THE LAND IS ALWAYS KNOWN to Debut at On The Boards' NW New Works Festival 2013, 6/15-16

The Satori Group in collaboration with The Bengsons, a New York City based musical duo, will be debuting work from their new piece The Land Is Always Known at On The Boards' Northwest New Works Festival June 15-16.

The piece explores a history of violence, abuse, hurt, and escape through song and movement, following the journey of Phoebe as she returns to the place her family comes from, generations before, to find the source of her own understanding of hurt. At the heart of our investigation is this: How do you move on from violence? How might we confront past wrongs without being consumed by them? How can you heal without erasing or negating?

The Land Is Always Known sets out to make a new kind of immigrant story. What if we consider ourselves first generation non-violent? We are refugees from a culture of violence. We have one foot stuck in the old way as we struggle to look for a new. What stories might we tell ourselves to help disrupt a cycle of hurt and hurting?

NW New Works is the first step in the development of The Land Is Always Known. Following the performance at On the Boards, the Satori Group will tour this current incarnation to the Risk/Reward Festival in Portland from June 21-23. Over the next year, the Satori Group and The Bengsons will present other workshops and performances of the piece as it is expanded into a full length production.

Directed by Caitlin Sullivan and written by Spike Friedman with music by The Bengsons, the production features the work of: Devin Bannon, LoraBeth Barr, Abigail Bengson, Shaun Bengson, Kent Cubbage, Liza Curtiss, Dan Davidson, Quinn Franzen, Spike Friedman, Lauren Hester, Kristyne Hughes, Rachel Levens, Alex Matthews, Sarah Sanders, Molly Sides, Amanda Stoddard, Kate Sumpter, Carol Thompson, Montana Tippet, Lindsey Valitchka, and Greta Wilson.

Tickets and more information are available from On The Board's website: http://www.ontheboards.org/nw-new-works-festival.

The Satori Group is a regionally recognized and critically acclaimed theatre ensemble, working primarily in the development of new work. We present public performances of Satori productions on an annual basis, typically with 1-2 large-scale mounted productions per year, and several (3-5) smaller scale public performances of in-development work. These smaller-scale performances can range from in-process showings for an invited audience, to ticketed events showcasing a project that may go on to receive a fuller large-scale production.

Cast: Phoebe Greta Wilson**; Ruth Abigail Bengson; and Elias Quinn Franzen**

Ensemble: Devin Bannon, LoraBeth Barr, Shaun Bengson, Liza Curtiss*, Dan Davidson, Spike Friedman**, Lauren Hester**, Alex Matthews**, Sarah Sanders, Molly Sides, Kate Sumpter, Carol Thompson, and Lindsey Valitchka.

Creative Team: Creator/Director Caitlin Sullivan**; Creator/Writer Spike Friedman**; Creator/Music Abigail Bengson; Creator/Music Shaun Bengson; Movement Director Molly Sides; Dramaturg Lauren Hester**; Scenic Design Montana Tippett; Lighting Design Kent Cubbage; Costume Design Lindsey Valitchka; Production Manager Amanda Stoddard; Stage Manager Kristyne Hughes; Assistant Director Rachel Levens; and Assistant Director Sarah Sanders.

Caitlin Sullivan (Creator/Director)
Caitlin Sullivan is a founding member and the current Artistic Director of the Satori Group. She also works as a director, dramaturge, and teacher, specializing in the development of new works. With Satori, she has directed the world premieres of Winky, Fabulous Prizes, and reWilding, and has participated in the generation and development of Microdramas and LineDry. Caitlin frequently collaborates with The Bengsons. She is currently assisting Anne Kauffman on their original opera Hundred Days (ZSpace, 2014), and looks forward to developing The Land is Always Known into an evening length piece. Caitlin holds a BA from Williams College, and is the current Associate Artistic Director of the Williams College Summer Theatre Lab.

Spike Friedman (Creator/Writer/Ensemble)
Spike Friedman, a founding member of the Satori Group, wrote and is performing in the Land is Always Known. He has functioned as a lead writer/collaborator on a number of Satori's other generative projects including Microdramas, Winky, and Linedry. Notable past performances with the Satori Group in Seattle include reWilding, Artifacts of Consequence and TRAGEDY: a tragedy. Spike is also a contributing writer for Bill Simmons' website Grantland. Before relocating to Seattle, Spike performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York. Spike holds a BA in Theatre and Economics from Williams College.

