Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter
written by Timothy Griffin
directed by Ed Rutherford
October 10 - November 23, 2025
Based on Chapter Seven of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, this gothic horror high seas adventure tells the shocking events aboard the cargo ship transporting Count Dracula’s belongings from Transylvania to England. Suspicion, paranoia, and madness infect the crew as the harried sailors disappear one by one. Full of creeping mystery, vibrant language, rich characters, sinister vanishings, violent sea storms, swashbuckling action, monstrous puppetry, and, of course, a boatload of terrors, this is the Dracula tale you’ve never seen.
World Premiere co-production with Black Button Eyes Productions.
Cast
Crew
Jeremiah Barr (Props & Puppets) Jeremiah is happy to be a part of the Strange Cargo team. Some of his past credits include RUR (scenic design), Glassheart (scenic design), Night of the Hunter (scenic design) with City Lit Theatre; A Shadow Bright and Burning (scenic/props design) with Black Button Eyes; A Town Called Progress (scenic/props design) with Promethean Theatre Ensemble; Betrayal (scenic/props design), The Language Archive (scenic/props design) and The Pillowman (scenic/props design) with AstonRep Theatre Company. You might have also seen his TD handy work with Blue in the Right Way, Idle Muse. Jeremiah is super pleased to be working with such a great cast and fantastic crew and wishes them all the very best. A big shout out to Samantha for all her love and knowledge of cats that keeps him on his toes.
Liz Cooper is excited to be designing at City Lit again! Some of her favorite City Lit designs include Glassheart, Night of the Hunter, and Thirteen Days. Other favorite design credits include A Shadow Bright and Burning, Mary Rose, The Authorized Fan Production of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Ghost Quartet, and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes), I Promised Myself to Live Faster, The Golden Girls Lost Episodes at Golden Con 2022, The Drag Seed (The Chopin, Chicago and La Mama, NYC) and Christmas Dearest (Hell in a Handbag), and, The Winter's Tale (Oak Park Festival Theatre). She is an Artistic Associate at City Lit. Her light plot for Christmas Dearest was included in Live Design's 31 Days of Plots in 2021.
DJ Douglass (Projection Design) is absolutely thrilled to be working with City Lit. With a passion for creating immersive audio and visual experiences, DJ was recently honored with his second Jeff Award nomination for their outstanding projection work on The Network with Invictus. Over the years, DJ has brought their exceptional talent to a variety of productions. Their notable recent works include Network at Invictus, Reasons: A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire, Blue Heaven, and Real Housewives of Motown at Black Ensemble Theater, where their innovative designs have captivated audiences. Additionally, DJ's creative contributions can be seen in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Hoist, and To the New Girl with Foundlings Theatre Company, as well as in Shadow of Birds with Glass Apple Theatre. Their collaboration with Bare Knuckle Productions on Who is Tyler Durden further showcases their versatility and skill. DJ would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to their loving wife Ida for her continual support and encouragement throughout their artistic journey.
Hazel Marie Flowers-McCabe (Stage Manager) is positively chirked to be back at City Lit for the umpteenth time. Previous City Lit shows include The House of Ideas, The Birthday Party, Hay Fever, The Virginian, Hound of the Baskervilles, London Assurance, Hauptmann, Cocktail Time, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and MANY more. She has also had the pleasure of working with Midsommer Flight, Raven, A Red Orchid Theatre, Black Button Eyes Productions, Commedia Beauregard, Promethean Theater Ensemble, Hell in a Handbag, A Crew of Patches, Polarity Ensemble Theater, Red Hen/Chicago Jewish Theater, ARFTCo, L.I.V.E., and Accomplice.
Joe Griffin he/him/his (sound design/composition) has been a recording engineer/sound designer for over 30 years. His recent work includes War of the Worlds at Lifeline Theatre and Fahrenheit 451 and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Moraine Valley Community College. He’s also created sound designs for Commedia Beauregard’s Bard Fiction and A Klingon Christmas Carol, The Time Warp Trio and So You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? at Lifeline, and assorted shows for Mercury, Eclectic Full Contact, House, Bohemian, Annoyance, and Steep Theatre companies. Joe thanks his brother Tim for inviting him aboard this voyage.
