ARCo Presents: They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! By Dario Fo and Cyclops: A Monsterpiece

Milwaukee, WI – August 30, 2019 – ARCo, the Artist in Residence Company of Saint Kate – the Arts Hotel, presents their second set of productions running from September 5 – October 26, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. After the triumph of their inaugural production of Jean Claude van Itallie’s America Hurrah, ARCo is proud to announce their new fall offerings. They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! is Dario Fo’s raucous farce about the working class and their struggles. Directed by the company’s Artistic Director, Nancy Kresin, Fo’s comedy manages to make serious subjects a literal laugh riot. This piece showcases the comedic talents of ensemble members Seth Hale, Emily Elliott, Tim Gutknecht, Rachel Meldman and JJ Gatesman.

ARCo also offers a late-night show at 10:30 p.m. Cyclops: A Monsterpiece is the original piece, conceived by local actor and ensemble member, JJ Gatesman, and brought to life through the collaborative work of the ensemble. ARCo has crafted a funny, scary and thought-provoking piece in which all sorts of “monsters” come to life. Featuring a cast of local professional actors, including Gabriella Ashlin, Emmaline Friederichs, Susie Duecker and Ian Tully, the show will take the audience on a journey into monstrous experiences that are uniquely human.

Kresin, the visionary behind ARCo, formed the ensemble in April, from among the most talented non-union theatre artists in Milwaukee. “The company came together with the intention of working predominantly on devised original pieces,” Kresin notes, “but we are also excited to find and produce scripted works and stories that inspire us.”

Single tickets $20 for They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! and are $10 for Cyclops: A Monsterpiece and are available at the Ticket Booth outside The Arc Theatre one hour prior to show time and also online at: www.saintkatearts.com/events

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!

Thursday, September 5 – 7:30 p.m. (Preview)

Friday, September 6 – 7:30 p.m. (Opening)

Saturday, September 14 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 20 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 21 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 27 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 28 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 5 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, October 11 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 12 – 2:00 p.m. (Matinee)

Friday, October 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, October 25 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 26 – 7:30 p.m.

Cyclops: A Monsterpiece

Thursday, September 5 – 10:30 p.m. (Preview)

Friday, September 6 – 10:30 p.m. (Opening)

Saturday, September 14 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, September 20 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 21 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, September 27 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 28 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, October 4 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 5 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, October 11 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 12 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, October 18  – 10:30 p.m.

Friday, October 25 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 26 – 10:30 p.m.

The ARCo Ensemble

Dr. Nancy Kresin – Artistic Director

Dr. Nancy Kresin (AEA) is a professional actress and director who has worked both as an ensemble member and a freelance artist with many companies in Chicago and Milwaukee. With a BFA in Acting from the Goodman School of Drama she went on to earn an MA, publishing a study on Social Artistry, and a doctorate in Transformative Studies. She is the mother of five exceptionally talented children! Nancy has been acting, directing and writing since childhood. A singer, visual artist, published author and a creative collaborator, she values ensemble-focused theatre and the role artists can play in individual and societal transformation. The work of Michael Chekhov and Joseph Beuys inspires her transformative process. She has worked with Jane Kaczmerek and John Randolph, and studied acting alongside Kevin J. O’Conner and John C. Reilly. Highlights of her career include meeting Tennessee Williams, David Mamet and working with Jerzy Grotowski, as well as Polish playwright Kazimierez Braun, while mounting two of his U.S. premieres.

Gabriella Ashlin

Gabriella Ashlin received her BA degree in Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She was recently seen in THE TEMPEST at Bard and Bourbon, DISENCHANTED! at Outskirts Theatre Company, CORIOLANA at Cooperative Performance, understudying for TOP GIRLS at Renaissance Theatreworks and reading stage directions of THE SUREST POISON as part of the Renaissance Theatreworks Br!nk series. She also acts as a house manager and teaching artist for several companies in Milwaukee. www.gabriellaashlin.com

Susie Duecker

Susie is thrilled to be a part of the ARCo Ensemble! She’s looking forward to creating, learning, and growing as a team. A local “theater kid” from Milwaukee, she grew up attending First Stage Theater Academy and performed in their main stage shows, as well as other theaters around town. She was onstage as a child in The Rep’s production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. She received her BFA in Drama from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she had the opportunity to learn and perform experimental and physical theater. After working in NYC and around the country, she’s come back home to play here. Some of her favorite credits include THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS at Next Act Theatre, DROWNING GIRLS at Renaissance Theaterworks, BIG FISH THE MUSICAL at First Stage, MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR at Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre and MUSKIE LOVE at Northern Sky Theatre. She also works as a director, voice over artist, theater educator, birthday princess and stage electrician.

