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By norman yeung | DIRECTED BY victoria murray baatin

 

About


Isabelle, a young tenure-track professor, tests the limits of free speech by encouraging her students to contribute to an unmoderated discussion group, even as her wife, Lee, advises caution. When an anonymous student posts offensive comments and videos, Isabelle must decide whether to intervene or to let the social experiment play out. Soon, the posts turn abusive and threatening, leading Isabelle and her unknown tormentor to engage in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse that not only have Isabelle questioning her beliefs, but fearing for her life.

Lead Underwriters: Deborah Carliner & Robert Remes. Additional support from The Embassy of Canada

The writing of Theory was generously supported by grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and Toronto Arts Council. Theory was workshopped and developed by Tarragon Theatre, Richard Rose Artistic Director, and was directed by Esther Jun in the premiere production at Tarragon in October 2018.

 

OCT 23–NOV 17, 2019

Runtime: 90 minutes with no intermission. 
This production contains strong language plus sexual/violent videos.

 

Creative Team


 
Daniel Ettinger+
Set Designer

Daniel Ettinger (Scenic Designer) Recent regional credits include Labour of Love, Elf, and The Piano Lesson at Olney Theatre Center; White Snake Constellation Theatre Company; Things That Are Round, Dorian’s Closet, and Venus in Fur atRepStage; Eclipsed, You For Me For You, Civilization or All You Can Eat atWooly Mammoth; and The Patterns at Pendarvis atHEREin New York. Asresident scenic designer for Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, credits include Everything is Wonderful, The Importance of Being Earnest, Sweat, and The Book of Joseph. He is a member of the design faculty at Towson University.

Brittany Shemuga
Lighting Designer

Brittany Shemuga is thrilled to return to Mosaic after designing Oh God, Paper Dolls and Hooded among others. Select recent designs include She the People (Second City), Amazing Grace (Museum of the Bible), Beehive (NextStop), Into the Woods (Ohio Light Opera) Winnie the Pooh (Adventure), and Twist Your Dickens (Second City). She is also the Resident Lighting Designer at the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio. Brittany has assisted on numerous productions, including Fish in the Dark (Broadway) and Downstairs (Off Broadway). She received her MFA in lighting from the University of Maryland.

April Sizemore-Barber
Dramaturg

April Sizemore-Barber is thrilled to serve as Theory’s dramaturg. She has been an active member of Mosaic’s Public Programing Committee since 2016, facilitating numerous post-show discussions with audiences and panelists. Intrigued by the friction generated where theory meets practice, April combines a background in performance (most recently seen in 2019’s Women’s Work at George Washington University) with her current role as an Assistant Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies at Georgetown University. She thanks Victoria for inviting her onboard to explore this complex, funny, and, frankly, terrifying take on our current moment.

Danielle Preston+
Costume Designer

Danielle Preston is a costume designer based in Washington DC. Recent theater credits include designs for the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Florida Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, Theater J, Triad Stage, Mosaic Theater Company of DC, 1st Stage, Theater Alliance, Totem Pole Playhouse, Washington National Symphony & Solas Nua. Danielle has worked as an Assistant Costume Designer in NYC & DC for designers such as Dede Ayite, Clint Ramos, & Ivania Stack. Professional fellowships include Kenan Costume Fellow for the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute Fellowship in Costume Design. Preston holds an MFA in Costume Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Danielle is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and Costume Society of America.

Ashara Crutchfield
Assistant Director

Ashara Crutchfield is a freelance performing artist and aspiring director based out of Washington, D.C. She is humbled to AD her first production with Mosaic Theatre Company of DC. She‘s also pursuing a BFA in Theatre with a concentration in Acting at Howard University. She has served as a Development Intern as well as a member on the Literary Committee with Mosaic. Ashara plans to continue her work and studies in theatre and tv/film, and is thrilled to step into the DC theatre scene. To Victoria Murray Baatin, she gives a special THANK YOU for creating a safe and glorious space where she could grow as a director and a woman.

David Lamont Wilson
Sound Designer

David Lamont Wilson is pleased to be returning to Mosaic where he last sound designed SHAME 2.0. Mr. Wilson’s sound designs include A Civil War Christmas for 1st Stage Theater; Goodnight, Tyler for Atlanta’s Alliance Theater; and Queens Girls In The World for Everyman Theater. Favorite sound designs include the Atlanta Alliance Theatre production of The C.A. Lyons Project (Suzi Bass Award nominated), Studio Theatre’s Wig Out by Tarell Alvin McCraney; The Welder’s “Not Enuf Lifetimes,” Charter Theatre’s production of “Am I Black Enough Yet?,” “Dead Man Walking” at American University, and “Titus” for the Washington Shakespeare Theatre. His resume also includes designs at the Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Imagination Stage, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, and Georgetown University to name a few.

April E. Carter*
Stage Manager

April E. Carter is from Washington, DC and was raised in Columbia, Maryland. With over 25 years of work, some of her local credits include, Fabulation (Mosaic Theater), Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day (Adventure Theatre), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Adventure Theatre MTC), The Shipment (Forum Theatre), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr. (Adventure Theatre MTC), just to name a few. April is also the Assistant Production Manager and Casting Director at Mosaic. She is a proud graduate of Howard University (97’) were she received her B.F.A in Theatre with a concentration in Musical Theatre.

Dylan Uremovich
Projections Designer

Dylan Uremovich is a lighting and multimedia designer based in Washington DC. In addition to Mosaic Theater Company, he has had the pleasure of working as a designer with several arts organizations in the region including Imagination Stage, Pointless Theater Company, Infinity Theatre Company, Choral Arts Society of Washington, University of Maryland, Dance Place, S.J. Ewing & Dancers, and Xing Dance Theater. His twin artistic obsessions are telling amazing stories and creating interactive environments that respond to the movements and actions of both performers and audience. Check out more of his work at UremovichDesign.com.

Laurel VanLandingham*
Take Over PSM

Laurel VanLandingham is a freelance, AEA stage manager in the DC area, who moonlights as a stage technician, Diva flyer, bus builder and pusher, puppet maker, and wardrobe supervisor. She is excited to be back with Mosaic Theater Company. Her most recent credits include: Director of Logistics for the Staunton Music Festival, Fabulations (Mosaic Theater, Stage Manager), Sooner/Later (Mosaic Theater, Production Stage Manager), Shame (With Comments from the Populace) (Mosaic Theater, Production Stage Manager), Agitators (Mosaic Theater, Production Stage Manager).

Willow Watson
Properties Designer

Willow Watson is a freelance props and scenic designer based out of Washington, DC and a William R. Kenan Jr. Fellow at the Kennedy Center. Previous prop designs with Mosaic include Native Son, Sooner/Later, and Fabulation Or, The Reeducation of Undine.. Recent scenic designs in the DC Area include The Laramie Project at Studio 39 and the Capital Fringe Curates Series. More information available at www.willowscenic.com.

 

Press


“an invigorating drama of critical ideas that replays in the mind the next day the way a catchy tune gets stuck in one’s head.”

DC Metro Theater Arts

“The of-the-moment, provocative techno-thriller is a must see...Director Victoria Murray Baatin masterfully tackles power dynamics, privilege, bias and the tension between freedom of speech and oppression”

DCist

“ ★ ★ ★ ★ ”

"[Musa] portrays Isabelle’s idealism with fervent passion and by the dark, intense culmination of it all, succeeds in playing out these emotions in an absolutely captivating, gut-wrenching way."

DC Theatre Scene

 
 

Media