(the giant sleeps) Between Two Rivers
(the giant sleeps) Between Two Rivers is a playful, poetic look at the aspirations and inner fire that fuel all who've ever landed on New York's shores. It follows three ambitious New Netherlanders recently arrived to the original Dutch settlement; a waterlogged newcomer washed ashore, searching for purpose and footing on this unfamiliar island; and a gaggle of competing city officials each hungry to see their needs met as they navigate the shifting tides of climate change and "urban renewal." Based on equal parts historical research, contemporary interviews with long-term New Yorkers, and the heartfelt imagination of award-winning playwright Ben Holbrook, Between Two Rivers explores what it means to make your way in this wild city. How do we find belonging? What nourishes us on our journey? How do we build a truly sustainable future together in this city where dreams are made of?
The Team
Ben and Caitlin first met in a high school acting class over 20 years ago, and have been besties ever since. Ben has written for The Motor Company since 2018’s Laundryfest, and first brought Caitlin on board to direct his play for the Communal Spaces garden play festival in 2019. Their work together uses invented mythologies to uplift untold histories, recapturing human dignity and showcasing collective resilience through poetry and playfulness. They’ve presented shows in Grand Army Plaza and community gardens in Woodside and Bushwick.
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PLAYWRIGHT
Ben Holbrook is a Brooklyn-based (originally from NC) playwright, filmmaker, and creator of digital and live experiences whose works have been produced, developed, or commissioned by: Fundamental Theater Project, Ruddy Productions, The Samuel French OOB Festival, The Mercury Store, The New York International Fringe Festival, The Memphis Fringe Festival, The Motor Company, Wildwind Performance Lab, Voices of the South (TN), Ugly Rhino (LA), Seoul Players (SK), Holiday House, Find the Light (LA), The Irish Arts Council, 45th Street Block Association, and Paper Lantern Theatre Company (NC). His films have been seen at the Big Apple Film Festival, The Imaginarium Convention, The Comedy of Horrors Festival, The Sickest Short Films Festival, and The Films Open Mic Festival. He’s been awarded the Williamstown Theatre Festival Residency, Edward Albee Foundation fellowship, the Drama League Rough Draft Residency (partnering with Sam Underwood), Fresh Ground Pepper’s Playground Playgroup Residency, The New Concepts Theatre Lab at UNC-Greensboro, Magic Time at Judson Church, is the inaugural recipient of the Peter Shaffer Award for Excellence in Playwriting, and a winner of the 47th Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival.
Also a budding futurist, Ben enjoys exploring our futures from a mythological perspective in his writing, but has also worked with Extrapolation Factory, a design based research studio for participatory futures studies, to create pieces for The Ford Motor Company, Walker Art Center, and Ikea’s Space 10. Ben is the co-owner of Full Metal Workshop, an LLC that creates web based experiences, both original and for clients.
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DIRECTOR
Caitlin Wells brings 25 years of experience working in the arts as a producer, director, performer, creative consultant, and educator. Her work has been seen in venues like El Barrio Artspace PS109, BRIC, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Littlefield, The Sheen Center, PBS North Carolina, and NPR, and she's performed at Yale, Lincoln Center, INTAR, The Brick, The Actors’ Temple, Triskelion Arts, and The New Ohio. She's been awarded creative residencies from Drop Forge & Tool, Queen Street Magic Boat, Turkey Land Cove Foundation, and The Tank, as well as grants for the development of new work from Manbites Dog Theater Fund and City Artist Corps. Caitlin has interned with The Wooster Group and designed and taught arts and social justice-oriented curricula for educational institutions across the United States, Spain, and China. She currently works as the managing director of The Motor Company Theater and an associate director for Brooklyn's DreamStreet Theatre Company. She seeks out original work that centers community, the unpredictable, rigorous physicality, exposed plumbing, risk-taking, and raucous play.
The Cast
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DAVID HERNANDEZ III (Tulp/Assistant)
David is a South Dakota farm-born, Puerto Rican-raised, curly-haired queerdo currently thriving in NYC. He can be seen playing on stage with A Drinking Game NYC in Brooklyn at The Bell House. He originated characters such as White Winged Dove in The Dastardly Thornes vs the Town of Goldhaven, Nils in This Land of Plenty, and Rum in NYC Panto’s Sleeping Beauty. Other characters include Paul in A Chorus Line, Peter in Bare: A Pop Opera, and Gertrude/Alfred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He was the AD on the short film Papi, currently in the festival circuit. He loves making theater with his friends, breaking new ground, and pushing the boundaries of society. Instagram: @dhtothe3
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GIOVANNI NAARENDORP (Windmolen/Mayor/Ster)
Giovanni Miguel Naarendorp (BFA Emerson College ‘12) is a comedian and writer based in Brooklyn. Previous credits include The Town of Goldhaven vs. The Dastardly Thornes (The Brick), Memory Retrograde (Ars Nova/The Public), Christmastown (The Denizen Theater), Friyay (short, dir. Katie Colosimo), Young Mom, (short, dir. Cecilia Delgado), What’s Your Process (short, dir. Katie Colosimo), Good Guy (short, dir. Morgan Green), Phases of the Moon (short, dir. B. Monet), The Ultimate: By Lou Fescano (short, dir. Daniel Jaffe), Barely Adults (web series, dir. Christine Sanders), Life Sucks (digital series), and Cabin (short, dir. Josh Ruben). Gio produced and hosted two comedy variety shows in Brooklyn in 2021-2022, The Live Love Laugh Show and Night Boy, and his directing work has been recognized by the Bushwick Film Festival 2023. He continues to perform live sketch comedy with his team Dinner For One, which produced its first film short this year.
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JAZ ASTWOOD (Public Advocate/Maan)
Jaz Astwood is a born and raised New Yorker, hailing from the Bronx. Jaz has been performing from a young age and pursued the arts academically as a Vocal Performance Major at the Professional Performing Arts School, studied abroad at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, and received her BA in Theater from Lawrence University. Jaz just got done with a run of DIRT directed by Alice Jankell that played across the Putnam Theatre Alliance, and is THRILLED to be coming back for her 4th Motor Company production! Previous Motor Company shows include ORACULAR RECALL, WHAT GROWS, and, most recently, THE LIVE ONES. When Jaz is not on stage you can find her practicing her roller skating skills, creating theater with adults and youth with disabilities within the NYCDOE and as a CO/LAB teaching artist, and traveling any time she can! Follow her @JazAstwood on Instagram, or take a peek at her website JazAstwood.com to learn more about this amazing artist!
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LAUREN DORTCH-CROZIER (Held/NYCHA)
Lauren Dortch-Crozier is a Brooklyn based actor, backup singer, creator and self proclaimed coffee addict. Her resume includes Off-Broadway and regional theatre, various national commercial and voiceover credits, and the writer/creator of the It’s Fine series on Amazon. When offstage, she can most likely be found on a soccer pitch, or finding fellow beautifully chaotic souls to collaborate with.
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MARVIN RIGGINS (Oranj/Real Estate/Steeg)
Marvin is very excited to be performing again with The Motor Company. Marvin has traveled all over the country performing and is happy to be back in New York doing what he loves to do. Credits include a duck, chicken, a mad man, and many others.
