Self Defense or, death of some salesmen

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble opens its 10th season with the Chicago premiere of Carson Kreitzer’s Self Defense or, death of some salesmen, directed by Edward Sobel. Featuring Rivendell ensemble members Tara Mallen and Jane Baxter Miller as part of the Steppenwolf Visiting Company Initiative.

A hitchhiking, highway hooker is turned into a nation-wide celebrity when she is arrested for the murder of seven of her johns. Is she the nation’s first female serial killer, as the media would like to paint her, or a victim acting in self-defense? Rivendell Theatre Ensemble takes the audience into a world of seedy strip clubs, biker bars, backwoods swamps, and even into death row, as they follow Jolene Palmer’s journey through the legal system and beyond. Based on the compelling true story of Aileen Wuornos, this scary, thought-provoking, and highly theatrical tale will haunt audiences long after the play is over.

Additional Sunday matinees on November 28, December 5, 12 and 19, 2004, at 3:00 p.m. There will be no performance on Thursday, November 25, 2004.