We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back
In a seaside town called Crichton-by-the-Sea, a young Autistic woman named Tina becomes a tour guide for Crichton-by-the-Sea Ghost Tours, run by Ethel. Along with her fellow tour guides (horror writer Vlad and the grieving Moira), she confronts the literal and metaphorical ghosts that haunt her. When a disturbingly underdiscussed string of murders (and their possibly supernatural cause) comes to light, each ghost tour guide is forced to reexamine their individual and collective mythologies.
Dave Osmundsen (He/Him/His) is an Autistic playwright and dramaturg. He survived growing up in a conservative small town in New Jersey so he could bring you plays about neurodiversity, queerness, and the right to authentic Autistic expression. A recipient of the Blank Theatre and Ucross Foundation’s inaugural Future of Playwriting Prize, his plays have been seen and developed at EPIC Players, BLUEBARN Theatre, the Great Plains Theatre Conference, Florida Studio Theatre, Sewanee Writers Conference, the William Inge Theatre Festival, Premiere Stages, the Valdez Theatre Conference, and more. His play Light Switch (Jeff Nominated) was the 2021 Distinguished Achievement recipient of the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, an Honorable Mention finalist for BAPF 2021, and a semi-finalist for the 2020 National Playwrights Conference. His plays have been published by The Dionysian, Canyon Voices, Exposition Review, and Broadway Play Publishing. MFA: Arizona State University; website: daveosmundsen.com
Directing credits include The Road’s award winning production of OTHERKIN by NT Vandecar, plays for SPF 14, 15 & 16, and Interact Theatre Company’s Pulitzer Prize Winning/Tony Award Winning plays ART by Yasmina Resa, GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza, and DINNER WITH FRIENDS by Donald Margulies. She recently appeared as an actor at The Road in THE TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS by Erik Gernand and Steve Yockey’s MERCURY. She is the recipient of multiple acting awards including Best Solo Play 2019 and an Ovation nomination for her portrayal of the legendary modern dancer Martha Graham, in MARTHA, here in LA. Tina’s acting career includes dozens of local and regional plays, 25+ guest star TV appearances, and numerous feature, independent and short films.
“We’d Rather Know If You Weren’t Coming Back”
Tina – Naomi Rubin*
Ethel – Dana Schwartz*
Vlad – Khalil Muhammad*
Moira – Jacquelyn Ferguson*
The Woman in White – Liz Fenning*
*Road Company Member
Stage Directions & Talkback Moderator: Michelle Gillette*