Next Up on the Virtual Stage:THE WASPS by Aristophanes

THE WASPS by Aristophanes
March 4th, 7pm MST - Zoom Production
Original Music & All Star Cast in One of the World's Greatest Comedies

Relative Theatrics presents THE WASPS by Aristophanes, March 4, 2021 at 7pm MST, via Zoom. This Classic Greek play is adapted by Dr. Laura De Lozier, directed by Noelia Berkes, and features original music composition by Noelia Berkes with musical direction by Francesca Mintowt-Czyz and musical arrangement by Tami Lippstreu.The all-star cast for THE WASPS features Brik Berkes, Madison Blanchard, Chastity Brown, Sheree V. Campbell, Caro Coltman, Lem Grady, Greta Lambert, Caroline McBurney, and Cheri Vanden Heuvel, with virtual stage management by Sarah Kralovec.

THE WASPS is a Classic Greek comedy by Aristophanes, and is considered by some to be one of the world’s great comedies. It pokes satirical fun at the Athenian demagogue Cleon and his power-base, the law courts, in a story about the old juror Philocleon who is addicted to his jury work and his child Bdelycleon’s ill-fated attempts to reform him. Along with featuring original music, The Relative Theatrics production is gender-bent with women playing the title roles, examining how we treat older people in our society, and the tension between the old and the new. 

Following the reading, a Post-Show Discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Laura De Lozier. Dr. Laura De Lozier is the Classics Section Coordinator in the Department of Modern & Classical Languages at the University of Wyoming where she teaches Latin as well as Classics courses about Greek and Roman cultures.

Tickets: Free!
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Relative Theatrics strives to present thought-provoking theatre that examines the joining qualities of the human race. We believe that theatre is a forum with the power to illuminate the binding qualities of humanity and reinforce the ideals that as a society we have values that pose as common ground and emotions that relate us to one another. Taking artistic risk, we provide a community gathering place where thoughts can be exchanged about society, culture, and the power of creativity.

Register for THE WASPS

Supported in part by an award from the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Wyoming, and from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and by Wyoming Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In partnership with Western Nebraska Community College and the UW Classics program.

Meet the All-Star Cast of THE WASPS!
(Appearing in alphabetical order)

​Brik Berkes (Xanthias)
Brik is so excited to be working again with Relative Theatrics. Past RT credits include THE (curious case of the) WATSON INTELLIGENCE, along with many of the Drunk Shakespeare readings this past year. Though he is currently based in NYC, he has spent several seasons performing at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Additionally, he spent years in Atlanta performing at such theatres as The Alliance, Theatrical Outfit, The Aurora Theatre, among many others. TV/Film credits include KILL THE MESSENGER, GOOD EATS, and THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA (airing this spring). He would like to thank Anne for making this opportunity possible as well as her partner in crime, Noelia, for being his partner in life.

​Maddie Blanchard (Ensemble) (she/her) 
Maddie is thrilled for her first project with Relative Theatrics! Her most recent credits include A Christmas Carol (Fan/Martha Cratchit) with Struts & Frets Theatre Company, 29 (Sandra), and Asking Strangers About the Meaning of Life (Genius) both with the University of Wyoming - where she is currently pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. 

​Chastity Brown (Ensemble)
Chastity Brown is a first year theatre student at WNCC. She has been in over 10 productions such as, Lady MacBeth in Macbeth (dir. by Francesca Mintowt-Czyz). She started acting in 2008 in the panhandle of Nebraska and continues to act throughout her college education. 

​Sheree V Campbell (Chorus/Boy)
SHEREE V CAMPBELL @DontForgetTheV is a multidisciplinary artist, actor, stage manager, director, mover, singer and song-writer-of-many-things. Performance: Trojan Women (Cassandra-Great Jones Rep, La MaMa ETC), The Vagina Monologues (Broadway Comedy Club-YouTube), Life Tutorials (from my passive-aggressive roommate) (Film Repertory Group-YouTube), Odyssey Project (Magis Theatre), Living Radio (Co-Op Theatre East, Kraine Theatre), Getting Thru It (Great Jones Rep, La MaMa ETC) and Out of My Skin (SLATensemble-PIT Loft), where she also composed, performed and directed original music. SM: Miracle in Rwanda (Theatre Row, Apollo Theater, United Nations), Golden: Black Boy Joy Conceptualized (Movement Coach, Performer-House of Mark West), the mark project (Magis Theatre), Crushed (WOW Café). Sheree V is founder and creator of @FluxFlowGrow and member of Magis Theatre Company, Co-Op Theatre East, Great Jones Repertory Company of La MaMa ETC, Shot4Shot and The Armory Comedy’s Improv Team (Zoom). Education: LIU Post- MA Theatre, BS Adolescence Education- English

