Cast Announced for RAISED IN CAPTIVITY

Estranged twins Sebastian and Bernadette are reunited at their mother's funeral, after her death-by-errant-showerhead. The two siblings clumsily attempt to renegotiate their relationship while making space for others in their lives: Bernadette's husband Kip, who decides to abandon his dental practice to become an artist, and Dr. Hillary, Sebastian's extravagantly needy therapist who is prone to dissolving into a morass of self-recrimination. Paradoxically dark but comedic, absurd yet earnest, Nicky Silver's award-winning work returns to Chicago.

The Right Brain Project kicks off its 2018 Season with our mainstage production of Raised in Captivity by Nicky Silver. Performances will be at the Frontier; 1106 W. Thorndale in Chicago.
The Press Opening will take place on Thursday, April 26th at 8:00pm; Opening night is April 27th at 8pm.
Performances Run:
April 27th - April 29th (Sunday Matinee at 3pm)
May 3rd, 4th and 6th (No Saturday Show)
May 10th - May 12th
May 17th - May 19th
Tickets are $15-20 for general admission and $10-15 for students and industry professionals depending on the day. Purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended and can be purchased here: https://dime.io/events/raised-in-captivity. For more information about Raised in Captivity or the Right Brain Project, please visit www.TheRBP.org.

Why Raised in Captivity?
Kathi Kaity (Director): I first read this script nearly a decade ago, and was struck by the tangible spirit of these characters - tragically flawed and inadvertently hilarious. I immediately felt at home with the work, and saw the script as an absurdist's progression within the Family Drama genre. Here we have a family reunited, yet Silver's characters are never given the grace and elegance of the original canon's predecessors, instead falling prey to the traps of misplaced culpability and self-imprisonment. In contrast to the form, their "lesson learning" is not pretty - they say the wrong things, are bombastically selfish, and drown in guilt. In short, their journeys toward becoming better people are ugly. In 2018, we find ourselves in a socio-political era that has a lot of "ugly" in it - just like the characters of Raised[...], we're experiencing the growing pains associated with progress. I think now is the perfect time to approach this national reality from an intimate, familial place. It doesn't always have to be beautiful, but we must harness our flaws and "do better" in spite of them.

When I recently spoke with playwright Nicky Silver, he touched upon the pertinence of this script being told now, nearly 25 years after being written:

"The themes of this play are relatively timeless - but our need to explore them is greater in an age when we're more isolated as human beings than ever before. The common thread of these characters, their "imprisonment" is only more severe as technology, which could bring us together, in fact isolates us further. And as the political and cultural spectrum has swung in a conservative direction, we are more inclined to view people, perpetrators of crime, as less-than-human. The play asks "what is the province of punishment? Whom does it serve?" I think the play suggest it serves the punisher only; the punished are redeemed not by punishment but by acts of charity."
- Nicky Silver (Playwright)

Nicky Silver (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright whose career spans 30 years and 15 published plays. Known for his paradoxical larger-than-life but believable characters, Mr. Silver's work explores the dynamics of intimate relationships, personal identity, and the human condition. His sharp-wit approach to dark farce has attracted audiences worldwide, and his scripts have been workshopped and staged Off-Broadway and beyond. Mr. Silver's work include Fat Men in Skirts, Pterodactyls (nominated - Outstanding Play, Drama Desk Awards), Raised in Captivity (nominated - Outstanding Play, Drama Desk Awards), The Food Chain, Beautiful Child, and The Lyons (nominated - Outstanding New Broadway Play - Outer Critics Circle Award).

Nicky Silver (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright whose career spans 30 years and 15 published plays. Known for his paradoxical larger-than-life but believable characters, Mr. Silver's work explores the dynamics of intimate relationships, personal identity, and the human condition. His sharp-wit approach to dark farce has attracted audiences worldwide, and his scripts have been workshopped and staged Off-Broadway and beyond. Mr. Silver's work include Fat Men in Skirts, Pterodactyls (nominated - Outstanding Play, Drama Desk Awards), Raised in Captivity (nominated - Outstanding Play, Drama Desk Awards), The Food Chain, Beautiful Child, and The Lyons (nominated - Outstanding New Broadway Play - Outer Critics Circle Award).

Kathi Kaity* (Director) Kathi Kaity is a director, writer, and artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Ms. Kaity joined The Right Brain Project as a Company Member in 2014, and became Artistic Director of the theatre in early 2017. Her mission as an artist is to create work that provides a mirror to her audiences, aiming to heighten awareness of their own processes, identities, and relationship to others. She also is a firm believer in the necessity of diversity, accessibility, and kindness within artistic collectives. Ms. Kaity has worked with the Neofuturists, Prop Theatre, iO Chicago, Stage 773, Elastic Arts, and pH Comedy Theatre. She has recently worked on Electra Garrigo, RBP SpeakEasy Showcases, The Dancing Plague, Never Landing, Almost, and The Pillowman.

The Production Team for Raised in Captivity includes Director Kathi Kaity*, Stage Manager Krista Reeves*, Music Director/Composer Jeremy Atwood, Light Designer Claire Sangster, Violence Coordinator Justin Verstraete, & Graphic Designer Michaela Heidemann.

CAST ANNOUNCED
In alphabetical order:
Joel Collins, Tyler Esselman, Liz Goodson*, Vic Kuligoski, Laura Jones Macknin, and Hannah Williams*

Denotes company member*

About the Right Brain Project
Since 2001, The RBP has concentrated on intimate theatre that strives to bring the actor and the audience together in unique fashions. In Spring of 2017, the legacy of The Right Brain Project was passed on to a new generation of theater practitioners and became one of the only Chicago theatre companies to boast all-female leadership. The RBP has reevaluated its Mission and continues to move towards providing opportunities for underrepresented artists through performance, readings, and community outreach. We strive to tell stories that represent the diverse community here in Chicago, including but not limited to gender, race, physical ability and sexual orientation. Startlingly intimate, proudly raw, and innately political, The Right Brain Project is excited to stage further productions that reflect the passions of both our artists and audiences. For more information, please visit www.TheRBP.org.