 Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky Pablo and Owen are work buddies and drinking buddies and on one perfectly normal night they set up a rendezvous with a couple of ladies from their local bar, but Pablo has other ideas and has arranged it so that the ladies are no-shows. Pablo, sexually assertive and assuredly gay, has registered the heterosexually married Owen on his gaydar, and, being of a somewhat predatory nature, he’s planning to go in for the kill. Simple enough.
But in Mark-Eugene Garcia’s remarkable play, nothing is simple. Everything is complicated by histories: personal, cultural and queer. This pressing history in which the two young men move as if caught in quicksand is personified by a horror: the dreaded chupacabra – the goat sucker. This legendary creature has apparently haunted Pablo since a tragedy involving the death of his younger brother when Pablo was only a teenager. Pablo is burdened with the conviction that the mysterious death was his fault, and could have been prevented.
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 Casey Spiegel (left) as “Owen” and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in the upcoming Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky For San Francisco native Alejandro Torres, directing a queer horror-comedy was a no-brainer.
The sometime-actor-turned-theatre-director counts George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and David Cronenberg’s remake of “The Fly” as monster-flick favorites. What’s more, the chance to helm a play with a Latine perspective was appealing. The really scary part was having to put on such a niche play in a city that seems to be losing its unique artistic identity. “I’d be lying to you if I told you that I felt that San Francisco was a city friendly to the arts and was invested in cultivating them,” says Torres. “With many venues [pricing out artists] in favor of wealthier tenants, I see fewer and fewer viable places for art to be created and shown in my hometown. San Franciscans are a resourceful bunch, but these days, I think that artists are definitely left to fend for themselves, even more than usual.” Theatre Rhinoceros, the Castro-based company that claims to be “the world’s longest-running continuously producing professional queer theatre,” had worked with Torres before, so he was a natural choice to direct the West Coast premiere of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s “Goat Blood,” which opened June 27. (The play premiered off-off-Broadway in New York in 2024.)  Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” (left) and Casey Spiegel as “Owen” in the Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky Borrowing from our writer, his words are a wonderful jumping-off point.
“You decided the name was yours. You grabbed it like you grabbed the land, then decided everyone else was an outsider, a threat, contamination.” Mark-Eugene’s words hit so poignantly at a time of extreme division and animosity among the populace of our nation. At a time in which state-sponsored horror and violence are being enacted on the most vulnerable in our society, and no one, not even those with the most privilege, is safe. A time when our most marginalized: the undocumented, the asylum seekers, those pursuing immigration to our country via “the right way”, those profiled due to their name, their tongue, the color of their skin, our transgender siblings, those (especially women) seeking reproductive healthcare, and others are targets of this authoritarian regime and are being stripped of their dignity and humanity. For our protagonists, Pablo and Owen, their fear will last all night as they attempt to survive, and for our most marginalized, their fears are day-to-day.  Adrian Nava (left) as “Mr. Sanchez”, and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky Horror is having a moment on stage. Earlier this year, a theater spin-off of the “Paranormal Activity” movie series shattered San Francisco box office records. It skulked onward toward Broadway, where it arrives next month, joining “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” and the musicalization of ’90s vampire flick “The Lost Boys.”
Here in San Francisco, at Theater Rhinoceros, another fearsome tale lurks in the wings: Playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia’s scary, sexy “Goat Blood,” a co-production of the Rhino and JT Presents, begins performances June 25. But unlike the brand name fright franchises that have jumped from screens to stages (arguably jumping the shark en route), “Goat Blood” is an original, written specifically for the theater. Particularly well-suited to the close confines of the Rhino, it’s intimate, shivery, and not at all dependent on big-budget effects. “A lot of my inspiration came from old radio programs and “Twilight Zone” episodes,” said queer playwright Garcia in a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “I wanted to focus on what works best on stage rather than in a movie. It’s a lot about what you can’t see. What’s scary is what’s unknown.” “Goat Blood” seeps into you. Mark-Eugene Garcia’s play, Goat Blood, is a queer horror thriller must-see! - Bearworld Magazine6/10/2026  Get your tickets now for Goat Blood, a play written by Mark-Eugene Garcia that’ll have you on the edge of your seat!
