The full cast and creative teams have been announced for the Seattle premiere of Between Two Knees, a play by the sketch comedy troupe The 1491s. Obie Award-winner Eric Ting will be directing the show which will run March 3–26, 2023 at the Bagley Wright Theater.
Between Two Knees is the first play by The 1491s, an intertribal sketch comedy troupe whose credits include the acclaimed TV show Reservation Dogs. Through a series of vignettes, it takes audiences through American history centered around one family’s experiences from the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 to the protest there in 1973.
“Between each glorious bit and slapstick joke is a subversive indictment of America’s particular brand of extractive dominance and a commitment to using comedy to heal, provoke, and transform. In a style that’s both Monty Python and Brechtian Epic Theater, The 1491s have crafted an unforgettable theatrical experience that comes for everyone. No one is safe from the satire,” said Seattle Rep Artistic Producer Kaytlin McIntyre.
Cast
Between Two Knees features performances from Jennifer Bobiwash as Older Irma/Ensemble (TV: The Power; Magnum P.I.; Rutherford Falls), Rachel Crowl as Ensemble (La Jolla Playhouse: As You Like It), Derek Garza as Young Isaiah/Eddie/Ensemble (Studio Theatre: People, Places & Things), Justin Gauthier as Larry (Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Between Two Knees), Shyla Lefner as Young Irma/Irene/Ensemble (Yale Rep: Manahatta), Wotko Long as Older Isaiah/Ensemble (Featured in the documentary This May Be The Last Time), James Ryen as Ensemble (Seattle Rep: Vietgone), and Shaun Taylor-Corbett as William/Ensemble (Second National Tour: Jersey Boys), also credited for Original Choreography.
The cast also includes understudies Irma-Estel Laguerre (Broadway: The King and I), Nikcoma Lee Mahkewa (Discovery+ series Book of Queer), John Scott-Richardson (Film: The Reunion), Kholan Studi (Native Voices at The Autry: They Don’t Talk Back) and Maribel Torres Barragán (Irene Ryan Award double-nominee and semifinalist).
Creative Team
The creative team for Between Two Knees includes The 1491s (Playwrights), Eric Ting (Director), Ty Defoe (Choreographer), Regina García (Scenic Designer), Lux Haac (Costume Designer), Elizabeth Harper (Lighting Designer), Jake Rodriguez (Sound Designer), Shawn Duan (Projection Designer), Younghawk Bautista (Wig and Hair Designer), Julie Felise Dubiner (Production Dramaturg), Stacey Rice, CSA (Casting Director), Rod Kinger (Fight Director), Kelsey Rainwater (Intimacy Director), Liz Hayes (Vocal Coach), R. Réal Vargas Alanis (Associate Director), Amanda Nita Luke-Sayed (Production Stage Manager), and Kevin Jinghong Zhu (Assistant Stage Manager).