Chaos Reigns in Annex Theatre's ACME

Annex Theatre continues its provocative 30th season with ACME, a sharp new comedy written by Andrew Shanks and directed by Mary Hubert.

Chaos reigns in this ensemble satire about the trappings of technology, brand-allegiance, and science-gone-amok! Jules (Nabilah Ahmed, Waning), an MIT dropout with a chip on her shoulder, has just arrived for her first day of a lucrative internship at ACME: world-famous manufacturer of all things necessary. With every new face she meets, Jules falls deeper into the machinations of ACME and its peculiar past. Undeterred, Jules charges headfirst into the weird unknown. The question is: will she survive long enough to see day two?

Written by Andrew Shanks - 2017 Winner, Ghost Light Theatricals Battle of the Bards - ACME is a takedown of corporate innovation at its worst and weirdest. Shanks stretches theatrical limits just as the researchers inside the company's walls stretch the boundaries of reality.

Directed by Mary Hubert, who led the ensemble that devised Girl for Annex, ACME is at once a broad spectacle and a dark mystery, touring unexpected locales as Jules quests for answers and dodges dangerous upgrades.

"Andrew has constructed a brilliant, sharply witty satire of corporate life that is more timely than ever with the changes that have been wrought upon Seattle in recent years. Plus, the amount of theatre magic, science, laugh-out-loud moments, and impossible circumstances make this one hell of a fun play to helm! I feel so incredibly lucky to work with such a dynamite ensemble and production team on ACME. This show presents a host of unique challenges - changing locations more than 10 times and characters that transcend the plane of realism entirely - and this team has risen to the challenge admirably." - Mary Hubert, Director
ACME runs April 28 through May 20, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm. Preview on Thursday, April 27, and Industry night on Monday, May 8 at 7:30pm. $20 general/$12 TPS, senior, military/$5 students. All Thursdays Pay-What-You-Can at Annex Theatre at the corner of 11th & Pike in Capitol Hill. Tickets at annextheatre.org

CAST
Nabilah Ahmed as Jules
Aimee Filippi as Penny/iOS
Marcus Gorman as Coyote/Goss/Marvin
Madison Jade Jones as Remy
Jordi Montes as Jackie
Mandy Nichols as Lexi
Gianni Truzzi as Dee
Lyam White as Avery
Emma Wilkinson as Brenda/Dot/Bird
Nathan Wornian as Tech-Bro

DESIGN/PRODUCTION TEAM
Playwright - Andrew Shanks
Director - Mary Hubert
Scenic Designer - Jenna Ryan
Costume Designer - Kelly Caffey
Asst. Costume Designer - Sarah Hubert
Lighting Designer - ElizaBeth Steele
Sound Designer - Erin Bednarz
Props Designer - Sophie Schwartz
Asst. Props Designer - Nick Kruger
Projections Designer - Darrin Schultz
Dramaturg - Erin Bednarz
Stage Manager - Jessi Marlow

ABOUT Mary HuberT Mary Hubert is a freelance director, deviser, and producer. Recently they directed Ring by Kelleen Conway Blanchard, produced by The Horse in Motion at Northwest Film Forum. Other recent directing credits include W O L F, written by Andrew Shanks and performed at The Pocket Theater and Girl, a site-specific promenade devised work produced by Annex Theatre. Mary has also worked with The Seattle Fringe Festival, The Satori Group, OCC, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, The Seagull Project, ACT's Young Playwrights Festival, and On the Boards. They are the Finance Director and co-founder of The Horse in Motion and A-List Liaison at Annex Theatre.

ABOUT ANDREW SHANKS Andrew Shanks is a Seattle-based playwright and actor. Recently, his play Kayfabe won Ghost Light Theatricals' 2017 Battle of the Bards (Kayfabe will have a full production in Ghost Light's 2017-2018 season). As a playwright, Andrew's work has been featured at The Pocket Theater, The TPS Stage at Bumbershoot, and in regional fringe festivals. As an actor, Andrew has performed with Annex Theatre, Forward Flux Productions, Sound Theatre Company, Theater Schmeater, Second Story Repertory Theatre, and was also featured in the local web series Northern Belles. Andrew is the Social Media Manager for Theater Schmeater and Company Manager of Annex.