can i touch it?

SEASON 26

A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere

Haunted

written and directed by Tara Moses

dramaturgy by Quita Sullivan

produced in partnership with the Boston Public Library

Jan 24 - Feb 15, 2025

Rabb Hall @ Boston Public Library, Central Branch

All tickets are Pay-What-You-Want!

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Ash and Aaron have been dead for twenty years, and the Indigenous siblings pass their time dancing to Britney Spears, haunting the families that try to move into their house, and wondering if they’ll ever be free from the shackles of racist stereotypes. As the cycle begins once more, the siblings ask: will they ever make it to the Spirit World? An Indigenous horror comedy with the coolest Y2K hits, Tara Moses’ Haunted forces us to confront the very land we walk on and our relationship (or lack thereof) with Native communities today.

Producing Partners

AMPLIFYING ACTION

Company One Theatre is producing Haunted to AMPLIFY:

  • the first-ever full-length staged work by an Indigenous artist at the Boston Public Library, where people can learn more about indigenous history, stories, artists and community members in an accessible civic space.

  • the Land Back movement and our collective duty to be responsible stewards of Earth’s natural resources, in solidarity with the Indigenous communities who have persevered against colonization, gentrification, and displacement across generations.

  • our understanding of the land we live, work, and travel on as a living, changing entity with ancestral connection.

  • Native-led community partners and organizations who champion conservation efforts, advocate for legislation that benefits Indigenous people, and support the Indigenous community in Boston and beyond.

  • the dynamic voice of Tara Moses, a multi-hyphenate Seminole/Mvskoke playwright whose work is the first-ever produced Indigenous play supported by the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program.

Connectivity Partners

Check back soon!

RESOURCES & ACTION STEPS

Check back soon!

ABOUT THE TEAM

CAST

Bradley Lewis*

Bradley Lewis*

Ash

Chingwe Padraig Sullivan

Chingwe Padraig Sullivan

Aaron

JāQuan Malik Jones

JāQuan Malik Jones

Vincent Jones

Evan Turissini

Evan Turissini

White Man

Katherine Callaway

Katherine Callaway

White Girl

Tanya Avendaño Stockler

Tanya Avendaño Stockler

White Girl 2

PLAYWRIGHT AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Tara Moses, Playwright & Director

Quita Sullivan, Dramaturg

Kimstelle Merisma, Assistant Director

Danielle DeLaFuente, Scenic Designer

Elmer Martinez, Lighting Designer

Aubrey Dube, Sound Designer

Danielle Dominique Sumi, Costume Designer

Shanel LaShay Smith, Props Designer

Sara Gorelkin, Stage Manager

Abigail Lienhard, Assistant Stage Manager

Susan Weinhardt, Assistant Stage Manager

Mark Vagenas, Technical Director

Oliver Hawke, Master Electrician

Maria Hendricks, Community Advisor

BIOS

Bradley Lewis* he/him

Bradley Lewis is thrilled to join Haunted in his Company One debut! Hailing from the Acoma Pueblo, he’s been seen recently in lots of theatre including Distant Thunder (Off-Broadway Original Cast), Pueblo Revolt (Santa Fe Playhouse), The Picher Project (Off-Broadway Original Cast), Ajijaak on Turtle Island (US Tour), Audrey: A New Musical (Off-Broadway Original Cast), Aida (Metropolitan Opera) and Flying Bird’s Diary (Long Wharf Theatre). Screen: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Resurrection (IFC Films). Upcoming film: Meet Cute in Manhattan. Thanks to Tara Moses and Company One! Da’wa’eh! // Thank you! bradleylewisactor.com

Chingwe Padraig Sullivan she/they/he/nákum

Chingwe Padraig Sullivan is a New England based two-spirit Indigenous actor (Shinnecock and Montaukett Nations), exploring the task of bringing indigenous storytelling into western theatrical spaces. After studying for three years at the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program, where she played Adam/Leo in The Inheritance at Trinity Rep, he left in order to pursue work more tied to Indigeneity, leading to playing Levi in the world premiere of Cashed Out at San Francisco Playhouse. Other notable work includes Venessa, Joe Tiger, and Rex Starr in Tara Moses’ Oklahoma Cycle plays, Iago in Othello at the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, Felix Turner in The Normal Heart, and as the present and future version of themself in the world premiere of JaMario Stills’ 2216: The Remix of a Global Experiment. This past winter they were part of a two-week tour with famous Indigenous Feminist theatre company, Spiderwoman Theater, and their newest show, Misdemeanor Dream, and just this summer she’s been a part of several workshops with Safe Harbors NYC as part of the core ensemble of their new show, Feast of Ghosts. Most recently Chingwe developed and performed the character of Ápasum in Tara Moses’ reimagining of Fugitive Songs, and he is glad to continue her long collaboration with Tara in being a part of the Boston premiere of Haunted. Táputni i skitôpák wôk cipayak ta manitok wuci yo ahki.

