Cast:

Erin Bednarz: Nadya / Anon PR

Adera Gandy: Masha / Anon PR

Charles Hawkins: Guard / Patriarch / Ceelo Green / TV Host

Caitlin Macy-Beckwith: Reporter / Anna Politkovskaya / Doctor / Anon PR

Katherine Mahoney: Prosecutor / Security / Russian Language Professor / Anon PR

Danielle Alexis Nicole Mitchell: Defense / Security / Madonna / Anon PR

Mandy Rose Nichols: Devout Woman / Lieutenant / Anon PR

Joshua Hamilton: Sergei

Jesse Parce: Putin / Peytr / Cossack / Cello

Matthew Reed: Keyboard / Clarinet / Percussion / Accordion / Guitar

Tiana Ross: Anon PR

Sango Tajima: Katya / Anon PR / Violin

Production Team:

Logan Ellis: Director

Lex Marcos: Scenic Design

Amber Parker: Lighting Design

Luna McMeen: Costume Design

Matthew Reed: Original Music / Music Director

Gianna Gargiulo: Dramaturg

Kathryn Stewart: Casting Director

Michael Owcharuk: Russian Music Consultant

Cassie Neiss: Stage Manager

Tianna Ross: Asst. Stage Manager

Annabel Clark: Production Photography

Dustin Chom: Asst. Lighting Designer / Board Operator / Judo

Deliyah Harris: Production Assistant / Carpenter

Monique Preston: Asst. Costume Designer / Asst. Dramaturg / Wardrobe Crew

Laura Shearer: Asst. Director / Administrative Asst. / Stitcher

Sam Shoemaker: Asst. Props Designer

“We Are Pussy Riot or Everything is PR” is a unapologetically punk feminist docu-theatre musical about the activist group’s Pussy Riot’s political stunt in 2012 Russia and subsequent trial.  I unfortunately do not have many of my sketches for this production. This was a fantastic show that really focused on bringing in the local community and audience immersion and interaction. I even made dozens of  head coverings for the audience to wear if they so chose to.I  focused on taking as much real world information about each incident distilling that into a few instantly recognizable costume pieces. This allowed actors to switch seamlessly in seconds such as the iconic Pussy Riot Masks that actors could place over whatever character they were in to become a unified force. This design served a practical purpose but it’s main strength was its Brechtian sense of artificiality. Director Logan Ellis wanted the audience to remain engaged with the very current political themes rather than passively absorbing the story. Along with the other design elements, the costumes fluidity kept the audiences suspension of disbelief in check. This forced them to think about how this play, like the many different perspectives shown in the play are each colored by personal/cultural bias and agenda, is too a retelling of this real event that has its own agenda and biases. This performance examines if even something is able to be an objective truth or if “Every Thing is PR”. Please see https://www.theatrebattery.org/we-are-pussy-riot for more details.