MLM IS FOR MURDER
(OR, YOUR SIDE HUSTLE IS KILLING US)
written by John Bavoso
directed by Phillip Christian Smith
musical guest treya lam
FEATURING
Minerva Ross.........................................................................................Yvette Ganier
Felicity Evanston..................................................................................Celia Schaefer
Jason Evanston............................................................................................Rory Kulz
Sienna Ross................................................................................Francesa Fernandez
Woman and Others..........................................................................Rory Rubin Byrne
Stage Directions.............................................................................................DJ Davis
John Bavoso (he/him) | is a Washington, DC-based playwright, marketer, and aspiring wrangler of unicorns. He mostly writes plays about women and queer people who are awkwardly attempting (and generally failing) to engage with serious subject matter using only dry wit and impeccably timed combative taunts. John is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, a 2019 Lambda Literary Fellow, and the recipient of District of Columbia FY18 and FY19 Arts and Humanities Fellowships. His plays have been produced and/or developed in DC, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin; Canada; Japan; South Korea; India; United Arab Emirates; Australia; and the UK. For more information, please visit John-Bavoso.com.
Phillip Christian Smith (he/him) | is the holder of a Roe Green Commission, a 2022 Fire This Time Festival Playwright, a 2022 Tennessee Williams Scholar at Sewanee, 2021 O’Neill (NPC) Finalist, 2020-21 Playwrights Realm Fellow, Lambda Literary Fellow, Winter Playwrights Retreat, two-time Blue Ink Playwriting Award Semi-Finalist, Finalist for The Dramatists Guild Fellowship and New Dramatists, Finalist and Semi-finalist PlayPenn, Two time Semi-finalist for The O’Neill (NPC), and runner- up in The Theatre of Risk Modern Tragedy writing competition for his play The Chechens, fourth production at Pace University directed by the playwright fall 2022. He has been a semi-finalist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries (ASC), semifinalist for Barrington Stage’s Burman New Play Award, finalist for Trustus, former Playwright in Residence Exquisite Corpse and founding member of The Playwriting Collective. 2021 Playwright in Residence: Quicksilver Theatre’s Playwrights of Color Summit. Co-Literary Director of Exquisite Corpse Company. His work has been supported by Bennington College, Primary Stages (Cherry Lane) ESPA, Fresh Ground Pepper, and the 53rd Street New York Public Library. He has directed The Motherf***ker With The Hat at Matthew Corzine Studio Theatre, his own play The Chechens at Pace University where he teaches acting, and numerous readings. MFA Yale School of Drama, BFA University of New Mexico. MFA Hunter ’23. phillipchristiansmith.com
treya lam (they/them) | is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who’s multifaceted identity informs but does not define their work. their atmospheric voice, liberation oriented songwriting and fluency on guitar, piano and looped viola recalls Nina Simone and Andrew Bird. treya’s debut Good News was released via Kaki King’s label. Smithsonian Magazine states lam’s work “perfectly captures the mixture of love, loss and hope.” lam is currently developing otherland, an multidisciplinary chamber-folk album and performance on healing in the wake of grief and loss, radical self acceptance and the relationship between individual and collective healing. This work is supported by NYSCA, NYCWF and New York Voices. treyamakesmusic.com
Yvette Ganier (she/her) | is an Obie award-winning actor. Ms. Ganier is known for working with August Wilson in Jitney, King Hedley ll and Gem of the Ocean, having originated the roles of Rena in Jitney and Black Mary in Gem of the Ocean. Other credits: Broadway - The Miracle Worker, King Hedley II; London - Jitney (Olivier, Best New Play); as well as Off-Broadway and Regional theater. Yvette is currently recurring in New Amsterdam on NBC as Nurse Linda Weber. She was a 2021 member of the Orchard Project in development of her pilot, Wynnefield, an Honorary Mention Recipient in the 2023 Big Apple Film Festival.
