Shoshana in December at Custom Made Theatre Co

The Custom Made Theatre Co. and FaultLine Theater present the New Musical “Shoshana in December” book by Rose Oser, lyrics by Weston Scott, and music by Matt Fukui Grandy at the Phoenix Theatre, San Francisco. Nov 18 - Dec 18, 2022. 

San Francisco, CA (October 2022) – The Custom Made Theatre Co. (Ciera Eis, Interim Artistic Director) closes its 23rd season with the new musical “Shoshana in December” with book by Rose Oser, lyrics by Weston Scott, and music by Matt Fukui Grandy (writers of the smash hit Tinderella in 2018) directed by Vanessa Flores with music direction by Kiki Lipsett. Co-produced with FaultLine Theater (Brady Brophy-Hilton, Ciera Eis, Vanessa Flores, Co-Artistic Directors), this new musical centers Hanukkah and queerness to offer a fresh perspective of the holiday season. The musical will close Custom Made’s 23rd season.  

About Shoshana in December: A New Musical

Shoshana is not one to play with fire. Things are good with Danny, great with Danny, nothing could be better than Danny. But when Cecily invites her on a winter rendezvous, Shoshana leaps into a world that no longer feels straightforward. Will exploring outside the bounds of monogamy bring Shoshana closer to Cecily, to Danny, to finally enjoying the worst month of the year? SHOSHANA IN DECEMBER is a new poly-holiday musical about Hanukkah, Christmas, and the traditions we create for ourselves.

 Book writer Rose Oser says, “In writing Shoshana, we attempt to capture what it feels like to be a jewish person in December, and what can be messy and beautiful about getting through the month with a partner, another partner, and another partner’s parents.” 

Director Vanessa Flores adds, "Shoshana in December is loaded with energy, it’s funny, it’s sexy, it asks big questions, and it has a whole lotta heart. This fabulous cast gives us an intimate, modern musical about a woman at a crossroads between tradition and the call of her own heart, all while singing some seriously, new, and catchy bangers.”   

The show will perform at the Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason Street, Sixth Floor. The Phoenix is a 49-seat thrust stage next to Union Square in downtown San Francisco.

The cast will feature Lena Sibony (SHOSHANA), Kaityln Ortega (CECILY), Evan Wardell (DANNY), Sara Felder (REBECCA), Stephanie Rae Wilborn (ELAINE), John Mannion (MICHAEL/RANDY?SANTA). 

The creative team includes Samantha Alexa (Props), Meredith Joelle Charlson (Choreographer/Stage Management), Ted Cordano Jr. (Sound), Muffy Koster (Intimacy Choreographer), Maxx Kurzunski (Lights), Jord Liu (Accompanist), Nolan Miranda (Costumes), Matthew Owens (Scenic). 

COVID-19 policy: Custom Made will comply with all county and city Covid-19 guidelines and recommendations.  All performers and staff are double-vaccinated and boosted, and all patrons will show proof of vaccination and booster upon entry.  Masks will be required in the theatre at all times, and concessions will not be permitted.  Should a performance be canceled, an online stream of the show will be made available to all ticket holders.

About Rose Oser: Rose Oser (she/they) is a theater producer, playwright, and performer. She is the book writer of Shoshana in December (NEA ArtWorks recipient) and Tinderella: the modern musical (world premiere April 2018 co-produced by FaultLine Theater and Custom Made, Portland premiere March 2022 at Portland’5 Brunish Theatre). She was the Interim Producing Director, previously Associate Artistic Director, of Z Space, where she recently produced The Red Shades: A Trans Superhero Rock Opera by Adrienne Price, Jeanine Adkisson, and Matt Fukui Grandy. More at roseoser.com. 

About Weston Scott: Weston Scott (he/they) is a lyricist best known for Tinderella, a recipient of nine Bay Area Crtics’ Circle nominations and a Theatre Bay Area Finalist for Outstanding World Premiere Musical. He also co-created and co-starred in JFK ’n Me, which ran monthly at PianoFight for two years. Their musical about President William Howard Taft received a TBA CA$H Grant. As a performer, you can check out Green Eggs…and Man? wherever you listen to podcasts, or see him onstage currently in Shotgun Players’ production of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Wes is an Associate Artist of FaultLine Theater and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. 

About Matt Fukui Grandy: Matt Fukui Grandy is a keyboardist, music director, and composer in Oakland, California. He is a co-composer of The Red Shades: A Trans Superhero Rock Opera, co-composer of Totally Normal: A Queer Frenemy Musical Comedy (music by Adrienne Price and Matt Fukui Grandy, book by Adrienne Price and Kelly Anneken). He co-orchestrated Tinderella: the modern musical, which has been produced by FaultLine Theater and Custom Made in SF, and Stumptown Stages in Portland. He co-wrote and recorded the theme song for NPR’s Live from the Poundstone Institute podcast, hosted by Paula Poundstone. Band credits include keyboards in the funk/soul/ rock band “Californicorns”, producer/keyboards for “Peach Thief”, a trans alt folk band, and keyboards in the rock band “The Damn Fanatics.” He was the resident theater music director at Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club, a non-profit after-school organization. He will be attending Berklee College of Music in January 2023. As a proud Japanese-American hapa, he is passionate about increasing representation and diversity in historically monolithic field.

About Vanessa Flores: Vanessa Flores (she/her) is a playwright, short story writer, screenwriter and performer with an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts (2016). Her plays have been produced by SF Playground, SF Olympians, Double Backbone, and Aluminous Theater. In August 2018, her full-length play Where the Boys Are was produced by FaultLine Theater. In 2019, she premiered Uneasy, a web series about two women of color trying to maintain their challenging lifestyle as artists in Oakland.. In 2020, Vanessa launched Other Hand Media, a multi-media storytelling company creating on the basis of experimentation, vulnerability, and play. She is currently the CEO of Kinda Shitty Jewelry, a Word for Word Core Company Member, as well as a writer, singer, and keyboardist for the San Francisco based funny-girl-band, “Lentil”.

Show Times and Tickets: Previews: November 18th at 8:00pm. Press Opening: Saturday, December 1st at 8:00pm. Runs:  November 18 – December 18, 2022.   Thurs-Sat 8:00 pm; Sunday 2:00 pm. Tickets: $35-55. Learn more & buy tickets at http://www.custommade.org or (415) 798-CMTC (2682)

About Custom Made Theatre Co.: The Custom Made Theatre Co., in its 23rd season of production in San Francisco, is committed to producing plays that awaken our social conscience, focusing on the strength of the ensemble and creating an intimate theatrical experience. 

Custom Made is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG)  and Theatre Bay Area (TBA).  Recipient of the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle Paine Knickerbocker Award for making a lasting contribution to Bay Area theatre.

About FaultLine Theater: At FaultLine Theater we strive to develop and produce fresh scripts that lie at the intersection of pop culture and politics.  We open our doors to those who may be skeptical of theater. We engage our audience and artists in rigorous conversation about topics that are trending, pressing, and relevant to our lives. We strive to build and maintain a welcoming community for folks of all abilities, races and ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities. 

Media Contact: Ciera Eis, (415) 798-2682, press@custommade.org Custom Made Theatre, 414 Mason St. Suite 601, San Francisco  94102