Cast Set for THE MARK World Premiere at Babes With Blades
Performances will run from October 11 - November 22.
Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 2025 season begins with an extended run of its new works festival, the Fighting Words Festival, September 6 – 14 at the Bramble Arts Loft, and continues with the world premiere of The Mark, October 11 - November 22.
Babes with Blades has revealed the cast and creative team today for The Mark, written by BWBTC Ensemble Member Jillian Leff, directed by Richard Costes with fight direction by Ensemble Member Hazel Monson. The Mark has previews Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. with the press opening Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with select performances will be available for streaming. Tickets are $20 for previews, $28 for students and $30 for the regular run and go on sale Thursday, Sept. 11 at 12 p.m.
Fall is the time for premiering the best new sci-fi adventures and Babes With Blades Theatre Company is bringing the fan favorite genre back to the stage with award-winning playwright and BWBTC ensemble member Jillian Leff’s The Mark. Having penned 2024’s critically acclaimedThe S Paradox, this world premiere is a story for “Hunger Game” fans; set in a dystopian, classist society, a young Laborer named Raina is given an unexpected (but welcomed) chance to join The Army. As she starts to acclimate to her new position and higher standing in society, a resistance is brewing among The Laborers. An assassination attempt upends Raina's life as she becomes caught in the middle of the war between the two classes, as well as her own battle of discovering who and what she believes in.
Richard Costes, who previously directed Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 2022 production of Shakespeare’s Richard III returns to direct The Mark. “In 2025, I believe it is crucial for the art we create to challenge the status quo—to offer a perspective that challenges the way things are,” states Costes. “I am interested in doing plays that meet the moment - and I think that Jillian Leff’s play presents our protagonist, Raina, with the opportunity to do just that. In a world that has been sharply divided into two classes, those who wear the Mark and those who don’t, Raina has been granted the opportunity to become one of the elite, but at a cost that is at sharp odds with who she believes she is.”
“Bhaghat Singh once said, ‘The people generally get accustomed to the established order of things and begin to tremble at the very idea of a change. It is this lethargical spirit that needs to be replaced by the revolutionary spirit,’ Coarse continued. “Whether Raina can be the linchpin of a new revolution in this oppressive world, while navigating unexpected personal revelations, is at the heart of this work.”
The ensemble cast of 14 artists includes Babes With Blades Theatre Company Ensemble Members Jennifer L. Mickelson* (she/her; ensemble and U/S The Commander); Jennifer Mohr* (she/her; ensemble and U/S Raina); Izis Mollinedo* (they/them; ensemble and U/S Maxwell); Maureen Yasko* (she/her; Cain) with Whit Bates (they/them, Jack); Matt Chester (he/him, ensemble and U/S Peter/Jonas); Fin Coe (he/him, Peters); MJ Handsome (she/they, Raina); Nicky Jasper (she/her, Maxwell); Amy Johnson (she/her, The Commander); Marck Kiselevach (he/him, U/S Jack and ensemble); Madeline Meyer (she/her, U/S ensemble) and Shane Richlen (ensemble and U/S Cain).
The Production Team includes Babes With Blades Theatre Company Ensemble Members Line Bower* (they/them, technical director); Jillian Leff* (she/her, playwright); Hazel Monson* (she/her, fight director); Payton Shearn* (she/they, production assistant); Laura J. Wiley* (she/her, lighting designer) as well as Carly Belle Cason (she/they, assistant fight director); Richard Costes (he/him, director); Hannah Foerschler (she/her, sound designer); Amy C. Gilman (she/her, scenic designer); Rose Hamill (she/her, production manager); Jester McKelvey (they/the, assistant stage manager); Grace Elizabeth Mealey (she/her, stage manager); Ab Reive (they/them, props designer); Eileen Tull (she/her, assistant director) and Kasey Wolfgang (she/her, Costume Designer).
*Denotes Babes With Blades Theatre Company Ensemble Member
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