Pocket Playfest 2022
About Pocket Playfest
Pocket Playfest was created based on two articles about Directing opportunities for early career artists (Josh Sobel’s piece on Director’s Haven and Will Davis’ piece on the New Work Director). There are too few opportunities for early career directors - regardless of whether they are working with new plays or not. We wanted to create a space where the Playwrights and directors would be able to collaborate and focus on the production without a tight timeline. Each pairing was chosen based on their interests in storytelling and how they would work together. The director and playwright worked for the last two months, using each other as a sounding board for ideas and brainstorming storytelling solutions - the result were 3 (and a half!) amazing pieces.
How we decided the Director/Playwright pairings, we considered a lot of variations!
A note from our Artistic Director
Thank you so much for watching our show. The past few years have been filled with growing pains for theatre. A lot of history has happened for this Virtual experience to come to fruition:
We had to experiment! COVID-19 forced us away from Theatres and into our homes but the show must go on. TikTok, Zoom, Plays from the companies archives, Radio Plays, completely Virtual productions, or some hybrid beyond anything else. Our definition of theatre has shifted since COVID-19, of community and how the two coexist with each other - virtual or in person.
Pocket Theatre VR needed to be created. We were conceptualized by early career artists who had few to no opportunities after graduating college, COVID had gobbled them up. We had the central idea: Theatre that uses Virtual Reality to make the stage accessible to anyone online. To make this happen we needed the internal infrastructure to sustain a season and programming that could support artists. The last few years were a perfect playground for us to see how we want to create online theatre and present it to our audience. I personally wanted to create a new opportunity for other early career artists where we can come together and focus on art for our generation. We wanted to create a space where we can say “The last few years have been hard, let’s make art together/for each other”, Pocket Playfest is our first iteration of that idea.
Lastly, we needed to come back. Theatre is resilient and we have slowly started to come back as an industry. Pocket Theatre VR does not exist solely in a virtual landscape, we want our shows to have a physical audience that can be shared virtually. Pocket Playfest is specifically created for theatre artists that were at the start of their career when COVDI-19 started.
Too many voices weren’t given the opportunity to speak because of the pandemic, enjoy the stories they have to share!
Joel Willison
Artistic Director for Pocket Theatre VR
How does this work?
You do not need a VR headset to watch the shows!
We filmed each performance with a 360 degree camera and recorded the night so that you can watch it virtually as if you were there! The camera is placed with the crowd so that it will be similar to sitting in the house; the sound is recorded with at 360 microphone directly below the camera as well so you’ll hear all the chatter and response from the audience.
If you are watching on your computer, use the A S D and W keys to look around.
If you are watching on your phone, move your phone to see the rest of the room.
If you are watching on a VR headset, watch the shows using the YouTubeVR app.
Performances
December 6th
2022 @ 7-9 PM
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Playwright: Emma Durbin
Director: Ben F. Locke
Ensemble: Rita Taylor Wicks, Lifan Deng, Laura Rojas
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Playwright: Maria I. Arreola
Director: Jo JB Schafer
Actors: Sophie Hernando Kofman, Kwa Fangtang, Rashaad Bond
December 8th
2022 @ 7-9 PM
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Playwright: Genevieve Swanson
Director: Karina Patel
Ensemble: Juliet Kang Huneke, Casey Whisler, Katie Nowak
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Playwright: Steven San Luis
Director: Alexis Vaselopulos
Actors: Rashaad Bond, Hannah Boutilier, Juliet Kang Huneke
Special Thank you to:
Willow James, Hairpin Arts Center, Lily Be
Witchcraft, Bitchcraft
When the systems that are supposed to protect women, femmes, and other marginalized folks are not built in our favor, what do we do? When is it our turn to be villains? Witchcraft, Bitchcraft follows two best friends in high school as they experiment with magic, crushes, and ancestral lineage to claim their space in the world.
Content warning for discussions of and a brief scene involving sex and gender violence.
