OUT LOUD Theatre Presents Season 11: SELF ​

The OUT LOUD Ensemble reflects inward in 2025 with adaptations of The Trojan Women & The Seagull
After an extended hiatus away from public facing engagements since the Summer of 2023 with Season 10's original and devised A Great Many Things & The Melting Mind,​ OUT LOUD is thrilled to announce their return to main stage productions in 2025 with their Eleventh Season entitled "Self". 
OUT LOUD's Eleventh Season aims to explore the concept of "Self" through two Main Stage Productions, Ellen McLaughlin’s visceral adaptation of Euripides The Trojan Women & the RHODE ISLAND PREMIERE of Anya Riess’ modern, stripped down adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, both presented through OUT LOUD's home, The Hawkridge Center for the Arts in Pawtucket, RI.

"We are overjoyed to be back at it," says Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge. "The Trojan Women and The Seagull have been on our list of dream projects for almost as long as OUT LOUD has been in existence, and to be able to investigate just how naturally they are in conversation with one another feels as thrilling as it feels deeply rooted in our 11th chosen theme of "Self". Each explore the seeming malleability of our own identity and what we may believe to be objective truth in the face of tragedy and disconnect - of disappointment and regret. However, both adaptations, written by Ellen and Anya respectfully, also unapologetically fight towards a sense of authentic community - shining light on shared relationships that hold a journey towards a sense of individual and collective self - to not allow one to overcome the other - but striving for balance in our internal and external worlds as we work to hold up not only ourselves, but one another. As much as we loved the original stories, we realize now as we prepare to embark on this new chapter of OUT LOUD, that we were waiting for these particular adaptations to be written by these two extraordinary women before we cracked into them in our own space. Particularly after emerging from our extended hiatus from productions, we are beyond eager to explore and share these rich and profound texts with you, all through a continually evolving OUT LOUD lens."

"I truly believe that we are exactly who we are when we are born, all the way through life, and into death. We will never truly change at our core. We may change our opinions, our bodies, our minds, but the core is there from the start. Even if you lose yourself, for whatever reason, you are never truly lost."

- Core Ensemble Member, Ottavia De Luca

"Self: A way of thinking, a way of being, a way of remembering."

- Core Ensemble Member, Beth Alianiello
"After so many years away from spoken text, I can’t wait to jump back into some of the most text-heavy plays out there," says Core Ensemble Member, Ottavia De Luca. "We have stretched so many muscles over the past few years, including our physical bodies through movement improvs and performance, our brains with writing prompts and endless research, our hearts by digging into some truly personal material. All of this “training” I think has put us in a really good position to tackle these two scripts with fresh eyes and unique perspectives. I am also excited to explore the contrast of these two plays in conversation with one another. They are so wildly different, but the HUMAN experience is at the center of both of them (isn’t it at the center of everything?) They both explore the full range of human emotion and experience, and it will be so interesting to see how they are similar and how they differ, and how each will inform the other."
"I am passionate about exploring a world of established text within the OUT LOUD guide space and movement process," says Season 11 Ensemble Member, Katie O'Rourke." "I am also looking forward to working on such classic pieces that have been adapted to be so relatable, intriguing, and genuinely GOOD. Both pieces exist in a world that feels liquid, oceanic, continuously moving, both at different tempos and paces, but cyclical and unending in a way. I am excited to see how we interpret this textual and conceptual “movement” into physicality. I think both translations of these pieces are absolutely stunning, innovative, and very in tune with OUT LOUD stylistically and conceptually. Audiences will be able to engage with classic texts from a modernized and surreal perspective that is both relatable and fantastical in nature. OUT LOUD does such a beautiful job at immersing the audience fully in the production and crafting art that is evocative. In the case of these two pieces, I believe that audiences will relate strongly to the themes and situations that the characters find themselves in, whether quite literally or thematically."

"Our concept of “Self” is always evolving. We always have the potential for change. I’m excited to explore the external and internal forces that shake and alter these characters’ perceptions of their existence and its meaning."

- Core Ensemble Member, Beth Alianiello
"I’m looking forward to working on these pieces in the OUT LOUD space because they are such different plays, but really make you reflect inwardly about who you are," says Season 11 Ensemble Member Lily Ferreira. "On one end, The Trojan Women focuses on the lives of the women of Troy - individuals whose identifies and sense of self have been ripped from them overnight. While, in The Seagull, you have characters that struggle to find who they are - they struggle to figure out how to achieve success, to become the person they crave to be. Engaging with the OUT LOUD movement process in conversation with these complex texts I think will really help the audience feel and understand the gravity of these plays."

"I feel as though my concept of ‘self’ is constantly shifting - changing - challenging me on a daily basis. Sometimes it is intellectual; sometimes visual; most times it is visceral."

- Season 11 Ensemble Member, Patricia Hawkridge

"To me, Self is letting light find you right where you are. Shedding circumstances to relish the identity that lies never too far beneath the surface. Self is nature peeking behind the curtain, not only to yourself but those who surround you, those who can see you in ways that you can never see yourself, those who can see you in all the ways you’ve always hoped to be seen. Self is stepping forward - into yourself, always - for you will never be who you were today again."

​- Season 11 Ensemble Member, Audrey Lavin Crawley ​​

"Self is what we want to be, what we cannot deny being, what we were raised to be, and our instinctive reactions to stimuli."

