Open Space Arts

David Zak, Director

Presents The American Premiere of

MY LIFE AS A COWBOY

by Hugo Timbrell

Directed by David G. Zak

Featuring Ben Chalex, Octavio Montes De Oca, and Momina Shahzad

Conor ….. Octavio Montes De Oca

Zainab ….. Momina Shahzad
Michael ….. Ben Chalex

Production Stage Manager Eliza Tryon Assistant Stage Manager Baneet Chawla

Lighting Design Ethan Brentlinger Set Design Devin Meseke

Costume Design Jade Andrews Sound Design Zach Stinett

Choreographer Kevin Chlapecka Public Relations John Olson

Social Media Coordinator / Photography Tadhg Mitchel

Setting: Croydon – a working-class South London town;

Connor’s Bedroom, The Swimming Pool, Croydon Town Hall

MY LIFE AS A COWBOY is performed without intermission.

MY LIFE AS A COWBOY is presented through special arrangement with the author.

No Photography or Recording: Unauthorized video, photo, or audio recording is strictly prohibited and violates U.S. copyright law. All devices must be turned off and put away. Suspected use will stop the performance immediately—and it will not resume.

Open Space Arts. 1411 W. Wilson, Chicago

Opening Night January 23, 2026

Support Open Space Arts openspacearts.org

Open Space Arts is a member of the League of Chicago Theaters, Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals, LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, and the Uptown Chamber of Commerce.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

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Directors note:

My Life as a Cowboy is set in Croydon, England, in 2015, within a working-class community shaped by economic hardship and limited opportunity. The play unfolds across both public and private spaces: Conor’s bedroom, the community pool where he works as a lifeguard, and the community hall where he dares to imagine himself as a performer.

Conor is a queer kid navigating a world shared with straight and Muslim peers, each carrying their own beliefs, expectations, and pressures. At home, fantasy offers escape. At work, he performs competence and control. In public, he measures himself against the boundaries of class, faith, and masculinity that surround him.

At its heart, the play is a portrait of one young person on the margins, moving between survival and self-invention. Through humor, vulnerability, and flashes of bravado, Conor reaches toward a life larger than the one he has been given—finding moments of freedom in spaces never designed to fully hold him. - David Zak, January 2026

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OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes.

OSA won some of the top honors in the Joseph Jefferson Awards for work produced in 2024, including Production of a Play – Short Run (COCK), Direction of a Play – Short Run (Michael D. Graham- LIGHT SWITCH), Performer in a Principal Role – Short Run (Philip Andrew Monnett – LIGHT SWITCH), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Short Run (Sonya Robinson – COCK) .

OSA showcases powerful LGBTQ+ storytelling through five exciting components:

Full productions of bold and innovative plays.
Staged readings of classic and new plays.
Staged readings of winners from our QUEER EXPRESSION WRITING CONTEST FOR STAGE AND SCREEN.
In-person screenings of feature films at FACETS in Chicago.
A virtual selection of short and mid-length films, available for streaming anywhere.

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Cast

Ben Chalex		Michael
Octavio Montes De Oca		Conor
Momina Shahzad		Zainab

Creative Team

Hugo Timbrell		Playwright
Jade Andrews		Costume Designer
Ethan Brentlinger		Lighting Designer
Baneet Chawla		Assistant Stage Manager
Kevin Chlapecka		Choreographer
Devin Meseke		Scenic Designer
Zach Stinnett		Sound Designer
Eliza Tryon		Stage Manager
David G Zak		Director

Meet the Company

Ben Chalex (Michael)
Ben Chalex (Micahel, He/Him) recently played Rocky in the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at Brightside Theater, and Frank in I'LL BE SEEING YOU at Overshadowed Productions. His other credits include VOX POP! (Indiana University Bloomington), and AMUSEMENT PARK ON THE MOON (Indiana University Bloomington). Film: Mr. Williams Town, A Report on the Account of the Silent Stalker. He has a Theater Minor from Indiana University Bloomington, and has trained improvisation at the Second City. When not on stage, he loves to sing and play volleyball.

Octavio Montes De Oca (Conor)
Octavio Montes De Oca (Connor, he/him) is an actor and director based in Chicago. A first-generation Mexican-American, his work is deeply rooted in Latine and immigrant-centered narratives, movement-driven performance, and new play development. Recent performance credits include PORT OF ENTRY (Albany Park Theater Project), ALEX IN WINDYLAND (Filament Theatre), and MUD BLUE SKY (Village Theatre Guild). He holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a graduate of THE ACADEMY at Black Box Acting. Octavio is honored to collaborate with this exceptional group of artists on a production that asks what it means to be seen, celebrated, and brave together. He is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Octavio.montess

Momina Shahzad (Zainab)
Momina Shahzad (Zainab, she/her) has recently appeared in JORDAN & RACHELLE & ROMEO & JULIET at Edge Theatre and LAYLA THE BODY WASHER at Facility Theatre. Momina holds a Theatre minor from Loyola University of Chicago and has recently trained with and performed at Annoyance Theatre & Bar. Momina has also written and acted in numerous short films with her film production company Dreamy Mango Studios (@dreamymangostudios). When not onstage, Momina enjoys traveling and spending time with friends.

