World Premiere of WIPEOUT Via Rivendell Theatre Ensemble February 23 – April 6, 2024

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Rivendell Theatre Ensemble announces the World Premiere of

WIPEOUT

by Aurora Real de Asua

Directed by Rivendell Artistic Director Tara Mallen

Movement Direction by Ensemble Member Devon de Mayo

February 23 – April 6, 2024

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago’s only Equity theatre dedicated to advancing the lives of women through the power of theatre, announces the world premiere of WIPEOUT by Aurora Real de Asua, directed by Rivendell Artistic Director Tara Mallen with movement direction by Ensemble Member Devon de Mayo. WIPEOUT runs February 23 – April 6, 2024. Tickets are now available at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago, (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org.

Three retired best friends. One hotrod surf instructor. The currents of the Pacific Ocean. What could possibly go wrong? Set on surfboards, WIPEOUT is a poignant comedy about friendship, grief, and the unpredictable tides of life.

WIPEOUT tells the story of three women staring down the mouth of 70, friends for decades, who throw themselves into their first-ever surfing lesson with the help of a young instructor. As the women learn how to paddle and navigate the currents of the Pacific Ocean, they also learn how to navigate their friendships, their fears, and just how hard it can be to let it all go.

The cast of WIPEOUT includes RTE members Glenn Obrero and Meg Thalken, with Cindy Gold and Celeste Williams. 

The creative team includes RTE Members Regina Garcia (Scenic Design), Victoria DeIorio (Sound Design), Devon de Mayo± (Movement Director), with Evelyn Danner (Costume Design), Michael Mahlum (Lighting Design) Angie Tillges (Surfboard Design), Andres Fiz (Projection Design), Tanya Palmer (Dramaturgy), Shannon Golden-Starr (Production Manager), Deya Friedman (Production Stage Manager) and Mia Maccarella (Assistant Stage Manager).

“As a young surfer, I'd be paddling hard, getting ready to catch my wave, only to find a blissed-out grandmother already hanging ten. That's what I love most about surfing. Anybody - any body - can do it. The ocean is our great equalizer,” comments playwright Aurora Real de Asua. “It has a way of revealing the truth, of disintegrating the boundaries we place around ourselves and each other. This play is my love letter to the joys of surfing, the power of the ocean, and the tenacity of female friendship. I am so thrilled to premiere this play with Rivendell and honored to be working with their fabulous, fearless artists.”

“In 2019, when Aurora first brought us WIPEOUT, we were immediately taken by the audaciousness of this young writer having so confidently penned a moving, thoughtful, and hilarious drama about a trio of first-time women surfers some forty years her senior,” comments Artistic Director Tara Mallen. “This production features the formidable talents of three powerhouse Chicago actors I have long admired. Bringing these dynamic actors together with our young and inspired playwright sets Aurora’s play on firm footing from the start as we launch this first stop on WIPEOUT's three-part Rolling World Premiere. I am deeply grateful to be in the room with this collective of absurdly talented artists, to have this wonderful opportunity to stretch, flex our creative muscles and grow as theater artists as we tackle the unique challenges this play brings.” 

WIPEOUT is produced at Rivendell as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other Partner Theaters are B Street Theatre, Sacramento, CA and The Gloucester Stage Company, Gloucester, MA. For more information, please visit nnpn.org

About the Artists

Aurora Real de Asua (playwright) is a playwright, filmmaker, and actor. Her plays have been workshopped at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the New Harmony Project, the Old Globe, the Playwright's Realm, Rivendell, the Chicago Children's Theatre, and Sideshow. She is currently working on a commission for South Coast Repertory Theatre. Her short film Heartsong debuted on Shorts of the Week and can be streamed at Mítu.tv. Acting credits include shows at Rivendell, Goodman, Court, Northlight, Victory Gardens, and American Players Theatre. She is also an ensemble member at Remy Bumppo. She holds a BA in theatre from Northwestern University and an MFA in film from Columbia University. In her spare time, you can find her surfing a longboard in Santa Cruz, California.

Tara Mallen (director) is an actor, director, producer and the founding Artistic Director at Rivendell. Most recently she was on stage as part of Rivendell’s Jeff Award-Winning Ensemble in Motherhouse. Other recent projects include Raven Theatre’s The Luckiest (Jeff nomination - supporting actor); RTE’s premiere productions of Spay, Laura and the Sea, The Cake (Jeff Award - Actor) Look, we are breathing, The Firebird’s Take the Field, Rasheeda Speaking, Crooked, Self Defense, and The Walls. Other credits include Sweat (Arena Stage), The Cake (Renaissance Theatreworks), and How Long Will I Cry (Steppenwolf), among others. She is the proud recipient of a 2017 3Arts Award for her work as a Chicago theatre artist. Screen credits include the upcoming feature film Ghostlight, premiering at Sundance Film Festival in January 2024; Dark Matter (Apple TV); Empire (Fox); Contagion (Warner Bros.); The Last Shift (Sony Pictures); Boss (Starz); Chicago Fire (NBC); Doubt (CBS/Sony Pictures); Chicago P.D. (NBC); and Sense8 (Netflix). For Rivendell, Tara co-conceived and directed the critically acclaimed World Premiere of Women At War, the Jeff-nominated Midwest premieres of The Electric Baby, 26 Miles (in co-production with Teatro Vista); Fighting Words by Sunil Kuruvilla; Psalms of a Questionable Nature ; the co-production of Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue with Stageworks/Hudson; and the brief and brilliant Shady Meadows by Lisa Dillman as part of the 2007 Chicago Humanities Festival. 

Cindy Gold (Gary) Recent Chicago area appearances include The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Steppenwolf Theatre), Christmas Carol (Goodman), Household Spirits (Theatre Wit), Indecent (Victory Gardens), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane), Measure for Measure (Goodman), Awake and Sing (Northlight), Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare), and at The Lyric Opera in Showboat and My Fair Lady. Regionally, Cindy performed at Asolo Theatre in The Cake, The Kennedy Center in Showboat and Daughter of the Regiment (where she shared a role with RBG!), in The Music Man with Glimmerglass Opera, both in New York and at the Royal Opera House in Muscat. Cindy won a Jeff award for playing Gertrude Stein in Frank Galati and Stephen Flaherty’s Loving Repeating. Recent TV and film: Ghostlight, I Used to Go Here, Work in Progress, Empire, Chicago Fire, and the pilot episode of TNT's Leverage. Cindy is a Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University. 

