“𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤.” - 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘣 𝘊𝘢𝘦𝘯, 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 

“𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙗 𝘾𝙖𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.” - 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘢, 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 1966

LOGLINE

Three stoner roommates in San Francisco scramble to make $1000 so they can pay this month’s rent but get embroiled in an encounter with a queer punk ukulele band, a ghostly indigenous woman and an encounter with I.C.E. that may change their lives forever.

Frisco is a stoner comedy that turns into an immigration drama based on actual San Francisco immigration court cases between 2016 and today.

After circling each other for 30+ years, Campo Santo founder Sean San José (Sing Sing, Train Dreams) brings his esteemed team of veteran actors to writer-director H.P. Mendoza and his team of producers and craftspeople to create a hilarious and relatable story from a San Franciscan perspective rarely seen on screen: the lower-middle class of POCs struggling to make ends meet in a rapidly changing San Francisco.

Reliably (and maybe unreliably) narrated by Colman Domingo, Frisco follows three roommates as they scramble to make this month’s rent while navigating the gig economy, artificial intelligence, proliferating weed dispensaries and the uphill battle of immigration law in San Francisco.

“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮, 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺.” - 𝘏.𝘗. 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘢

 ACT ONE

SAN FRANCISCO. MISSION DISTRICT. 2026

Bubbly punk rocker MERCY is a little short on rent this month.

Black nerd TERRELL just lost his job because his weed dispensary closed down.

Mercy’s ex-boyfriend, the curmudgeon CLAUDIO just got fired from Whole Foods for something he swears is not a crime.

And these three stoner roommates need to find at least “one K” ($1000) to make rent this month. Terrell calls his mother, LILLIE, only to find that she’s in financial straits. Claudio texts his sister, BENJAMINA, who reminds him that he still owes her money from the last time he needed it.

When Mercy decides to take up a long standing offer for help from her band leader, MOSES, the roommates all attend the punk show to ask him for financial help, but everyone’s use of slang leads to a comedy of errors: “two Gs” to the roommates means “two vials of GHB” to Moses, “one K” to the roommates means “one bag of ketamine”. Oh yeah, Moses is also a drug dealer.

With Moses and band mate ERIKA now taking up space in the apartment, Moses has an idea for everyone to make money: hit up his pastor brother, MANUEL.

ACT TWO

Mercy, Terrell, Claudio, Erika and Moses all attend mass at Father MANUEL’s church. When Manuel learns that Moses is only there to borrow money, he ups the ante by requesting that Moses attend one more mass, which deflates Moses until he lays eyes on SANTIAGO, the young Colombian asylum seeker being fostered by Manuel’s church. Suddenly, Moses offers up his services as well as the services of his friends to give moral support during Santiago’s time of need.

In the days leading up to Santiago’s trial at the immigration courthouse, we learn that Mercy is secretly considering moving out of her apartment and in with Erika’s so they can work on music together, Claudio worries about whether or not his co-workers will press charges and Terrell wonders about his future in San Francisco. All while encountering very modern vignettes commonly found in San Francisco, brought to life humorously. (Sometimes, musically.)

And as the trial nears, our gang of friends each, individually, realize how much of themselves they see in Santiago and they all recognize that he has somehow become very important to all of them. Even as Santiago shows no interest in Moses, whatsoever, Moses stays to support.

When the court date arrives, our gang of friends sit in the courtroom listening to Santiago give his heartfelt plea for asylum and the judge hears this with her whole heart but still warns that anything…anything…is possible. Upon exiting the courtroom, Santiago is instantly apprehended by ICE agents and whisked away from our gang of friends who are left shocked and speechless.

———————————————

As our gang of friends process what just happened, Claudio realizes that this is as good a time as any to reach out to his immigration lawyer sister, BENJAMINA who shuns him for only coming when he’s in need. She also reminds him that he owes her money.

Meanwhile, nihilist queer punk Moses and his progressive religious brother Manuel hash out familial tensions from the past that may or may not be surmountable. Regardless, Manuel gives Moses two thousand dollars - double the amount Moses asked for in the first place.

Tensions amongst the friends mount and Mercy reveals to Claudio that she’s been planning to move in with Erika, which Claudio fully understands, realizing that the break up would now be final.

As Claudio recounts previous encounters with the law with Terrell, he is reminded in his history of arrests he has no convictions which reminds him of a very specific legal procedure that struck him as fascinating: Habeas Corpus: the act of challenging imprisonment by reviewing the legality of detention.

ACT THREE

Claudio goes back to his sister, Benjamina, to ask about whether or not habeas corpus can be invoked in Santiago’s case. Benjamina is impressed with Claudio’s deduction and she puts in the application.

