Brittany Burch Leads The Gift Theatre's UNSEEN

Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue, kicks off its 2017 Season with the world premiere ofMona Mansour's play Unseen. Ensemble member Maureen Payne-Hahner directs a cast featuring ensemble members Brittany Burch (Mia) and Alexandra Main (Jane) with guest artist Ashley Agbay (Derya). Unseen runs from February 10 - April 9, 2017.

Conflict photographer Mia wakes up in the Istanbul apartment of her on-again, off-again girlfriend after being found unconscious at the scene of a massacre she was photographing. Mia can't even remember being there, but she wired photos of the site hours before being found. The two women resume their volatile push-pull when Mia's well-meaning Californian mother arrives from the United States, trying to help unravel the mystery of what happened to her daughter.

"When I first read this play, it took my breath away," says Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton. "To recognize each other's humanity, to see each other's pain and say 'I love you completely for who you are' is the highest gift we can give each other. As wars continue to rage on our planet, Unseen is a masterwork about love, trauma, and repair in the lives of those for whom war is not just a story, but real life. We are humbled and thrilled to tell this story at The Gift."

Unseen's design team includes Sarah Watkins (set), Rachel Sypniewski (costumes), John Kelly (lights), Sarah Ramos (sound), Sarahi Salazar (props) and Brock Alter (projections).

Tickets for Unseen range from $30-$40 and are available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visitingthegifttheatre.org. Season subscriptions are also on sale now and range from $75-$190, with special pricing available for members under the age of 30.