Glenn Obrero (Blaze) was last seen in Scientific Method at Rivendell Theatre and is stoked to back as an Ensemble Member. Select theatre credits include: The Great Leap (Steppenwolf and Asolo Repertory Theatre), The Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), 20K Leagues Under the Sea (Lookingglass), Edith Can Shoot Things And Hit Them (Kitchen Theatre) and Letters Home (Griffin Theatre). Television credits include Chicago Fire (NBC) and Next (FOX). Glenn is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Acting and represented by Gray Talent Group.

Meg Thalken (Wynn) is thrilled to be a recent new member of Rivendell! Upcoming credits: Judgement Day at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Spring 2024. Regional Credits include Becky Nurse of Salem at Trinity Rep, Steel Magnolias at Milwaukee Rep, Ripcord at Peninsula Players, Tribes at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Chicago credits include: Steep Theatre: Mosquitoes, The Den Theatre: Four Places* (Jeff nomination), Steppenwolf: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Domesticated, Goodman: Soups, Stews, and Casseroles, Route 66: A Funny Thing Happened at the Gynecological Oncology Unit, Victory Gardens: A View of the Dome, Guide for the Perplexed, Symmetry, The Long Awaited, Next Theatre: The Metal Children, Chicago Dramatists: I Am Going to Change the World, Travel Light: Laundry & Bourbon, Wisdom Bridge: Bagtime, TV Credits: Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice, Chicago Fire, Paper Girls, 61st Street, Shameless, Empire, Easy Abby, Detroit 187, ER, The Joan Cusack Show, Turks, Chicago Hope, Early Edition, EZ Streets, The Untouchables, Chicago Story, Jack & Mike, The Richard Speck Case and Through Naked Eyes. Film: Christmas Again, This Day Forward, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Bad Johnson, Hannah Free, Check Please, The Company, U.S. Marshals, Poltergeist III, A Family Thing, The Babe, Class. 

Celeste Williams (Claudia)  most recently performed in Court Theatre’s production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Some of her work includes performances at: Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Next Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Writers Theatre, New American Theatre, Seattle Group Theatre, Onyx Theatre Ensemble, and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Celeste is a 4-time Jeff Award nominee; a 3-time Black Theatre Alliance Award winner; and received a 2023 Black Excellence nomination for Outstanding Theatre Artist from the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago for her performance as Martha in Arsenic and Old Lace. Celeste was co-founder of Onyx Theatre Ensemble. 

Featuring: RTE Members Glenn Obrero+ and Meg Thalken*+, with Cindy Gold* and Celeste Williams*.

Creative Team: Regina Garcia± (Scenic Design), Evelyn Danner (Costume Design), Michael Mahlum (Lighting Design), Victoria DeIorio± (Sound Design), Devon de Mayo± (Movement Director), with Angie Tillges (Surfboard Design), Andres Fiz (Projection Design), Tanya Palmer (Dramaturgy), Shannon Golden-Starr (Production Manager), Deya Friedman* (Stage Manager) and Mia Maccarella (Assistant Stage Manager)

*= Member of Actors Equity Association

± = RTE Member

           

Schedule:

Thursdays at 8:00pm

Fridays at 8:00pm

Saturdays at 4:00pm and 8:00pm

Special added performances include Sunday, March 10 at 3:00pm; Monday, March 25 at 8:00pm (Industry Night)

Tickets:

$39 General Admission

$17 Student, Educators, Military/Veterans, Industry (Limited quantity, first-come, first-served)

$28 Seniors

$49 Sponsor Admission (to help us pay artists fair wages by covering the full cost of a seat at the performance)

$94 Angel Admission (1 Basic Admission, plus helping to cover discounted or free tickets to people who need them)

Membership / Subscription

RIV Pass: $95 (see Rivendell productions and other events as often as desired)

Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line L station. 

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate salon environment.

Rivendell employs women theatre artists, offers mind-expanding experiences with new voices and perspectives, and sparks dialogue and action on critical issues in the lives of women and their communities.

In our 25+ year history, Rivendell has earned 12 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nearly four dozen nominations. We are recognized as a national force in new play development and a home for women theatre artists. We engage about 200 artists and 3,000+ audience members each year through our mainstage season and new work development.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit www.RivendellTheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at @rivendelltheatre.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; Shubert Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Field Foundation of Illinois; League of Chicago Theatres; Sarah and the 2 C Dogs; Amazing Edibles; Actor’s Equity Association.

RIVENDELL THEATRE ENSEMBLE ANNOUNCES FALL 2022 PROGRAMMING

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Rivendell’s Fall line-up includes

 

Fresh Produce Festival: A Celebration of New Plays by Women;

the World Premiere of A Mile in the Dark,

Written by Emily Schwend, Directed by Ensemble member Georgette Verdin,

Co-Produced by Interrobang Theatre Project and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble;

and Blue Jean Ball 2022, Celebrating 2022 WREN Award Honoree Joan Callahan

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble announces its 2022 Fall line-up including the return of the Fresh Produce Festival: A Celebration of New Plays by Women; and the World Premiere of A Mile in the Dark by Emily Schwend, directed by RTE member Georgette Verdin, in a co-production with Interrobang Theatre Project. The Blue Jean Ball also returns, celebrating 2022 WREN Award Honoree Joan Callahan at Bridge 410.

All productions will be performed at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. Tickets and more information available by calling (773) 334-7728 or online at www.RivendellTheatre.org.

Tara Mallen comments, “ I am thrilled that…” “I am thrilled that after an eight year hiatus, August marks the reemergence of Rivendell’s new works festival, Fresh Produce: A Celebration of New Plays by Women. Originally launched in 2004, Rivendell has long cultivated the notion that thoughtfully planting new artistic seeds yields the richest harvest. Through this series we introduce the voices of three daring young playwrights as we delve into stories provocative, timely and always fresh.  In November we return to the mainstage with the world premiere of Emily Schwend’s (South of Settling, Utility) newest play in collaboration with our newest ensemble member Georgette Verdin and the wonderful artists at Interrobang Theater. I am beyond excited to finally return to full programming and hope you will join us this fall as we sow the seeds of original work by women artists once again!”

 

Rivendell’s Fall 2022 programming includes:

 

FRESH PRODUCE FESTIVAL:

A CELEBRATION OF NEW PLAYS BY WOMEN

August 18 - August 29, 2022

 

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble presents the return of Fresh Produce Festival, a series of workshops and public readings celebrating new works written by women. Fresh Produce features public readings being held August 18 - 29, 2022 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.

August 2022 marks the reemergence of Fresh Produce: A Celebration of New Plays by Women a new play development series known for risky, innovative, and compelling new work. During each series, exciting new projects with women at the core are curated and nurtured through an intensive, developmental workshop process. Each project culminates in a public reading that features the opportunity for a moderated dialogue between artists and audience.

Tickets are $10-25 per reading, or $25-50 for a package of all three readings. Tickets and Information available at rivendelltheatre.org/freshproduce.

