Creative & Production Team
Ciara Elizabeth Smyth - Playwright
Rex Daugherty - Director/Producer
Robert Bowen Smith - Choreographer
Gisela Estrada - Scenic Design
Logan Benson - Costume Design
Alberto Segarra - Lighting Design
Kenny Neal - Sound Design
Isabel deCarvalho - Prop Design
Lorraine Ressegger-Slone - Fight and Intimacy Coordinator
Jen Rabbitt Ring - Dialect and Vocal Coach
Isabella Tapia - Stage Manager
Jazzy Davis - Assistant Stage Manger
Franklin Ruiz - Technical Director
Pierce Stoneburner - Master Electrician
Tessa Hager - Scenic Painter
Mekala Sridhar - Creative Producer
Cast
Cody Nickell - Naoise / Duckman
Megan Graves - Faye
Jared H. Graham - Understudy
Mary Myers - Understudy
ABOUT SOLAS NUA
Solas Nua - ‘new light’ in Irish, is an international arts organization based in DC that is exclusively dedicated to contemporary Irish arts. Founded in 2005, Solas Nua acts as an ambassador and advocate for Irish arts in the U.S., promoting contemporary Irish culture, multi-disciplinary arts, and creativity. Solas Nua commissions, produces, and presents thought-provoking and groundbreaking work across genres, work that is cross-cultural – representing today’s Ireland, a contemporary, globally diverse society – and reflecting how Irish culture is shared across borders, ethnicity, and economic lines.
Andrew Dolan - Executive Director
Rex Daugherty - Artistic Director of Theatre
Solas Nua’s Board of Directors: Brian Maney - Chair; Tom McIntyre, Vice-President; Dennis Houlihan, Secretary & Treasurer
Solas Nua's Board Members: Kate Meenan-Waugh, Michael Henry Kirlin, Cóilín Parsons, Sheldon Scott, Cathal Armstrong, Kevin Taylor, Caitríona Palmer, Conor Howard, Christine McCann
Thank You
Solas Nua is generously supported by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, Culture Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, the Northern Ireland Bureau, and The Share Fund. Additionally, we would like to thank these individuals and organizations for supporting this production: Solas Nua Cairde Members, The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, NextStop Theatre Company, Monumental Theatre Company, Mosaic Theatre, Anson Stevie, Barrett Doyle, Kara Neal, Matty Griffiths, and all of the wonderful staff at Atlas.
Note from Artistic Director of Theatre - Rex Daugherty
Over the last few seasons, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth has been Solas Nua’s most produced playwright. Her work has frequently been in the play reading series and Lie Low marks our first main stage production of her work. The reason is simple - for our 20th anniversary season I wanted to produce two generations of Ireland’s greatest artists.
Since our founding in 2005, Solas Nua has been known for introducing the next generation of great Irish talent to North America. Our spring production was a celebration of one of Ireland’s most established and acclaimed artists, Enda Walsh. Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is the perfect pairing to the Enda Walsh Festival. Not only was she mentored by Walsh, but her work has been exploding on the international stage, picking up accolades and major critical acclaim. This year alone she’s had two North American premieres, a world premiere, a sold out Off-Broadway run, and her work translated into multiple languages and produced around the world. Like Walsh, in a very short time you’ll say - “I saw her here first!”
Seeing Lie Low in the 2022 Dublin Fringe was one of the most electric, dangerous AND hilarious experiences I’ve ever had in the theatre. Like amazing gossip or a slice of rich chocolate cake, Lie Low hits you in the gut. It feels so right and so wrong at the same time, which is an incredible accomplishment from a piece of writing. When I think about why I fell in love with theatre, it’s because of the daring bravado, comedy, and social commentary that outstanding plays contain. Smyth packs it all into this wild punch of a show.
So what exactly are we laughing at? And what is this play trying to make us think about?
I find Lie Low deeply provocative. Our production lands in DC amongst the international scandal of the Epstein files, still in the wake of #MeToo, and the continued fallout of the only two female presidential candidates losing their election bid to a man convicted of sexual assault. Smyth dares us to laugh not because she finds the issue funny, but because she rightly says we’ve all lost our freaking minds. She’s using the subversive language of comedy to point out something deeply problematic in society.
Of course assault is awful. But the way we live with it – or choose to ignore it – is darkly absurd.
