Our Dear Dead Drug Lord Program

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord

by Alexis Scheer

The World Premiere of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord was presented in September 2019 by WP Theater and Second Stage Theater For WP Theater: Lisa McNulty, Producing Artistic Director | Michael Sag, Managing Director For Second Stage Theater: Carole Rothman - President and Artistic Director | Casey Reitz - Executive Director Originally Produced by Benjamin Simpson, Joseph Longthorne & Jana Shea

DIRECTOR ALANA DIETZE Scenic Designer Todd Glenn Lighting Designer Josh van Veggel Properties Designer Saul Diaz

Costume Designer Alisha Patel Sound Designer Evelyn Pham Intimacy Choreographer Carly D.W. Bones

Choreographer Justin Morris Hair & Make-up Designers Olivia Ketchel and Tatiana Santana Stage Manager Karlie Kovach

This production includes sensitive topics, such as sexually suggestive language, references to suicide, depictions of drug use, intense physical violence towards both humans and animals, and instances of self-harm. Individuals with a history of trauma related to these topics are advised to approach the production with caution. Should you be impacted by the content of this play, we encourage you to seek support through the resources available below. This production also contains the use of haze, herbal cigarette smoke and flashing lights.

National Suicide Hotline 988 (call or text) Crisis Text Line Text “Beach” to 741-741 CSULB Counseling and Psychological Services For CSULB students 592-985-4001, csulb.edu/caps Same day services are available for students with an urgent matter or who are in crisis.

Visit our office located in Brotman Hall-226 M-F 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

On behalf of the CSULB Department of Theatre Arts, I am pleased to welcome you to CalREP’s production of Alexis Scheer's electrifying new play, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.

We are excited to welcome back director Alana Dietz, whose deft touch is a perfect fit for this provocative play that takes us on a thrilling journey into the complexities of adolescence.

The play, set in an abandoned treehouse, finds group of teenage girls as they embark on a daring ritual: summoning the ghost of Pablo Escobar. As the play unfolds, we witness a darkly funny exploration of girlhood, power dynamics, and the allure of the dangerous. We hope you connect with the production as it delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the yearning for connection, challenging us to confront uncomfortable truths with humor and heart.

We are proud of the immense talents of our student designers, cast, and crew, who have taken on this mature work with insight and skill. What you see is the end result of several months of collaboration with faculty mentors, technical staff, and guest artists who have worked along side the student artists during every step of the process.

Now you, the audience, are the final collaborator of the theatrical journey.

Please get comfortable, let the outside world fade as you set your electronic devices aside, and prepare to be transported by the thrilling immediacy of live theatre.

Warmly, Ezra LeBank Chair, Theatre Arts

The specter of profound loss can throw one into an identity crisis at any age.

Grief has a way of forcing the big questions on us: Who am I? What do I believe? Is there anything more than this? What is it all for? Am I my darkest thoughts? My most generous acts? Where do I draw the lines of my morality?

The young women of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord are in grief, and that grief sends them searching. Still in their teen years, their identities are yet in process, and the spiral of loss leaves them grasping for control and understanding. Through ritual they find comfort, excitement, danger, and hope: hope that death is not the end, that there is something more out there, and that they are more powerful than they know.

2008 was a time of immense hope: we were about to elect our first Black president and there was a sense that the world was bending towards progress while, at the same time, the brokenness of this country was profoundly evident.

Personally, I had recently graduated from college and was in a period of indecision and searching. When I read Alexis Scheer’s play for the first time, I recognized so much of my own experience of that era — not so much the summoning of an infamous drug lord in a seance, but the coming into one’s political beliefs, the attraction to darkness, the rifts forming in long-cherished friendships, and, yes, grappling with the first major losses in my life.

As you watch this production, I hope you too find something true in it. While Scheer has built a world that is theatrical and, at times, frighteningly dark, it is, at heart, a story of connection and recovery; only by embracing their holistic selves, even the most difficult parts, can these characters face their grief, come into their power, and command their inner magic.

Alana Dietze Director, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord

Emily Quintero as

Emily Quintero (she/her) is a theatre performance major in her third year at CSULB. She is thrilled to be performing in her first main stage show with CalRep! You may have seen her play ‘Sobe’ in last year’s Theatre Threshold production of “Hermana Mía”. Emily would like to take this opportunity to thank her friends and family for their unwavering support, as well as the amazing and talented cast that she is so happy to be a part of!

“Pipe” Tiara Estupinian as Tiara Estupinian (she/her) is a 4th year Theater Performance Major and is honored to be representing her community through story telling! She was one of the Vecinas in Electricidad, Lizzie Lightning in Roller Derby, and Kit in Our Dear Dead Drug Lord which all have been latina roles! Through her role play she has uplifted the unique voices, truth, & imagery of her Latino culture!

