Oliver "Billy" Sipple saved President Ford's life in San Francisco on September 22nd, 1975. Two days later, Harvey Milk outed him as gay to the entire world. A diverse ensemble of folx visiting the GLBT Historical Society in modern-day San Francisco reclaim this queer historical drama to remind us all how high the cost of being outed can be, both 40-something years ago and today.  

Cassandra Rose (Playwright; she/her) - This bisexual playwright has had over 300 of her plays performed across the US. That includes the hundreds of short plays she wrote and produced as part of The Dictionary Project. Each dictionary play was written for someone based on their suggestion and a random word in the dictionary. Her longer plays include The Amen Trilogy, The Battle of Charlottesville, and The Volunteer. Her work has been developed and produced by Broken Nose Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, City Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company, The New Colony, and Stage Left Theatre. Cassandra also helped found the Chicago Theatre Marathon and Cold Basement Dramatics. Girl gets around. Cassandra earned her BA in playwriting from Columbia College Chicago, did an MFA alternative program at Chicago Dramatists as a Tutterow Fellow, and recently graduated from UCLA's Professional Program with a certificate in Writing for Television.

August Forman (Billy; they/them) is thrilled to be working with Broken Nose Theatre again after appearing as Gina in their production of Girl in the Red Corner (Joseph Jefferson Award for Performer in a Supporting Role). They are an actor, playwright, educator, and trans advocate. Originally from the small town of Tiffin, Iowa, August received their BFA in Acting from Minnesota State University of Mankato in 2014. Since moving to Chicago, August has performed with several companies including: TimeLine Theatre; Victory Gardens Theater; Diversionary Theatre (San Diego, CA); Oak Park Festival Theatre; Babes With Blades; Metropolis Performing Arts Center; and Midsommer Flight. They are a Core Ensemble Member and Facilitator with Imagination Theater, a touring company addressing social issues with young people. They are also an Artistic Associate with Oak Park Festival Theatre. As a playwright, their plays have premiered throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and California. 

Michael Mejia (Harvey Milk; they/them) is extremely excited to be back with Broken Nose! Michael studied acting and music performance at Indiana University before coming to Chicago. Michael is the Company Manager for Trap Door Theatre, where they are also a proud ensemble member. Acting credits include The White Plague [Father], Love and Information [Actor], The Killer [Architect], The Old Woman Broods [Waiter], Monsieur Deon is a Woman [Beaumarchais/Wilkes] (Trap Door Theatre); Proxy [Doug] (Underscore Theatre); Kingdom [Alexander] (Broken Nose Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors [Audrey 2] (Stoughton Village Players); and Hair [Hud] (Harper Ensemble Theatre). Michael is also a musician who plays guitar, piano and writes. Michael would like to thank Broken Nose and this amazing cast for allowing them to take this beautiful journey. www.mejiah.com

Watson Swift* (Ensemble; he/him) is a Master of Public Health graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a graduate of Chicago’s Second City. His acting credits include Her Honor Jane Byrne (Understudy, Lookingglass Theatre), Ten: Non-Disclosure Agreement (Gift Theatre), Best For Winter, An Adaptation of The Winter’s Tale (Idle Muse Theatre), Yes, Every Time (Workshop, Steppenwolf Theatre), Hamlet (Understudy, Gift Theatre), Kingdom and Dictionary Project Volume IV (Broken Nose Theatre), Speed of Light, At Mister Kelly’s and Death in a Beulah Box (Three Cat Productions), Among the Quick and the Dead (Prologue Theatre), Scenes from an Execution (Runcible Theatre), Stoop Time (You and Me Productions), Freedom Summer (Civil Rights Art Project), and Out Loud (eta Creative Arts Foundation). He has also co-starred on Chicago Med and appeared in several independent film productions.

Terri Lynne Hudson (Ensemble; she/her) is a Chicago-based actor, interdisciplinary performance artist and disability access activist. Recently she has been performing in the land of Zoom as an ensemble member with Artist Development Workshop's Sketchtopia 2020 ensemble and The Exquisite Corpse Playwriting Project's Inward and Outward. She is also featured in the upcoming film The Last Nice Day.

