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, Momina Shahzad, and Danny Tramontana
Conor ….. Danny Tramontana
Zainab ….. Momina Shahzad
Michael ….. Ben Chalex
Production Stage Manager Danny Mahr 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 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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Cast
Creative Team
Meet the Company
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.
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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Danny Tramontana (Conor) is an actor, writer and long suffering Mets fan from the Jersey Shore. Chicago credits: THE TEMPEST, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (Shakespeare Project of Chicago), AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE (Sub Rosa Theatre Collective). Danny received his BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. His play IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION premiered last fall with Sub Rosa's AD INFINITUM: 24 HOUR DURATIONAL THEATRE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. Thank you to all his friends, who work and create and inspire him to stay the course.
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 (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) 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
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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.
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Danny J. Mahr (he/they) is a transmasc theatre maker and arts educator. He is a 2025 graduate of New York University’s Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, but is delighted to be back in his hometown of Chicago! From 2022-2025 he held the position of Resident Stage Manager for Broke People Play Festival. In June of 2025, he served as the Assistant Stage Manager for Proboscis Theatre’s Infernal, and where he stage managed DORIAN at OSA last fall. He recently produced and directed a stage adaptation of his original one-act comedy, A Ketamine Induced Elizabeth Banks Hallucination, which premiered at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. As a performer, he most recently originated the role of ‘Two’ in Susan Ferrera’s Interior, dir. Jessi Hill. He currently co-teaches high school theatre through Chicago Public Schools’ RE:ALIZE all-city arts program. Danny is passionate about living life with relentless candor and hopes our show inspires you to do the same!
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.
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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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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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Open Space Arts presents the QUEER EXPRESSION Film Festival Screening Series—a monthly celebration of bold, intimate, and internationally acclaimed queer cinema. Held at Facets Film Forum (1517 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago) on the final Monday of each month, these curated screenings bring powerful LGBTQ+ stories to the big screen while creating space for conversation, community, and connection.
Tickets: https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Search
Bulk ticket packages for the full series are also available.
STRANGE RIVER (Italy/Spain/Germany) — Feb 23
A poetic coming-of-age story in which a teenage boy’s family trip along the Danube is transformed by an unexpected encounter—and a fleeting connection that awakens new desire.
BLUE FILM (USA) — Mar 30
A provocative two-character chamber drama about a fetish cam performer who agrees to spend a night with an anonymous client, only to uncover a complicated tie to his past.
ON THE SEA (United Kingdom) — Apr 27
In a remote Welsh fishing village, a quiet man is shaken when a newcomer stirs long-buried longing. A sensual meditation on masculinity, secrecy, and desire.
THE DIVINE TRAGEDY (Mexico) — Jun 29
When his husband leaves without warning, a refined man must rebuild his life alongside his free-spirited half-brother—an emotional journey of heartbreak and renewal.