The Bengsons (Creators/Music)
The Bengsons, Abigail Nessen Bengson and Shaun McClain Bengson, are a rock band and collaborative theater making team. They have performed their original works at such venues as The Skirball Center (NYC), Joe's Pub (NYC), La Mama ETC (NYC), Ars Nova (NYC), The Culture Project (NYC), Mass MoCA (MA), The Flynn (VT), Z Space (SF, CA), Know Theater (OH), The Royal Shakespeare Company (UK), and The Market Theater (South Africa). Their next piece, Hundred Days (directed by Anne Kauffman! AD: Caitlin Sullivan! Yeah!) will be premiering in 2014 at Z Space in San Francisco. The Bengsons are honored to be working with the Satori Group.

Devin Bannon (Ensemble)
Devin Bannon is a native Seattle performer and director and is honored to finally work with his friends in The Satori Group. Devin is a Co-Artistic Director of the Washington Ensemble Theatre, and previously the Artistic Assistant at Intiman Theatre. Devin also founded and directed the arts fundraising concert series Ricochet Recital and is a founding member of Fathom Performance Collective. As a performer, Devin earned his degree in theatre at Hampshire College and trained at l'Accademia dell'Arte in Italy and has worked with many other companies in Seattle, including Degenerate Art Ensemble, Cafe Nordo, Nebunele Theatre, and Daipan Butoh.

LoraBeth Barr (Ensemble)
LoraBeth Barr is thrilled to be in Seattle working with the Satori Group. In 2010 LoraBeth graduated from the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati with a BFA in acting. For the past 3 years LoraBeth has lived in Los Angeles working with new theater ensembles; Stokastik Theatre Ensemble, Moving Arts and LOFT Ensemble to develop new work. As a performer favorite roles include; Abigail in The Crucible, Thyona in Big Love and Viola in Twelfth Night. In the past 2 years, LoraBeth has also managed The Carrie Hamilton Theater at the Pasadena Playhouse and wild Up: a modern music collective.

Kent Cubbage (Lighting Designer)
This is Kent Cubbage's first design for Satori, and he's excited to have met such a vibrant group. Recently, his work has been seen in Seattle Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," Cloud Cult's show at the Neptune, and Pony World's "Dali" at Theater Off Jackson. You can catch his upcoming designs at Taproot, Seattle Shakes, and Book-It this year; he also designs regularly at the Triple Door, the Crocodile, and the Neptune. Recent assists include "Chicago" at the Village, "Assisted Living" at ACT, and "Elf" at the 5th Avenue. Credits outside Seattle include assists on Broadway, the Guthrie, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and many designs in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Liza Curtiss (Ensemble)
Liza Curtiss is an associate artist with the Satori Group. She first collaborated with Satori back in 2010 on an Elliot Smith fairytale, Kings Crossing. In 2011, she assistant directed Fabulous Prizes and from there has worked on numerous workshops, and has even taught with Satori at Williams College, her alma mater. Most recently she was seen playing in the dirt in Satori'sReWiliding. Outside of the Satori Group, Liza was seen onstage in the Seattle Fringe Festival, and at the Brooklyn Lyceum in New York. There, she worked with Tugboat Collective on Moon & Marble, a play she both wrote and performed in. Liza is excited to be back in the Northwest to celebrate its local talent in the Northwest New Works and Risk/Reward festivals!

Dan Davidson (Ensemble)
Originally from Cincinnati, OH by way of Los Angeles, CA & Missoula, MT, Dan is ridiculously excited to have landed in Seattle, WA & to be sharing this stage with these amazing people. This is Dan's first official performance with Satori not just being "another artist in the room." And now shameless plugs for my drag personae, SPaRKLe LeiGH!

Quinn Franzen (Elias)
Quinn Franzen is an actor and theatre artist. He performed in Satori's reWilding, Fabulous Prizes and Artifacts of Consequence. He has also worked with Seattle Children's Theatre, The Intiman, and Book-It Rep. He has trained with Freehold Theatre, Pig Iron, Shakespeare and Co., The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, and LAMDA. Quinn holds a BA in Theatre from Williams College and is a Satori member.

Lauren Hester (Dramaturg/Ensemble)
Lauren Hester is a founding member of the Satori Group, where she has lovingly worked for years as a dramaturg and stage manager. She is a new works enthusiast who has also collaborated with ticktock aerial Dance Company, Kyle Loven and Hatlo, Washington Ensemble Theatre, and QTET (Queer Teen Ensemble Theatre). Most recently she has partnered with The Platform, a playwriting program which facilitates the theatrical expression of homeless and at-risk youth. Hester holds a BA in Theatre and English from Williams College, and she has trained with Frank Theatre, Pig Iron Theatre Company and the Market Theatre Lab in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kristyne Hughes (Stage Manager)
Kristyne Anne Hughes is a local stage manager, production manager and properties designer. She graduated from the UW School of Drama in 2009. Shortly after school she joiNed Washington Ensemble Theatre where she became the Production Manager and a Co-Artistic Director, and currently sits on the Board. She is the Administrative Director for Black Box Operations, the organization made up of Washington Ensemble Theatre, Strawberry Theatre Workshop and NCTC that will be operating the brand new theatre space at 12th Ave Arts starting in Fall of 2014. She has also worked for years as the Props Master at Book-it Repertory Theatre.

