LIGHT SWITCH

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Cast

Creative Team

Resources

INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1C1svgbfBYxoSq2KVDMA7L

Reporting on the Autism Constellation: A Conversation with Award-winning Playwright Dave Osmundsen

https://uniquelyhuman.com/2022/10/14/dave-osmundsen-autistic-playwright/ - Interview with playwright Dave Osmundsen

https://uniquelyhuman.com/ - Uniquely Human: The Podcast expands the conversation on autism and neurodiversity by amplifying the voices of autistic individuals and thought leaders in providing insightful, cutting-edge and practical information about the autistic experience.

AUTISM and NEURODIVERSITY RESOURCES

https://thendalliance.org/comingsoon/

ND ALLIANCE – Celebrating Neurodiversity. Advocating for Change.

https://awnnetwork.org/ - Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN)

https://autisticadvocacy.org/ Autistic Self Advocacy Network

https://djfiddlefoundation.org/ - The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation for Adult Autism

https://www.chicagoautismnetwork.org/ - Chicago Autism Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit org

AUTISM and NEURODIVERSITY BOOKS

Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism  by Barry M. Prizant, PhD

Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity – Steve Silberman and Oliver Sacks

Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity By Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network; Edited by Emily Paige Ballou and Sharon daVanport

I Will Die on This Hill by Meghan Ashburn, Jules Edwards

LGBTQIA+ RESOURCES (CHICAGO)

https://www.centeronhalsted.org/ 

Center on Halsted is the Midwest's most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of Chicagoland.

https://howardbrown.org/

Rooted in LGBTQ+ liberation, Howard Brown Health provides affirming healthcare and mobilizes for social justice. We are agents of change for individual wellbeing and community empowerment.

https://www.equalityillinois.us/

Equality Illinois and the Equality Illinois Institute brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power across Illinois, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people.

https://lambdalegal.org/

https://bravespacealliance.org/

Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city.

HENRY’S BOOKSHELF (a sampling)

(Many of the 19^th-century books are in the public domain and can be found as free eBooks on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/)

Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë

The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

Tess of the d’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

Emma – Jane Austen

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Brontë

Maurice – E.M. Forster

Howard’s End – E.M. Forster

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins

The Hound of the Baskervilles – Arthur Conan Doyle

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

Meet the Company

Henry DelBello

Roggie

Henry DelBello(Roggie) [he/him] is a fresh face in Chicago, having just graduated from Texas State University with a BFA in Theatre. Regional credits include Austin Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and k_e_r_n (Funeral Play) at The Den Theatre. Additionally, if you give fancy educational theatre, he did Three Sisters and Small Mouth Sounds this year at TXST. You're welcome to 1) peruse his website @ henrydelbello.com and 2) stalk his Instagram @ henry_delbello.

Hilary Hensler

Marian

Hilary Hensler (Marian) is happy to be working with Open Space Arts for the first time. Previous stage roles include Annie in A Bump on the Leg, Kassia in A Prayer for the Sandinistas (Subtext Theater); Melissa in Escape Route, Emily in This is to Mother You (Broken Nose Theatre); Mary Wood in The Virginian, Laura Lyons in The Hound of the Baskervilles (CityLit Theatre); Gladys in Little Stones, Peggy in The Front Page (Saint Sebastian Players); Bride in Last Stop, Kendra in Language of Angels and Hilary in 6 (The Gift Theatre). Hilary lives an Andersonville with her husband Chris and works as a massage therapist.

Dylan McCumber

The Other Guy Track (Aaron, Ken, Other Guy)

Dylan was born in Seattle and trained in theatre at the University of Montana. This is his first professional appearance in Chicago.

Phillip Andrew Monnett

Henry

Southern-born and raised, Phillip Andrew Monnett is thrilled to be making his Open Space Arts debut as Henry in Light Switch. A graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Phillip moved back north after working in the southern region's film and commercial market in Austin, TX, to further pursue theatre. When not performing, you can find him reading biographies about his favorite stars of Old Hollywood, spending time with friends and family, and can find him recording and producing his podcast, "Pop Vulture Pod," available on Apple and Spotify Podcasts. He would like to thank his friends and family for their love and support as he steps back on stage after a lengthy hiatus.

Peter Manuel Young

Joseph

Peter Manuel Young is from Denver Colorado and recently graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in theatre Performance. Credits include “Michael” in Tick Tick Boom (Little Theatre of the Rockies) “Conrad Birdie” in Bye Bye, Birdie (Colorado State Master’s Concert) and “Ned Weeks” in The Normal Heart (Colorado State University). This is his first show in Chicago, and he is excited to be a part of the Open Space Arts team.

Dave Osmundsen

Playwright

Dave Osmundsen (He/Him/His) is a queer and Autistic playwright and dramaturg whose work has been seen and developed at KCACTF Region 8, the Kennedy Center/NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop, BLUEBARN Theatre, the Great Plains Theatre Conference, Purple Crayon Players, B Street Theatre, the William Inge Theatre Festival, the Midwest Dramatists Conference, Phoenix Theatre Company, Clamour Theatre Company, Premiere Stages, the Valdez Theatre Conference, and more. He was a recipient of the Blank Theatre and Ucross Foundation’s inaugural Future of Playwriting Prize. His play Light Switch received its world premiere with Spectrum Theatre Ensemble in April 2022. Light Switch was also the 2021 Distinguished Achievement recipient of the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, an Honorable Mention finalist for BAPF 2021, longlisted for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, a finalist for the 2020 Carlo Annoni Playwriting Prize, and a semi-finalist for the 2020 National Playwrights Conference. His one-act, A Firework Unexploded, was a semi-finalist for the NYC Audio Theatre Writing Contest and was produced by Pint-Sized in London. His plays have been published by The Dionysian, Canyon Voices, Exposition Review, Fresh Words: Contemporary One Act Plays Volume 5, and Broadway Play Publishing. MFA: Arizona State University

