THE Z.U.M.
Following a financial emergency back at home, Ash; A genderqueer 18 year old with an affinity for makeup, is sleeping in their car and starting work at some Zumiez in some mall in some middle-class middle of nowhere.
Here they meet Ez; The assistant manager of the Zumiez and an aspiring rave musician, who also knows a thing or two about makeup. As they grow closer, and learn that their store is under threat of closing in a month, Ez and Ash hatch a scheme to throw a rave in the store overnight playing Ez’s music to secretly pay off their debt, and save both of their jobs. But, as the two grow closer and tensions rise, they must grapple with their dreams, living versus survival, and how much one is willing to give in order to see their dreams come true, even at the expense of themselves and the ones they love.
Jaden Alvaro Gines's THE Z.U.M explores queer identity in a world where it pays to assimilate, asking the question; How can we truly survive if we aren't really living?
BY JADEN ALVARO GINES
WHEN AND WHERE
Saturday, December 13 @ 7 PM
Proscenium Theatre at the Drake
This reading is presented as a part of our new work reading series, Fresh Squeezed. Check out the rest of our 2025 line up here!
THE Z.U.M. CAST AND CREATIVE
Gabs Ethridge (Ez) (she/they) is originally from Dallas, TX, and uses that southwest magic to brew up welcoming heartfelt art that is accessible, truthful, and aims to heal and grow our humanity, curiosity, and community. I'm so excited to be in Philly sharing this story I had the pleasure to work on almost a year ago! Thank you for supporting Trans art, please consider donating to organizations such as ACLU, T4TE, or mutual aid to fight the genocide growing against Trans people worldwide. Gabs' recent productions include: crabby (Ars Nova), When My Cue Comes (co-devised at NYC Fringe), and DramaBox's From Kitchen to Throne (episode 55). She's a grad of Circle in the Square, RAC Member/Marketing co-head of Hamlet Isn’t Dead, and a producer on The Crypto Castle, now streaming on Roman Coppola's new network: Decentralized Pictures+. Stay tuned for original music, films, more exciting updates, or for affordable artist websites (which they design): gabrielethridge.com
Michael A. Stahler (Jeff) (he/him) is a Philadelphia-based actor, writer, director, and dialect coach. His credits include his Off-Broadway debut in Granny Jackson’s Dead (Origin Theatre’s Irish Festival), winner of Best Production at the Origin Irish Festival, SHIP (Azuka Theatre), winner of the American Theatre Critics Associations' New Play Award, the Barrymore-winning The Playboy of the Western World (Inis Nua Theatre), and the world-premiere of Juliette's Dunne's The Puzzle, directed by Bill Fennelly and Tony Award-winner David Shiner (Hedgerow Theatre). Recently, he has made his international debut in Belfast with The Worst Cafe in the World (Big Telly). You can also catch him in the first season of FOX’s hit strategy game show The Floor with Rob Lowe. Get in touch at MichaelStahler.com
Mikel Wright (Ash) (he/she/they) is a musically trained stage actor based in Philadelphia, PA who got their training from the late University of The Arts before it closed. This will be Mikel's first time performing with The Lemonade Stand and is very excited to be doing a reading of a new show stepping into the world of theater! Mikel wants to thank Mark Tan for passing along their name in conversation for this opportunity to have reached me. Recent performances Mikel has been a part of consist of: Drake "The Snap" Snoliver at Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights, 'Daddy' in Enchantment Theater Company's performance of "Mommy's Khimar" at the Philly Fringe Festival, 'Moritz Stiefel' in The Drama Group of Germantown's rendition of Frank Wedekind's "Spring Awakening", and last as 'Blue' in the award-nominated, student-made film "A Little Blue" by Solomon Troupe. Mikel is excited to showcase the lovely story of "The ZUM"
Jaden Alvaro Gines (Playwright) (they/them) is a Genderqueer, Latino playwright, author, and musician from working class New Jersey. Their work focuses heavily on the issues plaguing middle class America, touching on topics such as economic strife, the American dream, Trans and Queer bodies, and the attempt at life as an everyday working person. Most recently, their play “Normal People” had its world premiere in Philadelphia through Temple University, funded in part by the Benzwie Memorial Scholarship for Playwriting. Their work has been produced by the Strides Collective, the Elif Collective, Kitchen Sink Theatre Company, Theatermania.com, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and they have had the pleasure of collaborating with other fine artists and collectives in and around Philadelphia and New York. Honors; 2024 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway award nominee, 2025 National Playwright's Conference Semi-Finalist. jadenalvarogines.org
Em Hausmann (Director) (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based Director/Theatre-Maker with a focus on new works development for shows that are wonderfully weird, queer, silly, and otherworldly. Off-Broadway + NYC Theatre: SEA GLASS (WP Theater), CRABBY (Ars Nova/ANT Fest), 500 RATS (Moxie Arts/HERE Arts Center), KAIROS (NYU GMTWP), SNOW BIRD (Brooklyn Art Haus), HOMELESS JOE (Theater for the New City), CAFFEINATED WOMEN (Bechdel Project), FALLING... FALLEN... FALL (Center at West Park), MY IMMORTAL (The Tank), FINISHED/UNFINISHED (54 Below), ANGRY BRITS STOMPING (IRT Theater), BEST IN SHOW (Paradise Factory). Regional: LIVE AND LET SPY (TheaterWorksUSA), MISS MONEY HONEYBEE (The Madison Theatre), BEETHOVEN: LIVE IN CONCERT (Fort Salem Theater), FATHER FIGURE (Philipstown Depot Theatre), NORMAL PEOPLE (Plays & Players Theatre). Resident Director: Fresh Binder Productions, Neurodivergent New Play Series. Associate member: Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Alumnus: Moxie Arts Incubator Directing Cohort. BFA: Molloy University. emhausmann.com @emhouseman
Caitlin Shanahan (Stage Manager) (she/her) is a senior at Ursinus College majoring in Performing and Visual Arts Design and Technology, and Media and Communications. Over the summer she was the marketing intern for the Orange Tree Theatre in London. Previous work include: stage managing for Ursinus College, assistant stage managing for InterAct Theatre Company, Assistant sound designing for InterAct and Hedgerow Theatre Company, and Light board programming for Inis Nua Theatre Company and Delaware Theatre Company. Her upcoming work includes lighting design for Ursinus’s production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.