December 6th 2022 @ 7pm
Written by: Emma Durbin | Directed by: Ben F. Locke
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Emma Durbin
Emma Durbin (they/she) is a Chicago-based early-career playwright-dramaturg. Emma’s work centers women and people who are experiencing gender marginalization, and the bonds they form in search of survival, community, and joy. They are currently a member of PlayGround-Chicago’s writer’s pool, a writer for Rescripted, and are thrilled to be writing their first-ever commissioned play for Pocket Theatre VR's 2022 Pocket Playfest! Emma’s play landscape has received workshops at Mirrorbox Theatre, The Theatre School at DePaul University, and was selected as a semi-finalist for the 2022 Premiere Play Festival. Emma’s short plays have been presented by Chicago Dramatists, Shattered Globe Theatre, Naked Angels,Westmont College, and Western Washington University. Emma has served on dramaturgy teams for new play workshops and readings at Actors Theatre of Louisville, TimeLine Theatre Company, The Story Theatre, and as a script share reader for The Playwrights Realm. They interned at the Goodman Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland New Plays Festival, and attended the New Play Dramaturgy Intensive at the Kennedy Center with Mark Bly. Playwriting BFA: The Theatre School at DePaul University (2020, Dean’s Prize Recipient).
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Ben F. Locke
Ben F. Locke (he/him/his) is a Chicago-based actor, director, writer and teacher. He graduated from Millikin University with a double degree in Theatre and Human Services. He attended the School at Steppenwolf in 2019. He has worked with several companies in the city such as Steppenwolf, Court, Bramble Theatre, Ardent Dance Company and more. Ben truly believes that theatre and art have the power to change the world. His plays can be found at the New Play Exchange. “What we do matters. Who sees us matters. If we died today, did we horde ourselves away? Did we keep our resources for ourselves or did we invest in others to take over and grow without us?”
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Rita Taylor Wicks
Rita Wicks is a Chicago based actor and singer. Her most recent credits are Monique Ali in the film PERDIDO, Lory/Ensemble in Jane:Abortion & The Underground with Cats Cradle Theatre & Becs in DoomScroll:The Web Series. Rita attended Illinois State University for her first 2 years of studies, but is a recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelors in Acting. She is grateful to be a part of the Pocket Playfest to continue tackling interesting stories that help explore different perspectives.
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Lifan Deng
Lifan Deng is a first year master’s student in Voice and Opera at Northwestern University, studying with the amazing Prof. Karen Brunssen. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Lifan holds Bachelor’s degrees in Music, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Since his recent relocation to Chicago, he has been a frequent participant of playwrights festivals. His other theatrical credits include the Midwest premiere of In A Grove with Northwestern Opera Theater, La Bohème and Gianni Schicchi with Voci nel Montefeltro festival, The Sparks Fly Upwards , Coming Home and White with local companies in Cleveland, OH. Lifan is very grateful to be a part of the Pocket Playfest. LifanDeng.com
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Laura Fabien-Rojas
Laura Rojas is a New York native and a graduate of the Theatre School at Depaul University. She was recently seen in the Campfire Repertory theatre’s production of Elastic Mind at the Green House theater, which was her professional debut.
This is her first Pocket Theatre VR reading and is looking forward to all that the festival has to offer.
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Madie Doppelt
Madie Doppelt (dramaturg for Witchcraft, Bitchcraft) is a playwright and circus artist from Chicago, IL. She is the Associate Artistic Director of the Actors Gymnasium, and the 2021 Playwriting Fellow at Interrobang Theatre Project. Madie is a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she studied Playwriting (BFA) and English Literature (BA).
Crush(ed); The One Woman (Not Really) Show
Welcome to Maria's head. She spends a ridiculous amount of time thinking about crushes. Crushed is an adaptation of a romance podcast you've never heard of - crushes and crushes galore. Reminiscent of the teenage experience.
December 6th 2022 @ 8pm
Written by Maria I. Arreola | Directed by Jo JB Schafer
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Maria Arreola
Maria I. Arreola (she/her) is an emerging Chicana playwright podcaster from Blue Island, IL. She is a 24 Hour Plays Nationals alum, a 2021 Sewanee Writers’ Conference Scholar, and a finalist for the Region 5 John Cauble Short Play Award. Maria writes plays that make her laugh and she hopes will make you laugh too. She’s thrilled to be a part of Pocket Playfest 2022 and so grateful for this opportunity.
