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Feminist Chicago theater champions stories of women, other marginalized people

Inda Craig-Galván wrote Artemisia Theatre's fall production

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Feminist Chicago theater champions stories of women

Artemisia Theatre champions the stories of women and other marginalized people.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Artemisia Theatre, Chicago's feminist theatre dedicated to empowerment of women and female-identifying people through outstanding performances, is excited to announce its fall production, "A Hit Dog Will Holler."

Written by Inda Craig-Galván, a multi-award-winning, Chicago-born writer, the play will make its Chicago debut under the direction of Myesha-Tiara who recently directed the highly reviewed and acclaimed production, "Panther Women: An Army For The Liberation," produced by Perceptions Theatre. The play was originally produced by Playwrights' Arena; Jon Lawrence Rivera, artistic director; and Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles. This production by Artemisia Theatre will be the play's Chicago premiere.

Pay-what-you-can previews of the show are Aug. 29 and 30, with the main show running from Aug. 31-Sept. 17. Regular run tickets start at $25.

The play follows two women, Gina (played by Alexandria Moorman) and Dru (played by Lo Williams), discovering one another on their activist journeys to confront and connect on their different approaches to fighting against racism.

Gina, a popular online political and social commentator, is forced to examine her own legitimacy when agoraphobia prevents her from physically engaging in the very activism she boasts about on the internet.

When Dru, a boots-on-the-ground community organizer, invades her space, they must both deal with manifestations of fear arising from existing in America while Black.

Within the 90-minute runtime of the play, two women representing two adjacent yet very different generations, reveal that we are better as a united front than antagonizing players in the same game of life.

This intimate dialogue is woven with questions about what it means to be an activist today, the use of technology as a weapon or a barrier and the state of our mental health as we continue to confront racial norms and gender identities even within our own communities.

Moorman is a Chicago-based artist who has recently been seen on stage and screen with Definition Theatre, Congo Square Theatre and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre.

Williams is an alumna of the inaugural class of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University and has previously worked at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and PG County Shakespeare in the Parks. Both actors are making their Artemisia debut with "A Hit Dog Will Holler."

The play also features Charlique C. Rolle and Ariya Hawkins as understudies and creatives Lauren Littlejohn (stage manager), Antwon Funches (sound designer), Jessica VanWinkle (costume designer), Alyssa Moon Thompson (scenic and props designer), Brenden Marble (lighting designer) and Willow James (artistic producer).

In its 12th season, Artemisia continues its mission to produce plays that empower women, creating career-altering opportunities for women/female identifying theatre artists of all racial and ethnic backgrounds; sexual orientations and identities; economic status; ages and disabilities.

Its leadership has aimed to put Artemisia Theatre at the forefront of the fight for women and female-identifying people through outstanding performances that push the envelope. From world premieres to the virtual stage, its mission is to better the world for women and female-identifying people.

"Women's stories change our perspective on the past, the present and the future," said Julie Proudfoot, the founder of Artemisia Theatre and president of its leadership coalition. "We selected this play for its direct reflection of Artemisia's mission - sharing women's untold stories and producing plays that empower female-identified theatre artists to inspire compassion and social justice for women."

"A Hit Dog Will Holler" is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the city of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and has received funding from other arts organizations like Illinois Humanities, The MacArthur Fund For Culture, Equity, and the Arts at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

The support allows Artemisia to ensure pay equity among its talent and expand its marketing and community engagement efforts.

Willow James, co-artistic director of Artemisia and producer for the project, said, "I'm beyond excited to have this show be a part of our 12th season - I can't think of a better way to conclude it. As a Black artist, it is important to me to align my career and body of work with stories that lift up the lives and experiences of people like me and the people I love. Just as important is the need for those same people to be a part of our family, whether they're artists, audience members, supporters, donors or all of the above. Above all, I cannot wait for Black folks to see this show, for Black women to feel seen/heard, and for each of us to consider the intersection between our activism and community."

Prior to this debut, "A Hit Dog Will Holler" world premiered at Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles in a co-production with Playwrights' Arena and has been produced as a podcast adaptation for Raditopia Presents. Craig-Galván was recipient of the Kesselring Prize, Blue Ink Prize, Kennedy Center Rosa Parks Award, and her plays have twice been featured on the Kilroys List. Craig-Galván is also a writer/producer on the ABC TV series "Will Trent." She has a MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Southern California.

"A Hit Dog Will Holler" celebrates African American female-identified theatre artists whose voices are often underserved, fostering equality and presents a unique experience of the diversity of American culture.

"I want this play to create an opportunity for mutual respect in a dialogue with differing points of view," Galván said. "With this play we're celebrating a shared humanity, inspiring self-awareness and encouraging a broader understanding of society. I hope this premiere will shine an important light on the power of ensemble work and deepen the art of live theatre through its full commitment to African-American women's empowerment as leading theatre artists."

The play's director, Myesha-Tiara, is the founder and artistic director of Perceptions Theatre, which also offers local playwrights of color a platform to share their stories.

"The mission of Perceptions Theatre has always been to strengthen the accessibility of theater to the African-American/Black communities of South Shore and to be an economic and artistic resource for BIPOC artists," Myesha-Tiara said. "We work to change the way people perceive the world around them one show at a time."

In addition to shining a light on underserved communities with theater that: eliminates prejudice and discrimination by showing cultures in their natural settings and educating on said cultures, Perceptions Theatre is an educational and literary training ground to the Chicagoland area, specifically the South Shore region. The company provides essentials for young talent in the theater business including headshots, help with building resumes, actor and technical training services, self-taping services and workshops that lead to more casting opportunities.