Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company Presents:
The Roaring Girl

Watch the Stream ✦ Donate here! ✦ Premiered

Worlds Elsewhere is proud to present Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton’s Jacobean comedy of irony based on the life of the norms-defying, cross-dressing ‘Roaring Girl’ Moll Cutpurse, with director Sam Marchiony adding a modern ‘be gay, do crimes’ spin.

Roped into a fake courtship by lovers Sebastian and Mary, Moll deals with a spying servant, chaotic youths, law enforcement, and other thieves, holding her own with a wit as sharp as her blade. Elsewhere in the city, the merchant class and their spouses have their own relationship drama, fueled by the advances and schemes of the gallants, including another fake engagement plot. Accusations of cheating abound!

Join us in this merry mockery of gender norms and societal expectations in support of the International Rescue Committee’s efforts to help Ukrainian refugees!

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Company Artistic Statement

Theatre, given its nature as a medium made of people in space, has always been a first victim during times of plague.

When the COVID-19 pandemic spread through the world at the start of the year 2020, theatres closed, and millions were left unemployed.

Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company was founded during this terrifying time. It is our mission to create theatre without a theatre — to create a space online that can serve as a theatrical one.

Our company shall create an online space that serves the same function that theatre has served for millennia — as a place of catharsis and healing.

Support Our Cause

Worlds Elsewhere is pleased to present The Roaring Girl on a pay-what-you-want basis, with the majority of our proceeds going to the International Rescue Committee’s.

Donate through Zeffy!

We understand if you, like many people, are not in a position to offer your financial support at the moment; this is a difficult time. If that is the case and you would still like to support our mission, any of the following steps would be very welcome assistance:

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About This Production

The practice of making works from the past “relatable to a modern audience” is a loaded phrase for me. This is not to say that modernizations can’t be done well, but too often, I feel such attempts end up watering down what makes these works interesting. So imagine me in in 2018, reading _The Roaring Girl _for a graduate school course: a play where the main character defies gender norms and defends sex workers while being celebrated for it, other characters call out the inefficiency of police and prisons, and the mockery is directed most prominently at the idle wealthy. And then learning that Moll Cutpurse was real. In summation: mind blown, and instantly in love with this play.

The concept for this production crystallized with 2019 Pride and the resurgence of “Be Gay, Do Crimes” memes making the rounds of my social media feeds. The more I considered the phrase, the more it shifted and expanded within my mind. The jury is out on whether the historical Moll Cutpurse was queer — though, in my opinion, there is no heterosexual explanation for someone who dresses in a way that defies the gender binary, has human beds for her dogs, and leaves money for her maids in her will — but her life is one that was lived in my new expanded definition of “be gay, do crimes”: to live as joyous a life as possible in defiance of a repressive society constructed on arbitrary and harmful rules.

The focus of this production has been on the mockery of those rules and their superficiality, villainizing those who enforce and abuse those rules, as well as the performative dynamics that form in relationships as a result, including the illusions of fairytale romance, the bickering of sitcom marriages, and the posturing of playboys. And, as she did in life, Moll Cutpurse stands proud, rejecting those rules and any other limitations that might be placed on her. Much of Dekker and Middleton’s original satire has remained unchanged in the transition from Jacobean stage to 2020s Zoom, but I’m proud to say that this cast has left its own unique mark on the text that absolutely does come back to those four words, and every possible meaning contained therein: Be Gay. Do Crimes.

~ Sam Marchiony, Director

The Plot

Act I

Scene 1: Sebastian’s chambers in Sir Alexander’s house

Mary Fitzallard and Sebastian Wengrave are in love, but Sebastian’s father will not permit the union for financial reasons. Sebastian plans to pretend to be in love with Moll Cutpurse, a notorious crossdressing thief, so that his father will see marriage to Mary as the preferable alternative.

Scene 2: The parlor of Sir Alexander’s house

Sebastian’s father, Sir Alexander confides to his social circle about his fury over his son’s apparent pursuit of Moll, but still refuses to let Sebastian and Mary wed. Sir Alexander employs Trapdoor to spy on Moll and find a way to destroy her.

