the brunch crowd
by Dillon Yruegas
Directed by Victoria Zepeda
Curious how transgender people of color go about their daily lives? Spoiler alert: they don’t talk about ~the surgery~ or anything else that the Cis seem to be so obsessed about. They go to brunch and drink too many mimosas, just like you! In The Brunch Crowd, four twenty-something queer trans artists meet at their favorite Mexican brunch spot in heavily gentrified Austin, Texas.
the cast
Joshua Juarez (he/they) as Q
Joshua is grateful to be able to perform with TTF during these times. Their past productions include Sr Danvers Carew (Jekyll & Hyde), Frank N Furter (Rocky Horror), Benvolio (Romeo & Juliet), Bernardo (West Side Story), and most recently Miguel in a new play, (Essentials).
Krysta Gonzales (she/they) as Flor
Actor, Voiceover Artist, & Writer. BFA, NYU LA: Dr. Alison Vincent in "Rio Records" (13 EXP) Austin: Dunia in "El Nogalar" (Teatro Vivo); Vicky in Bright Half Life (Theatre en Bloc) NYC: Norca in Should’ve Never (Bowery Poetry Club) Writing in development: "Blood Quinces" in collaboration with Rudy Ramirez, Jesus Valles, and Victor Cazares with support from Fusebox Festival & Texas Performing Arts I’m so thankful for the opportunity to share the beauty and joy of The Brunch Club with y'all! www.krystagonzales.com @krystaforreal
Ryan Matthieu Smith (All Pronouns) as Erik/La Brujaja
Ryan Matthieu Smith is an award winning Director, Designer, and Performer working in film, theater and circus. Ryan is the Production Designer and the Costume Designer for the Hurricane Bianca films starring Bianca Del Rio, Rachel Dratch, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, and Rupaul. As an Indigenous Two-Spirit artist, Ryan is very excited to bring his passion for Queer Art to the Trans TheatreFest-Madison.
Tyler K. García (he/they) as Dallas
As an artist, Tyler seeks out pieces that actively comment on real life and relationships. Particularly focusing on the stories and lives of the LatinX and QTA+ communities. Tyler grew up in the small town of Hesperia, California. Coming from a modest background, he fell in love with theatre at a young age as a way to explore lives unknown, and places unseen, while still being able to tie that back to himself and his own story.
the production team
Dillon Yruegas he/él (Playwright)
Current HowlRound Fellow and Latinx Theatre Commons steering committee member Dillon Yruegas (he/él) is a queer trans mixed Coahuiltecan theatremaker from Central Texas who holds both a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Spanish from Texas State University. He is a company member of the VORTEX Repertory Theatre and has collaborated with Austin Scottish Rite Theatre, Capital T Theatre, Generic Ensemble Company, Ground Floor Theatre, the Indigenous Cultures Institute, and Teatro Vivo. Recently, he was a part of Company One Theatre's season 21 PlayLab cohort.
Victoria Yvette Zepeda they/them (Director)
Victoria Yvette Zepeda is a multidisciplinary, Mexican theatre artist from the borderlands of San Diego, CA. They are a UC Irvine Alum (Honors in Drama, 2019) whose career has driven them to elevate narratives that uplift the Latinx & Queer communities. Previously, they were the Artistic Director for Brown Bag Theater Company (UCI) from 2016-2019. Currently, they are an ensemble member for the following companies: Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble in Santa Ana, CA and Amigos del REP of San Diego Repertory Theater. As they continue to navigate their professional career and question the erasure of QTBIPOC artists, they would agree with Victory Garden’s former Artistic Director Chay Yew when he states, “...you need to break that [...] table down and build your own.” Their most recent credits include: Producer of Staged Stories: The Live Streamed Series Episodes #1-7 (Breath of Fire), Assistant Director of American Mariachi (José Cruz Gonzalez, South Coast Rep), Director of Culture Clash in AmeriCCa (UCI), Mitra’s Suitcase (Yasaman Madadi, Frida Kahlo Theater 10-Minute Play Festival 2020), Bad Hombres, Good Wives (Herbert Siguenza, UCI), and Xicanas in Xicanalandia (Shanelle Darlene, Frida Kahlo Theater 10-Minute Play Festival 2019).
Krystle Montgomery they/them
(Stage Manager)
Krystle is currently a San Diego based theatre artist, and a recent graduate from UC San Diego. Select stage management credits: Pippin, Dry Land, Hairspray, How to Defend Yourself, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and In the Heights. Krystle.carrd.com
Santi Sámano they/them (Technical Director)
Santi Sámano is a multidisciplinary artist from San Diego, CA who takes a holistic approach to their art and life. Santi believes in radically inclusive theatre that not only entertains, but also helps and empowers BIPOC at their intersections especially to queer and low-income communities. Past credits include: Technical Director & Video Editor for El Arroyo by Roberta H. Martinez, Apa’s Girl by Elvia Susana Rubalcava at the Frida Khalo Theater 10-Minute Theater Festival, Co-Producer for Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble’s Staged Stories: The Live Streamed Series, and María José in Inolvidable: A Juan Gabriel Musical by Ruth Veronica Madrid at UC Riverside.
