Horse Head Theatre Co. to Present Surreal Drama LIDLESS This June

Horse Head Theatre Co. announces their upcoming production, LIDLESS by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, which will run June 2 through 18, 2016 at the Fresh Arts Gallery located in Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter Street, Houston, TX 77007. Tickets are $25, student and industry discounts are available at the door.

LIDLESS boldly asks, what happens after war is over? What do we remember? What do we forget? What do we fabricate? Set in 2019, LIDLESS follows Alice, a former Guantánamo Bay interrogator who remembers nothing, Bashir, her former detainee who remembers everything, and Rhiannon, Alice's boldly imaginative daughter who is determined to understand.

Fifteen years after Alice (Mischa Hutchings, Horse Head and Catastrophic Theatre) served as an interrogator at Guantánamo Bay, she has successfully reinvented herself and suppressed all memories of her prior life-mostly through the aid of pharmaceuticals. Now in 2019, Alice lives contentedly in Minnesota with her loving husband, Lucas (Rick Evans), teenage daughter Rhiannon (Tanith Albright, Sam Houston State University), and lifelong friend Riva (Deeba Ashraf, Shunya Theatre and Next Iteration Theatre)... that is until Bashir (Herman Gambhir, Stages Repertory Theatre) appears at her florist shop, confronting Alice with the horrifying reality of her long-forgotten time at Guantánamo. As compensation for the suffering he endured, Bashir asks Alice to donate part of her liver and save what remains of his life. Meanwhile, Alice's daughter Rhiannon relentlessly uncovers her mother's past, just as Bashir infiltrates their family's present.

LIDLESS is a daring and searingly poetic exploration of the nature of trauma, the conflicting eroticism and brutality of violence, and the human spirit's resilience on the edge of extremity.

The 9/11 attacks propelled the United States into a minefield of national trauma. "Suddenly, the country was forced to confront our sense of identity, both as a nation and on personal levels of race, culture, gender, and religion," explains LIDLESS director Alison Christy, a University of Houston MA graduate and Kansas University Ph.D candidate with a background in performance studies with a specialization in the staging of war trauma. "Soon after the attacks, all forms of media were saturated with patriotic narratives and suggestions for ways the United States could heal itself. LIDLESS continues this conversation by pushing back against predominant black-and-white and good vs. evil narratives."

LIDLESS recasts the American-made archetypal Muslim enemy as a character worthy of empathy, compassion, and understanding; and presents the war and its aftermath from an unconventional and underrepresented perspective, the female combat veteran. By giving voices to marginalized groups and highlighting the experiences of courageous women, Horse Head Theatre Co.'s production of LIDLESS seeks to expand and explore the intersections of history and memory.

Given the political, provocative, and sometimes difficult nature of LIDLESS' subject matter, the task of mediating the space between ideas and situations performed on stage and the national rhetoric becomes a difficult one. However, Horse Head is known for their fearlessness; they welcome a challenge. "Horse Head is committed to producing theatre that inspires and challenges its audiences," says Artistic Director Jacey Little. "HH's norm is to articulate this through an audience-driven phenomenological experience. Consistent with our brand, audiences can expect to be plunged into the world of LIDLESS, but also to engage in an informed dialogue with this surreal, post-war story."

With the support of community partners Amnesty International Houston Group 23, the Houston Peace and Justice Center, and Grace After Fire; Horse Head will present a special Engagement Programming event series, running in tandem with LIDLESS. Following the 60-minute phenomenological pre-show and theatrical performance, audiences will be invited to stay for an expert guest speaker presentation on topics connected with LIDLESS, including: the War on Terror, Guantanamo Bay, trauma studies, gender studies, Islamic culture, and more. Following the 15 minute presentation, LIDLESS theatrical artists will join the guest speaker for an open-forum Q & A session. All Engagement Programming events will be included in the LIDLESS theatre ticket price.

LIDLESS performances are Thursday - Saturday June 2 - 18, 2016 @ 8PM and Monday June 13, 2016 @ 8PM at Fresh Arts Gallery located in Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter St., Houston, TX 77007. Tickets are $25, student and industry discounts are available at the door. All special events following the theatrical performance are included in the ticket price. Due to the intimacy of the space and performance, there will be no late seating. For more information and tickets, visit www.horseheadtheatre.org.

