Wildclaw Theatre Announces Judges, Directors & Casts For Deathscribe 2015
The Eighth Annual International Festival of Radio Horror Plays including celebrity judges Deana Dunagan (M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VISIT) and Martin Atkins (Nine Inch Nails).
WildClaw Theatre Company announces judges, directors and casting for DEATHSCRIBE 2015, the Eighth Annual International Festival of Radio Horror Plays performing on Monday, December 7th, at 8:00pm. This collection of bone-chilling audio nightmares will be performed live at the historic Mayne Stage Theatre, 1328 W. Morse Ave, Chicago. General admission is $25, $23 for students with identification currently available at: www.wildclawtheatre.com or by phone at the Mayne Stage box office, (773) 381-4554.
ABOUT DEATHSCRIBE
In our continued quest to acquire original, imaginative horror stories, we solicited and received over 100 new works from theatre and horror aficionados around the world. Five radio plays have emerged, perhaps slightly bloodstained, as finalists of the grueling selection process. Join us to see who will be this year’s victor and winner of the coveted Bloody Axe award!
The five finalists will send thrills up your spine as they are brought to life by Chicago’s finest actors and directors, accompanied by a live band and a team of sound effects artists – complete with live foley onstage. The winner of the Bloody Axe will be chosen by a panel of horror and theatre experts.
This year’s panelists include: musician Martin Atkins (NIN, Pigface), actress Deana Dunagan (M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VISIT, Steppenwolf Theatre’s AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), playwright Ike Holter (HIT THE WALL, EXIT STRATEGY), horror author Brian Pinkerton (ANATOMY OF EVIL, ROUGH CUT), casting director Marisa Ross (NBC’s CHICAGO MED), voice over agent, Brett Sechrist, (NV Talent) and past Deathscribe winning director and local theatre artist, Kevin Theis (Irish Theatre of Chicago, Oak Park Theatre Festival).
DEATHSCRIBE 2015 DIRECTORS & CASTING
TOO MANY TEETH by Axel Arth
directed by Leigh Barrett of Babes With Blades Theatre Company
Featuring: Mandy Walsh*, Andrew Behling, Elyse Dawson, Christopher Walsh*
When a tent revival rolls into town promising cures for all life’s ills, everyone is interested in what Dr. Mordebit is selling, especially the children. But when the good doctor’s intentions become clear, the town may regret their choice. Especially the children.
EARWIGS by Joseph Zettelmaier
directed by Sara Sevigny of the Factory Theater (Deathscribe 2014 winning director)
Featuring: Robyn Coffin, Jennifer Santanello
Sara and Amber have followed their dream and moved into a small cottage in the woods. They soon discover it is infested with vile, crawling things. Fortunately, the little vermin are totally harmless. Right?
IMAGINARY FIEND by Tim Griffin
directed by Elly Green (No More Sad Things, Sideshow Theatre; After Miss Julie, Strawdog Theatre Company)
Featuring: Katie McLean Hainsworth, Kathryn Acosta, Kevin Alves, Krista D’Agostino*
In this homespun cross-stitch of American terror, a lonely young girl’s innocent wish conjures a bloody bible-belt object-lesson of how a sincere attempt at redemption might be ambushed by long-overdue retribution.
BACK IN BABY’S ARMS by Travis Williams
directed by Breahan Eve Pautsch of Akvavit Theatre
Featuring: Chris Walsh*, Kirstin Franklin, Karen Tarjan, Dan Wilson, Mary Jo Bolduc, Moira Begale*
In the dingy confines of the Blue Moon Motel, on a full moon night, Carly & Ricky try parenting Baby, a child they just kidnapped… But Baby is unlike any child they’ve plucked from God’s green Earth. Oh no, unlike the many before her, Baby is of a special breed.
BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE by Eric Marlin
directed by Melanie Keller of First Folio Theatre
Featuring: Elizabeth Bagby, Mandy Walsh*
The dog is by the road. The dog is at the gate. The dog is in the house. Two women stand watch at their door in the nighttime, while two dogmen wait outside.