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Hugo Timbrell (Playwright)
Hugo Timbrell is a queer, dyslexic playwright based in London whose work centers on bold, unconventional protagonists and stories rarely given center stage. He has served as Writer-in-Residence at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre and was long-listed for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwritimg 2019. Timbrell’s plays have been developed with the Royal Court, Soho Theatre, and BBC Writersroom.

Jade Andrews (Costume Designer)
Jade Andrews (she/her) recently designed GANGSTA BABY at OSA, and CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Deerfield Family Theater. Some of her previous credits include BIG FISH (Deerfield Family Theatre), OUR TOWN (Deerfield Family Theater) SOMETHING ROTTEN (Big Deal), GREASE (Big Deal) & THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (The Skokie Theater). Jade is originally from Upstate, NY, and has been costuming in the Chicagoland area since 2021. She is passionate about telling stories through fashion and upcycling clothes to give them a new life. You can check out her fashion chronicles on instagram.

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Ethan Brentlinger (Lighting Designer)
Ethan Brentlinger (Lighting Designer) was recently the Assistant Lighting Designer on MACBETH and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Selected designs include; CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, GUYS AND DOLLS, ANYTHING GOES (South Bend Civic Theatre), SPRING AWAKENING (Art4 South Bend), THROUGHSPACE, THE FIRMAMENT (New Industry Dance). Ethan is currently pursuing a BFA in Lighting Design at DePaul University. When not in tech Ethan enjoys playing music and working on computer projects. WEB: ethanbrentlinger.com

ethan_brentlinger

Baneet Chawla (Assistant Stage Manager)
Baneet Chawla (Assistant Stage Manager, they/them) is a Chicago-based artist, often onstage, and currently focusing on the technical aspect of theatre-making. Recent performance credits include PORT OF ENTRY (Albany Park Theater Project), MONKEY (Avalanche Theatre), and THE DREAMLESS PATRON (Strong Branch Productions). In their free time, they can be found crocheting, writing, and feeding string cheese to their cats, Spider and Worm.

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Kevin Chlapecka (Choreographer)
Kevin Chlapecka (Choreographer). Chicago credits include URINETOWN (Theo Ubique) and A NEW BRAIN (Pride Arts). Regional: SISTER ACT and GHOST THE MUSICAL (Lake Dillon Theatre Co.), FOOTLOOSE (Kincaid Regional Theatre), ORDINARY DAYS (Steel Beam Theatre). Graduate of CCM Musical Theatre. Kevin is also a director, performer, and a breathwork/yoga instructor.

kevin.chlapecka

Devin Meseke (Scenic Designer)
Devin Meseke (Scenic Designer) recently designed THE TENDER LAND at DePaul Opera and was the assistant scenic designer on MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at the Goodman Theatre. He has worked as a painter with Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Peninsula Players Theatre, Remi Bumppo Theatre Company, Lifeline Theatre, and Skylight Music Theatre and is also currently the production manager for Lifeline Theatre’s upcoming musical LOKI - THE END OF THE WORLD TOUR. He holds a BFA in Scenic Design from DePaul University.

devinmeseke

Zach Stinnett (Sound Designer)
Zach is Chicago based Sound Designer for theatre and film. He is the former Technical Director of MCL Chicago where he designed Sound and Lighting for the original run of Yippie Ki Yay Merry Christmas a Die Hard Musical. In his spare time he ruins countless movies for non sound people by explaining what is and is not the sound of a shammy. This is his fifth show with Open Space.

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Eliza Tryon (Stage Manager)
Eliza Tryon (Stage Manager) recently worked MACBETH with Production Productions. Other credits include HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (Meat Machine) and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Beverly Arts Center). They are the founding Artistic Director of Production Productions, the Development Director of BYOT Productions, and in their free time enjoy juggling (literally and figuratively), painting, crafting, and discussing the Horror genre at large.

helloelizatryon

David G Zak (Director)
David Zak is the driving force behind Open Space Arts, a Chicago storefront theater and film hub dedicated to bold, original, and queer storytelling. An award-winning director with more than four decades of experience, his work spans contemporary theater, new musicals, and independent film, with directing credits including ANIMAL FARM, JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, and MR PARKER, as well as THE KRAMER PROJECT at the Center on Halsted and SUNSETS and MASSAGE THERAPY for the Open Space Arts. A six-time recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award and an inductee of the City of Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, Zak has also produced an award-winning short film, COUNTING, further advancing his commitment to championing independent and LGBTQ+ artists.

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