Premiering on June 25th in San Francisco at Theatre Rhinoceros, Goat Blood is a queer horror thriller wrapped around a deeply emotional story about grief, masculinity, memory, and survival. In the heart of a dense forest, nestled in the bed of a pickup truck, two coworkers, Pablo and Owen, find themselves waiting for their dates. What starts as a casual debate about tacos, friendships, sexuality, and heritage gradually transforms into something deeper… an undeniable attraction simmering beneath their banter! However, their unexpected connection is soon overshadowed by the arrival of a menacing Chupacabra, threatening to shatter the tranquility of their evening. Owen’s terror at the creature’s appearance pales in comparison to his shock when he learns that the Chupacabra has been a constant presence in Pablo’s life.  Casey Spiegel (left) as “Owen” and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in the upcoming Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St. in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky Following the critically acclaimed, sold-out run of A Guide for the Homesick in 2023, JT Presents and Theatre Rhinoceros bring Mark-Eugene Garcia’s hit play Goat Blood from New York to San Francisco. Garcia takes the legend of the chupacabra, a figure of fear in many Latinx and Southwest American cultures, and mixes it with the queer desire and ancient truths we carry inside. Goat Blood focuses on two coworkers, Pablo and Owen. In the heart of a dense forest, nestled in the bed of a pickup truck, they find themselves waiting for their double dates. What starts as a casual debate about tacos, friendships, sexuality, and heritage gradually transforms into something deeper – an undeniable attraction simmering beneath their banter. However, their unexpected connection is soon overshadowed by the arrival of a menacing Chupacabra, threatening to shatter the tranquility of their evening. Owen's terror at the creature's appearance pales in comparison to his shock when he learns that the Chupacabra has been a constant presence in Pablo's life.
 Garcia’s production of With Bated Breath delivered a laugh-out-loud experience, and with such talent from the cast, this well-written play was sure to please all who had the privilege to attend. The clever one-liners and much alliteration are cleverly placed within the story, leading the audience down the winding path of a multilayered plot filled with mysteries and characters you can relate to and soon adore. Each cast member brings life to this small town in Virgin, Minnesota, and takes the audience on a wild journey with many subjects, all while charming us effortlessly. The play embraces an underlying message of light-hearted fun and leaves you feeling like you have taken a ride filled with twists and turns and brimming with good-hearted creativity.
 Dear future audience,
The production of “With Bated Breath,” written by Mark-Eugene Garcia and directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos, was a tastefully written and skillfully executed experience. From the moment the lights shine on Old Lady Warner at Warner’s Corner Store, the audience is fully engaged in an amusing and thought-provoking story.  As the very first production of New York City’s 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival on Monday, April 20th, Dennis Bush’s The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love had high expectations. Indeed, the play met this challenge with flying (rainbow flag) colors. Directed by Lester Thomas Shane, the comedy-drama offers an intimate look at four openly gay men whose lives are intertwined not only personally, but also via the trajectory of gay male history through the last five decades. If that sounds like an overly grand description, I assure you it’s not. The different ages of the characters affect their personalities, their outlooks on their own lives, and how they interact with each other. When one of the 35-ish characters makes a musical theater reference that the 20-something man doesn’t understand, it’s one of the funniest and also most realistic moments in the show. (The audience, for the record, got the reference!) Aaron (John Trindl) is Generation Z. Kelvin (Mark-Eugene Garcia) is Generation X. Marcus (Chris Ikner) and Jason (Collin Hendley) are somewhere in between. There is also the voice of yet another generation making his presence known in The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love— but more about that later…
 New Comedy “With Bated Breath” to Set Lower East Side Ablaze this April
Powerhouse Playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia presents another clever work at FRIGID NY NEW YORK, NY — This spring, the quiet, conservative town of Virgin, Minnesota, is about to get a very loud, very public wake-up call. The world premiere of With Bated Breath, a riotous new comedy exploring what happens when a “purity-first” town accidentally inhales a cloud of high-potency sexual enhancers comes to FRIGID NY. The production runs from April 24 through May 3, 2026, at the legendary Under St. Marks theater under Manhattan.  With Bated Breath, a new comedy by Mark-Eugene Garcia, will make its world premiere at Under St. Marks with a limited run as part of FRIGID NY.
