MARY CHIEFFO STARS IN ELLIE PYLE’S BLOOD BRIDES AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE

Blood Brides

Bespoke Plays returns to the Hollywood Fringe Festival with a tour de force solo performance from MARY CHIEFFO (Star Trek: Discovery, Girls5eva) in Blood Brides, written and directed by ELLIE PYLE (Bespoke Plays, Women of Marvel), co-produced by Laurie Goulding.

“Will these hands ne’er be clean?” Have you ever wondered what happens between Lady Macbeth’s final sleepwalking scene and her off-stage death? In this provocative one-woman show, she summons the spirits of Clytemnestra, Bathsheba, and Igraine–all of whom married their husband’s murderer (like Lady Macbeth’s historical counterpart, Gruoch). Blood Brides weaves history and mythology into a searing meditation on marriage and murder, magic and fate, legacy and survival.

“I’m honored to inhabit these intricate, archetypal women in Blood Brides ” performer Mary Chieffo said. “Their complex stories need to be told through a sharp feminist lens and Ellie has done just that with this poetic and powerful piece. I hope our audiences leave the theatre feeling more enlightened about the sacrifices all four of these women made and the legacies they left behind."

“Mary has been the perfect collaborator in developing this piece” writer/director Ellie Pyle enthused. “Part of what makes these characters timeless is how they can evolve with our own perspectives to fit our modern moment. It’s been a joy to watch Mary breathe new depth and vitality into each of them with her riveting and detailed performance.”

Performance Schedule – The Broadwater Black Box
6322 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tuesday, June 10 at 9:30 PM
Thursday, June 12 at 5:00 PM
Saturday, June 14 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, June 26 at 11:00 PM
Saturday, June 28 at 5:30 PM
Run Time: 50 minutes
Tickets: $20 – Available at www.BespokePlays.com and the Hollywood Fringe website.
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

MARY CHIEFFO (she/they) is a queer actor/producer known internationally as Klingon Commander turned Chancellor L’Rell on Star Trek: Discovery. Mary is thrilled to return to Bespoke for Blood Brides, having participated in their past staged readings of Analogue by Christine Boylan, Heretics and Graves by Ellie Pyle, Lady Face and Systems by Madi Goff. After playing numerous Shakespeare roles including the titular characters in King Lear and Macbeth, Chieffo received her BFA from Juilliard in 2015, along with the Elizabeth Smith Voice and Speech Prize and the Saint-Denis Prize for “Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Drama.” Mary most recently collaborated with the Dutch theatre collective Nineties in their interactive piece Bring Back The Happening for the La Jolla Playhouse’s 2025 WOW Festival. In 2021, Mary produced and starred in Iago: The Green-Eyed Monster, a Musical AR Experience reinterpreting the notorious Shakespeare villain as a woman, co-created with Josh Nelson Youssef in collaboration with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions and Verizon (Webby Award WINNER Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 2023, Tribeca X Finalist). Chieffo also stars in and served as executive and creative producer on the short film Every Morning, a queer sci-fi love story written by and co-starring her real-life partner Madi Goff, alongside Dr. Erin Macdonald’s LGBTQ+ owned Spacetime Productions (Women In Media Parity In Action Badge, River Bend Film Fest WINNER Spirit of the Fest Award, Indie Short Fest WINNER Best Acting Duo, Outstanding Achievement LGBTQ+ Short). Website: marychieffo.com

ELLIE PYLE (she/her) is the Executive Artistic director of Bespoke Plays which she co-founded with Christine Boylan. She has been writing, producing and directing plays since she was a teenager. Recent Bespoke Plays credits include: writing Sources, Heretics, and Graves.; directing Lady Face by Madi Goff, and co-directing The Sphere of Fixed Stars in the Heavens by J. Holtham for the Hollywood Fringe. She wrote the book for the musical Whiterock Cliff, Ryan McCurdy’s one-man version of which premiered off-Broadway in 2021. Outside of the theatre, she’s published two novels; developed 7 narrative podcasts for Marvel (while co-hosting the Ambie nominated podcast WOMEN OF MARVEL); and has edited more comics than she wishes to count. In 2024, she had back to back performances of her plays Sources, Heretics, and Graves in Los Angeles, London, and Portland. Most recently, she directed the Los Angeles staging of Water Party by Mimi Collins. Website: ElliePyle.com

BESPOKE PLAYS is an international, female founded, non-profit that develops plays from reading to production through a process customized to the goals of the writer and readiness of the play. The creative exchange and collaboration they facilitate between Los Angeles and London creates international opportunities for writers with diverse stories and worldviews. Bespoke Plays specializes in developing bold new theatrical voices while reducing financial barriers in professional theatre, ensuring important narratives reach the stage regardless of traditional resource constraints.

For press inquiries or interview requests please contact: [email protected].
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