Rivendell Theatre Ensemble Will Perform SPAY Next Month

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, presents the world premiere of SPAY by Madison Fiedler, directed by Georgette Verdin. SPAY runs March 12 - April 17, 2022 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. The press opening is Wednesday, March 23 at 7:00pm.

Williamson, West Virginia has been aptly nicknamed "Pilliamson" for as long as anyone can remember, certainly since the Attridge family's been around. The now-grown sisters have taken very different paths in the wake of their mother's overdose. As Harper raises her sister's child vowing to tread new ground, Noah opts for the old ways and finds herself in all-too-familiar territory.

Penned by recent Northwestern graduate Madison Fiedler, SPAY is a provoking new drama about the effect of America's opioid epidemic in one small West Virginia town. SPAY is an unflinching look at addiction, Appalachia, and the families our system has failed.

Playwright Madison Fiedler comments, "I started this play because I'm from Appalachia, where the opioid epidemic has taken its highest tolls; specifically, I'm from North Carolina, where Project Prevention has made its dubious home. In a country where the opioid crisis has been declared a national public health emergency and every day brings another 130 fatal opioid overdoses, the idea that addicts shouldn't be able to have children makes sense to a lot of people. In a comparison of addicts to dogs in need of spaying, I saw a microcosm of American society wanting to move a problem out of sight without fixing it; dehumanizing victims of a crisis to justify complacency. I wrote Spay to deanonymize the opioid epidemic and re-sensitize audiences to it in a way that no news headline can, by doing what live theatre does best: inviting a room full of people to empathize, humanize, and do something about it."

Artistic Director Tara Mallen offers: "With SPAY, the story serves to humanize people who are suffering with opioid addiction. This is an epidemic that is literally sweeping across the country, and it's imperative that we recognize it, begin to understand it, and find a way to support people who are dealing with it."

The cast includes RTE members Rae Gray (Noah), Artistic Director Tara Mallen (Aubrey), and Krystel McNeil (Harper), with Spencer Huffman (Jackson).

The creative team is Lindsay Mummert (scenic design), Mike Mahlum (lighting design), Becca Duff (costume design), Rowan Doe (props design), Hannah Foerschler (sound design), Catherine Yu (dramaturg), Sammi Grant (dialect coach). The production manager is Erik Strebig and the stage manager is Deya Friedman.