Horse Head seeks to re-energize Houston audiences and artists with theatrically designed experiences using local talent and non-traditional methods. Horse Head is committed to producing regional and world premieres using Houston talent. Recently, Horse Head was honored with the 2016 Houston Press Mastermind Award and in 2015, Horse Head's World Premiere of THE WHALE; OR, MOBY-DICK by Timothy N. Evers, Philip Hays and Herman Melville was honored as the Best New Play of 2015 by Houston Press.

ABOUT THE CAST/CREW:

TANITH ALBRIGHT (Rhiannon) is a Musical Theatre Major at Sam Houston State University where she has portrayed Dunyazade in The Arabian Nights, Dora in The Storytelling Ability of a Boy, and Maro in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Tanith has also performed with the Crighton Theatre, The Purple Box Theatre, and Houston Grand Opera.

DEEBA ASHRAF (?Riva/Zakiyah?) born in Houston, Deeba ?began her theatre career at University of St. Thoma?s (Company and Talking With...?), ?Fort Bend Community Theater (The Glass Slipper) and Houston Community College (The Good Doctor). ?Deeba then worked with Push Push Theatre in Atlanta, GA (Inspector General (Re-Imagined) and The Good Person of Setzuan). Upon her return to Houston, she participated in John Dunn's MADCAP 24 and joined? Shunya ?Theatre in 2007 (?The Merchant of Venice?, A Nice Indian Boy?, ?A Widow of No Importance, ?and Bhopal). In addition, Deeba has performed with ??Invisible Lines? (A Pale-Faced Moon, an original work), C.A.P.T.A.I.N., Next Actor Studios, and Dailies Film and Video (Pseudoi?e?, Pseudo ?II?e, and The Third Ballad). ?Her? most recent project was the Intercultural Play Series with Next Iteration Theater Company, where she performed in Ayad Akhtar's The Who and the What.

ALISON CHRISTY (Director, Dramaturg, and Engagement Programming Lead) Alison Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Theatre at the University of Kansas. Alison has served as a Dramaturgy Fellow at the Alley Theatre, an Assistant Dramaturg at the Houston Shakespeare Festival, and has worked for Wordsmyth Theatre, The Landing Theatre Company, and WordBridge Playwrights Laboratory. Alison has also served a Co-Managing Editor for the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. She holds a M.A. in Theatre Studies from the University of Houston, and a B.F.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in Slavic Studies from Wayne State University. She is currently writing her dissertation about the intersections of dramaturgy and the performance of national trauma. Alison works as a freelance dramaturg and director in Houston.

JOHN DUNN (Costume Designer) John mostly costumes himself for gala appearances, but has costumed shows such as Rosencratnz and Guildenstern are Dead and Little Women: The Musical. John has performed in several Houston productions including numerous Tamarie Cooper shows and The Pine (One Sock) at Catastrophic Theatre; Mac Wellman's Dracula (Jonathan Harker) and Carnival 'Round the Central Figure (Preacher) at Mildred's Umbrella; Chinglish (Peter) at Black Lab Theatre; Sixty Miles to Silver Lake(Ky), See Rock City (Niagara Guide), The Story of My Life (Alvin), Gone Missing (Ensemble), and Reefer Madness (Jack/Jesus) at Theatre LaB; A Man of No Importance (Alfie) at Lone Star CyFair; Assassins (Ensemble) at MJR Musicals; and The Adding Machine (Shrdlu) at Ornery Theatre.

HERMAN GAMBHIR (Bashir) brings an International flavor to the table: born and raised in Houston, Herman grew up in Amsterdam, NL; acquired a BA (with honors) in Acting from Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; and was nominated as one of the UK's top 22 graduates for the annual Spotlight Prize Awards. Film/TV credits include: "Harry" in the indie feature BE NOT AFRAID directed by Taylor Gahm; series regular "Johnny" in British soap opera CLOUD 9 for Sky and Virgin Media; "Diego Rodrigues" in VAULT directed by Brett De Vos; CAPTAIN PHILLIPS directed by Paul Greengrass, GATECRASHER directed by Paul Cockcroft, LOS JACK MACHINE directed by Francis Techene. Theatre Credits: DIALOGUES ON GRACE (14 Pews), THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY (Stages Repertory Theatre), BOLLOCKS (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), TORCH SONG TRILOGY (Tour of Eastern Europe), Cole Porter's JUBILEE (Tabard Theatre London), KARMA & KISMET (De Balie Amsterdam), THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY? A MIDSUMMERS NIGHT'S DREAM (Paul McCartney Auditorium). In addition, Herman has performed with some of the world's best improvisers in over ten Improvathons worldwide produced by Extempore Theatre in association with Die-Nasty. His Improvathon highlights include: the annual London 50 Hour Improvathons, the 26 Hour Improvaton in Cork, Ireland, and performing at the Bristol Old Vic, among others. Herman is currently filming the feature film UNSOLICITED produced by Misanta Productions LLC, and will perform at the 2016 Houston Shakespeare Festival in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Don John) and HENRY V (Nym, Bourbon and Williams). Herman is also a creative associate for design studio ReallyStudio www.reallystuido.com and a founding member of CRAFT Theatre www.craft-theatre.com, both London based companies.

