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Currently working on the role of Papa Ge in Once on This Island. Madi is a sophomore in high school and studies drama at Renaissance High School for the Arts.
Sage Forsythe
Dominic Wicklow
Sage is furthering her career at Fullerton College after studying at the Stunts Performance Academy. Throughout the year, she has been seen in other roles; as Zoe at Zoe Reborn (Escapade Games) and a Reaper (FSL) at Knotts Scary Farm. Indulging her acting career even further throughout the season.
Paige Laney
Virginia Greene
Paige is making her Garage Theater debut! She first started acting in 2013 and has been a part of numerous productions throughout Long Beach. Favorite roles include Theodora in The Haunting of Hill House and Helena in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
James Barnabas
Will Raskin
James is a stage actor, most recently seen portraying Juan Julian in Anna in the Tropics at LBCC. He has trained under Elena Vitale, Charles Tentindo, Mark Anthony-Vallejo, and Tony Carreiro, and is committed to honing his craft and expanding his artistic range. This fall, he has plans to pursue a BFA in Acting at CSUF to further develop his skills and repertoire.
Whitney Ellis
Greta Welles
Whitney is an actor, writer and director. She is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television and won a fellowship to complete her MFA at USC. She has performed at SF Sketchfest, Hollywood Fringe as well as done theater far and wide. Her work as an actor, writer and director has screened and won awards at various film festivals, most recently at the Oscar qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Jerome Wallace
Declan Forrester
Creative Team
Matthew Anderson
Director
Ryan McClary
Playwright
Ryan McClary is a playwright, podcaster,
and performer. He is a graduate of CSULB
Theatre Department, and studied sketch
writing at The Upright Citizen's Brigade.
His previous writings for the Garage
include The Private Lives of Imaginary
Friends and Wet Hot American
Summer...The Play?
Paul Knox
Stage Manager
Paul has been collaborating with the Garage
Theatre since 2008, some of his Garage
credits include Directing Beh, and
performing in the roles of Bert in Babylon
Heights, Will Blunt in Measure for Pleasure,
Tom Tom in Goose and Tom Tom, Trig in
Stupid Fucking Bird, Mr. Baggot/Ethics
Man in Darkside, and Thom Pain in Thom
Pain: Based on Nothing. Paul would like to
thank everyone who has supported him as
he takes on the role of stage managing this
show.
Christine Lemus
Stage Manager
This is the fourth show that Christine has
helped with at the Garage; She has also
been a stage manager at the Long Beach
Playhouse and Terrace theater. She has
a love for local community theaters and
the haunt community. She’s glad to be
back with this new show, a world
premiere, and season opener. Lots of
firsts with this show and she’s excited to
be a part of it.
Rob Young
Scenic Director
Ryan Young
Scenic Artist
Alyssa Felix Garcia
Props/Intimacy Choreographer
Mcleod Benson
Lighting Designer
Matari2000
Sound Designer
Matthew Julian
Production Manager
Ryan Young
Graphic Designer
Thomas Amerman
Technical Director
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The Firebird
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