Smyth isn’t offering a moral compass here or letting us off easy. This isn’t a prescription of what SHOULD be, but a heightened depiction of our current reality. Faye, our lead character, is forced to dance with an uncomfortable truth. The dance isn’t happy, necessarily, but Smyth tells her story with glitter and upbeat vibes. And because of the comedic invitation to laugh, we cut closer to the bone of a disturbing reality. This play is full of moments of tension and discomfort. And in a long tradition of great Irish writers, the knife-edge balance between hilarity and horror is ever present in Smyth’s work. But most importantly, I think we will all experience what I love most about theatre, and what Lie Low captures with ingenious insight…unmistakable humanity.
Thanks for joining us at the theatre. On behalf of the entire company, we hope this play gives you something to chew on.
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR SOLAS NUA
“Best of the year”
-The New York Times
“The mix of cutting-edge events and ingenuity combines to present a dynamic image of Ireland”
-The Irish Times
“Exemplifies the international art scene as surely as any one country can.”
-The Washington Post
“Solas Nua revels in unbridled creativity”
-Washington City Paper
DC Mayor’s Arts Award for INNOVATION IN THE ARTS
Helen Hayes Award Winning Company
Coming Up Next
Distillation
Created and performed by Luke Casserly
A Solas Nua, Abbey Theatre, and Luke Casserly Production
Our 2024 critically acclaimed production of Distillation is on tour this fall to Buffalo, St. Paul, Kansas City, and Philadelphia.
Audrey or Sorrow - a play reading
by Marina Carr
December 7 at 2:30pm at Atlas Performing Arts Center
A story of badly-behaved ghosts. And a dangerous sea.
In an old house somewhere in Ireland, a young mother watches over her sleeping baby. But, in Marina Carr’s dark and dangerously funny new play,, nothing is as it seems. The play exemplifies Marina Carr’s work to date: storytelling that tunnels deeply into the complicated contours of family dynamics; pushing the boundaries of love, power and desire.
Join us for an afternoon with a new play read by some of DC’s most talented performers, followed by a post-show discussion with Artistic Director of Theatre, Rex Daugherty.
Capital Irish Film Festival
Solas Nua is proud to present the 20th Capital Irish Film Festival February 26 - March 1. CIFF returns to the historic AFI Cinema in Silver Spring for this special anniversary celebration.
Megan Graves (she/her) is delighted to return to Solas Nua after appearing in 2016's Wild Sky. Other DC credits include Round House Theatre: The Tempest, Arena Stage: The Great Society, The Little Foxes, Olney Theatre Center: Dance Nation, The Thanksgiving Play, Oil (US premiere), Folger Theatre: Love's Labor's Lost, King John, The Second Shepherd's Play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Gloria, Studio Theatre: Translations, Mosaic Theatre Company: Marys Seacole (regional premiere). Megan is a proud company member of Only Make Believe, a non-profit arts organization that creates theatre with children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education settings. IG: @onlymakebelievedc
Cody Nickell is thrilled to make his Solas Nua debut with this wonderful team of artists. Most recently he was seen in the Lehman Trilogy at Gulfshore Playhouse. Other recent credits: Prayer for the French Republic at Theater J, The Winter’s Tale at the Folger Theater, and Ink at Round House Theatre (Helen Hayes nomination for Best Performance in a Lead Role). Regional credits: work at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Company Member), Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Capitol Repertory Theatre, and more. Cody was the Artistic Associate at Gulfshore Playhouse, he is a 5 time Helen Hayes Award nominee, and the recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Award. Cody is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Upcoming projects include Appropriate at Olney Theatre Center and Sally and Tom at Round House Theatre.
Mary Myers is thrilled to be working with Solas Nua for the first time! Select credits include: Faction of Fools: The Moors, Love Like Tuesday; Constellation Theatre Company: Orlando, Melancholy Play (Helen Hayes Nomination: Ensemble); Round House Theatre: Jennifer, Who Is Leaving (u/s); NextStop Theatre Company: 45 Plays for 45 Presidents (Helen Hayes Award: Supporting Actress); Pointless Theatre Company: Rhinocéros, King Ubu; Nu Sass Productions: Marx in Soho (Helen Hayes Nomination: Lead Actress). She also performed Marx at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. BA in Theatre: The College of William & Mary; Physical Theatre Intensive: St. Mary's University, Twickenham. (she/her)
Jared H. Graham is a DMV based performer, educator, administrator, and director. Jared holds an MFA in Physical Theatre from the Accademia dell’ Arte in Arezzo, Italy and a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Memphis. He is the Director of Production and Education at the Keegan Theatre and has appeared on several local stages. Previous credits in the DMV area include Solas Nua: The Honey Trap; Keegan Theatre: Noises Off, N, An Irish Carol; NextStop Theatre: Frankenstein; 4615 Theatre: Macbeth, Dinner, Betrayal; Adventure Theatre: The Fisherman and his Wife; PG County’s Shakespeare in the Park: Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing; Chesapeake Shakespeare: Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet; Olney Theatre Center/ National Players: Othello, The Great Gatsby, Alice in Wonderland; Brave Spirits: As You Like It, The Changeling, The Duchess of Malfi; and more.