Act II

Scene 1: The three shops open in a rank

The gallants talk to the shopkeepers and flirt with their wives. Laxton has Mistress Gallipot, the apothecary’s wife, give him money while Jack Dapper shops for a feather. Laxton soon takes a fancy to Moll and sets up a meeting with her. Trapdoor presents himself to Moll and offers to be her servant. She is dubious, but agrees to meet with him after her meeting with Laxton.

Scene 2: A street

Sebastian woos Moll as Sir Alexander spies on them, but she politely rebuffs him. Sir Alexander rebukes his son, saying that Moll will disgrace him because of her reputation. Sebastian doubts these accusations and Sir Alexander storms off, determined to publicly shame Moll. Sebastian decides that he must confess his plan to Moll in hopes he can recruit her to help him and Mary.

Act III

Scene 1: Gray’s Inn Fields

Laxton’s rendezvous with Moll turns into her challenging him to a fight for impugning her honor. They fight and she wounds him, leading him to retreat in shock. Trapdoor enters. Moll teases and taunts him, but she finally accepts his motives and agrees to take him on as her servant.

Scene 2: Gallipot’s house

Mistress Gallipot continues her dalliance with Laxton and receives a letter from him asking her for thirty pounds. She tells her husband that Laxton is her former betrothed and a horrified Gallipot agrees to her plan of buying Laxton off to get him to leave them be. Gallipot offers Laxton the money after Mistress Gallipot quickly apprises him of the situation. Feigning anger at his loss, Laxton takes it and storms off.

INTERMISSION

Scene 3: Holborn Street

Trapdoor learns that Moll plans to rendezvous with Sebastian in Sir Alexander’s chambers and the men decide to set a trap for her. Meanwhile, Sir Davy Dapper wants to teach his child a lesson, instructing the sergeants to arrest Jack and send them to debtor’s prison. Jack and their servant Gull are about to be ambushed, but a watchful Moll helps Jack escape as she mocks the police.

Act IV

Scene 1: Sir Alexander’s chamber

Sir Alexander and Trapdoor await Moll and Sebastian as Sir Alexander lays out jewels, hoping that Moll will be tempted by them. Sebastian and Moll, who is now in on the fake courting plan, enter with a disguised Mary Fitzallard and Moll sings as she plays on the viol. She then sees the jewels, but only comments on them instead of stealing them.

Scene 2: Openwork’s house

Mistresses Openwork and Gallipot discuss the gallants and confront Goshawk on his lies about Openwork. Laxton is now asking for a hundred pounds in exchange for his silence. Gallipot wants to pay Laxton off again, but Mistress Gallipot confesses that she was never betrothed in the first place. Laxton concocts a story to explain and ends up being their guest for dinner.

Act V

Scene 1: A street

Jack thanks Moll for saving them from the sergeants and is amused by their father’s plan to set them straight. Moll has grown to suspect Trapdoor’s honesty and has fired him. Trapdoor comes disguised as a soldier, but Moll sees through him. Two cutpurses then try to rob them, but Moll sends them off, explaining that she thinks it her duty to protect the honest through her knowledge of London’s lowlifes.

Scene 2: Outside a church

Sir Alexander hears that his son and Moll are eloping and Sir Guy, Mary’s father, mocks him. He then wagers his estate on whether Moll and Sebastian will wed and Sir Alexander accepts. Sebastian arrives hand in hand with Moll to Sir Alexander’s horror, but the trick is revealed. Sir Alexander apologizes and grants half his lands to the happy couple. Trapdoor enters to confess that he was a spy hired by Sir Alexander, who promises to never judge a person on their reputation again. All go off to celebrate the wedding, while Moll says goodbye to the audience.