Erika, Mercy and Moses are all activated and decide to put on a live punk show in front of the courthouse to gather a big crowd. Mercy tells the local journalists while Terrell and Claudio flyer the town.

When the day of the trial comes, a massive audience has built around the immigration courthouse making a big ruckus and the local press is here to cover it. Father Manuel’s congregation is here too and he announces that no one is allowed in the courtroom since Santiago requested a closed case.

When a retired lawyer, LENNY, gets on the microphone, he riles the audience up by saying that there’s no way Santiago requested a closed case. That Santiago is not going to be granted asylum and that he’s probably on the way to the Mesa Verde detention center as they speak.

ICE agents appear, surrounding the protest.

The crowd is uneasy, asking questions from Father Manuel but Lenny takes it upon himself to lead the crowd in a chant, asking “Where’s Santiago?”

As the crowd chants, they also get unruly as they start to throw garbage at the ICE agents. First, bottles made of plastic…then of glass.

Terrell’s mother, Lillie, has arrived on the scene looking for her son in the huge crowd. As the crowd gets more and more agitated, the ICE agents look more and more ready for violence as they brandish their batons. Lillie is petrified.

Terrell is on the other side of the protest, petrified as well. He sees Mercy and Erika and Moses in their punk band chanting angrily, and he clocks Mercy frightened beyond belief, mouthing the words “I love you” to Claudio across the sea of protestors.

Father Manuel takes a deep breath and calms everyone down by leading everyone in song. They sing “We Shall Overcome”, a song of protest but also of optimism. One that every protestor, every activist, every agent of social change…knows.

Suddenly the sounds of thousands of angry protestors have transformed into harmonic rapture as they sing the gospel song at the top of their lungs. ICE agents motion to each other, get on their walkies, planning for next steps.

Suddenly Santiago emerges from within the courthouse, unshackled and free. Father Manuel screams Santiago’s name and the crowd erupts into joyous applause as they rush the courthouse steps to embrace Santiago.

Claudio and Mercy reunite and they kiss, giving their relationship another go. Terrell meets up with his mother and the gang of friends all join in the revelry as people celebrate this win for immigration law - knowing that this may very well be an uphill battle.

NARRATOR (still casting)

What starts off as a very typical dry, male disembodied voice ends up being an incorporated character that breaks the fourth wall in Frisco, acting as a thought partner for some characters and as a friendly debate opponent for others.

Currently in talks with multiple actors.

TERRELL (Nican Robinson)
early 30s, Black, identifies as a “blerd” (Black nerd) and spends his time at gaming conventions when he’s not working at an upscale weed dispensary in the Mission

Lives with his friends Claudio and Mercy.

Oakland born actor Nican Robinson was in director H.P. Mendoza’s last film, The Secret Art of Human Flight as “Tom”. He can also be seen in shows such as Netflix’s Beef, Disney’s Asohka and the new Prime Video series Black Creek.

MERCY (Gabriela Maldonado)
late 20s, Mexican-American, one-third of a punk ukulele band called “Puke”, a lover of old music and old films who supports her cultured habit by working at a coffee shop in Hayes Valley.

Lives with her ex-boyfriend Claudio and their friend Terrell.

Originally born in Mexico, actress Gabriela Maldonado comes from performance troupes like San Francisco’s Culture Clash and Los Angeles’ Center Theater Group and is one of the newest additions to Campo Santo.

CLAUDIO (Juan Amador)
early 30s, Mexican-American, ex-boyfriend of Mercy. Computer gamer and PC builder. Tech savvy and comfortable with hardware but avoids the “nerd” moniker because of his street smart attitude…and his history of arrests.

Actor Juan “Wonway” Amador is a Grammy® nominated songwriter and DJ who most recently starred in Play On Shakespeare’s production of Migdalia Cruz’s Macbeth. Apart from receiving acclaim for his performance in Naomi Iizuka’s Garuda’s Wing, Amador is also the winner of the Connecticut Critics Circle Best Actor award for Quixote Nuevo.

MOSES (Sean San José)
late 40s, Filipino-American, lead singer of punk ukulele band “Puke”. A proud nihilist, the non-binary and queer Moses instantly falls in love with asylum seeker Santiago which forces him to reconsider what he believes…if he believes in anything at all.

Apart from starring in two Best Picture nominees (Sing Sing, Train Dreams) San José is co-founder of Campo Santo, a performance group for and by People of Color since 1996. San José also works as the Creative Executive for Colman Domingo’s Edith Productions.

ERIKA (Anna Ishida)
late 30s, Japanese-American, the final third of ukulele punk band “Puke”. Level headed, cool and maybe even a little aloof, Erika also acts as big sister to her bandmate, Mercy.

