Second Thought Theatre Announces New Play and Cast of SWEETPEA by Playwright Janielle Kastner

Second Thought Theatre has announced their full production of Sweetpea. As the closing production of the 2021 season, Sweetpea will serve as the theatre's first in-person production in 18 months. Originally conceived somewhere in the hills outside San Antonio at Erik Ehn's Stillwright silent retreat, Janielle Kastner's work was elevated to its current form by way of development workshops at both Stage West and the Dallas Theater Center. Director and Second Thought Theatre Artistic Director Carson McCain says, "I have been enthralled with the play Sweetpea since I read Janielle's first draft back in . The impossibility of letting another human know you completely is a feeling we are all too familiar with, and have only grown more accustomed to during the pandemic. If you have ever felt the big scary feeling of wanting another person to see your insides, while also wanting them to stay far, far away, then this play is for you."

After separating, a couple reconnects and decide to move back in together, introducing their pet birds to each other in the process. As the human relationship unravels, an avian romance burgeons. At once light and dark, familiar and strange, and shaded with juxtapositions between the ego and the id, Sweetpea is Janielle Kastner's unsettling reflection on the concept of intimacy and the "absurdity" of sharing space.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Janielle Kastner (Playwright) is a writer and performer who considers her medium to be anything with words. Pre-pandemic she premiered Playwrights in the Newsroom based on three years "creatively auditing" The Dallas Morning News alongside co-writer Brigham Mosley in the AT&T Performing Art Center's Elevator Project. Her meta-narrative podcast Untitled Dad Project was named #1 on IndieWire's Top 50 list "Best Podcasts of 2019". Currently, Janielle is working on a new play commission from Dallas Theater Center, where she was an inaugural member of the Dallas Playwrights Workshop with Will Power. Her play Sweetpea was developed and supported in Dallas Theater Center's "New Play Week", Stage West's "New Play Readings Festival" and was written while wordlessly staring at animals during Erik Ehn's Texas Silent Writers Retreat.

Janielle has performed locally with Stage West Theatre, Second Thought Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, Shakespeare in the Bar, Amphibian Stage Productions, Theatre Three, Cara Mía Theatre and Shakespeare Dallas. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Dallas Observer's "Mastermind Award" for co-founding arts incubation group The Tribe, and was named "Best New Playwright" in the Dallas Observer's 2016 Best of Dallas issue. Other plays include Ophelia Underwater (The Tribe), Feed Me (Walk the Light Festival), and Heaven's Gates Hell's Flames (Water Tower Theatre "Detour: A Festival of New Work").

Carson McCain (Director/Artistic Director) is a born-and-bred Texas director and producer, with a heart for new and local work that serves to connect humans and foster empathy. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she studied acting, and directing. There, she received a Meadows Exploration Grant to develop and produce the world premiere of Michelle with Wet Eyeballs by Claire Carson. She serves as the Supervising Producer for Spoke Media where she has produced and directed numerous audiobooks and podcasts, including The Last Of Us Official Podcast, The Left Ear with Dakota Johnson and Because I Watched: A Netflix Podcast. Second Thought Theatre audiences will recognize her work as the director of Empathitrax by Ana Nogueira and The Great God Pan by Amy Herzog. She has also directed at Undermain Theatre (Really by Jackie Sibblies Drury,) and Stage West (Lungs by Duncan McMillan). She served as associate director on Dallas Theater Center's 2016 production of A Christmas Carol, on Second Thought Theatre's production of BOOTH by Steven Michael Walters, and as assistant director on Belleville by Amy Herzog, Kitchen Dog's Production of I'm Gonna Pray for You So Hard. Other directing credits include Middletown by Will Eno, Delirium by Enda Walsh and Theatre O, and the world premiere of Ophelia Underwater by Janielle Kastner. To experience more of Carson's work, check out her podcast, Untitled Dad Project with Janielle Kastner on whatever podcast app you use.

Katie Ibrahim* (Stage Manager) is a theatre artist originally from Orlando, FL. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in Theatre Studies where she directed, stage managed, and produced a number of productions, including directing Aaron Posner's Stupid F***ing Bird. Stage management credits include: For a Brief Moment I was Something Else (NYC), Let's Have a Seance (NYC). Since moving back to Dallas, she has worked as a lead teaching artist at The Playground Acting Program. She is thrilled to be working with Second Thought Theatre on this production!

Kat Lozano (Assistant Director/Props Designer) is an actor and teaching artist based in Dallas, Texas. She is absolutely thrilled to be working with Second Thought Theatre on Sweetpea. This will be Kat's second show with STT, but her first time assistant directing and working with the production/designer team. Acting credits include Libra Season (Second Though Theatre), Queen of Basel (Kitchen Dog Theater), Pride and Prejudice (Shakespeare Dallas), Dracula (Theatre Three), and Wolf at the Door (Kitchen Dog Theater). Film credits include Artificial, Everything Except Hope, and Bitch's Tit. Kat is a teaching artist with Dallas Summer Musicals where they offer arts-based programs to Dallas ISD students. Kat has a BFA in Acting from the University of Texas at Austin. katherinelozano.com

Tatiana Gantt (Tatiana Lucia Gantt)* (She/Sweetpea) is a bilingual Latinx actress, teaching artist, and theater maker based out of Dallas, TX. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas and has had the pleasure of serving the DFW community through various artistic work with theaters such as Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Dallas, and many others. Her recent work has included starring in roles such as Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Ana in Real Women Have Curves and Quetzacoatl in Lucha Teotl.

