Otherworld Theatre Opens DOWN THE ROCKY ROAD AND ALL THE WAY TO BEDLAM

Otherworld Theatre's next mainstage production, Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam, a world premiere by Chicago playwright D. Matthew Beyer, directed by guest artist Lauren N. Fields plays April 5 - May 13, 2018 at Nox Arca Theatre, 4001 N Ravenswood Ave #405, Chicago, IL 60613. Press opening is Friday, April 6, 2018.

In a distant but possible future, a broken family struggles to cope with the inevitable death of one daughter and the conflicted consciousness of the other as they travel Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam.

Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam was originally workshopped at DePaul as a development studio (under the direction of Shade Murray). A version of the script was then included in Otherworld Theatre's Reading Series under the direction of Lauren N. Fields before being selected as a mainstage production.

"A friend of mine once described Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam as being 'full of fury and hope.' I envisioned Bedlam as equal parts cyber and punk, so the fury was there from the beginning, but hope somehow managed to sneak into the play without my knowledge. In my mind, I wrote a brutal play with an emphasis on the humanizing capacity of pain, but that's not what everyone sees. And that's great because theatre is the communal art form. Everyone filters their experience through their personal lens. I don't know what the Otherworld Bedlam is yet, but it'll be more than just the words I wrote. It will be an intricate machine built by a passionate team of actors, designers, directors, and producers that only exists for one night at a time. Walk down this road with us, rocky as it may be, to share the dynamic energy of my - our- vision of the future," said playwright D. Matthew Beyer

"What I love about Drew's work, and about Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam especially, is the way he uses Science Fiction to tell extremely honest human stories. What at first glance appears to be a Dystopian look at the possible repercussions of experimenting with Artificial Intelligence is actually revealed to be a very timely investigation into the way depression and doubt affect the people in our lives, often without our knowledge. At its heart, Bedlam is a play about how to love others and ourselves despite our shortcomings. 'And that is rare, and pure, and perfect,'" said director Lauren N. Fields.

The cast features Otherworld artistic associate Elizabeth C. MacDougald (Lain Jerusalem) and guest artists Joseff Stevenson (Thomas Oliver Bedlam) Chase Nuerge (Zelazny), Alexis Ries (Lucy), Jessica Goforth (Lain understudy), and Jorge Jose Bolanos (Thomas Oliver Bedlam understudy).

The production team includes ensemble members Mary-Kate Arnold (casting director), Tiffany Kean Schaefer (artistic director) Sara Robinson (production manager) and Kai Young (violence designer), artistic associate David Goodman-Edberg (lighting designer) and guest artists D. Matthew Beyer (playwright), Emily Boyd (scenic designer), Sarah D. Espinoza (music/sound designer), Lauren N. Fields (director), Grace Halfacer (production assistant), Faith Hart (production assistant) and Stefanie Johnsen (costume/prop designer).

Preview performance is Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 8:00 pm. Press opening is Friday, April 6, 2018 at 8:00 pm. The remainder of performances will run April 8 - May 13, 2018. Performance times are Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm and will be presented at Nox Arca Theatre, 4001 N Ravenswood Ave #405, Chicago, IL 60613. There is no performance on Saturday, April 7.

Ticket prices for Down the Rocky Road and All the Way to Bedlam are Pay-What-You-Can ($20 suggested price). Tickets may be purchased by visiting Eventbrite.org. Free parking is available and Nox Arca is handicapped accessible and CTA accessible by Brown Line Irving Park/ 80 Harlem Bus.

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