Melisa is a kind-hearted follower of rules. She desperately wants a child, if only she could pass the government mandated test that will allow her to do it. Young Clarisa knows nothing except the perfectly curated life her parents have carved out for her in their fortified underground mansion. She too has a test to pass, if only she could focus, follow, listen; the way Mother wants her to. In Erlina Ortiz’s magical Honey Bee Baby, the bees are gone, the resources are scarce, and everyone must earn their place in a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred with blood.

Jalice Ortiz-Corral (Variations on The End 2023; Variations on Courage 2024) directs.

Erlina Ortiz (she/her/ella) is a Dominican American playwright and theater maker from Pennsylvania. Her heartfelt and humorous plays have been presented across the US, and with Power Street Theatre in Philadelphia, where she is proud to be resident playwright and co-artistic director.

Performances will be live and in person at Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Showtimes: 8:00pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; 2:00pm on Sundays. Tickets $25. Discounted “Industry Night” tickets just $10 for the 8pm performance on Monday, January 6. Tickets are available at https://square.link/u/Ev8sXvNC.

Two staged readings will also be featured during RLP’s Strand residency: How the Fuck am I Pregnant? Or, a Trans Virgin Mary’s Tale by Tess Huth on January 14, and the newly revised Marjorie is Dead by Priyanka Shetty on January 21. Tickets for the readings are $10, available at https://square.link/u/TSELCHhu.

Rapid Lemon Productions uses paperless ticketing — patrons’ names will be at will call on the date of the performance.