Curated & Presented by Alice Da Cunha & Isabella Diaz with INSÉKTA, Ruby Aviña, Laura Murillo Hart & Ruby Vallejo, Juan Arellano, Ilse Zacharias & Paula Sousa
80 minutes with intermission
Age Guidance: 12+
Monday, October 20th at 7:30pm
Atheneum Theater
2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Scratch Night highlights original, contemporary, visual and physical theatre works in progress by different Chicago Latine artists to give them the opportunity to perform a 10 minute work in progress in front of an audience to help with its development. Scratch Night aims to provide a social space for community, conversation and collaboration. This evening is curated and presented by Alice da Cunha and Isabella Diaz.
Scratch Night promueve la presentación de obras originales y contemporáneas creadas por artistas latines de Chicago, y se apoyan en el teatro físico. El objetivo se centra en brindar la oportunidad de presentar un work-in-progress de 10 minutos frente a una audiencia abierta al intercambio. Scratch Night busca ofrecer un espacio social para el diálogo y la colaboración. La curaduría de esta iniciativa está a cargo de Alice da Cunha y Isabella Diaz.
Scratch Night destaca novas obras teatrais originais, contemporâneas, visuais e físicas por diferentes artistas latinos de Chicago, dando-lhes a oportunidade de apresentar 10 minutos de um obra sendo criada nesse momento, diante de um público, contribuindo para o seu desenvolvimento. Scratch Night tem como objetivo proporcionar um espaço social para comunidade, conversa e colaboração. Esta noite tem curadoria e apresentação de Alice da Cunha e Isabella Diaz.
Scratch Night Line Up:
Matadora V1 by INSÉKTA
Ruby Aviña - presents Estrella
Two-headed Harlots of Heartache by Laura Murillo Hart & Ruby Vallejo
Standing Ovation by Juan Arellano
Knockout by Ilse Zacharias
Eu não sou daqui by Paula Sousa
MATADORA V1 by INSÉKTA
Performers: Sophie Daker, Lola Jett-Beachley and CJ Triche
Sound Editor: Alberto Mendoza
Rehearsal Support and Sounding Board: Rachel Damon
INSÉKTA is a Venezuelan/Peruvian creator, director, and performer based in Chicago, IL. Their work challenges expectations of Latinx performance, blending movement, physical storytelling, and Latin American futurism to explore power, identity, and communal connection. They are the co-founder and host of FLÁ Podcast, an audiovisual project that explores Latin American futurism.
INSÉKTA has performed for Erin Kilmurray (Search Party, Fly Honey Show X, Nightshade), Alex Grelle (Lady Di, The Grelley Duvall Show 4), and Body Watani (TERRANEA), and directed for Teatro La Plaza (Lima, Peru). Their multidisciplinary work transcends traditional choreography, blurring boundaries between performance and immersive experiences. Their projects have been recognized internationally, with exhibitions at SPACES Gallery (Cleveland, OH) and screenings at Blow Up Film Festival (Chicago, 2020). Currently, they work as a Co-Director of Pro Presentations & Marketing at Synapse Arts.
INSÉKTA creates poetic narratives that immerse audiences in unexpected landscapes of movement and meaning — explore their portfolio at www.insekta.art
Sophie Daker
Sophie Daker is a junior at Columbia College Chicago. She has been dancing for 17 years, training in various styles growing up. Sophie has a passion for challenging work and performance with the influence of contemporary, jazz and modern forms.
Lola Jett-Beachley
Lola Jett-Beachley is a dancer from Pittsburgh PA, where she trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Bodiography Contemporary Ballet. She is currently a junior at Columbia and hopes to pursue ballet, contemporary, heels, choreography, and teaching.
CJ Triche
CJ, whose training began in Seattle, Washington, is a senior at Columbia earning a BFA in Dance. Though based primarily in improv, CJ is trained in multiple styles and is expanding that range at CCC.
RUBY AVIÑA PRESENTS ESTRELLA
Ruby Aviña is a proud Chicago native from the Southside neighborhood of Brighton Park. A longtime theater and comedy performer, Ruby has been part of the Destinos Festival in past years with Ratas de Dos Patas and Antojitos Improv. This year, Ruby is thrilled to take the stage as a solo artist for Scratch Night, bringing their vibrant physical comedy to life through the character Estrella. This piece blends clowning, drama, and dance into a dynamic performance. Ruby is grateful to be part of this year’s festival and invites everyone to follow along for future shows on Instagram: @RubyDarko.
