Full Cast Announced For World Premiere Of “littleboy/littleman” At Geffen Playhouse

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF “LITTLEBOY/LITTLEMAN” AT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

FEATURING ALEX HERNANDEZ, DEE SIMONE, TONYA SWEETS & MARLON ALEXANDER VARGAS

WRITTEN BY RUDI GOBLEN AND DIRECTED BY NANCY MEDINA

PREVIEWS BEGIN OCTOBER 1 - OPENING NIGHT IS OCTOBER 9

LOS ANGELES (August 26, 2025) – Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its world premiere production of littleboy/littleman, written by Rudi Goblen (FITO: A Concert Play, Green Suga Bloos) and directed by Nancy Medina (Choir Boy, Trouble in Mind). littleboy/littleman is produced in association with Brixton House.

Goblen’s littleboy/littleman marks the second consecutive world premiere launching Geffen Playhouse’s 2025/2026 season lineup. The season’s third world premiere production, SYLVIA SYLVIA SYLVIA, will make its debut in February 2026.

The cast includes Alex Hernandez (Mafia III, Time Alone) as Bastian Monteyero and Marlon Alexander Vargas (Camino Real, Titus Andronicus) as Fíto Palomino, with musicians Dee Simone (Drummer) and Tonya Sweets (Bassist).

Previews for littleboy/littleman begin Wednesday, October 1, 2025, in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse. Opening night is Thursday, October 9, 2025. Two performances of littleboy/littleman will be captioned in Spanish.*

When Nicaraguan brothers Fíto and Bastian clash over their visions of the American Dream, their choices send them on a collision course with fate—risking not just their futures, but their bond. Fíto, a poet, is impulsive and ambitious, willing to take risks to get what he wants. Bastian, a telemarketer, is steady and principled, holding onto caution as a guide. Blending poetry, live music, and ritual, this electrifying tale of brotherhood and belonging pulses with rhythm and emotion, pulling us into a world where family is everything, but dreams come at a cost.

Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund.

Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

LITTLEBOY/LITTLEMAN
Written by Rudi Goblen
Directed by Nancy Medina
Produced in Association with Brixton House

Previews: October 1, 2025 – October 8, 2025
Opening Night: October 9, 2025
Closing Night: November 2, 2025

CAST
Alex Hernandez as Bastian Monteyero
Marlon Alexander Vargas as Fíto Palomino

MUSICIANS
Dee Simone Drummer
Tonya Sweets Bassist

PRODUCTION TEAM
Scenic Designer Tanya Orellana
Costume Designer Samantha C. Jones
Lighting Designer Scott Bolman
Sound Design by UptownWorks—Noel Nichols, Bailey Trierweiler & Daniela Hart
Composer Rudi Goblen
Associate Director Velani Dibba
Music Director Dee Simone
Movement Director Christopher Scott
Dramaturg Lamar Perry
Spanish Translator Alberto E. Morales
Production Stage Manager Juliet Park
Casting Director Phyllis Schuringa, CSA

UNDERSTUDIES
Robert Lee Hart as u/s Fíto Palomino
Bobby Román as u/s Bastian Monteyero

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Monday, Tuesday No performance
Wednesday, Thursday 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday ** 2:00 p.m

*Two performances will be captioned in Spanish: Saturday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. and Thursday October 30 at 7:30 p.m.
**There will be no performances on Sunday, October 19 or Friday, October 31.

LOCATION
Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets currently priced at $36.00 - $109.00. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.

All Geffen Playhouse productions are intended for an adult audience; children under 10 years of age will not be admitted.

Rush tickets for each day’s performance are made available to the general public one hour before showtime at the box office. $40.00 General/$20.00 Student.

COLLEGE AUDIENCES
Through a variety of events and other opportunities, Geffen Playhouse welcomes college students to experience the live storytelling presented on our stages. We are proud of our association with UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, and open our doors to all college students throughout Los Angeles. More information is available at www.geffenplayhouse.org/college.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rudi Goblen (Playwright & Composer)
Rudi is a playwright, educator, and performer who creates solo theater and devised theater work. He is a 2025 USA Fellow, a recipient of the Colman Domingo Award, a three-time winner of playwriting awards from The Kennedy Center, the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, and an O’Neill Finalist. His accolades include a Future Aesthetics Artist Award, two Miami-Dade County Choreographer Awards, and a FEAST Award for his book of poetry, A Bag of Halos and Horns. He has trained and worked with Cirque du Soleil and DV8 Physical Theatre and is a founding member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects and Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre. Selected venues where his work has been presented include the Geffen Playhouse, The Shed, New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre, the Fisher Center at Bard, Yale Cabaret, Alliance Theatre, and Rattlestick Theater. Publications include Theater Magazine, Imagined Theatres: Writing for a Theoretical Stage, Concord Theatricals, and PEN America. He holds an M.F.A. in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama.

