Bobby Pin Girls

Press Release

CHICAGO, Oct 3rd, 2017 -  Chicago non-profit theatre company Nothing Without a Company is pleased to present Bobby Pin Girls, written by Company Ensemble Member Janey Bell and directed by Ben Kaye, in partnership with the Chicago Mosaic School. Previews are Oct 29th - Nov 1st. The opening night is Nov 2nd. The show runs every Thursday to Saturday at 8pm, and Sundays at 6pm, with no performances over Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday Nov 23rd - Nov 26th). Bobby Pin Girls will be performed on the second floor of The Chicago Mosaic School at 1101 W. Granville Ave., Chicago, IL, on the corner of Granville and Winthrop. Tickets are available on Brown Paper Tickets. Preview tickets are $10 each. Show run prices are $25 at the door, and $20 online.

Playwright Janey Bell tells the story of Ana and Bree as they are forced to do some rapid bonding over the course of a wild night. Ana is an uptight actress struggling to convince herself to stick with a show she not-so-secretly despises while navigating mixed signals from her director. Visual artist Bree attempts to boost her new roomie’s self-confidence while dealing with her impulsive and reckless ex reentering her life. Will the toxic people in their lives bust up this burgeoning friendship or will the girls learn to embrace their evolving identities? This play contains strong language, drug use, and mentions of self-harm.

Speaking of how the play evolved over time, Bell said, “I've been working on this play for a good four years now, and it's gone from a weird ten minute scene about roommates, to raucous ride through the screw ups of my characters. It's picked up a lot of issues along the way, things like drug use, sexuality, and stalking, but in the end it's carried the message I was aiming for in the beginning. It's okay to mess up, over and over and over again. That's basically how the script got written. Messing up, one line at a time.”

When asked the significance of the play, Director Ben Kaye noted, “Nothing seems like a more powerful statement in these times than putting a queer femme-centric play filled with joy out into the world right now. We need theatre that asks hard questions and challenges our way of life, but we also need theatre that fills us with hope and laughter. I see celebrating our lives and our identities as an act of resistance in itself.”

The production team includes Production Manager Ray Goldberg, Stage Manager Devonte Washington, Assistant Director Christina Casano, Fight Choreographer Jaq Seifert, Production Designer Marissa Rutledge, Lighting Designer Andy Lynn, and Costume Designer Olivia Nicole.

Previews: Oct 29th, 6pm / Oct 30th, 8pm / Nov 1st, 8pm.

Opening: Nov 2nd, 8pm.