Jonathan O'Brien (left) and Theron Butler (right) play Matthew Teitman and David Okello.
After LGBT activist David Okello flees his native Uganda when his life is threatened in the wake of a proposed anti-homosexuality bill, he takes shelter in Boston with Matthew Teitman, an LGBTQIA rights advocate with the ACLU. As Matthew helps David obtain political asylum, personal, political, and sexual tensions rise as two men with disparate cultural values and desires struggle — sometimes explosively — to find common ground.
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Tickets
Cast & Creatives
Michael Proft
Playwright
Michael is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program. Prior to that, he studied acting in NYC with Stella Adler and performed in many productions in New York and the tri-state area. Michael's first play, FAITHLESS, was a Wisconsin Wrights New Play Development Program winner and given readings at Forward Theatre in Madison, WI, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.
DIONYSUS ON THE DOWN LOW, Michael's second play was once again selected by the Wisconsin Wrights New Play Development Program and given a reading at Madison WI's Forward Theatre. DIONYSUS was a finalist for The Playwrights Realm Scratchpad series in NYC, as well as a semifinalist for ScreenCraft's Stage Play competition and The Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.
Michael recently completed 4RW, a collaboration with Diane Leaity.
Gloria de Luna
Ina Teitman
Gloria de Luna (Ina) is a retired software developer who began her acting career at Dunedin Showcase Theater.
She was a member of Gypsy Stage Repertory Theater, where she attended acting workshops and performed
in several one act plays. She has appeared in short plays in the Tampa Bay Theater Festival, and was a cast
member in the touring production of "War Virgin". She made her film debut in the independent film "The Serious
Student".
Theron Butler
David Okello
Theron (T.R.) Butler is honored to portray David Okello in this amazing play! T.R. worked behind the scenes directing Single Black Female in December of 2019 at Stageworks. He was nominated for local awards, including Outstanding Featured Actor for Vote in 2017 and won Best of the Bay by Creative Loafing in 2018. Favorite past roles include Dr. King, Vote; Paul in Six Degrees of Separation, and Town in Gnit with Tampa Rep. T.R. holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Ithaca College having appeared in Film, TV, and theme parks throughout the eastern U.S. Much love to my family, friends and Outcast Collective for their support. Let there be LIGHT!
Linda Edmundo
Naome Ssempa
Linda Edmundo has appeared on television in Time Travel with Brian Unger, as well as film and plays in both Tampa, Fl and New York City, NY. She is a part of Outcast Theatre Collective (Outcasttheatre.org) where they use interactive theatre form between the audience and performers designed to help society rehearse for a reality free of oppressions. She has studied acting at the Patel Conservatory in Tampa, FL; The Phil Gushee/Joseph Anania Acting Studio in NYC, and Rutgers University Theatre department in New Jersey. She is thrilled to be working under the direction of Dr. Clareann Despain, as well a phenomenal cast and crew for Dionysus on the Down Low. She would also like to give kudos to Michael Profit for such a poignant script.
deBowat Reveur
Composer "My Suga"
deBowat Reveur is an award-winning music educator, performer, composer, and artist developer. For twelve years, he has traveled the world, bestowing joy and love through music. For 9 years, he taught in the inner city of Tampa, FL., and Detroit, MI. While teaching in the inner city, he often questioned why there were no composers of color or composers that embodied their identity? As an avid music lover his whole life, going to school, obtaining two degrees in music education, he realized that he had never questioned the collective identity of who creates classical music. Is it true? Do African Americans compose classical music?
While teaching in Venezuela, he decided to develop online resources for music artists and musicians to develop their musicking and artistry. He currently teaches instrumental music lessons, beat-making, and song compositions while performing and composing full opera productions.
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Jonathan O'Brien
Matthew Teitman
Jonathan O’Brien is an actor and musician born and raised in St.Petersburg, Florida. Notable credits include William Barfee (Putnam County Spelling Bee), Ernst (Spring Awakening) and Hartley (Titanic). Jonathan would like to thank his friends and family for their endless love and support. Instagram @jonny0b.
Ivy Sunflower
Assistant Director
Ivy Sunflower is an actress, model, director and all around creator in the performing arts and film industry. Theatre is her heart and soul and she is thrilled to work behind the scenes on this amazing project. Ivy recently worked with Outcast Theatre Collective as "April" in A Conversation With Myself and is grateful to be a part of such an empowering group of people.
Clareann Despain
Director
Clareann holds a Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from The University of California, Santa Barbara.
Directing credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Green Day's American Idiot, Cabaret, Proof, Hamlet, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Topdog/Underdog, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, On the Verge, Wonderdog!, Pale Idiot, I Sea, Below the Belt,Summer Shower, and 8 Life Lessons from Mort and Mindy.
Dr. Despain has worked as a director and dramaturg on a number of new scripts. In 2014, Clareann directed 3 short plays for Tampaworks at Stageworks in Tampa, FL. As part of Risa Brainin's LaunchPad program at UCSB, Clareann served as the assistant director for the world premiere of Sheri Wilner's Kingdom City. Clareann also directed 8 Life Lessons by Jackson Warkentin for UCSB’s 2007 New Plays Festival, produced by Naomi Iizuka. .With one of her favorite collaborators, playwright Lou Clark, Clareann worked on two original scripts for young audiences: Wonderdog! and I Sea, the latter of which won an ACTF/Kennedy Center award.
Clareann has also worked in theater management for several companies including: the Straz Center and Next Generation Ballet in Tampa; Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre in New Orleans; the MFA program at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) & Lamplighter’s Music Theatre in San Francisco; PCPA Theatrefest in Santa Maria, CA; Nevada Dance Theater in Las Vegas, NV; and Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, IA.
Dr. Despain has taught at the University of South Florida, Hillsborough Community College, University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of New Mexico. Subjects taught include acting, directing, script analysis, theatre history, public speaking, and stagecraft. Regardless of whether the context is explicitly educational, Dr. Despain delights in mentoring young theatre artists.
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