The Fresh Produce Festival line-up is as follows:

 

400 Horses

Written by Mackenzie Yaeger

Directed by Azar Kazemi

Thursday, August 18 at 7:30pm

 

In 2012, Rita Crundwell became the largest municipal fraud perpetrator in American History. She was found guilty of embezzling almost fifty-four million dollars over the course of twenty years from the small town of Dixon, Illinois, where she served as the city comptroller. And what she did with that fifty-three million dollars...was buy four-hundred horses.

With embezzlement and fraud in significant rise across the country, this story exemplifies how far some Americans will go in the name of greed. Or, in Rita Crundwell's case, in order to buy 400 horses. 

The cast includes RTE ensemble members Jerre Dye, Jessica Ervin, Meighan Gerachis, and Tara Mallen, with Ken Bradley, Josh Odor and Tuckie White. The Artistic Producer is Ensemble member Lucia Lombardi and the stage manager is Deya Friedman.

 

Blood of My Mother’s

Written by Karissa Murrell Myers

Directed by Associate Artistic Director, Denise Yvette Serna

Monday, August 22 at 7:30pm

 

On Christmas Eve 1997, pregnant Marina fled to her older sister's Lillian’s house in the middle of the night with the biggest problem she ever faced: an unwanted pregnancy. After giving birth, Marina abandons the baby Egg in her sister's care, much to the concern of Lillian's husband, Richard. Now sixteen years later, Egg has gone missing and no one seems to care but her sister/cousin Deanna. The search for the truth turns this Filipino-American family's world upside as they are forced to face their inner demons. Because sometimes, the place you run to for safety turns out to be the most dangerous place of all.

The cast includes RTE ensemble member Eric Slater with Blake Dava, Stephanie Fongheiser, Arvin Jalandoon, Stephanie Shum, and Marie Tredway.  The Artistic Producer is Ensemble member Jessica Ervin.

 

Wipeout

Written by Aurora Real d'Asua

Directed by Ensemble member Devon de Mayo

Monday, August 29 at 7:30pm

For her seventy-seventh birthday, Gary wants one thing and one thing only: to surf a wave. There's a problem, though, beyond the extreme gymnastics required to get a wetsuit on: Gary has never stepped foot on a surfboard before. But with the help of a hotrod teenage surf instructor and the company of her two best friends, Gary goes on the ride of her life. As the three women navigate the currents of the Pacific Ocean, they confront seven decades of secrets, sacrifices, and the odd jellyfish or two. Wipeout is a septuagenarian surf comedy about love, loss, and what it really takes to hang ten.

The cast includes RTE ensemble members Meg Thalken and Glenn-Dale Obrero, with Celeste Williams and Brigid Duffy. Scenic designer Regina Garcia, dramaturge Tanya Palmer and artistic producer Lucia Lombardi round out the artistic team.

The World Premiere of

A MILE IN THE DARK

Written by Emily Schwend

Directed by Ensemble member Georgette Verdin

Co-Produced by Interrobang Theatre Project and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

November 10 – December 11, 2022

 

Jess’s stepmother Carol was a cheerful woman whose unexpected passing has left Jess searching for answers. Can something in Carol’s life explain her untimely death? A Mile in the Dark is about the people we think we know but don’t and the hard truth sitting in plain sight.

Tickets and more information coming soon.

Single Tickets

General Admission

Previews: $28

Regular Run: $38

Student, Senior, Active Military, Veteran

           Preview: $18

           Regular Run: $28

 

Pay What You Can: Five seats (10% of the house) are available for each performance. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.

Location: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.

 Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org.

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus, and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line L station.

BLUE JEAN BALL 2022

September 22, 2022

7pm - 10pm (6pm VIP Reception)

at Bridge 410, 410 N. Paulina Street, Chicago

General Admission Tickets: $125, VIP Tickets: $175

Sponsorship packages also available

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s annual premier fundraising event, The Blue Jean Ball, celebrates 2022 WREN Award Honoree Joan Callahan. The event will be held mostly outdoors at Bridge 410 (masks are required while indoors). Tickets and more information available at rivendelltheatre.org/bjb2022.

The evening will feature live music, food by Amazing Edibles, creative whiskey and rum cocktails, BBQ, dancing, silent auction and a raffle. All proceeds will benefit Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and its mission to advance the lives of women through theatre.

More than 200 attendees are expected to join Rivendell artists, staff, and board to raise funds in support of our work throughout the year. Last year generous sponsors, donors, and ticket buyers helped raise $50,000 for Rivendell’s work in the community. 

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate salon environment.

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, Rivendell moved into its own theater space in 2011 in Edgewater. The company is focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage audiences in a discussion of local social issues.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit www.RivendellTheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at @rivendelltheatre.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity and the Arts at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; Shubert Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; The Alphawood Foundation; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Sarah and the 2 C Dogs; A.L. Luria and Jennie Luria Foundation; SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; The Saints Volunteers for the Performing Arts; Arts Midwest; City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; National Endowment for the Arts; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

REVIEW: World Premiere of Spay Via Rivendell Theatre Ensemble Now Extended Through May 1, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble's 

World Premiere of

SPAY

by Madison Fiedler

directed by Georgette Verdin

featuring RTE members Rae Gray, Artistic Director Tara Mallen

and Krystel McNeil with Spencer Huffman

                                                     

Guest Review 

by Cath Hellmann

If you’re thinking, “Oh, I'd love to see a play about a drug addict who wreaks havoc on her family!” Yes, good times…Here is your chance! Even though it sounds like a Debbie Downer kind of evening, Rivendell’s new play called “SPAY” is actually an interesting, thought-provoking night at the theater with great acting. 

Krystel McNeil, Rae Gray

Photo credit for all: Michael Brosilow

The play occurs in 2019 in West Virginia. We see kindergarten teacher Harper (Krystel McNeil) in her house (an impressive set by Lindsay Mummert), who must come to the rescue of her addict half-sister Noah (Rae Gray) once again. Harper is always picking up the pieces left broken and scattered by Noah and her heroin problem; Harper even has custody of her young nephew, Benny, Noah’s child. Harper insists that Benny is a blessing and not a burden; Noah and her drug-dealing boyfriend, Jackson (Spencer Huffman, who is a very likable drug dealer!), are the real sources of aggravation and heartache for her.   

Rae Gray, Spencer Huffman

Noah’s latest overdose was a biggie---she almost died this time in front of a bunch of kids and traumatized the young children in the process. One hopes that maybe this incident will be the One that gets Noah back on track and sticking to her latest round of promises to truly clean up For Real for real this time. Harper insists that Noah has a disease. Noah admits,”I don’t know if I’d rather be a junkie or diseased.” 