Tokyo born Anna Ishida made her film debut as the star in H.P. Mendoza’s cult horror film I Am a Ghost for which she won two Best Actress awards and continued to work on subsequent projects with Mendoza like the dark comedy Bitter Melon, the dance album Folx and numerous short animated projects. Frisco will be third feature film collaboration between Mendoza and Ishida.

MANUEL (Ogie Zulueta)
50s, Filipino-American, brother of Moses and pastor of a progressive Episcopal church in San Francisco who has taken it upon himself to take care of a asylum seeker from Colombia named Santiago.

Actor Ogie Zulueta has developed and performed in works by MacArthur fellow Luis Alfaro. Praised by The Los Angeles Times for his physicality, Zulueta is also known for his television work including regular work in shows like One West Waikiki and independent films like Sergio Arau’s A Day Without a Mexican.

SANTIAGO (Samuel del Rosario)
20s, Colombian, gay man seeking asylum in San Francisco after receiving death threats in his hometown. Disowned by his family, Santiago finds refuge in Father Manuel’s church and finds community in his congregation.

Holdin an MFA in acting, the Puerto Rico born Samuel del Rosario is also an attorney specializing in immigration issues related to deportation defense. He is currently starring as “Hedwig” in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in San Francisco and is being hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the Bay Area theater’s next big thing.”

BENJAMINA (Sarah Nina Hayon)
mid-40s, Mexican American, immigration lawyer who runs a tight ship both at work and with her family at home. The opposite of her ne’er do well brother, Claudio. When Claudio comes to her for help with Santiago’s case, she can’t help but wonder if it’s one of his many ploys to extort money from her.

Three-time Drama Desk Award nominee Sarah Nina Hayon is a proud graduate of NYU’s Tisch and longtime member of LAByrinth Theater Company. Starring in independent films like Bullet Catch and Fairyland, Hayon is also a prolific television actor starring in shows such as The Other Two, 13 Reasons Why and Succession.

ARTURO (Christian Cagigal)
50s, Latino, newspaper reporter whose publications have fallen on hard times as media layoffs continue in San Francisco. He doubles as a social media photographer hoping for the next big event to photograph.

U.S. born son of Salvadoran and Spanish immigrants, magician and actor Christian Cagigal splits his time between New York City and San Francisco; magician at Speakeasy Magick in NYC and owner of the San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour. After Fruit Fly and Bitter Melon, Frisco will be his third collaboration with H.P. Mendoza before releasing the Cagigal-centered feature film Now and at the Hour, co-directed by H.P. Mendoza.

LILLIE (Margo Hall)
60s, African-American, mother of Terrell. Lives alone and enjoys the solitude. Slightly judgmental and not one to dole out compliments easily, Lillie loves her son but has yet to exhibit any pride for him.

Margo Hall was recently awarded the 2021 Kenneth Rainin Fellowship in Theater and listed as one of the YBCA 100 honorees for 2020. Margo’s film and TV credits include “Leslie White” in Netflix’s All Day and a Night, Nancy in both the feature film of Blindspotting as well as the television series, and the voice of “Melba” in Pixar’s Soul.

ALAN (Brian Rivera)
mid-40s, Filipino, all-around good guy who you would find doing odd jobs around town just to make ends meet. Whenever someone conveys their surprise upon discovering one of his new skillsets, he always responds with “wife and kids, dude”.

Brian Rivera made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning revival of The King & I and recently won the Charles Dean Award for Excellence in Bay Area Theatre Performance.. A proud collective member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Rivera has frequently worked with Campo Santo, including Luis Alfaro's Will Glickman Award winning Travelers. He previously worked with H.P. Mendoza on the feature film, Bitter Melon starring as the eldest brother “Moe”. Brian Rivera is honored to be back to collaborate with H.P. on a second film, as well as to reunite with longtime Campo Santo/ Magic Theatre friends.

MARITZA (Catherine Castellanos)
age unknown, Indigenous, the ethereal spirit who appears to Mercy at the Botanica shop right outside the immigration courthouse before Santiago’s trial. Severe, nurturing, and eerily omniscient, Maritza gives Mercy the funny feeling that she may not be of this realm.

Catherine Castellanos has been a company member of the San Francisco company Campo Santo since 2001. After working with numerous resident artists including Denis Johnson (Jesus’ Son, Train Dreams), Castellanos starred in the queer film festival favorite Night Fliers, one of the four “Films in Focus” at Focus Features in 2010. After 15 seasons with California Shakespeare Theater, Castellanos led play development and directed formerly incarcerated young women out of the San Francisco sheriff’s department and continues to seek restorative justice with her theatrical collaborations with the incarcerated men in San Quentin.