The Rebel Yell
This is our current newsletter, published April 13th.
Dear Friends of Rebel Alliance Theatre
Keegan comes with a message from the crew.
Not to sound like a Nigerian Prince trying to scam you out of money, but I hope you have been well during these ‘unprecedented times’. Thank you for your continued support of the arts! Without you, all the time and energy put into our work would go unheard and unseen. It is with great pleasure that I get to cordially invite you to join in on our 2025 season!
Welcome to our 30th season which we have all called:
THE HORRORS PERSIST
These Horrors are palpable for some, and overwhelming for others. Rebel Alliance Theatre’s mission, since I joined in 2006, has always been to tell stories with meaning; to cast light on the struggle and joy of being human; to bring awareness to reality that we, or others, are living. It is this mission that gave rise to our 30th season: “The Horrors Persist”.
The Horrors of losing our rights. The Horrors of losing our privacy.
The Horrors of losing our security. The Horrors of losing our country.
The Horrors of losing our loved ones. The Horrors of losing ourselves.
These Horrors persist in the course of recorded human history. Now, more than ever, is a time for those who are called to work through the arts to resist oppression, and advocate loudly for those being targeted, uprooted, and displaced. Historically speaking, live theatre and the arts have played a major role in protests and uprisings in this service, and we would not live up to our name if we did not participate accordingly in our own historical moment.
“Entertainment” for entertainment’s sake is not our style. The Horrors must not overtake our ability to connect with one another. We, too, are exhausted: the last thing we want to do with our work is drag anyone further into darkness. Instead, we want to stare it in the face to reveal the light and hope still shining within. There is a path towards love.
With that in mind, we hope you will support and consider participating in our 2025 productions. Here’s the rundown of this season!
SPRING
‘Art’
By Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES/ PRE-HEARSAL
April 11th + 12th (Friday + Saturday)
An experimental introduction into what a rehearsal looks like through an interactive performance. We invite those interested in joining Rebel’s team, or those that want to dive deeper into the work by asking our characters and actors “What?” in the middle of the performance. If there’s something you don’t quite understand, want to hear said again, or want to start a discussion about, simply speak up and say “What?”. The action will pause and we invite the discussion to begin! We’ve never done something like this, or seen it done, before! Looking forward to seeing you there!
STANDARD PERFORMANCES
April 25th + 26th (Friday + Saturday)
A 3 person, French play that asks us to take a look at what we consider to be “Art”. With “AI Art” having a huge influence and impact on the creative world, we want to explore this play that asks “this is a joke, right?” when it comes to some of the “Art” that has been showcased and sold for more money than many of us probably only dream.
Description from the back of the Script:
How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc’s best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white, with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn’t have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Yvan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds.
SUMMER
The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare
Auditions
April 14th + 15th (Monday+ Tuesday)
Rehearsals will run Monday-Wednesday from 6:30pm - 9:00pm, and specifics will be available at Auditions.
Show dates
Friday, July 11th, Saturday, July12th, Friday, July 19th, and Saturday, July 20th.
It’s been a long time since we’ve had the opportunity or staffing to produce a Shakespeare show, and we hope that you’ll consider taking part in our unique take on it. We are in need of new, interested, and passionate actors and crew members as we seek to expand our team!
In the wake of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies, many Rebel Alliance Theatre members’ lives and lifestyles are being actively threatened and erased. Whether LGBTQ+, a person of color, a woman, or other affinity group, lives are being impacted greatly, with fear of more to come.
“Taming of the Shrew” is a story that is all about the patriarchy, subjugation, and obedience through aggression. A young woman, Kate, has turned down suitor after suitor and is deemed ‘too headstrong and opinionated’ to be married. Suddenly, a man appears that is determined to tame the shrew and essentially put her in her place. That’s certainly not all, since Shakespeare always has several subplots and storylines going at any given time. Servants acting as masters, pranking the poor because the rich are bored, and so many other themes come out of this play.
If you know anything about Shakespeare and the history of theatre, you would know that, originally, all actors on the stage during Shakespeare’s time were REQUIRED to be biologically male. This meant that men played all the women’s roles too; or, perhaps they were women after all. Gay and trans people often gravitate to live theatre as a safe place to express themselves and explore who they are. It goes without saying that there were trans and gay individuals within Shakespeare’s company.
Director Kelley wants to explore the patriarchal tones, sexist old laws, and modern perceptions of what these stories tell. We hope to explore all things GENDER and CLASS with our production. While plans and the full vision are still in the works, this is one show we are looking forward to. Who knows? Soon, telling such stories may be outlawed (you may be thinking “That could never happen”, but many of us said that about Roe V. Wade being safe too).
AUTUMN
A Frankenstein Evening
An educational evening dedicated to discussion and pontificating
Tentatively Scheduled for October 25th
While not a proper performance of Frankenstein, we hope that you will be interested in joining us for a deep dive into a classic tale of a man and his creation. We will look at the text, adaptations, recreations, and even real world “Frankenstein Monster” scenarios. Science meets art in our unique evening.
WINTER
Heroes of the Fourth Turning
By Will Arbery
Rehearsals begin in October and will run Monday-Wednesday from 6:30pm - 9:00pm.
Show dates
Thursday, December 4th, Friday, December 5th, Saturday, December 6th
Thursday, December 11th, Friday, December 12th, Saturday, December 13th.
A personal note from me: In 2024, our final show was Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise, which followed the strange tale of a Christian, accused cultist, and potential child murderer on a journey to reunite himself with his long abandoned son after his church was shut down. It was a challenging attempt to understand where these people come from and how we can empathize with their struggles, challenges, and beliefs without assuming them ourselves.
In the world of Social Media, there have been many claims of “Regretting my vote”. I have also seen an “I have no sympathy for those that regret their vote because you made this happen” kind of mentality.
Humanity is more than left or right, red or blue, elephant or donkey, religious or atheist, gay or straight, trans or cis. Humanity is so much more than the binary of it all, and being able to see beyond that is more powerful than money, influence, or the threat of violence. I hope you will join us in our continued journey to understand and navigate this beautiful, terrible thing we call “Being Human.”