Tag Archives: Human Race Theatre Company

The Human Race Theatre Company continues its 35^th Season with a new play by Seattle playwright Katie Forgette – Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help – playing April 14 – May 1 at the Loft Theatre.   This charming comedy recounts an unforgettable day in 1973 for the O‘Sheas, a cash-strapped Irish-Catholic family in a city very much like Dayton.

19 year-old Linda O’Shea, our narrator, attempts to re-enact the most turbulent day of her life, interrupted by her family with their side of the story. The 70’s were a time of old school living – no social media, and public ridicule in a close-knit community was the ultimate nightmare. Linda reflects on an “incident” she sparked in 1973, when their overbearing priest, Father Lovett, overhears a conversation between her and her sister about puberty. It’s a moment that could have threatened the family’s upstanding reputation in the conservative parish. As Linda says, this is a story familiar to anyone who has experienced “Catholic guilt — also known as Jewish guilt, Methodist guilt, Baptist guilt, Lutheran guilt and atheist guilt.”  When Father Lovett confronts her parents about the “corruption of their eldest daughter’s very soul,” all holy hell and hysteria break loose in this nostalgic comedy.

New York-based director Margarett Perry returns to helm this hilarious new play.  She most recently directed the streaming comedy The Revolutionists last June, and numerous productions since 2005. “Margarett has become a regular member of our artistic family with many great comedies and dramas to her credit,” said Artistic Director, Kevin Moore.  “She was hand-selected by Marsha Hanna and she has delivered great productions time after time.”

An extraordinary cast that will bring this show to life includes both new and returning artists: Cecily Dowd will play our narrator, Linda O’Shea (Dayton native, One Slight Hitch ); Christine Brunner as the long-suffering, rarely-complaining, hardworking mom Josephine “Jo” ‘Shea (Resident Artist, 26 Pebbles, Steel Magnolias, Play It By Heart); Mierka Girten as the very liberal Aunt Theresa “Terri” O’Shea (Master Class, Beehive, Little Shop of Horrors, Bus Stop); Jason Podplesky in multiple roles as Dad, Mike ‘Shea, Father Lovett, and parish busybody, Betty Hackenbach (Sylvia, 26 Pebbles, Becky’s New Car);  and Columbus native Lizzie Huelskamp, making her Human Race debut as younger sister, Becky O‘Shea. (Annie, Little Mermaid, The Secret Garden.)

Joining Director Margarett Perry on the Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help creative team is:  Eric Moore, Scenic Designer;  John Rensel, Lighting Designer;  Janet G. Powell, Costume Designer; Julian Crocamo, Sound Designer; and Production Stage Manager, Jacquelyn Duncan.

Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, April 14 – May 1, 2022.  Tickets are on sale through Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at www.humanracetheatre.org   More details about the show can be found on our website.

Special performances:

• Pay What You CAN – Wed. April 13 at 8 pm – benefits The Foodbank and Project Hope
• Sawbuck Sunday – Sun. April 17 at 7 pm – $10 tickets available 5:30pm at the door
• While We’re On The Subject – Sun. April 24 – Audience Discussion follows 2pm matinee

The Human Race acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible:  Loft Season support:  The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation; Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation;  Sustainability support:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason and Morris Home; Pay What You CAN Sponsor:  Enterprise Holdings Foundation;  Production Sponsor: Marion’s Piazza and Barbara N. O’Hara.

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Cast photo by Scott J. Kimmins.

While it often is the focus of news reports and television talk shows, raising transgender children is rarely the subject of a play.  Playwright Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder freely admitted “the stories I find the most compelling are often stories that force me to step out of my comfort zone and look at a subject through a new lens.”   Her own background – growing up in the deep South with gay parents and a family friend who transitioned – gives her a unique perspective and insight into her writing of the emotionally evocative drama, Everything That’s Beautiful, getting its regional premiere at The Human Race Theatre Company, February 17 – March 6, 2022 in the intimate Loft Theatre.

When Luke and Jess decide to support their 10-year-old Morgan, who was assigned male at birth but identifies as female, they relocate in order to give the family a clean start. Luke takes a job at the local waterpark, where he meets Gaby, the girl in the mermaid tank. With money tight, Jess starts working at a local coffee shop where she meets Will. These new relationships provide an escape from an already complicated family life. But when an accident threatens to expose the truth about Morgan, tensions run high. Luke finally admits the real reason they moved, a confession that could potentially destroy their family. Faced with losing his child and his family, Luke must decide what’s worth fighting for.