- Season 11 Ensemble Member, Katie O'Rourke
"I’m looking forward to engaging with both of these pieces from a movement approach. For one, I feel they compliment, or perhaps balance each other out," says Season 11 Ensemble Member, Audrey Lavin Crawley. "And at OUT LOUD, it's so easy to find those threads, to feel like we can really take our time. And then of course, there’s having the opportunity to connect on all fronts, but particularly taking the time to physically internalize/embody these stories/characters, and to support what we discover with the already existing adapted texts. I believe we can only access our true voices, the vessels for the text, by unlocking our bodies. And will therefore easily be able to convey the messages and themes of the Season. It’s the freedom that I might be excited about the most, because, I’d be thrilled to work on these pieces anywhere, but at OUT LOUD I know I’ll have the space and breath to drop not just the text into my body but everything about myself that I might find in these pieces, all informing how I move and speak. One does not always have this freedom working on movement and text in other spaces. These two pieces are so relevant and universal, it feels right to work on them with OUT LOUD."
"I think “Self” being the theme this Season will be very interesting for our audiences to look at," says Season 11 Ensemble Member, Ray Fournier. "The Self is interesting to look at in an OUT LOUD space, especially when so much of our work is ensemble based. The OUT LOUD process means connecting with your fellow ensemble members on a deeper level with pre-established communication and boundaries, which then continue into the performance space with that established connection and the knowledge of everyone’s current headspace. It's knowing that I, the actor, am safe navigating these potentially very difficult emotions and situations because my fellow ensemble members are prioritizing my safety, and that I am prioritizing the safety of my fellow ensemble members as well. Working on “A Great Many Things / The Melting Mind” was my first time working on a non-verbal performance, and it was a great experience, but I am excited to be part of OUT LOUD's dabbling back to script and text, especially with the things that I learned from being in that non-verbal space."

"Self is MESSY. Self is complex. Self is truth."

- Co-Founder, TD, & Head of Production & Design, Marc Tiberiis II
OUT LOUD’s Season Announcement photography collaboration with k.o. Photography (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Katie O'Rourke) aims to manifest elements of Season 11 that can appear quite intangible and more intellectually driven into visceral and visual formats. The featured Flower Masks were Designed and Created by Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge, who says "The Flower masks aim to manifest the feelings that surround an internal and external collision, nature vs. nurture, an explosion of life and creativity flowing inward and outward, and what can be born from that collision. Self is never one thing, always growing and evolving. So often we look to our facial expressions as a way into who we are and how we feel. It was a rewarding experiment to see what was brought to the surface when those expressions were translated into a more ambiguous format. We found ourselves asking, can you see yourself in the images presented? Who do you imagine them to be?" 

"Self is a theme that asks us to look inward, both artists and audience. To seek what resonates as truthful and connected. More than most themes we’ve explored in the past, it is a very individualized journey."

- Core Ensemble Member, Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley
"Being able to creatively translate these themes into a photoshoot is SO important to the OUT LOUD process," says k.o. Photography Founder and Ensemble Member, Katie O'Rourke. "I feel like it’s an added element of theatrical storytelling that you don’t often experience. We are establishing a physicalization of our inner world, our process, that is shown in a very specific and aesthetic way. Not only is the photography stunning, unique, and intriguing, it also establishes a curiosity beyond a typical marketing strategy. This has always been one of my favorite parts of an OUT LOUD process, even more so now as a collaborating photographer. As an ensemble member, it feels like our taste test into the aesthetic of the final product; it helps further to inform the journey as much as the final result. I am beyond thrilled to be asked to share my photography with OUT LOUD and for the world to get these initial tastes of Season 11." 
"OUT LOUD’s ethos has always been “many beings, one being," says Hawkridge. "In times of celebration and joy, and in times of hardship and struggle. Each day we check in with one another - an ever evolving back and forth, growing stronger and more connected as the years pass. Each Season we turn to each other. To our community. To our creative process. And we build on that concept of individual self & collective self - 'many beings, one being'. 2025 is no different. While this Season is squarely focused on the concept of "Self", our  work will always continue to aim its sights on creating pathways for our ensemble to walk down on their journey, both to themselves and to one another. We can't wait to go on this adventure with you."

Stay Tuned for more information about OUT LOUD's upcoming Season 11, Coming Soon! 

The Trojan Women
​Adapted by Ellen McLaughlin 
Directed by Kira Hawkridge 
Spring 2025

​“Another war has ended. When will the next begin?”

“In the wake of their devastating defeat, the women of Troy, all now widows, wait on the beach below the ravaged city to be claimed by their Greek conquerors. Though the war is over, exile and degradation lie ahead and the fates of these women, including Queen Hecuba, her daughter Cassandra, the doomed, mad prophetess, and her daughter-in-law Andromache, widow of the great Hector, are still in the balance.”

The Seagull 
Adapted by Anya Reiss
Directed by Kira Hawkridge
Fall 2025

"We need the theatre, couldn't, couldn't do without it. Could we?"

"A successful actress visits her brother's isolated estate far from the city, throwing the frustrated residents unfulfilled ambitions into sharp relief. As her son attempts to impress with a self-penned play, putting much more than his pride at stake, others dream of fame, love and the ability to change their past. Chekhov's darkly comic masterpiece is reignited for the 21st century by one of the most exciting new voices in British Theatre, Anya Reiss, Winner of the Most Promising Playwright at both the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards. This updated and revised edition was published following the West End production directed by Jamie Lloyd in 2022."

Interested in Collaborating with OUT LOUD in 2025?

THE TROJAN WOMEN Open Auditions & Collaborative Callbacks
January 17th & 18th | January 19th
Auditions for OUT LOUD Theatre's Spring Production of THE TROJAN WOMEN will be held this January 2025 @ The Hawkridge Center for the Arts in Pawtucket, RI. Auditions will be held on Friday January 17th (Time Slots available from 6pm-10pm) & Saturday January 18th (Time Slots available from 12pm-4pm). Our Collaborative Callback Session will be held on Sunday January 19th from 12pm-4pm. Learn More & Sign Up Today! 
Photography by k.o. Photography | Mask Design & Creation / Art Direction by Kira Hawkridge