Timothy Griffin (Playwright) is a Chicago playwright and actor, and an Honors graduate of Illinois State University. His plays, including MURDER IN MIRTHBURG, TICKLEBRAINS, RE: ALICE, and ONCE UPON A TIME… IN DENMARK! have been performed in Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Kansas City, Miami, and Chagrin Falls (Ohio). He was a four-time finalist in the Deathscribe International Festival of Horror Radio Plays, and his screenwriting work includes the short films THE CELLAR JOB and SNARE, as well as the cult creature feature TAIL STING. Favorite acting work includes the titular roles in HAMLET and RICHARD III, DIAL M FOR MURDER (Tony), BOOTH (Junius Booth), THE BOOK OF WILL (Burbage), and THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (Satan). He is also a writer of novels and short fiction and is an accomplished musician and fight choreographer.
Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach) is pleased to be returning to CityLit, after most recently coaching House of Ideas last season. Other CityLit credits include Night of the Hunter, Murder in the Cathedral, Playboy of the Western World, and London Assurance, among others. You may have heard her coaching efforts around town with First Folio, Lifeline Theatre, Babes with Blades, Pegasus, Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Aston Rep, Idle Muse, Redtwist, and Loyola University Chicago, where she also teaches. Many thanks to all involved, and to her family for putting up with her near-constant quiet mumbling in different voices.
Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Designer) Previous BBE credits include Mary Rose, Nightmares & Nightcaps (Jeff Nom 2019), Shockheaded Peter (Jeff Award winner 2018), Goblin Market, and Coraline. Beth also works frequently with; Hell In a Handbag Productions - I Promised Myself to Live Faster (Jeff Award winner 2024) A Fine Feathered Murder (Jeff Award winner 2023), Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical, and L’Imitation of Life. City Lit Theatre Co.- RUR, House of Ideas, Innocence of Seduction, and Fuente Ovejuna. She holds an MFA in Costume Design from CalArts, and a BA in Costume/Fashion Design from Indiana University.
R&D Choreography (Violence Design) is Victor Bayona (he/him) and Rick Gilbert (he/him). We are all sails set for our first time working with City Lit! R&D was founded in 1997 for the purpose of improving the power and effectiveness of Chicago area theatre through the art of violence design – choreographing better fights for better shows. We have designed violence for nearly four hundred productions and films. Our work has been seen at dozens of Chicago area theatres, including Backroom, Chicago Opera Theatre, Citadel, Factory, Goodman, Haven, Lifeline, Lookingglass, Metropolis, Oil Lamp, The Paramount, Piven, Steep, Steppenwolf, TUTA, and Theo.
Ruby Lowe (they/them) (Scenic Designer) is honored to help bring this gorgeously gothic work to the stage. Favorite credits include scenic design for Into The Woods (FVTC) and Heathers (point2 Productions), lighting design for Ride The Cyclone (NCC), and master electrician at Raven Theatre for over two years. Check out more of Ruby's work at rubylowestudio.com. Endless love to the boys, my partners, and my parents. Enjoy the voyage!
Ed Rutherford (Director) is pleased to rejoin City Lit, having acted in The Wind in the Willows (twice!), The Sign of the Four, and State Street. As Producing Artistic Director for Black Button Eyes Productions, directing credits include Ghost Quartet (Jeff Nom: Director- Musical), Evil Dead the Musical (Jeff Nom: Director- Musical), Shockheaded Peter, and Coraline. Promethean Theatre Ensemble: artistic associate, directing The Liar, The Last Unicorn, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Beyond Therapy. Book & Lyrics: Murder, ReWrote and Mary Rose. As an actor, he's performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. NU Theater degree, MBA Kellogg. ed-rutherford.com
