“Some questions are simply...unanswerable.”

World Première

Unanswered, We Ride
by Jaclyn Villano

5-27 August 2011 (not 14th or 21st Aug)
Aug 5-13 @10:40; 15-20 @12:40; 22-27 @13:40 (1hr 15mins)
theSpaceUK on the Mile Space 2 (Venue 39)

Cast: Joy Barrett (Reese). Joe Tippett (Man). Martha Wollner (Woman).

Director: Elena Araoz. Production Designer: Justin Towsend. 

What do you do the day after your life as you know it ends?

When her nine-year old daughter takes a fall from the monkey bars at school, Reese O’Leary’s well-crafted life changes forever. Her family paradigm shattered, Reese stands on the edge of a precipice. She can’t decide whether to stay or go.

“If you still don’t understand, you’ve got more growing to do.”

UNANSWERED, WE RIDE tells the story of an American woman married to an Irish husband who abandons her family when they need her most. Dealing with the aftermath of her daughter's death, she runs away from home and runs back to the moment when it all began.  All she wants is answers but all she has is questions.  Writer JACLYN VILLANO, whose work has been described by Metromix Columbus as "touching… beautifully scripted… and masterful”, became fascinated by looking beyond the moment of a tragedy.

“Most plays dealing with death look to the tragedy itself…  we never seem to find out about what happens afterwards...  where do the survivors go? It’s much more interesting, I think, to write about life–in this case the life after something like this happens–than death.”

The play is produced by actor/producer JOY BARRETT (Les Freres Corbusier, Francis Ford Coppola’s reading series Zoetrope Live Story) who also plays REESE.  She is joined by JOE TIPPETT (Fish Eye and Seven Minutes in Heaven with Colt Coeur, New York) and MARTHA WOLLNER, a member of the critically acclaimed Labyrinth Theatre Company (Knives and Other Sharp Objects by Raul Castillo).  Both JOE and MARTHA play a variety of characters within this play that uses direct address and story-telling techniques to demonstrate the journey of REESE from the moment of her child’s death to the reconciliation with herself and the choices she must take.

The play is directed by ELENA ARAOZ who has directed theatre and opera internationally, including The Power (Beijing) and Falstaff (BAM). She is a regular Associate Director to Jonathan Miller. JACLYN VILLANO plays have been performed around the USA, including Penobscot Theatre (Northern Writes Festival, Winner, Best Short Play), New Vision Theatre (Summer Shorts Festival, Winner), Cleveland Public Theatre, and Hamptons Shakespeare Festival.

UNANSWERED, WE RIDE takes us on a mesmeric and entertaining journey from a quiet Ohio town to the lush hills of Ireland, from the sleepless streets of Manhattan to the ‘Teacup Ride’ at Disney World.  Against a backdrop of loss and longing, we are challenged to explore the hidden questions inside, and to find out for ourselves what the answers we really need, really are.

Listings Information 
Theatre Daedalus presents the World Première of Unanswered, We Ride by Jaclyn Villano
Dates & Time Aug 5-13 at 10:40 (1hr 15mins) £9.00(£8.00); Aug 15-20 at 12:40 (1hr 15mins) £9.00(£8.00); Aug 22-27 at 13:40 (1hr 15mins) £9.00(£8.00)
Venue theSpaceUK on the Mile Space 2 (Venue 39)

Tickets Aug 5-27 £9.00(£8.00) NOT 14th or 21st Aug
Venue Box Office 0845 508 8316 / www.thespaceuk.com ; Media contact: bookings@thespaceuk.com

Fringe Box Office 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com

Company Website www.theatredaedalus.com

PR Website www.greyswan.org.uk

For further information, images and interview availability please contact:
Timothy Stubbs Hughes at Grey Swan. M 07931 791 807. E press@greyswan.org.uk