Michael D. Graham

Director

Michael most recently directed ROSENBERG for Open Space Arts. Other favorite directing projects include: MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (Promethean Theatre Ensemble), Pride FIlms and Play's productions of CASA VALENTINA, HOLDING THE MAN, TEN DOLLAR HOUSE, and BARNEY THE ELF. THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, THE MISANTHROPE, SMASH!, PARALLEL LIVES, and THE MEMORY OF WATER for Piccolo Theatre; SPREADING THE NEWS (Halcyon Theatre), EXPATRIATES (the side project), THE YEARS (Appetite Theatre), and BUTLEY (Hubris Productions). In addition to directing, Michael has worked in the Chicago area as an actor, producer, playwright, dramaturg, dialect coach, and designer.

Alex Kingsley

Sound Designer and Original Music

Alex Kingsley (they/them) is a writer, sound designer, and playwright. They are a co-founder of the new media company Strong Branch Productions, where they write, direct, and sound design sci-fi comedy podcast The Stench of Adventure and other shows. Their short fiction has appeared in Translunar Travelers Lounge, Radon Journal, The Storage Papers, and more. Their debut novel Empress of Dust will be published by Space Wizard Science Fantasy in Fall 2024. In 2023 they published their short story collection, The Strange Garden and Other Weird Tales. Alex’s sci-fi plays have been produced in LA, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Alex’s SFF-related non-fiction has appeared in Interstellar Flight Magazine and Ancillary Review of Books. Their games can be downloaded pay-what-you-will at alexyquest.itch.io.

Shakir McThune

Assistant Director

Shakir majored in theatre at Southern Illinois University, where I performed in multiple freshmen showcases, Joined an African Theatre group (African Theatre Lab) where he co-created an original play titled "I Can't Breathe" inspired by the death of Eric Garner, and understudied in the production of "The Whipping Man". He then came back home to Chicago where he continued his study of theatre/theatre directing at Harold Washington community college as well as honed his acting craft at Actors Studio Chicago where he was mentored by Edward Dennis Fogell. At Harold Washington he performed in multiple seasonal showcases, starred as "Tripp" in the production of "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress'', was personally selected to do individual monologue work with theatre department head Kathryn Nash, and Directed three plays ("In Arabia We'd All Be Kings", "Hurly-burly'' & “Dutchman”). He also Co-directed an original production titled “Domino Effect” at Baderbrau brewery in Chicago’s South Loop.

Tadhg Mitchel

Social Media Manager

Tadhg Mitchel is a Chicago-based theatre artist, documentarian, and editor. He studied Theatre and Digital Media Production at Butler University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Communication at DePaul University. When not working or studying, he can be found spending time with his partner and four cats.

Jason Palmer

Lighting Design

Hailing from the scenic coal region of north central Pennsylvania, Jason Palmer has pursued the theatrical spotlight from coast to coast. Taking a jack-of-all-trades approach to theatre, he’s worked professionally in every facet of theatre except for costume construction. Jason also has numerous film and TV credits to his name - both on-camera and off. The theatre has been a love that has stayed with him across several career changes and long-distance moves. This is Jason's first credit with OSA. He is excited to be back in Chicago, his favourite city, doing what he loves, and he is honoured to be a founding member of Tin Drum Theatre Company, where dramatic disturbances are the norm.

Rick Paul

Scenic Design

Rick Paul is happy to be involved in yet another gay theater production, having begun that involvement 50 years ago and nearing 100 out and proud shows. He produced the first Midwest Gay and Lesbian choreographer event for the second Gay Arts Festival as well as the first American gay theater performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and at the New Orleans World Fair. His Lionheart Gay Theater gratefully received numerous awards and induction in Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. He last did the set design for SUNSETS for Open Space Arts.

Adeline Sutherland

Costume Designer

Adeline Sutherland (Costume Designer)- Adeine recently graduated from Colorado State University with a B.A. in Theatre and a concentration in Musical Theatre. This will be her first production with Open Space Arts. Past design credits at Colorado State Univerisity include assistant designing the Opera "Hansel and Gretal" and costume designing the short film "When Pen Pals Meet". She would like to say a big thank you to her friends and family for their continuous support and love.

Benjamin Viette (He/They)

Graphic Designer

I’m a digital designer who merges creativity with research and data to deliver bold visuals and game-changing campaigns. By day, I transform brands with sharp, impactful designs for a wide range of clients. When the sun sets, I immerse myself in the ever-evolving queer nightlife scene, crafting electrifying visuals for drag haus events, club posters, and beyond. This exhilarating blend of day and night keeps my creativity on edge and my approach unapologetically fresh.

Greta Zandstra

Intimacy Director

Greta Zandstra (director/intimacy) is delighted to return to Open Space Arts for another project. She is a Chicago-based director, actor, and intimacy professional. Recent favorite projects include intimacy direction for Angels in America (Eastline Theatre in New York) and Sex Please We’re 60! (Cornwell Dinner Theatre in Michigan), adapting and directing A Christmas Carol (Encore Center in North Carolina) and Henry V (Viroqua Shakespeare Festival in Wisconsin), and playing Eliza in The Güt Life Christmas (Blue Gate Musicals in Kentucky), and Annabella/Margaret/Pamela in The 39 Steps with St. Patrick’s Summer Theatre here in Chicago. Thanks to the cast, crew, and you–the audience! GretaZandstra.com

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