About the Show
Content warnings: Language, descriptions of bodily harm and death, depictions of OCD and PTSD, allusions to parental abuse
Unsweet Perdition is an abstract science fiction play written in the style of the “New Weird”. It draws influence from works such as “Severance”, “SCP Foundation”, “Control”, “Annihilation”, and “House of Leaves.”
Run Time: 90 Minutes.
Synopsis: Astrid shows up for her first day of work at the Danbury Hydroelectric Power and Treatment facility. What follows is a descent into madness. Astrid meets the strange folks who work at the Dam, who take her on a journey that culminates in a trip all the way to oblivion.
Unsweet Perdition is “Annihilation” meets “Severance” meets “Welcome to Night Vale” meets “Erin Brockovich” in hell.
Grace Nix as
ASTRID KELVIN – A New Hire, trying her best to navigate the most confusing first day imaginable.
Grace Nix is a Los Angeles-based actor and recent graduate of the MFA Acting program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). She is very happy to bring Unsweet Perdition to life with you this Fringe. Prior to coming to LA, she devised and performed theatre in New Orleans and at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She dedicates this performance to her identical twin, Kerry, who may or may not serve as her understudy. She is represented by Aqua Talent for theatrical and commercial. Ask her about her next standup set. @grace_nix_
Sean James as
MIKE BROOM – A Dam Employee, somehow unbothered by this strange work environment.
Sean is absolutely verklempt to be a part of telling such a thought-provoking story like the one told in Unsweet Perdition. As a lifelong fan of science fiction and psychological thrillers, it is gonna be hard to find someone more excited to make you question what is or ISN’T happening than this guy! His recent credits include the short films “Every Seven” and “Veil”, as well as “Liquor Bank”, which is already receiving stellar reviews even before its world premiere later this summer. He is nothing without his fellow cast, crew, friends, his extended Cali family, and his family back home. Love and Gratitude to you all.
@theseanburger
Jeremy D. Thompson as lighting designer and
DR. PAUL MORGAN – Lead Hydrologist, who fears the Dam may already be out of his control.
Jeremy D. Thompson (Dr. Paul) (He/Him) Jeremy is excited to be stepping out of the Fringe audience and onto a Fringe stage for the first time in 2025. He studied film at ArtCenter College of Design, then worked in progressive politics for way too long, before returning to artistic pursuits studying theatre at CSUN. Favorite roles include Polonius in Hamlet, Orgon in Tartuffe, and Narrator/Mysterious Man in Into the Woods. As a director, he’s helmed Ionesco’s Killing Game and The Bald Soprano. His overextended Fringe includes performing in Unsweet Perdition and Oh, Constantine! and directing Tennessee Williams’ Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen. Go see them all…and then catch Stupid Fucking Bird, which he’s directing at The MAIN in Santa Clarita this August.
Michelle Belmont as producer and
JULIA SPENCER – A Cryptozoologist, who has tracked strange birds to the Dam.
Michelle Belmont is a mostly human being who was born in Olathe, KS. She fills her time writing, acting, producing, singing, exploring nature, traveling, and crying. She is currently pursuing certification as a mental health coordinator with the Association of Mental Health Coordinators. She has performed in numerous plays, improv groups, and musicals in Kansas, Colorado, Australia, New Mexico, and now California! She is always down to create weird art, from acting in VR film projects to using her classically trained voice on “Gnyve,” her musical side project. A favorite recent role was playing Marianne in “Constellations” alongside Evan, who is her favorite person to work with. She is also the director of operations for Broadway West, a nonprofit seeking to create and maintain a world-class epicenter of live entertainment in a revitalized historic theatre district in Downtown Los Angeles.
@fierceandpurplecreative
@fierceandpurple
@broadway.west
Naomi Melville as
ERIN REYNOLDS – Dam Supervisor, who worries they’ve all been under the influence of the Dam for far too long.
Naomi Melville is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California, where she studied theatre and screenwriting. She was last seen on stage as Kiyana in “Ugly Cry Christmas,” which ran as a part of Frosty Fest this past December. This will be her fourth year participating in the Hollywood Fringe: She helped produce new musical “Where Within” last year, wrote and directed an original musical, “Valley of Light,” in 2023, and acted in Last Call Theatre’s immersive show “Signals” in 2022. She is excited to return to the stage this year!
Athena Reddy as
ADRIAN CALIGOS – FBI Agent, returning to the Dam to investigate once more.
Athena Reddy (they/them) is a SAG-AFTRA actor and multi-disciplinary artist with an MA in Acting from The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Based in Los Angeles, they perform in the alt clown scene as characters like John Newspaper, who stars in their upcoming ensemble show “John Newspaper & Friends.” Athena’s screen work includes “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, Diplo’s “Earthquake” music video, and the Tribeca-premiered thriller “We Do This Once.” Originally from New York, they began as a singer-songwriter and model, and have since produced both comedy and horror with their spouse, writer-director Nick Grant.
Writer/Director:
EVAN SPREEN
Evan Spreen is an LGBTQ+ playwright based in Albuquerque and Los Angeles. His work has been performed in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Recently, his play “Amelia?” was part of PEP Productions Best of 2020 festival in Orange County, NY . His one-act “Lost Oceans” was selected as Best of Festival at Know Theater’s 2022 festival in Binghamton, NY . His horror play “The Vast and Unknowable Oven” was performed at Kent School in Connecticut in 2023. In New Mexico, his play “Decision Makers” was part of the New Mexico Seven 2023 at the Fusion Theater company. He enjoys writing Scifi/Horror within the “New Weird” genre. Evan is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Assistant Director:
JUSTINE LANG
Justine Lang is a theatre artist with over fifteen years of education, training, and experience in film production and live performance. She is an associate company member at The Actors’ Gang. “Unsweet Perdition” marks her Hollywood Fringe directing debut and first stage directing role. Justine enjoys working with surreal and absurd material, finding clarity through structure and play.
Sound Designer:
IAN SUTHERLAND
Ian Sutherland is a multi-instrumentalist composer, sound designer and audio-tinkerer from Chicago (Illinois). He has worked with NNAMDI, Morgan Powers and the No Moon Trio. As a composer he has produced work for Target, filmmaker Samantha Smith and The Why Collective, to name a few.
He has also performed in nationally touring music groups, small free-jazz ensembles, folk duos and experimental hip-hop groups.
Sutherland specializes in Musique Concrète and is a classically trained guitarist. His extensive performance background ranges from three-piece punk bands, to 100+ person experimental orchestras, to solo folk work.
His influences are just as broad, citing Vashti Bunyan, Silver Apples, Television, Wendy Carlos, Tom Waits and Broadcast as key points of inspiration. Combining analog electronics, traditional folk instruments and found- sound, his eclectic work has been described as otherworldly, texturally rich and haunting. He would love to buy you a cup of coffee, if you ever meet.
Graphic Designer: DAN MATHIS
Production Team
