Works by Christian St. Croix:
MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA
WE ARE THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS
ZACH
Synopses:
Monsters of the American Cinema – When his husband dies, Remy Washington, a Black man, finds himself both the owner of a drive-in movie theater and a caregiver to his late husband’s straight, white teenage son, Pup. United by their love of classic American monster movies, the two have developed a warm and caring familial chemistry – but their relationship fractures when Remy discovers Pup and his friends have been bullying a gay teen at his school. Told through dueting monologue and playful dialogue, “Monsters of the American Cinema” is a haunting and humorous tale about fathers and sons, ghosts and monsters.
We are the Forgotten Beasts – On a scorching summer evening at a Riverside, California motel, Archie, a gay Black man reaching the ends of several ropes, upends his life (yet again) to save his straight half-brother Nick from the rock bottom of a cross-county bender. As the heat rises and painful memories of their shared pasts begins to surface, the brothers rediscover an imaginary world they’d created together as children. “We Are the Forgotten Beasts” is an indie, epic slice-of-life story about fathers and brotherhood, childhood and the imagination.
ZACH – A satirical comedy that lovingly skewers the popular tropes of the 90s teen sitcom, “ZACH” introduces us to the lives and loves of two teens of color at an affluent, majority-white Southern Californian high school. P.J., a lovesick surfer boy, and Gina, a budding fashionista, are overjoyed when they’re invited into the inner circle of Zach, the white, charismatic, prank-happy new kid at school. But when Zach plans a prank that goes too far, P.J. and Gina must race to stop him before it’s too late – and along the way, learn to see their peers, and themselves, with fresh eyes.
Bio:
Christian St. Croix, a queer, Black playwright with working class roots, has been gaining recognition with his breakout, award-winning play “Monsters of the American Cinema.” As Los Angeles Times critic Charles McNulty noted, St. Croix brings “grit” and “capacious empathy” to the stage, with a dash of surrealism. His O’Neill Finalist “We Are the Forgotten Beasts” and the ’90s-inspired “ZACH” have drawn critical attention, the latter praised by the Seattle Times as a “nostalgic yet probing exploration of belonging.” His work has appeared at Rogue Machine Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, and ArtsWest Playhouse, and he’s received honors including the Carlo Annoni International and Dominic Orlando Playwriting Awards. A Craig Noel Awards nominee, his latest project “We Lovers” continues his exploration of slice-of-life stories salted with the fantastical.