Gay Bash by Taylor Geldart
Table Read
June 22, 2025
5:00 PM
Hosted at Literati Press Bookshop and Creative Writing Center
Lazarus Bash’s high school days are marked by apathy and boredom. That is, until one morning when a misunderstanding about his newfound sexuality draws the double-barreled ire of his persistent ex-girlfriend Grace and the bullish cheerleader Brock. Lazarus, with the help of his best friend Paul, now has until the end of the day to prove he’s gay, save his reputation, and, ultimately, not get his teeth knocked out.
Photography by Brittnei Beauchamp Nixon. Check out her work at @brittneibeauchampphotography and on Facebook!
Bios
Rodney Brazil
CAMERA DIRECTION
Rodney Brazil (he/him) is an Oklahoma City-based actor, playwright, and director. Acting credits include Mother Superior in The Divine Sister, and Johnny Nogerelli in A Tribute to Grease 2. As a playwright, his works include the comedy All My Ex-Boyfriends Are Gay, and Thank You, Places, coming to the Theatre Crude Fringe Festival this fall. He is currently directing the Tennessee Williams classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for Jewel Box Theatre, which opens later this summer.
Schon Duncan
LARS
ᎤᎶᎩᎳ/Schon Duncan (they/them) is a queer filmmaker, writer, and actor from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Their work centers Indigenous language and story, using film and voice to carve space for Cherokee futures. Schon directed the award-winning documentary ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak), which follows Cherokee speakers and learners working to revitalize the language. Their voice can also be heard in the Cherokee language cartoon ᎢᎾᎨᎢ (Inage’i). They currently teach Cherokee at the University of Oklahoma, where they continue to blend art and language in and out of the classroom.
Keith Ferguson
PAUL
Keith Ferguson (he/him) is an OKC Metro native. Previous performance credits include Dial M for Murder, Spamalot, A Portion for Foxes, Meet Me in St. Louis, Alchoholidays, and Drop Drag Gorgeous. Keith holds a B.F.A. in Drama with an emphasis in Costume Design from the University of Oklahoma.
Ashley J. Mandanas
RAVEN
Ashley is a non-binary, queer, Asian-American performer. Ashley is set alight by new works and devising processes, writing music, and breathing new life into classic works. For over two decades, they’ve worked consistently with theatres and film prod. companies such as Planet Thunder, Lyric Theater of OK, OKCRep, Southern Plains, Co.Arts, and 19th Century Hound. A graduate of OU (BFA Musical Theatre), Ashley is dedicated to sharing/helping to tell stories of marginalized individuals and communities. @ashleyjmandanas
Alexi Smith
BROCK
Alexi Smith (He/Him/His) is an actor and voice artist working in Oklahoma City. He received his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Acting from the University of Oklahoma. He has performed with Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Whatever Works, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, and others. He loves video games, cinema, books, and Dungeons and Dragons. He brands himself as a Professional Nerd.
Shea Vassar
GRACE
Shea Vassar (she/they) is a writer, comedian, and filmmaker based in Oklahoma. She dabbles in various creative mediums to utilize existentialism in an attempt to look at Indigenous diaspora, connection to land, generational trauma, and the irony of being alive. She is a graduate of the City University of New York Hunter College’s film school and holds a Masters of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma. Find her and her various creative ventures online at @justsheavassar.
Taylor Geldart
SCREENWRITER
Taylor Geldart (any/all) is an arts professional working at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City. They hold a Bachelor’s of Arts in Film & Media Studies from University of Oklahoma and have worked on independent films as a production assistant and script supervisor. They’re passionate about storytelling and spend their free time watching soap operas and writing screenplays.
Zachary Scalzo
DIRECTOR
Zachary Scalzo (he/they) is a queer theatremaker, writer, and translator whose theatrical work has been developed and performed both in the United States and in Canada. He was the Artist in Residence in the English Department at the University of Central Oklahoma from 2022-2025, and is the current President of the LP Writer’s Co-Op in the Paseo. ⅓ of Whatever Works and ½ of Two-Player Theory, they can be found at azachofalltrades.com and on Instagram at @zjscalzo.
Whatever Works 