Cast & Creative

Kristin Vangsness

Lottie (except October 13th)

Kirsten Vangsness is overjoyed with being on stage with these artists in Lottie. She loves it so much and is so appreciative she gets to revive her role. Kirsten most recently was seen playing the 45th President of the USA in the Phinny Kiyomura masterpiece “Nimrod” at Theatre of NOTE. At the top of 2023 she wrapped the 16th season of Criminal Minds on Paramount+ playing Penelope Garcia and will be super elated when they get to start a season 17. Kirsten’s plays “Mess” (which author Neil Gaiman says is his “favourite one-person show”) and the feminist time-travel musical Cleo, Theo, & Wu were chosen for the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe where her and her fellow actors played to critical acclaim. Kirsten is the star of the film noir spoof “Kill Me, Deadly”, and the animated, film festival darling “Curtains”.  You can see her on 10/18 and 10/25 in “Bits” a bi monthly performance salon at Theatre of NOTE. She is the recipient of the HRC LGBTQ Visibility Award, the Open Fist Excellence Award, and the L.A. Drama Critics Award for Best Actress. Learn about her goings on at kirstenvangsness.com

Justin Elizabeth Sayre

Playwright/Barfa

Justin Elizabeth Sayre is a playwright and performer who Michael Musto called, “Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg.” Sayre is a fixture of the Downtown Cabaret Scene in New York, first with their long-running variety show, The Meeting (Bistro Award-winning & 2 MAC nominations). They are currently in residency at Joe's Pub at the Public with their new variety show, Assorted Fruit. As a playwright, Sayre’s work has appeared at Dixon Place, The Wild Project, The Celebration Theatre, Dynasty Typewriter, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre. Their 12-part-epic Ravenswood Manor, a Camp-Horror-Soap-Opera, called “a sharply written and well-acted exemplar of the horror-comedy genre,” by the LA Times and is currently being developed with Sony Television and Rupaul. Sayre has written a series of YA Novels, Husky, Pretty, and Mean, released by Penguin Books, and the book, From Gay to Z: A Compendium of Queer Culture just released by Chronicle Books. Sayre has written for Television, working with Michael Patrick King on his Hit CBS comedy, 2 Broke Girls and Fox's The Cool Kids. Sayre also appeared on HBO’s The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow.

Tom Detrinis

Molly/Producer

Originally from Long Island, Tom Detrinis came to Los Angeles by way of Buffalo, and is no stranger to the stage - on and off. From producing, directing and/or performing to working in television, film and on the web, he has enjoyed being stupid and making others laugh at his own expense. Favorite credits include, THEATRE: Found (IAMA Theatre Company), Making Friends (IAMA Theatre Company Digital Stage), Die, Mommie, Die! (CTG/Celebration), The SantaLand Diaries (Virginia Stage Company 2018, 2019), 30 Minute Musicals (All 16+ of them); TV: Rutherford Falls, 90210, Switched at Birth, Greek, Community; FILM: Squirrel (New Hampshire Film Festival Best Narrative Feature), Pretty Problems (SXSW - Audience Award), 12 Hour Shift, Wedding Dance, Adjust-a-Dream; WEB: Finding the Asshole Series (co-creator/producer/actor - Official Selection of Slamdance 2019), Edgar Allen Poe's Murder Mystery Party, Fig and Ford, Headless. detrinis.com

Ryan W Garcia

Josiah

Ryan W Garcia has been acting professionally since he was a child in Miami, FL. He's been on stage in LA with 30 Minute Musicals, Ravenswood Manor at the Celebration Theatre, and the new musical FOUND with IAMA Theatre. He was featured as Domingo on Community, and most recently as Dude Calzone in Nickelodeon’s Side Hustle, and Officer Reyes in the upcoming Jordan Peele feature, Nope. He voices Ricardo in the animated feature Fireheart, and is currently recurring as multiple roles in the new animated Nickelodeon series Big Nate.

Tom Lenk

Pansy

Tom Lenk is a SAG award winning actor, comedian & accidental Instagram Superstar! His Stage and Screen work include starring roles in “American Horror Stories,” “Batwoman,” “NCIS: Hawaii,” "Transparent," "HBO's Room 104," “Workin’ Moms,” "Bones,” "Episodes," "The Witches of East End," "Cabin in the Woods," "Transformers," “Much Ado About Nothing,” "Argo," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Buyer & Cellar (US Regional Theaters)," "Rock of Ages (Broadway)," and "Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist (LA, NYC, SF, London, Edinburgh Fringe)." As a comedian he has performed his solo comedy shows around the globe with sold out stops at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Soho Theatre (London), Comedy Central Stage (LA), and Birdland Jazz (NY). Tom's Instagram photos & viral videos have hundreds of millions of views and even earned him a profile piece in the coveted New York Times Styles section. His Instagram brand collaborations include work with E! Entertainment Television, Hulu, FOX TV, Comcast, The Academy Museum, Sundance Now!, AMC+, Acorn TV, Lionsgate, & Acne Studios.

