When looters smash in a Michigan Avenue store’s front windows, this singular act of destruction affects a host of individuals, including the store’s security team, employees at one of its Cosmetics kiosks, and a manager with zero f@#ks left to give.

Viewing the incident through a panorama of perspectives, PRIMER examines the dangers of prioritizing property over people in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

Spenser Davis* (Playwright, he/him) is an award-winning writer-director based in Chicago. He is the current Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at The Goodman, where he recently served as Associate Director for Bob Falls’ production of The Sound Inside. He has received the 2021 B. Iden Payne Award, the 2020 Elizabeth George Commission from South Coast Rep, the 2019 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award from the American Theatre Critics’ Association, was a finalist for the Harold & Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, and is a three-time nominee for the Joseph Jefferson Best Director Award, winning once. This past season, he directed his virtual play The Spin in both Chicago (Interrobang Theatre Project) and Austin, Texas (Street Corner Arts). Other credits include A Red Orchid Theatre, First Floor Theater, Promethean Theatre, American Blues, The New Colony, Hell in a Handbag and Steppenwolf 1700; he’s a longtime ensemble member of Broken Nose Theatre, as well as a member of The Factory. His other plays include Plainclothes, Merge, Sick, Underdogz and A Million Tiny Pieces. He’s represented by William Morris Endeavor. All of the love to E.

Brittney Brown* (Director, she/her) is a Chicago-based actor and director. Some select Chicago acting credits include Theo Ubique’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Sweeney Todd, Pride Films and Plays’ All That He Was (Jeff Nomination – Best Performer in a Supporting Role), New American Folk Theatre’s Hot Pink or Ready to Blow and Scraps, Kokandy Production’s Bonnie and Clyde and Griffin Theatre’s Ragtime and Violet. Brittney has assistant directed productions of May the Road Rise Up (Factory Theater) and Wolves (Exit 63), was a featured director in Broken Nose Theatre’s Bechdel Fest 7: Momentum, and will direct Avalanche Theatre’s production of Artemis Books and the Well-Meaning Man. She is a Literary Manager for Broken Nose Theatre and the Casting Director for Factory Theater.

Kim Boler* (Stevie, she/her) is a proud ensemble member of Broken Nose Theatre and is thrilled to revisit her role as “Stevie” with this talented cast and crew. Along with Plainclothes, she also appeared in BNT’s Human Terrain and Girl In The Red Corner, as well as directed in Bechdal Fest 2018.

She’s also an Ensemble Member of the Factory Theater and Bruised Orange Theatre Co. Other Chicago theatre credits include Wildclaw Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Akvavit Theatre, and Abraham Werewolf.

JD Caudill* (Chaddie, they/them) is a queer director, literary manager, music director, and performer whose recent direction includes Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays), Bechdel Fests 4-6 & 8 (Broken Nose Theatre), and other shows at The New Colony, Haven Theatre, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates, and Red Theatre. They’ve also appeared onstage as Ozma in New American Folk Theatre’s Scraps, Hayden in The New Colony’s Displayed, and more. They're a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag where they have music directed countless shows (and performed in Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes Volume 1!), and an ensemble member and literary manager at Broken Nose Theatre.

E.M. Davis* (Rian, they/them) is a GNC/NB actor and the Artistic Director of Broken Nose Theatre, where they’ve performed in the Jeff Award-winning productions of Girl in the Red Corner, Plainclothes and At The Table; they’ve also appeared in Labyrinth, A Phase, My First Time, and numerous iterations of Bechdel Fest. Recent credits include Shattered Globe, Promethean Theatre (Best Ensemble Jeff Nomination - Blue Stockings), Eclipse Theatre, Interrobang, The New Coordinates, New American Folk Theatre, Lyric Opera, American Blues, and Strawdog, among others. TV credits include 4400 on The CW, as well as the Amazon Prime short-form comedy series Squid. As a playwright, their work has been performed at Steppenwolf 1700, First Floor Theater, Broken Nose, and Arc Theatre, while their play A Phase has been taught at the University of Chicago. They are also an ensemble member of The Factory Theater and are represented by Big Mouth Talent Agency.

