CAST & CREW of The Lady Demands Satisfaction
PLAYWRIGHT
Arthur M. Jolly (Playwright) Arthur Jolly writes for stage and screen. He was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences with a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, and in 2017 won the Hammond House International Literary Prize for a Screenplay. As a playwright, Jolly is a three-time Joining Sword and Pen (JS&P) winner, a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award and has penned more than 60 produced plays, with productions across the US and in Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Previously at Babes With Blades Theater Company, A Gulag Mouse, (JS&P 2010 winner) and Trash (JS&P 2012 winner), both published by Next Stage Press. Where We Disappear, a feature film based on A Gulag Mouse, is in post-production. Other published works include Childish Things, The Christmas Princess, The Four Senses of Love, How Blue is My Crocodile, The Ithaca Ladies Read Medea, Long Joan Silver, Past Curfew, Rising, and two short play collections Thin Lines and Guilty Moments. Jolly is a member of the Writing Guild of America caucus, The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and The Dramatists Guild. www.arthurjolly.com
DIRECTOR
Morgan Manasa* (Director) Morgan is a transplant from Detroit, has been a theatremaker in Chicago for the past 17 years. Morgan is an ensemble member of Babes With Blades Theatre Company where she was most recently seen in their all-female production of Henry V (Fluellen) and Witch Slap! (Goody Blunt). The Lady Demands Satisfaction is her directorial debut with BWBTC and she is, indeed, very satisfied. www.morganmanasa.com
FIGHT DIRECTOR/INTIMACY DESIGNER
Samantha Kaufman* (Fight Director) is an advanced actor/combatant with the SAFD and an intermediate actor/combatant with Fight Directors Canada. She has her MFA in acting from Florida Atlantic University and went through the professional circus training program at the Actors Gymnasium in Chicago, IL. She currently lives in Chicago but travels the country acting, fight directing, and teaching.
CAST
Kate Booth (Penelope) has been slinging steel on stages in Chicago for 5 years and is simply stoked to perform in her first production with The Babes. She is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, founding member of To the Point (Wisconsin, Illinois), an ensemble member with Imaginez Ensemblez, (Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago) and a company member with Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment. Previous Chicago credits include Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Conspirators, The LIVE Radio Show, The Dungeon Dome, Warda: Winds of Change, Warda: Curiosities, Cave Painting Theatre, and By the Sword at The Bristol Renaissance Faire. Kate is also a proud assistant to Chuck Coyl at the Actor’s Gymnasium in Evanston.
Felipe Carrasco (Osric) is very excited to be working with BWBTC in The Lady Demands Satisfaction. Previous Chicago credits include: The Madres (Teatro Vista) Harbur Gate (16th Street Theater), Othello: The Moor of Venice (Invictus Theatre Co. Chicago), Waiting for Godot (Tympanic Theatre Co.), Reprise (Adventure Stage Chicago), Pinocchio: A Folk Musical (Filament Theatre), Old Hobbits Die Hard (New Millennium Theatre Co.), and performances with Erasing the Distance. Regional credits include: Bomb-itty of Errors and Cyrano (Riverside Theatre), The Dining Room and Almost, Maine (Iowa Theatre Artists Co.). As always, Felipe sends his love to his family, friends, and collaborators.
Linsey Falls (Abernathy) is pleased and honored for the chance to play with Babes with Blades! His past Chicago productions include the weekly That’s Weird, Grandma (Barrel of Monkeys); Lyle Finds his Mother and The One and Only Ivan (Lifeline Theatre); FIGHT CITY, Hotel Aphrodite and Namosaur (THE FACTORY THEATER); Slaughter City, Drumming in the Night, and Debris of the Prophet (Prop Thtr); A Summer’s Day and Blue Planet (Akvavit Theatre); The Sign of the Four and Frankenstein (City Lit Theatre); Ghosts of Treasure Island (Adventure Stages Chicago); Henry V (Promethean Theatre), Lolita de Lares (Urban Theater); The Black Slot (AstonRep Theater Company); and Mementos Mori and The Magic City (Manual Cinema).