Entering the tense scene is an out-of-towner claiming to arrive in order to “help” the struggling family. Aubrey, played by Artistic Director Tara Mallen, insists that her presence is to guide Noah into making better choices. Aubrey is actually from an organization called “Project Prevention” whose mission is to provide sterilization to addicts to prevent more children from being raised in unstable homes. (I assumed this was an invention by the playwright for drama, but it’s truly a Thing. I had to look it up. The group is based in North Carolina and really does offer cash to addicts for using long-term birth control or agreeing to undergo surgery to stop having babies. The website lists a case study of an addict who just had her 17th baby in 24 years!) 

Tara Mallen, Rae Gray

Playwright Madison Fiedler is a Northwestern graduate from North Carolina. She wrote the play to draw attention to the opioid epidemic happening in her native Appalachia. According to the program notes, there are 130 fatal opioid overdoses every day in the U.S. There were 96,700 deaths from overdoses this last year alone. Choosing to reopen the Rivendell Theater with this world premiere shows us the power of theater and sharing important, if uncomfortable, stories. You may not agree with the characters, but it’s sure to start a conversation. 

What happens to Noah, Harper, and ultimately, Benny won’t be revealed here. But this is a very satisfying play filled with strong performances, especially from the two sisters.

Catherine Hellmann: teacher, mom, theater lover 

Krystel McNeil

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago’s only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, presents the world premiere of SPAY by Madison Fiedler, directed by RTE member Hallie Gordon. SPAY runs March 12 - May 1, 2022 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. 

Williamson, West Virginia has been aptly nicknamed “Pilliamson” for as long as anyone can remember, certainly since the Attridge family’s been around. The now-grown sisters have taken very different paths in the wake of their mother’s overdose. As Harper raises her sister’s child vowing to tread new ground, Noah opts for the old ways and finds herself in all-too-familiar territory.

Penned by recent Northwestern graduate Madison Fiedler, SPAY is a provoking new drama about the effect of America's opioid epidemic in one small West Virginia town. SPAY is an unflinching look at addiction, Appalachia, and the families our system has failed.

Playwright Madison Fiedler comments, “I started this play because I’m from Appalachia, where the opioid epidemic has taken its highest tolls; specifically, I’m from North Carolina, where Project Prevention has made its dubious home. In a country where the opioid crisis has been declared a national public health emergency and every day brings another 130 fatal opioid overdoses, the idea that addicts shouldn’t be able to have children makes sense to a lot of people. In a comparison of addicts to dogs in need of spaying, I saw a microcosm of American society wanting to move a problem out of sight without fixing it; dehumanizing victims of a crisis to justify complacency. I wrote Spay to deanonymize the opioid epidemic and re-sensitize audiences to it in a way that no news headline can, by doing what live theatre does best: inviting a room full of people to empathize, humanize, and do something about it.”

Artistic Director Tara Mallen offers: "With SPAY, the story serves to humanize people who are suffering with opioid addiction. This is an epidemic that is literally sweeping across the country, and it's imperative that we recognize it, begin to understand it, and find a way to support people who are dealing with it."

The cast includes RTE members Rae Gray (Noah), Artistic Director Tara Mallen (Aubrey), and Krystel McNeil (Harper), with Spencer Jackson (Jackson).

The creative team is Lindsay Mummert (scenic design), Mike Mahlum (lighting design), Becca Duff (costume design), Rowan Doe (props design), Hannah Foerschler (sound design), Catherine Yu (dramaturg), Grant (dialect coach). The production manager is Erik Strebig and the stage manager is Deya Friedman.       

Rivendell’s Town Hall Series

During the run of each production, Rivendell hosts Town Hall Discussions after select Saturday matinees. These are an essential touchstone for our organization to extend the conversation from the stage to the community. Panelists help field questions, present observations, and participate in supporting a thoughtful, in-depth dialogue for all involved. Audience participants need not be present for the Saturday matinee and are welcome to join the conversation following the performance. 

Rae Gray

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Madison Fiedler (Playwright) Madison Fiedler is a Brooklyn-based, Asheville-raised playwright. Plays include Spay (2020 Kilroys List, 2022 world premiere at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 2021 Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship runner-up, 2019 National Showcase of New Plays, Florida Repertory Theatre’s 2020 PlayLab, 2021 FAU Theatre Lab, 2018-2019 BoHo Theatre commission), Screech Owl (2021 finalist: Playwrights Realm Writing Fellowship, Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writers), If God Came a Callin (Barter Theatre Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights), The Incubators (semi-finalist: Athena Project Plays in Process), and I Talk to the Flowers (Skidmore College, University of Kentucky). She is a National New Play Network Affiliated Artist and is represented by A3 Artists Agency. BA: Northwestern University (2019).

Georgette Verdin (Director) is a Cuban-American director and arts educator. Since 2015, she's served as the Managing Artistic Director of Interrobang Theatre Project, an award-winning storefront theater known for its gutsy productions that tackle socially-relevant topics. Select directing credits include This Wide Night by Chloë Moss (Shattered Globe Theatre/Interrobang Theatre Project), Tribes by Nina Raine (Western Michigan University), the U.S. Premiere of Out of Love by Elinor Cook, Grace and Recent Tragic Events by Craig Wright, as well as the 2013 & 2016 Yale Drama Series winners, Still by Jen Silverman and Utility by Emily Schwend (Interrobang Theatre Project). Georgette has also worked with Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Facility Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists, among others. Georgette holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA and a Master in Directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She's a 2021 recipient of a 3Arts Make-A-Wave grant and an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. For more, visit georgetteverdin.com

Rae Gray (Noah) is a Rivendell Theatre Ensemble member, and last appeared on the RTE stage in Crooked. She recently wrapped season one of Amazon Prime’s reboot series A League of Their Own, and is currently working as a series regular on a Nick Jr. animated show. Other Chicago theater credits include: Graveyard Shift, The Little Foxes, A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Domesticated, Slowgirl, The Book Thief, Wedding Band (Steppenwolf); King Charles III (Chicago Shakespeare); The North China Lover (Lookingglass); Circle Mirror Transformation (Victory Gardens); The Real Thing (Writers); Sunday in the Park with George (Ravinia); Inherit the Wind (Northlight); The Crucible, Cry of Players (TimeLine); Oliver, State Fair (Marriott); Meet Me in St. Louis (Drury Lane). Broadway: The Real Thing (Roundabout). International: The Beacon (Druid/Gate Theatre, IRL). Regional: Queens (La Jolla Playhouse); Slowgirl (Geffen Playhouse). TV: Fear the Walking Dead, Grace and Frankie, For the People, Sea Oak, Boardwalk Empire, Shameless, The Resident, Bull, Adventure Time, Chicago Fire, PD and Med. Film: Slice, I Do…Until I Don’t, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, The Robbery (Sundance Selection), Dismissed, Invitation to a Murder. Rae graduated with honors from the University of Chicago.

