(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre will kick off their 20th anniversary season with the World Premiere of Funny, Like An Abortion, directed by Madsie Flynn, from October 18 through November 5, 2023. This is a hilarious political comedy about the power of friendship. In a post-Roe world, Monroe finds herself knocked up and throws herself a surprise abortion party.
Says Kevin R. Free of his choice to produce a political play to kickoff the 20th anniversary season, “Mile Square Theatre wants to connect to the community of Hoboken at large by sparking courageous conversations with our audience by producing challenging and entertaining plays.” Several performances will feature talkbacks with the cast and creatives. The production will also be collecting donations at each performance for A is For, an artists’ advocacy organization advancing reproductive rights for all people.
The production stars Joy Katherine Donze* (13 and Not Pregnant; According to the Chorus) as MONROE and Pearl Rhein* (The Great Comet; Bull; The Blacklist) as JADE. *Performing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Tickets range from $24-$35 and available for purchase online. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater a half hour before the performance. Performances take place Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm. Running time is 85 minutes. There is an additional performance scheduled for November 10 at 1:00pm. The theatre is also offering a special “Pay-What-You-Will” performance on Wednesday, October 18 at 8:00pm and an Artist Appreciation Night at 8:00pm on Friday, October 20, with a special talkback to follow.
The production features scenic and prop design by Emmett Grosland, sound design by Nikki Belenski, costume design by Ricky Lurie, and lighting design by Nina Agelvis. Arielle Legere* is the Production Stage Manager. Funny, Like An Abortion is produced at Mile Square Theatre as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other Partner Theaters are Cleveland Public Theatre (Ohio) and The VORTEX (Texas). For more information, please visit nnpn.org
Mile Square Theatre is located at 1400 Clinton Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. The company was founded in 2003 as a non-profit professional theatre. MST’s mission is to enrich and engage the region through the production of professional theatre and innovative arts education. MST produces professional theatre year round, including shows for young audiences and their annual festival of plays about baseball, 7th Inning Stretch.
BIOGRAPHIES
JOY KATHERINE DONZE (she/her; MONROE) is an award-winning Actor, Director, and Teaching Artist. Her solo show "13 and not Pregnant" has performed in New York, Chicago and Edinburgh Fringe where it received 5 star reviews and was awarded BEST COMEDY at United Solo Festival. As an actor Joy has helped develop new narratives with 59E59, NYTW, Rattlestick, Cherry Lane, Urban Stages, NJ REP, Dixon Place, and more. Recent Film credits include: Last Call for Istanbul (Netflix), The Art of Diversion (Hulu) and The Institute (Amazon). Recent theater: According to the Chorus, Shedding Load (59E59) Romantic Trapezoid (Theatre Row), Lily (NJ Rep), An Iliad and The 25 Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Pendragon). LGBT proud.
PEARL RHEIN (she/her; JADE) is an actor, composer, musician, and writer based in New York. She was in the original Broadway cast of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Other theater highlights: Autolycus in The Winter's Tale directed by Melia Bensussen at Hartford Stage, Jo March in Kate Hamill's adaptation of Little Women at The Dallas Theater Center, and the NYC revival of Nightclub Cantata by Elizabeth Swados. TV credits: "Succession” (HBO), “Bull” (CBS), “The Blacklist” (NBC), “Younger” (TVLand). Pearl is also a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger/orchestrator for Musical Theater. Big thanks to Forte Artist Management, and big love to Jordan. Proud member of Actors Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, ASCAP, Ring of Keys & Maestra.
MADSIE FLYNN - (they/them; Director) is a director, actor and creator of new work for theater, music theater and film, including the upcoming PATRIARCHY punk rock show, Dust & Shadow, Frank Winter’s To Distraction, Shape of the Stars and Preston Max Allen’s A Very Netfl*x Christmas Musical: Now Streaming Live! Madsie is a proud consultant for gender and queerness with the Ring of Keys Consultancy. They have worked on new and devised work at The Lark, The Tank NYC, Mile Square Theatre, and the Orchard Project, have served as a teaching artist at Harvard University and UT Austin, and were recently commissioned for new work by The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at SUNY Purchase. They have been described by Time Out New York as "smart and ubertalented", and Time Out rated their solo show "There Will Be Feelings" (musical direction by Laurence O'Keefe) as a Critic's Pick. Onstage, they have been seen in the Original Casts of Heathers the Musical, Ever After (Alliance Theater) and DAVE (Arena Stage). They were recently seen NBC/Peacock show Dr. Death and AppleTV’s WeCrashed. Madsie is represented by The Luedtke Agency. Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights, but you knew that already.
RACHEL BUBLITZ (Playwright) is an internationally produced playwright known for telling stories about women and creating exciting new work for young performers. She won the Will Glickman Award for Best Premiere Play in the San Francisco Bay Area for Ripped(World Premiere at Z Space). Other plays include: Burst (World Premiere at Alleyway Theatre, developed at The Road Theatre Company), Of Serpents & Sea Spray (World Premiere at Custom Made Theatre), My Body(produced at Barrington Stage Company, developed at the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival), and Let’s Fix Andy (developed at Salt Lake Acting Company). Rachel has published plays with Playscripts (Biz Town), Dramatic Publishing (The Night Witches), Original Works Publishing (Ripped), Stage Partners (The Book Women), and YouthPLAYS (The Summer I Howled). Rachel resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her family. When she isn’t writing she’s most likely to be watching her kids dominate at water polo.
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