[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A queer re-imagining of John Patrick Shanley’s dark romance Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, where one raw conversation unexpectedly saves two lives, heads to the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
About Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
In a rundown Bronx bar in 1983, Danny and Roberta, two people rejected by society, strike up a life-altering conversation over their beer. Danny, whose fellow truck drivers call him “the beast,” seems incapable of tender emotion, while Roberta, who is haunted by sexual assault from her father, is distrustful of people in general. As their initial reservations melt and they decide to spend the night together, the possibility of a genuine and meaningful relationship begins to emerge – a first for both of them. This play reminds us that suffering happens in silence and even our deepest aches soften when witnessed. It reminds us that connection can save a life.
Carter Scott will make history as the first non-binary person to play the role of Danny in a professional production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. This casting is not only a powerful moment of representation in a time when LGBTQ people and their rights are under attack, it also updates the play’s exploration of masculinity and amplifies its original themes of anger, guilt, redemption, and hope.
The Cast
Carter Scott is an actor turned director/producer driven by their unstoppable desire to create work. Inspired by gender non-conformity and queerness as a model for rebellion against all types of oppressive systems, Carter’s artistic mission is to unite audiences through story and drive them as a collective towards community-based living and grassroots activism.
Carter’s first project as a multi-hyphenate was a doozy; from 2015 to 2019, Carter wrote, produced, and directed Don’t Call Me A Millennial, a 30-minute dark comedy anthology of 6 shorts. Fueled by the positive feedback from their peers and mentors, Carter continued directing shorts, getting the chance to direct works written by other talented writers.
In 2023, Carter was invited to join as a member of Public Assembly, a 501(c)3 non-profit theatre company and writer development program that presents new short plays to sold-out audiences each month. Working with Public Assembly as a director and creative director (depending on the month) has honed their craft directing theatre as well as ignited their love for the medium. Public Assembly was recently named one of Center Theatre Group’s companies-in-residency, as well as receiving a write-up in the LA Times.
Jo Beth Locklear is a queer, multi-hyphenate artist with a passion for female-focused and queer storytelling. On a mission to transform the entertainment industry, Jo Beth champions women and LGBTQIA+ voices while ensuring equitable compensation and a safe and inclusive work environment on every production.
As a producer and actor, Jo Beth has worked on the short film Queen of Space starring Justin Kirk, Vico Ortiz, and Brian Michael Smith, as well as Dawn of Jayne’s music video Up 2 You. She’s the Development Executive at V3 Productions, a woman and AAPI-owned independent production company. She’s also a member of Women in Film, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advocates for and advances the careers of women and gender diverse people working in entertainment to achieve gender parity.
Acting since the age of sixteen, Jo Beth trained at the acclaimed American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, studying musical theater. In addition to her acting, Jo Beth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.