JāQuan Malik Jones he/him

JāQuan Malik Jones is a Virginia-born actor, writer, and creator with a deep passion for exploring stories rooted in the Black diaspora and his coastal southeastern heritage. Raised in Chesapeake’s South Norfolk community, JāQuan’s work reflects his lived experiences and commitment to telling authentic, impactful stories.

He has performed in numerous productions, including By the Queen (Trinity Rep) and True West, Soul Tapes, and Everybody (Brown/Trinity Rep). His other notable roles include Citizen Barlow in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean (Norfolk State University) and Booth in Topdog/Underdog.

A proud graduate of Brown University’s Trinity Repertory M.F.A. Acting Program, JāQuan was also selected as an actor in the prestigious Sony Pictures Television Actor’s Fellowship, further honing his craft on screen. He is the co-creator, writer, and producer of Billiards, a signature project blending storytelling, visual art, and advocacy.

Whether on stage, in front of the camera, or behind the scenes, JāQuan is dedicated to creating art that uplifts and connects with others.

IG: @jaquanmalikjones | @billiardsvmsoa

Evan Turissini he/him

Evan Turissini is an Elliot Norton Award-nominated actor and long-time fan of Company One delighted to make his debut with this celebrated company! His local credits include Vanity Fair (Central Square Theater); Casey at the Bat, The Spider & The Fly (imaginary beasts); A Bold Stroke for a Husband (Theatre in the Open); The Antelope Party, Three Sisters (Apollinaire Theatre Company); Revolution’s Edge (Plays in Place/Old North Illuminated); Twelfth Night, Shipwrecked! (Moonbox Productions); and many more. By day, Evan is the Director of Marketing & Communications for Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Evan has been a proud ensemble member of Shit-Faced Shakespeare since 2017, where he has performed as Claudio, Mercutio/Friar Lawrence, Demetrius, Benedick, and Tybalt/Lord Capulet.

Katherine Callaway she/her

Katherine Callaway is making her Company One debut! Regional: John Proctor is the Villain (Huntington Theatre); Rooted, Be Here Now (Lyric Stage Boston); The Suppliant Women (Epaphos Dancer, Women’s Chorus); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Boston Theater Company); What Remains Hidden (Is Still Known) a devised play with Rinde Eckert. Katherine has performed in the Boston Theater Marathon for the Huntington, Lyric Stage Boston, and Gloucester Stage, and in Fresh Ink’s Mad Dash. Katherine is also a teaching artist and producer. She holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College and is a West Virginia native. katherinecallaway.com

Tara Moses she/her

Tara Moses is thrilled to be making her Company One Theatre debut (in person) after participating in SurgeLab. She is a citizen of Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Mvskoke, director, award-winning playwright, and co-Founder of Groundwater Arts. Selected directing work: Moonbox Productions (Cambridge, MA); Santa Fe Playhouse (Santa Fe, NM); Kansas City Repertory (Kansas City, MO); San Francisco Playhouse (San Francisco, CA); Brown/Trinity Rep (Providence, RI); Manton Avenue Project (Providence, RI); New Repertory Theatre (Boston, MA); Princeton University (Princeton, NJ); American Indian Community House (New York, NY); Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.); Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program (New Haven, CT); Safe Harbors Indigenous Collective (New York, NY); telatúlsa (Tulsa, OK); Oklahoma Indigenous Theatre Company (Edmond, OK); Serenbe Playhouse (Chattahoochee Hills, GA); and Amerinda (New York, NY). She is the former Artistic Director in Residence at Red Eagle Soaring, a Participant in New York Stage and Film’s inaugural NYSAF NEXUS project; a Cultural Capital Fellow with First Peoples Fund; fellow with the Intercultural Leadership Institute; member of DirectorsLabChicago; member of the Directors Lab at Lincoln Center; recipient of the Thomas C. Fichandler Award; associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; and Dramatists Guild member. She is from the Muscogee Creek Reservation, holds a MFA in Directing from Brown/Trinity and a BA in Theatre from the University of Tulsa. www.taramoses.com

Quita Sullivan nákum/they/she

Quita Sullivan (Montaukett/Shinnecock) (Kee-tah Suh-lih-ven) is Senior Program Director for Theater where nákum directs the National Theater Project. They hold Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Theatre from Knox College and SUNY Stony Brook, respectively, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. Before law school, nákum worked as a Stage Manager at ETA in Chicago and was the first stage manager for ETA’s production of Checkmates by Ron Milner, directed by Woodie King, Jr. They later worked at Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates, a not-for-profit artist management office, creating contracts and managing booking and performing fees for musicians in the Great Lakes area. After law school, they practiced Environmental Justice law for 10 years in Detroit and Boston. Quita is a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program, and a 2016 alum of the artEquity Facilitator Training. They are also a former Associated Grant Makers Diversity Fellow, the mission of which was to identify, recruit and cultivate emerging practitioners of color who represent the next generation of philanthropic leaders and offer them training, support and strong community.Quita is chair of the Grantmakers in the Arts Board of Directors Audit Committee and a member of the Trustee Committee, a Steering Committee member of Western Arts Alliance’s Advancing Indigenous Performance program, and a frequent speaker on supporting Indigenous Artists and Racial Equity.  Nákum continues to work to support equity at all levels of theater and grant making. Prior to joining NEFA as a staff member, Quita was an Advisor for NEFA’s Native Arts Program. Outside of work, they continue to develop their own artistic talents as a beadwork artist. Nákum is part of a group of community language researchers working to restore Long Island Algonquin to spoken language status, as well as a learner of their language. Quita has achieved the rank of Shodan (first degree) in Ueichi Ryu karate.