Thomas Magee (He/Buddy (Rosebud)) is excited to be making his debut at Second Thought Theatre! Born and raised in DFW, he is a recent 2020 graduate of the Southern Methodist University. His work at SMU includes roles such as Hanschen in Spring Awakening, Brian in Smart People and Teach in American Buffalo.

Danielle Georgiou, Ph.D. (Intimacy Coordinator) is a Dallas-based choreographer, director, and performance artist. Her choreography and video works have been presented nationally and internationally. Since 2011, she has been the Artistic Director of the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group (DGDG), an ensemble-based dance theatre company that produces original dance plays and musicals. She has worked as a movement, intimacy, and fight director at numerous DFW theatres, including, Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Three, Kitchen Dog Theater, Echo Theatre, Dead White Zombies, Stage West, Circle Theatre, and Junior Players. In 2019, she became the Associate Artistic Director of Undermain Theatre. She holds a Ph.D. in Humanities-Aesthetic Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, and is a Professor of Dance, Humanities, and Visual Art at Dallas College-Eastfield Campus. She is very excited to be joining Second Thought Theatre for the first time.

Gelacio Eric Gibson (Costume Designer) moved to Dallas six years ago, after graduating with a BA from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2015. He has worked with costumes and wardrobe in college and professionally combined for over ten years. In 2017, Gelacio landed his first professional costume design for the production REALLY at Undermain Theatre. Since then, he has designed costumes and served as wardrobe master at Jubilee Theatre, Eclipse Entertainment, Artstillery, Calavera Theatre, Pegasus Theatre, Teatro Dallas, The York Theatre, Shakespeare Dallas, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Theatre Three, and Cara Mia Theatre. Now it's 2021 and Gelacio is honored to join Second Thought Theatre, for the first time, as costume designer, for SWEETPEA.. "Enjoy!"

Amelia Bransky (Set Designer) is a collaborative artist from California. She is grateful to return to Second Thought Theatre to work on new stories with old friends. Past productions at Second Thought include Empathitrax and Incognito. She has recently been working as an Art Director for Gordon Ramsey's Next Level Chef, premiering January on FOX, When not on set or in the rehearsal room, Amelia can be found exploring the U.S., hiking with her dog and simply enjoying her favorite outdoor getaways. She is passionate about reproductive health, mental health, and social justice. Amelia received her MFA from SMU in 2018 and loves each time she gets to return to Dallas and create theatre.

Aaron Johansen (Lighting Designer) is pleased to be returning to Second Thought Theater!! Previous collaborations have included: Dallas Theater Center; Dallas Children's Theater; Kitchen Dog Theater (Company Member); Theater Three; Stage West; Uptown Players; Cry Havoc Theater Company; Cara Mía Theatre Co and Sweet Tooth Hotel Art installation. Aaron recently became the co-lighting director for the Drone Racing League where he designs lighting for drone race courses around the country. By day, Aaron is the Lighting Manager for the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the arts district of Dallas! Follow my work and me on Instagram @Famoustrendywizard. Enjoy the show!

Claire Carson (Sound Designer) is a queer playwright, actress, sound designer, dog/cat mom and published poet from Denver, Colorado. She is also the Administrative Coordinator at Kitchen Dog Theater and a distribution associate for Media Projects Inc. Claire graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2014 with a BFA in Theater Studies. In 2014-2015, Claire was a member of the Dallas Playwrights' Workshop at Dallas Theater Center, under the guidance of Will Power. Claire has sound designed for Cry Havoc Theater, The Elevator Project, Echo Theater and Kitchen Dog Theater. This will be Claire's first show with Second Thought and she couldn't be more excited!

Jon Leitch (Technical Director) is a technical director and theater artist based in Dallas, TX. He worked freelance in the entertainment industry for the better part of the past decade and has been the full time Technical Director for Theatre 3 Dallas for the past 4 years. Jon has worked with many other Theatre Companies in the local market and as a lighting designer, lighting supervisor, production manager, and technical director. Jon's experience working on live performances in theater, dance, and music has more recently began to encompass Film, editing, and VFX. Jon is an experienced drafter, carpenter, electrician and light board programmer. He has traveled and put shows into venues of all sizes at all resource levels.

Celeste Perez (Covid Safety Officer) is excited to be working with Second Thought for the first time! She has worked in Video/TV/Film production for 7 years and theatre for most of her life, and when both industries came to a halt in 2020 she became certified as a Covid Compliance Officer. Since then, she has served in this capacity on dozens of productions in an effort to get back to the work she loves. Celeste has worked on many productions with AMP Creative, ESPN, HGTV, and Bravo! Celeste is also a stage actor and has worked on productions such as Stronger Than Arms (Danielle Georgiou Dance Group/Undermain Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare Everywhere), The Hamlet Project (Shakespeare Dallas), and Pride & Prejudice (Shakespeare Dallas). She is also a voice actor for Funimation and is represented by The Kim Dawson Agency.

STT thanks everyone for their patience, and support as we transition back to in person performances. The staff, board, and artists of Second Thought Theatre are excited to be back on stage to continue providing gripping, innovative theater to the community.

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