“Kit”

Jordan Gelotte as

“Squeeze”

Jordan Gelotte (she/her) is a 4th year theatre performance major and she is so excited to have the opportunity to wrap up her time with CalRep in Our Dear Dead Drug Lord. Her past shows with CalRep include Sonnets for an Old Century, American Distortion, The Rocky Horror Show, Dry Land, and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. She wants to thank all of the hands that helped to put this show together as well as her family for their endless support throughout her college career.

Natalie Santiago as Natalie Santiago (she/her) is a senior Theatre Performance major and thanks the incredible director, designers and crew that made this show possible. She also gives thanks to her amazing family, friends and partner for their endless support. Her past credits include Love & Information, Book of Days (Ruth) and Months On End (Paige).

“Zoom”

Asst. Stage Managers Marissa Ferreira Issac Gonzalez Natalie Rambauch Asst. Costume Designer Sonia Giansiracusa

Asst. Sound Designer Paola Oros Asst. Lighting Designer & Programmer Ryan Meissner

Production Assistants Michael Ahumada Melisa Odabas Lightboard Operator Alvin Chen

Soundboard Operator Hector Guillen

Scenic Crew Niko Flores Deshawn Mims Samuel Moran Jayna Spitler

Costume Crew Kayci Baylon Chrisna Chhor Samantha Garcia Brian Ortiz Reiley Pike Rudy Sanchez Heidy Reyes Serbellon Abel Kimiko Rock

Lighting Crew Candace Huang Jeanneatte Mendoza Natalie Nigro Emeli Ventura Michael Bennett Sonia Giansiracusa Dante Cimo Kaitlyn Allen Kyle Eichinger Dave Goyette

Hair & Make-Up Crew Isabella Gamble Tali Garcia-Chart Felicity Harris Guadalupe Lopez Crystal Montanez Ali Ryan

Wardrobe Supervisor Jillian Pricco

California Repertory Company (CalRep) is the producing arm of the Theatre Arts Department at CSULB. Over the past three decades, Cal Rep has a history of creating new work, devised theatre and adaptations of classics.

CSULB is located on the sacred site of Puvungna. We acknowledge that we are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.

We recognize the Tongva and Acjachemen Nations and their spiritual connection as the first stewards and the traditional caretakers of this land.

We thank them for their strength, perserverance, and resistance. We pay our respects to the Ancestors, Elders, and our relatives, past, present, and emerging.

- Season announcement on March 15, 2024 Follow us @CalRep on Instagram to be the first to hear about our 2024-2025 Season!

Department Chair Ezra LeBank MFA Theatre Management Faculty Jeff Janisheski Megan Wanlass Managing Director Meg Imamoto Production Manager Ashley Boehne Ehlers Technical Director Robert Waltz Master Carpenter Mitchell Domingo

Faculty Media & Sound Engineer David Goyette Box Office Manager Kate Byrne Box Office Student Assistants William Runnels Charli Southall Edward Yi Administrative Analyst Katie Speer Safety Technical Supervisor Tony Martinez

Scenic Student Assistants Saul Diaz Crystal Duenas Theatre Arts Graduate Advisor Colin FitzMaurice Josh Nathan Tori Morones Olivia Steele Costume Shop Manager Lalena Hutton Costume Shop Technician & Cutter/Draper Tessa Oberlaurel Costume First Hand Mika Dyo Costume Shop Stitchers Emily Boom Isabella Borgesse Richthida Bovannak Lillie Cecil Vivian Mulvihille Ansel Sriphet Costume Crafts Saba Nabaeighahroudi Master Electrician Jasmine Flores

Gayle Baizer Chris Bange Jody Berger Trevor Biship Erin Caron Andrea Caban Martha Carter Adrian Centeno Ramy Electreby Jessica Hansen Rich Hutchman Jeff Janisheski

Theatre Arts Academic Advisor Adriane Howze

Nipper Knapp

Videographer Nick Neira

Bradley Lock

Production Photographer Cynthia Price Graduate General Manager Naima Orozco-Valdivia Management Graduate Students Perla Barajas Paula Eagleman Nadina Espinosa Jenna Fleming Naima Orozco-Valdivia Claire Pearson Bob Williamson

Ezra LeBank Patricia Loughrey Emily MacDonald Josh Nathan Hugh O'Gorman Robert Prior Jen Richardson Anna Steers Tom Trudgeon Sarah Underwood Megan Wanlass Jessica Woollen