20th Anniversary Season Sponsor:
Teresa Wallace & John Chou
Cast & Crew
Tap on the dropdowns below to learn who’s who in this production.
Cast
JENNY
Bi Jean Ngo* (she/her)
LUCY
Merri Rashoyan* (she/her)
JOE
Hansel Tan* (he/him)
Artistic & Production
DIRECTOR
Cat Ramirez (they/he/she)
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Joseph Ahmed (he/they)
SET AND PROPS DESIGNER
Chris Haig+ (he/him)
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Calvin Anderson+ (he/they)
COSTUME DESIGNER
Anna Sorrentino (she/her)
SOUND DESIGNER
Natali D. Merrill (she/her)
INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Bess Rowen (she/her)
STAGE MANAGER
Jamel Baker* (he/him)
HEAD ELECTRICIAN
Isabella Gill-Gomez (she/they)
SUBSTITUTE ELECTRICIAN
Ethan Paone (he/him)
* Appearing through an Agreement between Theatre Horizon and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
+ Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE, the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection Designers in Live Performance.
Directors’ Note
Welcome to our road trip. At its core, Young Americans is a zany, heartfelt exploration of what it means to step into the unknown. Over the next 90 minutes, we ask what happens when we hold on too tightly to the expectations of others, or when we make the brave, and sometimes painful, decision to prioritize ourselves. Through the lens of immigrant experiences, the play explores the tension between familial expectation and the yearning to find one’s own path.
Lauren Yee’s work is magic. She blends realism with fantastical elements to amplify the emotional truths of the characters. We’ve leaned into this—creating a world that mirrors the feeling of a road trip. Sometimes you feel trapped in the car, boxed in by your choices (or the people you’re sharing the car with), your surroundings, and the expectations placed on you. Other times, you feel free, embraced by the open road and its limitless possibilities. The design reflects this dynamic, showing how the beauty of the journey can be clouded by the mundane and the oppressive—those highway signs and fast food chains that clutter the truth and beauty found in the land surrounding it. An apt metaphor for the artifice of the American dream.
Working on this play has been a challenging exploration of my relationship to the idea of “Americanness”— a national identity I have increasingly struggled to wear with any sense of belonging. On the first day of our process, Hansel, who plays Joe, asked, “When do these characters become American?” The answer, we realized, isn’t tied to a moment of assimilation or approval; it lies in their ability to embrace uncertainty, to boldly imagine and claim a future that no one has defined for us. We all have the right to not just dream of our futures, but to fight for the resources and freedoms to make those imagined worlds real, on our own terms.
Young Americans is a love letter to the immigrant experience, a song of self-discovery, and a reminder of the complexity of belonging in a country that doesn’t want us to exist.
So, I ask you—how do you embrace uncertainty? What are the rules you’ve been taught, and which of those will you choose to break? How do you choose yourself, and what road will you take to get there? Come with us on this ride.
Bios
Tap on the dropdowns below to learn more about the artists working on this production.
Bi Jean Ngo* (she/her) - JENNY
Bi is so happy to be back onstage at Theatre Horizon. She last appeared as Hope in An Infinite Ache. Bi is a member of The Wilma’s Hothouse Acting Company and part of 1812 Productions’ Creative Core. She has appeared onstage at The Wilma, 1812 Productions, Walnut St Theater, Lantern Theater, Theater Exile, and more! She has also directed productions for Delaware Shakespeare and Princeton University, and is part of the directing team for the 2025 Philly Asian Performing Artists’ Philly Asian Futures Project. She has an MFA in acting from New School University and a Bachelor’s in Film & TV from Boston University. You can find out more about her at www.bijeanngo.com Love to her partner, David, for his unwavering love and support and also their pup Archie.
Merri Rashoyan* (she/her) - LUCY
Merri Rashoyan is a Philadelphia-based artist, who is thrilled to join Theatre Horizon for the first time. Having moved back to Philly after receiving her MFA in Acting at FSU Asolo Conservatory, Merri can’t wait to share this beautiful play with audiences and the wonderful cast! Previous credits include: PlayPenn, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Delaware Shakespeare, etc. She would like to thank her Family and Partner Ron for all the love and support!