Tara Mallen (Aubrey / RTE Artistic Director) is an actor, director, and the Producing Artistic Director at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. She was a 2017 3Arts William Franklin Grisham Awardee and the 2014 Volunteers of America Silver Star Awardee. Most recently Mallen was seen onstage in the title role in the world premiere of Kate Tarker’s Laura and The Sea. Before that she starred in The Cake for which she won the 2018 Jeff Award for Performer in a Principal Role. In 2016, she performed in the world premiere production of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat at Arena Stage. Prior to that she was in Rivendell’s Jeff-nominated world premiere productions of Look, we are breathing and Rasheeda Speaking. Tara appeared in Steppenwolf’s How Long Will I Cry: Stories of Youth Violence written by Chicago Journalist Miles Harvey. She was part of the ensemble in Rivendell’s world premiere, Jeff nominated production of The Walls and played Jolene Palmer (inspired by the true-life story of Aileen Wuornos) in Rivendell’s award winning production of Self Defense, or the Death of Some Salesmen—both productions part of Steppenwolf’s Visiting Theater Initiative.

For Rivendell, Tara has produced and acted in over 25 productions. She received a Joseph Jefferson Award for Supporting Actress in WRENS as part of that production’s Jeff-winning ensemble. She was nominated the following year for Actress in a Principal Role for her work in My Simple City. Her screen credits include Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion, Boss (Starz), the pilot of Chicago Fire (NBC), the pilot of Doubt (CBS/Sony Pictures), Chicago P.D. and Sense8 (Netflix) directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski. With Rivendell, Tara conceived and directed the world premiere of WOMEN AT WAR, directed the Jeff nominated Midwest premieres of The Electric Baby, 26 Miles (co-production with Teatro Vista); Fighting Words; Psalms of a Questionable Nature; the co-production of Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue with Stageworks/Hudson in Hudson, NY; and the brief and brilliant Shady Meadows by Lisa Dillman as part of the 2007 Chicago Humanities Festival.

Krystel McNeil (Harper) is excited to be working on Spay at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (Laura and the Sea and The Cake, Women at War), where she is an ensemble member. Other credits include: Gem of The Ocean, Objects in The Mirror, and Carlyle (Goodman Theatre); In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play; Spill (Timeline Theatre Company); The Compass (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Bootycandy (Windy City Playhouse). Tours include Defamation The Play (Canamac Productions).

Film and television credits include Chiraq (Amazon Films); Gossamer; The Chi (Showtime); Chicago P.D. (NBC) Next (Fox) Soundtrack (Netflix), Proven Innocent (FOX).

Spencer Huffman (Jackson) is a playwright, actor, and director based in Chicago. He is thrilled to be making his Chicago acting debut with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. As a playwright, his work includes: Evil Perfect, The Baseball Gods, When We Were Little, Shine Down On Us, The Swamp Play, Like Some Deep Booming, The Vastness of the North, and If Only We Were Ghosts. His plays have earned recognition from theatres and festivals across the U.S., including The National Playwrights Conference, American Stage’s 21st Century Voices New Play Festival, Landing Theatre Co. New American Voices Festival, and Southwest Theatre Production’s Rising Artists Playwriting Competition, among others. His plays have received productions and staged readings from Bramble Theatre Co. (Chicago), The Landing Theatre Co. (Houston, TX), Broken Bell Reads (Chicago), Three Cat Productions (Chicago), and Relative Theatrics (Laramie, WY). He has been a writing fellow at Millay Arts, The Marble House Project, and the Kerouac Project of Orlando. Spencer graduated from the School at Steppenwolf in 2019 and is an ensemble member and literary manager at Bramble Theatre Company. BA: Kenyon College. www.jspencerhuffman.com

Krystel McNeil, Rae Gray

Dates: 

Previews: March 12 – March 19, 2022

Saturday, March 12 at 8pm

Sunday, March 13 at 3pm

Thursday, March 17 at 8pm

Friday, March 18 at 8pm

Saturday, March 19 at 8pm

 

Regular run: March 23 – April 17, 2022

Wednesdays at 8pm (April 6 and 13 only)

Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm (except no Saturday 8pm performances on April 9 and 16, 2022)

Saturdays 4pm

Sundays at 3pm (April 3 and 17 only)

 

Jeffs/VIP opening: March 20, 2022 at 6pm

Press opening: March 23, 2022 at 7pm

Mama’s Night: April 8 at 8pm

Post-show Town Halls: April 9 and April 16, 2022 at 4pm

 

Tickets:

Previews: $25 General Admission

$5 Student, Educators, Military/Veterans, Industry (Limited quantity, first-come, first-served)

$15 Seniors and Neighbors

 

Regular run: $35 General Admission

$15 Student, Educators, Military/Veterans, Industry (Limited quantity, first-come, first-served)

$25 Seniors and Neighbors

$45 Sponsor Admission (to help us pay artists fair wages by covering the full cost of a seat at the performance)

$90 Angel Admission (1 Basic Admission, plus helping to cover discounted or free tickets to people who need them)

RIV Pass: $95 (see the production plays as often as desired)

Box Office:     (773) 334-7728 or http://rivendelltheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus, and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line el station.

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate salon environment.

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, Rivendell moved into its own theater space in 2011 in Edgewater. The company is focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage audiences in a discussion of local social issues.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at @rivendelltheatre.

COVID Safety

All visitors to Rivendell Theatre must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and face masks are required at all times. Please be prepared to show a physical or digital copy of your vaccine card along with your photo ID. Thank you!

Anti-Racism statement

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is in alignment with the accountability efforts being led by We See You White American Theatre. Read our pledge Here.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity and the Arts at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; Shubert Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; The Alphawood Foundation; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Sarah and the 2 C Dogs; A.L. Luria and Jennie Luria Foundation; SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; The Saints Volunteers for the Performing Arts; Arts Midwest; City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; National Endowment for the Arts; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Rae Gray, Krystel McNeil

SEASON ANNOUNCED: RIVENDELL THEATRE ENSEMBLE'S 25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

RIVENDELL THEATRE ENSEMBLE ANNOUNCES

THE 25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON 

Season includes the World Premieres of

The Tasters 

by Meghan Brown, directed by RTE member Devon de Mayo, Spay by Madison Fiedler, directed by RTE member Hallie Gordon

and 

45 Plays for America’s First Ladies 

by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates in a co-production with Chicago’s The Neo-Futurists

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble proudly announces its 2020 Season including the World Premieres of The Tasters by Meghan Brown, directed by RTE member Devon de Mayo and Spay by Madison Fiedler and directed by RTE member Hallie Gordon, as well as 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates, in a co-production with Chicago’s The Neo-Futurists. All productions will be performed at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.

