Kraken Theatre Company

07/31/2026

Macbeth/Rewired deconstructs Shakespeare's famous tragedy through the frameworks of gendered violence and rising political authoritarianism. The play examines the figure of the witches, a historically marginalized gender, as they transform through literary and pop culture incarnations, such as Atwood's handmaids and Tarantino's assassin nurses. The play also examines the figure of Macbeth, a genre defining film and TV antihero, and examines the parallel between his murderous capacities and the current political landscape.

Performances at the MAC on August 14 & 15 at 7pm. Matinee on August 16 at 3.30pm. Invited dress rehearsal - free for students - on Thursday August 13 at 7pm.

Cast:
Macbeth: Michael Barba
Lady Macbeth: Lauren McCue-Bryx
Freud, Doctor, Narrator: Jordan Ellis
Witches: Haley Paulissian, Jordyn Allison, and Ashley Hoops

Production Team:
Director/Producer/Adaptation: Adam Bryx
Stage Manager: Alyssa Thorp
Scenic/Projection Designer: Junyuan Xiong
Lighting Designer: Cristo Montanez
Choreography: Sam Kolodezh
Visual Art/Poster: Alana Perlin
Costume Designer: Christine Silveria
Hair/Makeup: Lisa Fuentes
Music Composition: Etuale Muliagai
Scenic Construction: Matt Loeffler

06/10/2026

Kraken’s next project will be our first staging of Shakespeare. It will be an entirely original adaptation, written by Adam Bryx, and it will draw inspiration from Edward Gordon Craig, David Lynch, Robert Wilson, amongst others. It will comment on the current political reality and include on-site footage from Ukraine. This is a performance that will reward the intellectually curious. Show dates at the MAC: August 14-16.

09/04/2025

Thank you to Merced County Times for supporting the performing arts in Merced!

  Kraken Theatre Company will present Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center (MAC) for one weekend only, Sept. 5 through Sept. 7. On a rural estate, tensions rise as long-buried frustrations, unrequited desires, and bitter disappointments collide. Vanya, his niece Son...

09/03/2025

Written in 1898 by Anton Chekhov, Uncle Vanya is a key play in the theatrical turn towards naturalism. The melodramatic form was rejected in favor of more realistic representations of the human condition. Indeed, this play anticipates absurdism and its portrayal of the struggle against monotony and regret. This original adaptation is written by Adam Bryx.

Free student preview on September 4 @ 7pm. Bring your student ID. One weekend only. September 5 & 6 @ 7pm and September 7 @ 2pm. Talk back with the director and cast after the performance on September 6. Tickets available at the MAC: https://mercedcountyartscouncil.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F23337

07/23/2025

Kraken is staging a brand new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s timeless play, Uncle Vanya. Same melancholic characters, same bored characters, same miserable characters. Join us September 5-7 at the MAC.

05/15/2025

Last weekend to see Lucy Kirkwood's contemporary masterpiece. Hilarious, thought-provoking, and brilliantly-written, Kirkwood presents us a world where a nuclear fallout isn't simply radioactive, but also deeply moral.

Come see the explosive design work by Josh Christensen and Edgar Alamo, and the dynamic acting talent of Charlene West, and Heike and David Hambley. The show also features the original music composition of Justem Cox.

Final show dates are May 16 & 17 at 7pm, and May 18 at 2pm. Ticket link: https://mercedcountyartscouncil.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F17596%2Fstorefront

05/10/2025

Lucy Kirkwood presents a gripping, darkly comic drama set in a world still reeling from disaster. Two retired nuclear scientists live in quiet seclusion -- until an old friend arrives with a startling proposal that forces them to confront the cost of their past and the legacy they'll leave behind.

Tickets available for this weekend. Showtimes are 7pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Get your tickets:

https://mercedcountyartscouncil.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F17596%2Fstorefront

05/08/2025

A big thanks to the Merced County Times!

  Kraken Theatre Company presents Lucy Kirkwood’s play, The Children, at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center from May 9 through May 18. Based on the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the play centers on two retired nuclear scientists living just outside the exclusion zone. The plot twist...

05/08/2025

Opening night is tomorrow! Get your tickets now for The Children at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center - the MAC from May 9 to May 18. Tickets available online: https://mercedcountyartscouncil.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F17596%2Fstorefront

Cast:
Rose: Heike Hambley
Hazel: Charlene West
Robin: David Hambley

Director: Adam Bryx
Scenic Designer: Josh Christensen
Lighting Designer: Edgar Alamo
Composer: Justem Cox
Costume Designer: Lauren McCue-Bryx
Stage Manager: Hannah Prewett
Prop Manager: Zairah Quevedo