Staged reading of "TBD" by Paul Elliot, |
Around the Christmas holiday I was very happy to accept company membership in Pride Films and Plays. I believe strongly in their mission to promote LGBT talent, and bring it to a wide audience. Publicity began in December. Pride Films has an IndieGogo Campaign to help defer cost of the production. This promotional video highlights the significance of this remarkable role, and PFP's bold decision to cast it with a transgender actor -- aside from youth productions, possibly a first on Chicago's stages . | |
"Raggedy And" In Rehearsal
Aside from a couple readings in December, rehearsals began in earnest on January 23. Under the enthusiastic and expert guidance of director Cecilie Keenan we've accomplished a great deal in this past month: worked scenes in detail, gotten off book, and even had some runs under our belt.
Our wonderful playwright David Valdes Greenwood left the Boston area to spend 3 sessions with us in Chicago. He was invaluable in clarifying points of the text for us, providing the helpful rewrite here and there, and being a wonderfully receptive audience. All the designers have watched the show beginning to end at least once. We now even have many of the costumes. I'm going to look pretty sharp in this one, folks!
We load into our venue at Rivendell Theatre in a couple weeks for tech, with our first audiences in previews March 10, only 19 days away. This weekend I am missing a couple rehearsals with the flu, while the director and cast work around me, but here at home I continue to run lines and explore new possibilities.
Our wonderful playwright David Valdes Greenwood left the Boston area to spend 3 sessions with us in Chicago. He was invaluable in clarifying points of the text for us, providing the helpful rewrite here and there, and being a wonderfully receptive audience. All the designers have watched the show beginning to end at least once. We now even have many of the costumes. I'm going to look pretty sharp in this one, folks!
We load into our venue at Rivendell Theatre in a couple weeks for tech, with our first audiences in previews March 10, only 19 days away. This weekend I am missing a couple rehearsals with the flu, while the director and cast work around me, but here at home I continue to run lines and explore new possibilities.
"Raggedy And" in Performance
Tickets are now on sale at this link
Raggedy And by David Valdes Greenwood
directed by Cecilie D.Keenan
featuring Delia Kropp as Ondi Rivers.
Previews
March 10 and 11 at 7:30 ($15)
A special Industry show:
Monday, March 21st
(Actors - please contact me for the discount code)
Regular performances:
March 12 thru April 10
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:30pm
Tickets are $22 Thursdays, and $27 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Discounts are available for students and seniors
More about the play on the Official Raggedy And website
Milestone: Delia's First Role
On my birthday, November 19th Pride Films and Plays formally announced my next show. A very nice gift to offer my friends, who have been so supportive, and curious to know about the mystery project I've been alluding to.
This is what my entire year has been building towards. Two staged readings, to get my instrument going and my feet wet again. Preparing audition pieces, attending auditions. Understudying a show. And now this, my first actual acting role since transitioning.
This is a play about self-determination, living one's true and authentic life. The role I play is Ondi Rivers, a trans woman who has lived "stealth" as a female -- not transgender -- for the last 30 years. Partly for the safety of her lesbian partner and their biological child, and the security of her university position, but also by personal choice because she identifies as female. After a satisfying career as teacher and poet, Ondi is unexpectedly plucked from relative obscurity to be Inaugural Poet for our nation's first female president. The job comes with one devastating condition -- she must be outed, represented before the world as a transgender female.
The play includes timely and important references to immigration, diversity, as well as gender and sexual norms. Happily it includes characters that are L, G, B, T and more. At this moment the other roles are being cast
More:
Raggedy And at Pride Films and Plays
David Valdes Greenwood site
Raggedy And by David Valdes Greenwood, directed by Cecilie D.Keenan, and featuring Delia Kropp as Ondi Rivers, has previews on Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11 at 7:30 ($15).
Regular performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:30pm through April 10.
Tickets are $22 Thursdays, and $27 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Discounts are available for students and seniors.
The performance is at Rivendell Theater, 5779 N Ridge, and tickets can be purchased at 1-800-737-0984 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.
This is what my entire year has been building towards. Two staged readings, to get my instrument going and my feet wet again. Preparing audition pieces, attending auditions. Understudying a show. And now this, my first actual acting role since transitioning.
This is a play about self-determination, living one's true and authentic life. The role I play is Ondi Rivers, a trans woman who has lived "stealth" as a female -- not transgender -- for the last 30 years. Partly for the safety of her lesbian partner and their biological child, and the security of her university position, but also by personal choice because she identifies as female. After a satisfying career as teacher and poet, Ondi is unexpectedly plucked from relative obscurity to be Inaugural Poet for our nation's first female president. The job comes with one devastating condition -- she must be outed, represented before the world as a transgender female.
The play includes timely and important references to immigration, diversity, as well as gender and sexual norms. Happily it includes characters that are L, G, B, T and more. At this moment the other roles are being cast
More:
Raggedy And at Pride Films and Plays
David Valdes Greenwood site
Raggedy And by David Valdes Greenwood, directed by Cecilie D.Keenan, and featuring Delia Kropp as Ondi Rivers, has previews on Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11 at 7:30 ($15).
Regular performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:30pm through April 10.
Tickets are $22 Thursdays, and $27 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Discounts are available for students and seniors.
The performance is at Rivendell Theater, 5779 N Ridge, and tickets can be purchased at 1-800-737-0984 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.