This year, Rivendell celebrates its 25th anniversary season during what may be the most important and divisive election cycle in U.S. history. To mark the occasion, Rivendell has selected three plays that wrestle with some of the key issues driving this nation’s discourse: the rise of authoritarianism, the chaos and challenge of the opioid crisis, and the rising role of women in our political and social culture

Founder and Artistic Director Tara Mallen comments, “We can trace a straight line from WRENS, to The Walls, to Women at War, through Scientific Method and all the way to Something Clean. 25 years of new plays inspiring imperative conversations that spark change. Plays that lift up women and offer them a voice...a female service member returning home after a lengthy deployment, only to have her young daughter no longer recognize her; or a young woman battling to finish her PhD and stay afloat in a sexist and racist research lab, or how, in the ripple effects of a sex crime, one mother grapples with the pervasiveness of guilt and tries to rebuild her world. As we approach what may be the most critical election in U.S. history, Rivendell is committed to meeting the future head-on and with 2020 vision—as we have for the past 25 years—with ingenuity, with resolve, and with women right up front and center." 

The Rivendell 2020 Season is as follows:



The World Premiere of

THE TASTERS 
Written by Meghan Brown 
Directed by RTE member Devon de Mayo 

Featuring ensemble members Paula Ramirez and Eric Slater with Shariba Rivers, Daniella Pereira, and Collin Quinn Rice

January 10 - February 16, 2020

With so many government leaders getting poisoned these days, the Tasters have a critical job to do. They sample mouthwatering gourmet meals…then wait to see if they die in agony. When government forces capture renowned resistance leader Elyse, they make her a Taster and assume they've won. But Elyse has a plan of her own, which kicks off a series of events that might just alter the course of history—and put all the other Tasters' lives at risk. Fresh out of Victory Garden’s 2019 IGNITION Festival, Meghan Brown’s chilling and sharply observed new play examines the nuances of political resistance, self-interest, and individual action that creates hope in the face of oppression. 



The World Premiere of

SPAY 
Written by Madison Fiedler 
Directed by RTE member Hallie Gordon featuring RTE member Rae Gray

April 23 – June 7, 2020

Twenty-year-old Noah has been an addict ever since the birth of her son five years ago when her half-sister, Harper, assumed custody of the child. When an organization shows up in their tiny West Virginia town offering to sterilize Noah and other addicts for pay, the sisters clash over the question of who deserves to be a mother in a nation hooked on pills. This provocative world premiere by recent Northwestern grad Madison Fiedler takes an unblinking look at addiction, poverty, and the families our system has failed. Selected from a field of over 150 new plays, SPAY is one of the six new plays featured in the National New Play Network's Annual Showcase of New Plays this December in Atlanta, Georgia.


45 Plays for America’s First Ladies
by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai, and Andy Bayiates

In a co-production with Chicago’s The Neo-Futurists

September 24 - October 31, 2020 

Forty-five plays. Fifty First Ladies. A 100-minute journey through American history, 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies leaps from comedy to tragedy and back again as it surveys the lives of the women who have served (and avoided serving) as First Lady. 45 Plays is a biographical, meta-theatrical, genre-bending ride through race, gender, and everything else your history teacher never taught you about the founding (and the confounding) of America.

Following the enormous success of 45 Plays for 45 Presidents, members of the Neo-Futurists ensemble bring their trademark wit and style to tell the other side of the story. They'll partner with Chicago's premiere women's company, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, where women's lives and perspectives have always been the main event. 



NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT
SOLO VOICES WORKSHOP
April 1 - 12, 2020

Curated by new RTE member Kristen Osborn, this festival of solo voices features thee one-woman performance pieces. Projects will be announced in February 2020. 

Subscription Packages

Subscription packages may be purchased at any time and include one ticket to the next three Rivendell mainstage productions. The Preview Pass is priced at $59 and the Performance Pass is $80. Benefits include: no-fee ticket exchange up to 48 hours prior to the performance, reserved seating, exclusive invites to Rivendell events, and a 10% discount for additional family and friends tickets purchased through the box office.

Single Tickets
General Admission
Previews: $28
Regular Run: $38

Student, Senior, Active Military, Veteran
Preview: $18
Regular Run: $28

Pay What You Can: Five seats (10% of the house) are available for each performance. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.

Location: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.

Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus, and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line El Station.



About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble 

Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate salon environment. 

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, Rivendell moved into its own theater space in 2011 in Edgewater. The company is focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage audiences in a discussion of local social issues. 

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at rivendelltheatre. 

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: The Alphawood Foundation;   Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The Chicago Community Trust; The Chicago Foundation for Women; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; The Luria Family Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; The Alfred Pick Jr. Fund; Shubert Foundation; SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; Cultural Outreach Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.  

Casting Announced: Midwest Premiere of SOMETHING CLEAN Via Sideshow Theatre Company & Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Sideshow Theatre Company & Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Announce Casting for the Midwest Premiere of

SOMETHING CLEAN

By Selina Fillinger

Directed by Lauren Shouse

June 16 – July 21, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater

Sideshow Theatre Company and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble are pleased to announce casting for the Midwest premiere of Selina Fillinger’s breathtaking new drama SOMETHING CLEAN, directed by Lauren Shouse.

The cast includes Patrick Agada, Mary Cross** and Guy Massey.

(left to right) Guy Massey and Mary Cross. Photo by Michael Tutino.

SOMETHING CLEAN will play June 16 – July 21, 2019 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.victorygardens.org, by calling (773) 871-3000 or in person at the Victory Gardens Box Office. 

Charlotte has been a mother for nineteen years, a wife for three decades and a respectable community member her entire life. But when her son is incarcerated for sexual assault, Charlotte is forced to reckon with a brand new identity, both public and private. Desperate to find a way back to who she was, she seeks out work at a sexual assault crisis center and meets Joey, a volunteer coordinator and a survivor of assault himself, who allows her a glimpse of who she might be able to become. Can she find a new understanding of who she is? Or has someone else’s crime defined her forever? Inspired by today’s headlines, Selina Fillinger’s breathtaking new drama follows one woman’s struggle to make sense of her own grief, intimacy, culpability and consent.

Comments Sideshow artistic director Jonathan L. Green, "Selina's exquisite play is the fifth premiere to come out of our commissioning program, The Freshness Initiative, and we're so happy to be collaborating with our friends at Rivendell, whose mission aligns with our own so well in this case, to bring it to life in Chicago."