Celia Schaefer (she/her) | has appeared in the New York premieres of Offal Endings, Chekhovek and Voices of Swords. Other New York productions were at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, LAByrinth, The Ohio Theatre and countless others. Celia’s regional work includes The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's The Rose Tattoo, Fusion Theatre Company’s Meteor Shower, Disgraced and Old Times, Stageworks/Hudson’s world premiere of Tomorrow in the Battle, and the touring company of Chicago City Limits Improv. Her film work includes Detachment, Heterosexuals, Thirsty and Hungry. Television: NBC’s The Blacklist and Conviction, Hulu's The Path and CBS’s Blue Bloods. celiaschaefer.com
Rory Kulz (he/him) | is an actor, improviser, and writer. New York: Travels With My Aunt (Keen Company); The Old Masters, The Mysteries (The Flea); Empire Travel Agency (Woodshed Collective); In Quietness (Dutch Kills). Regional: A Comedy of Manors (Adirondack Theatre Festival), North of Forbes (Pittsburgh Public - Classics N'At), Learn to Be Latina (Company One). Film: The Assistant, Ashley/Amber. Readings and workshops with LAByrinth, Soho Rep., New Dramatists, Playwrights Realm, and others. BA Harvard, MFA LAMDA, Wynn Handman Studio. rorykulz.com
Francesca Fernandez (she/her) | is an actor, producer, and educator from the San Francisco Bay Area based in New York City. Off-Broadway: Smart (Ensemble Studio Theatre), ...what the end will be (Roundabout), Gloria: A Life (Daryl Roth Theatre), Kenny's Tavern (59E59), Sorry Not Sorry (Ars Nova), Love: Medea (Center at Park West). Regional: Bald Sisters (Steppenwolf), Twelfth Night (KC Rep), Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes), Nanay (Magic Theatre), SYZRGY (Two Rivers Theatre), Lily's Revenge (Southern Rep), Sheddin' (Horizon Theatre), Hotel Plays (Provincetown Players), Numb (Goat in the Road productions), and more. TV/Film: Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, Arcadia, The Hardest Part, Mooshrooms, Locker Room Series, PBS’ Great Performances recording of Gloria: A Life. Yale MFA Acting @cheskamckenzie. francescafm.com
Rory Rubin Byrne (she/her) | is an actor, producer, director and writer living in NYC with her husband, two children and ball of dog-shaped fluff, Millie. She is an alumnus of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, the Atlantic Acting School and Upright Citizen’s Brigade. To date, she has voiced and appeared in loads of commercials, written piles of produced content, performed in bunches of staged works, been in a scoop of film projects, directed a sprinkling of plays, produced several live shows and narrated a pilot for HGTV that aired once. She is thrilled to play with TPS on this absolute hoot of a show! roryrubinbyrne.com
DJ Davis (he/him) | is an Actor, director, and producer based in New York City. When he is not acting, he is producing work under his company Outside Entertainment! His goal is simply to spread Hope, Love, and Joy through art. starringdjdavis@gmail.com
MLM is for Murder (Or, Your Side Hustle is Killing Us) is the sixth episode recording of Season Six of The Parsnip Ship. Season Six features an exciting offering of one-night only live podcast recordings of new plays by a dynamic lineup of queer playwrights. In addition to featuring new plays on the platform, The Parsnip Ship features interviews with the playwrights as well as live music from independent musicians, culminating in a uniquely curated theatrical event.
The Parsnip Ship is a play development company that amplifies bold stories and storytellers. Our theatrical experiences are eclectic, intentional and personal. The Parsnip Ship serves writers and the artistic community by producing and promoting transformative, accessible work created by marginalized voices. Our podcast episodes are recorded in front of a live audience every month at the Mark O'Donnell Theater in Brooklyn and produced with Business Lunch Productions. The Parsnip Ship is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Broadway Podcast Network, and Stitcher.
THE PARSNIP SHIP CREW
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