A Red Orchid Incubator Presents Facility Theatre's
a (c a K e ) production with music by beyond this point
July 15thJuly 30th Friday and Saturday at 8pm Sunday at 7pm A Red Orchid Incubator Presents The Silence That Follows Produced by Facility Written by Elliot Baker Directed by dado The show will last approximately one hour with no intermission
Ross Peter DeFaria + Vivien Shawna Franks * Joe Stephen Walker Norma Maria Stephens Percussionist 1 Alex Monroe Percussionist 2 John Corkill * Facility Member + Member of Actor's Equity Assosiation
Director dado Stage Manager Lauren Lassus Assistant Stage Manager Sam Hurwitz Assistant Director Laura Reitsma Lighting Mike Durst Scenic Tom Daniel Sound Dan Lastres Costuming/Props Kotryna Hilko Props J Van Ort Marketing Jaimelyn Gray FROM THE DIRECTOR
Last year Elliot Baker and I sat down before he left for England and I said "you've done two incubators as an actor, both by Harold Pinter. You're going to playwriting school. Why don't you write a play using any Harold Pinter text you can get your hands on, any essay, report, novel, poem, play, article." So he agreed. It was a commission. On the other end of things, Alex Monroe, John Corkill and I have always wanted to make something that was purely generated by us, not by a pre-existing composition or script. So they started to listen to the drafts as Elliot sent them over and they joined in on the project.
I haven't set about this endeavor trying to be scary or spooky, I don't think that was ever the goal at hand. But the script and it's characters did beget some interesting questions. Whenever I was run up against an obstacle, the questions I returned to the most in figuring things out were, "Why is something a ghost? How does something become a ghost?" The actors would ask me "am I a ghost?" and I would say, "I don't think that is the right question, I think the question is 'how or why am I a ghost?'" I believe I have learned a lot about why things might be ghosts.
We also charged ourselves to integrate the relationships between the percussionists and the story being told by the actors. We all agreed that the sound needed to be integral to the story, not simply an underscore. We wanted the sound to be necessary to the existence of the project, we didn't want to have the project performable without that element.
In the spirit of experiment, I couldn't be more intrigued and excited to have had this experience with this particular collection of unique artists. None of this could exist without them, they are endemic to the project, because of how Elliot wrote the words and because of how Alex and John have embedded themselves into the working dynamic of the ideas in the story.
Finally, I would like to take this moment to thank the inaugural Facility Theatre because without their effort and great understanding none of this could have been possible. thank you for coming! dado We think our goal is simple: Whether developing a new work or providing support and a home for the extension of another, our wish is to become a diverse arts hub. We wish to provide the most fertile ground possible to create. To give to the bravest among the artist of our time and place. If the fates allow there will be a physical Facility down the road for everyone to share, play, sketch, and grow in. Until then, we humbly thank our more established siblings at A Red Orchid Theatre for giving us a corner of the world to mark as our own for a few weeks and do what we enjoy best. Thank you for coming over and saying hello.
A Red Orchid Theatre's Incubator Series was created to get to know emerging talent and foster exploration in Chicago's theatre community. The idea behind this series is to give artists a stage/space to incubate new work, new artistic relationships and/or new artistic forms. A Red Orchid's ensemble maintains the conviction that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit, and that passionately committed artists will draw passionately committed audiences. The Incubator is an active manifestation of that conviction and of A Red Orchid's mission to cultivate new audiences for the modern stage. c a K e Experimental theatre producing organization. c a K e is a conglomeration of art/performance situations. The idea behind c a K e is to explore the matrix of complications that ensue when ideas and form relate, collide or imbricate empathic epistemologies. c a K e has employed various objects and humans to make work that questions corporeality and the human condition.
beyond this point is an exploratory collaboration seeking to investigate resonances and intersections across several practices including theater, movement, media/film, non traditional musical forms, sculpture, text, and installations both static and performative. The collaboration aims to engage diverse audiences on multiple levels through its exploration of resonances between artistic mediums with a goal of developing a platform in which to create works that are intrinsically coalesced along these resonances from their point of inception. Shawna Franks (Vivien) is very excited to be performing at AROT with c a K e, in the first production of Facility Theatre! She most recently performed in Grand Concourse at Steppenwolf Theatre where she was honored to cover performances for the incomparable Mariann Mayberry. Shawna originated the role of Dottie in Killer Joe at The Next Lab in Evanston. She performed this role at The Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, The Bush Theatre in London, and The Vaudeville Theatre on London’s West End. She has also appeared in various productions in Dublin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New York City. Shawna is represented by Paonessa Talent. Much gratitude goes to her two sons, Jackson and Samson. Thank you Elliot.