Each piece will be accompanied by live foley, provided by foley artists Ele Matelan* and Jeffrey Gardner.
Musical acts include performances by Michaela Petro*, Norine McGrath*, and Moira Begale* accompanied by a live band featuring musicians: Joe Griffin, Eric Engleson, Justin Almosch, Josh Bell, Paul Foster*, and Ryan Miera.
The evening is hosted by WildClaw Artistic Director, Josh Zagoren*. Additional production credits include: Sarah D. Espinoza* (Production Manager) and Charlie Althanas* (Graphic Designer).
2015 DEATHSCRIBE JUDGES BIOS
MARTIN ATKINS: Since appearing on the scene in 1980, English-born Martin Atkins has become one of the leading lights of the world of industrial metal. His label, Invisible Records, has been home to some of the most important acts of the genre. Born on August 3, 1959, in Coventry, England, Atkins took up drumming at an early age and soon displayed a notable proficiency. His first break came when he joined John Lydon’s post-Sex Pistols band, Public Image Ltd. Like most of Lydon’s musical partners, Atkins left P.I.L. under a cloud and concentrated on his new venture, the industrial collective Pigface. Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, Atkins played with a large number of bands, including Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Killing Joke. After leaving the latter in 1992, he formed Murder Inc., inviting members of Killing Joke and Ministry to join him. As usual, Murder Inc. proved to be a short-lived affair, producing just a single album and a handful of live shows before folding. Since then, Atkins has put most of his efforts into maintaining Pigface and Invisible Records, occasionally joining other bands on a temporary basis. His most significant recent project, the Damage Manual, involved contributions from Jah Wobble, Killing Joke’s Geordie, and Chris Connelly. An EP and an eponymous album were released to critical acclaim, but the individual members returned to other things soon afterwards.
DEANA DUNAGAN: Deana began her acting career performing in regional theaters such as the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, and the Actors Theatre of Louisville before trying her luck in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in the 1979 production of George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman at Circle in the Square as an understudy for Ann Sachs. In 1981, Dunagan performed in the first national tour of Children of a Lesser God. After the end of the tour, Dunagan moved to Chicago and has lived there ever since, performing in more than 30 theaters in the Chicago area. Her work on the Chicago stage has garnered her three Joseph Jefferson Awards and three After Dark Awards. She has worked in films including, The Naked Face, Running Scared, Men Don’t Leave, Losing Isaiah, and Dimension. She has also appeared in more than ten made for television movies, in the TV mini-series A Will of Their Own and Amerika, and as a guest star on the television shows Prison Break, What About Joan, and Missing Persons. In 2007-2008, Dunagan returned to Broadway in the Steppenwolf Theatre’s transplant production of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County. For her performance, Dunagan won a Tony Award, Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award. She went on to portray Violet Weston in productions in London’s West End in 2009 and in Sydney, Australia in 2010. She can currently be seen as NANA in M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VISIT.
IKE HOLTER: Ike Holter’s work has been produced at The Steppenwolf Garage, A Red Orchid, The New Colony and The Inconvenience, where he is a founding member and resident writer. He’s received fellowships and commissions from The Goodman Theater, The Kennedy Center and The Playwrights Center. His show “Hit The Wall” played at Steppenwolf Garage and Off-Broadway at The Barrow Street Theater in New York. Jackalope Theater premiered his new play “Exit Strategy”, which played to sold-out houses and transferred to Michigan at 3oaks Theater; it is being produced at Philadelphia Stages and will transfer Off Broadway to Primary Stages this spring. He was named the “Chicagoan of the Year in Theater 2014” by The Chicago Tribune, and his monologues have been published in The New Yorker and several editions of Applause Books. Holter was recently named one of Victory Gardens newest ensemble playwrights.
