Aurora Theatre Company Presents WIVES By Jaclyn Backhaus

Aurora Theatre Company concludes its 30th season with the West Coast Premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus' Wives.

Chicago-based director, adaptor, and activist Lavina Jadhwani directs Anisha Jagannathan, Kunal Prasad, Jasmine Sharma, and Rebecca Schweitzer (Bull in a China Shop; Rapture, Blister, Burn; The First Grade) in this powerful and playful feminist piece.

Wives will be presented in person on Aurora's mainstage from June 24-July 24.

Aurora will also offer a week of streaming Wives performances for audiences to enjoy in their homes. Streaming performances will run concurrently with in-person performances from July 19-24.

Said Artistic Director Josh Costello: "I'm so pleased to present the local premiere of Wives at Aurora. I can't think of any other play that so successfully combines big intellectual ideas, cutting-edge Feminism, pop culture, historical and literary contexts and criticism, and hilariously irreverent humor."

From Hemingway's widow to a maharani in Rajasthan, from 16th century France to the campus of Oxbridge University today, the Great Men are left behind as their wives claim center stage in this irreverent celebration of female capability and power. Can Catherine de' Medici, queen to Henri II of France, rise above her rivalry with Henri's mistress, Diane de Poitiers? Will Hemingway's death bring his former wives together or drive them apart? Can a pact between a maharaja, his wife, and a witch survive the forces of British imperialism? Can a new student club devoted to witchcraft conjure a spell to manifest a new way of being in the world? Aurora is proud to present the West Coast premiere of this riotous and powerful story by the extraordinary playwright Jacklyn Backhaus.

"Jacklyn Backhaus is a rising star in the American theatre...We've put together a great team for this production; I can't wait to share this story with our community," said Costello.

Jaclyn Backhaus (she/her) is a playwright, cofounder of Fresh Ground Pepper, and new member of The Kilroys. Her plays include Men On Boats (New York Times Critics' Pick, Clubbed Thumb, Playwrights Horizons, published by Dramatists Play Service), India Pale Ale (Manhattan Theatre Club, recipient of the 2018 Horton Foote Prize for Promising New American Play), You Across From Me (co-written with three other writers for the Humana Festival), Folk Wandering (book writer and co-lyricist with 11 composers, Pipeline Theatre Company), and you On the Moors Now (Theater Reconstruction Ensemble), among others. She was the 2016 Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at Clubbed Thumb and she is currently in residence at Lincoln Center.

Lavina Jadhwani (she/her) is a Chicago-based director, adaptor, and activist. Her adaptation of A Christmas Carol premiered at the Guthrie in Minneapolis in 2021 and will remain on the boards for years to come. Directing credits include Asolo Rep, The Guthrie, Mixed Blood, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Teatro Vista, and Rasaka Theatre Company, where she served as Artistic Director for seven years. Her critical writing has been featured on HowlRound and Rescripted and is regularly circulated in classrooms across the country.

Lavina serves on the board of the National New Play Network and the Chicago Inclusion Project; she volunteers with Unlock Her Potential, a national mentorship program for women of color. She is a proud alum of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (aka "Hogwarts for Hackers"), where she received the show choir's Bob Fosse Choreography Award and the drama club's "lifetime achievement" award. Wives is the first full production that Jadhwani will direct at Aurora.

"I'm so thrilled to be making my Aurora debut working on this fabulous play with this incredible company of artists! This is the third piece of Jaclyn's I've directed in 18 months and her work is always fresh, fierce, and unique. Wives is no exception: it's an incredible playground for designers, an exciting challenge for actors, and a gift for me to work on as a director." Jadhwani said.

Jadhwani has assembled an all-star cast for Wives.

Anisha Jagannathan (she/her) (Wife 3) is an actress, singer, and comedian based in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. She is a USC alum, performs and produces improv and sketch, and was showcased at SF Sketchfest in 2020. Her recent credits include Lady Mortimer in Henry IV at the Orange County Shakespeare Festival, Kayla in Hollywood Fringe's Production of Best Friend, Shai in FreeForm's Good Trouble, and "Wendy" in Showtime's Shameless.

Kunal Prasad (he/they) (Man) is an actor, artist, and educator. He studied theatre at the American Repertory Theater and the Moscow Art Theatre and also studied advanced long-form improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC. He is featured in the indie film The Cow, starring Winona Ryder, which premiered at SXSW in Austin and will be in wide release this Fall. Kunal has been seen on stage in Baloney at The Oasis nightclub, A Thousand Splendid Suns at the American Conservatory Theater, and Wisdom from Everything at Local Theater Company in Colorado. Other theater credits include: Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (SF Curran), Vignettes on Love (Playground SF), Hedda Gabler (The Cutting Ball Theater), Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat (Golden Thread Productions), and A Dreamplay (The Cutting Ball Theater). He has worked at California Shakespeare Theater, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Jasmine Sharma (she/her) (Wife 1) is a South Asian-American actor/writer/activist and is elated to be part of Wives. Jasmine has most recently worked with The 24 Hour Plays both as an actor and writer, and has served as Script PA on several Broadway musicals. Recently, Jasmine was named a 2022-2023 Reel Sisters Fellow through GRO UP: A Web Series, which she is involved in both as an actor and writer. She is currently commissioned by Moxie Arts NYC and Jackalope Theatre.

Rebecca Schweitzer (she/her) (Wife 2) is thrilled to be back at the Aurora where she was last seen in Bull in a China Shop. In addition to the Aurora, Rebecca has appeared at Center Rep, SF Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, and PCPA. Favorite roles include Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World; Rapture, Blister, Burn; Book Club Play; Tigers be Still; Coronado; The Story; Small Tragedy, as well as the world premieres of Love and The First Grade. Rebecca is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts. Her voice can be heard on various video games (The Walking Dead, Back to the Future, World of Warcraft: Legion, League of Legends, SimCity, CSI Hard Evidence, CSI Deadly Intent), TV and radio commercials, corporate videos, and reservation lines (CSAA, Disney). This, along with all endeavors, is dedicated to her mother and grandfather whose love and support have been the foundation for her success. She would also like to thank her husband for his unwavering support.

The creative team for Wives includes Marie Shell--Stage Manager; Lauren Quan--Assistant Stage Manager; Mikiko Uesugi--Scenic; Srikar Srinath--Lighting; Courtney Flores Kerrigan--Costume; Elton Bradmon--Sound; Ishika Seth--Choreographer; Shaun Tuazon--Lead Props; Malia Sittler--Wardrobe; Cindy Ngu--Costume Shop Support.

Aurora Theatre Company concludes its 30th season with the West Coast Premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus' Wives. Chicago-based director, adaptor, and activist Lavina Jadhwani directs Anisha Jagannathan, Kunal Prasad, Jasmine Sharma, and Rebecca Schweitzer (Bull in a China Shop; Rapture, Blister, Burn; The First Grade) in this powerful and playful feminist piece.

Wives will be presented in person on Aurora's mainstage from June 24-July 24.

Aurora will also offer a week of streaming Wives performances for audiences to enjoy in their homes. Streaming performances will run concurrently with in-person performances from July 19-24.

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