Manny and The Wise Queens

SPECIAL EVENTS

Preview Night – Friday, December 6

$20

Opening Night with Champagne Toast after Show

– Saturday, December 7

$45

Military Matinee – Sunday, December 8

2 free tickets for Military & Veterans with ID

Artist Talkback – Sunday, December 15

“….but part of what makes Christmas Christmas is that the other three hundred sixty four days aren’t…..it’s like you said Wise Queen Ella, the importance of the feeling…”

OTC presents the first full staging of Manny and the Wise Queens written by Idris Goodwin and directed by Jacole Kitchen December 6 to December 22, introducing audiences to the small town of Bethlehem, U.SA., where a bright star draws distant visitors to usher in a new era one December night in 2020. The gift-bearing travelers (the three wise men/kings) have taken a break and now it’s time for the wise queens to get the job done. Two wise queens find themselves in the attic of Manny, a depressed recent high school graduate, who has locked himself away to escape the remnants of holiday cheer in his quarantined town. Luckily with their sudden arrival, they provide a potential key to Manny’s deliverance in this comedic celebration of hope, healing, and holiday magic.

“This show is the perfect fit for the season and I’m thrilled to be able to produce it!” said Burroughs. He was introduced to the show by OTC’s Managing Director, Alex Goodman, who had seen it at La Jolla Playhouse’s DNA series. “I am a huge fan of new works and premieres of any kind. The future of theatre is built on someone taking a chance on an original piece.”

Goodwin’s critically acclaimed plays, including And In This Corner Cassius Clay, How We Got On, and Hype Man: A Break Beat Play, are widely produced across the country at professional theaters, college campuses, and non-traditional spaces. He’s been honored with developmental support from The Kennedy Center, The Eugene O’Neill Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, and The Playwrights’ Center.

ELLA

Taylor Renee Henderson

She/Her

Taylor is delighted to be returning to OTC for a second time this year after making her debut this past spring as Beverly in Chicken & Biscuits. Taylor is a multi-hyphenate artist and performer that has been working professionally on and offstage for upwards of 10 years in both San Diego and Las Vegas. She has worked across the city in a number of places ranging from La Jolla Playhouse to North Coast Repertory Theatre. You may have most recently seen her in The Color Purple (New Village Arts), BottleShock! The Musical (CCAE), The Savoyard Murders (Roustabouts Theatre Co), the American premiere of The High Table (Diversionary), Xanadu (SDMT) and as The Narrator for Because: A Concert of Serendipity with The San Diego Symphony. Thank you for supporting live theatre. Inspire. Aspire! IG @tay.renee.onstage

MANNY

Ali Nelson

He/Him

Ali is so excited to make his OTC debut in this production of Manny and the Wise Queens! Past performances include Eddie in 13! The Musical (SDMT), Angus/Caterpillar 1 in Alice By Heart (SDMT), Teen Ensemble in Tarzan and Into the Woods (Moonlight Amphitheatre), and Rugby and Danny Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe). He would like to thank his friends, coaches, mentors, and family for their support-especially his mom! He is so grateful to Jacole and Kevin for this amazing opportunity!

GLADIOLUS

Dianne Yvette

She/Her

Manny and the Wise Queens is Dianne Yvette’s first production with Oceanside Theatre Company. She was most recently the understudy for Corrina in the La Jolla Playhouse production of Primary Trust. A San Diego based actor, her local credits include The Colored Museum (Common Ground Theatre); The COVID Monologues (online/ Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble); and the Old Globe Community Voices series. Regional favorites include Man in Love (Kansas City Rep); By the Way Meet Vera Stark, Eclipsed (Unicorn Theatre); Hamlet (Kansas City Actors Theatre). Education: Theatre and Film, University of Kansas.