Kim Fukawa (u/s Luitger/Tilly/Theodosia) is excited to be back at Babes With Blades Theatre Company after working with them on a number of productions. Most recently she did double duty as an actor and fight choreographer for their Henry V, and she is currently the Box Office Manager, so they really just can’t get rid of her. She has also been seen around town working with companies such as the Factory Theater, The House Theatre, and TimeLine Theatre. Much love to her parents, and to her partner, Bobby, who is also understudying this show!
Bobby Hoffman (u/s Abernathy/Osric), a Chicago based performer/tech, is so very happy to be working with BWBTC! You can see more of his work at Plan 9 Burlesque. He would like to thank his partner Kim, his family, his cats, and all the dogs in the world ever.
Ari Kraiman (Tilly) is a recent Chicago transplant, from Philly by way of Pittsburgh. Her favorite credits include She Kills Monsters (Kaliope) with The Cuckoos Theatre Project; Nine (Sarraghina); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Gargoyle). Ari is also an actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, and trains at the Actor’s Gymnasium weekly.
Jennifer Mohr (u/s Trothe/Penelope) is so excited to be working with Babes With Blades Theatre Company for the first time! Other Chicago credits include Captain Blood (First Folio); A Steampunk Christmas Carol (EDGE); The Rogue Aviator (Otherworld); Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, The Money Show (GreatWorks); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lightninghead Productions); The Snow Queen: A Panto, Clara and the Nutcracker (Piccolo Theatre); and Chewing on Beckett (Artemisia Theatre(u/s)). Regional credits include Noises Off (Tent Theatre); Reefer Madness (Springfield Contemporary Theatre). She also spent a year touring with Missoula Children’s Theatre. She is a proud ensemble member with New Millennium Theatre Company. Jennifer would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support. As well as a heartfelt thank you to this cast, and Babes With Blades Theatre Company for this incredible opportunity.
Deanalís Resto (Trothe) is a Pennsylvania-Rican teatrista who earned her Musical Theatre degree from Ithaca College. She couldn’t be more excited to make her Babes With Blades Theatre Company debut in this hilarious, heartfelt, and badass play. Previously, Deanalís has had the pleasure of working with Forks & Hope, Brown Paper Box Co., BoHo Theatre, Refuge Theatre Project, Theo Ubique, Oracle, Emerald City Theatre, Teatro Luna, Free Street Theater, Lady Square Arts & Rabid Bat Theatricals. She has also spent the last five years working as an actor, deviser, and teaching artist with For Youth Inquiry (FYI) at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), a company that creates participatory plays and theatre-based workshops for youth about sexual health and reproductive justice. “Special thanks to all of my parents, in the spirit realm and this one, who have humored, supported, encouraged, and loved me, Gracias por todas las bendiciones.”
Megan Schemmel* (Aunt Theodosia) This lady demands satisfaction! And will fight for yours as well (wink). Megan is a Chicago-based actress, voiceover artist, singer, dancer, improvisor and stage-combatant who graduated with a B.F.A. in Theatre & Voice from the University of Kansas. As a proud member of BWBTC’s ensemble since 2012, Megan has enjoyed the chance to wield weapons and play amazing characters in the following BWBTC, female-driven plays: Titus Andronicus (Saturninus), Bo Thomas and the Case of the Sky Pirates (Bo Thomas), Susan Swayne And The Bewildered Bride (Adelaide), TRASH (Becky), and Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio). Other companies on the checklist of fun: Matter Dance Company (emeritus member), The Factory Theater (Fight City), The House Theatre of Chicago (Cyrano), Awkward Pause Theatre (The Rocky Horror Show), The Side Project (Through The Middle Ground), NightBlue (Rabbit Hole, Sweeney Todd, The Rocky Horror Show) and The Cupid Players (Cupid Has A Heart On). Megan is represented by Big Mouth Talent in voice over and on-camera. www.meganschemmel.com www.meganvoices.com
STAFF & CREW
Samantha K. Barr (Production Manager) Samantha is thrilled to be working with Babes With Blades Theatre Company for a second time, and would like to thank all the wonderful artists for their dedication and work thru this run. She is a company member with AstonRep as well as production manager at Dominican University. When not production managing Samantha can be found light designing and riding the EL around her beloved city.
