TomorrowLand Productions & Pop Up Theater Present DOPE QUEENS

TomorrowLand Productions & Pop Up Theater present a world premiere play, DOPE QUEENS, written and directed by Grafton Doyle. DOPE QUEENS will preview on Friday, August 9 & Saturday, August 10 at 8pm; will open on Friday, August 16 at 8pm and run through Sunday, September 22at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

In 2012, three friends: Goldie, Blake, and Angel, move to San Francisco after meeting in protective custody at a men's California state penitentiary where they were just serving time. Goldie and Angel are transgender women of color, outcasts from their families and the society they live in. Blake is a drug addict whose family begs him to go back to rehab but continues to relapse despite sincere attempts at sobriety. Twitter has moved in and the Google buses and Uber drivers swarm the streets as the Tenderloin slowly gentrifies. In a world where their reputation on the streets is everything, they must secure a position of respect and dignity. As they try to change their lives for the better, the trio settle in an SRO Hotel and support each other as their "chosen family." Despite true love and friendship, desperate times sometimes lead to desperate measures in this world premiere play.

Grafton Doyle (Playwright/Director) originally began working as an actor in theatre in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Boston. Acting credits include: Becky Shaw (Pop Up Theater), Three Days of Rain (Epsilon Theatre), Spike Heels (Pop Up Theater), The Cottage (Americana Theatre Co.), Almost an Evening (Gennitti's Detroit), The Curious Savage (Mirror Theater), Give It Back (Atwater Playhouse). Serving as Founder & Artistic Director for Pop Up Theater, he has also directed and produced shows that include: Seminar, The Woolgatherer, Becky Shaw, Three Days of Rain, Pterodactyls, and Pizza Man. He has previously worked in creative film development for NBC/Universal at Marc Platt Productions, Warner Bros. at MadChance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky, ran by MTV's Van Toeffler. He holds a B.A. in Narrative Studies and Screenwriting from USC and is currently an MFA 2021 Dramatic Writing Candidate at USC. Grafton is interested stories that thematically delve into identities of persons stuck between two worlds focusing on "otherness", queer identities, and addiction. He is also attached to direct the film version of the story of Dope Queens, which is currently in development at TomorrowLand Productions.

The Cast of DOPE QUEENS will feature: Donzell Lewis as Goldie, Malaya as Angel, Michael Antosy as Blake and the voice of Rob Callaway as the Radio Announcer.

DOPE QUEENS features an award-winning design team; Set Design is by Tom Buderwitz; Lighting Design is by Andrew Schmedake; Sound Design is by Cricket S. Myers; Costume and Make-Up Design is by Sasha Markgraf. The Production Stage Manager is Kajal Ardestani. DOPE QUEENS is produced by John Reyes, Julio Lopez Velasquez and Melanie Weisner.

DOPE QUEENSwill preview on Friday, August 9 & Saturday, August 10 at 8pm; will open on Friday, August 16 at 8pm and run through Sunday, September 22at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm.

Ticket prices are $35.00 for all performances. Previews are $20.00. $40.00 VIP tickets in center first rows of theatre.

Tickets and more information are available at dopequeensplay.com or by calling 323-960-7738.

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