2026 Philly GRIT Lineup
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A Vacation
By Bastion Carboni
Colton is an influencer for the ages. Colton has gained millions of views and made a name for himself by going through the doors that only he and his buddies can open. From war-torn wastelands to dictatorial regimes, Colton is your VIP Pass to humans surviving the inhumane; giving you exclusive access to what you're not ALLOWED to see. Now, he's taking you to Purgatory! A Vacation by Bastion Carboni is a dark comedy about manifesting, destiny, and what you can get away with.
Running Time - 90 min
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The Dangers of Tobacco
By Justin Jain
This Chekhovian one act gets a wild overhaul as a comedic lecture given by a dusty old professor about the harms of smoking. Forced to give this lesson by his wife, it becomes the revelation of a life lived, a looking-back at the ever-present “what could have been.” In this ultimate mash-up, Justin Jain also looks back as they deconstruct this classic text and explode the story into a familial tale of first-generation queer Filipino-American. Justin explores the fine line between performer, character, and clown as they playfully entrance the audience with these intertwining stories.Running Time - 90 min
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Camp Cookie
Cookie Diorio is a Philadelphia-based drag performer, classically trained vocalist, songwriter, activist, and lover of all things sparkly!! This season Cookie will be shaking off the dark of winter; embracing the start of spring. Camp Cookie is a speakeasy Cabaret filled with music, laughter, drinks and of course… cookies
Running Time - 120 min
CAMP COOKIE
Featuring Cookie D’iorio, Philadelphia-based drag performer, classically trained vocalist, songwriter, activist, and lover of all things sparkly!! Camp Cookie is a speakeasy Cabaret filled with music, laughter, drinks and of course… cookies.
MEET THE CAST
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BASTION CARBONI
Plays: Holier Than Thou, Sometimes Callie and Jonas Die, Scattershot, An Obviously Foggot, and A Vacation. Recent acting credits: Brother Martin in Incorruptible, Rexi in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Fidel in Dot (South Camden Theatre Company), Carla/Tryphoena in Turds In Hell (EgoPo). Bastion is the recipient of fellowships from The Albee Foundation and VSC and has collaborated with Brett Robinson in the Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Residency as well as The Bearded Ladies Mini-Residency. He is a director, former theatre critic (never again), the artistic director of Poison Apple Initiative, the co-creator of the long-running political cabaret AGITATED! with HoneyTreeEvilEye, and a monologuist/ barely-clothed blonde terror under the drag alias Pilar Salt. All possible love to his priceless friends.
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JUSTIN JAIN
Justin Jain is a Barrymore Award-winning Performer, Ceramicist, Director, Educator, and Wilma HotHouse Company member. For over 15 years, Justin served as co-Director of the alt-comedy theatre company, The Berserker Residents (www.berserkerresidents.com). Mr. Jain has performed Off-Broadway and with many regional theaters including: 1812 Productions, Arden Theatre Company, InterAct, Lantern Theatre, Azuka, People’s Light, FringeArts, Shakespeare in Clark Park, McCarter Theatre, Theatre Horizon, Passage Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, The Assembly in Edinburgh, ASU Gammage, and Ars Nova NYC, among others. As a Director, Justin’s recent credits include The Good Person of Setzuan at The Wilma, She Kills Monster at Arcadia, and The Chinese Lady at InterAct, among others. Justin is currently pursuing an MFA in Ceramics and Performance at the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC Low-Res 2027).
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COOKIE DIORIO
Cookie Diorio is a Philadelphia-based drag performer, a classically trained vocalist, a songwriter, an activist, a husband, music teacher and lover of all things sparkly. She mastered walking in 5 inch stilettos in the night clubs of Boston, achieved her hair fantasy by studying vintage videos of Grace Bumbry and founded the giving project Art of the Heel. Cookie grew up in historic Auburn, NY with gospel in her ears, civil rights in her blood and many songs in her heart. She trained at Ithaca College in the voice studio of Angus Godwin and learned the many different skills of western classical music from master teachers such as Carol McAmis in vocal pedagogy, Lawrence Doebler in choral arts, Dana Wilson in composition and Patrick Hansen in opera coaching. While Cookie has been in and out of the drag scene since 2002, she began performing regularly in the Philadelphia area as host of the Art Song Repertory Theater Company’s salon series “Saturday Afternoon Drinking Songs” in 2013. Since, she has produced the shows Fire In My Bones: A Gospel Jubilee, Beauty From Our Sorrows, Telling Herstories, Forces of Nature, Music: The Food of Love and I, Too, Sing America. She has also been soloist for events, galas, concerts and on the cabaret stage.
