Hugging the Shoulder
Hugging the Shoulder previewed on October 2-3, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.at Meztli Galeria, 556 West 18th Street, Chicago, IL 60616. The show ran through October 17, 2007.
About the Play
Chicago audiences were treated to the Midwest premiere of Hugging the Shoulder, which premiered as part of the 10th annual New York International Fringe Festival. Hugging the Shoulder is the story of Derrick, a 20-something Southern guy, who kidnaps his older brother, stuffs him into a van, and takes him on a grueling road trip to conquer his heroin addiction. Mile after mile their relationship is stretched to the limit as the two brothers repressed memories and hidden motivations are mercilessly exposed. Hugging the Shoulder is about the tragedy of missed opportunities. It explores the relationship between addiction and love, and is a plea for us to do what is sometimes the hardest thing of all for us to do: forgive ourselves. Hugging the Shoulder is a personal and societal catharsis raging down the American highway…and crashing into the new American Theatre. It neither pulls punches nor apologizes. It's a real piece of theatre.
About the Artistic Team of Hugging The Shoulder
Playwright Jerrod Bogard was born into a military family, and from that he received his love of travel, new people and socialised healthcare. A graduate of Florida School of the Arts, he began his show business career as a puppeteer for Bits 'N Pieces in Tampa, FL. Jerrod has written, directed and performed productions for children and adults all around the U.S. and Europe. He has taught workshops on improvisation and classical theatre styles at grade schools and colleges across the country. He performed his original shadow puppet show, The Horse and Stag-based on Aesop's ancient fable, at the Prague International Festival of Puppet Arts in the Czech Republic. Wrote and directed the short film Gatorman (Best Mini - Picture-Bare Bones International Film Festival). Plays written include: In Sheep's Clothing (Best Play Nominee and published in The Best Plays of the Strawberry One-Act Festival, Fall 2006); Plays for the Sunni Triangle (Winner "Most Outstanding Script" - Endtimes Productions' First Annual One-Act Festival, NYC). Jerrod lives in New York City. Visit him at www.inkythumbs.com.
Director Nilsa Reyna is also Artistic Director of Chicago Fusion Theatre. She has directed the staged readings of A Basket of Fruit, The Tortilla Trilogy and Our Family Moment, all at Teatro Luna. She got her directing start at Saint Louis University where she directed Hopscotch and In the Mall. As an actress she has performed in productions and/or staged readings with Tireswing Theatre, GroundUp Theatre, Factory Theater, Circle Theatre, Maxwell Street Foundation, The Mill, Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago Dramatists, Goodman Theatre, Collaboraction, Teatro Vista and Teatro Luna. She is also part of the Teaching Artist staff at Court Theatre.
Hugging the Shoulder featured: Samuel Taylor as Jeremy, Raymond Shoemaker as Derrick, Natalie DiCristofano as Christy and Kerensa Peterson as the Officer.
The production team was made up of Producer Jeff Steigelman; Set Designer Carolina Avalos Silva; Technical Director Tim Borntrager; Sound Designer Christopher Kriz; Lighting Designer Christine Ferriter; Costume Designer Carla Alegre; Stage Manager Bridget Marcotte; and Assistant Director Susan Berch.