Lauren Lopez

Lottie (October 13th only)

Lauren Lopez is a Los Angeles-based actor, dancer and singer. She is a founding member of the popular theatre company, Starkid, which has over 300 million views on YouTube for their original shows. With StarKid, Lauren has produced and performed in fourteen original musicals, as well as national LiveNation concert tours and partnerships with The Second City and iO in Chicago. She recently co-wrote the new musical This Could Be on Broadway, with the popular production team Tin Can Bros, which had its first workshop in 2021. She has been featured in various theatre projects throughout LA, NYC and Chicago. When not performing, Lauren works as an acting coach, choreographer and a person on Patreon.

Pete Zias

Barfa (on Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2, 14 only)

Pete Zias is an alum of Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings. He's a comedian and host of the TOTAL TRASH LIVE! Where he reads from his extensive tabloid collection! On stage, Online and on Podcast platforms! Next he is appearing in the feature film thriller GANYMEDE!

Jessica Hanna

Director/Producer

Jessica Hanna is a Los Angeles based director & producer. She is a Co-Founder of the new company, Outside In Theatre, that works at the intersection of Theater and Digital to increase resources, accessibility, representation and equity, based in Highland Park, CA. She is a member of The Kilroys, Chair of the SITI Co. Board of Directors and co-founded Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles where she was its Producing & Managing Director for 12 years. Her focus has been on new work development. She has directed all over Los Angeles at Circle X, Celebration Theatre, Bootleg Theater, Inkwell Theatre among many. Guest directed at UCLA, CalState University Long Beach, Occidental College, CalArts and CalPoly Pomona. In 2020 she directed Iris Bahr’s DAI 2.0 and produced Philicia Saunders’ Award winning BREATHE for Outside In Theater on Outpost_13 on Twitch & YouTube. Also in 2020 she produced the scheduled audio walk, A WALK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD by Katie Lindsey. In 2021, she directed an online full production of FEFU AND HER FRIENDS for CalPoly Pomona. As well as the in person opera production of AS ONE for Opera Orlando in Orlando, FL. Recent: Directed the World Premiere of #UNDERTHEINFLUENCE by Kristin Goodman, at Santa Fe Playhouse in Santa Fe, NM. And the world premiere of Ruochen Li's RED BRIDAL VEIL at UCLA's New Play Project. JessQueen.com for contact & more info.

Kate Bergh

Costume Design

Ragtime (Ovation Nomination), Casa Valentina (LADCC Award, Ovation Nomination), It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Art, Sleepless in Seattle, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Pasadena Playhouse) Barefoot in the Park, Harvey, The Graduate, Twelve Angry Men, The Roger Miller Story, I’m Still Getting My Act Together…. (Laguna Playhouse)). One November Yankee (Delaware Theatre Company, 59E59 Theatres), Next Fall, Yes, Prime Minister, Mem’ries (The Geffen Playhouse), School for Lies, City of Conversation, Metamorphosis, Woyzeck, The Wickhams at Pemberley (Ensemble Theatre), Hopscotch, the Mobile Opera (The Industry with Ann Closs-Farley), On the Other Hand We’re Happy, 100 Aprils, Super Variety Match Bonus Round, Bled for the Household Truth, Cock (Rogue Machine), Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, Transition, (NAACP Award) (Theater Planners), Gigi, Cabaret (Backstage Garland Award) (Reprise Theatre), Side Show, Shrek the Musical (Ovation Nomination), The House in Scarsdale, Creation (Theatre at Boston Court), Stupid Kid (The Road Theatre), The Wrong Man (Skylight Theatre) Ruben Guthrie, Speaking in Tongues, Grey Nomads (Australian Theatre Company.)

Kate is the Resident Costume Designer for Saddleback College and a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

James Freitas

Speciality Costumes

Outside In Theatre

Producer

Outside In Theatre is an evolving force in equitable and transformative storytelling. Through multi-platform theatrical experiences, we will create art that speaks to our intersectional communities and amplify content created by and for underrepresented voices. We will nurture brave spaces for all, including Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latinx, Global Majority Peoples and White allies, to take their work to the next level. Outside In Theatre is building the world we want to see by producing daring, dynamic, and authentic untold stories by unheard voices.

Family Affairs Studio

Producer

Family Affairs Studio is a cooperatively-owned experience design studio launched in 2021 providing strategy, systems design, creative development, production, and facilities services for creative ventures, brands, and cultural institutions. We are nurturing a collective of cultural producers and creators in order to build more equitable systems and tell radical, multidisciplinary stories of resistance, disruption, and love. Learn more about our work and offerings at familyaffairs.studio. Family Affairs is represented in this collaboration by Michael Holt, an artist, creative strategist, systems designer, and producer with roots in Los Angeles, Portland, New York City, and Berlin. He is the Sustainability Lead & a Catalyst at NAVEL, an incubator and cultural space for artists and cultural workers he co-founded in 2018. IG: @michael3holt