World premiere of ST. Sebastian

September 15-18, 22-25, 29, 30 &
October 1-2, 2022

Refracted is thrilled to produce the world premiere production of St. Sebastian by Andrew Kramer.

In this dark comedy with a disturbing edge, Ben convinces his much younger boyfriend Gideon to move out of their apartment in the city to flip a house…but he leaves out that the new house is in a historically (and currently) Black neighborhood. When Ben befriends and employs a local neighborhood kid named Reuben, the blurry line between ignorance, activism and fear lays bare how perniciously racism hides just beyond the face of “wokeness.”

After five years of development on St. Sebastian, Playwright Andrew Kramer (Armature), whose plays have been seen across the country and internationally, will work with a team of Refracted artists to deliver his beautiful, complex work on stage, fully produced for the first time.

You’re invited to the Forum

Join us for our post-show forum! What’s a forum, you ask? Great Q! Well, the Refracted Forum is a chance to step on stage with your fellow audience members and together explore some of the major themes that are central to St. Sebastian. In partnership with Gertie and a team of highly experienced and deeply passionate moderators, Refracted invites you to a unique post-show experience that is bound to inspire, educate and illuminate. Join us at a forum after our performances on September 16th and October 1st.

Meet the Moderators

Ken-Matt Martin (Director, he/him) is the former Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago. Prior to that he was the co-founder of Pyramid Theatre Company in Des Moines, Iowa, where he served as Executive Director. Recently Martin served as the Associate Producer of Goodman Theatre and as the Producing Director of Williamstown Theatre Festival from 2018-2019. He received two degrees from Drake University and his MFA in Directing from Brown University. In addition to his producing credits, Martin has numerous directing/acting credits and more info can be found at http://www.kenmatt.com

Jae Rice (he/him) is a trans-masculine public figure fighting for the liberation of oppressed communities on a daily basis. Jae is a cultural curator, DJ, composer, Acting CEO & Director of Communications at Brave Space Alliance and overall practitioner of freedom, joy and justice. His background in political science and intercultural communications shapes his dedication to the progress of all Black LGBTQIA+ folks and other marginalized groups through perpetuating on-the-ground societal shifts, advancements, cultural change and growth. This dedication can be seen and holistically felt through over a decade of creating intentional spaces that center all Black LGBTQIA+ women, femmes, TGNC, and queer folks in Chicago, and around the world. Jae continues to foster an equitable future and moves intentionally towards a collectively liberated society.

Tonika Johnson (she/her) is a visual artist/photographer from Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood. She was featured in Chicago Magazine as a 2017 Chicagoan of the Year for her photography of Englewood's everyday beauty, countering its pervasive media coverage of poverty and crime. Her "Everyday Englewood," photography was exhibited at Loyola University's Museum of Art (LUMA) in early 2018. Her current project, Folded Map, visually investigates disparities among Chicago residents while bringing them together to have a conversation, was also exhibited at LUMA in 2018 from July-October. Visit www.tonikaj.com to see more.

Vince Pagán (he/him) has spent the last ten years working with Morten Group, LLC, a national consulting firm committed to transformation through assessment, education, and action, where he currently serves as Project Director. He's worked with dozens of client partners in his tenure at Morten Group, which have included projects in racial equity, access, diversity, and inclusion assessment, learning, and action planning; organizational and strategic planning, and process and systems development. In addition to his client-facing work, Vince also manages operations and systems for the firm, marketing and communications, and the production of the Gathering Ground podcast. Outside of his work with Morten Group, Vince has worked with theatre companies across Chicago as a teaching artist and stage manager and was named one of Windy City Times' 30 Under 30 in 2017. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY.

Understudies

Evan B. Smith - Ben and Gideon
Matheus Barbee - Reuben

Erin Nicole Eggers, Production Stage Manager
Jasmine B. Gunter, Dramaturg
Emily N. Brink, Costumes Designer
Levi Wilkins, Lighting Designer
Becca Venable, Technical Director
Tova Wolff, Producer
Dominic Grijalva, Poster Design

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