Past Production

The Displaced

By Isaac Gómez
Directed by Mina Morita & Karina Gutiérrez
Sep 10–Oct 16
West Coast premiere
Venue: Potrero Stage

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Details

Isaac Gómez

THE DISPLACED

Live Performances: September 10-October 3, 2021
Video-on-demand: available through October 16

Crowded Fire is thrilled to welcome our community of theater lovers back in-person to the Potrero Stage with this visceral, gleeful, terror-filled feast exploring gentrification and displacement.

Marísa and Lev, a couple whose rocky relationship is already clouded by ghosts of the past, are moving into a historic Chicago apartment when a dark and mysterious message appears. Soon, the couple is united in — and divided by — terror, as the previous tenants make their pain known. THE DISPLACED is a rollicking horror story that explores what lingers when gentrification pushes people out of their homes. Gomez’s funny, razor-sharp script questions who is complicit in an act that leaves deep scars on homes and communities.

There are two alternate endings to The Displaced, and while both actors shine in both endings, each of the characters (Jordan Maria Don as Marísa, and Troy Rockett as Lev) take on a little bit extra in one version.

Content Warning: Haze and strobe effects, blood, violence, self-harm.

No admittance to patrons under 12 years old.

Featuring: Jordan Maria Don (Marísa), Troy Rockett (Lev)

Associate Director: Karina Gutiérrez
Scenic Design: Carlos Aceves
Costume Design: Alice Ruiz
Lighting Design: Stephanie Anne Johnson
Assistant Lighting Design: Ashley Munday
Sound Design: Christopher Sauceda
Props Design: Jenny Cedillos
Special Effects Design: Devon LaBelle ★
Intimacy Choreographer: Maya Herbsman
Fight Choreographer: Carla Pantoja
Stage Manager: Toni Lynn Guidry
Assistant Stage Manager: Mylo Cardona
Production Assistant: Kelli Westad
Technical Director: Beckett Finn
Production Manager: Stephanie Alyson ★

★ Crowded Fire Resident Artist

Reviews

“All of the blood and violence mean nothing if you can’t create a setting that genuinely puts viewers on edge. It’s to the production’s credit that Morita, Gutiérrez, and their tech crew make this a top priority.”

“A combination of good characterization and flawless technical skills keep The Displaced focused…”

“A tale of terror might not have been everyone’s first pick for a return to live performance, but as Halloween draws near and the weather grows colder, it may well be a welcome reprieve from a world in which the real terrors keep piling up.”

Charles Lewis III, SF Weekly

“…liberating, irresistible invitation…”

“One of the great pleasures of the show, which is directed by Mina Morita and Karina Gutiérrez, is anticipating what the flat will do next.”

“THE DISPLACED… [implies] that you dismiss your heritage and your neighbors at your own peril. Here, the production finds its gory, spooky groove. New boxes of possessions and a fresh coat of paint can’t erase a home’s lived history. The sins of displacement are written permanently in the walls, in blood.”

Lily Janiak, SF Chronicle

“… the perfect prelude to the approaching Halloween season.”

“… focuses as much on the everyday horrors of gentrification and displacement as it does on jump scares and skillfully-deployed special effects…”

“Further solidifying their reputation for presenting new or under-produced works by emerging and non-canonical American playwrights…”

“Crowded Fire is leading the way back to the indoor stage on multiple fronts.”

Nicole Gluckstern, KQED

“… wildly entertaining…”

“Everything works beautifully in this neat little play…”

“And, as helmed by Crowded Fire artistic director Mina Morita and associate director Karina Gutiérrez with careful attention to the nuances of emotional transitions, the two actors are utterly convincing every moment… [Jordan Maria Don and Troy Rockett] are never less than authentic”

Jean Schiffman, SF Examiner

“Mina Morita and Karina Gutiérrez co-direct the piece, and it’s clear they are positively giddy about moving the story through space. The two creatives calibrate the play beautifully…”

“… a deliciously satisfying journey and a chilling denouement.”

“… daring performances… high artistry.”

“…supremely decadent and satisfying.”

David Chavez, Bay Area Plays