SCRIPTED | SHOWS
Supported by Big Little Theater Company’s Director-Driven Production Grant
More info on this grant and its history can be found here: BIGLITTLETHEATER.ORG
Attention guests: this production uses lighting effects, including flashing lights and strobe effects which may affect individuals with certain medical conditions such as epilepsy, etc.
O: A Rhapsody In Divorce
What happens when the life you built suddenly collapses?
A new play about survival, reinvention, and becoming your own home by Jami Brandli and directed by Jessica Hanna.
Reimagining The Odyssey through a modern lens, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce follows O, a successful neurobiologist in her 40s whose world is turned upside down when her husband asks for a separation, but refuses to leave their home. Displaced and untethered, O embarks on a couch-hopping journey that blends memory, science, and surreal theatricality. She discovers unconventional and magical ways to reassemble the blown-up pieces of her life as she struggles to navigate her way back toward a “new home.”
Funny, bold, and emotionally grounded, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce explores heartbreak as a turning point rather than an ending. As timelines blur and inner voices emerge, O, a neurobiologist attempts to make sense of her unraveling through the science of love and loss. The play weaves in the neurobiology of heartbreak, from dopamine-driven reward systems to the brain’s response to emotional separation, revealing how our bodies experience lost love as both psychological and biological upheaval. As O moves from couch to couch and memory to memory, she navigates the knottiness of charting a course toward a new home and begins to piece together a life defined not by loss, but by what comes next.
Outside In’s lounge & cafe, The Lobby, is open one hour before show time and for at least two hours after show for light bites and a full bar with signature cocktails themed to our productions.
Photos by: Mallury Patrick
HAVE A SLICE OF PIE
We think you’re going to want pie after you see O: A RHAPSODY IN DIVORCE so you can pre-order a slice of delicious apple pie for after the performance.
Allergen info: contains wheat, soy, and cinnamon.
Purchase a slice now for $6 or in person for $8.
You will be offered the option for pre-sale purchase at ticket checkout.
When you check in at the box office you will get a pie ticket that you can turn in at the bar and they will prep your pie for after the performance. Whipped cream (Dairy) and Whipped topping (Non-Dairy) will be available.
TALK BACK SERIES
Select performances will include the “Talk Back Series” pre-show and post-show conversations designed to further explore the themes of the play with the artists and creatives who worked on the production, and the community at large. The “Talk Back Series” will take place on the following dates either in Outside In’s café & lounge The Lobby before the show OR before the show or in the Artspace immediately following a matinee performance..
- May 19 – 7:00PM
- May 31 – 5:30PM: Directors of New Plays Panel moderated by Katie Lindsay of Big Little Theater Company with guests Jennifer Chang, Melissa Coleman-Reed, Hannah Wolf, and Jessica Hanna
- June 2 – 7:00PM
- June 7 – 5:30PM: Q&A with members of the Cast and Creative Team (with support from ASL interpreters)
- June 8 – 7:00PM: Scene Shift Design Collective Panel moderated by Hollace Starr with guests Nicole Bernardini, Maureen Weiss, and Sibyl Wickersheimer
- June 9 – 7:00PM
Photo by: John Noble Barrack
FEATURED LOBBY ARTIST
Sharon Kagan is a Los Angeles-based performance artist and sculptor. She received the Vermont Studio Center Residency for May 2026 and the NARS Foundation International Residency for July to September 2026. Kagan received the WORD Artist Grant (2021).
INFO
PREVIEWS | May 9 – May 16
PRICE | $15 -$25
MAIN RUN | May 17 – Jun 9
PRICE | $25- $40
MON, TUE, SAT, SUN | 8:00PM (3:00PM Matinee)
RUNTIME | approx. 2 hours, 15 minutes
INTERMISSION | 15 minutes
LOCATION
Outside In Theatre Artspace
5317 York Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90042
ASL SUPPORTED PERFORMANCES
There will be ASL interpreters at performances on June 7 (including the Talk Back) and June 8.
Sarah Culotta (they/she)
Sher Smith (she/her)
PRESS
REVIEWS
“…it’s all excellently acted, with Verafield a verifiable tour de force and revelation…”
– Hollywood Progressive –
“…a truly breathtaking production filled to the brim with humor, heartbreak, and awe-inspiring imagination.”
