men are from mars, women are from madlab

 MadLab's current production, Scritch Scritch by Christopher Lockheardt, is set in a universe in which men only exist as vermin - women run the world.  Rebecca (played by Kyle Jepson) discovers her home has been invaded by a dirty man-pest, and her mother (Mary Sink), best friend (Shana Kramer), and an exterminator (Cat McAlpine) all lend her support and advice as she goes about dealing with her infestation.
 
The four actresses bringing this show to life are no strangers to MadLab, but their roads to our stage have been quite different.  Many actors first become involved at MadLab through Theatre Roulette, our annual short play festival, and this was true for both Shana and Kyle.  As Shana says, "[Roulette] really is the perfect opportunity for new actors to put their toe in the theatre waters."  Cat, however, claims that what got her onto our stage was, "A little bit of fate and a whole lotta work. The whole MadLab family welcomed me with open arms, but I auditioned four times before I got cast."
 
MadLab actors in general vary from the uber-experienced to the I've-never-done-this-before.  The cast of Scritch Scritch shows a similar diversity in their backgrounds.  Kyle claims to have been performing since she could stand, and she majored in Theatre at the Ohio State University.  Cat found her love of all things theatrical at OSU as well, after taking an acting class on a whim.  Since then, she has gone on to work with a number of local theatre companies.  Shana says she is "MadLab born and bred," having almost no experience prior to working with us.  Each of the ladies can hold her own though - make no mistake!
 
Lockheardt, the playwright, has an impressive resume (for a man).  A Boston-based wordsmith, his work has been seen on the MadLab stage many times in Theatre Roulettes and 3-in-30's.  Scritch Scritch is Lockheardt's first full length play, and its MadLab production will be the world premiere.  We asked the actresses to tell us a little bit about what they love about this particular script.  For Cat, it's the unusual premise. "I love sci-fi and it's a very hard genre to coax onto the stage. I wouldn't call this show sci-fi, but it is a bit 'alternate universe' and in the very least, weird. Which I'm all about. I love when you leave the theatre and you can't help but talk and talk about the show you just saw. That's what Scritch Scritch is going to be." 
 
As for their particular roles, some of the women are more typecast than others.  Kyle says that Rebecca is, "...a little outside my comfort zone. I'm a sarcastic, caustic person 86% of the time and Rebecca is very caring, optimistic, and just a little naïve about the ways of the world."  Cat, however, is perfectly suited to play the sarcastic exterminator who provides much comic relief.  "I always love making people laugh, and I get some opportunities to do that in my role. Also I'm convinced my butt is going to look great in a jumpsuit. If I'm wrong, don't correct me."  When asked about Daley, Rebecca's wacky but loveable best friend, Shana said, "I love Daley's unapologetic way of just being herself...actually, she's a lot like MadLab."  

Written by Colleen Dunne

---