SPF 11: The Wide Yawning Infinity

Cheri Magid’s opera Penelope and the Geese, for which she wrote the libretto, will be produced in May 2021 at UNAM’s El Aleph Festival in Mexico City.  The opera, which is composed by Milica Paranosic, has been developed at artistic residencies at Sewanee University of the South and the University of Delaware, and has been awarded grants from Opera America, New Music USA and the Society of Classical Studies.  Cheri’s plays have been seen at Primary Stages, New Georges, The New Group, The Women’s Project, Rattlestick, South Coast Rep, People’s Light and Theatre Company, StudioTenn and Cincinnati Playhouse among others.   She was the first Susan P. Stroman Playwright in Residence at The University of Delaware and the Tennessee Williams Playwright in Residence at Sewanee University of the South. Cheri was a member of the Dorothy Strelsin Playwright Group at Primary Stages the WP Lab, a 2014 Audrey Resident at New Georges, and a 2014 Walter E Dakin Fellow at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference.   Cheri has been commissioned by Cincinnati Playhouse (Playing Dog), South Coast Rep (et al; and The Reluctant Dragon) The Keen Company (The Ghost of Enoch Charlton), director Jackson Gay (First Lady of Christmas) and the Southern Foodways Alliance (Hot Chicken). Manna and The Ghost of Enoch Charlton have been published by Playscripts. Camera Four is published in The Best Short Plays of 2012 and by Indie Theater Now and Post Mortem is in The Best Short Plays of 2015. Cheri’s erotic story She Grinds Her Own Coffee is published in Cleis Press’ anthology Hide and Seek and was shot as a short film starring Raul Castillo (Looking) and screened at the New York Shorts Festival and the St. Louis International Film Festival. Lydia, or the Girl at the Wheel, Cheri’s radio play about the earliest days of burlesque, aired on National Public Radio and her short story Yeah, We Got That, was featured on Playboy Radio.  She wrote the screenplay Story of D, about the real story behind the writing of the famous sadomasochistic novel Story of O, for Nicole Kidman.  Cheri is currently writing a podcast for Sarah Jessica Parker’s company, Pretty Matches.  She also wrote for the Emmy-award-winning children’s television show Arthur and is an Assistant Arts Professor in Dramatic Writing at New York University.

Emily Chase (Director) – EIGHT NIGHTS at Anteaus Theatre Company (LA Times Critics Choice, Ovation Recommended); AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD at the Road Theater; Dakin Matthews’ adaptation of Cervantes’ DIVORCE COURT HELL at the Antaeus Company; productions at Sierra Madre Playhouse and Theatre 40; developmental workshops including BETTER at The Road/Humanitas and at Antaeus, Playwrights Union, Moving Arts, Met Theater, Classical Theater Lab. She has directed shows at UCLA, USC, U.C. Riverside, AMDA, and has taught acting and voice at Antaeus Academy and A Noise Within. She is the Director of the Antaeus Playwrights Lab. As an actress she has performed at South Coast Rep, Taper Too, Antaeus Company, El Portal, Getty Center, Ford Theater, etc., as well as in TV and film.   She recently starred with her son (and Road Theatre alum) Elliot Decker in the film Ready, which was selected by the Cannes Short Film Corner. Emily earned her MFA from UCLA.

“THE WIDE YAWNING INFINITY”

June – Laura Gardner*
Sebastian – Frank Collison
Irene/Everly – Ann Hearn*
Terrance/Stan – Stephen Tobolowsky
Faye/Chuck – Christine Avila
Carson/Rabbi Jonathan – Mark Bramhall
Stage Directions – Jacqueline Misaye*

Illustrations by Carly Blumenthal
“Fairport” Theme Song by Galen Fott

*Road Company Member