Rex Daugherty (Director/Producer) is an internationally recognized director, theatre maker, and Artistic Director. Based in Washington, DC, he serves as the Artistic Director of Theatre at Solas Nua, where he has earned multiple awards and nominations.
His work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Irish Times, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Guide, and more. Additionally, his work has been seen at The Kennedy Center, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, The National Theatre, The Warner Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Signature Theatre, and more.
Rex’s solo performance in The Smuggler was named by The New York Times as “the year’s best theatre.” As a writer and playmaker, his plays have received over 20 professional productions. Represented by Michael Moore Agency in NYC. More info and upcoming projects at Rex-Daugherty.com.
Robert Bowen Smith (Choreography) is an actor and choreographer based in the DC metro area. Bowen Smith teaches movement and acting at University of Maryland and has received two Helen Hayes Nominations for Outstanding Choreography. Select theater credits include: A New Brain, Fly By Night (1st Stage); The Raid (Theater Alliance), Hurricane Diane (Avant Bard); Wonderland: Alice's Rock and Roll Adventure, Davy Copperfield, Pelligro's Island, Jungle Book, New Kid (Imagination Stage); Night of the living Dead (Rorschach Theater); The Dragon, Frontiers Sans Frontiers (Spooky Action Theater). In the Spring Bowen Smith will co-choreograph Once at Next Stop Theater with Solas Nua's artistic director Rex Daugherty. This is Bowen Smith's first collaboration with Solas Nua.
Gisela Estrada (Scenic Design) is a Salvadoran passionate artist, designer and storyteller who loves to collaborate and bring a new and fresh perspective to the table. Gisela’s recent credits include Covenant (Theater Alliance, Helen Hayes Award Winner for Outstanding Scenic Design), Botiquín de Boleros (Gala Hispanic Theater), Faithless (Washington Stage Guild), Twelfth Night (Prince George Community College), The Trans-Atlantic Time Traveling Company(Theater Alliance), Passing Strange (Portland Playhouse), Orlando Paladino (A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute), Saturday Night Fever, Chicago (Onstage – El Salvador), Aladdin Ballet (Macholah – El Salvador). She holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. www.giselaestrada.com
Kenny Neal (Sound Design) is a Helen Hayes Award-winning sound designer and composer. DC area credits include: Signature Theatre: Strategic Love Play, Job, The Upstairs Department, Daphne’s Dive, Heisenberg, John, The Gulf; Studio Theatre: Downstate, English, Straight White Men, Jumpers for Goalposts, Choir Boy; Round House Theatre: Sojourners, The Seafarer; The Kennedy Center: She a Gem, Digging Up Dessa; Olney Theatre Center: A Nice Indian Boy, Dance Nation, The Royale, Oil; Mosaic Theatre: Precarious, Private; 1st Stage: The Last Match, Airness, columbinus, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, Well, Floyd Collins, Old Wicked Songs, Bat Boy; Faction of Fools: How the Sausage Gets Made, The Moors, and more.
Regional credits include: English at Barrington Stage (MA), Becoming Dr. Ruth at Theatre J (DC), Cleveland Playhouse (OH), The Village Theatre (WA), and The Maltz Jupiter Theatre (FL)
Alberto Segarra's (Lighting Design) DC credits include: Andy Warhol in Iran at Mosaic Theater, Your Name Means Dream at Theatre J, The Scenarios at Studio Theatre, Romeo & Juliet at Folger Theatre, The Nance at 1st Stage (Helen Hayes nomination), The Honey Trap (Helen Hayes Award) at Solas Nua, Look Both Ways at Kennedy Center/Theatre Alliance (Helen Hayes nomination), The Joy That Carries You (Helen Hayes nomination) at Olney Theatre Center, and Blood at the Root (Helen Hayes Award) at Theatre Alliance. Regional credits: Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Alley Theatre, The Lehman Trilogy at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, What the Constitution Means to Me at Cleveland Playhouse, Business Ideas at Alliance Theatre, and Camelot: The Musical at Village Theatre.
