Concordia’s theater department, The Collective, is starting off their season with a brand new original production entitled, Other Familiars, written by Scott Barsotti and directed by Jason Narvy. Barsotti is a playwright from Pittsburgh and currently residing in Chicago. Based on the three witches from Shakespear’s Macbeth, Other Familiars follows Ruby, a witch who is losing her familiar to an unknown sickness. Ruby is being forced to find a replacement, but instead chooses to go on a quest for a charm to heal him. This production is being put on in coordination with the Chicago Dramatists, of which Barsotti is a resident playwright. Although usually known for horror plays, Barsotti’s Other Familiars is a unique look on loss and heartbreak as the main character is seemingly forced to skip the grieving process and instead search for a new familiar.
The show opens with the three main characters, Ruby, played by Kaycee Jordan, Vine, played by Katie Rub, and Flower, played by Lizzie Gruenes, meeting together center stage. We soon learn that although not actual sisters, the three are often referred as “the weird sisters” by the three headed goddess Hecate, played by Kara Grimm, Angela Matera, and Gretchen Teske. The trio are close knit and often sent on journeys to please their goddess, Hecate, whom they serve. However, Ruby becomes distracted by the fact that her familiar spirit is dying and decides to embark on a quest to gather ingredients for a spell that may save her beloved familiar. Along the way, she meets characters played by Alison Nichols, Eamon McInerney, and Matt Bender.
The production is taking place at Madison Street theater, just under two miles from campus. The theater space itself is home to other production teams as well as Concordia’s The Collective, but is currently producing Other Familiars on its main stage. The theater itself is considered a storefront theater, which means it is literally in a building, along a storefront. This kind of arrangement allows for a deeper connection between audience and actors as the audience is mere feet away from the main stage. Kara Grimm, a senior at Concordia, stated she felt the importance of learning in storefront theater is because it is the kind of place one will work at when they get a real theater job in Chicago. People tend to think of theater taking place in a large, ornate fashion, but Chicago theaters’ are primarily made up of store front theater, such as Madison Street.
Other Familiars opens October 1st and continues its 8 show run from the 1st-3rd and 8th-10th at 7:30PM with matinees on the 4th and 11th at 2:00PM. Ticket prices are $15 general admission and $5 for all current Concordia students. This witty, touching show is not one to miss as everything from the costume to lighting design are especially intricate in this production. Kaycee Jordan, a senior at Concordia, hopes the audience walks away with a sense of peace in that it’s okay to grieve, but it’s also okay to move on from that. This small cast of nine have come together to make one production you will not want to miss.
Images courtesy of: Jason A. Narvy
