How to Be an Ending

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – How to Be an Ending written and performed by Elena Rosa, directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson heads to the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023.

In a crumbling and surreal world, six characters fight to understand why they left Matthew behind. Elena Rosa plays all of the characters in How to Be an Ending.

There’s Paula, who teaches at a beauty school: “I see all kinds. Some of them are pregnant or already have a baby. Some of them are eager to get their first job and be on their own. Some of them are running from something. Many of them are tired. It’s amazing how people can run when they are tired. How fast they can go. So fast they forget what was behind them. What was there? The color of it all. Like the color was never there. These girls—they run so fast that they crash right into me—I mean they really hit me. And they startle me. And for a second they have this look across their face—something optimistic. It happens so quickly, but by the time they catch their breath and pull some hair behind their ear—when they look at me—I mean really look at me—their faces drop, and turn to despair because I’m tired.”

Paula is tired of living—Will wants more guns—David wants a boyfriend—Madison wants to keep her baby out of foster care—and Vicente’s dog won’t stop barking! Everyone is busy—and everyone can’t seem to see Matthew, until it’s too late. There is something in the walls here, something in the buildings and the yards and the trains. Something in the way they look at each other, something in the way they want. And run. And everyone is running from Matthew.

How to Be an Ending isn’t over when it concludes its narrative. The characters will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.

Writer-performer Elena Rosa is an actor and artist. Born in San Francisco and raised in Yuba City, CA by her Dominican mother, Elena grew up dancing in musicals and ballets. In her youth, she appeared in The Nutcracker for seven years. After high school, she trained at the prestigious Drama Centre London where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater. She relocated to Los Angeles and pursued fine art receiving her Masters of Fine Art at Otis College of Art and Design with an emphasis in experimental film. Her work, which included characters written and performed by Elena, garnered her the prestigious Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg emerging artist award. Her work has appeared in galleries including Ben Maltz and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. In 2015 she created a performance for the REDCAT Stage in Los Angeles with a performance entitled Monologues for Men in which she scripted and acted the role of an aspiring male actor auditioning for a play. In 2021 she created L-bAR, the first interactive, virtual, lesbian and queer women’s storyworld. Recent television credits include The Dropout/HULU, L.A’s. Finest/FOX, and The Politician/NETFLIX.

Jessica Lynn Johnson directs and develops How to Be an Ending. Acclaimed both as a solo performer and as a director of solo artists, she is the founder of the company Soaring Solo Studios and a recipient of the Best National Solo Artist Award. Her directing credits include Unemployed Finally, The Mermaid Who Learned How to Fly, 365 Days of Crazy, Triangles Are My Favorite Shape, Bully-mia, Not My Show, Answers Outta The Blue, Dear Yoko, Is It History or Is It His-Story? and more.