WOMEN WHO KNOW: A WITCH PLAY to Premiere at The Abbey Theater of Dublin This November

Prepare to be spellbound this November as The Abbey Theater presents the highly anticipated premiere of 'Women Who Know: A Witch Play'. This captivating piece, by local playwrights Nikki Kendra Davis and Cassandra Gress, delves into the realm of magic, shadow, and feminine potential. 'Women Who Know: A Witch Play' will have its world premiere on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m., followed by two showings on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 and 7 p.m. and will conclude with a matinee showing on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.

'Women Who Know: A Witch Play' explores the lives of three generations of women from Pendle, England, who, like so many others, met their end when the "King's Justice" found them guilty of witchcraft and hanged them. Instead of focusing on their tragic ends, this play reimagines the complex lives lived by these women who possessed deep connections to the land, to the cosmos, and to feminine wisdom and bonds. What becomes of women's magic when their shared knowledge and practices are deemed evil and their words branded as curses? What happens when the ancient bonds between women and the natural world are severed by strategic property lines imposed by men?

Nikki Kendra Davis, who gained acclaim for her inaugural original work 'Marie Regina: The Life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots' in 2020 while embarking on her MA degree with NYU, is excited to premiere another work with The Abbey. Davis says, "Working with director and Abbey supervisor, Joe Bishara, and the Abbey staff on Marie Regina was an utter joy! They believed in the power of Mary's story, and their continual support of new work by and about women is urgently important and appreciated!" "We are thrilled to unveil Women Who Know: A Witch Play at The Abbey Theater," says Gress. "This production is a tribute to the resilience and power of women throughout history."

Women Who Know: A Witch Play will feature a superb ensemble of Columbus-based artists:

Josie Merkle as Beth Southerns

GAIL GRIFFITH as Anne Whittle

Kelsey Hopkins as Lizzie Device

MADDIE BOLZENIUS as Fern Redfearn

MACKENZIE LELAND as Alizon Device

ERYN REYNOLDS as Jennet Device

Kate Jones as The Shadow

Nikki Kendra Davis (Co-Creator, Director) is a Columbus-based playwright, actor, dramaturg, and director. Nikki earned a Theatre Arts BA with a focus on Historical drama from the University of Richmond in 2016 and then moved to Columbus having been hired by Shadowbox Live. She has since performed and worked with Columbus companies on plays such as The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Mairead), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bottom), Chamber Music (Girl in Gossamer Dress), Loa to the Divine Narcissus (Director) Marie Regina (Playwright, Mary Stuart), Gently Down the Stream (Assistant Director), Slave Play (Dramaturg) and What the Constitution Means to Me (Dramaturg). In 2021, she earned a Performance Studies MA from NYU where she conceived "Theatre of the Ghostly Feminine," a feminist, political, history-adjacent performance practice for theater-making, the tenets of which strongly influenced the creation of Women Who Know and which will drive her future artistic endeavors.

Cassandra Gress (Co-Creator, Assistant Director, Stage Manager) is a multifaceted talent whose passion for British history blossomed during her adolescence when her father, step-mother, and youngest brother resided in England. After obtaining a Voice and Theatre BMA from BGSU, Cassie toured with Missoula Children's Theatre as a Tour Actor/Director. Notably, she spent a fulfilling six months with The Old Creamery Theatre Company in Iowa as a performer and assistant stage manager. In Columbus, she co-produced Lizzie under Bloody Good Productions Theatre Co. Additional local acting credits include Sweeney Todd (Johanna), Into The Woods (Cinderella), and The 1940's Radio Hour (Ginger). Cassie has choreographed at Olentangy Liberty High School and Columbus Children's Theatre. Offstage, Cassie channels her creativity as Lead Brand Ambassador at CME Federal Credit Union, thriving in Marketing and Membership Development.

Tickets are currently available for purchase: HERE

To learn about Gress and Davis' two-year dramaturgical and creation process:

- Follow @womenwhoknow_witchplay on Instagram.

- Join the Women Who Know: A Witch Play Facebook group.

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