Hansel Tan* (he/him) - Joe
Hansel Tan is a PA newcomer, and is excited to make his Theatre Horizons debut with a Lauren Yee play! Born and raised in Singapore, he has performed extensively on NYC, regional, and international stages, as well as on TV and Film. Hansel is currently embarking on a new adventure as Asst. Professor of Performance at Villanova University, teaching undergraduate performance disciplines and researching the cognitive applications of movement methodologies. He thanks the effervescent TH folks, Cat, Javier, Jim, and the VT community: especially his students.
Cat Ramirez (they/he/she) - DIRECTOR
Cat Ramirez (they/he/she) is a queer, mixed-race, Philly-based performance director and producer. Some of his favorite directing projects include She Was a Conquistawhore with Rachel O’Hanlon Rodriguez, Today Is My Birthday with Theatre Exile, Letters to the Moon with Mel Hsu and Intercultural Journeys, Half Magic with Joseph Ahmed, and Meet Murasaki Shikibu with Tiny Dynamite (Barrymore Nominated for Outstanding Direction). She has produced and developed programming for the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Asian Arts Initiative, and Lightning Rod Special. Cat is the Creative Director for Philly Asian Performing Artists (PAPA), the Cooperative Operations Manager for Obvious Agency, and a Board Member of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. They are an alum of the National New Play Network’s Producer-In-Residence Program and have been recognized by Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs for his contributions to Asian American Theatre in the state of Pennsylvania.
Joseph Ahmed (he/they) - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Joseph Ahmed is a mixed-race, Philadelphia-based theater artist and arts administrator whose creative work sloshes over into dance, circus, and interactive performance. They are a co-founder of the worker-owned cooperative Obvious Agency, a 2024 awardee of the National Theater Project’s Creation & Touring grant, which creates interactive performances and advocates for democratic practices within the arts ecosystem. As a playwright and solo artist, he creates genre-defying work that centers mixed-race identity, grief, second-generation angst, pop culture, queerness, and magic. They are a major collaborator with Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, a former company member with the Barrymore Award-winning Tribe of Fools (2018-2020) and Almanac Dance Circus Theatre (2016-2018). He co-directed ikantkoan’s Chaos Theory which won Immersive Nation’s Best Social Immersion award in 2019. As a director and actor he has worked throughout Philadelphia with companies such as the Arden Theatre Company, Theater Exile, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Asian Arts Initiative, First Person Arts, and Team Sunshine Performance Corporation. He holds a BFA in Theater Arts from Boston University. Big love to Cat Ramirez, and Evelyn Langley + babe at home.
Chris Haig+ (he/him) - Scenic and Props Designer
A proud University of the Arts alum and former professor, Chris has designed sets and props throughout Philadelphia for over 20 years earning four Barrymore nominations for Best Scenic Design (Torch Song at 1812 Productions, Man of La Mancha at Delaware Theatre Company, Alice in Wonderland at People’s Light and Time Is On Our Side at Simpatico Theatre). For Theatre Horizon, he previously designed the sets and/or props for TOWN, Athena, The Few, Peter and the Starcatcher, White, A New Brain, Lobby Hero, Into the Woods, Circle Mirror Transformation, Spring Awakening, Kimberly Akimbo, The Credeaux Canvas, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Fat Pig. He has also designed sets and/or props for Spiegelworld’s The Hook in Atlantic City and Disco Show in Las Vegas, Desaparecidas LLC con La Familia at JACK in Brooklyn, Milwaukee Rep, Power Street Theatre Company, People’s Light, Inis Nua Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, 1812 Productions, Philadelphia Theatre Company, InterAct, Simpatico Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Gunnar Montana Productions, Bristol Riverside Theatre, University of the Arts, Arcadia University, Villanova University, Quintessence Theatre Company, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Tribe of Fools, Delaware Shakespeare Festival and Plays & Players. Chris is a proud member of the Society of Prop Managers, Local USA 829, and the board of Philadelphia Scenic Works. To see more of his work: chrishaigdesigns.com.
