Round 2
MONSOON SEASON
a brutally demented romantic comedy
by Lizzie Vieh
October 21 - November 23, 2019 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Presented by special arrangement with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
It’s monsoon season in Phoenix, Arizona, and recently separated couple Danny and Julia are spiraling into chaos.
A strip club’s flashing neon sign is keeping Danny awake at night, and Julia’s Adderall addiction has only gotten worse since her dealer moved in. Danny is suffering from micro-blackouts, while Julia keeps seeing a giant bird in her backyard. Is anyone watching their kid?
This romantic comedy for a toxic world by 2019 AFO Artist In Residence Lizzie Vieh comes alive with biting humor and blinding insight.
Written by Lizzie Vieh
Directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker
Starring Richard Thieriot & Therese Plaehn
Scenic Design by You-Shin Chen
Costume Design by Haydee Zelideth
Lighting Design by Sarah Johnston
Sound Design by Emma Wilk
Production Stage Manager Kara Kaufman
Assistant Stage Manager Andrea Jess Berkey
Production Manager Mae Frankeberger
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
224 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10014
"RICHARD THIERIOT & THERESE PLAEHN ARE GIVING TWO OF THE FUNNIEST PERFORMANCES
CURRENTLY ON ANY STAGE IN NEW YORK.
A COMEDY SO BLACK, YOU MIGHT JUST FEEL GUILTY FOR LAUGHING SO HARD."
TheaterMania, Editor’s Pick
"A WILD ROMANTIC THRILLER...
FUNNY, INVENTIVE, AND CLEVER!"
BroadwayWorld
"THIS COMEDY IS AS PRICKLY AS A CACTUS...
LIZZIE VIEH IS A VIVID WRITER...
THIERIOT AND PLAEHN DON'T FLINCH...
PERVERSELY HEARTWARMING!"
The New York Times
Lizzie Vieh's script of MONSOON SEASON is available for purchase from Concord Theatricals.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Photography by Maria Baranova
Photography by Maria Baranova
Photography by Maria Baranova
Photography by Maria Baranova.
Open Dialogue Series
Join us for post-show panel discussions after these performances:
Thursday, November 7, 2019 - Edinburgh 101
the ins and outs of taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe
Kristin McCarthy Parker, director • Nicholas A. Cotz, producer • David Carl, playwright/performer/producer
Craig MacArthur, actor/producer • Alley Scott, producer • Blake Habermann, director
Thursday, November 14, 2019 - Dark Comedy for Dark Times
writing dark comedies in reaction to the times we live in
Lizzie Vieh, playwright • Charles Gershman, playwright • Gracie Gardner, playwright • Charly Evon Simpson, playwright
"DELIGHTFULLY WICKED."
THE SPY IN THE STALLS
"A GRIM AND TWISTED COMEDY."
VOICE MAGAZINE
"A THRILLING ROLLERCOASTER RIDE."
BROADWAY BABY
"TWO TERRIFICALLY FUNNY PERFORMANCES."
THE SCOTSMAN
Monsoon Season is part of Rattlestick's curated rental program. Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is a not-for-profit corporation.
Revenue derived from the rental of the theater is used to further the work of the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.
LIZZIE VIEH (Playwright) is from Phoenix, Arizona. Her full-length plays include Monsoon Season, The Loneliest Number, Backwater Rising, Barrier Islands, and Wisconsin Death Trip. Her play Backwater Rising received Honorable Mention for the 2018 Relentless Award. The one-act version of Monsoon Season was a winner in the 2016 Samuel French OOB Festival. Her full-length play The Loneliest Number was part of Amios’ 2016 First Draughts series, and received a full production in 2018 directed by Maria Dizzia. The Loneliest Number was nominated for a 2018 NYIT Award for Best Full-Length Script. She was a member of the Amoralists’ ‘Wright Club for 2016-2017. She is currently the 2018 Artist In Residence with All For One Theater. MFA: Brown/Trinity. BA: Brown University. lizzievieh.com
KRISTIN McCARTHY PARKER (Director) is the director of Matt Cox’s Puffs (Off Broadway at New World Stages) and its live capture, streaming on Amazon and iTunes. Other projects with Cox include Kapow-i Gogo, and the upcoming The Magnificent Revengers. She is also the director and co-founder of Recent Cutbacks, whose work includes the critically-acclaimed comedies Hold On To Your Butts (Time Out NY Top 10 Comedy of the Year), Fly You Fools, and KEVIN!!!!!. Recent Cutbacks has developed and performed work at The Second City Training Center and Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has directed and developed work at Primary Stages, Pittsburgh CLO Spark Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, All For One Theater, Ma-Yi, The Amoralists, 59E59, The Flea, Samuel French OOB Festival, HERE Arts, Columbia University, Rutgers University, and the University of Florida, among others. Assistantships include Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Michael Greif, Wendy Goldberg, and Trip Cullman. kristinmccarthyparker.com
RICHARD THIERIOT (Danny) is an actor, musician and playwright. He was recently acted off-Broadway in Mary Page Marlowe at Second Stage (dir. Lila Neugebauer), and She Stoops to Conquer at TACT (dir. Scott Evans). His Broadway credits include Clybourne Park (Tony Award for Best Play). Other Off-Broadway credits include The Antipodes at the Signature Theatre (US - dir. Lila Neugebauer), rogerandtom with Personal Space Theatrics (dir. Nicholas Cotz) and Children with TACT (dir. Scott Evans). Regional credits include Luna Gale at the Goodman Theater and Kirk Douglas (dir. Bob Falls), Clybourne Park at A.C.T. (dir. John Moscone), Design for Living at Shakespeare Theater Company (dir Michael Kahn), A Skull in Connemara at Baltimore Center Stage (dir. B.J. Jones) and The Christians at the Alley Theater (dir. Gregory Boyd). He has spent four seasons at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, two seasons at California Shakespeare Festival and one at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. His written works include The Beginning of Winter at Ars Nova/ANTFest, Tiresias commissioned by All For One, The Older Brother’s Almanac at the Edinburgh Fringe and The Deli Guys Trilogy with Amios/Shotz. He is also a member of the Actors Center and was a proud member of TACT. He plays bass for Phil Pickens and The Astronauts.
THERESE PLAEHN (Julia). Recent credits include guest starring on "New Amsterdam" (NBC) and "Proven Innocent" (FOX), and playing Aimee Blake in the Broadway national tour of The Humans, directed by Joe Mantello. Broadway: The Heidi Chronicles (directed by Pam MacKinnon). Other NY theater: A (radically condensed and expanded) Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (after David Foster Wallace) (Public Theater, Chocolate Factory; directed by Daniel Fish), Family Play (1979– Present) (New Ohio / CollaborationTown; directed by Lee Sunday Evans), title role in Anna Christie (Wild Project; directed by Peter Richards). Regional: Our Town (Emily, Huntington Theatre; directed by David Cromer), Crimes of the Heart (Lenny, TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley; directed by Giovanna Sardelli), Paradise Lost (Pearl, American Repertory Theater; directed by Daniel Fish), Dying City (Stonington Opera House; directed by Peter Richards) and summers at Gloucester Stage and Chester Theatre. Other TV: "Mr. Robot," "Blue Bloods," "American Odyssey," and "Onion News Network." Therese received her MFA from the American Repertory Theater’s program with the Moscow Art Theatre at Harvard. She’s a member of the Actors Center Workshop Company. In addition to acting, she writes, develops and produces at Pretty Good Friends, a comedy company.