Stephen Walker (Joe) previously performed at A Red Orchid Theatre in Celebration and The Hothouse. Recent credits include American Buffalo and Ibsen's Ghosts at Mary Arrchie, Black River Falls at Curious Theatre Branch, The White Road at IRC, and The Coward at Stage Left. He has also worked at Goodman, Steppenwolf, Mark Taper Forum, Oobleck, NeoFuturists, Viaduct, Hypocrites and many more. He is a former Artistic Director and Ensemble Member of the Factory Theater. Film/TV credits include Chicago Fire and Stir of Echoes. Many thanks to Dado, Shawna Franks and everyone at Facility.
Peter DeFaria (Ross) is very happy to be working with such talented wonderful artists. Many thanks to Tom, Kirk, Shawna; Facility, for making that happen.
Maria Stephens (Norma) is delighted to be incubating again with all these fabulous souls! She was last seen in Hell in a Handbag's Production of The Divine Sister. Other past Chicago credits include working with; Trapdoor, The Gift, Appletree Theatre, The Mammals, The Factory Theatre and The Artistic Home where she is currently a member, some past show credits there include; Lady Macbeth, The Goddess, Skin of Our Teeth, Modigliani, Petrified Forest, Natural Affection, The Tinkers Wedding and more. Maria is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Always love to Charlotte, Violet and Pete. dado (director) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid, where she has directed in and acted in a lot of plays including last years The Mutilated, Simpatico, The Hothouse, and Megacosm. This is her 3rd Incubator, her first with Facility. She is the founder of c a K e which is an experimental theatre producing organization with a terrible Facebook page. Past Incubators are A Night Out, and Celebration, both by Harold Pinter. She is a frequent collaborator with Beyond This Point. After this project, she will direct Harold Pinter's first play, The Room for AROT. She is currently teaching at DePaul and has an MFA from the University of Chicago in visual art. This work is for Renata Horowitz. beyond this point was founded in 2014 by Chicago percussionists John Corkill and Alex Monroe. The collaboration has presented hybrid works for percussion, vocals, visual art, and theatre at a wide range of venues including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the University of Chicago’s Gray Center for Arts & Inquiry, Chicago Transit Authority Platforms, A Red Orchid Theatre, The Artistic Home, Constellation, and Kamehachi Sushi Bar. beyond this point’s endeavors have resulted in original works by composers Samuel Adams, John Elmquist, Pierce Gradone, Igor Santos, and David Skidmore. On August 19 and 20 at 8pm, beyond this point will present ?Corporal, and evening of percussion theatre at the Humility Gallery in Pilsen. More info at beyondthispoint.org.
Elliot Baker (playwright) is a playwright and actor who travels between London and Chicago. He has been a member of c a K e for two years and was seen in their recent productions of A Night Out (as Kedge) and Celebration (as Lambert). His last play, Only Human was produced at the shortplay night, “8Squared” in Swiss Cottage, London. He is currently under commission by Adam Line and his “Solos” night at The Star Of Kings in King’s Cross. He is currently a student at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is projected to graduate in 2017.
Lauren Lassus is thrilled to be working on this wonderfully weird show! Recent credits include: The Orchestra at Akvavit and The Few at Steep Theatre Co. where she is an artistic associate. She has previously worked with Lookingglass, Writers Theatre, Jackalope, WildClaw, Theatre Seven, Two Pence, The Inconvenience, and American Blues Theatre. She is also currently stage managing theatre for the wee ones at Emerald City Theatre Company. Thanks to Dado and the entire cast and crew!
