Announcing Our Next Production
The Story
Adam, a young gay man, has spent the last seven years trying to finish his novel, but something is always holding him back. A self-described "Food Delivery Specialist" (bus boy) at P.F. Chang's, he's failed to live up to his fullest potential his entire life, and there's always someone else to blame, be it student loan debt, the crumbling healthcare system in America, or his mother.
Tired of listening to Adam come up with excuse after excuse as to why he cannot finish his life's work and move on from his past, Adam's friends gather one fateful night to force him to confront his choices and make a decision: move forward, or face what happens when you won't.
Featuring a cast of six, Adam's friends form a sort of ensemble playing dozens of characters from his past and present as his story unfolds, difficult relationships are dissected, and his mental health unravels before the audience.
Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends, a new drama by Nashville playwright Robert M. Coles, sheds light on mental health, suicide, LGBTQ issues, and the after-effects of conversion therapy. Performed as a 90-minute show with no intermission, the script has three possible endings, and the actor playing Adam gets to decide the fate of our characters each night in real time without warning to his fellow performers, or the audience.
The Cast
(in order of appearance)
ADAM - Payton Justice
ANNIE - Brianca Renfro
LEE - Sky Roberts
MOM - Taryn Pray
WILL - Ezra High
REMY - Joshua Andrew Hosale
About the Playwright
Robert M. Coles is a Nashville, TN-based playwright, theatre producer, and marketer. His writing projects include Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends, a semi-autobiographical drama about mental health struggles, Aunt Sally's Wild Ride, a southern family comedy, Session Notes, a psychological thriller, and others. Robert's short play, Fuckritary, was featured in the Nashville Ten Minute Play Festival. Titles of other notable works: include The Gray Area (film), In Idled Stacks (book), Can't Stop Failing (book), Down in Nashville There's a Riot (play), Gay Card Revoked (one-act play), and Open House (play).
Robert's first book, I Know Where I've Been: A Year-Long Journey of Self-Discovery was released in 2016 and quickly became an Amazon Best Seller. It is currently being re-released, slated for Spring 2025, and is also being adapted into a one-man show. His second book, Trees, Babies, and Horse $h!t, will be released in the Summer of 2025.
Robert studied English and Creative Writing at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN as well as Visual Communications at O'More College of Design. He has a 15-year career in marketing and public relations and currently works as the Head of Marketing for a Cybersecurity software provider. Additionally, Robert donates his time and talents to theatre companies to help them promote their projects. He founded Brand Spankin' New Theatre in Nashville, TN, dedicated to promoting new works and helping local Nashville playwrights finish their work and see their projects through to a full-scale production on stage.
Robert has been with his partner, Andreas, for 8 years and they currently split their time between Nashville, TN, and Vienna, Austria. Robert is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Production History
December 2019 - First draft written in roughly 4 hours over a bottle of scotch
April 2020 - First reading takes place via Zoom during COVID-19 Pandemic with Community Arts of Bellevue
July 2020 - Reading draft released to public with favorable reviews
September-December 2023 - Production draft goes through major rewrites and changes
January-April 2024 - Script is workshopped with Writer's Block, led by New York City Producer/Director Haley Rice
May 2024 - World Premiere Out of Town Tryout is set for Nashville, TN with Bradley Moore directing
August 2024 - New York City Workshop, in partnership with Theatre 4The People, directed by Haley Rice
What's Next?
October 2024 - World Premiere Out-of-Town tryout in Nashville, TN led by Bradley Moore, produced by BSN Theatre
October 2024 - Staged Reading in New York City, directed by Haley Rice as part of her New Works Series, in conjunction with Theatre 4The People
2025 - Off-Broadway Production