A griot’s inheritance. A nun’s unraveling. A twink’s reckoning. Cast:
Across cultures and histories, rites of passage mark life’s turning points: birth, death, coming of age, initiation, embodiment, exile, return. For trans people, these rites are often erased, denied, invented, and reimagined. This year’s exciting new works invite us to explore the moments and thresholds that shape us and our lineages, whether personal, cultural, spiritual, or historical.
From a Black transmasculine griot reclaiming ancestral memory, to a transfeminine nun confronting faith and isolation during the bubonic plague, to a gay Korean trans man facing aging and “twink death," this electric trilogy of one-acts spans centuries and continents to explore lineage, ritual, and transformation.
Directed by Nico Pang
Produced by Petey Gibson
Written by Amari Amai, Dom Martello, and Oscar K.
Alex Song-Xia*
Lee Baladejo*
Olabisi Kovabel*
Phi Kenzie*
Shawn Christopher Lovell Nabors*
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Celebration Theatre, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Trans Lineage: Rites of Passage is co-produced by Celebration Theatre and Greenway Arts Alliance, and is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
—
First Weekend:
Thursday December 4th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm. *Opening Night with reception to Follow*
Friday December 5th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm
Saturday December 6th - Doors: 2:30pm, Show 3pm Show followed by Talkback
Saturday December 6th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm
Second and Final Weekend:
Thursday December 11th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm
Friday December 12th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm
Saturday December 13th - Doors: 2:30pm, Show 3pm - *ASL Interpreted* Show followed by Talkback
Saturday December 13th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm
Cast and Creative team for Trans Lineage: Rites of Passage at Greenway Court Theatre
Cast
Lee Baladejo
Twink and others
Lee Baladejo (they/he). Recent credits include West Side Story (Nocturne Theatre), Passion of the Cut Sleeve (dir. Nico Pang), Natural HERstory: A Drag Musical (Natural History Museum), and A Chorus Line (Valverde Stage Productions Inc.). @leebaladejo
Phi Kenzie
Sister Felicity and others
Phi Kenzie (she/her) is beyond excited to be taking on the role of “Sister Felicity.” This is her first time working with Celebration Theatre. Phi studied Theater and Performance at Emerson College, where she received her BFA. Recreationally, she enjoys fixing her 2005 Prius, making music and sketches, as well as hiking. @phikenzie
Olabisi Kovabel
Relic and others
Olabisi Kovabel (they/them) is a LA-based actor who got their start working on music videos, most notably Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and Tegan and Sara’s “Faint of Heart”. In 2023, “Decamp,” a short film they’d written, executive produced, and starred in, traveled the festival circuit and won several awards. They’re alumni of the WarnerMedia Access Talent Spotlight Program. @olabisi_kovabel
Shawn Christopher Lovell Nabors
Uncle Frank and others
Shawn Christopher Lovell Nabors (he/they) is a Brooklyn-born, Los Angeles–based writer, actor, and musician whose work explores family, identity, and survival through the lens of the Black and queer experience. Recent acting credits include Pass Over (Studio Theatre, DC). @thechristopherlovell
Alex Song-Xia
Korean Grandparent
Alex Song-Xia (they/any) is an actor, writer, and comedian born in Toronto and raised in New Jersey. TV credits include “High Maintenance” (HBO), “Helpsters” (Apple TV+), “Dimension 20” (Dropout) as an actor, and “Rick and Morty” (Adult Swim), “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC), “Praise Petey” (Freeform) as a writer. @alexsongxia
Creative Team
Petey Gibson
Producer
Nico Pang
Director
Amari Amai
Playwright
Dom Martello
Playwright
Oscar K.
Playwright
Kimberly Sanchez Garrido
Stage Manager
Niall Sulcer
Lighting Designer
Mahlick Ceesay
Sound Designer
Leah Morrison
Costume Designer
Emme Standerford
Production & Properties Designer
Sarah Showich
Assistant Director & Dramaturg
Kathleen Jaffe
Technical Director
SUBMIT UPDATES
Greenway Court Theatre Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Greenway Court Theatre is at 544 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036, Los Angeles, CA.
Rise of a King (6/12/25-6/18/25)
Tales of the Transcestors: The Divine (12/12/24-12/14/24)
Ghost Stories: The Dead Can’t Dance (10/17/24-10/31/24)
THE 8th ANNUAL LA GET DOWN FESTIVAL (4/6/24-4/27/24)
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2/2/24-2/25/24)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (11/1/19-12/29/19)
The Chinese Lady (9/5/19-9/29/19)
Naughty with a Band (6/30/19-7/1/19)
3rd Annual LA Get Down Festival (4/5/19-4/27/19)
Miss America's Ugly Daughter: Bess Myerson & Me (2/2/19-3/24/19)
Videos
 |
Louisa Gillis
North Coast Repertory Theatre (1/14 - 2/8) | |
 |
An Iliad
Lyric Hyperion (1/23 - 1/24)
PHOTOS
| |
 |
Ann Hampton Callaway - Here's to Life
Feinstein's at the Nikko (1/31 - 1/31)
PHOTOS
| |
|
Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill: The Musical
Chance Theater (7/10 - 8/9) | |
|
9th Annual ‘Dance at the Odyssey’ Festival
Odyssey Theatre (1/9 - 2/15) | |
|
THE ALTRUIST
The Group Rep Theatre (1/16 - 2/22) | |
|
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Non-Equity)
Pantages Theatre (4/14 - 4/19) | |
|
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
Gil Cates Theater (6/10 - 7/12) | |
|
Akhnaten
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (2/28 - 3/22) | |
|
Lunar New Year
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (2/21 - 2/21) | |
| VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW | ||
Get Los Angeles's #1 Theatre Newsletter
All the show news & discounts for Los Angeles & beyond.
