Cast Announced for Geffen Playhouse World Premiere of Horror Play “The Ants”

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE WORLD PREMIERE OF HORROR PLAY “THE ANTS”

FEATURING HUGO ARMSTRONG, NICKY BOULOS, MEGAN HILL, JEREMY RADIN AND RYAN SHRIME

WRITTEN BY RAMIZ MONSEF AND DIRECTED BY PIRRONNE YOUSEFZADEH

PREVIEWS BEGIN JUNE 20 - OPENING NIGHT IS JUNE 29

LOS ANGELES (May 23, 2023) – Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its world premiere production of The Ants, written by Ramiz Monsef (The Unfortunates, 3 Farids) and directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Vietgone, Queen).

The cast includes Hugo Armstrong (Power of Sail, Fear the Walking Dead) as The Brain, Nicky Boulos (New Amsterdam, 9-1-1: Lone Star,) as Nami, Megan Hill (The Brightest Thing in the World, Eddie and Dave) as Meredith, Jeremy Radin (The Way Back, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as The Pizza Guy, and Ryan Shrime (Pam and Tommy, On My Block) as Shahid.

Previews for The Ants begin Tuesday, June 20, 2023 in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse. Opening night is Thursday, June 29, 2023.

A breathtaking house on a hill—complete with the most state-of-the-art security that excessive wealth can buy—should feel like a refuge for Nami, whose recent firing and eviction have forced him to crash at his brother and sister-in-law’s luxury home. But on this dark and fateful night, a violent uprising outside leaves the three trapped in what they think is an impenetrable fortress. A horror play infused with darkly humorous social commentary, The Ants asks why we spend so much money protecting ourselves instead of investing in our shared humanity.

The Ants was created during the Geffen Playhouse’s The Writers’ Room program, in which Los Angeles playwrights develop new works with the support and guidance of the Geffen Playhouse artistic team. Major support for this world premiere production provided by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Production Fund.

THE ANTS
Written by Ramiz Monsef
Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh

Previews: June 20, 2023 – June 28, 2023
Opening Night: June 29, 2023
Closing Night: July 30, 2023

CAST
Hugo Armstrong as The Brain
Nicky Boulos as Nami
Megan Hill as Meredith
Jeremy Radin as The Pizza Guy
Ryan Shrime as Shahid

PRODUCTION TEAM
Scenic Designer Carolyn Mraz
Costume Designer Dominique Fawn Hill
Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago
Sound Designer John Nobori
Projection Designer Hana S. Kim
Magic Consultant Dominik Krzanowski
Assistant Director Susanna Jaramillo
Fight Director Julie Ouellette
Dramaturg Olivia O’Connor
Production Stage Manager Darlene Miyakawa
Casting Director Phyllis Schuringa, CSA

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Monday No performance
Tuesday – Friday 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

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

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets currently priced at $30.00 - $129.00. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.

Currently, children under ten years of age will not be admitted. Masks are no longer required–but are encouraged–for audiences in our theaters and lobby/courtyard areas for all future productions.

Rush tickets for each day’s performance are made available to the general public one hour before showtime at the box office. $35.00 General/$15.00 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

Ramiz Monsef (Playwright)
Ramiz is an alumnus of The Writers’ Room at Geffen Playhouse, where The Ants was developed. It also was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2021. Ramiz is co-author of the musical The Unfortunates produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and A.C.T. in San Francisco. He wrote that show’s accompanying graphic novel as well. He also co-wrote The Many Deaths of Nathan Stubblefield, which premiered in the 2017 Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville. His play 3 Farids was part of The Bushwick Starr reading series and selected to be in the New Works Festival at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the DNA New Work Series at La Jolla Playhouse, and at Playwrights Horizons. Ramiz is an actor and has appeared in major theatres across the country, most recently playing the title role in Rajiv Joseph’s Letters of Suresh off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater, numerous television series including NCIS, S.W.A.T., SEAL Team, Kidding, Shameless, Modern Family, and Young Sheldon. He is also in the film Synchronic. Ramiz would like to thank Rachel Wiegardt-Egel, as well as Bob Egan at Ojai, for their championing of this piece. Ramiz is a current member of the Evolving Playwrights Group at Circle X Theatre Co., here in Los Angeles.

Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Director)
Pirronne Yousefzadeh is a director, writer, and educator, and serves as the Interim Associate Artistic Director at Playwrights’ Center. Prior to this appointment, she served as Geva Theatre Center’s Associate Artistic Director and Director of Engagement, where her previous directing credits include Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, Queen by Madhuri Shekar, The Royale by Marco Ramirez, Heartland by Gabriel Jason Dean, and The Lake Effect by Rajiv Joseph. She has a passion for new work that centers and uplifts the stories of global majority communities and has developed and directed work at Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Soho Rep, Ars Nova, The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, and many more. Pirronne is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop, New Georges Affiliated Artist, and member of EST, No More 10 Out of 12s, and Wingspace. She is an alumna of the 2050 Fellowship at NYTW, Sagal Fellowship at Williamstown, SDC Denham Fellowship, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, New Georges Jam, and Drama League Directors Project. Pirronne was a finalist for the 2020 Zelda Fichandler Award from SDC and is a proud member of the union. M.F.A., Columbia University. Representation: Ben Izzo at A3 Artists Agency.

