FRAGMENTED tells the story of K, a hapa (half Asian) girl growing up in Idaho who is following the rules of her conservative community: marriage, house, planning for kids. But her desire to be an actor burns in her heart, against her husband’s wishes. She decides to leave her hometown and her toxic marriage, and moves to Hawaii to get her masters in performance. After that, her entire life changes as she seeks to find out her true identity. Told in a series of explosive vignettes, FRAGMENTED explores family, politics, and the challenges and joys of being multicultural in America.
Performing will be Emily Marso, Karissa Murrell Myers, and Brennan Urbi. Directed by Spencer Ryan Diedrick, assistant directed by Daniella Wheelock. Show runs 60 minutes. Karissa Murrell Myers is the Our Perspective 2020 Playwright in Residence.
FRAGMENTED will be pre-recorded and available to watch online for free via YouTube on Monday, Nov. 16 on this page. Starting Tuesday, Nov. 17 until Nov. 26 at midnight, FRAGMENTED may be viewed by purchasing a $5-$15 ticket.
Performing will be Emily Marso, Karissa Murrell Myers, and Brennan Urbi. Directed by Spencer Ryan Diedrick, assistant directed by Daniella Wheelock. Show runs 60 minutes. Karissa Murrell Myers is the Our Perspective 2020 Playwright in Residence.
FRAGMENTED will be pre-recorded and available to watch online for free via YouTube on Monday, Nov. 16 on this page. Starting Tuesday, Nov. 17 until Nov. 26 at midnight, FRAGMENTED may be viewed by purchasing a $5-$15 ticket.
November 17-26 Access to Viewing FRAGMENTED
Special Q&A Talkback on Friday, November 20th
Join the cast and creative team of FRAGMENTED in this special Q&A talkback on Friday, Nov 20th at 7pm CST, live streamed on the Our Perspective Facebook and YouTube pages. In attendance will be OP Playwright in Residence Karissa Murrell Myers, performers Emily Marso and Brennan Urbi, and director Spencer Ryan Diedrick, who will all discuss the process making this piece, hapa representation in media and the industry, and more! They will also talk about the challenge of rehearsing and filming this piece while social distancing in their own homes in this new world of theatre creation. This is your chance to ask questions and get a behind-the-screens look at how FRAGMENTED was created during the workshop process. Moderated by Hannah Ii-Epstein, Artistic Director of Nothing Without a Company. Hope you can join us!
FRAGMENTED Cast and Directors
Karissa Murrell Myers is a multidisciplinary theatre artist based out of Chicago. Professional acting theatre credits include: Top Girls (Remy Bumppo); Pinocchio, Borealis (House Theatre of Chicago); Top Girls (Renaissance Theaterworks); Gloria, King of the Yees (Goodman Theatre, U/S); Othello (Invictus Theatre); The Holidays Unwrapped (Erasing the Distance); Farewell My Friend ((re)discover theatre); Tea (Prologue Theatre Company). Television credits include Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Electric Dreams, and The Exorcist. MFA in Performance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, BA in Acting and Directing from Boise State University. Graduate of The School of Steppenwolf. Producer and director with Our Perspective: Asian American Plays, Casting Director at Strawdog Theatre Company. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
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Emily Marso is a Chicago-based actor. Past credits include Boy (TimeLine Theatre), Lottery Day (u/s, Goodman Theatre), Vietgone (u/s, Writers Theatre), Wild Boar (Silk Road Rising), The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift), Fun Harmless Warmachine (New Colony), and Clearing (Commission Theatre). She's also a Company Members with PlayMakers Laboratory. Television credits include Chicago Fire and a recurring role on Chicago Med (NBC). Film credits include Swipe Up, Vivian!; An Exquisite Meal; and Message Received. She also did the motion capture performance for Kitana in the video game Mortal Kombat 11 (NetherRealm Studios). Emily graduated with a BA degree in Theatre, Political Science, and Chinese from Northwestern University. She’s represented by Paonessa Talent. For more, visit emilymarso.com.
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Brennan Urbi is thrilled to help share this incredible story. Previously Brennan has worked on Peter and the Starcatcher (Big Noise); The Rover, Two Gentlewomen (Lakeside Shakespeare); Baby with the Bathwater (Eclipse Theatre); Walk Across America…, Animal Farm, A Touch of Madness, and Urinetown (CCPA); My Dear Boy (Pride Films and Plays); Gruff, Bunnicula, On Golden Pond (Old Creamery); Brennan is one semester from receiving a BFA in Acting, from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. All the love for my family, friends, mentors, and fellow “third culture kids”; thanks for your endless support!
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Spencer Ryan Diedrick is overjoyed to help bring Karissa’s incredible story to life. Other directing credits include Black Cat Lost (Red Tape), Desire, Desire, Desire (Eclipse), A Song at Night and Future of Helium Uncertain (American Blues), This Random World (Route 66), Touching/Separate ((re)discover theatre), Heel Shoot & Face Work (Dandelion), and Sweet Sixteen Extravaganza!!! (Blue Goose Theatre Ensemble). His work has also been seen at Griffin, Strawdog, Emerald City, Raven, TimeLine, Back Room Shakespeare Project, Collaboraction, the side project, The Neo-Futurists, and The Runaways Lab Theater. Spencer is a proud Company Member with Red Tape Theatre, where he also serves as the Audience Engagement Manager.
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Daniella Wheelock is a Chicago-based theatremaker, originally from San Diego, California. She graduated magna cum laude from the Conservatory for Theatre Arts at Webster University with a degree in Directing and was an Emerging Professional Resident at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. She is on the DirectorsLabChicago Steering Committee and is the founder of the Open Concept, a theatre collective in Chicago committed to fostering community. Recent credits include: The Roommate (Cardinal Stage); Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Quincy Community Theatre); The Great Leap (assistant to dir. Jesca Prudencio, Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Process (The Barrens Theatre Co.); Fifty Shades of Shakespeare ((re)discover theatre). daniellawheelock.com
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Artist's Statement
Karissa's work as an artist deliberately takes a critical view of our world from a social, political, and cultural perspective, and particularly through the lens of being a "third culture kid". Born and raised in Idaho in an predominantly white and extremely conservative Evangelical Christian environment, she bucked tradition by choosing to start a career in the arts at the age of 16 to the chagrin of many in her community as women were not seen as fit to be leaders or have careers other than wife and mother. Now, she uses her work in the arts to champion underrepresented voices in our society in order to promote empathy and the desire for systemic change, specifically in regards to casting. FRAGMENTED is the first play in Chicago to feature an entire cast of half-Asian actors, a truly tremendous step towards increasing the visibility and validity of multiracial people and their experiences in the community.
Karissa's work as an artist deliberately takes a critical view of our world from a social, political, and cultural perspective, and particularly through the lens of being a "third culture kid". Born and raised in Idaho in an predominantly white and extremely conservative Evangelical Christian environment, she bucked tradition by choosing to start a career in the arts at the age of 16 to the chagrin of many in her community as women were not seen as fit to be leaders or have careers other than wife and mother. Now, she uses her work in the arts to champion underrepresented voices in our society in order to promote empathy and the desire for systemic change, specifically in regards to casting. FRAGMENTED is the first play in Chicago to feature an entire cast of half-Asian actors, a truly tremendous step towards increasing the visibility and validity of multiracial people and their experiences in the community.