Bonobos by Lina Patel
At a suburban book club, a group of women discover just how far they’ll go to protect one another when an abusive ex shows up. Can solidarity save us, or does violence always win?
Sun, Feb 15 at 2pm

Directed by Bernardo Cubría
Stage Managed by Rae Ocenasek
Production Assistant & Stage Directions by Kassie Dunaj  

Featuring Hallie Bee Bard, Sol Marina Crespo, Joel Gelman, Teresa Avia Lim, Emilio Rodriguez, Xochitl Romero, and Brandon Ruiter. 

Bernardo Cubría is a Mexican writer. For film, he penned the feature screenplay Copa that Eva Longoria is set to direct for SONY and Guerrero which Gina Rodriguez is attached to direct and star in with One Community. He is also currently writing the Untitled Juan Gabriel Biopic that Gaz Alazraki is set to direct for Plan B and Maquina Vega. He was a 2023 Sundance Screenwriters Lab fellow for the screenplay Kill Yr Idols which he co-wrote. He was also a writer on Season 3 and 4 of Acapulco on Apple +.  His play The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote received a NNPN rolling world premiere and has had 8 productions around the country. Crabs in a Bucket won the 2024 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Writing. His play The Play You Want premiered at L.A.’s Road Theatre in 2022, garnering Cubría both a Stage Raw Award and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nomination for Playwriting. In 2019, Cubría was nominated for the Ovation, Stage Raw and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Best Playwright awards for his play The Giant Void In My Soul. Other playwriting awards include the Smith Prize for Political Theater. He was a chair for the 2024-2025, and is the chair for the 2025-2026 Dramatist Guild national playwrights fellows.

Rae Ocenasek Back at it again, Rae is excited for another show with Flint Rep! A graduate of the LCC theater program, they’ve previously worked with Flint Rep on several shows, including Godspell (2024), Spring Awakening (2024), A Streetcar Named Desire (2025), and many more. Rae would like to thank their family and friends for always supporting their creative work and pushing them to always keep growing.

Kassie Dunaj is ecstatic to be back at Flint Rep! In the past few years, she has had the opportunity to work on many shows here, including: The Who’s Tommy, The Future is Female, Godspell, and the last two New Works Festivals. In addition to this work, Kassie directs 2-3 theatre productions at St. Clair High School. If Kassie isn’t at the theatre, she enjoys writing, working on film sets, cooking, and playing with her dogs. She is grateful to be part of the new works development process and is excited to share this work with all of you!

Xochitl Romero Original Off-Broadway Cast To the Bone (Carmen), Chimichangas and Zoloft (Penelope). Regional: Cost of Living (Ovation Award winner); Crabs in a Bucket; Queens; Blackbird (B. Iden Payne Award winner). Film/TV: St. Denis Medical (NBC); Ben Affleck’s Animals (Netflix); The Conners and Station 19 (ABC); The Mosquito Coast (Apple TV+); A Little Family Drama (Amazon).

Teresa Avia Lim Broadway: Eureka Day at MTC and JUNK at Lincoln Center. Other: Shakespeare in the Park’s all female production of Taming of the Shrew, Awake and Sing, Macbeth, and Call and Response at the Public Theater. Teresa originated her roles in Galilee 34, Peerless, Water by the Spoonful, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, and Concerning Strange Devices From the Distant West. TV: Bupkis on Peacock, Monsterland

(Hulu), The Code (CBS), Ray Donovan (Showtime), Group, Blue Bloods (CBS), Limitless (CBS), Unforgettable (CBS), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC). Film: All Rise. Training: Yale School of Drama.

Hallie Bee Bard is always happy to return to Flint Rep, where she was last seen in The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote (2024 New Works Festival). She has played on many MI stages and has originated several roles in world premiere productions. Selected favorites include Alabaster (Williamston Theatre), Birthday Candles (Detroit Public Theatre), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Tipping Point Theatre). All time favorite real life role is Mama to 3 of the most incredible humans on the planet. Hallie believes the art of storytelling is essential to creating more empathetic, understanding, and unified communities. In addition to being a theatre artist, Hallie is a reiki master, postpartum doula, nature lover, and occasionally narrates audiobooks. Thank you for supporting local professional theatre!

Sol Marina Crespo is an LA based, NY raised and Puerto Rico bred creative. A graduate of New York University with a double-major in Theatre and Latin American Studies, Sol has graced many stages in NY such as The Public Theatre, Signature Theatre, Pregones Theatre, Flux Theatre Ensemble, and Classical Stage Company, among others. Regionally, Sol has worked at Southern Rep (LA), Two River Theatre (NJ), Pitt Stages, Quantam Theatre and No Name (PA), Odyssey Theatre, Iama Theatre company, Echo Theatre Company (CA). Her short film Villa Encanto, which she wrote, starred in and produced premiered at Tribeca 2025 as part of COLECTIVO. Awards: Eben Demarest Fellow (2016); NYSCA Screenwriting Fellow (2019); semi-finalist Sundance Episodic Lab (2021). www.solmarina.com IG: @solshine787

Emilio Rodriguez began his theatre career at the age of 2 performing one kid adaptations of The Wizard of Oz in his parents living room using a broom, a funnel and a pair of his mother’s red high heels. He now teaches Playwriting and Acting at the University of Michigan and the Michigan Actors Studio. His bilingual musical Salomé will premiere at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti this March!

Joel Gelman is thrilled to be back at Flint Rep where you may have seen him as Father in Ragtime. Joel’s a native Michigander who now hails from Chicago. Chicago credits: John Hancock 1776 & Lightoller Titanic Marriott Theatre, King Agnarr Frozen Paramount, Lazar Wolf Fiddler on the Roof Drury Lane. Selected Regional credits: Unnecessary Farce (Mason Street Warehouse), Sense and Sensibility (South Coast Repertory), Les Misérables (Hollywood Bowl), Tobacco Road (La Jolla Playhouse), TV credits: The Chi, The Bear, Chicago Med, South Side, Wolf Boy and the Everything Factory, The Mighty Ones, Modern Family, New Girl. MFA: UC San Diego, BA: WMU. Big thanks to Flint Rep for having me back! Endless love and gratitude to Melissa.

Brandon Ruiter THEATRE (select) of Heist (*American Premiere, Arizona Theatre Company), Berlin (World Premiere, Winner of Jeff Award for Best Ensemble, Court Theatre), Punk Rock (Winner of Jeff Award for Best Ensemble, Griffin Theatre), and Rose and the Rime (The House Theatre). L.A. THEATRE: Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole and Sex with Strangers (Geffen Playhouse), Failure: A Love Story (Center Theatre Group/Coeurage Theatre), and Big River (Rubicon Theatre Company). FILM/TV: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Netflix), Into the Storm (Warner Bros.), Black AF (Netflix), and The Goldbergs (ABC). EDUCATION/TRAINING: Originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., graduate of Hope College, and proud Assistant Producer and Company Manager at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Accomplished illustrator and character designer for animation IG: @BrandonRuiter