Discover the first of its kind - the Cos-Play Musical that tips its hat to all that is Portland Oregon. This milestone endeavor has evolved from a humble comedy mockumentary into a full-on theatrical musical review. The film and stage comedy is a comedic nod to Phantom of the Opera set among the costume community of Portland. Logline: “A local cosplay Gala Fundraiser at a theatre venue, takes a monstrous turn when a costume debacle leaves ‘Avocado Man,’ on a quest for revenge, threatening to upend the Gala event unless the culprit is revealed.”
Award-winning screenwriter/producer/director, Michael Bayouth is the show creator and is leading the charge onto stage and film with this unique time capsule comedy that captures all the fun and quirkiness that the Pacific Northwest embodies. The cosplay community in all of its oddness and grandeur, has inspired this enchanting comedy that will undoubtedly entertain audiences for years to come. Bayouth comes at storytelling, screenwriting, & directing as a professional Union storyboard artist in the Art Directors Guild. You can easily visualize what he writes because that’s his day job. In his world, original stories rule the roost. He also has many years of industry experience in marketing and selling films. He’s a paid Screenplay Writer, TV Writer, Actor, and Director.
Writer/Producer, Michael Johnson is an accomplished composer for film, TV, and so much more. He is known for his melodic, lush, and colorful orchestral scores. He composed and conducted melodic orchestral arrangements for Grammy-nominated prog rock darlings the Decemberists’ iconic album Her Majesty as well as for his own bands Reclinerland and Parks & Recreation.
Michael earned a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Portland State University and studied alongside Andy Hill, former vice-president of music production at Disney, and Norman Ludwin, Hollywood orchestrator for Michael Giacchino, at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe, where he conducted a 52-piece orchestra and earned a post-graduate degree in Film Scoring. Michael has also written and orchestrated two full-length musical plays!
He brings over twenty years of experience writing, performing, and recording music to his collaborations with filmmakers around the world.
Producer/Co-writer Kristin Barrett is an accomplished musical theater performer. She is currently based in Portland Oregon. Not only is she an accomplished screenwriter, but her work has graced the stage in many major musicals and theatre productions such as Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” where she played Frau Blücher on Broadway Portland, and in 2024, performed in “The Evil Dead” the musical just to name a few. She has a BFA in theater from Loyola Marymount in LA, a degree from the Portland Actors Conservatory, and over 20 years of dance tap, jazz, burlesque, swing and blues, hip hop, and ballroom. She was awarded “Best Actress” in a Musical and nominee for Triassic Parq in 2019 (Broadway World).
Every year “The Spin City Cosplayers” put on their local Gala Fundraiser and, as usual, it promises to be the costume event of the year. Their non-profit is growing and their community seems to be thriving. It’s a culture of non-traditionalists, forging their own path through society by reidentifying themselves through cosplay as a wide range of self-prescribed characters. But there’s a fly in the ointment this year. With the Gala only days away, Sky Struzan, the event organizer, has a problem on his hands; Chad Tanzy, AKA “Avocado Man,” is mad and missing. Chad, known for being a bit difficult at times to work with, probably brought this on himself. Someone unknown, has vandalized Chad’s Avocado costume, turning it into a phallic nightmare and spraypainted it to say, “Knob Man.” After a complete meltdown and flipping out, Chad’s gone into hiding at the venue where rehearsals for the Gala are well underway. And now, with the event looming, he’s vowing to seek revenge and upend the event if the culprit doesn’t reveal themselves