KEVIN: A Solo Performance

KEVIN: A Solo Performance

Written & Performed by Kate Brandt

Directed by Talya Kingston

The show will be in development at The Foundry through a week long residence ahead of the performances.

KEVIN is a solo performance about struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as a woman and mother. Through the lens of colorful characters, this piece brings levity to an otherwise heavy topic and aims to normalize the complexity of living, surviving and (hopefully) thriving in life, despite having compromised brain chemicals.

The performance will conclude with a talk-back.

"I first saw Kate perform 10 minutes of the material that would eventually become KEVIN as a stand up and I was hooked!" said director/dramaturg Talya Kingston. "Kate's warmth and humor shines through her storytelling and allows us inside the experience of mental illness and new motherhood in a way that is both illuminating and life affirming. It has been a joy to develop this autobiographical performance with her, and I'm thrilled to be back to The Foundry to further develop the piece and to give Berkshire audiences a chance to experience Kate's story."

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Kate Brandt is an actor, filmmaker and writer currently living and working out of Northampton, MA. She received a MFA in film and video from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and she has trained at Upright Citizens Brigade, Atlantic Theater, and with Josh Pais/Committed Impulse. She co- founded and performed with “Tampons, Tears & Triumphs” – a variety comedy show that ran consistently for years at The PIT and Asylum NYC. Her short film, MORE AND LESS, has screened at multiple film festivals across the US, and won Best Acting Duo and Best Microshort at the Independent Shorts Awards. Website: katebrandt.com/ IG: @katebrandtjokes

Talya Kingston is a playwright, director, dramaturg and theatre educator who specializes in new play development and is inspired by the live interactions between artists and audiences and how these can be a catalyst for social change. As a dramaturg, Talya has worked with WAM Theatre, Hartford Stage, Central Square Theater, Capital Rep, Berkshire Theater Group, New York Fringe Festival, and the Ko Festival. She is currently a Producer and commissioned writer for Plays in Place, an Artistic Advisor for the Play Incubation Collective and a Visiting Professor at UMass/Amherst. Talya has previously held the positions of Associate Artistic Director at WAM Theatre, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater at Hampshire College, Education Director at Hartford Stage, and Educational Programs Coordinator at the New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She has an MFA in dramaturgy from UMass/Amherst and has published writing on theater in the Journal of American Drama and Theater, Scene Magazine, Theater Journal, The Moving Voice, European Stages, Howlround and The Valley Advocate. Talya is a proud member of the Northampton Playwrights Lab, the Dramatist Guild, and LMDA.

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Tickets: $20 (in-advance); $25 (at-the-door)

Seating/Bar: 7:00PM Show: 7:30PM

This event is indoors.

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We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible event environment for all attendees. We strive to provide an event that is welcoming, accommodating, and supportive of diverse accessibility needs.

Venue Accessibility: Our venue is wheelchair accessible. Accessible parking spaces and restrooms are available. And wheelchair accessible seating is available upon request. Please contact us at [email protected] or 413.232.5222 for accessibility coordination.

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Parking is limited at the venue so please utilize the three public parking lots in Town. One is across from the Post Office, one is behind Berkshire Bank and the other is just off Main Street. They are clearly marked. Do not park at Trúc Orient Express Restaurant or the Post Office or you might receive a ticket.

Visit Amici Berkshires for dinner before the show and with your ticket receive 10% off your meal.

All sales are final – The Foundry is unable to make any returns or exchanges.

Host or Publisher The Foundry