by Karissa Murrell Myers
Directed by Jonathan Berry
A Chicago premiere production
When her estranged childhood sweetheart mysteriously dies, Amitra returns home after a sixteen year absence to Black Bear Island, which legend says is haunted by a monstrous man-killing bear. As she searches for the truth, the forest begins to engulf the house and her past begins to collide with the present as her memory starts to unfog. This gothic, magical realistic thriller explores regret, the unreliableness of our own memories, and the paths we choose to become who we are.
Show will run September 23 to October 17, 2026
BLACK BEAR ISLAND
THE ARTISTS
Playwright | Karissa Murrell Myers*
Director | Jonathan Berry
Costume Designer | Madeleine Shows
Fights & Intimacy Designer | Tristin Hall
Production Manager | Jackson Mikkelson
Casting | Karissa Murrell Myers*
CAST
TBA
*denotes Bramble ensemble member
The show runs around 90 minutes with no intermission.
Community Events
Sunday, Sept 27 - Opening night! We will have a post-show reception to celebrate. Please join us in the lobby after the show for some refreshments.
Friday, Oct 2 - Student night! Free pizza, plus a post-show discussion with the artists.
Sunday, Oct 4 - Masked performance. On this date, masks will be required for attendees, so our immunocompromised patrons and others who prefer to wear masks in public have a welcoming environment in which to see our show.
MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT
Karissa Murrell Myers (she/her) is an award-winning Filipino American theatre artist originally from Idaho. Now based in Chicago, she serves as the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Bramble Theatre Company. She is the recipient of the 2023 Maxim Mazumdar New Play Award and is an O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist and Semifinalist. Her work has been presented at Goodman Theatre, Alleyway Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, A Red Orchid Theatre, American Blues Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Boise Contemporary Theatre, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, City Theatre, and Bramble, among others. Karissa received an "Outstanding New Work" Jeff Awards nomination for the world premiere of her play On the Greenbelt, and was featured in American Theatre Magazine’s “Theatre Workers You Should Know”. As an actor, she has performed at regional theatres such as Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Remy Bumppo, and Renaissance Theaterworks. Television includes Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Electric Dreams, The Exorcist, and The Big Leap. She teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago as an adjunct faculty member and has guest lectured at DePaul University, Ball State, and Utah State University. MFA in Performance from University of Hawaii at Manoa, BA in Theatre Arts from Boise State University, and is a proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. Member of SAG-AFTRA and The Dramatist Guild. More at www.kmurrellmyers.com.