Dramatis Personae

Moll Cutpurse .............................. Trinity Harris
Ralph Trapdoor .................................. Dan Mauro
Sebastian Wengrave ...................... Gabriel Alejandro
Sir Alexander Wengrave ....................... Matt Medrano
Master Laxton ................................. Aygen James
Master Goshawk ................................. Ari Miller
Master Greenwit .............................. Jude Kilumbu
Neatfoot/Tearcat ........................... Marie Osterman
Mary Fitzallard ................ Alexandrea Decatur-Benally
Sir Adam Appleton/Sir Beauteous Ganymede .... Tino Chinyoka
Sir Davy Dapper/Lord Noland ................ Simon Harrison
Tiltyard ..................................... Olivia Ferro
Mistress Tiltyard ........................... Chinedu Ibiam
Openwork ....................................... Pam Palsat
Mistress Openwork ....................... Jamie McConnaughy
Gallipot ................................ Jeancarlos Aponte
Mistress Gallipot ........................ Stephanie Michel
Jack Dapper ................................ Jasmine Garcia
Gull/Sir Guy .......................... DeBorah Elizabeth M
Fellow/Cutpurse 1/Curtilax .................. Oliver Conant
Porter/Coachman/Cutpurse 2/Hanger ................ Jim Cash

Cast and Crew

Performers

Trinity Harris (Moll Cutpurse, she/her) is an Atlanta-based actor, writer, director, and independent film producer. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Illinois in 2021. Most recently, she has written, directed, produced, and shot a short film entitled “Kiss Me Goodbye”, which is now available on YouTube. She is excited for you to see Moll Cutpurse in action!

Daniel J. Mauro (Ralph Trapdoor, he/him) is a New York City-based actor. He has performed off-broadway in “A Therapy Session with Myself” at the Kraine Theater and more recently performed in the online play “One Empire, Under God”. Daniel studied theatre at the University of Scranton where he performed in numerous productions and worked with the Scranton Shakespeare Festival. Next year, he will be premiering in the historical drama “History of Now” and will be touring with it across the country. He is thrilled to be working with Worlds Elsewhere and bringing such a delightful story to life!

Gabriel Alejandro (Sebastian Wengrave, he/him) is a Puerto Rican actor (BA Drama, University of Puerto Rico, 2014), teacher (MAT Secondary Education, New York University, 2021), and improviser (Long-Form Improvisation Certificate, El Bosque University in Colombia, 2018). During his eight year career he’s worked in theatre, film, commercials, improv, sketch comedy, and also as a drama teacher. His work has led him to perform in Puerto Rico, Washington DC, Colombia, and Greece. He currently lives in Washington DC, where he will start his MFA in Classical Acting (2023) at George Washington University.

Matt Medrano (Sir Alexander Wengrave, he/him) is a writer and actor from Los Angeles. He’s thrilled to come back yet again to Worlds Elsewhere! You might have seen him before as Chuck Biggs in She Kills Monsters, or as the Athenian Delegate/Skythian #2 in Lysistrata. Other roles of his include Robert Sideway in Our Country’s Good and Jim Geringer/Harry Woods in The Laramie Project. When he’s not working, you can find him watching too many movies (his list is literally twenty-five pages long), and playing with his dog. He would like to thank his family for being supportive, and would like to dedicate his performance to all the friends he’s made over the course of a few productions here at Worlds Elsewhere. You can follow him on Instagram at @matterscorn.

Aygen James (Master Laxton, he/him) is a budding actor who enjoys finding the truth in all iterations of the world and life. Born in Turkey, raised in California, he has a passion for the art, a flair for the dramatic, an eagerness to be challenged and a desire to continuously improve. His previous work was in the play In The Heat of the Night as Sam Wood.

Ari Miller (Master Goshawk, he/him) is thrilled to return to theatre in this production of The Roaring Girl. Over the past few years he has mostly worked on films such as Something Blue and The Same Story. He attended Emerson College, where he received his BFA in Theatre Studies: Acting. In his spare time, Ari likes to bike around New York City and play jazz piano. He’d like to thank his parents for their unending support.

Jude Kilumbu (Master Greenwit, he/him) is a rising second year student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Prior to attending UNCSA he attended The New School in New York, where he studied in theatre and improv. Jude has been in many short films, both starting and have written, and is elated to be a part of a cast he can both learn from and laugh with!

