‘HOLD THAT THOUGHT WHILE I SCREAM’ DIVES INTO LONELINESS, DELUSION, AND THE SEARCH FOR CONNECTION

Hold That Thought While I Scream

WHAT: Happy Man’s Productions presents:

‘Hold That Thought While I Scream’ – A New Dark Comedy Coming to Hollywood Fringe

Hollywood, CA. Barrett DeYoung makes his Hollywood Fringe Festival debut with a workshop production of his new dark comedy-drama, Hold That Thought While I Scream.

Set in a therapist’s office in the 1940s, the play follows a female therapist as she quietly unravels while guiding three increasingly fractured clients through their own crises. Each session brings new confessions, delusions, and carefully constructed narratives, and as the hours pass, her grip on herself begins to slip.

Lady Havilland (Nicole Ohara), a fiercely ambitious therapist from humble beginnings, has fought relentlessly against the limitations of her time to build a life and practice of her own. But as the play unfolds, set roughly a year into her success, she finds herself struggling to hold together everything she’s created. Across three sessions with patients (all played by Benjamin J. Young), Lady is forced to confront not only their instability, but her own.

As ambition collides with reality, boundaries blur. Breakthroughs and breakdowns arrive in equal measure. What emerges is an absurd, funny, and deeply human portrait of people grasping for control, connection, and meaning in a world that offers no easy answers.

While rooted in the 1940s, Hold That Thought While I Scream uses the era as a quiet pressure rather than a focal point. Against an unspoken backdrop of war, censorship, and rapid technological change, the play draws subtle parallels to the present day. But at its heart, it remains something simpler and more intimate: a story about loneliness, the need to belong, and the fragile hope of being enough.

WHERE: The Hobgoblin Playhouse on Gardner (Main Stage), 1516 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles, CA 90046

WHEN: (Preview) June 6, 2026 @ 2:00 pm; (Opening) June 14, 2022 @ 1:30 pm; June 20, 2022 @ 1:00 pm; June 21, 2022 @ 12:00 pm; June 26, 2022 @ 10:00 pm (Runtime: 60 minutes)

TICKETS:
Price: $10.00 (recommended donation)
Ticket link:https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13785

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Barrett DeYoung (Writer/Director) Barrett’s work blends dark comedy with emotionally offbeat storytelling. He recently completed his debut feature film Where Fools Go, developed after an earlier short film that screened at several festivals and helped launch his transition into long-form filmmaking. This marks his first stage production. Barrett studied acting at Pace University, an experience that continues to shape his writing through a strong focus on performance, rhythm, and character-driven storytelling. Influenced by playwrights such as Martin McDonagh, Harold Pinter, and Neil Simon, his work explores eccentric, deeply human characters searching for connection in often uncomfortable or absurd circumstanes.

Nicole Ohara (Producer/Lady) is a Hapa actor, producer, and writer. She is on a mission to build a body of work that takes people on a journey of self-discovery and awareness. She trained at the Stella Adler Art of Acting Studio Conservatory. Her notable acting credits include: California Skate, Moving on Hulu, Small and Mighty on Disney+, Love Deadline on Netflix, Snowdrop on Disney+, and Found Family (Winner Paris Film Festival Best LGBTQ). As a producer she has experience both on stage and film including The Seagull (dir. Bruce Katzman, starring Sasha Alexander and James Tupper, Odyssey Theatre); Orion and the Dark (Netflix – Top 10); All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Oscar Nominee Best Documentary); Gummy Worm (Best Comedy Nominee, Encore Producers’ Award Winner). She’s looking forward to working on this production and you can learn more about her at nicoleoharamedia.com or follow her @nicoleoharamedia

Benjamin J Young (Patrick/Gene/Duck) Benjamin grew up in the midwest before going to NYC to study at PACE University – graduating out of their Film, Television, Voice-Over, and Commercial acting program. His dream is to create a body of work that reflects his passion for action on film, and in its pursuit he has been able to build some cool credits that he is quite proud of including Leverage:Redemption, The Rookie, Law and Order, and California Skate. He has had the pleasure of working alongside Barrett on a handful of projects, with Hold That Thought While I Scream being their first production for the stage. He’s looking forward to his Hollywood Fringe Festival debut!

• * *
  NOTE TO EDITORS/CONTACT: News media representatives planning to cover this event may request tickets for this event by contacting Nicole Ohara, producer, at (310) 938-9081 or email at [email protected]. A ticket will be required for entry to the theater.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Instagram: @holdthatthoughtwhileiscream
Website: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13785