THE REALISH HOUSEWIVES OF EDINA Set for New Century Theatre

Hennepin Theatre Trust announced today the full cast The Realish Housewives of Edina: A Parody. The brand new comedy, filled with heavy doses of brawls, booze and botox, is coming to the Trust's New Century Theatre September 24-November 15 with oodles of hometown reality in this totally original-and outlandish-parody performance. Tickets are on sale now. To purchase and for more information, call 612.455.9501, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org, or buy in person (no service fees) at the New Century Theatre (615 Hennepin Ave., street level, City Center) in downtown Minneapolis.

In The Realish Housewives of Edina: A Parody you'll laugh along as these loony ladies who lunch, along with your host, Randy Bowen, take on the current events and people making headlines in the Twin Cities, providing they don't strangle each other first. Realish Housewives is a 'can't-take-your-eyes-off-it trainwreck' that's guaranteed to leave you and your best frenemies laughing 'til you cry your false eyelashes off!

Local actor Adan Varela shines as the self-absorbed Randy Bowen, who plays host to the housewives. Varela has shimmied onstage in Freshwater Theatre's Festival of Awkward Moments and Minneapolis Musical Theatre (MMT) productions of Sunset Boulevard and Reefer Madness.

Acclaimed Minneapolis stage and film actress Kim Kivens returns to New Century Theatre as Ravonka, the baroness with a vague European accent, which may or may not be fake. Kivens sparkled as the country singer wanna-be in last season's Hennepin Theatre Trust production of The Doyle and Debbie Show.

Anna Hickey is making her Hennepin Theatre Trust debut as Brooke, the self-made business tycoon. Hickey's credits include The Three Musketeers at the Guthrie Theater and The School For Lies at Park Square Theatre.

Quinn Shadko stars as Claudia-Louise, a preachy housewife who puts her fabulous family above all else. Shadko recently played the feisty Pinky Tuscadero in MMT's production of Happy Days: A New Musical and has appeared at Park Square Theatre, Old Log Theater, Skylark Opera and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Katherine Kupiecki portrays the ambitious, political player Gwen, who just got out of prison for a local scandal. Kupiecki most recently performed the titular role in Charlotte's Web at the Old Log Theatre and the 2012 Ivey Award-Winning production of Theatre Unbound's all-female Julius Caesar, in which she portrayed Mark Antony.

Another MMT veteran, Karissa Lade, keeps her head up as Desiree, a clueless neck supermodel. Lade appeared as Donna in MMT's Eating Raoul and graduated from Viterbo University with a BFA in Music Theatre.

The comedy is led by Chicago-based director Matthew Miller. who is the co-creator of the hit web series "Teachers" which debuts on TV Land in January 2016. He also serves on the faculty at The Second City Training Center, DePaul University's Theatre School and The Acting Studio Chicago. His recent directing credits include work with the Steppenwolf, Lifeline Theatre, Mary Arrchie and The Irish Theatre of Chicago. His television and film casting credits include "The Wire," The Break-Up and The Amityville Horror (2005).

The Realish Housewives of Edina: A Parody is an original play created and written by veteran Chicago-based comics and Second City writers Kate James and Tim Sniffen, and is produced in association with Pop Up Theatre. Ridiculously funny, The Realish Housewives of Edina: A Parody is packed with tons of laughs.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM BIOS:

ANNA HICKEY (BROOKE) Anna Hickey is making her Hennepin Theatre Trust debut. Her credits include The Three Musketeers (Guthrie Theater/Walking Shadow Theatre Company), The School For Lies (Park Square Theatre), My Antonia (Illusion Theatre), A Little Night Music (Circle Theatre, Chicago), Monthy Python's Spamalot (Paul Bunyan Playhouse), Breaking Ice (Pillsbury House Theatre), The Secret Lives of Coats (Red Eye Collaboration), Singing' In The Rain (Bloomington Civic Theatre), The Count of Monte Cristo (Minnesota Centennial Showboat), A Bright New Boise (Loudmouth Collective), Twelve Dancing Princesses (Stages Theatre Company), Candide (Four Humors Theatre), and took part in readings with History Theatre and The Playwright's Center. Anna is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and also works as a teaching artist with Stages Theatre Company.

KIM KIVENS (RAVONKA) A voice-over and on-camera actor, Kim was most recently seen on stage as Shelly in Shelly Bachberg Presents: Orange is the New POTUS: The Musical with The Catalysts at The MN Fringe Festival. Other shows include Oliver!, Company and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Theater Latté Da), Disenchanted (Casting Spells Productions), Failure: A Love Story (Campbell Productions/MN Fringe 2014), The Doyle & Debbie Show (Hennepin Theatre Trust), Cinderella (Children's Theatre Company), Shelly Bachberg...The Musical (The Catalysts/Fringe2013) and Johnny Baseball (Park Square Theatre). In 2011, Kim was honored by Lavender Magazine as a Best Supporting Actress (Musical) for her role as Muriel in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with MMT.

KATHERINE KUPIECKI (GWEN) Katherine Kupiecki (Gwen) is a Twin Cities actress and a huge fan of the real Real Housewives ("I even loved the Miami seasons!"). She most recently performed the titular role in Charlotte's Web at the Old Log Theatre. Selected other credits include: Penumbra Theatre, Sleep Deprivation Chamber; Walking Shadow Theatre Company: Gabriel, Mr. Marmalade; Workhaus Collective: Homegrown, Planting Shelly Anne; Gremlin Theatre: The Homecoming, The Odd Couple, Accomplice; Theatre Pro Rata: The Woodsman, Twelfth Night, Cat's Paw, Killer Joe; Bloomington Civic Theatre: God of Carnage ; Stages Theatre Company: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Giver; Open Window Theatre: Shadowlands; Mainly Me Productions: Class of '98; and the 2012 Ivey Award Winning production of Theatre Unbound's all-female Julius Caesar, in which she portrayed Mark Antony. Katherine can also be seen in the Theater People web series, the upcoming movie Witch, with Oxford Comma Film Cooperative, and many other film, commercial, and voice projects.