Marie Osterman (Neatfoot/Tearcat, they/them) is a queer, Russian-American, LA-based theatre artist, with a passion for Shakespeare, intersectional feminism, modern dance, birds, and phrases that rhyme. Their background and current work is in performance, movement, improvisation, writing, and directing theatre. They’re currently the associate managing director (and #1 fan) of Project Nongenue, an LA-based feminist theatre collective that works to center the voices of marginalized women and those with queer identities through classical text. They hope to continue to create, collaborate, and perform in work that engages in active conversation with the social atmosphere around them.

Alexandrea Ducater-Benally (Mary Fitzallard, she/her) has been acting all throughout middle and high school, ranging from one-act plays, state competitions, spring musicals, and fall plays, and is planning on studying acting in college. She has worked in the costume department in many school productions, has played the viola since fifth grade, and has dance experience in contemporary styles, ballet, and musical theatre. In her downtime, Alex likes to watch horror movies, talk about astrology (she’s an Aquarius), and spend time with her dogs Flora and Fauna and her cat Mr. Pink.

Tinomudaishe “Tino” Chinyoka (Sir Adam Appleton/Sir Beauteous Ganymede, he/him) is based in New York and is new to Worlds Elsewhere. He is in college studying film and television, working on improving at screenwriting, and is excited to be returning to acting for the first time since 2019.

Simon Harrison (Sir Davy Dapper/Lord Noland, he/him) is an alumni of the Actors Centre of Sydney and has over twenty years of experience in TV/Theatre roles, including a pivotal role in the film Path of Love. He is currently conducting vocal training and is appearing in online productions including Doors Plus, Arcstream, Royal Randwick Race Course, Kleva Range, Ideal Pillow, and many more.

Olivia Ferro (Tiltyard, she/her/they/them) began acting in her school productions when she was just twelve years old, and has loved it ever since. Olivia has written and acted in her own movies. After graduating from high school in 2021, Olivia began pursuing a career in acting. She recently became a member of The Actors Project and plans on moving to New York City to continue her acting career. In her free time, Olivia loves teaching karate classes, playing video games, and making art.

Chinedu Ibiam (Mistress Tiltyard, she/her) is an actor based in the Greater Boston area! She recently graduated from Bridgewater State University, with her bachelor degree in biology and theatre. You can check out Chinedu on Instagram at @chinadidwhat and on her website, chineduibiam.com. Her favorite past credits include The Witch in Big Fish, Tiny Tom in Urinetown!, and Ismene in Antigone Ablaze!. She sends love to Kyana, Kim, Kelechi, Mom, and Sam!

Pam Palsat (Openwork, she/her) has previously acted in Worlds Elsewhere’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost as Holofernes. Her other online work includes a YouTube Live production of Richard III as Hastings for Dramatists Unite Collective; two pantos and an original children’s play for the NorCal Fringe Festival.

Jamie McConnaughy (Mistress Openwork, she/her) is a 32 year old, Alaskan-born trans girl, who has been working with Worlds Elsewhere more or less since it started. She has felt incredibly honored to have an opportunity to participate in such a brilliant production, and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to access her inner Miss Piggy.

Jeancarlos Aponte (Gallipot, he/him) was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, and is a BA graduate from St. Bonaventure University. Recent roles include Smithy in Cat Mother, Rumpelstiltskin/Prince 2 in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, and CD #2/Beggar #1/Director/Friend in A Sketch of New York. Jeancarlos appeared in his first lead stage role in The Fall Theater Festival production of Dancing On Ice at the Latea Theater. This will be Jeancarlos’ second Zoom play, but the first with WETC. He is thankful to his friends and family for their love and support throughout his acting career.

Stephanie Michel (Mistress Gallipot, she/her) is an actress, writer, and commercial model based in Southern California. Previous credits include Hope Cladwell in Urinetown, Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Annie in Evil Dead: The Musical 4D. Stephanie is grateful and excited to be appearing in her first WETC production! She would like to thank her family, friends, and partner for cheering her on in California, as well as those watching all the way in Mexico.

