HOW
TO GET
FREE
ONE NIGHT. Three curses.
HOW TO GET FREE is…
A three-act journey - 3 stories which reveal how our contemporary lives bear striking parallels to the enduring curses of Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Narcissus; from one of today's most exciting storytellers: Christopher Rivas.
WHY NOw?
We have an incredible ability to forget, to see what we want to see, to look past the suffering thrown upon others and not ourselves. Until we see our own demise, it doesn't really resonate that we too are running out of time to stop what's coming.
These 3 curses: A man pushing a rock up a hill, someone left thirsty & hungry for an eternity, and a narcissist drowning himself over and over again are not fables, but rather vital relentless lessons to right now, unearthing the truth that we are running out of time to not learn from them, and set ourselves free.
Ancient Myths.
Modern Lives.
How do we break free from the cycle?
STORY OVERVIEW
ACT 1: SISYPHUS
ACT 1: SISYPHUS
Sisyphus Pushes a boulder up a hill over and over again with the delusion that at some point things might change. We’re in control of our stories and bound to them all at the same time.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Sisyphus is explored through the lens of a therapy session where the Performer is constantly flooded by the memories of a relationship, replaying them over and over again.
ACT 1 SAMPLE
I too feel like cousin Greg. Doing anything to get a piece of the pie that has been tantalizing me my whole life.
ACT 2: TANTALUS
ACT 2: TANTALUS
Tantalus was a king who was constantly invited to have dinner on Mount Olympus with the gods, at this dinner, he was given everything but the wine and desert. Until he stole it to share it with the world and was forever punished.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Tantalus is explored through the ways society continually dangles the carrot of more more more, the gospel of endless growth in front of us, and the lengths we will go to in order to get a piece of that dream. A culture constantly tantalizing us with media, hustle culture, lies, and society telling us what we should achieve and how we should be in order to be "successful."
ACT 2 SAMPLE
I drown myself because I forget.
ACT 3: Narcissus
ACT 3: Narcissus
Narcissus, in love with his own image, was unable to see or hear anyone around him in need. We are all a bit narcissistic in this way, all the self-drowning we take part in, in order to continue to be such an active consumer, in order to watch Chef’s Table and Top chef, while outside people are hungry. Each of us drowning out what we don’t wanna face.
PERFORMANCE ACTION:
Narcissus is explored through the lens of content. Each audience member is at the center of the barrage of things to consider and get right on a daily basis in today's content filled world where we order from Amazon while the Amazon burns.
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ACT 3 SAMPLE
CREATIVE TEAM
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Creator, Writer, Actor
Christopher Rivas is quickly becoming one of the most sought after multi-hyphenates as an actor, author, podcaster, and storyteller. Chris’s mission is to tell stories that create spaces of belonging while disrupting traditionally white spaces. His book Brown Enough, explores what it means to be Brown in America - part memoir and part social commentary, it is a roller coaster of finding one's true self while simultaneously having a racial awakening amidst the struggle to be "perfectly" Latinx, woke, and as Brown as possible to make it in today's America.
He also has an overall deal with SiriusXM's Stitcher, where he created and hosts two podcasts: Brown Enough, which explores the parallel themes of his book through interview-style episodes; and Rubirosa, a 10-episode documentary-style investigation of Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican diplomat, race car driver, soldier and polo player who is believed to be the inspiration for the famous character ‘James Bond’.
This project was developed off of Chris’s solo show, The Real James Bond Was Dominican. On screen, Rivas has been on many TV shows, and is best known for his work on the Fox series, Call Me Kat, opposite Mayim Bialik, Kyla Pratt, and the late Leslie Jordan. He is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Expressive Arts for Global Health & Peace Building from The European Graduate School and a Rothschild Social Impact fellow. Rivas resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Visit his websitewww.christopherrivas.com
Instagram: @christopher__rivas
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Director
Matt is an award-winning multi-disciplinary storyteller interested in creating rich evocative worlds; the intersection of technology, design, & storytelling; and crafting works that help us to find light in the dark.