Nancy Medina (Director)
Nancy Medina is Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, taking the role in 2023. In October 2023 she directed her first production for the theatre, a revival of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy which received both Best Play and Best Director Awards at the Black British Theatre Awards in 2024. Further productions for Bristol Old Vic’s 2025 season included A Good House in co-production with the Royal Court Theatre and The Beautiful Future is Coming. As a director, her credits also include The Darkest Part of the Night (Kiln Theatre), Moreno (Theatre503), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre), The Half God of Rainfall (Fuel Theatre / Birmingham Rep / Kiln Theatre), The Laramie Project (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Two Trains Running (Royal & Derngate / English Touring Theatre), Strange Fruit (Bush Theatre), Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama), Yellowman (Young Vic), Curried Goat and Fish Fingers (Bristol Old Vic), and Dogtag (Theatre West). She is a recipient of 2024 Genesis Foundation Prize, 2020/2021 Peter Hall Bursary (National Theatre), 2018 Royal Theatrical Support Trust Sir Peter Hall Director Award (Royal & Derngate / English Touring Theatre), 2017 Genesis Future Director Award (Young Vic), and 2014 Emerging Director Prize (Tobacco Factory Theatres). She was a visiting director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was joint Artistic Director and founder of the Bristol School of Acting.

Alex Hernandez (Bastian Monteyero)
Alex Hernandez is a professional actor and amateur hooligan based in Brooklyn, NY, and the first male in his family tree to be born in the US. Stage credits include “Gabriel” in Time Alone (Belle Rêve Theatre Company), “Demetrius” in Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park), “Jason” in Mojada (The Public Theater), and “Mace” in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Actors Theater of Louisville and Dallas Theater Center). Television credits include series regulars “Tommy Constantine” in The Peripheral (Amazon), “Owen Boyd” in UnREAL (A+E Studios), and “Kenny” in Sugar (Apple TV+). Videogame credits include player characters “Lincoln Clay” in Mafia III (2K) and “Jacob Diaz” in MindsEye (Build a Rocket Boy). He garnered a BAFTA nomination for Best Performance as “Lincoln Clay,” and an Ovation nomination plus LA Drama Critics Circle nomination for Best Lead Actor for Time Alone. Now and always, no human being is illegal on stolen land.

Dee Simone (Drummer)
Dee Simone is a versatile drummer whose groove, precision, and dynamic energy make her a sought-after force in live performance. A graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Dee has over a decade of experience across jazz, gospel, funk, pop, hip-hop, fusion, and R&B. Her training under Fred Dinkins, Donny Gruendler, and Stewart Jean shaped her into a drummer equally at home in intimate ensembles and high-impact productions. Dee has performed with artists such as Jazz In Pink, Madame Gandhi, Alison Wonderland, Ravyn Lenae, and Doechii, with appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, L.A. Live, Playboy Jazz Festival, and The Voice Live Semi-Finals. In addition to live work, she’s skilled in Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live, and Reason. Known for her rhythmic storytelling and musical sensitivity, Dee is passionate about delivering memorable performances and collaborating across genres and creative platforms.

Tonya Sweets (Bassist)
Tonya Sweets is a self-taught bassist from Houston, Texas, who grew up as a preacher’s kid immersed in the soul of church music. Her melodic sound is a genre-bending fusion shaped by influences ranging from hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and reggae to fusion, rock, and beyond. With musical heroes like J Dilla, Erykah Badu, MF DOOM, Sly and the Family Stone, A Tribe Called Quest, Pino Palladino, Ethan Farmer, Flying Lotus, and Mint Condition, Sweets’ bass lines carry both deep groove and storytelling spirit. Her passion for collaboration and sonic exploration has led her to share the stage with artists such as Lizzo, Brent Faiyaz, Durand Bernarr, and Klymaxx featuring Bernadette Cooper, among others. Whether she’s laying down pocket or pushing creative boundaries, Sweets sees music as a universal language—and she’s here to have a musical conversation with the world.

Marlon Alexander Vargas (Fíto Palomino)
Marlon Alexander Vargas is a Dominican-born, New York-raised multi-hyphenate artist with a love for both movement and language. He is thrilled to be having his Geffen Playhouse debut with the world premiere of littleboy/littleman. He is a Jerome L. Greene Fellow (2024-2025) and the recipient of the Oliver Thorndike Acting Award for his dedication to the theater (2025). Most recently he worked on a production of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and this past May he received his M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. Marlon is a proud immigrant in this country and a product of the community of Black and brown women who raised him. He thanks his ancestors for informing his work. www.marlonalexandervargas.com @vc.marlon

2025/2026 SEASON SPONSOR
S. Mark Taper Foundation

ABOUT BRIXTON HOUSE
Brixton House is a modern cultural venue in South London. An inspired vision to build a cultural hub centred on the legacy of the former Ovalhouse Theatre. The new multi-arts venue, with a particular focus on theatre, tells stories from underheard voices and communities that represent its home in the heart of Brixton. Its arts programme reflects the rich and authentic storytelling of local and international diverse communities and champions innovative and creative entrepreneurial perspectives. A place for people to come together to create and enjoy performance, the venue houses two theatres and performance spaces, seven rehearsal rooms, meeting rooms, office space dedicated to creative organisations as well as a public cafe and bar. Brixton House is generously supported by London Borough of Lambeth, Arts Council England, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, Cockayne Grants for the Arts, London Community Fund, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust.

ABOUT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently helmed by Executive Director/CEO Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney and Board Chair Adi Greenberg. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. www.geffenplayhouse.org