Netflix prison drama and Bernstein-Sondheim musical mashup parody -- with dogs and cats -- premieres.
February 21- April 28 at The Flea
The Flea Theater presents the world premiere of LOCKED UP BITCHES, by Catya McMullen and featuring original music by Scott Allen Klopfenstein. Directed and Choreographed by Flea Resident Director Michael Raine, the play will be performed in The Siggy, the downstairs theater named for Flea founder and continuing inspiration Sigourney Weaver. Previews for LOCKED UP BITCHES begin February 21 with opening night slated for March 7.
Get ready for some "ruff" bitches! When Pipsy, a pedigree cocker spaniel, lands at the Bitchfield Animal Shelter, she becomes the center of a turf war between the dogs and the cats. Initially a long running #serialattheflea, LOCKED UP BITCHES is a sweet, psychotic, queer, and outrageously funny hip-hop parody mash-up of a certain Netflix prison drama and Bernstein-Sondheim musical.
LOCKED UP BITCHES was developed in 2015 as a part of The Flea’s late-night play competition SERIALS. Says Smith, “The time is ripe for a satire! LOCKED UP BITCHES looks at class, culture and gender identity and will make you laugh before you gasp.”
LOCKED UP BITCHES features The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea, including Lacy Allen, Leila Ben-Abdallah, Xandra Clark, Charly Dannis, Januchi Ure Egbuho, Philip Feldman, Katherine George, Arielle Gonzalez, Alice Gorelick, Alex Haynes, Cristina Henriquez, Tiffany Iris, Adama B. Jackson, Jenny Jarnagin, Marcus Jones, Bre Northrup, Emma Orme, Juan Ortiz, Jen Parkhill, Alexandra Slater, Ryan Stinnett, Tanyamaria, Xavier Velasquez, Keith Weiss and Tamara Williams. The creative team includes Scott Allen Klopfenstein (Music Director & Arranger), Kerry Blu (Co-Music Director), Yu-Hsuan Chen (Scenic & Properties Design), Eva Jaunzemis (Costume Design), Jonathon Cottle (Lighting Design), Megan Deets Culley (Sound Design) and Cody Hom (Stage Manager).
Catya McMullen is a playwright and comedian. Her short play, Missed Connection won the 37th Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival, was directed by Leslye Headland and is published by Samuel French. She is the author of the plays GEORGIA MERTCHING IS DEAD (EST/Youngblood, The Lark), AGNES (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Everything is Probably Going to be Okay (Rattlestick), We Pray to Elephants (EST/Youngblood developed), Rubber Ducks and Sunsets (World Premiere Ground UP Productions), and The Collective (Triskellion Arts) along with numerous shorts. She is a proud alum of the Obie Award-winning EST/Youngblood and a company member of The Middle Voice Theater Company; the apprentice company of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. She was a finalist for the City Theater National Award for Short Playwriting and is the Creator of the WE ARE ANIMALS series, a quarterly variety show series she writes with Scott Klopfenstein of the Gold Record selling band Reel Big Fish, where she raps under her feminist hip hop alias “Chihuahua Fancy.” BA: UNC Chapel Hill Dramatic Art, Creative Writing
Michael Raine is thrilled to be back at The Flea, having been a Resident Director in the old space on White Street from 2014-2015. During that time, Michael directed a dozen episodes of #serials and adapted and directed the Grand-Guignol classic The System which was remounted for an encore run as one of the audience-favorites from the series. Michael will be directing and choreographing the full-length version of the long-running #serial Locked Up B*tches this spring in The Siggy. Written by frequent partner in crime, playwright Catya McMullen, they have put up short plays together for E.S.T./Youngbloods, #serials@theflea, Atlantic Stage 2, The Tank and the People’s Improv Theater. Also a choreographer and teacher, Michael’s choreography has been seen regionally and around New York, including Yale Rep, Joe’s Pub, Theater for a New City, NYMF, and the Folksbiene, as well as five seasons at the Weston Playhouse and the Japanese tour of Rent. Michael has choreographed productions for Juilliard Drama, CAP21, Brooklyn College, University of Miami, and NYU’s graduate acting program, where he has been a member of the faculty since 2008.
The Bats are the resident acting company members of The Flea Theater. Each season, over a thousand actors audition for a place in this unique company. The Bats perform in extended runs of challenging classics, as well world premieres of new plays. They are the lifeblood of The Flea.
The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Niegel Smith and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading Off-Off-Broadway companies. Winner of several Obie Awards, a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement and an Otto Award for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 theatrical, musical and dance performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include premieres by Steven Banks, Thomas Bradshaw, Erin Courtney, Bathsheba Doran, Will Eno, Karen Finley, Amy Freed, Sarah Gancher, Sean Graney, A.R. Gurney, Jennifer Haley, Hamish Linklater, Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio, Itamar Moses, Anne Nelson, Qui Nguyen, Adam Rapp, Jonathan Reynolds, Kate Robbins, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, and Mac Wellman. Successes include Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters, These Seven Sicknesses, Restoration Comedy, The Mysteries and ten World Premiere productions by A.R. Gurney, including the WSJ Best New Play of 2013, Family Furniture.
LOCKED UP BITCHES runs February 21- April 28; Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7pm and Fridays & Saturdays at 9pm. Tickets are $15. The Flea Theater is located at 20 Thomas Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers, close to the A/C/E, N/Q/R/W, 4/5/6, J/M/Z and 1/2/3 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-226-0051 or online at www.theflea.org.