THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE PROUDLY PRESENTS
It Happened In
Jefferson Square
Written by CRIS ELI BLAK
Directed by TIMOTHY ERIC
After Monty, an African American police officer, witnesses the beating and killing of his young cousin, his world turns upside down and it is up to the people around him to fill in the pieces that have broken. His best friend, Tommy, a ruthless lawyer, decides to sue the police department; his girlfriend, Britney, a White woman searching for meaning; Darren, a White officer who took part in the beating; Joanne, the Black police chief riddled with shame; and a girl named Laurie who is holding in the biggest secret of all. Every one of them must fight against the world they live in and the world they wish to create.
About the Playwright
CRIS ELI BLAK
Cris Eli Blak is a playwright whose work has garnered him recognition from The Negro Ensemble Company, Kairos Italy Theater, Austin Film Festival, Barrington Stage Company, TEDxBroadway, and Ignition Arts. His work has been produced Off-Broadway and around the country; on university stages; as well as in London, Australia, Ireland, and Canada. He is the recipient of the Emerging Playwrights Fellowship from The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre and was a resident playwright with Fosters Theatrical Artists Residency, Paterson Performing Arts Development Council and La Lengua Teatro en Español/AlterTheater Ensemble; the recipient of the Michael Bradford Residency from Quick Silver Theatre Company; and was in the inaugural class of fellows for the Black Theatre Coalition.
About the Director
TIMOTHY ERIC
Tim’s acting credits include: Ensemble Theatre – The Lawsons, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, ParaChute, Djembe, Blues in the Night, Jitney, Seven Guitars, Sty of the Blind Pig, Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Two Trains Running, Piano Lesson and River Niger. Stages Repertory Theatre – Speaking in Tongues and Orange Flower Water. Main Street Theatre – Laws of Storms, Woof, Intimate Apparel and L.A. is Burning. Alley Theatre – Of Mice and Men and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. As a Stage Director, his credits include: The Story and Steel Magnolias for the Texas Southern University Theatre; the two World Premieres of Barbara & Carlton Mollette’s Kin-Ship & Presidential Timber; which played at the Fade To Black Play Festival and the De LUXE Theater, respectively; George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum for Encore Theatre; the World Premiere of Reginald Edmund’s Daughters of the Moon at the DeLUXE Theater. As a playwright, Tim’s credits include: Switchback and Jimmy & ParaChute, two one-act plays that premiered at The Ensemble Theatre. Tim received both his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre/Cinema and Master of Arts in Radio Television & Film from Texas Southern University. #GoTigers @timothyeric @timeric
About the Dramaturg
AMY WERNIG
Amy is a dramaturg specializing in new-play development. Prior to her freelance work, Amy was the Education and Community Engagement Director and Resident Dramaturg/Literary Manager at the Alley Theatre. She was also the vice president of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas Homestead Region, an adjunct professor for the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance, and the recipient of the LMDA Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy for her contributions to the Alley Theatre’s The Exonerated Project. Recently, Amy dramaturged The Ensemble Theatre’s premieres of More Than Christmas and The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story. Amy received Master’s Degrees in Secondary Education and Theatre History and Criticism from Ohio University.
About the Cast
ANTHONY AUGUST (MONTY) hails from Houston, Texas. August holds a B.A. in Theater from Texas Southern University and recently received his MFA in Acting at UNC-Chapel Hill. He’s been seen on stages such as Playmakers Rep, The Ensemble Theatre, and Mildred’s Umbrella to name a few. Delighted and honored to be a part of this project, August is very jubilant to be back home. (A.O.D) Instagram: kingslick
CHRISTINA PHLEGM (JOANNE) a native Houstonian, has performed many shows around the Houston area including but not limited to Origins of a Jealous Woman (Renee Rivon Productions), Euripides Madea (New Era Theatre), When Men Are Scarce (New Era Theatre), In the Blood (New Era Theatre), Sonny and Blue (New Era Theatre), They Say (Fade to Black), Beast and Cakes (A.D. Players), and Power to the Queendom (Renee Rivon Productions). She is also a fiction author and currently teaches fourth grade at River Oaks Elementary School in Houston. She is currently training under the expertise and direction of Shawanna Renee Rivon and is excited for this opportunity!
