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Crowded Fire is devoted to difficult art

In Development


The Listener, by Liz Duffy Adams
My Name is Vera Cupido, by Stephanie Fleischmann The Medea Project, by Mollena Williams
Zoo Logic, by Trevor Allen


The Listener, Liz Duffy Adams with Kent Nicholson, Juliet Tanner, Lawrence Radecker, and Melpomene Katakalos
Full production, Summer 2008

One of our favorite writers returns! Crowded Fire is psyched to announce a collaboration between Kent Nicholson, Artistic Director, and funky wordsmith guru, Liz Duffy Adams on her newest creation, The Listener. Crowded Fire has a long happy marriage with Liz and it just so happens that Kent was lucky enough to direct the first workshop reading of The Listener at the JAW West Festival at Portland Center Stage last spring. He and Liz nurtured the baby play onto the stage for a presentation that knocked the socks off of those picky Oregonians, and now we get to present the world premiere to the even pickier (but lovable) San Franciscans in summer 2008, with Juliet Tanner in the title role and Lawrence Radecker like you've never seen him before. Melpomene Katakalos has signed on to design the set.

The play: Liz continues to look at our current world through her sci-fi lens, making today's pop culture icons and slang words the mythological basis of religion for the very far off future inhabitants of Junk City, Planet Earth. The thing is, the Junk City citizens are the only people left. Everyone else migrated to Nearth (aka: the moon) long ago, declaring the world uninhabitable. In Junk City, rules are rules. You have your title and position in society. You don't step out of rank. Things get dangerous if you do. So when John, a representative from Nearth, descends upon the small dystopia in his spaceship, things get weird. He's there to "save" them, but do they need it? Do they want it? Watch your back. John's in for a scary ride.



My Name Is Vera Cupido, Stephanie Fleischmann with Juliet Tanner, Michele Leavy, and Melpomene Katakalos
Full production, Fall 2008

This NYC playwright has never been produced on our coast, until now! Crowded Fire is pleased to present Stephanie's lyrical play. And how did this stroke of good luck occur? In 2006, Vera Cupido had a presentation in the SF Playwright's Foundation's reading series, In the Rough. Cassie (who was casting the play for the Playwrights Foundation) immediately thought of fellow ensemble member Juliet Tanner for the lead. And so did Stephanie! While our playwright was in SF preparing for her collaboration with the Playwright's Foundation, she attended Crowded Fire's production of Juan Gelion Dances for the Sun, in which Juliet played the memorable role of Mariana. When Juliet stepped out on stage, Stephanie thought, "That's my Vera!". And so it was. Michele Leavy was also brought on board for that particular reading, and Octavio Solis was chosen as director. The synergy between ensemble members Juliet and Michele along with the brilliance of Octavio and Stephanie make the perfect fit for a Crowded Fire production. Not to mention Melpomene Katakalos' dedication to designing a project, any project, for Octavio. Kent and Cassie signed on to this piece practically on their first day on the job as Co-Artistic Directors. Octavio, stupendous playwright in his own right, will direct and Ms. Fleischmann will be in residence.

The play: Is Death larger than Life? On the eve of the anniversary of the death of her "big love", Vera Cupido, 23, is drawn back to Key Biscayne from Portugal to mourn the loss of Boubou, who died at 60. As she sifts through the baggage of her heart, Vera's return voyage is questioned by those who knew Boubou best. Her young infatuation with the deceased is met with suspicion, as her old world philosophy on mourning, love, and sentiment seem suspect in modern Key Biscayne. But are others simply afraid of the truth? Perhaps Vera is a guide towards compassion and understanding inside the struggle of grief. Perhaps she is an imposter. But her mysterious spirit grips each soul she encounters, causing both damage and beauty. In this poetic journey through mourning, the old world collides with the new as we step inside the conflict between the heart and the truth.



The Medea Project, Mollena Williams

Lucky for us, we have a gifted writer inside our shining ensemble member Mo Williams. Founding Crowded Fire artist and long time performer, Mo has been spreading her wings as a writer, having penned the two-part one woman show for our 2004-2005 season. She was unforgettable as the solo performer of her own work in those double one acts, 69 Stories, and No Good Deed. So, obviously, we were psyched to hear her latest idea. Set in the antebellum South, a new adaptation of Medea will emerge from the artistic brain of one of our own. Finding her unique way to express Medea's infamous vulnerability and impossible choices, Mo is embarking on an inner journey to write this piece for herself and other members of Crowded Fire. We can't wait to go on the ride with her. More on this as the play develops.



Zoo Logic, Trevor Allen with Kent Nicholson

Crowded Fire alumni, Trevor Allen, teams up with long time collaborator Kent Nicholson on his newest piece. You'll remember Allen's fugue writing style in Crowded Fire's production of 49 Miles a few years ago. With this new project, Allen takes for his canvas the wide expanse of the animals living in the zoo and the people who wander through its exhibits. Based in part on his experience on the zoo staff some years ago and enriched by a substantial set of interviews with individuals connected to the zoo, Zoologic will look at topics as various as endangered species, the experience of captivity, and reproductive challenges for animals and humans alike. Woven throughout is the story of a couple struggling to conceive. When they attend the zoo's annual "sex tour" hoping for inspiration, distraction, or just a little entertainment, they wind up with much more than they bargained for.