Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man runs approximately 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission. If you require any accommodations, our staff will be happy to assist.

Please do not bring outside food or drinks into the theatre.

This production is recommended for audiences ages 16 and up.

Please be advised that there are a few moments involving loud noises, flashing, and strobe lighting.

We encourage you to speak with our house management for a more extensive list of content warnings.

Regina - Daniela Martinez (u/s Teri Talo)

Asha - Tierra Matthews (u/s Aysia Slade)

Emerson - Phoebe Jacobs (u/s Janey Elliott)

JJ - Kyle Roth (u/s Bryce Miller)

Director - Clara Zucker

Assistant Director - Carmia Imani

Stage Manager - Amanda Tancioco Rokosz

Dramaturg - Naomi Kalter

Intimacy Director - Bailey McWilliams-Woods

Producer(s) -Lena Romano, Emily Newmark

Marketing - Jane Hobson, Emily Waskowitz

Set Designer/Props Assistant - Katelyn Mongomery

Props Master - Averly Sheltraw

Sound Designer - Satya Chávez

Costume Designer - Maggie McGlenn

Lighting Designer - Joseph Nelson

Poster Designer - Andi Muriel

Paul Michael Thomson is a playwright, performer, producer, and PhD candidate based in Chicago. Nationally produced plays include: brother sister cyborg space (Raven Theatre); Fremont Junior High Is NOT Doing Oklahoma! (Good Company Theatre, Live Theatre Workshop); What a Time to Be Alive (You Say That Every Time) (Definition Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Commons); Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre); The G.O.A.T., or Who Is Ximone? (Theatre L'Acadie, O'Neill Center NPC Finalist); and more. As an actor, Paul Michael has worked onstage at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and Drury Lane, and his on-camera work includes: All Happy Families, Drawn Back Home, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice. Paul Michael is a proud co-founder and Governing Ensemble member of The Story Theatre, where his producing credits include: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, the love object, Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes, and The (W)rites of Summer new play festivals. He is a PhD candidate in Afro-American Studies through the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his scholarly work has been published in Theatre History Studies, the Black Theatre Review, and Theatre Annual. He is represented by Gray Talent Group. Paul Michael's play Pot Girls will premiere with The Story Theatre in February 2026, in collaborative conversation with Raven Theatre's production of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. He is honored to be a part of The Village Theater's inaugural production and stands in awe of this brilliant team and the village they're creating. 

Website: paulmichaelthomson.com

Instagram: @paulmichaelt 

A quick note from the director, Clara Zucker:

Not to age myself, but in 2018, I was 18 years old, on the brink of graduating high school and moving to rural Ohio. This time of my life should have felt exciting, but instead it was overshadowed by the MeToo movement, Trump’s 1st presidency, and the increasing attacks on minority identities. In a time that feels too familiar to now, I turned to what brought me comfort: my community. 

I went to an all-girls summer camp for many years, starting when I was eight years old and under four feet tall. The world inside the gates of Camp Fernwood held a sacred energy. At camp, what we referred to as the “outside world” was the world beyond these gates. Inside the gates, we were free to be our full selves, but outside, we faced the weight of society’s expectations, the political climate, and the gendered realities of being teenage girls. This protective bubble, however, was not defined by the physical structure, but by the people who occupied it. It’s because of my friends that I have such fond memories of swaying to campfire songs and running down to the lake at 7 am to win a point for my color war team. I miss the sounds of my bunkmates groaning as reveille played to wake us up and my counsellors singing us to sleep. My community made me love camp and long for the day I can go back to feeling so safe in such a beautiful place. 

I came to Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man with these experiences at the forefront of my mind. Artemis Books is a safe space for Regina, Emerson, and Asha. When JJ is hired, his mere presence disrupts this sense of security. It forces the women to examine his allyship while also interrogating the concept of safe spaces - who they are meant to serve, and who gets excluded. JJ’s arrival also brings forth questions regarding Regina, Emerson, and Asha’s behaviors toward one another as people who come from varying backgrounds. While none of these characters have mal intent, their actions towards each other highlight the unconscious biases they carry. These women are not perfect - far from it, but they are educating themselves. They are listening and responding to one another. 

While my window into this story came from personal memories, Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man is far more expansive than those experiences. This play is asking us to trust our instincts, engage with each other, and hold our space and our people close. It’s a story that almost anyone can relate to, but it goes deeper by asking us to question our close friendships, our complicity, and what it means to be an intersectional feminist. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the immense pleasure of doing just that with this incredible team of actors and crew members. It’s an honor to bring this world premiere to life as the inaugural production of The Village Theater. Thank you for being here as we share our voice with the Chicago theater community. Enjoy the show! 

Each Village Theater production is developed in partnership with a local organization whose mission aligns with the show's central themes. This approach reflects our belief that transformative art is rooted in collaboration and community, and that meaningful theater must be in conversation with the world around it. We’re thrilled to partner with Three Avenues Bookshop, a beloved family-run bookstore in West Lakeview, for Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man. Stop by their table in the lobby and visit their website to learn more!

Three Avenues Bookshop Website: https://www.threeavenuesbookshop.com/

The Village Theater would like to extend a special thank you to Tara Mallen, Trisha Hooper, Layla Eygabroad, Caroline Uy, Chase Barron, and Tory Montgomery.