Poetry Electric: Palatable Gay Robot (BETA)
Written by Stephen Brower
Directed by Zachary Prince
Series Director: William Electric Black
Palatable Gay Robot (BETA) will feature an esteemed special guest, Kaitlin Hopkins.
Meet HumaVibe's latest product, Billie Bowtie. Programmed to be the perfect performer, Billie is gay - but not too gay. As he navigates his sentience amidst growing pressure from the Moderator to remain palatable, Billie glitches through standup comedy, character work, song, dance, and storytelling to land in a place of true humanity.
A laugh-out-loud comedy with a meta-narrative twist, Palatable Gay Robot (BETA) is "an uproarious and poignant rollercoaster ride of identity politics." The play first debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 (Playbill Pick), and continues it's development as a fun, surprising, and totally unique piece of theater.
Palatable Gay Robot (BETA) will feature an esteemed special guest, Kaitlin Hopkins.
Stephen Brower ("Billie," writer) is a multi-disciplinary artist based in NYC. He made his Broadway debut in the musical Anastasia, and will soon appear in the original Broadway cast of Lempicka (dir. Rachel Chavkin). As a writer and comedian, Stephen has headlined shows at StandUp NY, Broadway Comedy Club, Club Cumming, and more. Online, he’s an avid content creator with a combined following of 350K. He's a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and strives to create work that speaks to the queer experience.
Zachary Prince (director) is a NYC-based actor and director with a gluten intolerance and a gardening kink. He was last seen as “Josh” in the Broadway-bound A Transparent Musical (based on the Amazon series) at Center Theatre Group in LA. Zach attributes his keen eye for storytelling to his many years on and off-Broadway as a standby for much more famous people. When Zach isn’t acting or directing, you can find him feverishly inhaling journalism, shopping for plants he can’t afford, or taking pictures of the two goldendoodles he shares with his partner, Brandon Uranowitz.
Kaitlin Hopkins is an award-winning actress, director, producer, and educator Hopkins originated roles on and off Broadway, on national and international tours; can be heard on five cast albums including Bat Boy-The Musical, for which she received a Drama Desk nomination, and appeared in over 50 television shows and films. She created the BFA Musical Theatre degree at Texas State, acting as head of the program for 14 years. Hopkins is also the creator and CEO of Fontus Dry Mouth Lozenges, and works as an arts consultant creating curriculum, programing, and professional development for organizations worldwide, specializing in institutional wellness. She currently serves as the External Examiner for Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, the first of its kind in the Middle East; Artistic Advisory Board NTPA; Artistic Director for the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriting Intensive and the MT Initiative both at Snow Pond Center for the Arts. www.kaitlinhopkins.net
Poetry Electric 2023–2024 is made possible by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Howard Gilman Foundation, The John Golden Fund, and The Shubert Foundation. Additional funding from the Axe-Houghton Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.
Poetry Electric
The Poetry Electric fuses music, movement, sound, and dance with the spoken word and presents artists working in a wide range of styles including beatboxing, jazz and hip-hop theatre. This series has presented over 200 emerging poets from diverse cultural backgrounds.