MIKE MOTHER to Open 5/2 at The Neo-Futurarium

Experience the entirely unique voice and lyricism of Neo-Futurist Jessica Anne in her upcoming show, Mike Mother. The show opens Monday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland.

Mike Mother

Created and written by Jessica Anne

Directed by Josh Matthews

Featuring Jessica Anne and Mike Hamilton

Previews: Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30

Opening Night: Monday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances continue through June 4: Thurs/Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20, $10 for students/seniors with ID, or pay-what-you-can on Thursdays.

All performances take place at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland

For tickets or information, visit www.neofuturists.org or call 773-275-5255.

Exploring the tension between fiction and nonfiction, Jessica Anne's Mike Mother weaves theater, writing, and film into the lies that cripple memories, the truth that haunts our tales, and all the gaps in between. With Mike Mother, Anne's rich, surprising history with her eccentric mother is used to examine theatre's reliability as a vessel for truth. Pitting real life stories and memories before an audience, Anne shares the stage with Mike Hamilton, real life actor and real life "friend of a friend," acting as a guide and advocate for the audience. Equal parts psychological thriller, live action film, and genre-bending performance, Mike Mother is Anne's note to self, manifest into a two-person, one-woman show.

Director Josh Matthews says, "I see Mike Mother as an intimate dissection of contrasting works of fiction and pop culture, filtered through the lens of the Neo-Futurist aesthetic, and Jessica Anne's wildly poetic voice. I've been delighted by Jessica and Mike's playful, unprecious dynamic between each other, as they approach the work with humor and a willingness to risk."

"It's really a show about memory, and trauma, and objects," states Jessica Anne. "Think of Baby Jessica, trapped down a well in 1987. And now think of her as me - I knew I'd see my mother again, I could hear her singing, she was right there. But, what really terrified me was the thought that I'd never take a bath again, never reach for a clean towel. Never flip through an old photo album. When stuck in the muck of trauma, I think, the desire to hold is stronger than the desire to be held."

Jessica Anne (Creator/Writer/Performer) has been a Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member since 2006, regularly rotating in and out of the long running Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays In 60 Minutes, in Chicago and throughout the country. She has collaborated on several Neo-Futurist prime-time productions including Analog and The Miss Neo Pageant. As an actor she's worked with The Hypocrites. As a live lit performer she has read at The Paper Machete and Write Club, and is the co-editor of One Night Only, a magazine of live, literary culture. Anne holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Roosevelt University. Her first book, A MANUAL FOR NOTHING, is scheduled to be published by Noemi Press in Spring, 2017.

Josh Matthews (Director) is a theater maker, clown and teacher, based in Oakland, CA. A graduate of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Josh has co-created six shows with Under the Table Ensemble Theatre, touring across the country and internationally. Josh directed and co-wrote the play Bad Kid (New York Times critic's pick) with acclaimed storyteller David Crabb. Josh also performs in pediatric and elder care facilities with the Medical Clown Project in San Francisco.

Mike Hamilton (Performer) is an actor/director/performer in Chicago and has worked previously with Jackalope Theatre, The Building Stage, Griffin Theatre, Awkward Pause, Lights Out, Duplicity Ensemble, Redmoon, Alluvium Group, and the The Neo-Futurists. Mike is the 'Mike' in Mike Mother.

The Mike Mother staff includes: Erik Newman (Scenic Designer), John Kelly (Lighting Designer), Michael Caskey (Sound Designer), Logan Kibens (Videographer), Kate Hardiman (Production Manager), Paul Deziel (Projection Technician), Kurt Chiang (Creative Consultant), and Gabby Welsh (Stage Manager).

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