Routes

by Rachel De-lahay
directed by Mikael Burke
October 12 – November 20, 2022

 

Olufemi hopes to return home to his family. Bashir wants to remain in the only home he knows. Kola yearns to find home in a place that’s never felt like one. Rachel De-lahay’s shattering, urgent new play looks through the eyes of immigrants, refugees, and children in conflict with the law as they fight to get home through an impossibly complex system designed to keep them out.
Passage by Christopher Chen

Reviews

“Powerful individual moments.” -Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

“Especially relevant.” -Kaylen Ralph, Chicago Reader

“Estimable performances.” -Nancy S. Bishop, Third Coast Review

“Thought-provoking.” -Julia Rath, Around the Town

Rehearsal Photos

Cast

Terry Bell (he/him) – Bashir
Kristin E. Ellis (she/her) – Lisa
Yao Dogbe (he/him) – Olufemi
Evelyn Lockley (she/her) – Anka
Kevin Tre’von Patterson (he/him) – Abiola
TJ Thomas – Kola

Maya Jahan Abram (she/her) – U/S Lisa
Kevin Aoussou (he/him) – U/S Abiola
Tamarus Harvell (he/him) – U/S Bashir
Lucas Looch Johnson (he/him) – U/S Kola
Amanda Winston (she/her) – U/S Anka
Benjamin Jenkins (he/him) – U/S Olufemi

 

Production

Mikael Burke (he/him)- Director
Alex Dauphin (she/her)- Assistant Director
Himabindu Poroori (she/her)- Dramaturg
Lucy Whipp (she/her)- Stage Manager
Cecilia Koloski (she/her)- Assistant Stage Manager
Mara Zinky(she/her)- Scenic Design
Gregory Graham (he/him)- Costume Design
Aija Moreno (she/her)- Asst. Costume Designer
Eric Watkins (he/him)- Lighting Design
Liz Gomez (she/her)- Assistant Lighting Designer
Peter Clare (they/them)- Sound Design
Amanda Herrmann  (they/them)- Properties Designer
Sana Selemon (she/her)- Dialect Coach
Ellen Willett (she/they)- Production Manager
Harrison Ornelas (he/him)- Technical Director
Trent Jones (he/him)- Scenic Charge Artist
Andrew Littleton (he/him)- Sound Engineer
Devin Sullivan (he/him)- Head Electrician
Christina Casano (she/her)- Creative Producer, Company Management, Covid Safety

About The Cast

TERRY BELL (Bashir)

Terry Bell is a Remy Bumppo core ensemble member and has previously appeared in Howards End. Other credits include: Broadway: The Skin of Our Teeth (Lincoln Center Theater). Regional Theatre: Sweat (Guthrie Theater). Chicago Theatre credits include: A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); We Are Proud To Present…The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Steppenwolf); Natural Affection (Eclipse Theatre). TV: ElementaryChicago FireUtopiaThe Chi. Terry is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group.

KRISTIN E. ELLIS (Lisa)
Kristen E. Ellis is thrilled to be making her debut at RBTC. A passionate storyteller, Kristin spent part of the summer teaching the power of “I AM” and storytelling at Gary Comer Youth Center (Definition Theatre). Notable credits: Pipeline (Next Act Theatre), Paradise Blue (Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best Featured Actress- TimeLine Theatre), Traitor (A Red Orchid Theatre. Dir. Michael Shannon), What I learned in Paris (Congo Square Theatre). Regional credits: National Black Theatre, Writers Theatre, McCarter Theatre, & others. Kristin wrote and performed her one woman show “I Don’t Trust It” (solo series: MPAACT Theatre). Kristin’s TV credits include: The 4400, The Chi & others. With a host of independent films (Black Harvest Film Festival) & Voice Overs. Kristin holds her BFA (Theatre School-DePaul). Represented by Stewart Talent. Kristin is incredibly grateful to God for this opportunity. For more visit Iamkristinellis.com.
 
YAO DOGBE (Olufemi)

Yao Dogbe is excited to be making his Remy Bumppo debut with ROUTES.  Off-Broadway credits include Nollywood Dreams. Regional Credits include Intimate Apparel at Northlight Theatre; Nollywood Dreams at RoundHouse Theatre; Ohio State Murders and Homebound Round House Theatre; Cymbeline at Utah Shakespeare Festival; Fences at American Players Theatre; MacbethMeasure for MeasureTwelfth Night at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Richard IIITwelfth Night at Houston Shakespeare Festival; OthelloLove’s Labour’s Lost at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Awards: listed as one of Houston’s best actors in 2017 for his performance as Booth in Suzan Lori- Parks’ Topdog/Underdog; recently received an honorary membership into Alpha Psi Omega (the National Theatre Honor Society) from his alma mater, Norfolk State University. Education: MFA in acting from University of Houston. Professional Affiliations: Member of AEA (Actor’s Equity Association). Instagram: @Yaonation

