San Jose Stage

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SEX WITH STRANGERS

TIMELY & SEDUCTIVE

How far will you go to get what you want? Will you be the same person if you do? When star sex blogger and memoirist Ethan tracks down his idol, the gifted but obscure novelist Olivia, he finds they both crave what the other possesses. As attraction turns to sex, and they inch closer to getting what they want, both must confront the dark side of ambition and the near impossibility of reinventing oneself when the past is only a click away.

CAST


CREATIVES


JOHNNY MORENO | DIRECTOR

MAURICE VERCOUTERE | SCENIC & LIGHTING DESIGN

JEAN CARDINALE | COSTUME DESIGN

STEVE SCHOENBECK | SOUND DESIGN

DERRICK SCOCCHERA | PROJECTION DESIGN

JENN TRAMPENAU | PROPS COORDINATOR & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

JUSTIN TRAVIS BUCHS* | STAGE MANAGER

VIVIENNE TRUONG | PRODUCTION ASSISTANT & BOARD OP

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR


JOHNNY MORENO is an Associate Artist of San Jose Stage Company, director, fight choreographer, stunt man, and actor. He is a Theatre Bay Area (TBA), SF Bay Area Critics Circle, and Dean Goodman award-winning performer who has acted, choreographed fights, and directed throughout the Bay Area. He recently directed the first live stream performance of Anthony Clarvoe’s The Living at the Hammer Theatre for San Jose State University, where he currently teaches for the Film and Theatre Department. He is a recognized stage combatant by the SAFD, and a graduate of the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts program.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT


LAURA EASON is an Emmy-nominated producer, screenwriter and playwright.

She is currently an executive producer and showrunner of Showtime's forthcoming new drama series Three Women, an adaptation of the blockbuster nonfiction bestseller by Lisa Taddeo, starring Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise and Gabrielle Creevy.

Her writing and producing credits for TV include the Showtime / Blumhouse drama The Loudest Voice (WGA nomination, adapted long form; Golden Globe nomination, limited series) and four seasons of Netflix's five-time Emmy-nominated best drama series House of Cards (Emmy and WGA nominations, drama series.) Laura's feature film debut, Here and Now, produced by and starring Sarah Jessica Parker, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival (then titled Blue Night) and is available on demand. Past and present TV development includes pilot scripts for Amazon, Apple, BBC, Starz, Fox 21 and Fox Network.

An award-winning playwright, her more than twenty produced plays and adaptations include SEX WITH STRANGERS which began at Steppenwolf in Chicago before playing Second Stage in NYC (NYT Critic’s pick.) The play was one of the most produced in the U.S. with international productions in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Turkey. Her adaptation of Jules Verne’s AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS began under her direction in Chicago (seven Jeff Award nominations including Best Production and Best Adaptation) and went onto subsequent productions in London and eighteen other UK cities before transferring to the New Victory Theatre in NYC (NYT Critic’s pick.) Her plays are published by Nick Hern Books, Overlook Press, DPS & Broadway Play Publishing. 

She served as Artistic Director of Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago (2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award) and is still a proud ensemble member, having worked as a writer, director, actor and/or producer on more than twenty productions to date.