St Ella
Written/directed by Matthew Posey
September 7 to 24, 2022
Ochre House Theater opened its 2022-23 season with a biting new comedy, St. Ella, written and directed by Ochre Artistic Director Matthew Posey. St. Ella took a satirical look at the iconic woman characters found in 20th century plays and explores the way they were oppressed by the brutish men who ruled over them.
This dark comedy was filled with song, dance, and new vaudevillian techniques. Exposing the woman’s “world that is dying within her.”
As Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya aptly states in The Seagull, “By chance a man comes along, sees, and, with nothing better to do, destroys…”
“In simple, St Ella is a musical mash-up of people and parts of both The Seagull and A Streetcar Named Desire—the connective tissue being the general assholity of men (in general), and in specific the very annoying fictional gents up with whom these fictional women should not put. “
By Jan Farrington (Read the review…)
Photos
Performing Artists
Gaia – Carla Parker
Ella Dupekski – Quinn Coffman
Blanche Derriere – Monét Lerner
Nina Blavatski – Cassie Bann
Masha Doomski – Shahada Crane
Theo Dupekski – Brad Hennigan
Miguel Bolas Grandes – Omar Padilla
Tripp Love – Cameron McCloud
Boris Anaphylactikov – Chris Sykes
Musicians
Lightning Woman – Kate Fisher (Keyboard)
Tommy Two Wolves – Gregg Prickett (Guitar)
Collaborators
Writer/Director – Matthew Posey
Composer/ Music Director – Justin Locklear
Asst. Music Director – Trey Pendergrass
Stage Management – Liz Carr
Assistant Stage Manager – Lauren Hearn
Set Design – Matthew Posey
Scenic Art – Isaac Davies
Set and Props Construction – Company
Costume Design – Samantha Rodriguez Corgan
Lighting Design – Kevin Grammer
Poster Art – Jeremy Word
Under the Moon