CLINTON HOPPER (Stage Manager) - is a company member of The Landing Theatre Company where he has served as scenic designer for Devil Dog Six and How I Learned to Drive. Clinton was the co-founder of Nova Arts Project, for which he directed tempOdyssey, Interior, Oedipus3, and produced and designed many others. Nova Arts was awarded the inaugural Mastermind Award in 2009 by the Houston Press. Clinton received his MFA in directing from the University of Houston.

MISCHA HUTCHINGS (Alice) Recent roles include: Mary in Detroit (Catastrophic Theatre), Stacy in Spaghetti Code* (Horse Head Theatre), Meg in Leighza Walker's Fishing (Cone Man Running Productions), Elizabeth Keel's Rainbowlands (14 Pews), Margaret in Leading Ladies (Texas Repertory Theatre), Karen in Speed the Plow (Country Playhouse), and Catherine in Elizabeth Keel's Notions of Right and Wrong (Mildred's Umbrella). Other favorite roles include: Catherine in Proof, Carol in Oleanna, Mary in It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, Sylvia in Sylvia, and three years tour of duty at Main Street Youth Theater. Mischa holds a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and is a company member of Horse Head Theatre Co.

ROB KIMBRO (Co-Lighting Designer) has worked as a director, designer, educator, technician, and dramaturg for theatres all over the country. His original adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants debuted at Stages Repertory Theatre in 2011. Other directing credits include Rabbit Hole, Romeo and Juliet, Rough Crossing, and Much Ado about Nothing at Rice University; Ravenscroft and Dead Man's Cell Phone for Mildred's Umbrella; Deborah at 14 Pews; and Four Henry V's and Gate of Heaven for Nova Arts Project. Rob was the founder of the Madison Young Playwrights Festival in Madison, WI, and has worked with young playwrights through McCarter Theatre's YouthInk! Program and the Houston Young Playwrights Exchange at the Alley. He was the assistant director for the world premiere of Regina Taylor's Crowns at the McCarter Theatre Center and an SSDC Observer for Brian Kulick's production of Twelfth Night in Central Park. He is a graduate of Rice University and the University of Houston and currently teaches theatre at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston.

JACEY LITTLE (Artistic Director) is the AD of Horse Head Theatre Co., a freelance director and dramaturg, and Production Manager at the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO). Under Jacey's leadership, HH was recognized as a 2016 Houston Press MASTERMIND. In addition, Jacey commissioned?, developed and directed Horse Head's The Whale; or, Moby-Dick* by Timothy N. Evers, Philip Hays & Herman Melville (Houston Press 2015 "Best New Play" Winner) and Spaghetti Code* by Abby Koenig (BroadwayWorld Houston 2014 "Best New Play or Musical" Winner). Jacey's 2016 projects include the development, ?direction and dramaturgy of Dialogues on Grace* by Cressandra Thibodeaux at 14 Pews; Dollface* by Katharine Sherman with Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company; ?and Ten Ways on a Gun** by Dylan Lamb with The Landing Theatre Company. Jacey is the former Literary Manager and Dramaturg for the Alley Theatre and her Alley dramaturgy credits include Warrior Class* (Kenneth Lin), The Elephant Man (Bernard Pomerance), The Mountaintop** (Katori Hall; Arena Stage co-pro), Red (John Logan), The Seafarer (Conor McPherson) and What We're Up Against* (Theresa Rebeck). Also at the Alley, she assistant directed and dramaturged The Seagull* (Adapted by Gregory Boyd) and Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller). As a freelance dramaturg, Jacey has worked with The Landing Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company, Wordsmyth Theatre Company, and Obsidian Art Space. Jacey received her MFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre Historiography from University of Houston under Mark Bly and Dr. Rob Shimko and her BFA in Dramaturgy and Acting from University of Oklahoma.