KARISSA LADE (DESIREE) Karissa is a graduate of Viterbo University with a BFA in Music Theatre. Twin Cities area theatre credits include: Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Skylark Opera, Seasons Dinner Theatre, Pioneer Place on Fifth, and Nimbus Theatre. Some of her favorite roles include Mary Lane in Reefer Madness, Kim in Miss Saigon, Marta in Company and Squeaky Fromme in Assassins. In addition to her work in the theatre Karissa is building her commercial and voiceover resume.

QUINN SHADKO (CLAUDIA-LOUISE) Born and raised in Minneapolis, she completed her undergraduate studies in voice and linguistics at Rice University before earning her master's degree in musical theatre from NYU. In the Twin Cities, Quinn has worked with Park Square Theatre, Old Log Theater, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Minnesota Orchestra, Skylark Opera and Actors Theater of Minnesota. Favorite roles include Luisa in The Fantasticks, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Debbie in The Doyle & Debbie Show, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. Quinn is also a voice-over and on-camera actor in the Twin Cities.

ADAN VARELA (RANDY) Varela has been an active artist in the Twin Cities since he made his way from the wild, wild west. He has shimmied onstage in productions with Freshwater Theatre (Festival of Awkward Moments), Minneapolis Musical Theatre (Sunset Boulevard, Reefer Madness), Skylark Opera (Desert Song, Wonderful Town), Minnesota Opera (Roberto Devereux, Silent Night, La Boheme, Pearl Fishers and others), The Kenny Kiser Show and Bloomington Civic Theatre (Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, Carousel). In addition to theatre, Adan has sung a few high notes as a tenor soloist with numerous musical organizations. Most notably, Consortium Carrissimi Early Music Group.

ALIX ENGELS (FEMALE UNDERSTUDY / ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) Alix recently made the move to the Twin Cities from Chicago where she earned her BA in Acting from Columbia College. Recent credits include Trudy in Musical of the Living Dead and Ceres in The Tempest at City Lit Theater in Chicago.

ZAKARY MORTON (RANDY UNDERSTUDY / ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) A relative newcomer to Minneapolis, Zakary is excited to be involved in his first production at the New Century Theatre. An Iowa native, Zakary studied musical theatre at NYU and UW-Stevens Point. He has been staying busy since arriving in the Twin Cities, appearing in the remount of Crime and Punishment, and most recently with Picnic Operetta.

MATTHEW MILLER (DIRECTOR) Originally from Kent, Ohio, Matt Miller is a Chicago based director and teacher. His recent directing credits include work with Steppenwolf, Lifeline Theatre, Mary Arrchie and The Irish Theatre of Chicago where his 2014 production of The Seafarer won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble and also garnered him a Best Director nomination. Matt began his career as a casting director in Chicago; notable film and TV credits include work on The Weatherman, The Amityville Horror, The Ice Harvest, Stranger Than Fiction, The Wise Kids, The Wire, and Public Enemies. He is the co-creator of the hit web series Teachers, which has been picked up to series and will be debuting in January 2016 on the TV Land network. Matt is a proud 16 year company member with Barrel of Monkeys, a group that provides creative writing workshops for Chicago Public Elementary schools that lack arts funding. He also serves on the faculty at DePaul University's Theatre School, The Acting Studio Chicago, and The Second City Training Center.

KATE JAMES (WRITER) Kate is a Chicago based comedy writer and improviser. She has been writing and performing for various divisions of The Second City since 2006. Second City projects include co-writing The Second City Guide to the Opera, performed at Lyric Opera Chicago, starring Renee Fleming and Patrick Stewart, writing and performing for Lyric Opera's 60th Anniversary Gala starring Jane Lynch and Renee Fleming, and as a contributing writer for The Art of Falling, a collaboration between The Second City and Hubbard Street Dance. Kate is also a founding member of the sketch comedy group Schadenfreude. The group had a self-titled radio show for two years on Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ), for which she co-wrote 60 episodes. The group also created IL-Informed, a political comedy television pilot (WTTW) that earned a Chicago Emmy nomination.

TIM SNIFFEN (WRITER) Tim grew up in Locust Valley, New York, home to more than a few real-life Ravonkas. Tim has been a writer with The Second City since 2007, writing and performing with the The Second City Touring Company as well as for The Second City Guide To The Opera and the upcoming Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody. Tim's also written for McSweeney's Internet Tendency and NPR's Marketplace. Before Chicago, Tim spent three years in Amsterdam writing for the Boom Chicago theater. Follow Tim on twitter at @MisterSniffen. Finally, writing for Realish Housewives has helped Tim admit his long-hidden love for the kind of television you can't find on HBO.

Tickets for The Realish Housewives of Edina are on sale now for $34.50. Tickets may be purchased in person at the New Century Theatre Box Office (615 Hennepin Ave., street level of City Center in downtown Minneapolis), by calling 612.455.9501 (no service fees) or online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org. Prices include applicable facility fees. Additional charges may apply. Groups of 10 or more save and should call 612.455.9525 for discount information.

Performance dates are September 24-November 15, 2015. Performance times are Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.