In April we’ll channel the spirit of spring with Sarah Ruhl’s hilarious, provocative In the Next Room, Or the Vibrator Play. Ruhl was nominated for a Tony and a Pulitzer for this exploration of the marriage between a doctor treating female hysteria (with the aid of the new electric vibrator) and his young and curious wife, determined to learn the secrets of what lies behind her sitting room door. We are thrilled to welcome Truepenny Project’s Tessara Morgan Farley (Perisphere’s I Know How To Curse) to direct Perisphere’s most ambitious production yet.
Originally from Minnesota, Tessara (or “Tess” as her friends call her) is a freelance theater artist currently living and working in Baltimore. She has directed, produced and stage managed throughout the Midwest including Cedar Rapids, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. Since moving to Baltimore in 2017, she has worked with theaters like the Acme Corporation, Single Carrot, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Silver Spring Stage, Baltimore Rock Opera Society, Vagabonds and more. She is also a co-founder and Theater Producer of Truepenny Projects, a small and independent arts organization in Baltimore.
Content Disclosure: In the Next Room, or the vibrator play contains charged material that may not be suitable for all audiences including sexism, sex/sexuality, kissing, intimate touch, medical procedures, bigotry/violence/hateful language based on cultural or religious identity, racism, classism. There are also overt references to the loss of a child, pregnancy, and childbirth. The play contains simulations of onstage sex and sexual assistance, masturbation, and breast feeding. The play contains undressing and costume changes onstage as well as moments of partial nudity.
Single Tickets go on sale at the end of the year. Our seasonal flex passes are on sale now. Secure your seats now and choose your shows later. Use them however you like; attend both shows, bring a friend, or return for an encore of your favorite performance. Redeem at any point this season. This offer ends December 1, 2026. Don’t miss out on this flexible way to enjoy our season!
*Note: Tickets purchased in person at the box office will incur an additional $2 service fee added to the prices listed online.
Director, Lizzi Albert
Lizzi Albert is a director, actor, and teaching artist who directed Perisphere’s 2023 production of Hazardous Materials, by Beth Kander. Other directing credits include This Historic Night (Seed Productions/Capital Fringe 2018), A Christmas Carol and The Tempest(Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), and an all-female Macbeth (Notre Dame of Maryland University). Acting credits include Avant Bards’ Julius Caesar, Constellation Theater Company’s Absolutely! Perhaps, and several productions with Chesapeake Shakespeare, where she is a company member. Lizzi is interested in creating intimate, expressive, psychologically insightful theater that allows audiences to both see their own experiences reflected on stage and be inspired to seek out new ones. She holds an M.A. in acting from the University of Essex and a BFA in theater from New York University.
Playwright, Joel Gross www.joelgross.com
Joel Gross’ ten published novels include THE BOOKS OF RACHEL.His play, MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE COLOR OF FLESH, is published by Dramatists Play Service. Joel has worked on films for Fox, Universal, Sony, and HBO. Joel has an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, and is a member of P.E.N., the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild, and the Authors Guild.
Joel’s screenplay of The Color of Flesh is set to be directed by Jon Amiel (SOMMERSBY, ENTRAPMENT, CREATION) in Europe in 2025.
Joel’s play, Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh, was given its first public reading in New York, with Julia Roberts, Elisabeth Shue, and Stephen Lang in the cast. Subsequently, the play was developed at PKE in Los Angeles, with the help of its artistic director, Dan Lauria. Bob Kalfin directed the play at the New Jersey Rep (its world premiere), and later directed its New York debut. The Color of Flesh continues to be staged around the country since its 2008 off-Broadway production. Winner of “Best Play” for Spotlight Awards 2015, it has also been staged in Canada and Australia, and has been translated into Spanish, French, and Polish. To read selected reviews of the play, please click on the links below.
“The sweep of a historical novel….real events swirl outside, while inside at Versailles, emotions swirl just as vigorously around a triangle of love and friendship… Explores issues of class, many of them sounding quite contemporary, while creating a touching story of love.” Neil Genzlinger, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Meet the Team
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- Gerrad Alex Taylor: Writer & Performer
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- Nigel Semaj: Director
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- La’Trelle Jamez: Assistant Director
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- Megan Eich: Stage Manager
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- Oscar Escobedo: Scenic Designer
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- Tessara Morgan Farley: Properties Designer
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- Cheryl J. Williams: Sound Designer
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- Dean Leong: Lighting Designer
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- Shana Laski: Dramaturg
Join us for our Special Events!
Thursday, April 2, 8:00pm: PWYC Preview Performance. Donations will be accepted at the door (cash preferred) for anyone interested in getting the FIRST LOOK at this WORLD PREMIERE. We will be putting finishing touches on the show and invite the public to watch this exciting end to our process.
Friday, April 3, 8:00pm: OPENING NIGHT. There will be a reception following the performance. Join us for drinks, food, and a chance to mingle with the cast and production team!
Sunday, April 5 (NEW DATE): Meet the director! After the show, IKHTC director Nigel Semaj will be in conversation with Perisphere’s resident dramaturg, Shana Laski, about the many influences on IKHTC.
Thursday, April 9: Artist’s Night. Join students, theater artists, and other industry professionals, and enter a raffle to win a free monologue coaching session with Perisphere’s co-artistic directors.
Sunday, April 12: Stay for a post-show talkback with IKHTC creator Gerrad Alex Taylor and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Associate Director for Education and Community Engagement, Molly Horton Booth.
