Mary Chieffo Will Lead BLOOD BRIDES at Bard Fest in Los Angeles
Writer-director Ellie Pyle's one-woman show plays The Hobgoblin Playhouse
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Mary Chieffo (Star Trek: Discovery) embodies four of classical theatre's greatest mythic women in Blood Brides, written and directed by Ellie Pyle.
Have you ever wondered what happens between Lady Macbeth's final exit and her off-stage death? In this provocative one-woman show, she summons the spirits of Clytemnestra, Bathsheba, and Igraine-all of whom married their husband's murderer (like Lady Macbeth's historical counterpart, Gruoch). Blood Brides weaves history and mythology into a searing meditation on marriage and murder, magic and fate, legacy and survival.
"I'm honored to inhabit these intricate, archetypal women in Blood Brides " performer Mary Chieffo said. "Their complex stories need to be told through a sharp feminist lens and Ellie has done just that with this poetic and powerful piece. I hope our audiences leave the theatre feeling more enlightened about the sacrifices all four of these women made and the legacies they left behind."
"Mary has been the perfect collaborator in developing this piece" writer/director Ellie Pyle enthused. "Part of what makes these characters timeless is how they can evolve with our own perspectives to fit our modern moment. It's been a joy to watch Mary breathe new depth and vitality into each of them with her riveting and detailed performance."
Performances run April 30 - May 3 at The Hobgoblin Playhouse, 1516 N Gardner St, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Biographies
MARY CHIEFFO (she/they) is a queer actor and producer known internationally as Klingon Commander turned Chancellor L'Rell on Star Trek: Discovery. Mary is thrilled to return to Bespoke with Blood Brides, having participated in their past staged readings of Analogue by Christine Boylan, Heretics and Graves by Ellie Pyle, Lady Face and Systems by Madi Goff. Chieffo received her BFA in Drama from The Juilliard School (Elizabeth Smith Voice and Speech Prize, Saint-Denis Prize for "Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Drama"). Favorite Shakespeare roles include Lear in King Lear directed by Vivienne Benesch, Macbeth in Erica Schmidt's Mac Beth, and most recently, Julius Caesar in The Old Globe's Globe for All touring production of Julius Caesar directed by Marcela Lorca. In 2021, Mary produced and starred in Iago: The Green-Eyed Monster, a Musical AR Experience reinterpreting the notorious Shakespeare villain as a woman, co-created with Josh Nelson Youssef in collaboration with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's JuVee Productions and Verizon (Webby Award WINNER Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 2023, Tribeca X Finalist). Website: marychieffo.com
ELLIE PYLE (she/her) is the Executive Artistic director of Bespoke Plays which she co-founded with Christine Boylan. She has been writing, producing and directing plays since she was a teenager. Recent Bespoke Plays credits include: writing Sources, Heretics, and Graves.; directing Lady Face by Madi Goff, and co-directing The Sphere of Fixed Stars in the Heavens by J. Holtham for the Hollywood Fringe. She wrote the book for the musical Whiterock Cliff, Ryan McCurdy's one-man version of which premiered off-Broadway in 2021. Outside of the theatre, she's published two novels; developed 7 narrative podcasts for Marvel (while co-hosting the Ambie nominated podcast WOMEN OF MARVEL); and has edited more comics than she wishes to count. In 2024, she had back to back performances of her plays Sources, Heretics, and Graves in Los Angeles, London, and Portland. Most recently, she directed the Los Angeles staging of Good Girl by Mimi Collins. Website: ElliePyle.com
BESPOKE PLAYS is an international, female founded non-profit that develops plays from reading to production through a process customized to the goals of the writer and readiness of the play. The creative exchange and collaboration they facilitate between Los Angeles and London creates international opportunities for writers with diverse stories and worldviews. Bespoke Plays specializes in developing bold new theatrical voices while reducing financial barriers in professional theatre, ensuring important narratives reach the stage regardless of traditional resource constraints.
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