PrideArts Presents A PAIR OF LUNATICS

Chicago director/producer/choreographer Zoe Lesser will direct her own new adaptation of the comedy by W.R. Walkes. In A PAIR OF LUNATICS, which premiered in London in 1898, He and She meet for the first time in an asylum and each mistakes the other for an inmate. "He" will be played by Jayson Lee, winner of the "Most Promising Actor" award in the Black Theatre Alliance Awards last year for HOODED: OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES with First Floor Theatre. The role of "She" will be performed by Kya Brickhouse, who has appeared in the 2019 feature film TRICK and the CBS-TV limited series THE RED LINE. Gracie Meier will be videographer. It will be streamed twice only - on Wednesday, December 9 and Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 pm each evening.

Lesser explains her reasons for creating a new adaptation of the comedy. "The two-sentence summary of A PAIR OF LUNATICS states: 'He and She meet for the first time in a lunatic asylum and each mistakes the other for an inmate. An old stand-by that's always fun!' This summary, however succinct it may be, forces us to question, what is funny about mistaking someone for a 'lunatic'? What even is a 'lunatic'?

"In this adaptation of WR Walkes's play, we break open, investigate, and explode this play's grasp of "lunacy." In a time in which the future of live performance is uncertain, this staged adaptation takes place in a desert with two actors grasping at the straws of their own sanity and explores how the stories we tell ourselves somehow persevere." A PAIR OF LUNATICS was shot in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the two cast members, director and videographer were quarantining together.

Costs to view are $15.00. Tickets are available at www.pridearts.org.

BIOS

Zoe Lesser (Director/Adaptor). Zoe Lesser is a director, producer, and choreographer based in Chicago. Recent directing credits include PLOT POINTS IN OUR SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT (self-produced), THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT NEWSCASTERS (RhinoFest 2020), and 45 PLAYS FOR AMERICA'S FIRST LADIES (Assistant, The Neo-Futurists). As a producer and community builder, she has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Arts Access, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, and Prop Thtr. Additionally, she is a professional tap dancer and can be found shedding in parks around the city. She is an apprentice with Chicago Tap Theatre and teaches at various studios in the suburbs.

Jayson Lee (He/Himself). Jayson, originally born in Baton Rouge, LA, grew up in Austell, GA and then moved to Chicago, IL where he received his BFA in Acting from The Theatre school at DePaul University. Jayson made his professional theatre debut in Chicago's premiere production of HOODED: OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES with First Floor Theatre (for which he won the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Most Promising Actor as well as a Jeff Nomination for Best Ensemble). His other theatre & TV Credits include: UTOPIA, HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF (Victory Gardens), THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY (Northlight Theatre), US Premiere of ORESTEIA (The Theatre School at DePaul University), and A DYBBUK; OR BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (The Theatre School at DePaul University).

Kya Brickhouse (She/Herself). Kya Brickhouse Is a New York native, born and raised in the lower east side of Manhattan. Kya cultivated an interest in the arts after being accepted in Rosie O' Donnell's youth theatre company, where she honed skills in musical theatre which allotted her the opportunity to train at LaGuardia High School, graduating in 2015. Kya later received her BFA at the Theater School at DePaul University in 2019. Kya's television and film credits include Patrick Lussier's TRICK and CBS's THE RED LINE.

Gracie Meier (Videographer). Gracie Meier is an artist and administrator who works primarily in the realms of photography, filmmaking, and theatre. She has worked in various roles with companies such as Lookingglass Theatre, Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, First Floor Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and her work has been featured in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, SPOTZ New York, and AMERICAN THEATRE Magazine. Her work as a photographer spans a multitude of styles and functions, allowing for dexterity in her collaborative process, most notably through drag and queer nightlife. She holds a BFA in Theatre Management from DePaul University.

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