EVELYN LOCKLEY (Anka)

Originally from Dublin, Evelyn is excited to make her Chicago stage debut with Remy Bumppo. Since arriving in Chicago Evelyn has filmed an advert for the tourism board of America, and independent film ‘The Giver’. She has also recently recorded the second series of BBC 4 comedy Beta Female. Evelyn trained as an actor at Arts Educational Schools London. Her London theater credits include:’Paradise workshop at The National Theatre, Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels and A Winning Hazard at The Finborough Theatre, Farrago and Final Track at The Arcola Theatre, Confidence/Supply, Swipe and Frolleagues for The Southwark Playhouse, and Mad Queen’s Chess at The Park Theatre. Her film credits include: Role play for Channel Four, Blackout available on Amazon, and feature films Vita and Virginia and When The Screaming Starts Evelyn is the recipient of the American SOFIE film award for Blackout in 2019. Evelyn is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. 

KEVIN TRE'VON PATTERSON (Abiola)

Kevin is excited to be making his Remy Bumpo debut. It’s been over two years since he’s taken the stage and couldn’t be more grateful to be back working with this cast and company. He was last seen in the production of Rabbit Summer at Redtwist Theatre. Other stage credits include Between Riverside and Crazy (Redtwist Theatre), The Recommendation (Windy City Playhouse), Measure for Measure (Michigan Shakespeare Festival), and the Jeff Award winning, Best Ensemble, production of Direct From Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys (Raven Theatre). You can next catch Kevin in the hit television Show Power Book IV: Force on the Starz network. Some other television credits of his include 61st Street (AMC), Mindhunter (NETFLIX), and Chicago P.D. (NBC). As always he would like to thank his friends, family, and the powerhouse team of Big Mouth Talent and Artist First for the unconditional support that they provide him. Keep up with him on his journey @kevdaactor. #GODDID

TJ THOMAS (Kola)

TJ is making his Remy Bumppo debut. Nashville native, TJ has been in Chicago since 2015. After 6 years and 2 combat tours to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, he was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2015 and accepted into The Theatre School at DePaul University the following year. Since graduating in 2020, T.J. just completed the two-hander, I And You at Peninsula Players, Deck The Hallmark at Second City and Griffin Theatre’s North American Premiere of Solaris. He’ll be on screen as T-Rex in the Disney series Saturdays and in short film Gary Screams For You. When not working in a performance schedule, he’ll be drawing or playing guitar for his wife and daughter. And if he ain’t doin that, he’s trying to find a birdie out on the course. Represented by Gray Talent Group.

About The Director

MIKAEL BURKE (Director)

Mikael Burke is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-nominated director, Mikael’s worked with Goodman Theatre, About Face Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Raven Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company, First Floor Theater, American Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, The Story Theatre, and Windy City Playhouse in Chicago, and regionally with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Forward Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis. Recent directing credits include the world premiere of The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest; The Wanderers by Anna Ziegler; Fireflies by Donja R. Love; Mrs. Harrison by R. Eric Thomas; we are continuous by Harrison David Rivers; Kill Move Paradise by James Ijames | mklburke.com

About The Playwright

RACHEL DE-LAHAY ( Playwright)

Rachel De-lahay is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Credits for the latter include co-writing (with Jack Thorne) the BAFTA-nominated Kiri for Channel 4, and co-creating, co-writing and starring in the BAFTA-nominated The Last Hours of Laura K, a multi-platform, 24-hour murder mystery for the BBC. Forthcoming work includes episodes for Amazon’s The Feed, based on Nick Clark Windo’s novel, and an episode of the American drama The Eddy for Netflix, to be directed by Damien Chazelle. Most recently, she wrote the final episode of Noughts & Crosses, based on Malorie Blackman’s young adult novel. As a playwright, Rachel has a prestigious reputation. Her debut play, The Westbridge, produced at the Royal Court Theatre, went on to win a Writers’ Guild award for Best Theatre Play, as well as coming joint first for the Alfred Fagon Award. Her second play, Routes, opened Vicky Featherstone’s first season, also at the Royal Court Theatre, and garnered her an Evening Standard Theatre award for Most Promising Playwright. She was given the Pearson Award to write for Birmingham Rep, where her most recent play Circles won the Catherine Johnson Award from Channel 4.

Administrative Office

3759 N. Ravenswood Avenue
Suite 124
Chicago, IL 60613
773.244.8119

Performance Venue

Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60657
Box Office: 773.975.8150

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