Paragon Theatre Festival

On August 23th, I participated in the Paragon Theatre Festival presented by the Otherworld Theatre Company and hosted by the Public House Theatre.

Director Lauren Fields asked me to jump in last minute to perform in Universal Language and we gathered a few days before to run through the script and block the show. Then we came on Sunday to tech and perform! The other cast members, Maureen Mizener, Chloe Baldwin, Drew Beyer, and William Delforge worked together to throw this play together against hard circumstances.

The event was thrilling. Before the show, the three casts crowded in the back of the theatre in the small dressing room to prepare. The other cast members and I spent time joking about our characters and who's onstage death was the most gruesome. They even cheered me on when I ran backstage to fully transform from earth-hailing assistant to space-dwelling alien.

Left to Right: William Delforge, Claire Allegra Taylor, Lauren Fields, Chloe Baldwin, Drew Beyer, Maureen Mizener.

The DePaulia Magazine wrote up the event in this article,  giving Universal Language a shout out among over 40 plays:

The creative geniuses within this company provide opportunities for masterworks like playwright Marilyn Anne Campbell’s “Universal Language” (directed by Lauren Fields) and Jonathan Cook’s “Transferring Kyle” (directed by Grace Gimpel) to be enjoyed by Chicagoans of all dispositions. Campell’s humorous romp refreshes audiences with the optimistic truth that people (and aliens) will respond well to kindness.

Check out Otherworld Theatre here.