Jackalope Theatre Announces Cast, Creatives for Season Opener THE RAID

Jackalope's 8th season kicks off with THE RAID, written by Idris Goodwin, directed by founding company member and associate artistic director Kaiser Ahmed*, with the full cast and production team announced below. The show runs November 4 - December 12, 2015 at Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N. Broadway. The press performance is Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available via jackalopetheatre.org.

Unlike other prominent abolitionists, John Brown is convinced only bloodshed will dismantle American Slavery. After fighting alongside his sons in Kansas, Brown plots to make real his vision: To free and arm black slaves across the south. With Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman conflicted, Brown heads to Harpers Ferry. A tragedy of dissenting heroes, THE RAID investigates the line between civic disobedience and civic duty, ultimately asking whether or not there's such a thing as justifiable violence.

The cast features Ron Wells (John Brown), Warren Feagins (Frederick Douglass), Daniel Desmarais (Henry Kagi), Jared Bellot (The Empereor), Toya Turner (Harriet Tubman), Stephanie Monday (Mahala Doyle, Dianthe Lusk Brown), Anthony Conway (Bounty Hunter), Alex Hand* (Silas Soule), and Scot West (The Laywer).

The production team for THE RAID includes: Ashley Woods (scenic design), Claire Sangster* (lighting design), Thomas Dixon (sound design), Sarah Jo White (costume design), Corinne Bass (props design), Cody Spellman (dramaturg), Jon Cohen* (historian), David Woolley (fight choreography), Andrew Donnelly (production stage manager), Becca Levy (assistant stage manager), Brandon Moorhead (technical director), Lindsay Bartlett (dialect coach), Joseph Entenman (assistant props design), Megan Turner (assistant costume design), Mara Stern (assistant director), and Danielle Stack* (production manager).

IDRIS GOODWIN (playwright) is a playwright, spoken word performer and essayist recognized across mediums by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Ford and Mellon Foundation. His play This is Modern Art played at Steppenwolf in the spring of 2015. His play How We Got On, developed at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, premiered at The 2012 Humana Festival of New Plays. How We Got On (Playscripts, 2013) is being remounted in theaters across the country and was nominated for an ATCA Steinberg New Play award. His play Blackademics, also nominated for a Steinberg award, was named best play of 2012 by the Chicago Tribune. He is currently developing new stage works with Denver Center Theatre Company, Steppenwolf, StageOne and Actors Theater of Louisville. He's enjoyed writing residencies with Berkeley Rep Theatre and New Harmony Project. Idris is a Core Writer with The Playwrights' Center. These Are The Breaks (Write Bloody, 2011), his debut collection of essays and poetry, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He's performed on HBO, The Discovery Channel, Sesame Street and National Public Radio. He teaches performance writing and Hip Hop aesthetics at Colorado College.

KAISER AHMED (director) is the Associate Artistic Director and Founding Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre Company. Recent directing credits include Washer/Dryer (Rasaka Theatre) The Late Henry Moss (Artistic Home), The Killing of Michael X, Long Way Go Down, Slaughter City (Jackalope). Kaiser is a 2015 Eugene O'Neill National Director's Fellowship Finalist. He was recently seen on stage in Lunacy! (Jackalope) and A Nice Indian Boy (Rasaka Theatre). Kaiser holds a Theatre Directing degree from Columbia College Chicago.

IF YOU GO:

THE RAID

At Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway St., Chicago

Runs: November 13 - December 12, 2015, playing Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm. No performances November 12, November 26-28. Additional performances November 23, December 6-7 at 7:30pm.

Tickets: $5 - $20, on sale via jackalopetheatre.org.

Jackalope Theatre Company cultivates theatre that manifests the adventure deeply rooted in the American mythos. For more information, go online.

*Denotes Jackalope Company Member