Babes With Blades Theatre Company's Has Announced the Cast of Updated DUCHESS OF MALFI

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd season continues with Duchess of Malfi, running April 17 - May 30, written by John Webster, adaptation and direction by BWBTC Artistic Director Hayley Rice and fight choreography by Maya Vinice Prentiss. All performances are at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard Street. Preview performances are Friday, April 17, April 24 and Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. Opening Night is Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Preview tickets are $10, general admission tickets are $28 with a discounted student and senior price available at $15. Every show has a limited number of $10 tickets for industry professionals who must present proof of theatre industry affiliation. Additional information and tickets are available now at BabesWithBlades.org or by calling 773-904-0391.

When the widowed Duchess of Malfi chooses to love again, honestly and defiantly, the men in her family do everything in their power to break those that would dare to flout the unspoken rules of a "traditional" society. "Despite the 407 years between the premiere of Duchess of Malfi and today, in some ways very little has changed," states director Hayley Rice. "This production will focus on the (unfortunately timeless) theme of the power held, and desperately clung to, by a patriarchal society, and how something as simple as two people openly loving each other outside of that dichotomy is an inherent threat to those in power (then and today). Toxic masculinity is still an insidious disease. It lashes out at marginalized communities. It also eats away at some men, making them feel, to paraphrase a section of the text, like they're 'wearing a wolf-skin that is hairy on the inside,'" Rice continues.

The cast of Duchess of Malfi includes Carina Lastimosa, "Julia/Doctor;" Andy Monson, "Delio;" Jhenai Mootz, "Duchess;" Shane Richlen, "Ferdinand;" June Thiele, "Antonio;" Carlos Wagener-Sobrero, "Cardinal" and Maureen Yasko*, "Bosola."

The production team of Duchess of Malfi includes Nina Attinello, lighting designer; Hannah Foerschler, sound designer; Rose Hamill, production manager; Roxie Kooi, stage manager; Jennifer L. Mickelson*, intimacy designer; Maya Vinice Prentiss, fight choreographer; Hayley Rice*, director, Jessica Van Winkle, costume designer and Mara Ishihara Zinky, scenic designer.

*denotes BWBTC ensemble member

ABOUT Hayley Rice, DIRECTOR

Hayley Rice is the artistic director of Babes With Blades Theatre Company. Previous directing credits include Henry V (BWBTC), The Man-Beast, A Midsummer's Nights Dream, Henry V and Winter's Tale (First Folio Theatre). She has also worked (as either an actor or director) with The Factory Theater, AstonRep Theatre Co., Circle Theatre, Prologue Theatre, The Chicago Mammals, The Paradeigma Collective, Focal Point Theatre, Illinois Theatre Center, LiveWire Theatre, Point of Contention Theatre, Rascal Children's Theatre and Minnesota's Prairie Fire Children's Theater. She is also a proud artistic associate at First Folio Theatre. You can find more about Hayley and her future projects at HayleyRice.com.

ABOUT MAYA VINICE PRENTISS, FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

Maya Vinice Prentiss's professional fight choreography credits include EthiopianAmerica (Definition Theatre) and August: Osage County (Station Theatre). Her Chicago acting credits include How to Catch Creation (Goodman Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Eclipsed (Pegasus Theatre Chicago) and An Octoroon (Definition Theatre). Regional Credits include As You Like It, Pride and Prejudice, and Caesar (Illinois Shakespeare Festival). She is an MFA acting graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a BA in drama from Spelman College.

ABOUT BABES WITH BLADES THEATRE COMPANY

Gender parity is a hot topic, with articles after news clips after reports documenting how women, and women's stories, are still underrepresented. Babes With Blades Theatre Company's response - now, for the past 20 years, and moving forward - is to develop and present scripts focused on complex, dynamic (and often combative) characters who are underrepresented based on gender.

In each element of their programming, they embrace two key concepts:

Women, nonbinary folx, and other underrepresented communites are central to the story, driving the action rather than responding or submitting to it.

Everyone is capable of a full emotional and physical range, up to and including violence and its consequences.

The company offers participants and patrons alike an unparalleled opportunity to experience every person as heroes and villains; rescuers and rescues; right, wrong and everywhere in between: exciting, vivid, dynamic PEOPLE. It's as simple and as subversive as that.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd season continues with Duchess of Malfi, running April 17 - May 30, written by John Webster, adaptation and direction by BWBTC Artistic Director Hayley Rice and fight choreography by Maya Vinice Prentiss. All performances are at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard Street. Preview performances are Friday, April 17, April 24 and Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. Opening Night is Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Preview tickets are $10, general admission tickets are $28 with a discounted student and senior price available at $15. Every show has a limited number of $10 tickets for industry professionals who must present proof of theatre industry affiliation. Additional information and tickets are available now at BabesWithBlades.org or by calling 773-904-0391.

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