Jasmine Garcia (Jack Dapper, fae/faer/she/her) has had so much fun unleashing faer inner chaos gremlin with this part. You might have seen her before in Lysistrata as the slightly unhinged Kallyki, singing faer heart out in three different numbers in the 2020 Winter Cabaret, searching for a lost brother in The Space Between, or fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing one of the Weird Sisters in MacDeath. She’d like to thank this company for giving her all these opportunities, the cast and crew of the show for always making faer laugh during rehearsals, and her friends and family for always supporting her. Look for her on most socials as @FaeRiviera (you can see why fae picked the neopronouns she did).

DeBorah Elizabeth (Gull/Sir Guy, she/her) is a voiceover artist, actor, model, and published poet who enjoys using her voice to tell new stories through all kinds of venues. One of her favorite productions also happens to be her first delve into theatre, A Very Covid Christmas Carol, as it was a delicious twist on a classic story. She has studied at HB Studio of New York, mainly inspired by her fascination with the late Uta Hagen. Happy to take part in creative productions, DeBorah looks forward to expanding her repertoire into the realm of theatre.

Oliver Conant (Fellow/Cutpurse 1/Curtilax, he/him) is a NYC-based director, playwright and (as a youngster) an actor with Broadway and Hollywood credits. He served as a dramaturgical consultant at Medicine Show Theatre Ensemble, and has worked with a variety of other companies in the non-commercial theatre scene in New York, including Queens Shakespeare, Frog & Peach, and the now sadly defunct Nicu’s Spoon and Judith Shakespeare. He co-wrote and directed a one-woman show about Marlene Dietrich called Dietrich Rides Again, currently being revived in various venues in upstate New York. Oliver wishes to thank Sam for putting up with his vagaries, and giving him this opportunity to work with so many talented performers.

Jim Cash (Porter/Coachman/Cutpurse 2/Hanger, he/him) makes his debut with Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company in The Roaring Girl. Originally from Virginia, Jim now calls Bainbridge Island, WA home, after stops in NYC, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Long Beach along the way. Returning to his first love, the stage, following this performance Jim begins rehearsals for the Island Theater’s Ten Minute Play Festival. He has appeared in short films, student films, and in various regional theatre productions; most recently as Frank in Educating Rita at the Jewel Box Theater. To the exceptional cast of characters in the ensemble, he humbly says: “Thank you for the pleasure.”

Production

Sam Marchiony (Director, she/her/they/them) is a polyamorous aspec demifemme, and a founding member of the WETC Repertory, having appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Charity Stream, Lysistrata, Julius Caesar, and MacDeath. Other career highlights include The Glassblower’s Daughter _(Tailor), _Women of Will (Playwright/Director/Rosalind), Assassins (Housewife), and The Musical of Musicals: The Musical (Director). She holds three expensive pieces of paper for studying theatre and feminism, which is at least two too many, and operates on the greater internet as La Femme Fictionale, providing feminist media criticism and advocating smashing the kyriarchy.

Shamila Karunakaran (Assistant Director, she/her/they/them) is an autistic Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian demigirl with many careers over the years from comic book researcher, creative and academic writer/editor, librarian and archivist, and amateur graphic designer and photographer. Known as the Online Muse on social media, The Roaring Girl marks her first ever foray into the theatre world. She has degrees in psychology, English, education, and information studies, and runs a series of databases listing different examples of media representation from Jewish characters of color, interracial couples without white people, and queer characters of color.

David Neubauer (Producer, he/him/they/them) is a long-time game nerd who is getting into theatre things since they go so well together. This is his fourth Worlds Elsewhere production after She Kills Monsters, Winter Spooky 2021, and Love’s Labour’s Lost, and he is excited to learn more from this crew as they go!

Boostocking (Assistant Producer, she/her/they/them) is an aspiring creator and jack of many trades, hoping to master some. When she isn’t studying the evolution of online entertainment, she spends her time writing, creating thematic edits of TTRPGs to GM for others, and attempting to get her artistic groove back. If you’re so inclined, you can find her and what she’s up to at @boostocking on Twitter.

