A dark twist on the Gift of the Magi. Della and Jim Young desperately long to be parents. After years of failed fertility treatments and then finding out they are not eligible to be adoptive parents due to Della’s medical history, both embark on their own individual quests to achieve the goal they both believe will bring them the true fulfillment and the happiness they’ve been missing. Each keeps their plan secret from the other- but the hidden costs of their journeys eventually overwhelm their relationship. The consequences of their choices come to fruition and leave them longing for another, less treacherous path.
JACOB DANIEL SINCLAIR
DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
What would you do for the person you love most? This is the central theme for couple Della & Jim Young in this new play by Emily McClain. I was drawn in by this seemingly simple, yet complicated, question that drives these two characters and the decisions they make. As humans, we tend to block out threats to our own self when it comes to family or the loved ones we hold most dear; almost as if we are invincible. Unfortunately, invincibility is not achievable. But the beauty of Emily’s play is that it asks us to think about what love and compassion really is for each other: Is it selfish? Selfless? Without fault? Does it makes us blind to what’s directly in front of us? As Della & Jim struggle to have the life and family they’ve both been craving – putting themselves in positions that risk both of their lives, what emerges is the human need to find happiness. Pure and unfiltered happiness. In this brutally honest and comedically-dark re-imagining of THE GIFT OF MAGI, Emily has created a rich cast of characters who, tragically, fight for their life with deep ferocity, who struggle to see the dangers ahead of them, who will go as far as possible to have the life they want for their love – come to to find that maybe they’ve gone too far.
JACOB DANIEL SINCLAIR (Director) Previous credits include HAMLET (Edinburgh Fringe Participant), Freak Show (also writer), Life is a Dream. He is based out of San Diego, CA; a full-time staff member at the Tony Award Winning Regional Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse – as well as a founding member of the developmental theatre company Wildly Successful Theatre Co. Graduate of Juniata College
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT, EMILY MCCLAIN
Emily McClain is a professional playwright and theatre educator. Emily is a proud member of Working Title Playwrights and the Dramatists Guild and currently serves as Board President for Gwinnett Classic Theatre. Her play SLAYING HOLOFERNES was co-winner of Essential Theatre’s New Play Festival and received a world premiere production in 2019. The Pumphouse Players held readings of MY BROTHER’S SECRET KEEPER and PARADISE, STAYED. She was a featured playwright with Elephant Room Productions for her play CHEEK BY JOWL. CHEEK BY JOWL was also featured as Essential Theatre’s Bare Essential Reading Series in October 2020. Her full length comedy JULIE’S PLACE was selected for the JOOKMS Spotlight Series in July 2020 and later went on to be a semi-finalist with the New American Voices with The Landing Theatre Company. Her tragedy TERMINUS ANDRONICUS was a finalist at the American Shakespeare Center Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries competition in 2019. Her Risk Theatre play CHILDREN OF COMBS AND WATCH CHAINS was named a finalist for the Risk Theatre International Competition in August 2020. Her short plays have been staged at many professional theaters across the country including Mississippi, California, Wisconsin, Virginia, New York, and numerous venues in Georgia. Her historical drama COPPER ANGEL will be presented by borderless productions as an audio drama in March 2021. She is published through ArtAge, Smiths Scripts, and Stage-Rights and more of her work may be found on New Play Exchange:
https://newplayexchange.org/users/27781/emily-mcclain
Hannah Reinert
(DELLA YOUNG )
Quarantine Players Debut.