Kimstelle Merisma she/her

Kimstelle Merisma is a queer Haitian-American actress and emerging playwright based in both Boston and Providence. Kimmi currently works as the Assistant to the Artistic Director at Company One Theatre. She recently graduated from Emerson College, receiving her BFA in Theatre and Performance with a minor in African American & Africana Studies. Kimmi’s heart, mind, and craft exist at the intersection of theatre arts, storytelling, and community-strengthening. As an artist and C1 staff member, Kimmi’s focus is bringing under-represented stories to the stage and showcasing faces and bodies American theatre has previously denied. As a lover of humanity, Kimmi is devoted to bringing people together through makeshift art, unapologetic love, and rambunctious joy.

Danielle DeLaFuente she/her

Danielle DeLaFuente is excited to be returning to the BPL as the scenic designer for Haunted! Some recent design credits include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (American Players Theater), Driving in Circles (Boston Playwrights Theatre), The Crucible (WCSU), The Interrobangers (Company One), The Boy Who Kissed the Sky (Company One), and While We Wait (The New School). Danielle also works as an associate scenic designer on projects such as What Became of Us (Atlantic Stage 2), The White Chip (MCC Theater), The Covenant (Roundabout Theater), and Mr Parent (The Lyric Stage Company of Boston). Danielle is thrilled to back working with Company One and this incredible team. danielledelafuente.com

Aubrey Dube he/him

Aubrey Dube returns to Company One after working on; Downtown Crossing and Vietgone. Other credits include; Fat Ham, The Bluest Eye, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Clyde’s & The Lehman Trilogy [associate designer] (Huntington); Paradise Blue, The Thin Place, Stew (Gloucester Stage); Simona’s Search (Hartford Stage); The Fortune Teller (Chuang Stage); How We Got On (Arts Emerson); Trayf, Good (New Rep); Clyde’s (Berkeley Rep); Queens, Torch Song, The House of Ramon Iglesia (Moonbox Productions); Vinegar Tom, Monster, Serious Money, Pentecost (PTP/NYC); A Taste of Honey (BCAP); Potus, A Case For The Existence of God (SpeakEasy Stage); Fences (The Umbrella Theatre); The Renaissance Mixtape (Apollo Theatre NYC). University: Cymbeline, Pilgrims of the Night (Suffolk University); Orlando (Brandeis University); Antipodes, Love and Information, As You Like It, Sensitive Guys, The Moors (Northeastern University); Big Love, The Imaginary Invalid, In The Next Room, Man of La Mancha (Middlebury College); Delirium, Daddy Issues, The Hothouse (Boston University). Education; MFA in Sound Design. @footballpowerhour on youtube

Danielle Dominique Sumi she/her

Danielle Domingue Sumi is a visual artist inspired by culture, spirituality and humility. Danielle is committed to promoting social well-being through costume design and expressive arts including increased understanding, recognition, and response to multiethnic heritage. Danielle’s creativity is explicated through multi-cultural diversity, humanism and social justice principles.

A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, FIDMLA and Loyola Marymount University with degrees in both design and art psychotherapy; Danielle is treasured for ingenuity and leadership skills in theatrical, fashion, dance and opera costume production.

Danielle has created for FIDMLA, Theatre Forty, LA Opera, Kirk Douglas Theater, Music Academy of the West, LAPHIL, Perm Opera and Ballet Company, Teatro Real Madrid, English National Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, East West Players, JACCC, Halau Hula Moani’a’ala Anuhea, LACHSA, Company One Theatre, Nobles Theatre Collective and New Repertory Theatre. She worked as Costume Director with New Orleans Opera Association.

Danielle is currently Resident Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager with Walnut Hill School for the Arts.

Sara Gorelkin she/her

Sara Gorelkin is a theatre artist and administrator from Long Island, NY. She is excited to be back at Company One after stage managing Hoops, and assistant stage managing Morning, Noon, and Night. Sara is a recent graduate of Boston University’s School of Theatre, holding a BFA in Theatre Arts-Design & Production with concentrations in stage management and dramaturgy. She currently works at SpeakEasy Stage Company as their artistic fellow for the 2024-2025 season. Other credits include: Pru Payne (assistant director) at SpeakEasy Stage, and Sugar (stage manager) at Fresh Ink Theater. For more: www.saragorelkin.com

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

^ Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829