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Lightning Rod Special’s The Appointment
ABOUT
A new musical by Lightning Rod Special
Created by Alice Yorke with Scott R. Sheppard, Alex Bechtel, Eva Steinmetz, and the ensemble
Directed by Eva Steinmetz
January 12, 2023—February 4, 2023
90 minutes, with no intermission
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ALEX BECHTEL is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist dedicated to the creation of new works of music, theatre, and musical theatre. A newly-minted LRS Company Member, Bechtel has worked with the company since 2012’s Hackles. Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Music Direction for The Walnut St Theatre’s My Way, Outstanding Ensemble of a Musical for his performance in Theatre Horizon’s Into the Woods, and both Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical and Outstanding Original Music for The Arden’s The Light Princess. Bechtel has been awarded an Independence Fellowship in the Arts and was twice a finalist for the F. Otto Haas Award. Bechtel is the composer/lyricist of Sleeping Beauty: A Musical Panto for People’s Light and Theatre Company, composer/original cast member of The Light Princess at The Arden Theatre Company, and creator/composer of The West, Philadelphia Nocturne, and Cheer Up, Dostoevsky. Hear more at alexbechtel.com
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KATIE GOULD is one of the founding members of Lightning Rod Special. She has worked as a performer creator on many LRS projects, including Let the Dog See the Rabbit and Sans Everything. She is a graduate of the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training, from which LRS blossomed. Katie is also the owner of KG Strong, a woman-powered, body-positive strength studio in the BOK building in South Philly.
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JAIME MASEDA is an artist living and working in Philadelphia. He is one half of No Face Performance Group, a collaborative partnership with NYC-based artist Mark McCloughan. Working with a revolving group of associate artists, they’ve been making performances using a wide variety of processes and sources since 2007. Jaime has also performed/created with Pig Iron, Mel Krodman & Kelly Bond, Miguel Gutierrez, Magda & Chelsea, Azuka Theatre, Orbiter 3, George & Co., and Alex Torra. Next: Indecent at the Arden, May 22 – June 23.
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LEE MINORA is a theater maker, solo performer and actor based in Philadelphia. Her original solo works have been seen at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, San Francisco’s FURY Factory, Good Good Comedy, The Brick Theater and The Wilma Theater where she was an artist in residence. She is a Haas Emerging Artist Finalist, a Barrymore Nominee and a two time recipient of the Jilline Ringle Performance Grant. Up Next, Lee’s show White Feminist will be presented as part of The Care and Destruction Festival in London.
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BRETT ASHLEY ROBINSON is an actor/deviser based out of Philadelphia. She has performed and created work at InterAct Theatre Company, Quintessence Theatre, The Wilma Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, The Flea, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Public’s Under the Radar Festival, Ars Nova, Premier Stages, Geva Theatre Center, American Repertory Theatre, and the Ensemble Studio Theater. She is also a proud graduate of The Pig Iron School of Advanced Performance Training.
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SCOTT R. SHEPPARD is an OBIE Award-winning theater artist living in Philadelphia and New York City. He is a Co-Director of Lightning Rod Special. Recent credits: Underground Railroad Game (co-creator/performer), named by the New York Times in 2018 as one of the top 25 plays in the past 25 years, currently touring nationally and internationally; Pig Iron Theatre Company’s 99 Breakups and Period of Animate Existence (deviser/performer); PITC’s Gentlemen Volunteers (performer); George & Co.’s Holden (co-creator/performer); and Arden Theatre Company’s The Stinky Cheeseman (performer, Barrymore nomination). Scott is a recipient of the Independence Foundation Fellowship, an OBIE Award winner for Best New American Theater Work, Edinburgh Fringe First Award. Proud graduate of the inaugural class at Pig Iron’s School Performance and Guild Hall resident artist for 2018. Next up co-creating Nosejob in Drama League Residency for 2019, SPEECH with Misha Chowdhury, and Very Smart and Fragile Boys with Andrew Neisler.
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BRENSON THOMAS is a Philly-based theatre maker, performer, and writer. A recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence College’s MFA in Theatre program, Brenson studied with Dan Hurlin, David Neumann, Sibyl Kempson, Stew, and Raja Feather Kelly. Prior to SLC he served as the Assistant to the Director of Dance at the University of the Arts, and performed at 11th Hour Theatre Company, the Walnut Street Theatre, and the Arden Theatre. When he’s not inhabiting the fetus world, Brenson serves as an Academic Advisor at UArts. Much love and gratitude to LRS and their wonderful collaborators, and to my family and Kevin for allowing me to love them.
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ALICE YORKE is a Philadelphia-based actor, creator, director, and producer. She is a Co-Director of Lightning Rod Special, with whom she created and performed in Hackles, Let the Dog See the Rabbit, and Sans Everything. She is the lead artist on their most recent work, The Appointment, a dark satire of the misogyny in the American abortion debate. She recently directed White Feminist by Lee Minora, a scorching indictment of white women’s participation in feminism, the hit of the 2018 Fringe Festival. Her performance in The Gap at Azuka Theatre was recognized with a Bonaly Award for excellent performance and a Barrymore nomination for outstanding supporting performance. For five years she has been seen across music venues in Philly and New York as Red 40 and the Last Groovement’s wild dancer Candy Scrapple. She is a proud graduate of the inaugural class of the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training.
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