AUGUST 11, 2025
7:00PM
The John Hand Theatre
7653 E 1st Pl, Denver, CO 80230
The John Hand Theatre is wheelchair accessible
COME NOW THE HEARTBROKEN
BY ELLEN K. GRAHAM
Five sequestered jurors, the man who guards them, and a migratory moth spend sixteen evenings on a hotel deck. A play about what you talk about when you’re not allowed to speak.
Directed by Jeremy Elman
Stage Manager/Stage Directions: Darren Smith
Starring: Latifah Johnson, Gina Wencel, Jenny Kim Eaves, Nathaniel Cushing, Jeff Jesmer, Megan Davis and Colette Brown
ELLEN K. GRAHAM-PLAYWRIGHT
Ellen K. Graham has been a finalist for the Shakespeare’s Sister Fellowship, Clubbed Thumb’s Biennial Commission, the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Green Mountain New Play Festival, and the Global Age Project. Her work has been produced in Columbus, Sonoma County, Chicago, New York City, and her hometown of Denver, where she has worked with many companies, including And Toto too, Benchmark, Buntport, Catamounts, square product, Pandemic Collective, Athena Project, the Edge, Paragon, and the Denver Center Theatre Company. She is the founder of Feral Assembly, a co-founder of Shocking Beyond Belief! Films (“The Sword of Truth Behind the Shield of Entertainment”), a graduate of the University of Chicago, and a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
JEREMY ELMAN-DIRECTOR
Jeremy trained as a theatre director (Mountview Academy) in his native England and worked for a few years on the Fringe in London and Edinburgh, mainly in new writing. He then moved into directing for TV, followed by starting his own successful social content production company. After an extended break and a move from London to Denver, Jeremy is excited to return to the theater and become part of the Denver community.
LATIFAH JOHNSON (Evelyn)
Latifah is a Denver based actor. Some of her stage credits include Darker Face of The Earth, Talking With, Steel Magnolias, Great Wilderness, DOT, Kiss Stop, Flyin West and Octoroon. She was last seen in Firehouse Theatre's production of Nacirema Society.
GINA WENCEL (Christy O)
Gina Wencel is an actor, writer and singer. She has acted throughout the Denver area as well as Los Angeles. Favorite roles include Alma in Eccentricities of a Nightingale, Bobbie in Carnal Knowledge, Shen Te / Shui Ta in the Good Person of Szechwan, Masha in The Three Sisters, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Tiny Alice. She has had the pleasure of acting in new plays by local playwrights such as Tracy Shaffer and Dakota Chase Hill. She has relished playing a diverse assortment of characters in plays by Ellen K. Graham. She is excited to be appearing for the first time with And Toto too.
JENNY KIM EAVES (Christy V)
Jenny is so excited to work with this group for her first project with And Toto too! She was last seen with the Theater Company of Lafayette as Nina in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Favorite past roles include Judy Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, being a part of The Laramie Project ensemble with DCPA Education, and mom to the best kid & pups ever.
NATHANIEL CUSHING (Destry)
Nathaniel Cushing is a young professional actor native to Denver, and has done work all across the entire state of Colorado - recent regional credits include Henry IV/V (Theatreworks) in Colorado Springs, Heroes of the Fourth Turning (UpstART) in Ouray, Dorothy's Dictionary and The Sound Inside (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company), and the DCPA's Shakespeare In The Parking Lot. At the 2018 Colorado Thespian Conference, he was named Best Male Performer, and is a recent graduate of the University of Denver, where he graduated with dual degrees in Acting and Psychology.
JEFF JESMER (Lark)
Jeff Jesmer is very excited to share this experience with a live audience. Thank you for supporting live theatre in our community. Jeff works around Denver as a Set Builder/designer and as an Actor. He hopes you enjoy the evening and wishes that you spread the word of this and other live theatre around Denver. Jeff would like to thank Julie and our fur-babies for the most love any one person could handle.
MEGAN DAVIS (Moth of the species Euxoa Auxilliaris)
Megan Davis (she/her) - You might be used to seeing Megan as the resident Stage Manager at Firehouse Theater, and she's excited to do something so fun and different. She wants to thank everyone who comes out to be a part of live theatre!
COLETTE BROWN (Mom)
Colette is very excited to be participating in the Main Stage Reading Series production of Come Now The Heartbroken as Mom. Other productions are: Marilyn Dunne in Ripcord, Catherine Green in The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years, Lettice Boyer in One Way Back Day, Big Mama Candice in Sojourners Project-Busing, the Lady in The Scottsboro Boys, Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel, the foreman in 12 Angry Women, Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird, Amanda in The Life and Times of Ol’ Alfred, the Dream in Amistad and Doll in The Daughters of the Lone Star State. She performed voiceover for Older Lizabeth/ Maybelle in Marigolds and has served as costume designer and makeup artist on several productions. My continued gratitude always to God, my family and my friends who love and support me unconditionally.
DARREN SMITH (Stage Manager/Stage Directions)
Darren Smith is a successful business owner, stage designer and filmmaker. He has been a crawl leader since the first Play Crawl in 2011.Darren has more than 30 years of experience both on-stage and in almost every capacity behind the scenes, and is responsible for the technical operations for And Toto Too. Since 2015 he has directed more than 31 short films, garnering awards including winning 3rd Place for Best Film at the London 48 Hour Film Project in 2024. His aim with storytelling - whether on screen or stage - is to immerse the audience in situations that feel familiar to them, even if they have never personally experienced the exact scenario that is unfolding. They should see themselves or someone they know reflected back to them, and through these stories gain a little more insight into the beautiful, inevitably flawed, human condition. Originally from Birmingham, England, Darren has made Denver Colorado his home for the last 27 years.