STANDING OVATION by JUAN ARELLANO
I am a 2024/2025 Second City Bob Curry Fellowship Recipient and a traveling stand-up comedian who has opened for the likes of Angelo Colina, Nacho Redondo, and Led Varela on the road. I have been a featured performer at festivals such as Motor City (Detroit), Fountain City (Kansas City), and Vatos Locos (Denver)
Eu não sou daqui by PAULA SOUSA
Paula Sousa (she/her) is a Brazilian movement artist based in Chicago. With a foundation in contemporary, improvisational techniques, and ballet, her work explores movement as a vehicle for connection—blending physicality, emotion, and visual storytelling to expand how audiences and performers engage with dance.
She holds degrees from the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) in Austria, the Bolshoi School in Brazil, and a degree in Public Policy from UNESA. Paula has performed and created work across Europe, South America, and the USA with companies including Balé do Teatro Guaíra, Arsenale della Danza at La Biennale di Venezia, Projeto Mov_oLA, and Hedwig Dances.
Her choreography spans stage and film. Recent works include Under My Thumbs (Hedwig Dances), Nós (Dance in the Parks), ANA (Ruth Page Civic Ballet Training Company), Push (Noumenon Dance Ensemble), and The Truth Within(Illinois State University).
More at www.paulasousa.art
TWO HEADED HARLOTTS OF HEARTACHE by LAURA MURILLO HART & RUBY VALLEJO
RUBY VALLEJO
First of all, thank you for being here and spending your time supporting theatre, your presence in our performance is precious.
My name is Ruby Vallejo and I am a creative based in Chicago, IL with many skills to offer. Graduating from The Theatre School at DePaul with a BFA in Acting means I can act, I can also produce, and stage manage and am interested in all the ways in which live performance comes to life.
Creating art which is alive with meaning and centers on connecting people is one of my favorite things and I am blessed to be able to do it alongside my powerhouse friends!
Lean on each other and believe in each other, liberation for all forever by aid of art!
Talk to me if you’d like.
LAURA MURILLO HART
Hello friends, lovers, dreamers & in-betweeners! Laura is a Colombian-American actor, musician, and mover with a love for all things beautiful and absurd in this world. Whether diving into devised ensemble work, or dancing through the surreal landscapes of clown and physical theatre, Laura brings a vibrant curiosity and fearless play to her creations. Her work bridges the poetic and the peculiar, often blending music, movement, and character into kaleidoscopic storytelling. She most recently performed in “Circus Quixote” at Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago, Illinois & “Tigre Tigre” with Fox and Beggar. Check out more of her creations at @foggynotionphysicaltheatre on Instagram.
KNOCKOUT by ILSE ZACHARIAS
THE CURATORS
ISABELLA DIAZ
Isabella Luisa Diaz is a multi-disciplinary artist from Chicago, Illinois. From a young age, they found a joy for movement and a hankering for heights. They spent their youth competing in gymnastics and studying dance, continuing on at Western Michigan University and the Joffrey Ballet School. In 2016 they joined Pilobolus Dance Theatre as a part of their main company and toured around the world for 4 years. In 2021, they began working with The 7 Fingers contemporary circus and was part of the creation for the show ‘Dear San Francisco’ and the Broadway musical ‘Water for Elephants’. They have held various roles with US-based circuses such as Shoestring Circus and Midnight Circus, including acrobat, musician, and guest director. In 2025 they launched the circus collective Company 29, where they are co-director and composer. Isabella is a collector of hobbies, lover of books and a fiend for a good fun fact. They are very excited to be working with Destinos and the Scratch Night team this season!
ALICE DA CUNHA
Alice Da Cunha is a Brazilian/Portuguese actress, director and producer who has worked in Portugal, the UK and the US. She is a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Physical Theater Festival. Her past experiences working in festivals include: Marketing Director, CASA (London's Latin American Theatre Festival); Producer/Presenter/Curator, Shortcutz London (weekly short film festival); Production Assistant, TODOS Festival (an interdisciplinary festival in Lisbon, Portugal); Hospitality, Chicago Latino Film Festival. A brief list of her acting credits include: United Flight 232 (House Theater) -Jeff Award for Best Ensemble & Midsize Production-, La Ruta (Steppenwolf Theater), The Clean House (Remy Bumppo) & This Much is True (Theater 503, UK). Recent directing credits include: The Crone Chronicles (Pride Arts Chicago; PhysFest NYC) and Co-Direction of The Dream King (Teatro Vista) - Jeff Award Nomination for Best Direction. Alice is also an Artistic Consultant to Theater Unspeakable and Adjunct Professor at Loyola University.