EDIT ANNIE Comes to Crowded Fire Theater in September

Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents the West Coast Premiere of Edit Annie by Mary Glen Fredrick, co-directed by Leigh Rondon-Davis and Nailah Unole Dida-nese'ah Harper-Malveaux. In one of CFT’s most ambitious projects yet, Edit Annie will offer audiences an exciting, form-breaking, multidisciplinary theatrical experience.

Playwright and Video Designer / Editor Mary Glen Fredrick shares “I am thrilled to bring Edit Annie to Crowded Fire and to the Bay Area at large. Crowded Fire is such an inspirational theatre and creative force, and their willingness to dive off the deep end into this genre-bending multidisciplinary work has been the greatest gift an artist can receive.” 

Annie has the perfect job editing videos for social media influencer Clara Couture: she sets her own schedule, she doesn’t have to leave the house, and she doesn’t have to interact with the outside world. But when a chance encounter brings her face-to-face with Clara in real life, Annie gets pulled out of her comfort zone in more ways than one. A life full of jump cuts, reverse scrubs, and parasocial relationships pulled into the real world quickly gets dizzying. What story is Annie creating? A queer rom-com? Buddy film? Psychological thriller? Claymation creature feature? Where is this Insta Story leading? Heartfelt, comedic, and poignant, Edit Annie invites us to explore our relationships to internet fame, anonymity, and intimacy in the digital age.

Frederick adds, “Edit Annie is about video editing, social media, and the relationship between a video editor and the #influencer she co-creates. But Edit Annie is also about our minds—their endless power to create, warp, and destroy, all in the name of protection. By incorporating all of its wild multidisciplinary elements, Edit Annie is a love letter to my (and your) own mind, straddling our digital and IRL existences, especially through moments of acute isolation. I hope audiences come away from Edit Annie feeling seen and a deep sense of tenderness for their own inner lives.” 

From CFT Leader of Artistic Curation & Marketing and co-director Leigh Rondon-Davis, “After the success of our return to in-person theater with Isaac Gomez’s THE DISPLACED in 2021, we’re so excited to produce Edit Annie—an ambitious, multi-media piece speaking directly to the now with its hilarious and devastating exploration of social media, mental health, and relationships. CFT continues our legacy of boundary-pushing productions, offering stimulating creative challenges for artistic collaborators, and a piece that will leave audiences guessing to the very end.”

Co-directors Harper-Malveaux and Rondon-Davis will lead this production featuring an ensemble that includes Monique Crawford, Chibueze Crouch, and Jordan Maria Don, with support from Kenny Scott. Designers and the creative team include Amissa Miller (dramaturgy), Ashley Méndez (scenic design), Madeline Berger (costume design), Devon LaBelle (props design), Spenser Matubang (lighting design), James Ard (sound design), Lana Palmer (video design associate & projections engineering), Maya Herbsman (intimacy choreography), Raisa Donato (fight choreography), Dairys Escoto De León (stop motion animation), Beckett Finn (scenic builder).

Continuing CFT’s commitment to affordability and accessibility, the organization will offer pay-what-you-can previews, sliding scale ticket pricing for non-preview performances, and a travel support subsidy for anyone who may be experiencing financial hardship and the cost of transportation is a barrier to accessing the production.

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