– The Nerds of Color –
“…a creative and fertile world: a fulfilling and well-acted journey that is well worth the time.”
– Gia On The Move –
“Brandli’s script is consistently ingenious, balancing sharp humor with genuine emotional weight.”
– Stage Raw | RECOMMENDED –
Photos by: Mallury Patrick
CAST
Tania Verafield
O
TANIA VERAFIELD* – is a native Angeleno, activist & actress. THEATRE: Regional: DCPA – World Premiere of Twenty50. Partial LA: Rogue Machine – A Great Wilderness, In The Valley Of The Shadow, Still Life, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Treefall (World Premiere); A Noise Within – Anna in the Tropics, Frankenstein, Othello
Donna Simone Johnson
Woman
DONNA SIMONE JOHNSON* – is a two-time NAACP Theatre Award–winning actor, director, and Co-Artistic Director of Watts Village Theater Company. Los Angeles credits include Power of Sail (Geffen Playhouse), A Hit Dog Will Holler and I Go Somewhere Else (Playwrights Arena), Broken Fences (Road Theatre), Pericles (Coeurage Ensemble), and work at Antaeus, Son of Semele, Rogue Machine, the LGBT Center, Skylight, and Rubicon. Regional credits include War (Yale Rep), Hamlet (A.R.T.), Bloodbo
Rose Portillo
Older Woman
ROSE PORTILLO* – is an actor, writer, director, and educator who began her career over 40 years ago. She originated the role of Della in Luis Valdez’s Zoot for Center Theater Group (CTG) and appeared in its 40th anniversary revival as Dolores Reyna. Also for CTG: Valley of the Heart, The Wood Demon, The Traveler, Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, The Wood Demon, The Day You’ll Love Me; Regional theater performances include: Brava (San Francisco), the Mixed Blood Theater (Mpls), San Diego Rep, the Old Globe (San Diego), South Coast Rep, NY Public Theater; As Associate Artistic Director of About…Productions (1992-2019), Rose collaborated with Theresa Chavez on more than 9 original theater productions as co-author/director and actor; she also founded and directed the company’s Young Theaterworks program; Various TV guest star appearances include The Rookie, NCIS, Vida, Major Crimes,Runaways. Voice-over: developed the role of Abuela Alma and voices the role of Señora Guzman in Disney’s Oscar winning Encanto, voices several roles in Zootopia, various podcasts; She was most recently seen in Disney’s feature film: Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Roadtrip. Honors include: LA Women’s Theater Maverick Award, Playwrights’ Arena Lee Melville Award for Outstanding Contributions to L.A. Theater, La Opinion’s Mujeres Descatadas Award. Rose has used the tools of theater and collaboration to create social justice programs for youth through various organizations and was invited by Pomona College to create the course Theater With Young Audiences, which she directed for 17 years. She is also a visual artist who creates mosaics (aka, Rosaics) and has been recognized for her Dia de los Muertos altars.
Alexandra Lee
Young Woman
ALEXANDRA LEE* – is thrilled to be a part of this Los Angeles Premiere. She recently joined Rogue Machine Theatre as a company member and starred in their world premiere play Adolescent Salvation. Other theatre credits include Man of God (Samantha, Shotgun Players), Steel Magnolias (Annelle, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), and The Play That Goes Wrong (Annie, Tipping Point Theatre). Lee has also worked with the American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She works in film, television, dubbing (Netflix, Paramount+), and voiceover for commercials and video games (Annapurna Interactive). Lee is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA with a BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan. She is proudly represented by DDO Artists Agency and managed by Artists First. More information about Alexandra’s career can be found at her website: thealexandralee.com. Lee thanks her parents, brother, Bubby, Grandma, and Chris for their unwavering support. Immense gratitude to McKenna, Hayley, Victoria, Jessica, Jami, and every individual involved in this magical project.
