NO KISSING |
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Quintin Humphrey |
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| Directed by | ||
| Bradford Reilly | ||
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Theatre Noir Blanc is a new nonprofit theater company committed to equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. We amplify gay voices, especially gay interracial narratives that have been historically under-represented and under-resourced within the theatrical environment. Our mission is to create, develop, and produce original works that explore the gay interracial experience–pushing boundaries, taking creative risks, and fostering an inclusive community that inspires a future generation of theatre-makers. Our vision is to elevate bold, untold stories by national and international playwrights that reflect the richness and complexity of a diverse world.
We are excited to establish our company in Dallas, Texas because of its thriving theater scene and the mast number of talented actors within the city. It has been a whirlwind this past year to bring this company alive and the moment has finally arrived.
Cast
Creative Team
Bradford Reilly
Katie Burt
Quintin Humphrey
Meet the Company
Edmund Simpson II
Dallas native and graduate of KD Actors Conservatory, Edmund is ecstatic to embody the enchantingly eccentric role of Clayton and to make his debut with Theatre Noir Blanc. Edmund is honored to join a theatre whose mission deeply resonates with him!
Some of his favorite past roles include The Lion in The Wiz and the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol. He was previously seen in Dallas Theater Center’s production of Fat Ham, a backyard family tragedy in which he understudied and performed the roles of Pap and Rev. Edmund has also assistant-directed productions at Dallas Theater Center and Jubilee Theatre. Passionate about storytelling and artist advocacy, he hopes to continue directing productions while promoting the creative wellness of performers within artistic institutions. Outside of the theater, Edmund enjoys karaoke, creative directing, volleyball, and spending time with his schnauzer, Kashmir. He is also a contestant on Strategic Aspect, a competitive reality game show premiering June 8th. He would like to thank his friends for their unwavering support.
“We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” — Bayard Rustin
Michael Miller
Michael has appeared in several productions in DFW area, including Bob Sarnoff in “Good Night, Oscar” at WaterTower Theatre; GW Nethercott in “Sordid Lives” at Runway Theatre; Moss in “Glengarry Glen Ross”, Bernardo / The Player King in “Hamlet” and Saul in “True West” with The Classics Theatre Project; Michael (Jess) in “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” and Arthur Vance in “The Outsider” with Ghostlight Theatre Company, James in “It’s Only a Play”, Donnie in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”, and Michael in “God of Carnage” at Lakeside Community Theatre, Arthur Vance in “The Outsider” at Allen Contemporary Theatre and Ensemble in “It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play” at Richardson Theatre Centre. He has also appeared in numerous Atlanta and Austin area productions. He has an MFA from UT Austin and a BFA from Texas State University.
Bradford Reilly
Bradford Reilly is a DFW based theatre artist who has been seen on various stages across the metroplex. He holds his BFA in acting from Ball State University, and hails from Indianapolis, IN. Recently, he was seen in the Mousetrap at Garland Civic, Describe the Night with Outcry Theatre, and Blithe Spiritat Onstage Bedford. No Kissing will mark his first directing project in 15 years, and is so excited to bring this new play to life. A huge thank you to Quintin for writing this exquisite piece, Mac Welch for being a champion of DFW theatre, and his basset Russet for being such a good boy.
Katie Burt
Katie Burt is thrilled to join Theatre Noir Blanc as production stage manager. Some of her previous credits include stage manager for Sordid Lives at Runway Theatre, Makeup Artist for Rent at Circle Theatre, Lighting Technician/Stage Hand for Gemini Light Sound and Theater and Anime Fest Dallas, Carpenter for Dallas Theatre Center, Stage Hand at Eastfield College, and multiple singing and acting credits. Being a mother of three, a drag queen, and a burlesque performer, she has what it takes to keep all the plates spinning. Special thanks to the cast and crew, and her partners for keeping her sane while she keeps the plates all spinning. Katie's motto is: You only have one life to live, so live it the way that makes you happy.
Quintin Humphrey
Quintin Humphrey is a playwright and dramaturg of New Play Development with a BBA from Texas Christian University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, 2021. His writing career started with his play I Love You. I Don’t Care. Discuss being a semi-finalist of the Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship in July 2019. He achieved his first production one month after receiving his MFA with the Acting Studio-Chelsea Rep Lab, producing his one-act play Full Stop in New York City. His thesis play, No. 1 White James McGahey, was a finalist at the JOOKM playwriting contest in Memphis, TN, and a semi-finalist at the Morgan-Wixon New Works Festival in Santa Monica, CA, and was part of the Original Work Series of the Theater Program of Arts Fort Worth presented by DVA Productions. His play, No Kissing, was selected for the Ethel Woolson Lab, a workshop series by Working Title Playwrights in Atlanta, Georgia.
Quintin’s initial career was in the fashion industry, where he worked for visionary companies that changed the retail landscape: Gap Inc., in San Francisco; Escada, in New York City and Munich, Germany; and Giorgio Armani in Milan, Italy. In his final year in Milan, he wrote a series of fashion reviews of Milan’s Fashion Week for Men, published in The Fashion Plate (TFP), a digital magazine founded by Nichelle Cole.
As a gay playwright, he writes plays about love from the experience of a gay man, which speaks to the complexity of love. His international experience, living in Europe for nine years, shaped his worldview on inclusion, race, equality, and the importance of interracial relationships. He believes theater can influence and change people’s lives by reflecting all aspects of society and telling those hidden or forgotten stories, which is why he founded Theatre Noir Blanc.