Calvin Anderson+ (he/they) - LIGHTING DESIGNER
Calvin Anderson is a lighting/media designer and production manager located in Western Catskills, New York. They have a strong pull towards the devised, the radical, and the risky while leaning towards projects with heart and trust. Career highlights include designing The Christine Jorgensen Show (ADH Theatricals/NYC), Body As a Site of Faith and Protest (waheedworks/NYC), Bly
Anna Sorrentino (she/her) - COSTUME DESIGNER
Anna Sorrentino is a Philadelphia-based costume designer. Her training includes an MA in Theatre from Villanova University, the Wingspace Theatrical Design Mentorship, and the Hangar Theatre Design Fellowship. She is a lover of new work and has designed costumes for development workshops at Carnegie Mellon, UArts, and Villanova. Her work in costume design has been seen at theatres across the Philadelphia region and beyond, including Azuka Theatre, Hedgerow Theatre, Chester Theatre Company, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Quintessence Theatre Group, Delaware Shakespeare, Passage Theatre, Eagle Theatre, Shakespeare in Clark Park, the Walnut Street Theatre, and others. She is the costume shop manager at Temple University.
Natali D. Merrill (she/her) - SOUND DESIGNER
Natali Merrill is a sound and technology designer and engineer excited to work with Theatre Horizon! Based in Philadelphia, she has been the sound designer for productions including Ghost Ride (Agile Rascal Bike Theatre), Siluetas (Power Street Theatre), Broads (1812 Productions), Spring Awakening (Bryn Mawr College), High Noon (Ninth Planet), Shakespeare’s R&J (New Light Theatre Company), and Fucking A (Swarthmore College). She has worked with Theatre Exile, 11th Hour Theatre Company, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, New Century Theatre Company in Seattle, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. A graduate of Haverford College, she researched and wrote a thesis on acoustics in performance halls. She is also a singer and composer. www.nmerrill.com
Bess Rowen (she/her) - INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Bess is an intimacy professional who has trained extensively with Theatrical Intimacy Education. Recent Philadelphia-area credits for intimacy choreography include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Quintessence), Rent (West Chester University), The Thanksgiving Play (Villanova University), Heathers (Villanova University), and Macbeth (Quintessence University). She is also an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Villanova University, and also serves on the steering committees for the Gender & Women’s Studies and Irish Studies programs. This is her Theatre Horizon premiere, and she is delighted to be working with this wonderful group of folx!www.nmerrill.com
Jamel Baker* (he/him) - STAGE MANAGER
Jamel Baker is a freelance stage manager and has worked both locally and nationally for over 10 years. Recently, Jamel has led stage manager workshops in Philadelphia, Lawrenceville, Wyoming, and is currently the Lead Producer for Passage Theatre (Trenton, NJ).
Isabella Gill-Gomez (she/they) - HEAD ELECTRICIAN
Isabella Gill-Gomez is a Latina technician, programmer, and light designer based in Philadelphia who works throughout the Tri-State Area. She has worked with numerous companies around Philadelphia such as Opera Philadelphia, BalletX, The Wilma Theater Company, The Arden Theater Company, FringeArts, Delaware Theatre Company, Interact Theatre Company, and Philadelphia Theater Company (to name a few). Thank you to the TH team. All my love AWVH.
Ethan Paone (he/him) - SUBSTITUTE ELECTRICIAN
Ethan Paone is glad to be back at Theatre Horizon after his previous work on Tick Tick…Boom! As a previous University of the Arts student, he now works as a multimedia designer in lighting, sound, projection, and engineering. Currently he is also working at the Arden Theater as a lighting programmer in this 2024-25 season, and Wolf Performing Arts Center as a lighting designer and sound engineer.
Philadelphia Scenic Works (PSW)
Philadelphia Scenic Works is a fully outfitted theatrical scene shop, paint space, and props shop that provides high-quality, affordable scenic and props fabrication, storage, and build space. PSW serves the Philadelphia region’s robust community of non-profit theatre companies and other cultural and educational organizations by maintaining the highest artistic standards, while embracing a more sustainable future through shared pools of recycled, reused, and repurposed stock and resources. To learn more, please visit philadelphiascenicworks.org/
THEATRE HORIZON
Theatre Horizon’s mission is to use the transformative power of storytelling to foster empathy and to create an inclusive home for artists, audiences, and students alike. We stage stories that illuminate the full range of human experience, bring people together, connect students with theatre artists, and contribute to the revitalization of our diverse and underserved community in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Founded in 2005 by Erin Reilly and Matthew Decker, Theatre Horizon has become an award-winning leader in the arts ecosystem across Montgomery County, Philadelphia region, and the country. In October 2012 we completed a $1 million capital campaign and opened our permanent home: a 123-seat blackbox theatre in the heart of Norristown’s Arts Hill District. Since moving to our new home, our services have attracted over 45,000 people to Norristown, making us an anchor of revitalization to the downtown area. Through our artistic productions, education programs, and community investment initiatives, Theatre Horizon is invested in the people of Norristown. Through our community-centric approach, we build long-term, sustainable relationships with Norristown community members by inviting them to become active participants in the artmaking and decision-making, instead of merely spectators.