THOMAS MURPHY (Co-Lighting Designer) is a professional lighting and scenic designer based in Houston, TX and third year graduate fellow in lighting and scenic design at the University of Houston. Recent credits include 39 Steps at Queensbury Theatre, How I Learned To Drive at Obsidian Theater/Landing Theatre Company, The Altruists at The Rice Players, Intimate Apparel, Fuente Ovejuna, Bus Stop, Playboy of the Western World, Philadelphia Story, and Blood Wedding at the University of Houston. He has designed for a number of dance companies in Houston and has been a regular fixture designing and consulting for Diverseworks. Thomas has assisted on productions at The Palazzo Theater in Las Vegas, Cincinnati Playhouse, and the Alley Theatre and a number of other theatre companies in the Houston and Austin areas. Thomas is dedicated to the creation of great art and collaboration with is colleagues. He also spends his time writing and creating visual art.

JOHN PEEPLES (Sound Designer) is currently attending the University of Houston expecting to graduate in June of 2017 with a BFA in theatre production. Recent sound design work includes Fool For Love (2016, The Landing Theatre Co.), Becky's New Car (2016, Mildred's Umbrella), The 39 Steps (2016, Queensbury Theatre), A Comedy of Errors (2015, HCC-SW Campus), The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (2015, Actors Equity Showcase), Fuente Ovejuna (2015, U of H), The Miser (2015, U of H), The Hunchback Variations (2015, Catastrophic Theatre) - one of three designs nominated by the Houston Press for best sound design in 2015. Other recent work includes What Shall We Do Next? (2016, Diverse Works @ Mid-Town Arts Center), a summer audio internship at Miller Outdoor Theatre (2015), working as the audio editor and sound engineer for the Houston Shakespeare Festival (2015) and working as sound engineer for The Alley All New festival (2016). John is a member of USITT.

LEAH SHORT (Dramaturg) holds a B.F.A. from University of the Ozarks in Theatre and Sociology and an M.A. in Theatre Historiography from University of Houston. Professional credits include dramaturgy at the Alley Theatre, Catastrophic Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Horse Head Theatre Company, and Black Lab Theatre, with directing and design credits at Clarksville Children's Company in Clarksville, AR, and stage management credits with Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA and Horse Head Theatre Co. Leah is Company Manager of Horse Head Theatre Co. and a lead teacher and director in Alvin ISD.

ADDITIONAL ARTISTS & TEAM MEMBERS: Philip Hays (HH Company, Artistic), Kevin Holden (HH Company, Artistic), Abby Koenig (HH Company, PR and Communications), and Frank Vela (Technical Director).

Fresh Arts is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to strengthening the sustainability and vibrancy of Houston's arts sector by bolstering the capacity and professional practice of artists and arts organizations and enhancing the public's engagement with the arts. Fresh Arts is committed to the growth of a thriving, innovative, and diverse arts sector in Houston and towards that end, provides programming and services in the arenas of professional development training, resource aggregation, showcasing, community building, and audience development. Fresh Arts is a help-desk and small business development center, as well as an advocate, intermediary, and support network for Houston's creative community. Visit www.fresharts.org for more information.

Amnesty International (AI) is a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights. Currently the world's largest grassroots human rights organization, Amnesty International investigates and exposes abuse, educates and mobilizes the public, and helps transform societies to create a safer, more just world. Amnesty International received the Nobel Peace Prize for their lifesaving work. With more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries, and complete independence from government, corporate or national interests, AI works to protect human rights worldwide. AI's vision is of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Founded in 1961, AI has campaigned successfully for the International Criminal Court and a UN Torture Treaty. Through AI's research and action, governments have been persuaded to stop human rights violations and change their laws and practices. Death sentences have been commuted. Torturers have been brought to justice. And prisoners of conscience have been released. For more, visit www.amnestyhouston.org.

The Houston Peace and Justice Center provides networks and resources for organizations and individuals to advance peace and social justice. They facilitate collaborations and resource pooling and build community among Houston's peace and justice activists. Go to www.hpjc.org.

LIDLESS by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig is presented with special arrangement by Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

*Indicates a world premiere
** a regional premiere

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