 The New York Premiere of Mark-Eugene Garcia's comedy With Bated Breath will run at Frigid New York this spring. Welcome to Virgin, Minnesota-a town so stuck in its ways that even the cows might be celibate. Mayor Frankie is determined to save the town from economic doom by bringing in a new factory, run by the brilliant but no-nonsense Dr. Corazon De La Fuente. But here's the twist: the factory manufactures sexual enhancement pills, and it doesn't take long before things start to get... steamy. Just as the townsfolk are warming up to the idea of jobs, an accident sends a mysterious cloud of sex-enhancing mist floating through Virgin. Now, the once-uptight residents are overcome with desire, and all their repressed urges start bubbling up like a Midwestern hot dish left on high. Under the watchful (and hilariously judgmental) eye of Old Lady Warner, the whole town is turned upside down as everyone deals with newfound lust, confusion, and a whole lot of awkward conversations. "With Bated Breath" is a laugh-out-loud romp about how one small town gets a big dose of hormones and learns to loosen up-ready or not! The production is directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños. The cast includes Federico Mallet Flores as Oliver Cox/Gunner Warner, Dylan Glick as Ulaf Anderson/Mona Lurie, Matthew Penalva as Mayor Frankie, Duncan Pflaster as Pastor Johnson, Martha Lorena Preve as Dr. Corazon De La Fuente, Erin Solér as What's Her Face/Randy Johnson, and Kirstin Wolf as Old Lady Warner/Blondie Peterson. The production is produced by Aaron Clark Burstein, stage managed by Tori Oatway, with scenic design and props by Adrian Walker, intimacy coordination by Katie Royse Ginther, and costume design by Tearzah Rai. Performances are on April 24th, April 25th, May 1st, and May 2nd at 7pm and April 26th and May 3rd at 2pm.  The Fresh Fruit Festival kicks off its Mainstage season with the provocative new drama THE SLOPPY ABANDON OF EXCAVATED LOVE, opening at The Wild Project.
The play follows Marcus, who discovers a journal from the 1980s and becomes increasingly absorbed in its contents. What begins as curiosity turns into a kind of emotional possession, as the past bleeds into the present. His relationship with his boyfriend Jason begins to strain, while his friendship with Kelvin grows more complicated, intimate, and volatile.  Photo by Madison DeVore Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea By Madison DeVore
Photo Essay: Mark-Eugene Garcia Profile On his first day of kickboxing class, Mark-Eugene Garcia learned some of the basics: jabs, hook punches and front kicks. It was a challenge. “I was just dripping in sweat and feeling disgusting — but at the same time — feeling alive,” he said. Growing up, Garcia, 45, didn’t do team sports. He was a marching band and theater kid. His school even allowed music as a foreign language and marching band as a physical education requirement, he added.  First introduced in 2019, MTFestUK has championed bold, original musical theatre, with many works reaching full productions in the UK and beyond. This year, audiences can enjoy six fresh pieces through intimate 1-hour workshop sharings, encouraging audiences to experience, explore, engage and support musical theatre in its earliest stages of development.
Paul Taylor-Mills, Artistic Director at The Other Palace, said: “This is so exciting! I can't wait to see the next season of MTFestUK coming to life. MTFestUK has become such an important platform for musical theatre, giving many emerging and established artists the chance to share their work. Year after year, we see musicals from the festival move on to full productions, which proves its impact and success. It's inspiring to witness the festival continually open doors for creativity and innovation in the art form.” From digital-age community, hotel-bound suspense, witch-hunting, influencer pitfalls, to a charming deceiver, and a new queer legend - this season goes everywhere: Shining in Misery: A King-Size ParodyMusic: Andrew Abrams Book & Lyrics: Mark-Eugene Garcia Book: Colleen DuVall Director: Gary Lloyd Experience a musical parody of King-size proportions! During the Misery of a blizzard, five people are drawn to the Shining lights of the Overlook Hotel. This includes Jack: the hotel's new caretaker, Wendy: his unhappy wife, Danny: their clairvoyant son, Annie: a volatile nurse, and Paul: the mysterious unconscious man she drags up to room 217. As the storm grows so do the mysteries of the hotel and the guests sing and vocalize while hacking an onslaught of visitors — human, animal, and supernatural. Will this group be able to harmonize through IT, take a Stand, or fade into The Mist?  The first words spoken in the sold-out October 5th afternoon reading of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s With Bated Breath are courtesy of David Rigano as he introduces a character known as “Old Lady Warner”. She’s the owner of Warner’s Corner Store in the tiny town of Virgin, Minnesota (Population: 205.3) Played by the anything-but-old-lady-like Kirstin Wolf, with her “cat” on her lap, the introduction to this small-town saga PERFECTLY establishes the zany spirit of the show we were about to see… As it turns out, Wolf’s character boasts many of the play’s funniest one-liners. But let’s not get too far ahead… Most importantly, this “Old Lady” is skilled at storytelling… and what a story she has to tell!