* Appearing through an Agreement between Theatre Horizon and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
+ Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE, the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound and Projection Designers in Live Performance.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Young Americans was rehearsed and performed at Theatre Horizon in Norristown, which stands on the territory known as “Lenapehoking,” the ancestral home of the Lenape people.
For the past 10,000 years, the Lenape have been the original caretakers and stewards of Lenapehoking—one of numerous tribes that comprised tens of millions of people residing on this continent prior to the invasion of European colonizers.
We recognize that Isaac Norris, Sr. — Norristown’s namesake — purchased land from the family of William Penn even though nobody “owns” Lenapehoking. We acknowledge that Isaac Norris, Sr. was a slaveholder who benefited from a system that captured, sold, and enslaved over 10 million Africans who were trafficked to various locations in North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
We acknowledge the 6 million African Americans that moved from the American South to the Northeast during The Great Migration and their roles in making places like Norristown a central hub for industry and retail. Finally, with a large Latinx population in Norristown—particularly people from Puerto Rico and Mexico—we acknowledge the past, present, and future legacies of the Taíno and Aztec peoples.
This land acknowledgement was written by Gilberto Vega with advisement from Adam Waterbear DePaul and Barbara Bluejay Michalski of the Lenape Cultural Center.
Our Supporters
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FY 24/25 Individual Donors
As of 11/15/2024
Anonymous • Isy Abraham-Raveson • Dawn Adams • Jared Albany • Patricia & Al Anderson • Matthew Armstead • Carolyn & Michael Ashburn • Courtney Bambrick • Justin Rose & Nell Bang-Jensen • Lise Bang-Jensen & Charles Houghton • Timothy Barnes • Rodney Bass • Rashaad Bates • Veronika Bazewicz • Nancy & Jay Berkowitz • Hellena & German Berrios • Ryane & Ian Beutler • Bonnie Bloom • Rebecca Bradbeer • Debra Brady • Olivia* & Craig Brady • Thomas Breeden • Liz Brunton • David Bushnell & Kim Pelkey • Sydney Cain-Frazier • Johanna Caldwell • Anthnoy Camp • Shellie Camp • Pepe Carmona & Johanna Rossell • Cheryl Carson • Deann Carter • Katharina Casey* • Bruce and Carol Caswell • Anna Chilcote • Joan & Joel Chinitz • Muthu Chinnadurai • Barbara Chubb • Gerry Cocchiaro & Barbara M. 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* Denotes Board Member
Donations in Honor & in Memory of
Alison Schaufler on Behalf of Steve Platt
Barbara Dowdall on Behalf of Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians (PARSL)
Buzz Merrick on Behalf of Theatre Horizon Education
Charles G Houghton in Honor of Nell Bang-Jensen
Connie & Larry Skvir in Honor of Michele Decker
Deborah Stern in Honor of Laura Pratt
Deneen Jones in Honor of Nya Green
Donald Dumpson on Behalf of Garrick Vaughn
Doug & Nancy Romanczuk in Memory of Raymond Decker
Gabrielle Morrison in Memory of Raymmond Decker
Joseph Rigg in Memory of Daniel Siwik
Karen Migdail & Andrew Davis In Honor of Engagement of Jonathan Harper Schlieman/Haley Fluke & Honeymoon of Shelby North
Karen Sitler in Memory of Raymond Decker
Karen Siwik in Memory of Daniel Siwik
Kathryn Hayes in Honor of Nell Bang-Jensen
Kenneth Schmitt in Honor of Robi Hager & Chris Haig
Larry & Maureen Mullin Fowler in Memory of Raymond Decker
Laura Ebersole in Memory of Raymond Decker
Laura Pratt in Memory of Daniel Siwik
Leah Zerbe on Behalf of the Autism Drama Program’s Amazing Actors!
