Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical – Cast Spotlight – Astrid Atherly

Astrid Atherly plays the sinfully seductive Vegas dancer, Kitty!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Astrid Atherly and in Kill Sister, Kill!  I am playing Kitty, Lily’s little ex-stripper sister. I envision Kitty being a restless soul looking for adventure. Tired of small town life, leaves home for greener pastures and ends up in a world of sex, drugs and alcohol, the trifecta of fun right! I feel her time in Vegas wasn’t all fun and games, but puts a happy demeanor because the truth sucks and she doesn’t want her sister to worry about her. I feel that Kitty loves her sister with every bone in her body. Yes, Lily is older, but Kitty’s street smarts lends to a protective side, that when confronted by danger in a grimy bar, protects her sister. I just recently finished playing Martha in Flotow’s Martha. It’s actually a lot of  fun to play such different characters. Going from a Lady in Waiting to the Queen to a Vegas dancer from Kansas, is a challenging and I am finding rewarding.

How did you first hear about the production?  

I first heard about Kill Sister, Kill!  a few years ago when they were at the Toronto Fringe Festival. I worked with Emily Dix, as a volunteer backstage crew at the New York Fringe last year! She told me about this production, found the audition notice and history wrote itself after that!

What has been your favourite moment of the rehearsal process so far?

My favorite moment was being introduced to the timbit song! I also have to say working with Samantha has been inspirational and a blessing. I honestly learn so much from this woman, I felt like I met a long lost sister. Also the fact that we have the exact same ethic background is crazy! I learn so much from this whole cast and seeing people so talented, working together is a great moment in itself.

Tell us about your character – what do you love about her? What are some challenges?

I love how out-going and sensual Kitty can be, but she is also smart and has a heart. She is strong and she doesn’t follow some rule set out for her years ago, she goes by the beat of her own drum. Some challenges I have with her, is Kitty’s death scene and some language within the script. My own personal beliefs are different from that of Kitty’s and I sometimes struggle to bring that as her truth, when it’s not my truth. What make her fun is that she is fun. She doesn’t want to have a care in the world. Things happens and one must move on, but I think she knows sometimes you need to be safe.

Why should people come see the show?

People need to see this show, because of its message. We don’t live in a perfect world, THERE ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD! The audience may feel uncomfortable at times, but these are very real issues and events that happen still today. You go from being disgusted to laughing in seconds.  To watch the story of a woman, who literally has her world torn apart, and see how she deals and rehabilitate her life is one of the biggest reasons to come. Her story is so powerful, it’s not pretty but life is not always pretty.

Any funny embarrassing rehearsal moments to share?

My pants slowly moving down, during combat practise of my death scene. I just had to lay there and take it!

Want to learn more about the show? Check out the website – www.killsisterkill.com

Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical – Crew Spotlight – Director Jamieson Child

Jamieson Child is co-writer and director of the show. Here he shares his thoughts on the process so far.

This is my third time directing this frigging show. You think I’d be sick of it by now. I’ve worked on numerous projects in the intervening years since my brother [Drac] and I first put on the earliest version of this show back in 2010 when it was nothing more than a very serious joke–but whether I’m acting, writing, or directing some other thing, I just keep coming back to Kill Sister, Kill!. I think we’re a little obsessed with our own idea and get too much joy freaking out an audience with new challenging material, mostly using humour and shock. I hate watching a lot theatre, but there is so much potential in the live format to grab people in their seats and give them a good shake, so this is me being a pissed off spectator wanting something entertaining out of the experience if I’m going to leave my house and spend more than $20.

A lot has happened since that first show and this time we’ve managed to assemble an amazing crew of very talented artists with a new perspective. Bygone Theatre helped us get the show back on its feet. Finding Mike Zahorak (Composer) and David Backshell (Lyricist) has launched us deeper into the depravity with more juice than ever before. They gave us the creative power we needed to expand and hear this story in a whole new way; now proudly, a full-length 90 minute musical. *Tears of joy.

However, this is my first time not acting in the show. I leave the character of Ronnie in better hands with Tom [Finn] anyway. So it goes. Taking off my performer cap was easy when he walked into the audition room. That’s how you know when you’re making the right decision out of a hard one…when the answer simply lands in your lap; it’s just following your instinct. I’d love to say that’s how easy my decision making process has been throughout the whole production so far, since I know the track so well, but we’ve changed the story so much, added new characters, big all-cast musical numbers, that I’ve been digging like a fiend into books, watching video, researching, pulling favours asking friends and colleagues for assistance wherever I need it. I’m lucky to be surrounded by a wicked cast who do more to empower me than they know. The true joy is in seeing our material come to life.