Rivendell Artistic Director Tara Mallen adds, “This new play unflinchingly exposes the complexities of a mother struggling to reconcile her guilt and rebuild her family after her son’s horrific act. Selina’s profoundly resonant voice offers our audiences a new perspective on what it is to bear your children’s sins and Rivendell is excited to be a part of sharing this provocative new work with Chicago audiences.”

Something Clean is supported in-part by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Melinda McMullen and Duncan Kime.

The production team to date includes: Arnel Sancianco (scenic design), Noël Huntzinger* (costume design), Diane Fairchild** (lighting design), Eric Backus (sound design), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props design), Gina M. Di Salvo* (dramaturg), Jennifer Aparicio (production manager) and Casie Morell (stage manager).

*Denotes Sideshow company member   **Denotes Rivendell company member

Mary Cross in a publicity image for Sideshow Theatre Company and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s Midwest premiere of SOMETHING CLEAN. Photo by Michael Tutino.

Location: Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Sunday, June 16 at 2:30 pm and Wednesday, June 19 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Thursday, June 20 at 8 pm
Gala Opening: Fri June 21 at 8 pm
Regular run: Friday, June 21 – Sunday, July 21, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, July 4; there will be added performances on Wednesday, July 3 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, July 13 at 2:30 pm.
Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-can (online or at the door). Regular run: $20 – $30.  Students/seniors/industry: $15 for all performances (excluding opening). Tickets are currently available at www.victorygardens.org, by calling (773) 871-3000 or in person at the Victory Gardens Box Office.

About the Creative Team:

Selina Fillinger (Playwright) is an LA-based actress and writer. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied playwriting under the instruction of Laura Schellhardt. Something Clean was commissioned for Sideshow Theatre’s Freshness Initiative and workshopped in Roundabout’s Underground Reading Series. Other work includes Faceless (Northlight Theatre premiere, Joseph Jeff Award-nominated, regional productions at Zeitgeist Theatre, St. Louis Repertory Theatre and Park Theatre in London) and The Armor Plays: Cinched/Strapped (Available Light’s Next Stage Initiative, Alley All New, upcoming production at Theatre Three.) Selina is a 2018 recipient of South Coast Repertory’s Elizabeth George Commission and Manhattan Theatre Club’s Sloan Commission.

Lauren Shouse (Director) is thrilled to return to Rivendell after directing The Cake and Sideshow after the Freshness Initiative reading of Something Clean. Lauren is the Associate Artistic director at Northlight Theatre and a Jeff nominated director. Her recent directing credits include: What We're Up Against with Compass Theatre, The Legend of Georgia McBride at Northlight Theatre, Nice Girl and Betrayal at Raven Theatre; Avenue Q,  Rapture, Blister, Burn, Superior Donuts, and A Christmas Story at Nashville Repertory Theatre, Long Way Down with 3Ps productions;  Religion and Rubber Ducks with Ovvio Arte; Parallel Lives, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Last Five Years and Chess in Concert with Street Theatre Company; Rear Widow at Chaffin's Barn Theatre, and Sylvia Plath’s 3 Women. She received her MFA in theatre directing at Northwestern University where she directed Stop Kiss, Eurydice and In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play. In Chicago, Lauren has also worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Route 66, The Gift, Chicago Dramatists, and Stage Left Theatre. www.laurenshousedirects.com

2019 Year of Chicago Theatre

Sideshow Theatre Company and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble are proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers, and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there’s always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres. Book your next show today at www.ChicagoPlays.com. 


About Sideshow Theatre Company:

Sideshow Theatre Company: Theatre for the Curious. It is the mission of Sideshow Theatre Company to mine the collective unconscious of the world we live in with limitless curiosity, drawing inspiration from the familiar stories, memories and images we all share to spark new conversation and bring our audiences together as adventurers in a communal experience of exploration.

Over its 10+ year history, Sideshow is proud to have distinguished itself as a vital member of the Chicago theatre community. Sideshow was awarded the 2016 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award by the League of Chicago Theatres. Sideshow is a multiple Jeff Award-winning theatre and has been listed on the “Best of” lists in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018 by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times. Sideshow continues its multi-year residency at Victory Gardens in the historic Biograph Theater in the 2018/19 season.

Sideshow is also the producer of Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLLAW), a wildly popular fundraiser held in benefit of Sideshow Theatre Company and other local community organizations. CLLAW has been featured in local and national press, including The Washington Post, Reuters and the Chicago Sun-Times and on WGN Morning News, ABC 7’s Windy City Live and CBS 2. The next CLLAW match will be held Saturday, July 27, 2019. For more information about CLLAW, visit cllaw.org.

For additional information on Sideshow Theatre Company, visit sideshowtheatre.org.


About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is a professional company dedicated to advancing the lives of women through theatre.

Rivendell was born out of a specific need: women theatre artists are vastly underrepresented in American theatre, a situation which limits the range of stories produced for audiences. This situation skews our perception of the American experience toward a predominantly male perspective presented by men and it limits career opportunities for women artists - which helps perpetuate the disparity. Rivendell’s mission counteracts these circumstances by providing women theatre artists a creative home where they can nurture, develop, and produce their craft and by producing plays where audience see new voices and stories, including, in many cases, their own.

Since our first production in 1994, Rivendell has staged 48 plays and been honored with 30 Joseph Jefferson nominations and 8 awards. We are a national force in new play development and a home for women theatre artists.

In 2011 Rivendell took up residence in its first permanent home, in Chicago's north side Edgewater neighborhood. This development has enabled significant expansion of the company's programming, from itinerate productions created one at a time to the full three-show seasons, arts education programs, ongoing new play development, and numerous opportunities to provide the audience with more access to the art and artists.

For additional information on Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, visit rivendelltheatre.org.

OPENING: Midwest Premiere of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart at Rivendell Theatre February 15 - March 23, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

 Rivendell Theatre Ensemble presents the Midwest Premiere of 

I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart 

by Morgan Gould

featuring Teressa LaGamba, Robert Quintanillo and RTE Member Jessica Ervin 

February 15 - March 23, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening, February 27th, so check back soon for my full review. I adore Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to see Rivendell's take on this Midwest premiere. 

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago’s only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, presents the Midwest premiere of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart by Morgan Gould and directed by Jessica Fisch. I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart runs February 15 – March 23, 2019 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.  

Samantha and Leo are a team—best friends and roommates, fat girl and gay guy against the world—until a new friend upends their cozy co-dependent diet of mutual self-loathing and Grey’s Anatomy marathons. An ode to the complications of friendship in its many fucked-up forms, with a special nod to a kind of love that sometimes looks a lot like rage.