Becs Bartle (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer, master electrician in the Chicago area. She is currently a Company Member at 20 % Theatre Company. Ms. Bartle credits include 20% Theatre Company, Brown Paper Box Co., Highland Park Players, Urban Theatre Company, Fremont Street Theatre, Interrobang Theatre Project, Commission Theatre, Saltbox Theatre Collective, and Saint Sebastian Players.
Lauren Brady (Assistant Stage Manager) is a graduate of the University of Arkansas theatre department and is originally from Fayetteville Arkansas. This is their second show with BWBTC after assistant stage managing on The Good Fight. Their other recent credits include ASM for Damascus with Strawdog Theatre Company and ASM for 1980 with Jackalope Theatre.
Carlie Casas (Costume Design) is proud and honored to be a part of this wonderful production. Favorite previous credits include Arthur Miller’s The Creation of the World and Other Business, Tennessee Williams’ 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Some Problems for the Moose Lodge, as well as various original dance pieces staged at The University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Kenya Ann Hall (Dramaturg) is an actress, writer, and dramaturg based in Chicago, raised in Oakland, CA. Her writing has been featured at Victory Gardens in the Each & Her performance showcase and received honorable mention for the Dr. Floyd Gaffney Playwriting Award. She was most recently the dramaturg for Saint Joan (Poetic Forum Collective). She is a proud graduate of Northwestern University.
Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach) is pleased to be returning to BWBTC after dialect coaching last season’s Henry V. Some of her past voice coaching experience includes work with Lifeline Theatre, Prologue Theatre, Redtwist, and Loyola University Chicago; she also teaches privately. Many thanks to all involved, and to her family for putting up with her near-constant quiet mumbling in different voices.
Stefanie Johnsen (Props Designer) has worked with Babes With Blades Theatre Company a ton and is happy to provide props for Morgan and TLDS! She played the ridiculous bdsm zombie in Witch Slap!, she’s been involved in several readings and she’s costumed L’Imbecile. She has also recently costumed Don’t Smoke In Bed with Chimera, Deckchairs with The Conspirators, An Ideal Husband with Ghostlight and curated costumes and props for Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam with Otherworld Theatre Co. For more information, email [email protected].
Chas Mathieu (Scenic Design) is happy to be working with BWBTC for the first time. Scenic design credits include: The Days are Shorter (Pride Films and Plays), The Pirates of Penzance (The Savoyaires), Encounter (Collaboraction), Little Shop of Horrors (Columbia College Chicago), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Columbia College Chicago), and Abduction (Locked Door Productions). Chas is also a scenic artist, carpenter, and technical director, and paints fine art in his free time. Chas holds a BFA in Theatre Design from Columbia College Chicago. Portfolio: chasmathieu.com
Kayla Menz (Stage Manager) Kayla is a Chicago based Director and Stage Manager who is excited to work on her first show with Babes! Stage Management credits include Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea (First Floor Theater), The Revisionist (Dobama Theatre), Beauty and the Beast, Finnian’s Rainbow, and The Little Mermaid (Mercury Theater Company). ASM credits include The Call, The Realistic Joneses, Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars (Dobama Theatre), and Stupid Fucking Bird (Capital Stage Company). Kayla is the Resident Director at Unheard Of Company. She was a Production Intern for Dobama Theatre in Cleveland, OH and the Directing Apprentice for Capital Stage Company in Sacramento, CA. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts, Directing Track from Cleveland State University.
Becca Venable (Technical Director/Sound Designer) is a Texas native now living in Chicago where she is the assistant technical director at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a company member with Red Theater Chicago and The Comrades. In May 2018 she was the recipient of the Michael Merritt Emerging Technical Collaborator Award. Becca also works as a freelance technical director, lighting designer, and sound designer around the city. Some of Becca’s credits include A Year with Frog and Toad (Chicago Children’s Theatre), The Nutcracker (Ballet Lubbock), Dying City (The Comrades), American Hero (First Floor Theater), and The Good Fight (Babes With Blades Theatre Company).
* denotes BWBTC Ensemble Member