Written by ML Kinney

Directed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Featuring: Maria Teresa Creasey, Adam Law, Amir Levi, Geoffrey Parrish, Kristen Rozanski, Miranda Shields, Adia Tucker, and Amy Windle

Monkey Movement Coach: Scottie Davis

From the Playwright

I have been a student for many years of gay/lesbian literature, film and theatre. I've read, watched and prayed for some balance in the representation of gays/lesbians in the entertainment world. The portrayal has improved in the past ten to twenty years, but in my opinion it still has miles to go to be an adequate representation of our lives and loves.

The standard "coming out" tale makes me angry. It's pretty much the same formula: getting the courage up to tell people, family, friends, naming the forbidden and dealing with the reaction (usually one of hate or disapproval) and then trying to change those reactions to acceptance through a cloying series of educational moments. Urgh! The idea that anyone should have to ask for acceptance to be who he or she is angers me. I believe that accepting yourself is all that needs to be done. It may be too simplistic a conclusion, but I wait for the day when mainstream entertainment is not used to explain my sexuality to a straight audience.

Life Among The Natives is my response to these feelings. More importantly, it is a strange love letter to my family. Itís difficult sometimes to look at the folks who have given you breath, thought and courage and embrace them, as you want to be embraced. There are people who have the
courage to say point blank, "This is who I am," without excuse or explanation. I celebrate those people and their work. And I strive to do the same.

Written by Hannoch Levin
Directed by Riv Massey

Featuring: Satomi Blair, Maria Teresa Creasey, and Chris Kloko, Zak Kostro, Adam Law, Amir Levi, Cynthia Rice, and Jonathan Zipper

Hefetz was written by the Israeli playwright, Hanoch Levin. It was published in 1972, 24 years after the State of Israel was established. Details such as this are not specific to issues presented in the work. However, they do play out in the symbolism of the play.

For example, Pogra, the impetuous, feisty daughter in the play is also 24 years of age. Writings about this play support the theory that Pogra represents the State of Israel. Levin provides a number of little sparkles like this throughout. The title characterís name, Heffetz, literally translates to "object." Tayglach is a holiday honey pastry. And in Hebrew, Clemensia is spelled with a nonsensical series of letters from the alphabet -- like calling someone "LMNOP."

A good portion of our process in bringing this staged reading to you was to explore what all Levin's ideas, themes, and characters might represent. This is in a global/political context in addition to the very personal realm of human relationships. Many of these correlations seem to have been lost in previous English translations of the play.

Milk Can's SHU process empowered our group of actors, writers, and director to develop an Israeli-American translation through a new century lens.

Written by ML Kinney
Directed by Riv Massey

As the hour of Wade's execution nears, his brother Denny waits at the prison with attorney Scott Reese.

How does the story of our life affect those around us? With the death penalty as a lens, Consequences examines the overlapping events of three men's lives and the consequences of their choices.

Featuring:
Zak Kostro, Daren Taylor, Jack Wallace and Justin Zimmerman

Written by Bethany Larsen
Directed by Ryan Ratelle

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right."
- Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Staff Sergeant Thomas Leadford was killed in Iraq a few weeks ago by a roadside bomb. His widow Layla, along with her sister Abby and Tommy's best friend Ed try to cope with their grief and rage as a snowstorm barrels down on their little town and the line between reality and hallucination grows ever more blurry. The political gives way to the personal as they all try to make sense out of unanswerable questions. Why are we there? And what have we lost?

Featuring: Satomi Blair, Benjamin J. Roberts, Lesley Miller, and Topher Mikels