theatre lab digital productions
VERSACE ERA
An audio play presentation about Gay life in the 1990s in South Beach. It was a golden time: extravagant parties, glamour, and celebrities and became known as the Versace Era, from when the famous and beloved designer took residence at Casa Casuarina in 1992. His death symbolized the end of those golden days -- and the end of refuge -- for many South Beach residents.
Set in 1997 in a fictional cafe on Ocean Drive, the play follows the lives of several restaurant employees and guests as they come together to mourn the designer’s tragic end and confront what it means to them and their community. As they work, eat, drink and mourn, their personal stories, interactions and conversations reveal a picture of resilience, celebration, pride, communion and unity.
Versace Era was commissioned and developed as part of the 2021 Fair Play Initiative, made possible with funding from Our Fund Foundation.
Playwright: Juan C. Sanchez
Director: Matt Stabile
Stage Manager: Rose Figueroa
Sound Designer: Matt Corey
CAST
JACK: Michael Small
CONRAD: Michael Gioia
PAUL:Eric Fredrickson
GUILLERMO:Daniel Llaca
BONNIE : Jeanine Levy
SUSAN: Lindsey Marlin
ANIKA: Djimon Williams
MARISA: Alyssa Frewen
ICH BIN EIN BERLINER
This memory play in audio form is the true story of playwright Vanessa Garcia’s deep-dive into why the fall of the Berlin Wall was seared into her soul, as she watched it come crashing down on TV, from her fifth-grade classroom in the magic city of Miami.
Led by the undeniable pull of her own Cuban roots, she re-traces her relationships to pop-culture, Capitalism, Berlin, and her familial history, revealing the true interconnectivity of the world and the urgent need to share that truth - as Cuba itself dreams of a future unimaginable for the past six decades.
Playwright: Vanessa Garcia
Director: Matt Stabile
Stage Manager: Christina Baroniel
Sound Design & Production: by Matt Corey
Video Design & Production: Nicholas Chimienti
Illustrations: John Shamburger
CAST
Ms. Casals: *Elena Maria Garcia
Josefina: *Diana Garle
Sophia & Younger Jackie: Gaby Tortoledo
Mrs Thompson: *Lindsey Corey
Ignacio & Celebrity Impersonations: Carlos Alayeto
Nicole: *Krystal Millie Valdes
and Vanessa Garcia as herself
Featuring interview recordings of Jacqueline Rivasés (Vanessa’s mom) & Severo Rivasés (Papan)
Special thanks to Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Theatre Lab, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS
Future PAGES Project: Carve Your Own Path
LabRATS - 2021 Project