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Jo Schaffer
Jo JB Schaffer (they/she/he) is an interdisciplinary performing artist and writer working in theatre and music. Jo is in pursuit of a BA in Theatre from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Past credits include: A Raisin in the Sun; Invictus Theatre and Mess; Perceptions Theatre. They are beyond excited for this process that will be their stage directorial debut.
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Sophie Hernando Kofman
Sophie Hernando Kofman is a Latinx storyteller, world-crafter, and creative thinker who loves nothing more than to create stories that inspire wonder and stir emotions. Her recent Chicago credits include the “2022 Make/Believe Playfest” with Ghostlight Ensemble, “SpongeBob the Musical” and “The Cripple of Inishmaan” with Surging Films & Theatrics, “El Grande de Coca Cola” with Waterfront Summer Stages, and “Grimm” with Theatre Above the Law the past two years. She is also an Associate Artist with Local Theater Company in Boulder, Colorado. When not acting, you can often find her baking, singing loudly in the shower, and playing D&D. Instagram: @queen_tofii
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Kwa Fangtang
Kwa Fangtang is an actress and writer from Houston, TX. She moved to Chicago last year to attend graduate school at DePaul University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Texas State University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in Media Arts. Her most recent credit is Lady in Purple in Sankofa Collective’s production of For Colored Girls. She is excited to be a part of her first Pocket Playfest and looks forward to being in more productions in Chicago.
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Rashaad Bond
Rashaad moved to Chicago from Albuquerque, New Mexico in the summer of 2019. In Albuquerque, Rashaad founded and served as the artistic director for Middle Ground Theatre Company, a company dedicated to giving opportunities to those in the community that were often neglected. He holds a BA in Theatre from the University of New Mexico. His studies allowed him to develop skills in directing, producing, acting, lighting design, and scenic carpentry. Since moving to Chicago, Rashaad has had the opportunity to work with organizations such as Black Ensemble Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, The League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Above the Law, Ghostlight Ensemble, Perceptions Theatre, and Possibilities Theatre. He is currently an ensemble member of BYOT Productions and The Lightbulb Factory.
Petunia’s
Petunia's is a dystopian comedic thriller that follows two off-the-grid lesbians who end up in a one-woman town. The play looks at ownership, time, relationships, belonging, generational differences, and what it means to be alone.
December 8th @ 7pm
Written by Genevieve Swanson | Directed by Karina Patel
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Genevieve Swanson
Genevieve Swanson (she/her) is a director, writer, and administrator currently working in Chicago, Illinois. Originally from Southern California, she moved to Chicago to pursue a degree in Theatre Arts Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University. She loves to incorporate her experience in education, economics, and dance into her work. Over the past few years, she interned with the International Centre for Women Playwrights and Chicago Children’s Theatre. Most recently, Genevieve directed a production of Clearing by Beth Hyland at The Theatre School.
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Karina Patel
Karina Patel, (she/her) is a theatre maker born in London, based in Chicago and raised everywhere else. Lately, she's been directing and devising with Token Theatre, The Actor's Gymnasium, 24 Hour Plays, and served as the Associate Director on Madhuri Shekar’s HOUSE OF JOY at the Repertory Theatre of St Louis. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, and spends her free time making excuses to get bubble tea for the third time that week. https://www.karinapatel.me/
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Juliet Kang Huneke
Juliet Kang Huneke is an actor, playwright, and teaching artist. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2022, and has recently performed in The Ugly One at Trap Door Theatre and in The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals at Theatre Row in New York City. Some other favorite past roles include Betty 2 (Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties), Little Stone (Eurydice), and Clarisse (The Lightning Thief). When she's not acting, Juliet teaches silly classes at Chicago Children's Theatre and is currently writing a play about the queer Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, aliens, and Sally Ride. https://www.julietkanghuneke.com/
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Casey Whisler
Casey Whisler is a multidisciplinary theatre artist from Brookfield, IL. She is a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University and is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. Latest credits include The Thanksgiving Play (Logan), The Maids (Solange), and Top Girls (Pope Joan/Louise). Casey has a deep love for new play development and has spent the majority of the last few years collaborating on new work on the stages of The Theatre School, Madison Street Theater, and Drury Lane Theatre. Other recent pursuits include burlesque, drag, and circus arts. Casey has a strong passion for authentic queer representation, which finds its way into everything she does. When not performing, Casey loves to make visual art, dance, and hang out with her cats, Stencil and Cowboy. https://www.caseywhisler.com
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Katie Nowak
Hiya! My name is Katie Nowak (she/they). I am a Chicago-based actor and a junior theatre major at Loyola University Chicago with minors in musical theatre and film. I have been a performer for nine years - my recent acting credits include Polaroid Stories (Persephone), Our Town (Stage Manager), and Guys and Dolls (Ensemble). I most recently served on the stage management team of Loyola’s production of Into the Woods. When I'm not in rehearsal, I love to sing, write scripts, and do yoga on my bedroom floor. Theatre is my passion, and I hope to use my degree to work in the Chicago theatre industry post-graduation.