As for now, my excitement for taking Kill Sister, Kill! to the NYC Fringe off-Broadway stage is completely stunned by the colossal amount of work that remains to see this show reach the high level of thrilling performance that myself and my team demand from it. Will it be easy? No, but will we kick serious ass and blow minds? We’re ready for it.
I told you I like a challenge.

Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical – Cast Spotlight – Heather Motut

Heather plays tough-as-nails bartender Teresa in the upcoming Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Heather Motut and I am an actor/singer.  I do both of those things, sometimes at the same time!  I’ve done a little bit of everything: plays, musicals, film, television, improv, and sketch comedy. I love any kind of collaborative project that allows me to work with fellow creative types in the community.  In Kill Sister, Kill!, I  play Teresa, the brassy, trashy, punk bartender who works by choice at “The Butt-hole,”  the most garbage establishment in New York City.

How did you first hear about the production?

I heard about this production through Jamieson.  We were on set for another project and he told me about the auditions.

What has been your favourite moment of the rehearsal process so far?
My favourite moment of the rehearsal process was the call back.  It was the first time I got to work with the material and I had an absolute blast.  It was also the first time I saw Astrid and Samantha work together, and I thought they were the bees knees.  Seeing these ladies, and hearing Drac and Jamieson’s hilarious script, and Mike’s gorgeous music, made me really want to be a part of this show.

Tell us about your character – what do you like best about her? What do you find challenging?
Teresa is an absolute treat to play.  She’s Queen of the Dregs for sure, but she’s got a good heart and is a smart judge of character. She stands up for people being abused or taken advantage of.  She sees Ronnie for the good egg he is and takes an interest in his making something of himself, something better than just his brother’s lackey. I love how honest and irreverent she can be.  Teresa is a true punk who celebrates complete freedom of action and attitude. It’s such a joy to play a character that is so  uninhibited, and I get to indulge so many delicious parts of my personality. The New York dialect definitely presents a challenge, but I’m finding so much of it comes from an attitude more than anything.  Watching a lot of George Carlin’s stuff has really helped me find that “Balls to the Wall” attitude this character needs.

Why should people come see the show?
I think people should come see this show because its going to be a lot of fun. Where else are you gonna see ”Kill Bill meets Sister Act” !?!!!??!?!?  It’s one of the most electric, bold, and joyous productions I’ve ever been involved in.  I’m a fan of anyone who takes risks in what they create, and the people involved in this production should get a friggen medal for that.

Have any funny rehearsal stories to share?

I have absolutely no funny or embarrassing rehearsal anecdotes to share. Rehearsals have all been very run of the mill, restrained, and all business all the time.  Very little fun has been had by anyone, and we’ve really kept a lid on silliness and mischief of any kind. Very serious bunch.

Check out Heather on the off-Broadway stage at Theatre 80, August 26-30, 2015. Tickets available now online.

Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical – Crew Spotlight – Writer Drac Child

Kill Sister, Kill! co-writer Drac Child shares a bit about the writing process, and gives us a brief history of the production.

Five years ago, my brother and I wrote Kill Sister Kill, then titled Sister, Sister (sorry Tia and Tamara); it was a simpler, shorter script with less-refined profanity, restrained displays of wanton violence and only five (!) songs. A lot has changed over the resulting period, including yet another version of the script for a 2013 production, an infusion of new music and lyrics and a new cast. Come 2015 and the addition of Bygone Theatre to the production, with an entirely new creative team, Kill Sister Kill is in it’s best shape yet. Imagine the past productions were Tim Allen on a coke bender: disgusting but funny, but looking worse for wear. This year, KSK is Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street: increased stamina, better looks, yet still comically adept and more importantly, revolting.

My brother and I have been at this for awhile now; churning out scripts and making them into viewable entertainment is something we’ve done since childhood. I was tempted to say that the only thing that’s changed is that we fight less than we used to as kids, but that’s patently untrue. But, due to that history, our voices and ideas compliment each other; once the concept for a scene gets rolling, we just keep throwing dialogue at it until we’re both laughing or wincing. Year after year, Kill Sister Kill has always been a challenge, whether it’s tackling musical theatre for the first time, or producing shows with nothing but the small amounts of money in our staggeringly barren bank accounts, but this time, everything seemed to synchronize. The entire production is an assemblage of incalculable madness, but we’re all getting along and turning things around on time and no one’s died yet.

Success.

Want to help support the show? You can make a donation through our website or indiegogo campaign.

Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical – Overture