Logan Benson (Costume Design) is a costume designer and technician based in the DMV. She was a recent Kenan Fellow with The Kennedy Center and MFA graduate of UNC School of the Arts. Some of her costume credits include Lizzie: The Musical, Hand to God (Keegan Theatre); Covenant (Theater Alliance); Dialogues of the Carmelites (Wolf Trap Opera); Akira Kurasawa Explains His Movies And Yogurt (Woolly Mammoth); Dancing at Lughnasa, Much Ado About Nothing, The Liar (American Players Theatre); Orlando Paladino, as televised on the PBS special "Opera in Space" (AJ Fletcher Opera Institute); Lydia (UNCSA). Please see more of her work at www.bensonlogan02.wixsite.com/lbportfolio
Isabel Simoes deCarvalho (Prop Design) is a scenic, prop and projection designer based in Washington DC. In the DC area Isabel has had the opportunity to work with Studio Theater, Theater Alliance, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and more. Check out more of Isabel’s work on her website: https://www.isabelsimoes.design/
Isabella Tapia (Stage Manager; she/her) is ecstatic to join Solas Nua as the stage manager for the North American premiere of Lie Low. DC AREA: Schmigadoon!, Finn (World Premieres, The Kennedy Center) | King John, The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy) | American Fast, fire work (Theater Alliance) | The Woman in Black (Keegan Theatre) | Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival | NEW YORK: In:Formation Festival (Lincoln Center) | Sequence Events OTHER: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival INTERNATIONAL: Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Royal Ballet. BFA in Stage Management from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. isabellatapia.com
Mekala Sridhar (Creative Producer) is a DC-based theatre director, playwright, and producer. Building community through theatre is central to her practice, and her artmaking is grounded in creating radically inclusive, collaborative work. In the past, she has worked in artistic and producorial capacities at theatres like Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Mosaic Theatre Company, Solas Nua, Studio Theatre, and Baltimore Center Stage, among others. Mekala holds a BA in Theatre, Literature, and Psychology from Sarah Lawrence College and received additional training from Moscow Art Theatre School and Accademia dell’Arte.
Lorraine Ressegger-Slone (Intimacy/Fight Coordinator) is thrilled to be making her debut with Solas Nua. Local Credits include - 1st Stage: The Piano Lesson, Hang, Laughs in Spanish, The Nance, The Rainmaker, The Phlebotomist. Washington National Opera: The R(E)volution of Steve Jobs, Fidelio, Grounded. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Mary Stuart, Julius Caesar. Baltimore Center Stage: The Garden, How to Catch Creation; Round House Theatre: Spring Awakening; Woolly Mammoth: Describe the Night, BLKS, Botticelli in the Fire, Oedipus el Rey, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play; Shakespeare Theater Company: Much Ado About Nothing, Our Town. Taffety Punk: La Salpêtrière, Our Black Death, Pramkicker. Rorschach Theater: The Figs, Sleeping Giant. Website: lorraineresseggerslone.com
Jen Rabbitt Ring (Dialect & Vocal Coach) is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the Community College of Baltimore County, a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher and a dialect, text, and acting coach. Her most recent DC coaching credits include Dodi and Diana, Marys Seacole, and Monumental Travesties with Mosaic Theater Company, Twelfth Night at the Folger, Amm(i)gone, The Sensational Sea-Minkettes, Guac, Incendiary and Public Obscenities at Woolly Mammoth, Change Agent at Arena Stage, and Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy with Rorschach Theatre Company, among others. She is also currently affiliated faculty with Shakespeare & Company’s Actor Training program. Jen holds an MFA in Acting from Rutgers University.
Jazzy Davis (Assistant Stage Manager) is a DC-based theatre artist, collaborator, and aries. Select credits: Romantic Fools (New York Deaf Theatre); Heroes of the Fourth Turning (BLUEBARN Theatre); Ain’t No Mo’ (regional tour); seven methods of killing kylie jenner (US tour); MONSTRESS (Flying V); The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company); Amm(i)gone (US tour); the dancefloor, the hospital room, the kitchen table (The Voxel); Merry Wives (Shakespeare Theatre Company).