Regional: THE GREAT EXPERIMENT (Geffen Playhouse- Staged Reading). San Diego: YOU’RE SAFE HERE (Ma’Arte Theatre Collective). LOBBY HERO and RAPTURE BLISTER BURN (San Diego Actor’s Theater- Staged Readings); WOYZECK (OnTheLine Collective); kNOw MORE! (PLNU Center for Justice & Reconciliation); THE UNAVOIDABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF TOM DURNIN (La Jolla Theatre Ensemble- Staged Reading), THE GUILTY PARTY (Wildly Successful Theatre Company- Staged Reading). UC San Diego: GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES (Kayleen), SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION (Dementia), SOCIAL SUICIDE (Maureen/ Janitor). Training: UC San Diego Theatre & Dance (B.A.). Hannah is currently a full-time arts administrator and teaching artist for La Jolla Playhouse’s Education and Outreach Department. Follow along on Instagram at: @hannahreinert
Erin Rae Li
(TRICIA MCDONALD )
Erin Rae Li is a Los Angeles based actor and writer who recently graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a BA degree in Theatre. She is super excited to be a part of this amazing project and is incredibly grateful to The Quarantine Players for this opportunity to work on this wonderful play! Instagram: @erinnnli
Cornelius Franklin
(JIM YOUNG)
Corneilus Franklin is a third-year MFA Acting candidate at UC San Diego. The South Carolinian started his artistry as a cellist with an Artist diploma from the SCGSAH and then later received a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. UC San Diego credits: Ironbound, Balm in Gilead, Incendiary (staged reading) and The Gradient (WNPF ‘19), Everybody Black. Other select credits: Measure for Measure (Shakespeare Academy at Stratford), The Tempest (Shakespeare Academy), No One Asked Me (Soho Playhouse), You Don’t Matter (NY Fringe Festival), Secret Bonds (NYU Experimental Theater Wing), The NYU Reality Show (Beacon Theater/Radio City Music Hall) Sweeney Todd (NYU New Studio on Broadway), Out Cry (NYU Tisch), Spring Awakening (NYU Tisch Mainstage). Regional credit: Put Your House in Order (ACD) at La Jolla Playhouse.
Website: www.CorneilusFranklin.com
Holly Souchack
(POLLY AMANTE)
Holly Souchack is a Chicago based actor originally from New York. Her recent work includes writing and directing an independent sketch show (opening night was that weekend in March everything shut down, wah-wah), joining a Comedysportz virtual rec team, and playing Catie Cecil Carrons in “White Elephant” produced by Possibilities Theatre company. She is currently blessed to be working with Quicksilver Shakespeare Company in their BIPOC virtual reading of “Comedy of Errors”. When she’s not running down Lake Shore path or trying to smile at dogs through her mask, she’s sitting on the couch with her boyfriend, Andrew, binging Avatar: The Last Airbender. Vote, always lend a helping hand, and eat a lot of dark chocolate.
Deborah Marlowe
(ESTER SALGADO)
DEBORAH MARLOWE (Esther Salgado) is a voice actor, stage actor and Zoom actor (thank you, 2020). This is Deborah’s second appearance with Quarantine Players. Deborah’s VO credits include StarWars: Squadrons, Disney’s Duck Tales, World of Warcraft, RIFT, HIT MAN and commercials for Lexus, Popeye’s Chicken, McDonald’s, Charter Communications, Toyota, American Airlines. Stage credits include Steel Magnolias (Ouiser), Collected Stories (Ruth Steiner), Jekyll & Hyde (Hyde#4), Lend Me a Tenor (Julia), Pride & Prejudice (Mrs. Bennett), Our Town (Mrs. Soames). deborahmarlowe.net SAG-AFTRA
Thank you Producer AJ and Director Jacob!!
Sara Lucchini
(Stage Direction)
Sara Lucchini is an East Coast native who migrated West to the sun and sea of San Diego 8 years ago. She last performed on stage in La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival with Blindspot Collective’s Hall Pass, and has been grateful for the opportunities to continue to perform safely via Zoom in Quarantine Player’s Spooky Saturday, Wildly Successful Theatre Company’s Guilty Party, and others. Sara looks forward to returning to the stage and wishes everyone safety and sanity in the meantime!
Robert Coe
(JAMIE BULLARD)
Robert is very excited to be part of this project. It has been fun working with everyone involved. He has previously played J. Finch in Puffs, Bazzard in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Chewebacca in Phantom of the Empire. When he isnt doing theater he is doing research for his true crime podcast Spookytown, USA.
Quarantine Players 