Hell Followed With Her

Setting

1870’s Dodge, Texas
The Alhambra Saloon

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE

The “Western” is a genre I have long admired. And it’s also a genre I can’t recall ever seeing on the stage. I’m sure much of that has to do with the cinematic aspect of it all. Sweeping vistas and dynamic shootouts, with super close-ups of stare-downs that last the entire length of a piece of music. The horror subgenre of “zombies” is a trope that has been done to death (pun intended). Films, television, and comics have thrown zombies in anything and at everything. And four years ago, I decided to marry two complicated genres into one play, by trapping my cowboys in a wooden room surrounded by the threat of the undead.

It wasn’t just for the fun of tackling two of my favorite pieces of art. I wanted to tell a bloody tale of revenge. A story about a female bounty hunter looking for justice in an unkind and dangerous world. A world that did not look kindly on a woman in a man’s profession. A story of holding a grudge for so long, it could manifest into literal demons following behind you. And a story that could be performed by voices that didn’t look like the playwright. My play, like the actual American West, isn’t just white men riding high in the saddle, but a diverse group of folks from all walks of life, attempting to survive from the undead horde that has come for them.

I’m proud of the work that has been accomplished on this stage. A lot of voices and a lot of hands helped craft this play into what it is today, and I owe a deep debt of gratitude to a whole lot of people because of it. Much like Willow Parker herself, this play has been on a journey, and tonight it has found what it’s been looking for.

–Bill Daniel

DRAMATURG’S NOTE

Genre functions in a very particular way. It allows artists to tell stories using a particular shorthand that plays on familiar tropes, circumstances, tones, and motifs. Genre allows audiences to experience new stories in a familiar context. Ultimately, so much of what stories do –the purpose of the stories we tell– is related to context. Whether a story is meant to share an experience, teach a lesson, or to instill fear; that story’s goal is achieved by contextualizing characters within circumstances and sharing that information with a listener, who will then receive that information in context of their own experience. When it comes to genre, we find pleasure –or satisfaction rather– in how the expectations we have are fulfilled and exceeded in the context of a new story.

What makes Hell Followed With Her such an exciting project is the overlapping genres of Horror (specifically Zombie Horror) and Westerns which creates an exceedingly fun, fresh, overlap of familiar expectations. We know what we expect from a Zombie tale and from a Western, but how will those varied expectations be met in context of one another? My job as a dramturge was to provide as much information as I could about the world the playwright has created in relation to the world we as artists, storytellers, and audience members live in. We live in a world where Zombie stories have existed for centuries (yes, centuries). We live in a world where our cultural idea of The Western has been shaped by colonialism, nationalism, racism, the media, and the ways that history gets taught. When it came to this production in particular and issues of gender and race, it has been my privilege to compile information about how gender has played a part in theatrical performances across history and culture, as a performative act, as a theatrical illusion, as well as the realities of multiculturalism in the United States during the Post-Civil War Period, particularly in “The West,” the realities of Black Cowboys, of Mexican lynchings, and the real world horrors that provide the backdrop –or context, if you will– for the story that we’re telling.

That’s a lot to lay on what is sure to be a thrilling, theatrical event full of saloon shoot-outs, zombie-gore, and much, much more; so I can’t expect for all of that to come across for each and every patron who joins us down in Dodge, Texas nightly, but, as I’ve said, part of the fun for us genre fans tends to be waiting to see just how our expectations are not only met, but exceeded.

–Jose Nateras

The Cast

The Crew

Conchita Avitia (Lighting Designer) is a freelance Lighting Designer based in Chicago; she holds her BA in Theatre Design from Columbia College Chicago. Recent design credits are with Water People Theatre (The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon), Broken Nose Theatre (Language Rooms) and Infinity Arts Academy (Les Misérables, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). When she isn’t designing, she is either serving as an M.E. or ALD throughout the city: Recent Master Electrician credits are with Remy Bumppo (Howards End), and The Gift Theatre (WOLF PLAY, Doubt: A Parable). Recent Assistant Lighting Designer credits are with Court Theatre (For Colored Girls), and Mercury Theatre (Little Shop of Horrors). For production photos and updates visit www.avitialighting.com.

Bill Daniel (Playwright) is an actor/playwright from Chicago. As a playwright, he has written for WildClaw’s Deathscribe (Cavities), E.D.G.E. Theatre (Holmes vs. Holmes, What’s All This Then, La Mousquetaire, Through Black Glass), Illinois State University’s Freestage Festival (The Glass Man, Pingree Road), The Living Canvas (Rain), Nothing Special Productions (Manhunt: The Great Waldo Search), Woodstock’s TownSquare Players (Sitting at the Kid’s Table), Hobo Junction (The Great Sloppy Joe Extermination, Steeping the Tea) and Wayward Productions (Frock Club).

Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Casting Director)

Rose Hamill (Production Manager) is a freelance stage and production manager who has worked with multiple Chicago storefront theatres. She serves as the Managing Director of Broken Nose Theatre, where she has either stage or production managed their productions of At the Table, Kingdom, Plainclothes, Girl in the Red Corner, and the upcoming PEG. Rose has also worked with The New Colony (PUNK), Babes with Blades Theatre Company (The Good Fight), The Factory Theater (The Adventures of Spirit Force Five) and Firebrand Theatre (Queen of the Mist, Always…Patsy Cline) among others. This is her first production with Wildclaw Theatre and she’s excited to be here. Rose is a member of the United States Institute of Technical Theater and the Stage Managers’ Association.