You Must be the Mom
When an eager young man at the end of his rope becomes a door-to-door salesman, he learns that when God closes one door... He also closes the next one. And the next. And the next.
December 8th @ 8pm
Written by Steven San Luis
Directed by Alexis Vaselopulos
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Steven San Luis
Steven San Luis (all pronouns) is a queer playwright from southern Georgia. His one act, The Border Troll was the inaugural winner of the Avalonia 7 Best Comedic One Act Award. In 2021, his plays Angler Light and Clown Lung were selected for inclusion in the Local Lab Festival at Local Theater Company, where he is now an Associate Artist. Steven's collaborators at New York University, where he is currently enrolled in the dramatic writing MFA program, love to point out how many aquatic sea creatures (jellyfish, salmon, mermen. . . ) show up in his scripts.
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Alexis Vaselopulos
Alexis Vaselopulos is a director, actor and writer based in chicago and is thrilled to be working with Pocket Theatre VR!! Past directing credits include centerstage’s A Midsummer Nights Dream (Assistant Director), A Part (University of Iowa) and Cupid Tyrannus (University of Iowa). She has also worked with Paradox Theater works, centerstage, braving the bard, naked angels and is a company member with eclectic full contact theatre. Many thanks to Pocket Theatre VR, Joel and Willow for the opportunity and to my friends and family for their support!
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Rashaad Bond
Rashaad moved to Chicago from Albuquerque, New Mexico in the summer of 2019. In Albuquerque, Rashaad founded and served as the artistic director for Middle Ground Theatre Company, a company dedicated to giving opportunities to those in the community that were often neglected. He holds a BA in Theatre from the University of New Mexico. His studies allowed him to develop skills in directing, producing, acting, lighting design, and scenic carpentry. Since moving to Chicago, Rashaad has had the opportunity to work with organizations such as Black Ensemble Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, The League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Above the Law, Ghostlight Ensemble, Perceptions Theatre, and Possibilities Theatre. He is currently an ensemble member of BYOT Productions and The Lightbulb Factory.
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Hannah Boutilier
Hannah (she/her) has been a professional actor for over twelve years on stage and screen. Recent credits include: Bechdel Fest 9 (Broken Nose Theatre) Footholds Vol 3 (The Imposters Theatre Company) and the Jeff Recommended When There Are Nine (PrideArts). Recent film credits: Happily Married Woman (Lakefront Pictures), What Say You?, and videos with The Onion and Aldi. Hannah is also the owner and founder of HBBiz for Actors, where she passionately provides self taping, acting coaching, and other services for actors in Chicago and nationwide. As always, for Zac.
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Juliet Kang Huneke
Juliet Kang Huneke is an actor, playwright, and teaching artist. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2022, and has recently performed in The Ugly One at Trap Door Theatre and in The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals at Theatre Row in New York City. Some other favorite past roles include Betty 2 (Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties), Little Stone (Eurydice), and Clarisse (The Lightning Thief). When she's not acting, Juliet teaches silly classes at Chicago Children's Theatre and is currently writing a play about the queer Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, aliens, and Sally Ride. https://www.julietkanghuneke.com/