Cast Set for STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER at City Lit

City Lit’s 45th season will continue in October with the world premiere of Timothy Griffin’s STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER, a co-production with Black Button Eyes Productions. Gothic horror meets high seas adventure in this piece inspired by the seventh chapter of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA.  As the tale unfolds, Captain Gorodetsky of the Russian schooner THE DEMETER accepts the belonging of a certain Count aboard, for transport from Transylvania to England. When his loyal crew begin to vanish one by one, Gorodetsky must confront the grim possibility that this voyage may be his last. This original work will be directed by the Producing Artistic Director of Black Button Eyes Productions, Ed Rutherford, a four-time Jeff Award nominee for direction and writing. The thrills will arrive for the Halloween season, with a press opening Saturday, October 18 following previews from October 10.  It will play at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, and play through November 23.
 
Leading the cast as Gorodetsky, the ship’s Captain, will be Brian Parry (he/him), the veteran Chicago actor who earlier this year appeared in City Lit’s R.U.R. (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS). At Redtwist Theatre  Parry has played such iconic roles as Willy Loman, Richard Nixon, and King Lear. The ship’s crew will be played by a cast of actors who have been busy on Chicago stages in the past year: Alex Albrecht (he/him, THE CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOUIS LE PRINCE - The Factory; DRINK THE PAST DRY - Ghostlight Ensemble) as Chief Mate Basarab;  Robert Howard (he/him, Jeff Award: SEVEN GUITARS - City Lit) as Second Mate Post; Ross Compton (he/him, SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL - Idle Muse) as Ship’s Cook Bucatar; Nathaniel Kohlmeier (he/him, AMADEUS - Parker Players) as Ship’s Hand Petrovsky; Riles August Holiday (he/him, INCOGNITO - Tin Drum Theatre Company) as Ship’s Hand Olgaren; Andrew Bosworth (he/him, THE CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOUIS LE PRINCE - The Factory, and SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL - Idle Muse) as Ship’s Hand Abramoff; Jennifer Agather (she/her, THE WINTER’S TALE - Invictus Theatre) as Ship’s Hand Mister Gusa; and Cameron Austin Brown (he/him, SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL - Idle Muse, GARY - Redtwist) as Ship’s Hand Munir. Herb Metzler (he/him, BERNHARDT/HAMLET - Resident Theater at Edge of the Wood) will play the mysterious Yorga, a servant of Dracula. Understudies are Benjamin Jouras (he/him), Mitchell Shaw (he/him), and Erin Alys (she/they).
 

The production team, in addition to Rutherford as director, includes Ruby Lowe (they/them, Scenic Designer), Beth Laske-Miller (she/her, Costume Designer), Liz Cooper (she/her, Lighting Designer), Joe Griffin (he/him, Sound Designer), Victor Bayona and Rick Gilbert of R&D Choreography (Violence Designers), DJ Douglass (they/any, Projection Designer), Jeremiah Barr (he/him, Properties and Puppet Designer), Carrie Hardin (she/her, Dialect Coach), Matt Klingler (he/him, Technical Director), Bruce Bennett (he/him, Scenic Painter), and Hazel Flowers-McCabe (she/her, Stage Manager). Brian Pastor (they/them) is City Lit Theater Executive Artistic Director.
 
Single tickets for individual Season 45 productions are priced at $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances and are on sale now. Senior prices are $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances. Tickets may be purchased online at www.citylit.org, or by phone at 773-293-3682.