In this pursuit, Matt works as a director, writer, and designer for film, theatre, live events, and new media. His projects range from the gamification of concept cars for Toyota to recreating history in VR; from directing film to designing massive interactive activations; Matt has worked as a concept artist for games, a comic book artist, and a storyboard artist; he has designed puppets, sets, and video projections for theatre, concerts, and operas, and he has created immersive experiences for Hollywood's biggest studios and IPs. Matt has served as an artist-in-residence with the National Theatre of Croatia, with the Getty Foundation, and the Annenberg Foundation. His work has been shown in dozens of countries on six continents. Additionally, Matt spent ten years as the Associate Artistic Director for Rogue Artists Ensemble and remains an Ensemble Member.
Matt’s work has garnered praise and numerous awards, including six CLIO Awards, multiple BizBash Awards, two Ovation Awards (and an additional five nominations), a StageRaw Award, an LA Weekly Award, and both the Kairos & Chronos Prizes in screenwriting, among others. He has designed over a dozen Silver and Bronze Telly Award-winning campaigns. In 2020, he directed The Alienist: Angel of Darkness virtual event for TNT + Little Cinema Digital. It won the BizBash Award for Best Virtual Event and was a double WEBBY Honoree for Best Narrative Experience and Best Audience Interaction. Also in 2020, he developed, co-directed, and co-wrote Blumhouse Live for Amazon Prime Video + Blumhouse + Little Cinema which was nominated for an EMMY for Outstanding Interactive Program.
In January 2023, Matt wrote and directed the Disney 100 Live Broadcast, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Disney Company. Also in 2023, Matt’s feature film debut, Resistance: 1942, was nominated in five categories at the 2023 Movieguide Awards, winning Best Film for Mature Audiences.
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Producer
Is a freelance arts producer, consultant and advocate, working with a wide variety of theater and live arts companies around New York City and beyond, specializing in booking and managing multidisciplinary touring works, as well as producing ensemble-driven premieres.
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Projection and Video Design
Yuki is an award winning scenic, projection, and production designer born in Shimonoseki City, Japan and based in Oakland, CA. Yuki’s work is influenced by years of martial arts training and is animated by a belief in discipline, ethics and craftsmanship. Recent credits include: New Works Collective at Opera Theater St. Louis (production design), The Light in the Piazza and Leopoldstadt (co-producer: Shakespeare Theater Company) at Huntington Theater Company (projection design). Yuki’s work has been featured at LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Omaha, New World Symphony, SF Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, LA Chamber Orchestra, Sun Valley Music Festival, West Edge Opera, ODC Dance, the Hammer Museum, Getty Villa Museum, Cardi B’s Art Basel Concert, and various theaters across the country.
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Production Design
Darcy Scanlin is an award-winning Creative Director, Producer, Production Designer, and Experience Designer based in Los Angeles. With over 24 years of experience, she specializes in crafting immersive environments across film, live events, theater, and opera. Her theatrical work includes productions with the Prague National Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Bard Summerscape, Long Beach Opera, South Coast Repertory, and the Getty Center. Recent event highlights include Nylon House at Coachella and Art Basel, the Shogun premiere, and Disney+ projects for Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. A longtime collaborator of director Matthew Hill, Darcy first worked with him on his feature Resistance: 1942. Her screen credits also include Lost on a Mountain in Maine and the Emmy-nominated Uncle Frank.
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Sound Design
John Nobori is a California-based sound designer, composer, and ensemble member of Cornerstone Theater Company. His work has been heard in plays produced by such organizations as Seattle Rep and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Other recent credits include The Geffen Playhouse’s production of The Ants and Pasadena Playhouse's production of Sanctuary City. He has been nominated for several awards for excellence in sound design and is the recipient of an Ovation Award for his work on The Golden Dragon at Boston Court Pasadena. BA University of California, Irvine.
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Lighting Designer
Andrew Schmedake is a lighting designer for the arts, live entertainment and branded activations. Past work includes collaborations with Ensemble Theatre Company Santa Barbara, The Wallis Annenberg, A Noise Within, Center Theatre Group and South Coast Rep alongside projects for Disney, National Geographic, Warner Discovery, Spotify, Fenty Beauty, Blizzard Entertainment and many more. He is the proud recipient of the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award, LA Drama Critics Circle Award and the NAACP Theatre Award. He holds an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Production and Systems Manager
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Technical Stage Manager