RjW Mays* (Mary, she/her) has been an ensemble member with BNT for a few years now, and after playing Mary Jackson in the 2019 world premiere of Plainclothes, she is excited to revisit the character in Primer. During the pandemic, Rj had the opportunity to work on a live virtual play (The Projects), and it was an affirming experience. She has been involved in several Zoom readings and podcasts with 16th Street Theatre, Three Cat Productions and Artemesia.

Watson Swift* (Jai, he/him) is a Master of Public Health graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a graduate of Chicago’s Second City. His acting credits include: Her Honor Jane Byrne (Understudy, Lookingglass Theatre); Ten: Non-Disclosure Agreement and understudying Hamlet (Gift Theatre); Best For Winter - An Adaptation of The Winter’s Tale (Idle Muse Theatre); Yes, Every Time (Development Workshop, Steppenwolf Theatre); Kingdom and The Dictionary Project Vol. IV (Broken Nose Theatre); Speed of Light, At Mister Kelly’s and Death in a Beulah Box (Three Cat Productions); Among the Quick and the Dead (Prologue Theatre); Scenes from an Execution (Runcible Theatre); Stoop Time (You and Me Productions); Freedom Summer (Civil Rights Art Project); and Out Loud (eta Creative Arts Foundation). He has also co-starred on Chicago Med and appeared in several independent film productions.

Aria Szalai-Raymond* (Kennedy, she/her) is thrilled to be back with her family at Broken Nose Theatre, even if it has to be virtual. Aria is a recent BFA graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and is represented by Stewart Talent Chicago. Chicago theatre credits include work with A Red Orchid Theatre and Broken Nose Theatre. Television credits include Sirens (USA network) and Somebody, Somewhere (HBO).

David Weiss* (Jerrod/Dramaturg, he/him) has been a proud member of Broken Nose Theatre since 2013, and has worked with the company as an actor, a dramaturg, and a graphic designer on numerous productions. Recent BNT acting credits include performances in the virtual readings of Crush and The Curse of Giles Corey, as well as the mainstage productions of Labyrinth, Plainclothes, and At The Table.

Brenda Scott Wlazlo* (Nora, she/her) is a full-time Chicago-based voice, stage, and screen talent. With 20 years of training and experience in acting and producing. Her accomplishments include a Joseph Jefferson Award (Stage - Best Ensemble, 2019), being an IAA Finalist (Young Adult- Emberhawk), and an IBPA Silver finalist (Best Audiobook - 2018). Her resume includes over 60 audiobooks, 32 stage productions, and a fleeting one-second appearance on HBO's Boardwalk Empire! She is the Accessibility Director of Red Tape Theatre, the Director of Audience Relations at Broken Nose Theater, and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. She is also the co-founder of The Audio Flow's Youth in the Booth, a nonprofit training program for teens and youth to learn the art of audiobook narration.

Tony Ingram* (Sound Designer, he/him) has worked throughout the Chicagoland area, including at Signal Ensemble Theatre (his artistic home for over a decade), Lifeline Theatre, Factory Theatre, The Right Brain Project, Chicago Public Schools, and Shattered Globe Theatre. Love to Stephanie, Kyle, Shaun, and Jill.

Jacqui Jaurena (Editor, she/her) is a Chicago actor/singer/comedian with a side hustle as an editor. During the pandemic, she has worked with Broken Nose as a video editor on projects like MARE, Bechdel Fest 8: Realign, Book of Shadows, Billy to His Friends, and BNT’s ensemble Spotlight series. Other Chicago credits include Redtwist Theatre’s 2019 Jeff Recommended production of Keely & Du, the world premiere of Mommy Will The World End Tonight with Theatre Wit, and several comedy shows including Chicago Women's Funny Fest 2019. Jacqui’s current projects include understudying in Redtwist Theatre’s production of The Humans, as well as the lighthearted mental health podcast, Weighted Blanket Happy Hour, which she hosts with Julia Skeggs. To reach further into the grab bag of Jacqui’s random talents, feel free to visit JacquiJaurena.com