Open Space Arts today announced that the dark comedy MERCY KILLING, by Alandra Hileman, will be moved up in the company’s 2024-25 QUEER EXPRESSIONS season and will be performed November 1-17. It replaces the previously announced PLOT POINTS IN OUR SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT. MERCY KILLING, which premiered in 2018 at the Awesome Theatre Company of Oakland, California, concerns Mercy, a barista who is also a serial killer. But it’s fine, the only person who knows is Thana, the Grim Reaper who keeps showing up at the murder scenes. Thana is also Mercy’s girlfriend. Sort of. It’s complicated, especially because Mercy keeps flirting with Angie, the podcaster who hangs out at her coffee shop. Except Angie thinks there might be a serial killer in San Francisco. And there is, unless Mercy can stop. But if she stops, she’ll never get to see Thana again, and that’ll make it really hard to date. But so does Thana’s ex, another Reaper named Harmon, who also wants to know why there’s a serial killer running around unreported. Will romance be another casualty of this serial killing spree? Chicago-based director, actor, and intimacy professional Greta Zandstra will direct. MERCY KILLING will open to the public and the press on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Zandstra’s four-person cast will include Stephanie Fongheiser (Meg in LITTLE WOMEN at First Folio Theatre as Mercy) and Madeline Ackerlund (of the recent World Premiere musical STABBED IN THE HEART for Lindley and Hall Productions) as Thana, the grim reaper who keeps showing up at Mercy’s murder scenes and happens to be Mercy’s girlfriend. Lydia Hanman, who has trained at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and New York, and The Acting Studio in Chicago, will play Angie. Artem Kreimer, seen recently in Ayn Rand’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE AS PERFORMED BY THE CONSPIRATORS, has been cast as Harmon and the other male roles.
L-R: Stephanie Fongheiser, Madeline Ackerlund, Lydia Hanman, Artem Kreimer.
The production team includes Rick Paul (Set Design), Savana Nix (Costume Design), Alex Kingsley (Sound Design and Original Music), James Napoleon Stone (Intimacy Coordinator), Benjamin Viette (Graphics Design), Tadhg Mitchel (Social Media), and other members to be named.
Performances are at Open Space Arts’s hyper-intimate 20-seats theater at 1411 W Wilson, in Chicago. Individual play tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for students or seniors, and $15 for OSA members; and season passes are available for all four plays at $60.00. Tickets and season passes will be on sale soon at https://openspacearts.org/ Information on all Open Space Arts events is available at https://openspacearts.org/ and Queer Expressions Film Fest events at https://openspacearts.org/qe-film-fest%2Fbest-of-fest.
OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and antisemitism through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes. OSA has produced SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH, ROSENBERG, MASSAGE THERAPY, COCK, LIGHT SWITCH, and THE KRAMER PROJECT in live performances, and produces the Queer Expressions Film Fest, a hybrid fest of streaming and in-person events, which runs from November 1 to July 1 annually. Open Space Arts is led by Directors Elayne LeTraunik and David Zak.
LISTING INFORMATION
MERCY KILLING
by Alandra Hileman
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Directed by Greta Zandstra
November 1-17, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays 2 pm
Press Opening Friday, November 1, at 7:30 PM
Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Ave.,
Tickets $25.00 ($20 for seniors and students, $15 for OSA members),
Tickets available at
Website: www.openspacearts.org
Mercy is a barista is San Francisco. She’s also a serial killer. But it’s fine, the only person who knows is Thana, the Grim Reaper who keeps showing up at the murder scenes. She’s also Mercy’s girlfriend. Sort of. It’s complicated, especially because Mercy keeps flirting with Angie, the podcaster who hangs out at her coffee shop. Except Angie thinks there might be a serial killer in San Francisco. And there is, unless Mercy can stop. But if she stops, she’ll never get to see Thana again, and that’ll make it really hard to date. But so does Thana’s ex, another Reaper named Harmon, who also wants to know why there’s a serial killer running around unreported. Will romance be another casualty of this serial killing spree?
BIOS
Greta Zandstra (Director) is delighted to return to Open Space Theatre for another project. She is a Chicago-based director, actor, and intimacy professional. Recent favorite projects include intimacy direction for ANGELS IN AMERICA (Eastline Theatre in New York) and SEX PLEASE WE’RE 60! (Cornwell Dinner Theatre in Michigan), adapting and directing A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Encore Center in North Carolina) and HENRY V (Viroqua Shakespeare Festival in Wisconsin), and playing Eliza in THE GÜT LIFE CHRISTMAS (Blue Gate Musicals in Kentucky), and Annabella/Margaret/Pamela in THE 39 STEPS with St. Patrick’s Summer Theatre here in Chicago.
Alandra Hileman (Playwright) is a writer, TTRPG creator/player, podcast producer, recovering former stage manager, and ancient bog witch. Her plays have been read and produced on small stages throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and you can occasionally find her playing TTRPGs and board games with Quests & Chaos on Twitch or yelling about theater, vampires, and Arthurian Legend on Twitter. She holds a double B.A. in Drama (Play Development & Dramaturgy) and English (Literature), and an M.F.A. in Playwrighting, all from San Francisco State University.
About Open Space Arts
OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and antisemitism through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes.
Open Space Arts illuminates contemporary and historical issues through film and live performances. OSA will perform where the arts can have the most impact. With the freedom to perform anywhere, from libraries, theaters, empty storefronts, and online, OSA can respond quickly to bring important issues to life. www.openspacearts.com.