The McHale Family/Shawmont School in Memory of Raymond Decker
Melanie Swanson in Memory of Raymond Decker
Michael Coleman in Honor of Nell Bang Jensen and all the great work done under your leadership
Michael & Sybil Swanson in Memory of Raymond Decker
Richard W. Crosby in Memory of Raymond Crosby
Richard W. Crosby in Memory of Raymond Decker
Rhoda & Louis Fryman in Honor of Christina Fryman
Sarah Goslin in Memory of Raymmond Decker
Susan Koss in Memory of Raymond Decker
Susan Tobia in Honor of Maku Warrakah-Ali
Tim & Pat Sutherland in Memory of Raymond Decker
Upper Merion High School Social Studies Department in Memory of Raymond Decker
Vivan Chan & Yusef Cole in Memory of Raymond Decker
Yasmin Williams-Brown in Honor of the ENTIRE Holiday Gospel Concert Cast & Crew!
Yasmin Williams-Brown in Memory of Kelly Williams
Foundation and Government Supporters
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Coming Up at
Theatre Horizon
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Board & Staff
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Board of Directors
President
Chad Eric Smith (he/him)
Vice President
Gail Fishman (she/her)
Directors
Kate Casey, Treasurer (she/her)
Linda Lipscomb, Secretary (she/her)
Olivia Brady (she/her)
Matthew Decker (he/him)
Hannah Fenlon (she/her)
Christina Fryman (she/her)
Hakim Jones (he/him)
Zandra Maffett (she/her)
Kristin Midha (she/her)
Amanda Morton (she/her)
Laura Pratt (she/her)
Diane Reilly (she/her)
Jeff Smith (he/him)
Maku Warrakah-Ali (she/her)
Brent Woods (he/him)
Staff
Interim Artistic Director
Matt Decker (he/him)
Bookkeeper
Bookminders
Public Relations Consultant
Bryan Butler (he/him)
Patron Outreach & Sales Associate
Andrew Davis (he/him)
Manager of Giving
Ricki Gever Eisenstein (she/her)
Graphic Design
Daniel Kontz Design
Audience Engagement Associate
Zoë Gilmore (they/she)
Production Manager
Tess Mathewson (she/her)
Director of Philadelphia Teaching Artists Initiative
Dawn Loveland Navarro (she/her)
Director of Community Investment
Mydera Taliah Robinson (she/her)
Associate Director of Strategic Engagement
Jonathan Harper Schlieman (he/him)
Education Manager
Seraina Schottland (she/her)
Finance & HR Manager
Josh Totora (he/him)
Director of External Relations
Gilberto Vega (he/him)
Artistic Associate
Eliza Waterman (she/her)
Front of House
Eiza Carson (she/her)
Nya Harris-Green (she/her)
Jess Merkins (she/her)
Eliza Waterman (she/her)
Teaching Artists
Genevieve Kull (she/they) • Aaron Bell (he/him) • Alexa Joseph (she/her) • Alexi Ralston (she/her) • Amanda Gulla (she/they/he) • Andrea Rose Cardoni (she/her) • Andrew Beal (he/him) • Andy Boettcher (he/him) • Anna Faye Lieberman (she/her/they/them) • Anthony Azzolina (he/him) • Beau (Bella) Main (they/them/theirs) • Becky Fleckner (she/her) • Brittney Anderson (she/her) • Brooke Shilling (she/her) • Caitlin Thompson (she/they) • Carissa Matsushima (she/her) • Carl Smith (he/him) • Caroline Orejuela (she/her) • Chantel Cumberbatch (She/her) • Chelsea Cylinder (she/her) • Chris Davis (he/him) • Darzaya Scott (she/her) • David Allison (he/him) • Devon Sinclair (he/him) • DJ Gleason (he/him) • Donovan Lockett (she/her) • Eliza Carter (she/her) • Eliza Waterman (she/her) • Elizabeth Gumula (she/her) • Emmie Parker (she/her) • Garrick Vaughn (he/him) • Gilberto Vega (he/him) • Heidi Fliegelman (she/her) • Jack Taylor (he/him) • Jamie DePaul (she/her) • Jamie Jarret (they/he) • Joe DiOrio (he/him) • Johanna Tolentino (she/her) • Joyous (James) Whitfeild (they/them) • Juana Parral (she/her) • Katie Brady-Gold (she/her) • Katie Wicklund (she/her) • Kayla Velasquez (she/her) • Kelsey Hebert (she/her) • Kennedy McAlister (she/her) • Lincoln (Derrick) Millard (he/they) • Maddy Gillespie (she/her) • Marisa Gittleman (she/her) • Marleigha