Laura Reitsma is a producer, director and performer around town. Laura played Betty in A Red Orchid's first incubator, A Night Out by Harold Pinter and is super stoked to be assistant directing Dado on this production that is NOT by Harold Pinter. Laura is the producing Artistic Director of The LIVINGroom, a a solo performance series that brings together solo artists who devise and perform autobiographical stories based on a theme every second Sunday of the month at Stage 773.
Kotryna Hilko is thrilled to be working with Facility! Past credits include Byhalia, Mississippi (Definition Theatre Company and The New Colony), Waiting for Godot (UIC Theatre) and Angry Brigade (Chicago Circle Players). Associate designer credits include A Doll's House (Definition Theatre Company) and Stickfly (Windy City Playhouse). She is a recent graduate from University of Illinois at Chicago where she is pursued her BA in Costume Design and BFA in Performance. Special thanks to my beautiful family, Dado, and Kristy Hall for all the opportunities and support. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you! Sam Hurwitz wants you to know that she is the person operating the Minnie Mouse car. She recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Comedy Writing and Performance. Is this play a comedy? Maybe, I guess we'll find out. (Hint: no, it's not.) Sam would like to send a HUGE thank you to dado and the cast and crew there’s nothing better than watching a bunch of grownups play. More specifically, she thanks Lauren Lassus for generously passing down her stage management wisdom and Laura Reitsma, for always speaking highly of her.
J Van Ort is excited to assist with "The Silence That Follows" and it’s amazing crew. J is a writer, critic, performer, and semiprofessional helper. They are a graduate from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dan Lastres is an undergrad at the University of Chicago studying Music and English, with a focus on composing. There he has done sound design for productions of Love's Labour's Lost, The Seagull, The Bald Soprano, and Twelfth Night for which he wrote original music.
Kirk Anderson (Facility Artistic Director) is a long time theatre artist in Chicago. He has been a member of both European Repertory Theatre and TUTA. His play The Jewels, was produced by TUTA under his direction. He has worked with many of Chicago's theatre companies. Most currently he is working at Steppenwolf on Between Riverside And Crazy. Other Steppenwolf credits include The Diary Of Anne Frank, Huck Finn, Lady Madeline, Uncle Vanya, Penelope (Fight choreographer). Other Chicago credits include Ghosts (Mary Archie). The Woman Before, John Doe, Overweight, unimportant: Mishape (Trapdoor Theatre). There Is A Happiness That Morning Is (Theatre Oobleck). The Wedding, Fulton Street Sessions, Mozart And Saliari, The Jewels(Tuta). The Ballad Of Emmet Till (Goodman Theatre). Dandelion Wine (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Teibele And Her Demon, Go AwayGo Away, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, Slavs!, Zoyka's Apartment and Ivanov. (European Repertory Company).
Tom Dacey Carr (Board Chair/Founding Member Facility) is a Chicago actor and founding member of Facility Theatre. His Chicago credits include work with Tympanic Theatre, Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, Erasing the Distance, Victory Gardens, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, Next Theatre, and the Organic Theatre. Regional credits include Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park and Playmakers Repertory Theatre. The arts have been at the core of his professional life but not always at the forefront. After working in New York he and his wife moved back to Chicago to start a family. A series of marketing jobs followed including time running the coop program at League of Chicago Theatres and producing commercials for financial institutions. He is a proud graduate of the professional actor training program at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Special Thanks to:
A Red Orchid Theatre Kamehachi Eric Butkus Restaurant Abby Madden Kirsten Jeffrey Brooks Fitzgerald Yasen Peyankov Zeljko Brandon Wardell Djukic Harold Pinter Maria Stevens Rob Drummer John Cage Matt Vuckovich Mauricio Kagel Kristi Hall Violet Fitzsimmons Charlotte Karen Kawa Fitzsimmons Joel Reitsma Monty Python Mike Doonan Carolyn Molloy Nicole Weisner Kyle Stoffers David Weber Neal McCollam Paul Somers Tim Blewitt Tom Dixon Jaci Entwisle Claire Chrzan Buck Relihan Gina Anderson Carl Ferrono Paul Somers Erika Stromberg CH Distillery
This play is dedicated to Renata Horowitz