Wyatt and Emma Cooke return home from their daughter's funeral only to receive a visit from a stranger, the African American father of their dead daughter's companion whom they never met. The Cooke's struggle to understand why their daughter would keep the companion's identity from them is at the heart of the story as the two families find themselves desperate to communicate with each other in the wake of tragedy.
Emmitt & Ava weaves humor into this strikingly current tale of woe, providing perspective on life and how we cope with hardship. This deeply moving play is inspired from today's headlines and it's currently playing at San Francisco's Firescape Theatre.
Firescape Theatre
* denotes AEA Union
Cast
Thomas Cokenias (Wyatt Cooke)
I am so happy and excited to be here working in this wonderful play. Right after getting my degree in Electrical Engineering, I discovered acting: The Sign in Sidney Bruestein’s Window (Sidney), Zorba! (Niko), Dial M for Murder (Tony), The Real Inspector Hound (Moon). Recent film work includes roles in Lasso, Fruitvale Station, Man from Reno, Love Hurts. Bay Area theater productions include:The Dreamer Examines His Pillow (Dad), Hughie (Erie Smith), and most recently in the Firescape Theater’s Series of One Acts: David Mamet’s Lakeboat (Fred) and Bret Nevue's The Last Barbecue (Ted).
Dominic Hoffman (Director & Playwright)
Stage appearances include solo shows, Last Fare and Uncle Jacques’ Symphony. He played Henry Brown in David Mamet’s RACE at The Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City. He was Michael in Lee Blessing’s play, Two Rooms, the Magus in San Francisco Magic Theatre’s world premiere of Faustus, written and directed by David Mamet. Regional credits include Taming of the Shrew and Tamer Tamed at the Santa Cruz Shakespeare. Master Harold and the Boys at New Mexico Rep, the title role in the world premiere of Noah Johnson Had a Whore at South Coast Repertory, Flyin’ West at San Diego Rep, That Serious He-Man Ball at Los Angeles Theatre Center, Gabe Gabriel in No Place to Be Somebody at San Francisco’s Victoria Theatre, Blade to the Heat at the Mark Taper Forum, and Circle X’s production of Brecht’s Edward II. TV Credits include Grey's Anatomy, Hawaii Five-O, The Mentalist, Castle, and Rizzoli and Isles.
Norman Gee* (Eban Carter)
Norman is delighted to join the cast of EMMITT & AVA. He has performed with Lorraine Hansberry Theater, Shotgun Players, CalShakes, TheatreWorks, Word for Word, and most recently GOD OF CARNAGE @ Shelton Theater. He also performs shorts with SHOTZ-SF & PlayGroundSF.
The Artistic Director of Oakland Public Theater, Norman directed Jeannie Barroga’s award-winning BANYAN, was Assistant Director for her world premiere of BUFFALO’ED, and has directed and developed pieces with Bay Area Playwrights Foundation, Peralta Historical House, Oakland Museum and Berkeley’s Hillside Club.
Currently he teaches at East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, and just got married this year.
Eric Reid (Evan Carter)
Eric Reid is originally from Baltimore, MD, and has been a Bay Area actor and theater producer for over 13 years. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Theater MadCap, dedicated to the core value of Deliberately Diverse Theater. He has acted in and self produced several full length plays since his arrival to the Bay Area in 2001 and his 2014 production of True West, by Sam Shepard was nominated for two Theater Bay Area awards including outstanding acting, and directing. You can see him next this October where he will be in the world premier of Taken by Susan Jackson. He will also be Co-Directing and original play this September written by Paul S. Flores named On The Hill about the death of Alex Nieto, produced by Loco Bloco.
Danielle Thys* (Emma Cooke)
A regular presence in Bay Area theatre, Danielle Thys has performed on numerous stages, from The Magic to Marines Memorial, Marin Theater, the Marsh Cabaret, Center Rep, San Jose Stage, Thick House, Cinnabar, The Exit Theaters, NCTC, YBCA, and Stanford, among others. She is a two time winner for best of SF Fringe Festival, and she won best comedy in the National Film Challenge. Ms Thys is accomplished storyteller, vocalist and recording artist, a founding company member of PlayGround and a proud member of Actors Equity. www.daniellethys.com
