Z Space

…[a] raucous, revolutionary, hard-rocking paean to the queer pioneers of San Francisco's transgender scene…
—Patrick Thomas in Talkin’ Broadway

You too can be a superhero! Check out these Five Reasons to Give to The Red Shades. And if you make a donation by Monday, September 26th, you get your name in the show program!

All Photos by Jay Yamada. Press-ready version with captions are here.

Cast

Carmen Castillo*
Julio Chavez
Adam KuveNiemann
May Ramos
Ezra Reaves
Chris Steele
B Noel Thomas*
Romelo Urbi

Nic Sommerfeld (Rehearsal Understudy)

Band

KB Boyce - bass
Fureigh - guitar
Blair Switch - drums
Sid Quinsaat - keys

Genesis Fermin (guitar on 10/27, 10/28, 10/29)

Creative Team

Directors: Rotimi Agbabiaka and Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe
Music Directors: Matt Fukui Grandy and Sid Quinsaat
Choreographer: Stacey Printz
Intimacy/Fight Choreographer: Carla Pantoja

Producer: Rose Oser
Technical Director: Colm McNally
Production Manager: Alejandra Maria Rivas
Stage Manager: Marie Shell*
Assistant Stage Manager: Jakob Bernardino
Production Assistant: Jake Nagel

Scenic/Projection Designer: Sarah Phykitt
Lighting Designer: JennyB of Shady Lady Lighting
Sound Designer: Michael Creason
Audio Mixer: Daniel Hall
Costume Designer: Nolan Miranda
Assistant Costume Designer: Lyre Alston
Prop Designer: Kenna Lindsay
Master Electrician: Miles Young

Historical Consultants: Felicia Elizondo and Andrea Horne
Public Relations: Julie Richter
Graphic Designer: Raisa Yavneh

*member, Actors’ Equity Association.

Community Partners and Events

On Friday, November 4th (closing weekend), join us after the show at El Rio for a special night of djs and dancing, celebrating local trans and queer artists! $5 cover waived when you show your Red Shades program at the door!

Check out all of our Community Partners who are getting the word out about The Red Shades and doing great work for our trans and queer communities! Click on the logos to learn more.

In-Kind Donors

The Red Shades is grateful for the support of our in-kind donor:

Supporters

Z Space's development and production of The Red Shades is supported by: Horizons Foundation, MAP Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, and Zellerbach Family Foundation.

PRESS RESOURCES

The dedicated press agent for this show is Julie Richter, who can be reached at julie@julierichter.co.

Production History

In November 2017, Adrienne recruited a group of six local trans and queer musicians to rehearse and perform the first draft of The Red Shades in a musical showcase at El Rio, a queer club in San Francisco. When members of the Z Space staff (Rose and Shafer!) watched that performance at El Rio, we saw something special and exciting. Adrienne was already familiar with Z Space as a regular member of our weekly writers group, and the movement of the show a few blocks from El Rio to Z Space felt like the right way to keep the show close to the already-invested and engaged community. Early concert versions of The Red Shades were also performed at Starline Social Club, PianoFight, the Fresh Meat Festival, and the San Francisco Trans March 2018.

In July 2019, Z Space produced a two-week developmental workshop of The Red Shades, funded by grants from the Horizons Foundation and the National Endowments for the Arts. The workshop culminated in two work-in-progress performances on July 26 and 27, 2019. The fabulous Edris Cooper and Rotimi Agbabiaka co-directed the workshop, which starred Mizz June (a New York City-based actress) and Veronica Clifford-Carlos (a local actress). We built a thrust-like platform on the Z Space mainstage, so that the directors could experiment with a rock concert style set up with audience members standing around the stage or sitting at cabaret tables. 

In January 2020, Z Space continued the development process with a two week reading of the entire three-act show. The plan was to then produce the full show in 2020, but alas!

Z Space is now gearing up to produce the world premiere in 2022 with essential support from the Phyllis C Wattis Foundation, the MAP Fund, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Through The Red Shades, we hope to bring trans liberatory histories to broader awareness, support trans and queer artists of color, and collaborate with local communities to shape a show that truly reflects the lives of the people it represents. 

And we wanna rock out.

Photos by Tristan Crane of the July 2019 workshop production featuring Veronica Clifford-Carlos, Mizz June,* Derek Jones, Sierra Gegenheimer, Anna Dickinson, Adrienne Price, Matt Fukui Grandy, Fureigh, KB Boyce, and Alexis Switch.

*member, Actors’ Equity Association