Interview with ACME Director Mary Hubert

Annex’s Marketing Coordinator Emily Sershon sat down over the weekend with ACME Director Mary Hubert to find out more about ACME:


EMILY SERSHON: Hi Mary! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

MARY HUBERT: Hi there! I’m a freelance director and producer who has worked with multiple companies throughout Seattle. You might have seen some of my work with The Horse in Motion, and I also recently directed Girl at Annex. I’ve typically worked on ensemble-driven devised adventures, so I’m really excited to branch into the delightfully comedic, scripted world of ACME!

ES: What drew you to ACME? Have you and [playwright] Andrew worked together before?

MH: I was initially drawn to ACME for a variety of reasons. As an artist who deals frequently with the corporate tech world, I was interested in the ways that Andrew highlighted the culture of upgrades and obsolescence that we see in modern America. I also was fascinated by the idea of creating two very distinct worlds: that of ACME and the cartoon world. Physicalizing animation onstage is an exciting challenge for a director!
Andrew and I have worked together before, so I know his writing style and already have a great relationship with him as a writer. Recently, we produced a short play of Andrew’s called W O L F at The Pocket Theater.

ES: So we have the corporate world of ACME, and a cartoon world… Is ACME a comedy? I understand there’s a mysterious sinister side of the script.

MH: Yes! ACME is definitely a comedy. It is a corporate satire, with a hefty dose of mystery and sinister goings-on. One of the things that Andrew does very well is create a chaotic, comprehensive, madly entertaining environment that still manages to hold a candle to some issues pertinent to our lives as modern-day Americans. And we get plenty of weird science-gone-amok to boot!

ES: That sounds like a jam-packed show! What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?

MH: All of the amazing magic that happens in the show! We have multiple cartoon characters onstage, eight different locations (some of them entirely made up) wacky ACME products, and a Void into another dimension!! This calls for plenty of inventive designs and solutions, and my design team and I have definitely been kept on our toes making the madness of ACME come to life! I’m incredibly impressed by my design team, and I’m really excited to share what we’ve come up with.

I think that we can all relate to this idea with the many tech products we use. But, more than that, ACME takes this concept one step further, applying it to the obsolescence of people themselves.

ES: I love that you’ve made Void a proper noun. I can’t wait to see that on stage! Obviously there’s a lot of theatre magic to look forward to. What do you think audiences will relate to from their everyday lives? I’ve heard you mention the culture of obsolescence.

MH: ACME explores the idea that our products are built to fail, that they are made to only last so long so that we continue to buy the latest “upgrade”. I think that we can all relate to this idea with the many tech products we use. But, more than that, ACME takes this concept one step further, applying it to the obsolescence of people themselves. The workers at ACME constantly face threats of upgrade and termination. Avery, the head of the company, is obsessed with finding the “next big thing”. As we become increasingly fixated on being the best versions of ourselves, and as we all compete for an increasingly shrinking, cutthroat job pool, I think that this portrayal of the disposability of the ACME workers themselves will ring true to many.

ES: Yikes. Yeah, I can definitely relate to that. Is there anything else you want people to know about ACME before they come see it?

MH: It’s a crazy wild ride, so buckle up and get ready for the madness!!

ES: Awesome. Thank you Mary!

MH: Thank you so much!

ACME runs April 28 – May 20 2017
Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 pm
Tickets: bit.ly/ACMEAnnex

ACME



ACME

April 28 through May 20, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm.
Preview on Thursday, April 27, and Industry night on Monday, May 8 at 7:30pm.
$20 general/$12 TPS, senior, military/$5 students. All Thursdays Pay-What-You-Can

Chaos reigns in this ensemble satire about the trappings of technology, brand-allegiance, and science-gone-amok! Jules (Nabilah Ahmed, Waning), an MIT dropout with a chip on her shoulder, has just arrived for her first day of a lucrative internship at ACME: world-famous manufacturer of all things necessary. With every new face she meets, Jules falls deeper into the machinations of ACME and its peculiar past. Undeterred, Jules charges headfirst into the weird unknown. The question is: will she survive long enough to see day two?

Written by Andrew Shanks – 2017 Winner, Ghost Light Theatricals Battle of the Bards – ACME is a takedown of corporate innovation at its worst and weirdest. Shanks stretches theatrical limits just as the researchers inside the company’s walls stretch the boundaries of reality.

Directed by Mary Hubert, who led the ensemble that devised Girl for Annex, ACME is at once a broad spectacle and a dark mystery, touring unexpected locales as Jules quests for answers and dodges dangerous upgrades.