This production also has personal significance to its Director, Kevin Moore, being the final play he will direct before retiring from the company that he helped found in 1986. “A dear friend and colleague sent me this script saying it was right up my alley,” said Moore.  “And he was so right.  I am always drawn to stories that allow us to gain a better understanding of marginalized communities.  And I am a sucker for heartfelt, emotional stories.  That has guided many of my decisions these past 35 years.”

The extraordinary cast that will bring this show to life includes both new and returning artists: Josh Aaron McCabe (Wright State acting faculty, Human Race Monday Night Playreading); Kelly Mengelkoch (Cincinnati Shakespeare, Shenandoah, Brother Wolf); Eric Deiboldt (Brighton Beach Memoirs); Teresa Langford (HRTC debut); Justin McCombs (Now And Then); and two local ten-year-olds will also make their HRTC debut and share the role of Morgan – Isabella Roberts and Jax Heritage.

Joining Director Kevin Moore on the Everything That’s Beautiful creative team is:  Tamara L. Honesty, Scenic Designer;  John Rensel, Lighting Designer;  David M. Covach, Costume Designer;  Jay Brunner, Composer;  Alexander Koker, Sound Designer; Scott Stoney, Assistant Director; and Production Stage Manager, Jacquelyn Duncan.

Everything That’s Beautiful will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, February 17 – March 6, 2022.  Tickets are on sale through Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at www.humanracetheatre.org  All audiences are required to wear masks.  More details about the show can be found on our website.

The Human Race acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible:  Loft Season support:  The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation;  Additional Season support:  Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts;  Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation;  Sustainability support:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason and Morris Home. Production Sponsor:  Equitas Health

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The Human Race Theatre Company Board of Trustees, the Artistic Director Search Committee and Executive Director, Kappy Kilburn, are pleased to announce the appointment of Emily N. Wells as The Human Race’s next Artistic Director. The Search Committee, comprised of artists, community leaders, Board members and Human Race staff voted unanimously to appoint Wells after a thorough nationwide search that began last summer.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are so excited that Emily N. Wells will be leading The Human Race as the next Artistic Director,” said Board Chair Jaresha Moore Smith. “Emily is an extraordinary artist, an advocate for inclusiveness and community engagement, and has a strong vision for The Human Race’s future while embracing the success of the past. We are excited to see the innovation, the artistry, and excellence she will bring to The Human Race both on stage and off.”

Emily N. Wells is an award-winning theatre director, creative producer and educator with over 25 years experience including a significant emphasis on new plays and musicals. Joining Human Race Theatre Company as the new Artistic Director realizes a dream come true for Emily, as the company’s mission echoes her own: to open the doors of art and creativity to all people through stories that reflect our shared humanity.

While a senior producer for Houston Grand Opera, Emily focused on community building through new work development of pieces with significance to the 3rd largest Metro in the US. Her role at HGO encompassed producing a vast scale of works, including the Telly Award-winning Starcross’d opera web series. Emily will direct the 2023 HGO world premiere of Another City, a new opera that tells the true stories of un-housed Houstonians and those who aid them. She also served as guest director and adjunct faculty at Houston’s prestigious Rice University, and led several fundraising efforts for congenital heart disease.

Prior to living in Houston, Emily’s other directing credits include Gulfshore Playhouse, Circuit Playhouse, Theatreworks/USA among others. She holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Memphis, a BA in Theatre from Washington University in St. Louis, and is an SDC and AEA Member. In her early career, Emily stage managed on and off Broadway, regionally and on national tours – including a week for The Human Race’s production of Green Gables while in development in East Hampton during the summer of 2004.

Wells will join The Human Race staff remotely in January while she finishes some projects. After spending the last 5 ½ years in Houston, she looks forward to enjoying all four changing seasons in Dayton with her husband and daughter. She plans to be full-time by the beginning of March, when she and Kevin Moore, founding member and retiring Artistic Director, will spend time together making a seamless transition into the “next act” while finalizing the 2022-2023 Loft Theatre season.

Emily Wells will be the fourth Artistic Director in the company’s 35 years, following founding Artistic Director Suzy Bassani in 1986, who passed the torch to founding member Marsha Hanna in 1993. After Marsha’s untimely passing in 2011, founding Executive Director Kevin Moore became Artistic Director. Moore will officially leave the company in June, 2022.

The company is working on plans for several community introductions and engagement events with Emily and Kevin. Stay tuned.

The Human Race acknowledges its gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible: Loft Season support: The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation; Additional Season support: Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts; Organizational support: Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation; Sustainability support: Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason and Morris Home.

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