Next up at INTAR Theatre will be the world premiere of J. Julian Christopher's Bundle of Sticks. Directed by Lou Moreno, the play sees gay men from across the globe attend conversion therapy in Coober Pedy, an Australian city known for its opal mining, as the set of Mad Max, and the fact that many of its inhabitants live underground.

The cast of the world premiere, set to run February 22–March 22, will feature Lucille Duncan, Fleece, Laura Jordan, Melissa Navia, Zo Tipp, and Hope Ward.

“Bundle of Sticks’ characters are gay men," says director Moreno. "[But] we have cast it without cis male actors. We hope the play will reveal why. J. Julian Christopher is an excellent example of dreaming and writing. His plays are intrinsically Latine but more importantly the stories he tells are big, unapologetically theatrical and tell an authentic human story that is accessible to all of our audience members.”

In Bundle of Sticks, when men arrive at therapy—The Sticks—they are not only challenged by Otto, their toxically masculine group leader, but also by the rainbow serpent responsible for the protection of water and erections.

Bundle of Sticks will have production design by Meghan E. Healey, lighting design by Harbour Edney, and sound design by Jesse Mandapat.

Christopher is an alum of The Public Theater's Emerging Writers Group and a New Dramatist resident. His plays include Man Boobs (Pride Films & Plays), Nico was a Fashion Model (Counter-Productions Theatre Company), Animals Commit Suicide (First Floor Theater), and Locusts Have No King (INTAR).