Smith (she/her) • Martha Cooney (she/her/hers) • Max Segarnick (he/him) • Melissa Spangler (she/her) • Merri Rashayon (she/her) • Mieke D (they/them) • Mikeala Boone (she/her) • Monah Yancy (she/her) • Morgan Charece Hall (She/her) • Nia Oden-el (she/her/hers) • Noah Eisenstein (He/him) • Nya Green (she/her/hers) • Quanece Thompson (She/her) • Remy Van Collen (they/them) • Ryann Elise (they/them) • Sarah Owens (she/her) • Shreya Ragavan (They/them) • Sohrab Haghverdi (he/him) • Stephanie Crispell (she/her) • Taylor J Mitchell (she/her) • Tyrone Lackey (he/him) • Zoe Gilmore (she/they) • Silas Lloyd (they/them) • Tanera Calem (she/they) • William Nassau (he/him) • Grace Lazarz (she/her) • Daniel Romano (he/him)
Support Local Theatre
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MIDSUMMER
Is love for the foolish?
Four Athenian youths reject their parents’ efforts to interfere in their romantic lives, and choose to run away instead of facing the love-limiting laws of the land. Lost in the surrounding wilderness, the lovers stumble upon a fairy kingdom in conflict; a spat between the fairy king and queen so great it threatens to alter the earth’s orbit and suspend its seasons. A group of laborers, secretly rehearsing their play for a royal competition, also wander unwittingly into the middle of the fairy battle. Mayhem ensues, and Shakespeare confirms we can all prove an ass when in love.
ANTONY & CLEOPATRA
CAN PASSION TOPPLE AN EMPIRE?
Julius Caesar is assassinated, the rebellion foiled, and the Roman Empire is now ruled equally by three men, of which Mark Antony is the most powerful. Stationed in the east, Mark Antony summons Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt to demand submission, but instead, Antony is subdued by Cleopatra’s beauty, wit and charm. Heart tied to Cleopatra, Antony neglects wife and empire, the man of war surrendering to a life of decadence, seduction and the pleasures of Egypt. Torn between desire and duty, will the eternity in their eyes and in their lips create a new global power, or will Antony and Cleopatra’s passions lead to the fall of the empire?
Archduke
by Rajiv Joseph
directed by Blanka Zizka
April 15 – May 4, 2025
Three boys – Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabež, and Nedeljko Čabrinović – are recruited by a mysterious organization with promises of glory, purpose, and a sandwich. Their depraved Captain sends the boys on a mission he claims will restore order and justice to their struggling nation and avenge the unfairness of their terminal illness. Their assignment? Assassinate the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie. Beloved playwright Rajiv Joseph (Describe the Night) returns to the Wilma with a play that asks, what happens when a person feels like they have nothing left to lose? What methods are acceptable in the fight against oppression? Led by the Wilma’s visionary Founding Artistic Director Blanka Zizka (Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Kill Move Paradise), and featuring the HotHouse Acting Company, Archduke offers audiences a humanized glimpse into the catalyst of WWI.
RIFT, OR WHITE LIES
National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
by Gabriel Jason Dean
directed by Seth Rozin
April 4 – 27
Run Time: 2 hours including a 15-minute intermission
Based on the playwrights’ true story…
Two estranged brothers – one a progressive novelist, the other a convicted murderer and high-ranking member of a white supremacist prison gang – are united through their traumatic childhood. Now adults, they attempt to navigate the edges of their brotherly bond, as well as a path forward toward understanding and forgiveness. In an increasingly polarized world, is it possible to love someone whose beliefs you hate?