Hold Me Well (World Premiere) by Eva Suter,
adapted from Othello by William Shakespeare
July - August 2016 at the Off Shoot, Austin Texas
B. Iden Payne Award Nomination, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Drama, Emily Rankin
More about Shrewd Productions here.
In the Press:
"Suter’s play-writing is masterly... There are no wasted words or scenes... Casting and direction are superb.
One can almost believe that there is no cast, for the actors have all embodied their characters to the point of possession.
They react to each other purely and genuinely...One could imagine these passions running so wild on the stage
would be the same if there had been no audience in the room."
--CTX Live Theatre - Brian Paul Scipione
"Emily Rankin fills the character completely, conveying both strength and naivete with ease...
And overall, Hold Me Well can be summed up in a simple word: beautiful."
--The Austin Chronicle
"The strongest asset of the play's premiere is its powerful cast. In particular,... Rankin embodies a kind of quiet, haunted, desirous heroism. The chemistry between all of the players and their various relationships is what gives the show its forward momentum."
--Austin360
AfterEllen
CTX Live Theatre
See a video trailer for the show by Magic Spoon Productions here.
See the play here.
More about Shrewd Productions here.
In the Press:
"Suter’s play-writing is masterly... There are no wasted words or scenes... Casting and direction are superb.
One can almost believe that there is no cast, for the actors have all embodied their characters to the point of possession.
They react to each other purely and genuinely...One could imagine these passions running so wild on the stage
would be the same if there had been no audience in the room."
--CTX Live Theatre - Brian Paul Scipione
"Emily Rankin fills the character completely, conveying both strength and naivete with ease...
And overall, Hold Me Well can be summed up in a simple word: beautiful."
--The Austin Chronicle
"The strongest asset of the play's premiere is its powerful cast. In particular,... Rankin embodies a kind of quiet, haunted, desirous heroism. The chemistry between all of the players and their various relationships is what gives the show its forward momentum."
--Austin360
AfterEllen
CTX Live Theatre
See a video trailer for the show by Magic Spoon Productions here.
See the play here.
Hear a scene from the show recorded during a promotional visit to the radio show Off Stage and On the Air (91.7 KOOP) below.
See an interview about the rehearsal process and character work below.
Cast
Hayley Armstrong - Des
Emily Rankin - Casey
Ellie McBride - Amelia
Taylor Flanagan - Raquel
Elizabeth Mason - Odele
Production Staff
Rudy Ramirez - Director
Amy Lewis - Stage Manager
Patrick Anthony - Set/Lighting Designer
EL Hohn - Costume Designer
David DeMaris - Sound Designer
Chaz Sanders - Props Designer
Amelia Turner - House Manager
Toby Minor - Fight Choreographer
Jennifer Davis - Graphic Design
Clarissa Smith Hernandez, Shannon Grounds - Producers
Photo credit: Errich Petersen, Jose Lozano & Magic Spoon Productions, and Kimberley Mead
Hayley Armstrong - Des
Emily Rankin - Casey
Ellie McBride - Amelia
Taylor Flanagan - Raquel
Elizabeth Mason - Odele
Production Staff
Rudy Ramirez - Director
Amy Lewis - Stage Manager
Patrick Anthony - Set/Lighting Designer
EL Hohn - Costume Designer
David DeMaris - Sound Designer
Chaz Sanders - Props Designer
Amelia Turner - House Manager
Toby Minor - Fight Choreographer
Jennifer Davis - Graphic Design
Clarissa Smith Hernandez, Shannon Grounds - Producers
Photo credit: Errich Petersen, Jose Lozano & Magic Spoon Productions, and Kimberley Mead