BRIAN PINKERTON: Brian Pinkerton is the author of novels and short stories in the horror and thriller genres. His books include Anatomy of Evil, Rough Cut, Killer’s Diary, Abducted, Vengeance and Bender. His series, How I Started the Apocalypse, follows the adventures of a smart zombie battling for survival against a hostile humanity. Select titles have also been released as audio books and in foreign languages. His writings have been published in PULP!, Chicago Blues, The Horror Zine, Zombie Zoology and Horror 201: The Silver Scream. Brian’s screenplays have finished in the top 100 of Project Greenlight and top two percent of the Nicholl Fellowship of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association. Brian lives in the Chicago area with his family. Find him online at www.brianpinkerton.com
MARISA ROSS: Marisa Ross is a Casting Director working in both Chicago and Los Angeles. Currently, she is casting the series Chicago Med for NBC. She is also the Casting Director Consultant for The Onion and all of it’s subdivisions (Clickhole.com, Onion Labs, Onion Studios, Onion News Network). Together with her Casting Partner, Christal Karge, just finished casting the pilot The Chicago Project for Showtime. In 2015, she was contracted to do all the pilot searches in Chicago for both NBC and CBS Studios and will do the same for the 2016 pilot season. Last year, Marisa was the Chicago Casting director on Love is A Four Letter Word, a drama pilot for NBC. She is best known for her work casting How I Met Your Mother. Marisa has been the Casting Director on numerous Television Series including How I Met Your Mother, GREEK, The Goodwin Games, Tracey Ullman’s State of Union, Romantically Challenged, The Winner, We Got Next, Hollywood Residential, American Body Shop, The Showbiz Show with David Spade and Campus Ladies. Some of her pilots include How I Met Your Dad (CBS), Iceland (FOX), The Gabriels (FOX), Adam Carolla’s Ace in the Hole (CBS), Single White Millionaire (CBS), Drive (FOX), and Mindy Kaling’s Mindy & Brenda (WB). Some of her feature credits include The Virginity Hit, Snow Globe and Nic and Tristan. Some of her Associate Feature Casting Director credits include The Amityville Horror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Hellboy. To launch her Chicago office, Marisa, led several casting searches in Chicago for 2014 pilots for CBS, ABC, 20th Century Fox and Sony. Marisa is the co-founder of the SCOUT Chicago Festival which is an annual comedy festival highlighting Chicago’s new talent. It is attended by casting executives from all the major studios and networks (including NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, Dreamworks, Showtime, USA and Comedy Central) along with independent Casting Directors and agents from NYC and LA for a weekend in June. Marisa is an active member of both the Casting Society of America and the Television Academy which she has served for several years on the Casting Director peer group committee. Marisa Ross has been nominated three times and was the recipient of the Television Casting Director of the Year award in 2009 given by the Talent manager Association.
BRETT SECHRIST – Brett Sechrist has been with NV Talent (formerly Naked Voices) since 2011. A powerhouse in animation and interactive media, Sechrist was previously employed at AVO Talent in Hollywood, where he represented such notable talent as Kath Soucie (“Rugrats”), Marcia Wallace (“The Simpsons”), and Bill Farmer (“Goofy”), to name just a few. Sechrist also worked with producer Mario Kassar (“Terminator”, “Rambo”) and various producers at Paramount Pictures before moving into the agency side of filmmaking. Mr. Sechrist is a Seattle native and graduated from the University of Redlands in California with a degree in Creative Writing and Film Production.
KEVIN THEIS: Kevin has been a director, actor and writer in Chicago for the past twenty-eight years. An ensemble member with the Irish Theatre of Chicago and an Artistic Associate with the Oak Park Festival Theatre, Kevin has directed for City Lit, CT20 Ensemble, Lifeline, greasy joan and others and has received three Jeff nominations for his directing work. As an actor, he has performed at the Goodman, Next, Festival Theatre, Seanachai, Lifeline and many others and received a nomination for his performance in “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” in 2013. Favorite recent shows include directing Lifeline’s “Monstrous Regiment” and performing in Seanchai Theatre’s “The Seafarer.” He is a three-time DEATHSCRIBE director (he directed Steve Baldwin’s “Please Stand By” last year) and the first two shows he staged won the coveted Bloody Axe- Joseph Zettlemeir’s “Fish Story” and Chelsea Paice’s “We Apologize for the Inconvenience”.