With Bated Breath, written by Mark-Eugene Garcia, received a staged reading at New York City’s Under St. Mark’s Theatre as part of FRIGID NYC.
 FRIGID New York has revealed the lineup of programming for their 28th season including the 4th annual Days of the Dead Festival, the 13th annual Gotham Storytelling Festival, the 16th Annual The Fire This Time Festival, and the 19th Annual New York City Fringe Festival (formerly FRIGID New YorK Festival). Their upcoming season will also include new productions from resident artists Mark-Eugene Garcia and Rodrigo Bolaños, Padraig Bond, and Something From Abroad. All programming takes place at UNDER St. Marks, unless otherwise noted. Most performances will also be available to stream from home.
 Theatre Rhinoceros, the longest-running LGBTQIA+ theatre anywhere, will present six mainstage productions this season ranging from brand new plays to Rhino favorites to musical theatre classics. Readings, workshops, and ESPs are produced by Amy and Derek Morgenstern, Henry Rosenthal, and John-Thomas Hansen. Othello, by William Shakespeare and directed by John Fisher, will hold performances September 26 through September 28. Who is telling the truth in this insane classic? Come find out when it gets the Rhino twist. The Break-Up! A Latina Torch Song is a world premiere that is written and performed by Tina D'Elia. It will be directed by Mary Guzman, and will run November 6 through November 23, 2025. Trina Maria, miserable in heartbreak-ville after she loses the Movie Butch of her dreams, stumbles into a mystical queer misfits “break-up” support group. Xmas Fun by the Rhino Artists will perform on December 18, 2025. Those crazy rhinos cut up in this holiday extravaganza. The performance is produced by Adrienne Hirt and Jeffrey Rodman. Left Field is a world premiere that is written and directed by John Fisher. The show will run February 18 through March 15, 2026. The country is getting its first gay president. La Cage Aux Folles will perform April 17 through May 11, 2026, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein. Set in gay, gay, gay St. Tropez, the Rolls Royce of queer musicals comes to The Castro. Finally, West Coast premiere Goat Blood will close out the season June 25 through July 19, 2026. The show is written by Mark-Eugene Garcia. Pablo and Own are sipping beers and fooling around in the flatbed of a truck, but something ancient and hungry is watching. About Theatre Rhinoceros Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in 1977 and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. We develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser known queer classics. Over the years Theatre Rhinoceros has received many awards of recognition including: Theatre Rhinoceros Day in the City Proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition from Senator Mark Leno, recognitions from Congressperson Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Persons Tom Ammiano and Carole Migden, numerous Cable Car, BATCC and TBA Awards and Nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Best LGBT Theatre. The Monsters We Know: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Book Signing at the Drama Book Shop- INSC Magazine7/8/2025 Before summer theater descends into festival frenzy and outdoor spectacle, June gave us something far more satisfying: three emotionally potent evenings that bypassed bombast and landed, instead, directly in the chest.
In different corners of New York’s downtown scene, artists found fresh ways to say the unsayable—whether through myth, mime, or the ticking countdown of a mechanical heart. Here’s a closer look at three performances that continue to linger well into July. This year, Candela welcomes 16 outstanding musical theatre writers and playwrights from across the globe into its 2025 cohort. By: Emmy Rice  Candela, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to expanding access to theater education for playwrights, book writers, and lyricists of Latin American and Caribbean heritage, has announced the fellows selected for its third annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship program, a.k.a. Summer Jam.
Founded by writer/director and professor Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and co-directed by scholar/director and professor Dr. Daphnie Sicre, the fellowship this year is a beacon for musical theatre writers and playwrights 21+ who seek access to writing workshops, craft talks, mentorship, and a supportive artistic community led by some of Broadway and Off-Broadway's greatest musical theater writers and playwrights -free of cost. Fables Folklore and Farces: A conversation with Mark-Eugene Garcia The enthusiastic audience in the Drama Book Shop consisted of people that knew Mark’s plays, had worked on, or been in Mark’s plays, and me, who only knew Mark through my many visits to the Drama Book Shop, and his musical “Shining in Misery” which I am mildly obsessed with.
Mark is a natural storyteller and his playwriting arc over the last two decades was filled with humor and humility. |
Mark-Eugene GarciaWriter/Actor/Storyteller. Theatre Maker. Husband. Bad Hombre. Cat Taunter. ContentsArchives
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