Articles
Theater Alliance Production Of THIS BITTER EARTH Centers Interracial Gay Love, Allyship
Continuing Theater Alliance's mainstage theater season, THIS BITTER EARTH by Harrison David Rivers, investigates who is allowed to participate in social causes, whose participation seems expected, and what happens when both contradict the purpose of a given movement.
Theater Alliance's productions center the stories of underrepresented and marginalized groups, and this season examines various perspectives on Black joy.
Under the direction of Otis Ramsey-Zöe, THIS BITTER EARTH is set against the backdrop of the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. The two men have different views on what their roles and participation should be, but their love story affirms their activism. "Rivers' writing is gorgeous, honest, and deeply layered," says Ramsey-Zoe. "For me, the play blossoms in the tension between the visual, sonic, remembered, said, refused, unutterable, and joyful. The actors, designers, and I are all working to draw out the play's exquisite nuances."
The production opens on February 29, 2020, following a week of previews beginning February 22. It marks the regional premiere of this recent play.
"Sometimes the most revolutionary act is simply existing and being seen," says Theater Alliance Producing Artistic Director Raymond O. Caldwell. "Quiet revolutions, like what Rivers explores in this play, are no less revelatory. Indeed, the conversations between these two characters show us the most important ingredient in allyship: love."
The production also marks a theatrical homecoming for actor Justin Weaks, who made his DC debut in Theater Alliance's DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA in 2015. Weaks also starred in the Theater Alliance productions STILL LIFE WITH ROCKET and WORD BECOMES FLESH, the latter of which earned him a Helen Hayes Award.
Starring alongside Weaks is Noah Schaefer, who is the Artistic Associate at Prologue Theatre as well as an actor. He makes his Theater Alliance debut with this production.
The entire creative team behind THIS BITTER EARTH identifies as LGBTQIA+. Theater Alliance is partnering with organizations whose work echoes the themes and movements of the play for post-show conversations and other opportunities for involvement.
This production is made possible through the support of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and the Paul M. Angell Foundation. Season 17 at Theater Alliance is generously sponsored by David and Jean Heilman Grier.
Placer Rep Will Debut Two Original One-Acts at New Works Showcase
New York playwright Steve Gold and Sacramento playwright Tim Cahill will each share a one-act in development at Placer Rep's New Works Showcase on March 11, 2026. The evening includes a Q&A with audience feedback, and the opportunity to meet the actors and playwright Tim Cahill to network, mingle, and enjoy refreshments.
STEVE GOLD is the featured playwright of the evening with his poignant one-act, "Barren Landscape,” about the transition of a mother-daughter relationship as they move to a new phase in life. Steve Gold is a playwright based in New York, where he is a member of Enigma Theatre Company. His previous plays include Wyatt Earp's Jewish Adventure, Women and Guns, Smash the State, The File on J. Edgar Hoover, Men vs. Women, and more.
Tim Cahill opens the night with a mildly absurd comedic one-act that takes place in a parts store, aptly named, “Parts.” Cahill has been writing plays, short stories, and other works for many years. One of his plays, “Tattoos,” won the top spot in the “Shakespeare in the ‘Burg” Festival in Middleburg, Virginia. His plays have been performed in Sacramento and Oxnard, California and Torrington, Connecticut. His humorous legal fiction “Bad Omens” was published in a professional trade journal and can be found online. He is a member of The Playwrights' Collaborative in Sacramento and runs a family commercial real estate company there. He received his undergraduate education from St. Mary's College of California and his law degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
New Works Showcase provides opportunities for early-career to seasoned playwrights, authors, poets, and lyricists to hone their work through presenting it aloud and receiving valuable feedback from the audience toward the work's development. There is a networking reception with refreshments after the feedback session. Reserve your seats via our.show/PRT-New-Works-Showcase.
Placer Rep follows up the March 11 New Works Showcase with the main season show Sherlock Holmes: The Strange Case of Miss Faulkner (Ap 15 – 25, 2026), which tours to Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, and Auburn, followed by annual auditions in June, and the announcement of its 2026-2027 season in July.
Placer Repertory Theater is an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to offer educational and quality-of-life enriching professional performing arts and cultural programs relevant to the people of Placer County and surrounding areas, while supporting local organizations and acting as an economic engine for the region. Follow Placer Rep on Facebook (PlacerRep) and Instagram: PlacerRep; and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
About Steve Gold
Steve Gold is a playwright, based in New York, where he is a member of Enigma Theatre Company. His previous plays include Wyatt Earp's Jewish Adventure, Women and Guns, Smash the State, The File on J. Edgar Hoover, Men vs. Women, The Effeminate Heterosexual, and more.
About Tim Cahill
Mr. Cahill has been writing plays, short stories, and other works for many years. One of his plays, “Tattoos,” won the top spot in the “Shakespeare in the ‘Burg” Festival in Middleburg, Virginia. Plays of his have been performed in Sacramento and Oxnard, California and Torrington, Connecticut. His humorous legal fiction “Bad Omens” was published in a professional trade journal and can be found online. He is a member of The Playwrights' Collaborative in Sacramento, California, where Mr. Cahill runs a family commercial real estate company. He received his undergraduate education from St. Mary's College of California and his law degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He is a member of the California Bar and is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and those of the United States Northern and Eastern Districts. He is married and lives in Sacramento, California.
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