SMART BUTT - the play
Performance at Morris Book Shop in Lexington, 2016.
In late 2014, a fundraising campaign was launched to adapt Smart Butt into a play to be performed for school and community groups. That pilot project also included collaboration with a local community program to develop and implement interactive activities with kids.
The first incarnation of the play was performed in 2015 in Louisville.
The current incarnation of the play, now with 4 actors, is a continuation of the pilot project. It is also still a work in progress. Thank you for joining us and supporting our journey as we continue to explore these characters and their perspective in new ways.
This project is only possible because of the village of people who stepped up to offer support. THANK YOU!
If you would like to inquire about arranging a performance for a school or community group, please contact Erin at agirlnamedearl@gmail.com
Special thanks to Kate Larken and MotesBooks for believing in Earlene, and to The Bard's Town, Hotel Louisville, and The Morris Book Shop for hosting community performances. Y’ALL ROCK!
*All cast members play various roles, which change from scene to scene.
This play was developed and directed as a collaborative effort.
BIG THANKS to Jay, Shannon, and Ebony for all their patience, hard work, and creative input.
MEET THE CAST!
Shannon Woolley Allison is Artistic Director and a founding member of Looking for Lilith (LFL) Theatre Company. She oversees the development of the company and the execution of their mission in creating both performances and residencies that speak to the needs of those whose voices are unheard. Shannon performs, directs, and teaches for LFL. Some of her favorite experiences have been her one-woman show, Women Speak: IRAQ, directed by Kelly McNerney; 10 Years, 7 Stories, a retrospective performance of all of LFL’s original work; and her ongoing work in Kentuckiana classrooms using drama to explore topics such as the 1937 Louisville Flood, the Underground Railroad, and issues of peer pressure and discrimination. For the last 15 years, Shannon has free-lanced as an actor, director, and teaching artist, in addition to her work with LFL.
Ebony Jordan (Gainesville, GA) moved to Louisville 9 years ago to attend grad school. She's served as an actor/teaching artist for various theatre companies including Kentucky Shakespeare, Walden Theatre, and Looking for Lilith where she's also a company member. Past roles include Isabella in Measure for Measure (UofL), Lady in Red in For Colored Girls Who've Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (Rush Trowel Entertainment), Eunice in The Exit Interview (The Bard's Town), Sister Phoebe in As It Is In Heaven (Looking for Lilith), and Regan in King Lear (Josephine Sculpture Park's 2016 Shakespeare Summer Stage).
Jay Marie Padilla has been doing theater in the local area for years as a sound/light operator, an actress, a stage manager, & her newest venture as a director. Recently she directed Monstruos en el Closet Ogros bajo la cama for Teatro Tercera Llamada, she played Carrie in the Alley Theater presents The Carrie Variations, worked with Looking for Lilith on their original play about Rubbertown, & directing a bilingual Henny Penny for Teatro Tercera Llamada. She would like to thank her supportive fiancé Keith Hayter for all his time & love; she knows being with a creative personality who is always on the go isn't the easiest.
Erin Fitzgerald is a community arts enthusiast and writer of stories, songs, and snapshots. Smart Butt: Scenes from a Bold-Faced Life (starring Earlene), her first book for young readers, was published in 2014 by MotesBooks. She lives in Louisville, KY with her brilliant children, who inspire her every day.
Performance at Hotel Louisville, July 2016.