Blue Roses Project to Present RED TIDE by Dom Martello in New Orleans

Tony nominee and acclaimed writer Gideon Glick and producer-director James Will McBride have launched Blue Roses Project, a not-for-profit made of notable industry leaders and creatives dedicated to elevating emerging queer playwrights by providing time, space, and resources to develop their new works. BRP brings together local New Orleans artists with theatre professionals from across the United States to foster the next generation of artistic voices while celebrating the city’s rich cultural legacy.

The organization now mounts its first developmental workshop, Red Tide by Dom Martello. “Set against the backdrop of a Florida hurricane, this supernatural two-hander speaks directly to our present moment— politically, environmentally, and emotionally," shares Co-Artistic Director Gideon Glick. “Through its exploration of grief, rage, transness, joy, and the turbulent current of American politics, Red Tide is a striking meditation on identity and resilience in an age defined by crisis”

Jack Serio says, “I’m honored to be directing BRP’s inaugural reading. New play incubators like BRP are vital to the health of the theatrical eco system. And it is imperative that LGBTQ+ writers get the support they need to respond to the political climate that we’re in. I’m thrilled to be on the ground with an exciting new voice like Dom Martello’s”

Obie and Drama Desk winner Jack Serio (Well, I’ll Let You Go, Uncle Vanya) helms the project and Jaclyn Moore (Queer as Folk, Based on a True Story) serves as dramaturg. T Mitsock and Lío Mehiel will read the play's two leads. Benton Whitley and Peter Dunn of Whitley Theatrical cast the reading. 

The workshop takes place at Loyola University New Orleans’s Department of Theatre from October 13 to 16. Free invite-only presentations will take place on October 17. 

Meet the Artists

Dom Martello (playwright) is a transfemme playwright and performer based in NYC. They are a 2025 Celebration Theater’s Trans Lineage: Rites of Passage Commission Recipient and a 2024 O’Neill NPC Semi-Finalist. They are a Truman Capote Fellow, a Syracuse University BFA Acting Grad, and a Brooklyn College MFA Playwriting ‘27 Candidate. 

Jack Serio (Director) Jack’s production of Samuel D. Hunter’s Clarkston premiered in London’s West End this fall. His work on the critically acclaimed Uncle Vanya staged in a Flatiron loft was declared “revelatory” by The Wall Street Journal and “stunning” by The New York Times. Other credits include Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova, Clubbed Thumb, 59e59, Cherry Lane, Theater for the New City, and The Pearl Theater Company. Visit his website here.

Jaclyn Moore (dramaturg) is a trans femme, award-winning writer and showrunner. She was the Executive Producer of Peacock’s hit series, Based on a True Story. Other writing credits include Nine Perfect Strangers, Dear White People, and, in New Orleans, Queer as Folk. She additionally writes about trans issues and politics for GQ.

Lío Mehiel (Parker) made their feature film debut in MUTT, which won them the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. They returned to Sundance in 2024 as part of the Grand Jury Prize winning film IN THE SUMMERS. Most recently, Lío starred in Jeremy O. Harris' new play SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE at Williamstown, and can now be seen in Luca Guadagnino's AFTER THE HUNT. Outside of acting, Lío is the producer of MOTHER DAUGHTER HOLY SPIRIT, a fashion & art fueled organization in support of Trans Justice.

T Mitsock (Guin) has appeared off-Broadway in Becoming Eve at New York Theatre Workshop. Regional credits include Dead House at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Film credits include Egg, which premiered at Wicked Queer Film Festival. She was the sole recipient of the Bette Davis Prize from the Boston University School of Theatre.

Blue Roses Project’s esteemed Board of Directors includes:

President: David Emond, Not-For-Profit CEO and Consultant 
VP and Secretary: Kelley Nicole Girod, Director of New Works at Apollo Theater
Treasurer: Jim Head, film writer and executive producer
Shane Marshall Brown, Broadway Publicist, The Press Room, Hamilton, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jay Faust, Financial professional with Lazard 
Jonathan Groff, Tony Award-Winning Actor, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton, Spring Awakening  
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Tony Award Winning Actress, Mother Play, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Glass Menagerie
Jaclyn Moore, Showrunner and Executive Producer, Based on a True Story, Queer as Folk, Dear White People
Dale A. Mott, Broadway Producer,  A Strange Loop, The Piano Lesson
Zhailon Levingston, Director, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Chicken and Biscuits 
Chad Austin, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company 

Blue Roses Project was created in response to a critical need. Due to post-COVID budget crises, many regional theatres have drastically cut or eliminated new play development programs, limiting opportunities for emerging playwrights. With over 575 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the U.S. in 2025, queer stories face unprecedented threats of censorship and erasure.

Meet the Co-Founders

Gideon Glick is a writer and actor based in NYC. His new TV show, Étoile, for which he writes and stars, is out now on Amazon. Last year he appeared in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro as Leonard Bernstein’s lover, Tommy Cothran. With an extensive career in film, television, and theater—including a Tony-nominated performance in To Kill a Mockingbird—Glick brings an unparalleled artistic perspective to Blue Roses Project.

James Will McBride is a writer, director, and producer based in New Orleans. He has developed cabarets and concerts at renowned venues such as Joe’s Pub and 54 Below, while also directing acclaimed productions like HEIST! (Off-Broadway) and The War Boys (NYC Premiere). His background in theater management and corporate event production positions him as a dynamic leader in the organization.