Girl wishes she’d stayed in, but when you’re in college, you’re supposed to party, right? You’re supposed to go out. She downs a shot. Maybe two. Is she having fun yet? She thinks she’ll just leave early. Walk home in the crisp air, sober up – sticking to well-lit paths, of course.
Lady mourns her shift at the club, dancing for change tonight, since young boys don’t know how to tip. She’s tired. She’s so tired. Her head hurts. She can’t wait to crash in bed, but first she has to make it home without crashing the car.
Woman singes her grandson’s birthday cake. She was always better at pie, anyway. But cake is traditional… she musters up the gumption to walk to the corner store for Betty Crocker. Her husband grumbles disapprovingly. It’s late.
But nothing goes as planned, and Girl gets attacked, and Lady falls apart, and Woman loses her mind.
And then they go blank.
But these females – and not just these females… aren’t female anymore.
salamander
by lisa villamil
directed by lauren m. shover
featuring
girl: zoe nebraska feldman
lady: natajia sconiers
woman: ginger agnew
male: blake alvey
jane: sol madariaga
john: christopher david roché
stage manager: latrice smith
set designer: annemarie branco
lighting designer: eric baker
sound designer: lauren m. shover
props designer: carly e. carman
graphic designer: christopher g. ulloth
technical assistant: toni o. carosella
assistant director: latrice smith
assistant stage manager: carly e. carman
producer: christopher g. ulloth
executive producer: gregory furman
production
September 5-9, 2018
Skinner Studio at Plays & Players
1714 Delancey Pl,
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Schedule:
Wednesday, September 5 at 9 PM
Thursday, September 6 at 9 PM
Friday, September 7 at 9 PM
Saturday, September 8 at 3 PM
Saturday, September 8 at 9 PM
Sunday, September 9 at 5 PM
Trigger Warning: This play contains a scene of sexual violence. If you are triggered, an advocate from Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) will be located nearby for counseling.
Ticket revenue only covers a portion of the cost of the production. We also strive to give back to our community by donating a portion of the ticket proceeds to a cause we care about. Covering the production costs upfront ensures that we are able to give more of our ticket revenue to our partnering organization for this production, WOAR. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Any amount is appreciated.
women organized
against rape
Elephant Room Productions is proud to be partnering with Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR), Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center, for this production of Salamander. As part of our commitment to create social change through art, a generous portion of the proceeds will be donated to WOAR. In addition, WOAR will be providing additional programming alongside the production. By buying a ticket, you are already supporting WOAR in the fight to end sexual violence. If you would like to help more, please join us for WOAR's programming (more information will be posted below) or donate to them directly.
Additional Programing
Healthy Masculinity Roundtable Discussion
In collaboration with Elephant Room Productions, WOAR will host an awareness and educational event that challenges societal definitions of masculinity.
Dates:
September 5th, 2018
September 6th, 2018
Time: 5 pm to 7 pm
Location: Play & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103
A roundtable discussion and activities will revolve around healthy vs. toxic behavior, stigmas and the connection to perpetuating rape culture while increasing knowledge and building skills to challenge those behaviors and beliefs.
Register now to attend this FREE event >>>
September 5th, 2018 >>> http://bit.ly/Healthy_Masculinity_September_5
September 6th, 2018 >>> http://bit.ly/Healthy_Masculinity_September_6
For more information or to bring a roundtable discussion group to your organization, please contact Education Specialist, Levone Cannady at [email protected] or 215-985-3315 ext. 178
development
history
Staged Reading
May 20, 2018 | 6:00 PM
PhilaLandmarks Hill-Physick House
321 South 4th Street
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19106
Elephant Room Productions has been developing Salamander with the playwright, Lisa VillaMil, since early 2018. Lisa first submitted her play to us through our Elephant Ears Reading Series (EERS). From there we workshopped the play and had a presented a staged reading for audience feedback. Lisa then took that feedback and worked on the play in the following months leading up to the production.
The performance space for this reading was graciously provided by Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks.
the
cast
the
creative team
Lisa VillaMil (Playwright) holds a Master’s in “Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting)” from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Her writings include plays, short plays, a cabaret, and one-acts. Lisa is a co-founder of the TransAtlantic company Now What Theatre, which took her original, award-winning play, Kara Sevda, on tour in North America in spring and summer 2017, as well as to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Other notable works include: Wilds, a one act, which received its premiere in Glasgow, July 2017 and is receiving further development in Orlando, Florida in June 2018; Le Coup de Foudre, a full-length cabaret, which received its premiere in Edinburgh, May 2017, through Adjust Productions; September 18th, a ten minute play, which won the June 2017 4x6 Fest in Tampa, Florida; Breadcrumbs, a ten minute play, which premiered through Philadelphia’s Revamp Collective in February, 2018.
Lisa has lived and worked in theatre all over – from New York to Scotland to Florida. Everywhere she goes she learns a little (or a lot) more, meets new people, experiences new perspectives and has new ideas. Most recently, she lived and worked at Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, PA, as a resident acting company member. Everything is inspiration.
To find out more about Now What Theatre, please visit www.nowwhattheatre.com.
Plays: FIRST SNOW (Semi-finalist for the 2015 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference); "Sex Robot" (TechnoPlays, Project Y Theatre, published by Indie Theater Now); "Bi-Cycle" (Landmarks & TRANSformations, Project Y Theatre, 2017 Innovative Theatre Award Nominee); "Bisexual BBQ" (Voice Recognition Plays, Bloomsburg University); COUCH SURFING (Queer Plays Reading Series, Project Y Theatre); "Museum Bar" (Suicide Stories, Elephant Room Productions, Philadelphia Fringe Festival 2017).
Producing: Women in Theatre Festival (Project Y Theatre Company 2016-2018); Suicide Stories: Gallery of the Untold (Elephant Room Productions, Philadelphia Fringe Festival 2017); VENTILATOR BLUES by Robert Kerr (Staged Reading, Elephant Room Productions, 2017); BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN SOLDIER by Dano Madden (Staged Reading, Elephant Room Productions, 2016); WHISPERS by Phil Czeckner and CAPTIVE by Lauren M. Shover (Staged Readings, Elephant Room Productions, 2015); FOOTHILLS PARK by Dano Madden (Staged Reading, Elephant Room Productions, 2014).