Andrew Brian Carter
Man
ANDREW BRIAN CARTER – makes his Outside In debut. He returns to Jami Brandli’s “Reclaimed Greek Myth Cycle” after appearing as Apollo in Bliss, or Emily Post is Dead (Moving Arts); Select LA: Waiting for Godot (Geffen Playhouse); Die Mommie Die! (Celebration/CTG); NeverE
* Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association. All Actors are appearing at Outside In Theatre through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
CREATIVE TEAM
Jami Brandli
Playwright
JAMI BRANDLI is the winner of the Jane Chambers Award and Stanley Drama Award. Her plays include The Magician’s Sister, The Caregiver’s Guide, Visiting Hours, M-Theory, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce, The Romeo and Juliet Senior Citizens Project – A Comedy, and BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!) – named on The Kilroys List and a LA Times Critics’ Choice. Her work has been produced/developed at New Dramatists, New York Theatre Workshop, Kitchen Dog Theater, Center Theatre Group, among others. Additional awards: 2022 Center Theatre Group Writers Group, John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award, Humanitas Prize PLAY LA. Finalist for the PEN Literary Award for Drama, the O’Neill and Ojai Playwrights Conference. Short works published with TCG, Dramatic Publishing Company, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus. Jami is a proud member of The Playwrights Union, The Dramatists Guild, and The Independent Writers’ Caucus where she’s also developing film and TV projects. All her plays are listed on the New Play Exchange. For more info: www.jamibrandli.com
Jessica Hanna
Director
JESSICA HANNA (she/her) is a Los Angeles based Director, Producer & Space Maker. She is founding Producing Artistic Director of Outside In Theatre, was a member of The Kilroys (2018 – 2025) and was Chair of SITI Company’s Board of Directors (2019-2023). Her focus as a director has been on new play development. She produces all of the Scripted work at Outside In. Recent directing: Roger Q Mason’s HIDE AND HIDE at Skylight Theatre, Justin Elizabeth Sayre’s LOTTIE PLACHETT TOOK A HATCHET at The Cavern Club for Outside In Theatre, The Los Angeles LGBT Center and Assembly Roxy Upstairs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Also Sayre’s THREE LITTLE GIRLS DOWN A WELL at The Public Theatre for Under The Radar Festival 2023. Other world premieres include DEATHPLAY written & performed by Lisa Sanaye Dring at Circle X, as well as Dring’s HUNGRY GHOST at Skylight Theatre; John Ross Bowie’s FOUR CHORDS AND A GUN, Kerri-Ann McCalla’s THE WILLOWS, and Georgette Kelly’s I CARRY YOUR HEART all at Bootleg Theatre. Ongoing: KRISTINA WONG #FOODBANKINFLUENCER – NYTW March 2026, Portland Center Stage May/June 2026. www.JessQueen.com for more info.
Cece Tio
Producer
CECE TIO is an independent producer based in Los Angeles. Selected works: West coast premiere Mariology at Theatre at Boston Court Pasadena and World premiere Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis; Bootleg Theater: Rolling World premiere/Los Angeles I Carry Your Heart by Georgette Kelly (Hope On Stage Award winner; Stage Raw Awards nominee Best Sound Design). Selected with Moving Arts Theatre Company: World premiere Song of Extinction by E.M. Lewis at [Inside] the Ford (LA Weekly Award winner Best Production); World premiere BURNERS by Terence Anthony (Ovation Awards: 4 nominations, winner Best Sound Design); West coast premiere The Gun Show by E.M. Lewis (Stage Raw Awards nominee Best Actor); Fathers at a Game by Trey Nichols, Workshop production of A Lesson In Swimming by Michael Shutt; NNPN rolling world premiere of Apple Season by E.M. Lewis; World premiere of Early Birds by Dana Schwartz; The Car Plays at La Jolla Playhouse’s WoW Series/WoW Festival, Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Off Center Festival; and RADAR L.A., an international festival of contemporary theatre presented by REDCAT and CalArts in association with Center Theatre Group and The Public Theater (New York); Producer of Playwrights Union. Board President of Moving Arts Theatre Company, whose production of Hello, My Name Is… by Amy Dellagiarino received the The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle 2025 Season Award for Writing (Original).
Scene Shift
Scenic Design
Brandon Baruch
Lighting Design
Yelena Babinskaya
Lighting Design Associate
Amelia Anello
Sound Design
Ann Closs-Farley and Danae Iris McQueen
Costume Design
Nicole Bernardini
Prop Design
Zoe Lesser
Choreography
Celina Lee Surniak
Intimacy Coordinator
Victoria Hoffman
Casting
Jiahui Ji
Assistant Director
Zoe Redlich
Director Observership
Ariana Michel
Stage Manager
David Hermosillo
Assistant Stage Manager
Cece Tio
Producer
99 Seat Production
PR
Think Big Picture, LLC
Marketing