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Just Like Hollywood
I See You Watching...
On a bare stage, using only props supplied by a demanding and impatient master of ceremonies, the woman must discover the key to unlock the cage in which he keeps her. Forced to perform and dance to please her captor she forces the audience to question at what point she will rebel. A rigorous and playful study of status and the eternal male/female dance and duel, this dark comedy examines the trap ensnaring so many women today, an invisible but all-encompassing prison she is raised in and taught to accept, if not embrace.
"Just Like Hollywood was written in the wake of and in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I see this play as a way to encourage audience to protest the fallout of this decision which has led to the most destructive and cruel treatment of women in our recent history.”
– Melanie Stewart, Director
Blind Faith Theatre brings artistic collaborators together to devise original theatre that is socially relevant focused on creating intimate relationships with audiences. The projects of the company integrate movement, text, and image to explore the ability of the body to carry meaning in original narratives that are often ironic and intensely human. Just Like Hollywood is the first production of Blind Faith Theatre.
John Clancy (Playwright) is a contemporary American playwright, novelist, and director. He was a co-founder and first Artistic Director of the New York International Fringe Festival and its producing organization The Present Company. His written work centers mainly on the American experience and is characterized by dark humor and farce. His best-known play is Fatboy: An American Grotesque, a modern re-working of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi. His monologue The Event premiered in Edinburgh in 2009 and has gone on to tour Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States and has been translated into Greek and German. Clancy's directing has earned six Fringe First Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and two Best of Fringe Awards at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. He was awarded a 2005 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Direction, a 2002 Glasgow Herald Angel Award for Excellence in Direction, a 1997 New York Magazine Award, and a 2008 Dialogue ONE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theater.
Melanie Stewart (Director) creates darkly absurd movement-driven theatre focusing on the nuanced, weird, and vulnerable side of American culture. She was the Artistic Director of Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre from 1984-2014, based in Philadelphia, USA. With the company she produced over 50 original works of dance and movement driven theater for the stage, in dance/film/video, and in education, both nationally and abroad. As a critically acclaimed choreographer and director, she has received the support of numerous fellowships and grants from such funders as the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, The National Endowment for the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, and both the NJ and PA Council for the Arts. She is a Professor of Theatre and Dance at Rowan University.
Kylie Westerbeck (Performer) is a NYC based multi-disciplinary actor. Kylie is a 2018 graduate of Rowan University and is currently pursuing her MFA at the Juilliard School for Drama. Kylie has released two original albums onto the world and consistently releases new music. Kylie has written and produced theatre including: Complexity, an original musical, and Peg!, a one woman clown piece-- both world premiers (DC fringe and Philly Fringe). Has been seen on the stage with EgoPo Classic Theatre, Bristol Riverside, and People’s Light. Special love to Melanie Stewart and the team with JLH for their trust in me! @kyliewesterbeck
Mackenzie Trush (Stage Manager) is a stage manager and arts administrator based in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Mackenzie earned a BA in Theatre Arts in 2019 and is currently pursuing an MA in Arts Administration from Rowan University. Mackenzie is excited to continue her work abroad and continue collaborating with the incredible Just Like Hollywood team! Thank you to her family and friends for their endless love and support! @mackenzie.trush