Rebel Playhouse & Lawrence Arts Center Present New Musical About Non-Binary Youth

The Lawrence Arts Center and NYC-based theater company Rebel Playhouse are pleased to present the workshop production of a new musical, THE FANTASTICAL DANGEROUS JOURNEY OF Q, written by Ric Averill with music by Dax Dupuy, directed and choreographed by Sarah Sutliff, and with music direction by Christina Bottley. The show features the talents of local actors as well as that of Clara Kundin, a Lawrence native who is returning to the city from NYC to perform in the show. The show runs September 7 at 7pm and September 8 at 2pm and 7pm at the Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire St. Lawrence, KS 66044). Tickets are a suggested $10 donation payable at the door. There will be a talkback following each performance. Following this workshop, the musical will have its world premiere in New York City at the Theater at the 14th Street Y.

Rebel Playhouse has commissioned Ric Averill to write a new musical in collaboration with NYC composer Dax Dupuy. The musical tells the story of a non-binary 5th grader, Q, who faces a terrible day filled with an oral report, bullying peers, a math test, and the decision of whether to try out for the boys' or girls' soccer team. Fortunately, Q's neighbor Nix seems to have all the magical items Q needs to complete their dangerous journey. Appropriate for ages 5+.

The cast features Ric Averill, Mario Bonilla, Steve Fendt, Eliza Haase-Divine, Clara Kundin, Sean Ruddy, and Hazel Youngquist with puppets designed by NYC artist Rosa Douglas.

Ric Averill (Playwright) is Artistic Director Emeritus of Performing Arts at the Lawrence Arts Center. He holds a bachelor's degree in music composition and a master's of arts in theatre from the University of Kansas. He is a director, playwright, screenwriter, composer, director, conductor, actor and educator. Ric has been commissioned by the Coterie Theater in Kansas City, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, First Stage Milwaukee and San Diego State University's Theater of the World Festival to write plays and operas. The body of his Youth Theater work may be found at Dramatic Publishing. Ric most recently played Judge Omar Gaffney in Kansas Repertory Theatre's production of Harvey. Before that, he composed Midnight Visit to the Grave of Poe: A Grotesque Arabesque, an opera with modern dance, rock instrumentation and digital scenery, which premiered at the Lawrence Arts Center in October of 2015.

Dax Dupuy (Composer) is a Brooklyn-based composer/lyricist. She has written numerous musicals and incidental scores for professional theatres throughout the country, including Barter Theatre, Greenville Little Theatre, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Omaha Theatre Company and Duke City Repertory Theatre. Her musical Frosty has completed three winter national tours in collaboration with TheatreWorks USA, and her show Twas The Night Before Christmas will tour with them in the winter of 2017. TheatreWorks has also commissioned her to write music and lyrics for the new musical adaptation of the best-selling children's book series Clementine, which will tour throughout the country in 2018-2019.

Sarah Sutliff (Director & Choreographer) is a Brooklyn based director, choreographer, performer, and teaching artist. A graduate of Wagner College and The Atlantic Acting School, she additionally studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Pearl Theatre Conservatory. Sarah is a resident performer with American Immersion Theatre, and she can also be found frequently performing in touring school shows in NYC such as the The Department of Transportation sponsored The Apple Corps, as well as in an interview theatre piece exploring LGBT issues and experiences called How We G.L.O.W. Sarah has worked as a choreographer, director and teaching Artist with Saratoga Children's Theatre, NYC based Rebel Playhouse, and Shenendahowa Summer Adventure in Clifton Park, NY. She has lead workshops and talks at The College of Staten Island, Macalester College, Hunter College, and The University of Minnesota.

Christina Bottley (Music Director) is a singer, actor, pianist, accordionist, music director, voice and piano teacher. She has been performing professionally for over 10 years and is a graduate of the Atlantic Acting School (NYC) and a certified Steinway Teacher & Educational Partner. Christina has been seen performing in various showcases and workshop productions in NYC, NBC events at 30 Rock, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines, Universal Studios, and various major convention and corporate events. Along with her passion for performing, Christina loves to teach and inspire others when it comes to the arts. She has been teaching voice and piano for over 15 years, as well as audition workshops and master classes. Christina is a proud member of Actors' Equity, and resides in New York City with her husband Franco and their sweet pup Bentley.

Rebel Playhouse is an emerging non-profit, educational theater company in NYC. Founded in the fall of 2016, Rebel Playhouse is a theater for young audiences committed to empowering, educating, and entertaining audiences. Rebel Playhouse produces work for children and families based on stories that break traditions and challenge normative thinking, and offers classes designed to foster creative development. In May 2017, Rebel Playhouse presented their inaugural production Old Turtle and the Broken Truth in NYC to critical acclaim with an encore run in Troy, NY. Their world premiere of Edna the Stomper was the best seller at the 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival Kids Fringe and received an extended run at The Tank.