Addie Greenberg-Sud (Technical Director, she/her) is a software developer and digital streamer in Seattle, WA. She has been supporting Worlds Elsewhere’s technological needs since the company’s founding in 2020; credits include TD (2021 Summer Cabaret, She Kills Monsters, Transwarp Drive 2022), video editing (Winter Spooky 2021), and performance (Winter Spooky 2021, MacDeath). She’s very proud to offer her skills toward Worlds Elsewhere’s mission — live theatre, for everyone, everywhere. You can find her as @pigsflew on Twitter and Github, or on her website, pigsflew.com.

Ilana Greenberg-Sud (Casting Assistant/Cue Caller, she/her/they/them) is pleased (and a little dismayed) to say that she has been involved with every WETC production, in some way or another, from the company’s inception. She has, however, been honored to work with such an amazing, talented group of people, from all over the internet (and the world!), and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Regina Renée Russell (Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, she/her) is a New York-based actress, diversity and inclusion consultant, and director. Born and raised in the Bronx and a graduate of Cornell University (BA Theatre Arts) and East 15 Acting School in London (MFA Acting). Previous roles include Olivia in Twelfth Night, Cordelia in King Lear, LCDR Talise Asherah in Primordial Deep, Evelyn Wesley in Unwell a Midwestern Gothic Mystery, Trainee in Brimstone Valley Mall, the titular character in Lysistrata, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Charity Stream. Her directing work includes From the Bath by Maggie Wilson (The Artist Co-op), Julia Caesar (Barefoot Shakespeare Company), Julius Caesar (BARDCore Match:Lit), Two Gentlemen of Verona (BARDCore Match:Lit); and an upcoming production of Tam Lin by Laurel Andersen (Barefoot Shakespeare Company). Regina currently serves as Director of Diversity and Inclusion Director with the Barefoot Shakespeare Company.

Company Staff

Executive Director - David Kowarsky
Director of Theatre - Ilana Greenberg-Sud
Director of Digital - Kyle Kallgren
Company Technical Director & Web/IT Manager - Adrianne Greenberg-Sud
Special Projects Manager - Nicole Lopez-Hagan

Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company is based in New York City, Seattle, and the Central California Coast,on lands home to the Munsee Lenape, Duwamish, and Coast Salish peoples.

In addition, Worlds Elsewhere’s company and repertory members are located on the lands of the following peoples:

Anishnabeg
Chippewa
Chumash
Coast Salish
Duwamish
Erie
Kaskaskia
Haudenosaunee
Massa-adchu-es-et (Massachusett)
Micqanaqa’n
Mississauga
Pawtucket
Schaghticoke
Suquamish
Tongva
Wappinger
Wendat

We acknowledge that this land came into government possession through acts of genocide, as part of our commitment to work towards addressing the impacts of those acts in our pursuit of social justice, and to foster a world where such injustices are truly consigned to the past.

Tribe names provided by Native Lands Digital

For more information, consult #HonorNativeLand — US Department of Arts and Culture

Audio, Music, and Image Attributions

Special Thanks

Thank you to Dr. Matthieu Chapman, for introducing me to this play, the academic guidance as my original thesis advisor, and the honesty and care you showed me as a mentor and friend. Thank you to John Michael DiResta, and especially Regina Renée Russell for your contributions to making this cast the best it could be. Thanks to my online family for encouraging me to go for this production and offering their endless support and love. Directing this production has been an absolute dream come true, so to my cast and my crew, thank you for making it real, and to the Company and its Directors, thank you for letting me bring this vision to life. More life, but not to fascism.

– Sam Marchiony, Director

Thank you to Ruth Frolic, Susan London McNab, and Emiko Koyama for supporting me throughout my academic career and fighting for the resources I needed to keep up with the rest of my classmates. Thank you to my friends Jasmine Garcia and Tanya Arbabian for encouraging me to go for the opportunity to be creative outside the anonymity of fandom. Lastly, thank you to Sam Marchiony for taking a chance on me and letting me be part of a fantastic “be gay, do crimes” production that’s helped me figure out a part of my own queer identity.

– Shamila Karunakaran, Assistant Director

I offer my sincerest thanks to my mother, my brother, and all the family I’ve been lucky enough to find.

– Boostocking, Assistant Producer