Roxie Kooi (Stage Manager) is delighted to make Wildclaw’s acquaintance, and to dive deep into the realm of horror with them.  Chicago credits include The Killer, Naked (Trap Door Theatre), No Home for Bees, Shake Teeth Shake, Little Women, Outside Agitators (20% Theatre Company), The Passion of Boudicca (We Three Plays), Steampunk Christmas Carol, MacSith (EDGE Theatre), iN/fLUX, Whatever, Push Button Murder (the side project), The Late Henry Moss, Les Parents Terrible (The Artistic Home), This Is War (Signal Ensemble), and The Timey Wimey Fantastic Brilliant Extravaganza (Geronimo!) (Right Brain Project).  In conclusion, hjönk hjönk!

Norine McGrath (Assistant Director/Makeup & Gore) has worked in Chicago for 13 years, including 9 years with City Lit, before finding a spooky and loving home in the horror scape that is WildClaw. In addition to being the in-house Blood Guy and designing gore effects, Norine worked on The Revenants and Motel 666 as the ASM, assistant directed for Elly Green on The Woman in Black, and directed last year’s premiere of Future Echoes. They have directed several live radio plays for Wildclaw, and you may have seen them singing with the Deathscribe Orchestra for the last few years. Norine is excited to make this their bloodiest play yet, and wants to thank Rachel and Krista for being the best co-conspirators ever.

Jose Nateras (Dramaturg) is a Chicago based Actor & Writer and Director. Recent acting credits include: First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre), Fulfillment Center (A Red Orchid Theatre), Frankenstein (Remy Bumppo), and many others. He’s appeared on NBC’s Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., Fox’s Proven Innocent, Utopia on Amazon Prime, and elsewhere. A graduate of  Loyola University Chicago, Jose has his MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and is also a novelist, adjunct professor, teaching artist, and playwright. A former resident playwright with ALTA Chicago’s ‘El Semillero’, he’s written a number of shorts, pilots, and full length screenplays, and is a contributor for The A.V. Club and elsewhere. Jose is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Martina Scofano (Asst. Stage Manager) is currently a Theatre Design, Production, and Technology student at UIC. They’re excited and grateful to work with such a great group of undead outlaws! Some of the other shows they’ve had the privilege of working on were Insurrection with Stage Left, An Octoroon with Definition Theatre Co., and parts of Queen of the Mist with Firebrand and The View Upstairs with Circle Theatre. Last but never least, they’d like to express their gratitude toward the entire amazing team at WildClaw, and to their parents out in San Diego, whom they love very very much!

Satoe Schechner (Costume Designer) is happy to work with WilClaw Theatre for the first time. Her recent costume design credit includes Pakalolo Sweet by Nothing Without a Company and Antigone by Elgin Community College. Also, she credited as an assistant costume designer with Chicago Children’s Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Jackalope Theatre, Steep Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, and 16th Street Theatre.

Rachel Watson (Props/Set Dressing/Prosthetics/Set Co-Design)

Greg Williamson (TD/ Set Co-Design) This is Greg’s third show as Technical Director for Wildclaw Theatre. New to the Chicago theatre scene, he has made a solid reputation for his creative builds, set safety, and problem-solving. He is a new company member of Wildclaw Theatre, a master carpenter with Drury Lane Theatre, and most recently became the Technical Supervisor for the Den Theatre. Hell Followed with Her has been a passion project for him and it shows!

Sebby Woldt (Sound Designer) is happy to be doing his first show for WildClaw. Sebby has designed over sixty productions in the Chicagoland area. He graduated from the theatre school at DePaul University with a BFA in Theatre Sound in 2016 and has been nominated for for two Broadway World Awards for Sound Design. Woldtsound.com

Claire Yearman (Fight Director) is excited to be working with WildClaw Theatre. She works as an actor, fight director & intimacy choreographer. She’s a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and a member of Intimacy Directors International. She has an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University and is a company member with Interrobang Theatre Project. Some theatres she’s worked with include: Aston Rep, Interrobang Theatre Project, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Williams Street Rep, Oil Lamp Theatre, and Red Tape Theatre.

Josh Zagoren (Director) hails from Iowa, graduated from Emerson College in Boston and has been a writer/actor in Chicago since 2006. He’s been in four WildClaw productions (Legion, Carmilla, The Shadow Over Innsmouth and the 2015 remount of The Revenants) as well as hosting our annual Deathscribe. Outside of the nightmares, he’s worked with Steppenwolf, Babes with Blades, Factory Theatre and the Interrobang Theatre Project and is a featured performer in the Live-Lit and Storytelling scene in the city, performing with Write Club, You’re Being Ridiculous and Story Club Chicago. On the sly, he performs every Saturday as Chad the Bird of The Paper Machete at Chicago’s Historic Green Mill Lounge.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Bonnie “Bones” White, Julia Skeggs & Skeggs Casting, Tracy McGrath, Kate Lass, and Jeremiah Barr

Thanks to Lauren Leigh Demerath, Jennifer Betancourt and Maisonet Photography for our fantastic teaser poster!

Special thanks to the Den Theatre for the use of their vintage materials and build space. We couldn’t have done it without them! This set was accomplished by salvaging previously use materials from multiple theatre productions over the past year. Over 80% of the lumber was discarded from previous sets. And a solid plan to recycle this set is in place for November.

Special thanks to the musician collective The Eternal Dreamers for use of their cover of Noche Serena during a scene in Act 2. They have graciously offered to donate a portion of the profit from sales and streams of that single through the end of 2019 to WildClaw. We thank them for their generosity.

WildClaw Thanks Our Generous Sponsors

Support WildClaw

You’ve heard this before, but ticket sales alone only cover a small portion of a theatre company’s operating budget. We rely on support from our friends and patrons in order to keep the blood flowing. WildClaw Theatre is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible. Contact WildClaw Managing Director Clark Bender for more information on how you can help bring another season of horror to the stage. Or click below and donate now with your credit or debit card. You can make a one-time or ongoing donation through PayPal.