Macha Monkey Presents ELEKTRA, 5/27-6/18

Macha Monkey continues its 10th season of fearless, funny, female theatre with a special remount of the co-founders first play, ELEKTRA (formerly known as Live Girls Do Elektra) by Desiree Prewitt and Kristina Sutherland. Macha Monkey presents a lightning-fast interpretation of the Elektra myth in which two actresses, Kate Jaeger and Erin Stewart, portray a myriad of characters. Each moment of this original production addresses the question "What if Orestes never showed up?" Set to a backdrop of gin bottles, violent chariot accidents, gossiping neighbors, and an ending even Sophocles could dance to, this dark comedy returns to Seattle with a vengeance. The remount comes with a special curtain raiser performance: Scot Augustson's puppet retelling of the play Agamemnon!

"This is a mesmerizing vision. It's tragedy as black comedy, not parody. It's sharp. And it taps directly into the contemporary vein that can open and spray the passers-by with blood." - Liz Nicholls, Edmonton Journal. In 2001, ELEKTRA was highlighted in The Stranger Suggests; Bret Fetzer wrote, "...The result is a smart and funny black comedy..." "ELEKTRA is sublime." - Ann L. Ryan, Albuquerque Journal.

Desiree Prewitt and Kristina Sutherland are Macha Monkey co-founders. ELEKTRA was the first script they created together in 2000. ELEKTRA was originally performed by Desiree and Kristina from 2000 through 2002 in Seattle, across Canada, and in Albuquerque's Revolutions Festival. Their other critically acclaimed co-created works are Nancy, Frank and Joe (nominated for an American Theatre Critics Award and Gregory Falls Award in playwriting 2010), The Cowgirl Play, and R (The Swashbuckling Tale of Anne Bonny and Mary Read).

Kate Jaeger is a Seattle actor, director, and educator. Kate appeared on stage in Macha Monkey's The Cowgirl Play and the Footlight Award-winning Melancholy Play. She also frequently hosts Macha Monkey's MEOW Cabaret series. Recent roles include Madame Zerat in Zirkus Fantazmo at Teatro Zinzanni, and Annie in Evil Dead: The Musical at ArtsWest (recipient of Broadway World's 2010 Best Leading Actress in a Musical Award).

Erin Stewart is an actor and writer who was last seen onstage in Macha Monkey's production (and encore remount!) of Hearts Are Monsters, as well as The Seattle Rep's Speech and Debate. She has also performed with Live Girls! Theater, ExiTheater, Wing-It Productions, and in 14/48, The World's Quickest Theater Festival.

Director Kristina Sutherland's recent directing credits include the Young Playwrights Festival at ACT and Scotto Moore's When I Come To My Senses I'm Alive at Annex Theatre. Macha Monkey directing credits include Kid Simple: a radio play in the flesh, The Cowgirl Play, and Melancholy Play (2004 Footlight Award Winner).

Macha Monkey Productions is a nonprofit arts organization showcasing exceptional artists, delivering innovative educational programs, and producing new theatrical work that features strong female characters. Our 2010-2011 season of new work runs September 2010 - June 2011. For a season press release, visit www.machamonkey.org.

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