Rachel Levens (Assistant Director)
Rachel Levens is a recent graduate of Cornish College of the Arts where she received her BFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Original Works. She was the assistant director for reWilding. She was the literary intern this season at Washington Ensemble Theatre. During the summer of 2012 she served as the artistic intern at the Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn, NY.

Alex Matthews (Ensemble)
Alex is a proud founding member of The Satori Group. He has appeared in several of Satori's shows including Artifacts of Consequence, Winky, and reWilding. He last appeared as Willem in New Century Theatre Company's production of The Trial and as Eros in Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of Antony and Cleopatra. Recently, he was able to help lead a Satori Group workshop with students at Williams College (his Alma Mater) in Williamstown, MA where they developed an original show called Line Dry. He is honored to work with such talented, multidisciplinary artists in The Land is Always Known.

Sarah Sanders (Assistant Director/Ensemble)
Sarah Sanders is a rising senior at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and is so happy to be working with Satori for the first time. She has performed in workshops of Hundred Days with the Bengsons in Williamstown, Burlington, and at the 92YTribeca in New York. She is also currently working on a solo show about Queen Margaret, to be performed in February, and writing lyrics for a new musical tentatively titled How Not To Be Alone.

Molly Sides (Ensemble)
Molly Sides is a Seattle based Sound and Movement Artist. She moved from Ketchum, Idaho to attend Cornish College of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in Dance in 2010. Between throughout and since then she has had the pleasure to work with such artists as SaltHorse, tEEth, Lingo and is currently a member of The New Animals. She is constantly looking for new ways to bring dance to an assortment of audiences thus created .Trigger. New Dance Happenings at Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar.

Amanda Stoddard (Production Manager)
Amanda is the Production Manager for The Land is Always Known. Previous work with the Satori Group includes Fabulous Prizes and their NWNW Festival debut, The Making of a Monster. Amanda is an Associate Artist and also serves on the Satori Group's Advisory Board.

Kate Sumpter (Ensemble)
Kate is a Seattle-based actress and a UW graduate. She was seen recently as Jane in Crash at Seattle Children's Theatre, as Gloria in the Satori Group's reWilding, as Vivienne in Legally Blonde at Seattle Musical Theater and as Grace in Tigers Be Still with Catapult Theater Company. Favorite credits include co-writing and performing in Ithaca I'll Never See at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and performing in the ensemble generated Barbarians with The Frost Group. She is also currently performing in Harp Song For a Radical at OtB's Northwest New Works.

Carol Thompson (Ensemble)
Carol Louise Thompson is an actress, teacher and writer living in the Seattle area. She has been working with the Satori Group on many projects in the past few years. Carol is a founding member of The Platform, a playwriting intensive for young artists who frequent Youthcare's Orion Center. Last year she was nominated for the Gregory Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work in Washington Ensemble Theater's world premiere production of The Callers.

Montana Tippet (Scenic Designer)
Montana Tippett has designed scenery in Seattle since earning her BFA at Cornish College of the Arts. Notable designs include: The Bells with Strawberry Theatre Workshop, which received a Seattle Times Footlight Award for Design Magic, Rewilding with The Satori Group, These Streets with ACT's Central Heating Lab, Sweet Nothing with Macha Monkey Productions, and Summertime with Cornish, which recieved First Place in Scenic Design at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She is delighted to collaborate with The Satori Group again, and grateful to be a part of this amazing festival.

Lindsey Valitchka (Ensemble/Costume Designer)
Lindsey Valitchka is a co-founding member of the Satori Group. She was last seen at OTB during 2010's NWNW in Satori'sMaking of a Monster. In Seattle, she has participated in countless workshops, trainings, and was seen in Satori's Artifacts of Consequence, Winky,and Tragedy: a Tragedy. Lindsey is also a recent graduate of the Masters Program in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She specializes in Voice and Swallowing disorders as well as communication rehabilitation following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Greta Wilson (Phoebe)
Greta Wilson is an actor, founding member, and Development Director with the Satori Group. She was most recently seen with Satori as Agnes in reWilding, was featured on the album "Music for reWilding" by This Bitch Don't Fall Off, and performed with New Century Theatre Company in The Trial. She has trained with Pig Iron, the Frank Theatre, and The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, and holds a BA in Theatre from Williams College. Next up, she will be teaching ensemble development at the Williams College Summer Theatre Lab. She has endless gratitude for her husband NDH and her extended Satori family.