RIVERBEND
Daphne has a plan after graduating high school: repair her late mom’s boat and sail away from her distant father and stifling small town. But when twins Aiden and Diana arrive and shake up her life, Daphne finds her plans and heart challenged by a feeling she has never felt before. In this modern adaptation of Greek mythology, follow Daphne and her neighbors around the riverbend as she navigates tests of love, grief, and learning how to live after loss.
BY CAROLINE GAME AND MICHAEL LIGHT OOSTERHOUT
THE PLAYWRIGHTs
Caroline Game (she/her; LYRICS AND BOOK) is an NYC-based librettist/lyricist. She has a passion for telling complicated, compassionate stories, and is particularly interested in narratives centering women and theatre for mental health awareness. Her current projects include Riverbend (Emerging Artists Theatre’s Sparkfest, Write Out Loud Finalist, Epiphanies Theatre Festival Winner, Drama Club Camp Writers Retreat, Table Read Co. Staged Reading, NMTC Semi-finalist), Hourglass (Drama Club Camp Writers Retreat, Sandbox Musicals Playspace), Come Again (play), and The Meadow (song cycle). Her work has also been featured in the New York Theatre Festival, the Druid City Pride Festival and has been featured at cabaret venues including Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, and Green Room 42. She is originally from Atlanta, GA, received her M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Michael Light Oosterhout (he/him; MUSIC) is a composer/lyricist, music director, and playwright. Passionate about genre-bending and blending myriad styles into contemporary musical theatre, he is chiefly interested in exploring the relationship between the ancient and modern worlds, as well as highlighting issues affecting queer youth. Michael's current projects include Evelyn Evans (play), The Lonely Girl’s Guide to Friendship or… Love? (musical), The Right Reasons (song cycle), and Riverbend (musical). Past projects include Ariadne: A New Musical, Sparta! The Musical, Euripides' Medea (arrangements), Judith Walsh White's Winnie the Pooh (arrangements), 15-minute opera Windy, and 20-minute musical The Advice Column. Music direction credits include Fly By Night, Mr. Burns, Formerly Known (arrangements), and The Cherry Orchard. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Michael is a graduate of Vassar College (B.A., Music and Greek & Roman Studies) and received his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from N.Y.U. Tisch.
LYRICS AND BOOK: CAROLINE GAME
COMPOSER: MICHEAL LIGHT OOSTERHOUT
PRODUCER: KRISTEN ELIZA BROCK
CO-PRODUCER: ANNIKA BURLEY
STAGE MANAGER: CHRISTIAN JIMENEZ
MUSIC DIRECTOR: STEPHEN ANTHONY ELKINS
CAST + CREATIVE
KAY SIBAL*
DAPHNE
SAMANTHA BELDING*
DIANA
JAMES POWERS
IAN
MICHAEL RAUL PEREZ*
AIDAN
BRAD BAKER*
MURPHY
AUDREY FISHER
STORYTELLER #1
INEZ VEGA-ROMERO
STORYTELLER #3
LANI CORSON*
STORYTELLER #2
COLLIN SKELTON*
STORYTELLER #4
LUCAS BABCOCK*
STORYTELLER #5
ZION MIDDLETON
STORYTELLER #6
THE DETAILS
This AEA 29 HR process consisted of several in person rehearsals the week prior to the reading taking place in June 2026 at Open Jar Studios.
This production was supported by Susi & Paul Grady.
WHEN AND WHERE
JUNE READING AT OPEN JAR STUDIOS