Deborah Randall (DIRECTOR) founded Venus Theatre in 2000. Randall received the Alumna of the Year award at UMBC for Visual and Performing Arts in 2012 and the Helen Hayes/American Express Artistic Director Award in 2009. Prior recognitions include two Curve Magazine Play of the Year Awards for Ugly Ducklings by Carolyn Gage and Cigarettes and Moby Dick by Migdalia Cruz. Ducklings also received nomination for an American Theatre Critics Award. Venus has developed a habit of finding strong new plays and then watching them live and grow long after the Venus production. The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women, premiered by Venus, is now distributed throughout universities in the United States due to acclaim from the Venus Theatre World Premiere. Zelda at the Oasis by P.H. Lin was a 12-year old script that Randall world premiered at Venus Theatre in 2010. Zelda then received an off-broadway production in 2012 under the direction of Andy Sandberg at St. Luke’s Theatre. Randall is a published playwright with more than a decade of research and exploration on the Molly Maguires, which led to touring work into Penn State and around the East Coast region. Trained first as an actor, Randall began in theatre and film in the DC area and went on to tour solo work for several years before producing other artists. It is the mission of Venus Theatre to set flight to the voices of women and children with theatre for a lifetime. Randall is proud to serve that mission.

DIRECTOR’S NOTESI chose this play because it felt like a carefully crafted style inclusive of Tennessee Williams, Marsha Norman, and Samuel Beckett. The characters are largely defined by what is not said and that seemed a challenge to take on.

Through this process we dealt with real life obstacles such as ice, snow, flu, junkyard stalking, lumber measuring, and some really deep personal issues surrounding domestic abuse. The domestic abuse angle is something that is rarely displayed in an empowering way because by its very nature it is an experience of victimhood. Through the process of discovering God Don’ Like Ugly we found moments of singular joy in a world veiled with tremendous darkness. For me, that’s the power of this play. It acknowledges the darkness and then finds a way to dance in it, eventually putting an end to it with a fantasy that we hope heals the heart of any woman who has ever been attacked.

Feral 15 no strings attachedFEMINIST FABLES

GOD DON’ LIKE UGLY

by Doc Andersen-Bloomfield

March 19, 2015 - April 12, 2015Thursday, Friday and Saturdays @ 8:00PM and Saturday and Sundays @ 3PM

VENUS THEATRE, 21 C ST, LAUREL, MD, 20707 | Box Office: 1.866.811.4111 | venustheatre.org

Venus Theatre

directed by Deborah Randall

CASTCathryn Benson (ESME and ELLA MARGARET TYACK) is thrilled to be working with Venus again. She was last seen in We Are Samurai at Venus Theatre. She has studied theater at NCDA, George Mason University, and RADA. Nancy Blum (BESSIE) has a M.A. in Theatre Performance and has studied with Serge Seiden, Nancy Robinette, Sandy Dennis and Alan Langdon. She was last seen as the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors (The Arlington Players}. Other local performances include Mrs. Buchanan in Eccentricities of a Nightingale (The Rude Mechanicals), Thelma in ‘Night Mother and Birdie in The Little Foxes (Rockville Little Theatre), Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest (Maryland Ensemble Theatre), Susan in The Goddess Diaries (Capitol Fringe Festival 2013) and Mrs. Savage in The Curious Savage (Jewish Theatre Workshop of Baltimore). Many thanks to my husband and son, Bill and Liam Hurlbut, for their love and support and special thanks to my daughter, Lucy Hurlbut, for her diligence in drilling lines. Ann Fraistat (SJ) is always happy to be back at Venus, having previously appeared in We Are Samurai, No. 731, Following Sarah, Punk Rock Mom, and A Girl Named Destiny. Ann is an actor, playwright, and director, and has worked with companies including Pinky Swear Productions, Pointless Theatre Co., Flying V, American Ensemble Theatre, Forum (Re)Acts, Round House Theatre, and her own troupe, The Impressionable Players. Love to Grant and the fam.

Gray West (THE STRANGER) This is Grays first time at Venus theatre. He has previously worked at SCENA, Pinky Swear Productions, American Century, The Highwood Theatre, Annapolis Shakespeare Company, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and this summer he can be seen at WSC Avant Bard. He received his BFA from the University of South Alabama.

CREATIVE TEAMDoc Andersen-Bloomfield (PLAYWRIGHT) Doc currently writes with Oxford Playwrights and for Oxford Actors’ Network. Other past works in progress/rehearsed readings include: Women’s Theatre Workshop (Oval; Finborough; Drill Hall; Soho in London). Doc is an American who has lived and written in Oxford, England, the last 28 years. She was one of the founding mothers of Women In Theatre, in Los Angeles.