Jackie Seijo (Ensemble; all pronouns acceptable) is incredibly pleased to be joining Broken Nose Theatre's amazing collaborators once again! Last seen on stage in the ensemble of the U.S. Premiere of Labyrinth with BNT, Seijo could not be more thrilled to be taking on this exciting digital endeavor. Other recent credits include: Twelfth Night (Midsommer Flight), Bechdel Fest 7: Momentum (Broken Nose Theatre), and Small World (The New Colony). Seijo is happily represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent and can't wait for the day we can be in the room together again. www.jackieseijo.com.

Revon Yousif (Ensemble; he/him) - In March 2017, Revon moved to Chicago and started training at Black Box Acting, helping him get the opportunity to work in Broken Nose Theatre’s production of Language Rooms and Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s production of Blue Stockings, where he and the cast were nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Ensemble. Revon started his training at Michigan Actor’s Studio in Detroit, landing him a role on FOX’s Empire. To continue growing as an artist, Revon is currently studying to audition for MFA programs hoping to train at one of the top programs in the country. Revon is currently represented by Kalena Schubert of BMG Chicago.

Diana Lee (Ensemble; she/her) has previously worked with Broken Nose Theatre in Bechdel Fest (2018, 2019) and At the Table (understudy). She is excited to break her quarantine theater-fast with the company. Other theater credits include Crankie Fest (Baltimore 2019), Hellcab (The Agency), the One-Minute Play Festival, and various staged readings with Our Perspective (Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens). TV/Film credits include Chicago P.D. (NBC), Division (Rome Productions), and It’s 2018 (Friend Dog Studios). With hope, the world will resemble normalcy soon, and we can create and enjoy theater in the same room again!

Mateo Hernandez (Ensemble; they/he/them/him) is a queer, Chicanx actor/writer, teaching artist, and sex educator based in Chicago, IL. Recent acting credits include: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (u/s Steppenwolf Theatre Co.); Back in the Day (UrbanTheatre Co.); and Luna (Filament Theatre). As a teaching artist, they have worked with companies such as Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and Mudlark Theater Co. Mateo is also a company member with FYI (For Youth Inquiry) a performance company making participatory experiences around reproductive justice for young people. He holds a BFA in Theatre Studies from The University of Texas at Austin.

JD Caudill* (Stage Directions; they/them) is a queer director, literary manager, and music director whose recent direction includes Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays), Bechdel Fests 4-6 (Broken Nose Theatre), and other plays at The New Colony, Haven Theatre, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates, and Red Theatre. They are the literary manager at BNT, and a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag. 

Benjamin Brownson* (Director; he/him) is a director, producer, playwright, and was the co-founding artistic director of Broken Nose Theatre. He holds an MA in the Humanities from the University of Chicago, and has worked with a wide variety of Chicago theatres, including Steep, Court, Chicago Dramatists, Halcyon, Waltzing Mechanics, Theatre Seven of Chicago, and the Greenhouse Theater Center. As a playwright, his work has been performed by BNT, Chicago Dramatists, Park Theatre (Holland, Michigan), and 5th Wall Productions (Charlotte, South Carolina). When he is not making theatre, he is facilitating civic engagement and working to effect social change in the region as the Director of Programs for Leadership Greater Chicago.

Taty Chante (Diversity Consultant and Dramaturg; they/them) is the Mutual Aid Program Coordinator at Brave Space Alliance, the only Black and trans led organization on the South Side of Chicago. They have been shaped by their upbringing in Seattle and Atlanta and, now, Chicago and is excited to be part of the tremendous team at Brave Space Alliance. Taty has worked many jobs in the service industry along with coaching basketball and soccer but their main job has always been an actor and director. They are a founding member of the Chicago Black Drag Council whose aim is to create anti racist, pro Black, pro trans, pro non-binary, pro women, and accessible spaces in LGBTQIA+ nightlife in Chicago.

David Weiss* (Company Dramaturg; he/him) is thrilled to be helping this wonderful script come to life. A proud member of Broken Nose Theatre since 2013, he has also served as dramaturg for their previous productions of Labyrinth, Language Rooms, Plainclothes, The Opportunities of Extinction, Kingdom, At The Table, Human Terrain, A Phase, and Beautiful Broken; and all seven Bechdel Fest short play festivals. As always, he's immensely grateful for the love and support of his family and friends.