“Andrew has constructed a brilliant, sharply witty satire of corporate life that is more timely than ever with the changes that have been wrought upon Seattle in recent years. Plus, the amount of theatre magic, science, laugh-out-loud moments, and impossible circumstances make this one hell of a fun play to helm! I feel so incredibly lucky to work with such a dynamite ensemble and production team on ACME. This show presents a host of unique challenges – changing locations more than 10 times and characters that transcend the plane of realism entirely – and this team has risen to the challenge admirably.” – Mary Hubert, Director

CAST
  • Nabilah Ahmed as Jules
  • Aimee Filippi as Penny/iOS
  • Marcus Gorman as Coyote/Goss/Marvin
  • Madison Jade Jones as Remy
  • Jordi Montes as Jackie
  • Mandy Nichols as Lexi
  • Gianni Truzzi as Dee
  • Lyam White as Avery
  • Emma Wilkinson as Brenda/Dot/Bird
  • Nathan Wornian as Tech-Bro
DESIGN/PRODUCTION TEAM
  • Playwright – Andrew Shanks
  • Director – Mary Hubert
  • Scenic Designer – Jenna Ryan
  • Costume Designer – Kelly Caffey
  • Asst. Costume Designer – Sarah Hubert
  • Lighting Designer – Elizabeth Steele
  • Sound Designer – Erin Bednarz
  • Props Designer – Sophie Schwartz
  • Asst. Props Designer – Nick Kruger
  • Projections Designer – Darrin Schultz
  • Dramaturg – Erin Bednarz
  • Stage Manager – Jessi Marlow

Girl

Devised by the Ensemble
Directed by Mary Hubert
Aug 2nd-Aug 17th – Industry Aug 15th
Shows at 7 and 9 PM

Think of the classic hero’s quest: a rousing call to adventure, legendary challenges and temptations, a road full of trials and perils, transformation, atonement, and an ultimate resolution. Think of Aladdin, The Princess Bride, or Star Wars. The difference here? The heroes are young women in modern-day Seattle, who must navigate a male-dominated world and fight their battles in a society that imposes constraints on their gender and generation. This devised ensemble adventure asks, what does it take to be a modern heroine?

The Ensemble:
Kiki Abba
Haley Maria Alaji’
Gabriela Marta Aleman
Erin Bednarz
Katherine Marie Bicknell
Lauren Brazell
Amy Escobar
Kayla Walker
Production Crew:
Stage Manager – Elizabeth Stasio
Production Manager – Catherine Blake Smith
Associate Director – Javonna Arriaga
Assistant Stage Manager – Laura Owens
Lighting Designer – Ryan Dunn
Costume Designer – Amy Escobar
Sound Designer – Alex Potter
Scenic and Props Designer – Jenna Ryan
Promotional Photography and Lighting – Chris Leher
Promotional Concept and Styling – Amy Escobar
Technical Director – Chris Leher

RSVP ON FACEBOOK!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1783096148576679/

Bunnies

BunniesBanner
Written by Keiko Green  |  Music by Jesse Smith
Directed by Pamala Mijatov  |  Choreography by Noah Duffy
 

April 24 – May 16
Thurs-Sat at 8 pm | Mon, May 11 industry night
All Thurs PWYC
$20 general | $18 advance tickets
$12 senior, military, TPS | $5 student

A warren of abandoned bunnies in Woodland Park evolves into a dark religious cult in this gleefully unsettling tale of revenge, sacrifice, and the most transgressive love of all. A world premiere with original music, inspired by the classic Greek tragedy The Bacchae.

“‘Bunnies’… is one of the most imaginative, entertaining and surprisingly substantial new shows of the season… ‘Bunnies’ is fun and entertaining throughout, but it also has real substance and allows us to leave the theater both entertained and inspired. This show allows us to revisit a sacred temple that we have not returned to in a very long time, but that still earns its place of reverence in our modern world. It’s a great achievement.” – Seattle Actor

“Keiko Green hits this one out of the park. The musical is engaging from start to finish, taking twists and turns and challenging audience members to reflect on how they interact with the natural world. Kudos to Annex for producing a new work with a powerhouse female ensemble. Simply put, this show doesn’t have a weak link. The script, music, choreography, design elements and performances converge to create a ferocious, furry musical infused with the macabre. You won’t want to miss this gem of a production!” – Copious Love

“Just when you think you’ve nailed down the tone of local playwright Keiko Green’s fractured fairy-tale musical ‘Bunnies,’ it takes a sharp left turn, hopping from baroque mythologizing to broad satire to shock-powered black comedy. It’s not quite Beatrix Potter on acid, but Green and director Pamala Mijatov’s stark vision of corrupted innocence is rarely less than intriguing.” – Seattle Times

CAST
The Bunnies
Yesenia Iglesias She
Pilar O’Connell Parsley/Lola
Kayla Walker John Wayne (Apr. 24-May 2, May 15-16)
Amy Escobar John Wayne (May 7-14)
Sarah Porkalob Dandelion
Ashlen Hodge Buddy
Erin Bednarz Whisper
Sam Routh Ash
Yana Kesala Oreo
The Humans
Andrew Shanks Tim
Libby Barnard Angela
André Nelson Dads, Cop, Veterinarian
DESIGN TEAM
Scenic Designer Robin Macartney
Lighting Designer Gwyn Skone
Sound Designer Jesse McNeece
Costume Designer Wanda Rodriquez
PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Manager Robin Obourn
Assistant Director Mary Hubert
Photographer Joe Iano
Poster Designer Evelyn DeHais
Technical Director Emily Sershon
Production Manager Catherine Blake Smith