A play in two actsOne fifteen minute intermission

Somewhere in East TexasSometime before the information age

Cathryn BensonNancy BlumAnn FraistatGray West

Esme and Ella Margaret TyackBessie

SJThe Stranger

Deborah RandallElizabeth McFaddenAmy Belschner-RhodesNeil McFaddenMaria Lin YaffeDeborah RandallAmy Belschner-Rhodesand Deborah RandallLaura Matteoni Schraven

DirectorScenic Designer

Lighting DesignerSound Designer Choreographer

Props and CostumesSet Construction

Marketing

GOD DON’ LIKE UGLYby Doc Andersen-Bloomfield

Featuring

Feral 15 no strings attachedFEMINIST FABLES

Venus Theatre

CASTCathryn Benson (ESME and ELLA MARGARET TYACK) is thrilled to be working with Venus again. She was last seen in We Are Samurai at Venus Theatre. She has studied theater at NCDA, George Mason University, and RADA. Nancy Blum (BESSIE) has a M.A. in Theatre Performance and has studied with Serge Seiden, Nancy Robinette, Sandy Dennis and Alan Langdon. She was last seen as the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors (The Arlington Players}. Other local performances include Mrs. Buchanan in Eccentricities of a Nightingale (The Rude Mechanicals), Thelma in ‘Night Mother and Birdie in The Little Foxes (Rockville Little Theatre), Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest (Maryland Ensemble Theatre), Susan in The Goddess Diaries (Capitol Fringe Festival 2013) and Mrs. Savage in The Curious Savage (Jewish Theatre Workshop of Baltimore). Many thanks to my husband and son, Bill and Liam Hurlbut, for their love and support and special thanks to my daughter, Lucy Hurlbut, for her diligence in drilling lines. Ann Fraistat (SJ) is always happy to be back at Venus, having previously appeared in We Are Samurai, No. 731, Following Sarah, Punk Rock Mom, and A Girl Named Destiny. Ann is an actor, playwright, and director, and has worked with companies including Pinky Swear Productions, Pointless Theatre Co., Flying V, American Ensemble Theatre, Forum (Re)Acts, Round House Theatre, and her own troupe, The Impressionable Players. Love to Grant and the fam.

Gray West (THE STRANGER) This is Grays first time at Venus theatre. He has previously worked at SCENA, Pinky Swear Productions, American Century, The Highwood Theatre, Annapolis Shakespeare Company, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and this summer he can be seen at WSC Avant Bard. He received his BFA from the University of South Alabama.

CREATIVE TEAMDoc Andersen-Bloomfield (PLAYWRIGHT) Doc currently writes with Oxford Playwrights and for Oxford Actors’ Network. Other past works in progress/rehearsed readings include: Women’s Theatre Workshop (Oval; Finborough; Drill Hall; Soho in London). Doc is an American who has lived and written in Oxford, England, the last 28 years. She was one of the founding mothers of Women In Theatre, in Los Angeles.

A play in two actsOne fifteen minute intermission

Somewhere in East TexasSometime before the information age

Cathryn BensonNancy BlumAnn FraistatGray West

Esme and Ella Margaret TyackBessie

SJThe Stranger

Deborah RandallElizabeth McFaddenAmy Belschner-RhodesNeil McFaddenMaria Lin YaffeDeborah RandallAmy Belschner-Rhodesand Deborah RandallLaura Matteoni Schraven

DirectorScenic Designer

Lighting DesignerSound Designer Choreographer

Props and CostumesSet Construction

Marketing

GOD DON’ LIKE UGLYby Doc Andersen-Bloomfield

Featuring

Feral 15 no strings attachedFEMINIST FABLES

Venus Theatre

Deborah Randall (DIRECTOR) founded Venus Theatre in 2000. Randall received the Alumna of the Year award at UMBC for Visual and Performing Arts in 2012 and the Helen Hayes/American Express Artistic Director Award in 2009. Prior recognitions include two Curve Magazine Play of the Year Awards for Ugly Ducklings by Carolyn Gage and Cigarettes and Moby Dick by Migdalia Cruz. Ducklings also received nomination for an American Theatre Critics Award. Venus has developed a habit of finding strong new plays and then watching them live and grow long after the Venus production. The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women, premiered by Venus, is now distributed throughout universities in the United States due to acclaim from the Venus Theatre World Premiere. Zelda at the Oasis by P.H. Lin was a 12-year old script that Randall world premiered at Venus Theatre in 2010. Zelda then received an off-broadway production in 2012 under the direction of Andy Sandberg at St. Luke’s Theatre. Randall is a published playwright with more than a decade of research and exploration on the Molly Maguires, which led to touring work into Penn State and around the East Coast region. Trained first as an actor, Randall began in theatre and film in the DC area and went on to tour solo work for several years before producing other artists. It is the mission of Venus Theatre to set flight to the voices of women and children with theatre for a lifetime. Randall is proud to serve that mission.

DIRECTOR’S NOTESI chose this play because it felt like a carefully crafted style inclusive of Tennessee Williams, Marsha Norman, and Samuel Beckett. The characters are largely defined by what is not said and that seemed a challenge to take on.

Through this process we dealt with real life obstacles such as ice, snow, flu, junkyard stalking, lumber measuring, and some really deep personal issues surrounding domestic abuse. The domestic abuse angle is something that is rarely displayed in an empowering way because by its very nature it is an experience of victimhood. Through the process of discovering God Don’ Like Ugly we found moments of singular joy in a world veiled with tremendous darkness. For me, that’s the power of this play. It acknowledges the darkness and then finds a way to dance in it, eventually putting an end to it with a fantasy that we hope heals the heart of any woman who has ever been attacked.

Feral 15 no strings attachedFEMINIST FABLES

GOD DON’ LIKE UGLY

by Doc Andersen-Bloomfield

March 19, 2015 - April 12, 2015Thursday, Friday and Saturdays @ 8:00PM and Saturday and Sundays @ 3PM

VENUS THEATRE, 21 C ST, LAUREL, MD, 20707 | Box Office: 1.866.811.4111 | venustheatre.org

Venus Theatre

directed by Deborah Randall