Displaying items by tag: Ryan Kenney

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to launch its 25^th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of It's a Horrible Life – A Golden Girls Lost Episodes Musical Parody, the first-ever musical installment in the company's long-running Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes parody series. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda* and directed by Ryan Kenney, It's a Horrible Life will play December 3, 2026 – January 3, 2027 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in  Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Single tickets are on sale here, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season subscriptions are available here.

The cast includes ensemble members Kelly Bolton*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor* with Britain Shutters and Honey West. Understudies include Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear.

About the Production:

Following a string of holiday mishaps and a disastrous audition for the Miami Senior Center's production of It's a Wonderful Life, Dorothy (David Cerda*) begins to question her very existence. An angel intervenes, revealing that her roommates wouldn't last 20-minutes without her.

The production team includes Marcus Klein* (Scenic Designer), Ben Argenta Kress (Costume Design), Elizabeth Cooper (Lighting Design), Maggie O'Brien (Props Design), Syd Genco** (Make-Up Design), Keith Ryan* (Wig Design), Mealah Heidenreich* (Production Manager), Jason Pikscher (Technical Director), Julia Witty (Stage Manager), Max Ching (Assistant Stage Manager), Peter Neville (Videographer), Rick Aguilar* (Photography) and Michael S. Miller* (Graphics).

For a quarter-century, Handbag has served Chicago audiences its unique brand of camp and ridiculousness – earning a fiercely dedicated following and a recent induction into the 2026 Chicago LGBT+ Hall of Fame.

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member | **Denotes Handbag Associate Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: It's a Horrible Life – A Golden Girls Lost Episodes Musical Parody
Playwright: Artistic Director David Cerda*
Director: Ryan Kenney
Cast (in alphabetical order): Kelly Bolton* (Sophia), David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Scott Sawa* (Stan), Britain Shutters (Mary), Danne W. Taylor* (Nancy Drew) and Honey West (Angel).

Understudies: Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear.

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Previews: Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 pm, Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 pm.

Opening performance: Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 7 pm
Regular run: Thursday, December 10, 2026 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be performances on Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day), Thursday, December 31 (New Year's Eve) or Friday, January 1 (New Year's Day); there will be added performances Tuesday, December 22 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, December 23 at 7:30 pm, Tuesday. December 29 at 7:30 pm and Wednesday, December 30 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $32 general admission, $40 VIP reserved seating (includes a drink). Regular run: $42 general admission, $54 VIP reserved seating (includes a drink). $35 seniors. Single tickets are on sale here, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season subscriptions are available here.

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 25^th anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions, as well as acted in them. These works include POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical, The Birds, Scary Town, SCARRIE The Musical, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, Joan Crawford Goes to Hell, Caged Dames, and many others. His play, The Drag Seed was produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world's first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago's Navy Pier. Cerda is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his body of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher and Walter the Wonder Dog.

Ryan Kenney (Director) is a Chicago-based multi-hyphenate. Previous Hell in a Handbag credits include; Joan Crawford Goes to Hell and The Real Housewives of the North Pole. Additional directing credits include Effing It Up (Fat Theatre Project), Aunt Dan & Lemon, The Turn of the Screw, Phèdre, and Cain: A Mystery, all for 2W Holdings and Theatrics, LLC for which he is the Executive Director. As an actor, Ryan has performed in Three Sisters (Sandbox Theatre Collective), Vivi Mortes Motel (Green Shirt Studio), Machinal (Meat Machine) and Whiteᐧish: A Sketch Revue (The Second City), and created and performed his solo show Ryan Kenney's Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (former Playhouse Theater).

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.