I WANNA FUCK LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET
Written by Andrew Rincón
Directed by Kelsey Morrow
CAST & CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Kelsey “Kelso” Morrow (Director) is ecstatic to bring a show celebrating queer joy to the Empty Space stage. Kelsey co-directed last year’s A Christmas Carol with Ron Warren and has vocal directed over a dozen musicals in the past decade of her volunteer work in theatre. Some favorite past roles include Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong, Eddie in the Rocky Horror Show, and Pythio in Head Over Heels. She works as a Music Specialist with the Acoustic Remedies program at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and teaches lessons at Nick Rail Music. Kelsey would like to thank Ron Warren, Gabby Bridges, Marina Gradowitz, Jeremiah Heitman, Tessa Ogles, and Ais Lomelli for their indispensable work and expertise behind the scenes; and her incredible cast for making her official directorial debut such a dream. She would also like to thank her wonderful friends and fiancé for their support and love. Finally, Kelsey thanks YOU for coming out to support queer art here in Bakersfield.
Victoria Olmos (Cupid) is excited to join another Empty Space Production. They have previously been in other shows at The Space such as A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit), The Rocky Horror Show (Ensemble/Eddie understudy), and The Chavez Ravine (Mother). When not on stage or in a classroom, Vic loves working on their art. Vic thanks their beloved partner for always being an anchor and light and their friends for their love and support. And gives their heartfelt gratitude to the incredible cast and crew of this show for making it such a fun and welcoming part of their day. It’s so special coming together sharing this beautiful story of Love and Hope with others in a world that can seem so determined to drive us to despair.
Cameron Kovac (he/him) is excited to return to the Empty Space stage for another exciting show. His previous work includes Joe in The Children’s Hour (BCT) and Gorilla in Tarzan the Musical (Empty Space). He would like to thank his family and roommates for always helping with lines and working around his hectic schedule. He would also like to thank this incredibly talented cast and crew for their dedication to making this show the beautiful piece of art that it is. He would finally like to thank Kelso for the opportunity to be a part of such a special show.
Michael Hendrix (Benny) is thrilled to be back on The Empty Space stage once again! Trading in his director hat and dancing shoes, he is very excited to now be doing a “straight” play. His most recent credits include Once Upon A One More Time and Topdog/Underdog where he made his directorial debut! Michael has graduated from CSUB with a bachelor’s degree in theatre, and he currently works as an afterschool theatre teacher at various elementary schools. He would like to thank his friends and family for their continuous support. A special shoutout to Kelso for allowing him to tell this beautiful story, and an extra special thank you to his best friend, Nikki. The greatest scene partner and friend he could ever ask for.
Salvador Vidaurri (Alejandro) is honored to return to the stage after an extended hiatus. His most recent acting credits include 35MM, Doctor Faustus, Spring Awakening, The SpongeBob Musical, and [title of show]. Sal has a Bachelor’s in Theatre & Dance from UC Davis and is currently punching away at a debut fantasy novel projected to be finished sometime within the next decade. He would like to thank Kelso for this opportunity, his friends for being flexible with the rehearsal schedule, and TES for giving this very queer story the attention it deserves.
Nikki Flowers (Betti) is very excited to be back on the Empty Space Stage! You might’ve seen her last as Sob Sister in Radium Girls. She’d first like to thank her director, Kelso, for giving her this opportunity and believing in her so much. She’d also like to thank her friends and family for their constant support in her theatre endeavors. Last but certainly never least, she’d like to thank her love, Michael, for being on this journey with her. She hopes you enjoy the show and enjoy the colorful mess that is B-E-T-T-I, BETTI!
Azra Joy (The Poet) is a creative clown juggling design, photography, and mutual aid. They’re a community theatre occasional, but couldn’t resist the chance to perform under Kelso’s direction for a production this meaningful and queer. Offstage, Azra is usually wrangling a community cat colony (@meowborhood on Instagram) or photographing local happenings as a community archiving practice (@/azrajoy on Instagram). They’re currently fundraising to build a community cat sanctuary and dreaming up their eventual debut as a drag clown.
Ais Lomeli (Stage Manager) is over the stars and moon to be a part of this beautifully queer production! Ais would like to give thanks to all their friends who come out and support their teaching endeavors, the cast and crew for being the some of the best people to be surrounded by over the last few weeks, and an especially big thank you to Kelso (director) for inviting them on to this very special and uniquely unique production!