White Elephant

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for the world premiere of White Elephant by Sofia Tosches.

White Elephant World Premiere

A Comedy Until It's Not

Written & Directed by Sofia Tosches

Assistant Directed by Breanna Theobald

Starring:Kristen Fields, AJ Shoemaker, Mileah Milstead, Dustin LaFleur, Delaney Amatrudo, Leslie Marberry, Molly Brown, and J.R. Knowles

Dates: November 17-26, 2022

Venue: The Darkhorse Theater

(4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville)

Tickets:$15

Click Here to Purchase Tickets!

Eight millennial "friends" gather together for a White Elephant gift exchange Christmas party. While the stockings may be hung by the chimney with care, St. Nicholas is probably staying as far away from this shit show as possible. People are stressed, people are drunk, and people are picking gifts from under the tree. Will they get what they want? Or will their secrets be what gets unwrapped this year?

Poster designed by Anna Eyink

It Takes a Village...

White Elephant's Journey to the Stage

This world premiere is one that has been in the works for almost four years now. I started writing this play when I lived in Vero Beach, FL while working on a contract. Throughout its development it has been workshopped by over 75 artists, given two Zoom staged readings, and one in-person staged reading. I am immensely grateful to Possibilities Theatre Company in Chicago. Actors Bridge Ensemble, Salon with Pipeline-Collective, Woven Theatre, and The Barbershop Theatre for nurturing this script and these characters. The opportunity to finally invite people into this party and this chaos (fully developed) for the first time is an absolute honor. Thank you for supporting new works and for being here now.

-Sofia Tosches

Playwright

Meet the cast

Kristen Fields

Melissa

Kristen (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of White Elephant's worldwide premiere, having had the pleasure of taking part in previous virtual productions with Actors Bridge Ensemble and workshops with The Salon (Pipeline Collective). Favorite credits include: Judy in It's My Party! (Studio Tenn), Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone (Central Texas Theatre), Penny in Hairspray (Central Texas Theatre), and Me in My Instagram Stories. Grateful student of 4th Wall Acting Studio. Love to Austin for everything, always.

AJ Shoemaker

Noah

AJ (he/him) is a newcomer to the stage after pursuing his love for acting later in his life. He is a native of South Carolina where he completed his Master’s in Social Work at the University of South Carolina. Some say he watches too much football and his wardrobe is primarily garnet and black…and they’d be right. He is currently attending classes at the 4th wall acting studio where he is also working on the short film “My Therapist Says” with his fellow classmates. He is excited to take the stage as Noah in White Elephant to make his theatrical debut! Much love to his canine and feline companions Chipper and Smokey who are both helping him prepare for this role while also not lowering their expectations and demanding the same amount of attention daily.

Mileah Milstead

Catie Cecil Carrons

Mileah (she/her) cannot wait for audiences to see this remarkable piece of theatre! After participating in White Elephant’s staged reading last year, she fell in love with the script, and is so ecstatic that this world is coming to life! Some of her favorite roles include Bridget in LIZZIE: THE MUSICAL (Street Theatre Company), Elizabeth Bennet in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Watershed Public Theatre), and Denise in SANDER'S FAMILY CHRISTMAS (Chaffin's Barn). When she is not on the stage, she loves teaching at Nashville Children's Theatre, and is earning her master's in education from MTSU. She would like to thank her parents, friends, and J.R. for their love and support. Also, thank YOU for supporting new works!

Dustin LaFleur

Marc

BFA University of Louisiana, MFA Western Illinois. Dustin (he/him) is excited to finally be premiering his first original role! Hot off the ensemble track of Nashville Rep's RENT, he is so grateful to stay locked in with some of his recent castmates. Fav candy- Snickers. Fav movie- Bronson. Currently binging-Peaky Blinders/The Flight Attendant. Cajun. Libra. Insta@dustin_the_breeze

Delaney Amatrudo

Ryleigh

Delaney (she/her) is so excited to be returning to White Elephant after originating the role of Ryleigh at last year’s developmental reading. She made her formal return to the Nashville stage last fall as the titular character in Street Theatre Company’s production of LIZZIE: THE MUSICAL and was most recently seen as part of the company of RENT at Nashville Repertory Theatre. Delaney holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from NYU Tisch and has spent the last several years working to develop new musicals with some of New York’s most celebrated writers and composers. She would like to thank Sofia for trusting her with her words and the entire cast and crew for making this such a wonderful experience. Extra special thanks go to her dog, Rigatoni, just for being himself. All my love to Leslie.

Leslie Marberry

Tyler

Leslie (she/her) is thrilled to finally bring this character to life on the stage. When Les isn’t teaching her amazing students, she always finds time to join various theatre companies in the area to create art. Pre-pandemic she worked with Nashville Ballet, Studio Tenn, TPAC, and many other local theatres, various school programs, and other performing arts venues. She recently directed Lizzie the Musical with Street Theatre Company, and has been a part of the White Elephant process for a while now. She would like to thank Sofia for seeing the best in her. All my love to my amazing partner, Delaney Joy.