​Caro Coltman (Leader of the Chorus)
Caro Coltman is in Act III of her professional working life.  Originally an actor based out of Toronto, Caro worked in regional theatre across eastern Canada, playing title roles in works ranging from Antigone (Stratford Festival) to Rita in Educating Rita (Magnus Theatre).  Towards the end of Act I, Caro moved into directing; a directing bursary led to a stint in New York with New York Theatre Workshop and to assistant directing a Caryl Churchill play at the Perry Street Theatre and the premiere of Our Country’s Good at The Nederlander on Broadway.  Until recently, Caro taught high school English and dramatic arts full-time.  Teaching highlights included a two-year stint as AP English teacher at the American School of Islamabad, Pakistan and a twenty year sojourn as the Head of Arts at an Ottawa school.  Since retiring, Caro has appeared in an improv piece, Fake News, two short films, and an online workshop adaptation of the novel Away.  Caro is delighted to return to Relative Theatrics, previously appearing in Bound by Stardust.  Caro now lives in Stratford, Ontario with her husband, Peter, and a wily terrier-mix named Nellie.

​Lem Grady (Sosias, others)
Lemuel Grady began acting at Grand Island Senior High in 2015. He has since been in over 10 productions with his most recent being Dmitry in Night Witches (Dir. Francesca Mintowt-Czyz). Other notable roles he has done were Marcus Lycus in A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum and Macbeth in Macbeth, both of which were directed by Francesca Mintowt-Czyz at Western Nebraska Community College. Lemuel is projected to get his bachelors in Performing Arts in the year 2023 after completing his AFA at WNCC in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. 

​Greta Lambert (Philocleon)
Greta Lambert currently serves The Cloverdale Playhouse as Managing Director.  This follows 35 years at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where she played many roles including Ivy Rowe in Fair and Tender Ladies, Emily is Alabama Story, Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire, Shirley in Shirley Valentine, to name a few.  She also tackled a few of Shakespeare’s women as well:  Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, Rosalind, Hermione, Gertrude, and Titania.  Most recently, Greta adapted and performed A Christmas Carol.  She has worn many hats in the theatre – teaching artist, Education Director, Director of ASF Fellowship Company, mentor and Associate Artistic Director.  She adapted and directed tours of Shakespeare as well as mainstage productions such as Twelfth Night, Relative Values, Proof, and four children’s productions.  She has an MFA from the University of Florida.  

​Carolyn McBurney (Chorus)
Carolyn is pleased to join Relative Theatrics for this production of WASPS and is thrilled to be working on her fourth collaboration with Francesca Mintowt-Czyz! A huge proponent of new works, she has been involved at the ground level of several theatre companies around the country and relishes every opportunity to nurture new artists, new ideas and new adventures. Acting has always been Carolyn’s passion, but she also loves directing and hopes to gain a foothold into playwriting in the not-too-distant future! She lives with her husband in Torrington, WY. When not working on a show, Carolyn enjoys reading, Zooming with her kid and going on walks with her dog, Olive. 

​Cheri Vanden Heuvel (Bdelycleon)
Cheri won Best Actress in the L.A. Stage Raw Awards for her role as Reda in I Go Somewhere Else at Playwrights Arena L.A. Cheri is also an alumnus of The Second City-Detroit Mainstage where she taught, wrote, and performed sketch comedy. Her Los Angeles credits include Alice in Low Hanging Fruit at the Zephyr Theater and Sophie in Flyin’ West at International City Theatre. Cheri’s classical credits include the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; King Lear, Around the World in 80 Days, To Kill A Mockingbird, Macbeth, Merry Wives of Windsor and The Trojan Women. Cheri has been seen at 16th St. Theatre in Chicago in Fires in the Mirror, Idaho Shakespeare Festival as Titania in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Adriana in The Comedy of Errors. Cheri has her B.F.A. from The University of Detroit and M.F.A. from The University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Register for THE WASPS