Emily Elliott

Emily is a recent graduate of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with a BA in Theatre Arts and English: Critical Studies in Literature, Culture and Film. She is VERY excited to be a part of ARCo! Devised and new works are Emily’s passion; she loves working on new scripts and new ideas. Some of Emily’s recent theatre credits are Jessica in Voices Found Repertory’s HAND TO GOD; Allusion in Cooperative Performance’s ALLUSION/ILLUSION and Kaliope in SHE KILLS MONSTERS. Some of her upcoming projects include, KALEIDOSCOPE, a new show she wrote and is directing with Cooperative Performance, and some work with Theatre Nervosa in Milwaukee. She hopes that ARCo will help bring different stories to Milwaukee that can diversify the theatre scene. Emily looks forward to giving voice to those not traditionally heard in theatre spaces.

Emmaline Friederichs

Emmaline Friederichs is so excited to be a part of Saint Kate’s Artists-in-Residence company! She graduated from UW Madison with a BA in Theater and Psychology, with a certificate in Criminal Justice. She has acted and assistant directed locally with the Constructivists, Outskirts Theater, and Cooperative Performance. She is Artistic Director for the Milwaukee branch of Proud Theater, an LGBTQ youth group. Her favorite thing about theater is its potential to be both a catalyst and conduit for personal and social change.

JJ Gatesman

JJ Gatesman is an actor, fight choreographer and theater director originally from Las Vegas. Having received his MFA in acting from Western Illinois University he has performed with Bo Johnson (WHO KILLED SANTA), Summer Stage of Delafield (ROMEO AND JULIET, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) and Milwaukee Repertory Theater (THE FOREIGNER). He has choreographed fights across the country in Las Vegas, Illinois and Wisconsin including Madison Opera’s ROMEO AND JULIET. In recent years he has taken to conceiving and directing plays including a steam punk western- JACK OF HEARTS (Milwaukee Entertainment Group), a feminist fable-THE BEAUTY OF PSYCHE (Milwaukee Fringe Festival) and a clown show about communication breakdown with MACHINA PERSONA (Cooperative Performance Milwaukee). JJ is thrilled to be one of the ARConauts and waits in excited anticipation of future projects.

Tim Gutknecht

Tim recently graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a BFA in Acting. Having played roles such as Joe Keller in ALL MY SONS, Bernard in RED VELVET and Her Schaff in A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY in college, he is excited and would like to thank everyone involved for working with him. He looks forward to working with the lovely members of the ARCO crew.

 Seth Hale

Seth K Hale is originally from Antigo, Wisconsin where his love of theater (as well as Pokemon and dinosaurs) grew like the potatoes for which the area is known. He would go on to study Theater and Music in Eau Claire, Wisconsin but returned home to found the Antigo Theater Guild. He graduated from Eau Claire in 2016 and has been acting professionally in the Minneapolis area until he traveled the world singing aboard Silver Sea’s Silverwind. Some of his favorite roles include Jekyll/Hyde in JEKYLL AND HYDE, Smith in MURDER ON THE NILE and various roles in ROUSTABOUT: THE GREAT CIRCUS TRAIN WRECK. Other than theater Seth is a lover of music with a special fondness for acappella and has written the book for Fifth Element: The Musical and Valleyfair Amusement Park’s The Acafellas: Year of Dreams. In his spare time Seth loves exploring new nature trails, and (trying) to play bass guitar.

Rachel Meldman

Rachel Meldman is so excited to be a part of this new innovative Theatre! Most recently she was seen in TOP GIRLS in a special intern performance with Renaissance Theatreworks. Her favorite past credits include: Moth in LOVE’S LABORS LOST, Jackie in THE HOT L BALTIMORE and Leonato in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

Ian Tully

Ian Tully has appeared locally in RICHARD III and HENRY V with Bard and Bourbon Theatre Company. Tully has worked with Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre on outdoor productions of KING JOHN, ROMEO AND JULIET, and HENRY IV PART 1; as well as participating in Bardathon public reading events. Credits from Knox College include In the NEXT ROOM, RAPTURE BLISTER BURN, THE CAFE CINO PROJECT and RICHARD III. Tully also studies carpentry and combat for stage, and was most recently an Assistant Stagehand at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.