Produced first at D.C.’s Studio Theatre, I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart challenges assumptions around niceness, beauty, and mainstream acceptance as it upends traditional narratives about fat women—Gould herself identifies openly as such—by putting a fat woman at its center. “I’m not chubby or big-boned,” says Gould. “I’m fat. That’s who I am.”

Directed by Jessica Fisch, director of Rivendell’s highly-successful world premiere production of The Firebirds Take the Field, Gould’s play is a wild ride with unforgettable characters that asks probing questions about friendships, fatness, bigotry, ambition, and the cost of living in a world that finds you unacceptable in some way.

The cast of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart includes Teressa LaGamba (Sam), Robert Quintanilla (Leo), and RTE Member Jessica Ervin (Chloe).

The creative team includes RTE Member Regina García (Scenic Design), Anthony Churchill (Projections Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Jeffrey Levin (Original Music and Sound Design), Alison Siple (Costume Design), and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (Properties Design). The Stage Manager is Miranda Anderson.

Rivendell’s Town Hall Series:  

During the run of each production, Rivendell hosts Town Hall Discussions after select Saturday matinees. These are an essential touchstone for our organization to extend the conversation from the stage to the community. Panelists help field questions, present observations, and participate in supporting a thoughtful, in-depth dialogue for all involved. Audience participants need not be present for the Saturday matinee and are welcome to join the conversation following the performance. 

ARTIST BIOS

Morgan Gould (Playwright) is a fat-fat, not TV-fat, New York based writer/director who is a Resident Playwright at New Dramatists and current Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at Juilliard. Morgan’s play I Wanna F**king Tear You Apart, is a Beatrice Terry/Drama League Award Winner, and had its world premiere at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC in February 2017 (with Morgan directing). It was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, and DC Metro Arts said that Morgan’s work “shows every bit as much promise as Edward Albee’s early work, arguably more.” Morgan has directed productions at the Humana Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, P73, and more. Morgan is also the Artistic Director of Morgan Gould & Friends—her theater company with 9 actors, 3 designers, and a filmmaker, and their work has been seen at many NYC venues including HERE Arts Center, Ars Nova, The Ice Factory and more. Morgan is developing a half hour original series with Amazon Studios and Will Graham/Field Trip Productions. 

Jessica Fisch (Director) returns to Rivendell where she previously directed The Firebirds Take the Field and Fefu and Her Friends (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latinx Celebration). Recent credits include Cry It Out (Northlight Theatre), You Across From Me (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Late Company (Cor Theatre), Straight White Men (Associate Director, Steppenwolf), Trudy, Carolyn, Martha and Regina Travel to Outer Space (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival),  The Rosenkranz Mysteries: An Evening of Magic (The Royal George), Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens), Psychodramatic (A Red Orchid, Incubator Series), Traces (Feast Productions/ Jackalope Theatre). Selected New York credits: The Realm (The Wild  Project), strive/seek/find (Abingdon Theatre), the 2009 Playwrights Horizons Stories on 5 Stories Benefit, Personal History (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Redheaded Man (Barrow Street Theatre/FringeNYC/FringeEncores), Dressed In Your Dreams (Public Theater/Emerging Writers Group), and an adaptation of the cult 1960’s gothic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Jessica was a resident director at Ensemble Studio Theater, the Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident, and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Teressa LaGamba (Sam) is a Chicago based actor/musician from Pittsburgh, PA. She has performed feature roles in productions with Porchlight Music Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Boho Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Kokandy Productions, Emerald City Theatre, Broadway In Chicago, Griffin Theatre, Haven Theatre and more. Teressa received her BA in Acting and American Sign Language from Columbia College Chicago.

Robert Quintanilla (Leo) is making his Rivendell debut. He was most recently seen as Thomas Jefferson in Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of 1776 as part of their Revisits series and in Evil Dead with Black Button Eyes. This past season he was seen in The View Upstairs with Circle Theatre, Yank! A WWII Love Story with Pride Films and Plays, and Woman of the Year with Porchlight Music Theatre. Other select credits include On a Clear Day You Can See Forever with Porchlight Music Theatre, United Flight 232 with The House Theatre, The Fantasticks with Quest Theatre Ensemble, Jesus Christ Superstar with The Public Theatre San Antonio, The Merry Widow and HMS Pinafore with Music Theatre Works.

Jessica Ervin (Chloe) is an ensemble member at Rivendell. She received an Equity Jeff nomination for her portrayal of Ester in Dry Land and has also worked with Rivendell on Scientific Method (understudy), Alias Grace, The Firebirds Take the Field, WOMEN AT WAR, and the staged reading 381 Bleecker. Additionally, Jessica has worked with The Sound, Walkabout Theatre, Route 66, Erasing the Distance, The Public House, and Blue Goose Theatre Ensemble. Most recently, Jessica returned to Ball State University, her alma mater, to devise and perform an adaptation of Frankenstein as part of Indiana Humanities’ One State One Story initiative. She can be seen on film in Princess Cyd and the upcoming projects Teacher, Injustice, and Stalled.

Previews:  February 15-23, 2019

Friday, February 15 at 8:00pm

Saturday, February 16 at 8:00pm

Sunday, February 17 at 3:00pm

Thursday, February 21 at 8:00pm

Friday, February 22 at 8:00pm

Saturday, February 23 at 8:00pm 

Gala Opening: Sunday, February 24 at 6:00pm

Press Opening: Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00pm

Regular Run: February 28 – March 23, 2019

Schedule:      Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 4:00pm

Additional performances on Sunday, February 17 at 3:00pm (preview); Sunday, March 10 at 3:00pm; Monday, March 11 at 8:00pm ; and Wednesday, March 20 at 8:00pm

Town Hall Discussions will follow Saturday 4:00pm matinees on March 9 and 16

Friday, March 1: Mama’s Night / Ladies’ Night: Following the performance, please join us in our rehearsal studio for wine, cheese and great conversation! 

Friday, March 8 : Performance to Benefit Planned Parenthood: $10 of every ticket sold will be donated to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. 

Friday, March 15: Open Captioned Performance; $15 tickets with the code ACCESS 

Location:  Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago

Tickets: General Admission, Previews: $28, Regular Run: $38

Student, Senior, Active Military, Veteran, Preview: $18. Regular Run: $28

Pay What You Can: Five seats (10% of the house) are available for each performance. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.

Three-show pass: $59-$80 for 3-plays 

Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus, and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line El station.

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate, salon environment.

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, Rivendell moved into its own theater space in 2011 in Edgewater. The company is focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage audiences in a discussion of local social issues.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at rivendelltheatre.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: The Alphawood Foundation;

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The Chicago Community Trust; The Chicago Foundation for Women; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation;

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; The Luria Family Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; The Alfred Pick Jr. Fund; Shubert Foundation; SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; Cultural Outreach Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.