Control
Drax Productions produced two readings of Michael Raver’s play Control, directed by Melissa Rain Anderson**, at The Shiner Theater at Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in New York on June 8 and 9, 2022.
Michael Raver is an American playwright, actor, and journalist from New York. Control was written as a commission per the City Artists Corps Grant..
Synopsis
Written in conversation with Aristophanes’ classic, Lysistrata, Control addresses the very charged issue of gun violence in America. Set in Southlake, Texas, the play centers on a group of parents who rally together for change after a violent shooting at their children’s school. Using Twitter as the play’s chorus, the piece also serves as a commentary on technology, competitive parenting, gender and race.
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Kathleen Choe* Jennifer McIntosh, Tina Sherman
Robert Petkoff* Jake Anderson, Hal, Wayne, Make-up Artist, Producer, Roger, Bruce
Jennifer Cody* Karen
Erin Davie* Lysa
Michael Raver* Ian
Lauren Molina* Mae
Jennifer Sánchez* Elena
Stage Directions read by Erin Mendez Stapleton
Stage Manager Caroline Ranald Curvan*
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
** Member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
Michael Raver
Michael Raver's adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray was produced by Sonnet Repertory Theatre at the Signature Theatre Center in 2012. His plays Fire On Babylon, Riptide and Quiet Electricity have all been O’Neill semifinalists. His political period drama, Evening, has been a ScreenCraft Stage Play finalist and is currently a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival. His work has been presented by The Pearl Theatre Company, Sonnet Repertory Theater, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, The Martha Graham Company, The Bridge Street Theater, Playhouse on Park and many others.
He served as a judge for the Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBTQIA+ Fiction for three years and has written for Hamptons Magazine, Classical TV, NYC Monthly, Hamptons Monthly, Playbill, Dance Magazine, Cool Hunting, The Huffington Post, Imagista, MsMojo, Art 511 Magazine and Q-Life.
Michael is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild, Actor’s Equity, and SAG-Aftra. He was born in New York City, and resides in New York.
Drax Productions
Statement on Control
Michael Raver wrote his play in the fall 2021, for a first reading in October 2021. When we started planning the readings for June 2022, we were always afraid that before the planned readings, additional shootings would make the play even more urgent. None of us however were prepared for the similarities between the play set in a small town in Texas and the recent shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tx.
We started both readings with a moment of silence in honor of the school children and teachers killed in Uvalde, Tx, and in honor of all other victims of gun violence in past and even more recent shootings.
Our intent in moving forward with the readings was to add this ‘on stage’ conversation to the mix of ‘real life’ discussions to effect positive change. In the same spirit, Drax Productions has made a contribution to the Robb School Memorial Fund, set up to help families with their financial needs, in honor of the affected families and in recognition of the artists involved in the readings.
Awards
Winner: City Artists Corps Grant