Molly Brown

Jess

Molly (she/her) is thrilled to be part of the World Premiere of White Elephant. A New York native, she now calls Nashville home. A graduate of Wagner College with a BA in Theater Performance, she recently completed her master’s in social work at Fordham University. Previous credits include The Music Man, A Christmas Carol (Westchester Broadway Theater), Rent (Nashville Repertory Theater), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Williamson County Performing Art’s Center), and Paint Me A Fairytale, The Glass Slipper (Ice Creative Entertainment). When not on stage she is using her skills as a teaching artist for TPAC’s Wolftrap Program. Be sure to give her a follow! @MollyAdeleBrown

JR Knowles

Gregg

J.R. (he/him) is delighted to help present White Elephant. A Nashville native, J.R. received his Bachelor's in Theatre from MTSU, and has been onstage with Watershed Public Theatre, Actors Bridge Ensemble, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and the Boiler Room Theatre. J.R. is reprising his role of Gregg from the reading of White Elephant with Woven Theatre. He is so incredibly proud of Sofia and the whole team for taking a dream and making it real. To everyone who supported the crowdfunding campaign, to everyone sharing on social media, and to everyone buying a ticket, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for supporting your local arts.

Meet the Creatives

Sofia Tosches

Playwright/Director

Sofia (she/her) has been a Music City based artist for 8 1/2 years. She is absolutely thrilled to be making her Nashville directorial debut with White Elephant. Favorite credits include: Ophelia in Hamlet (Inebriated Shakespeare), The Vagina Monologues (Actors Bridge Ensemble), OG Howland in Men on Boats (Actors Bridge Ensemble), and Mayor Fox in Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas (Riverside Theatre.) Sofia would like to thank you all for coming out and supporting new works. Watching this story grow has been the absolute honor of her life. Big love to The Salon at Pipeline-Collective for changing her life in more ways than they'll ever know. Today is a beautiful day to make art!

Breanna Theobald

Assistant Director/Stage Manager

Breanna (she/her) is so excited to be stage managing for White Elephant! You might have recently seen her play a pretty terrible stage manager named Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong at Pull Tight Players. She promises that was just a character, and that she is very prepared to take on this show. From the moment she read Sofia’s script, she knew it was going to be really special. She laughed so hard and needed to know more. She cannot wait to bring this show to life!

Paul Gatrell

Set Designer

Paul Gatrell is a Professor of Theatre at Belmont University and a professional designer. Paul has worked as a freelance set designer in Nashville for over 20 years. Recent set design credits include Twelfth Night, Richard III, Hamlet, A Comedy of Errors, and Romeo and Juliet with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. When We Were Young and Unafraid, The House of Bernarda Alba, Sailor’s Song, The Piper, Vincent in Brixton, Sympatico, Marisol, Arabian Nights, Kimberly Akimbo, Warrior, and Glengarry Glen Ross for the Actors Bridge Ensemble.

Riley Flowers

Lighting Designer

Riley Flowers is a Nashville-based actor and director. You may have seen him in Old Hickory’s Shakespeare in the Village Productions of Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It, or directing productions of The Gift of The Magi and Shadowlands this year at Lakewood Theatre Company. He’s excited to be a part of this production and thanks the Director/Playwright Sofia Tosches for her tireless dedication to the craft. The last White Elephant gift he received was room spray. He re-gifted it

Eric Pasto-Crosby

Movement Coordinator

Eric (he/him) is a proud native of Nashville, he graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.F.A. in performance studies. There he studied stage combat and fight choreography under Geoffrey Kent, and later by Richard Ryan. He has choreographed fights for: Nashville Children’s Theatre, Belmont University, Nashville Opera, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, Street Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, Tennessee Repertory Theatre(Nashville Rep), People’s Branch Theatre, Blackbird Theatre, Woven Theatre, and was fight captain and co-choreographer for: Stage One: The Louisville Children’s Theatre, and The Colorado Shakespeare Festival. A loyal member and certified advanced actor combatant through the Society of American Fight Directors, he has choreographed violence for many films, and schools in the Nashville area. He is also a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Cody Allen

Sound Designer

Cody has been working professionally in the entertainment indusrty for 14 years. He abides by the saying “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” He has been a performer, dancer, singer, fire breather, technician, designer, and an engineer. His past works include Peter Pan (Starky/Dance Captain/Lead flyer), opening of “Toy Story World '' at Disney world, and is currently the Technical Theatre Director at Ensworth High School.

White Elephant Cocktail Crawl

When you purchase your ticket, you will receive an email with a secret password that you can use at the following three establsihments to unlock a secret cocktail curated just for our show. Below you'll see information about the bars, the drink, and their hours.