FIRST FLOOR THEATER

After their parents' sudden departure, Filipino-Americans Edith, 12, and her brother, Kenny, 16, are left to fend for themselves in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. With only one another to rely on, poverty and depression loom, when Kenny brings home his new "friend" Benji, and the three begin to redefine the meaning of American Family. Armed with their latchkey wit and a BB gun, the trio can take on anything, from cooking their own food to standing up for their newly-found sexuality  until their father returns and everything they've made threatens to fall apart. This Chicago premiere of award-winning playwright A. Rey Pamatmat's powerful script explored what it means to grow up poor, queer, and alone in middle America, and how the human spirit and the power of love can triumph over the darkest obstacles.

Cast:

Aurora Adachi-Winter -- Edith
Kevin Matthew Reyes -- Kenny
Luke Michael Grimes -- Benji

Production Team:

William Boles -- Scenic Design
Meredith Francsis & Amanda Cantlin – Lighting Design
Andrew Rovner -- Sound Design
Alexis Chaney -- Costume Design
Will Bishop -- Production Manager
Megan Chaney -- Stage Manager/Props Design

Highly Recommended!

“Director Hutch Pimentel created a strong rapport between the three actors, maintaining the humor and the pathos of Pamatmat’s script without teetering into sappy After-School Special melodrama….Pimentel keeps the characters engaging even through some of the wordiness. Overall, this a show that hits its mark.”

— Chicago Stage Standard

★★★★

“First Floor Theater’s confident Chicago premiere benefits from a near ideal cast…the cast and director Hutch Pimentel push through, keeping our interest and this engaging staging on target.”

— Kris Vire, Time Out

Highly Recommended!

“Director Hutch Pimentel evokes a dark and sleepy small-town in a terrarium with his staging, and makes way for the real treasure of this production: Actors Reyes, Adachi-Winter and Grimes.”

— Theatre by Numbers