Hugo Armstrong (The Brain)
Hugo Armstrong has been a part of productions at Mark Taper Forum, Sacred Fools Theater Company, Theatre of Note, The Kennedy Center, Ahmanson Theatre, L.A. Theatre Works, Echo Theatrer Company, South Coast Repertory, Kirk Douglas Theatre, REDCAT, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Boston Court, and here at the Geffen Playhouse. Recent TV includes recurring roles on Bosch: Legacy and NCIS as well as stints on True Lies, The Blacklist, Room 104, For the People, Into the Dark, and Fear the Walking Dead. Movies include Lucky with Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch, James Ward Byrkit’s Coherence and Shatter Belt, Roman J. Israel, Esq. with Denzel Washington, Daniel Martinico’s OK, Good and Excursions, as well as The Only One, DRIB, Love in the Time of Monsters, Cuck, No Man of God with Luke Kirby and Elijah Wood, and Rachel Hendrix by Victor Nunez. Most recent VO work includes scripted podcast series DUST, Agent Stoker, and Blood Weed on Audible as well as voices for Cinema Toast and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He is also a recurring fixture on the Oldhead Two Hour Radio Hour on Blast Radio. He is a CalArts grad.

Nicky Boulos (Nami)
Nicky Boulos is thrilled to be appearing in the world premiere of The Ants. Nicky earned his B.F.A. at NYU Tisch, and has continued his studies at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Stonestreet Studios. Nicky’s TV credits include New Amsterdam, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and God Friended Me, acting opposite Navid Negahban, who later enlisted Nicky in a reading of the powerful play Asher’s Command. During the pandemic Nicky wrote an Arab superhero origin screenplay and is now working on the comic book so he can see more people like him represented on the big screen! Nicky co-founded Arcana Den, a creative, mindful studio in DTLA that offers breathwork workshops, figure drawing, tarot reading workshops, and sound bath meditations. Check out @arcana.den on Instagram for more details. Nicky is excited to be a part of this production and make his Geffen debut! @nickyboulos www.nicky-boulos.com

Megan Hill (Meredith)
Megan is delighted to be making her Geffen Playhouse debut and to be in collaboration again with Ramiz and Pirronne. Megan is a Brooklyn-based actor and writer. As an actor, she has originated roles in the world premieres of: Leah Nanako Winkler’s The Brightest Thing in the World and Kentucky; Crystal Skillman’s Open and Cut; Amy Staats’s Eddie and Dave; Mara Nelson Greenberg’s Do You Feel Anger?; Robert Askins’ Hand to God; Lonesome Winter (co-written with Joshua Conkel). In 2019, Megan was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of David Lee Roth in Eddie and Dave and was named one of the Best Comedic Performances of the Year by the New York Times. Her play The Last Class: A Jazzercize Play has had acclaimed runs in New York, DC, and Seattle. B.F.A. in Acting & Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts. M.F.A. in Acting from ART/MXAT IATT at Harvard. For more info: www.meganhill.net or follow on Instagram: @meganhillwhat

Jeremy Radin (The Pizza Guy)
Jeremy Radin is an actor and writer and is absolutely thrilled to be making his professional LA theater debut at the Geffen Playhouse! He’s appeared in films such as The Way Back (directed by Gavin O’Connor) and The New World (directed by Terrence Malick), and TV shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Criminal Minds, and CSI. He’s an original member of the LA-based theater company The Public Assembly and Krymov Lab NYC. He studied and taught at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. His poetry has been published widely in magazines and journals and he’s the author of two full-length collections: Slow Dance with Sasquatch (Write Bloody, 2017) and Dear Sal (Not A Cult, 2022). He owns and operates Lanternist Creative Consulting, through which he coaches writers and performers. This one’s for mom, who knew I was an actor before I did. Instagram: @germyradin

Ryan Shrime (Shahid)
Ryan is thrilled to be back on stage making his Geffen debut in The Ants! An actor, singer, writer, producer, and voice performer, his favorite credits include Hulu’s Pam & Tommy and Grimcutty, Netflix’s On My Block, Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, as well as The Engine of Our Ruin at The Victory Theatre, and his recent voice role in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. Ryan trained at the William Esper Studio in NYC, the Berg Studios in LA, is currently studying at The Last Acting Studio in LA, and he holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University. Socials: @ryanshrime

OPENING NIGHT SPONSORS
UCLA Health
Skylight Gardens

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 Gil Cates, Jr. 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

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Zenon Dmytryk
Geffen Playhouse

Isaak Berliner
Geffen Playhouse