The Impostors Theatre Company (ITC) continues their third season with the Chicago premiere of Hertha Nova, by ITC Executive Director Rachel Borgo and directed by ITC Artistic Director Stefan Roseen. Hertha Nova runs February 11 – 26, 2022 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622.
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Bernard Dayman is well and truly dead. He knows this because one moment he’s tethered to an IV, and the next he finds himself standing in the middle of a bizarre city, caught in the motions of some kind of afterlife. However, resting in peace is not given in Old Hertham, the crumbling, decaying village he now inhabits.
While exploring his new home, Bernard stumbles upon Eve, an old flame from his earthly life, and her strong-willed daughter Marie. Things take another complicated turn when Bernard learns of the opportunity for deceased residents to apply to live in the alluring New Town, or Hertha Nova. He resolves to get his name on the list — no matter what measures must be taken. In this witty, offbeat new play, Impostor Rachel Borgo reimagines Harry Blamires’ New Town: A Fable and brings themes of virtue, greed, and our inherent desire for salvation into the light.
The cast of Hertha Nova includes ITC ensemble member Keaton Stewart as Eve, with Nick Strauss as Bernard, Victoria Olivier as Dr. Fisher, and Gail Harder as Marie/Young Eve. The cast is rounded out by Maxwell Peters, Samm Hilger, Zach Riley, and Cayla Jones who all play a collection of characters.
Rachel Borgo (Playwright) is a Chicago writer, actor, and director. She serves as the executive director for The Impostors Theatre Company. Rachel most recently worked with The Impostors in 2021 as a performer in The House of Baba Yaga; previously, she originated the role of Girl in the company’s inaugural production, The Wood. Rachel serves as dramaturg on many of ITC productions: Hertha Nova, Summer & Smoke, Tippy: Stories from the River, and Caged: An Allegory. Rachel earned her BA in Theatre and Creative Writing at Valparaiso University, where her student-devised play Limits was directed by Stefan Roseen. This spring, Rachel will direct and premiere her original immersive play Body of Work at the Montpelier Arts Center in the DC area. Beyond the stage, Rachel is the series director of ConSensual, a fiction podcast for romcom lovers, and screenwriter of When Jeff Tried to Save the World (2018), a Jon Heder-starring film available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Stefan Roseen (Director) is a Chicago director, playwright, and designer. He serves as the artistic director for The Impostors Theatre Company. Stefan most recently worked with The Impostors in November 2021 as director for The House of Baba Yaga. Additional directing credits include: Footholds 2020, Summer & Smoke; Tippy: Stories from the River; Footholds 2019; Caged: An Allegory; The Wood; The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan; Art; and The Altercation in the Underworld — Winner “Best Of” for MadKap Production’s Short Play Festival. Stefan earned his degree in Theatre and Studio Art from Valparaiso University where he has returned to direct. He has also led multiple workshops and directed numerous staged readings including Tippy: Stories from the River; Hertha Nova; The House of Baba Yaga; Caged: An Allegory; and The Wood. Stefan’s more recent theatrical designs include sets for 25/25, Occidental Express; the Jeff-recommended They; and the Jeff-nominated The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui — all for Trap Door Theatre.
Hertha Nova
The Impostors
The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
February 11 – February 26, 2022
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm Sundays at 3pm
for tickets, visit ($15-$20) visit The Den Theater
for group discounts ($5 off each ticket) email Impostors
The Impostors Theatre Company stages stories at the crossroads of retrospect and innovation, where the fantastic collides with the everyday. In order to better our discourse, our relationships, and ourselves. A commitment to challenge, cultivate, and coalesce drives the company forward, encouraging all to “Embrace the Art of Pretend.” Returning for their third season, The Impostors have crafted a new series of productions that look into the most human and realistic of experiences of home, relationships, and the lengths we go to get what we want, all set in otherworldly and fantastical settings. Following Hertha Nova, The Impostors Theatre Company’s third season will conclude with Footholds Vol. 3, an anthology play by the community, running from June 10–19, 2022. Facebook — Instagram