DANNY QUINTERO (DARREN) is a third year BFA acting student at the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance. You may have seen him at UH as Chrysale in The Learned Ladies, Pistol in Henry V, or Edwin in Our Lady of 121st Street. He is ecstatic to work with this amazing team and is ready to take on this challenging role and do this incredible script justice.
TERRANCE SIMON (TOMMY) is thrilled to make his debut with The Ensemble Theatre. Some of his credits include Burden of Proof (Lakeith), Hamlet (First Player, Gravedigger, Messenger), Henry V (Dauphin), Sunset Baby (Damon). Terrance is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University and has worked with Fade to Black Festival, Firecracker Productions, The Sankofa Collective, Company on Stage, Coneman Running Productions, and Houston Grand Opera since returning home from college.
OLIVIA SWASEY (BRITNEY) is a Texas based actor as well as a graduate of the University of Houston. She has been onstage in shows like Twelfth Night (Prague Shakespeare Company), This Bitch: Esta Sangre Quiero (Stages Theatre), White Guy on the Bus (Regional Premiere, Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), and Miracle on 34th Street (A.D. Players) among others. Olivia can be heard in a number of anime shows like Kakegurui, Vinland Saga, Revue Starlight, BANG! Dream, 7Seeds and Land of the Lustrous (Sentai Filmworks); E-Stab Life (Crunchyroll); and Lexi Lightspeed (Multimorphic Studios). She thanks her family for their forever (y’all promised!) support.
OLIVIA MARIA VELAZQUEZ (LAURIE) is a Junior BFA Acting major at the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance. Originally from San Antonio, she made her debut onto the Houston theatre scene performing in UH’s production of Silence, as Silence and starred in UH’s The Learned Ladies as Henriette, and Picnic as Millie. She has enjoys branching outside of school to entertain audiences at MATCH for Teatrx in La Vida Es Cortos festival: as Carlotta in Carlotta Learns to Whistle. Ollivia is very excited to begin working with The Ensemble Theatre as she continues amplifying her voice to share impactful stories with the world.
PRODUCTION TEAM
- CRIS ELI BLAK
Playwright - TIMOTHY ERIC
Director - AMY WERNIG
Dramaturg - RYAN AMIE
Stage Manager - ADRIAN WASHINGTON
Sound Designer - KRIS PHELPS
Sound Board Operator - CHELSA JOHNSON
Lighting Designer/Operator - EILEEN J. MORRIS
Costume Designer - LEE BARKER
Set & Props Designer - JOSUE CARRIZAL (Lamar University)
Assistant Set Designer - ASHLEY HASKER
Crew/ASM
NEW VOICES FEST TEAM
- PHILIP GRASCHEL
Festival Technical Coordinator - JESSICA JAE JOHNSON
Festival Assistant - TEACAKE FERGUSON
Assistant Festival Coordinator
EXECUTIVE STAFF
- EILEEN J. MORRIS
BOLD Artistic Director - SHARON SAMUEL
Managing Director
STAFF
- WILLIAM BERRY
Box Office Coordinator - SARAH BROWN
Fund Development Director - STEPHANIE R. BROWN
Audience Development Director
- RACHEL H. DICKSON
BOLD Associate Artistic Director - DAVID W. HALL
Facilities Maintenance - WILDA JACKSON
Event Coordinator
- MICHELLE OGLETREE
BOLD Artistic Fellow - DENISE PURDIE
Box Office Administrator - STEVEN J. SCOTT
Youth Education & Community
Outreach Director
- DWAIN SMITH
Facilities Maintenance - KRYSTAL UCHEM
BOLD Production Fellow - CAROLYN VIGNE
Operations Administrative Assistant
- NATHAN WERNIG
Technical Director - TERESA WHITE
Accounting Analyst
