The premiere of Pillow Fortress by Aysha Zackria is the primary full manufacturing from Peregrine Theatre Firm, the“emerging-artist-focused” firm that launched in summer time 2025. (This manufacturing is in Arlington, Virginia’s Theatre on the Run) As a playwright, Zackria’s type is humanist with a powerful social justice edge, and Pillow Fortress reveals how younger ladies will be comfortable like a feather, playful in a slumber get together, and robust like a pepper sprayer, in methods that may help and damage suddenly.
It’s not a “greatest pal story” like many within the “girlhood performs” style, since these women are initially strangers. It’s a narrative of human nature and studying to exist with others you’re caught with. The pacing of the primary half dragged a bit, as air wanted to be reduce performance-wise. However the script itself is powerful, with well-developed dramatic suspense pushed by characters’ unhealthy decision-making and misunderstandings.
To set the scene: Three school women are engaged on a bunch venture on queering Virginia Woolf. They get caught inside after they discover out an armed attacker has escaped from jail and is on the lam that night time. Clearly, they cease working. On the neurotic Jordan’s insistence, they flip off the lights, cowl the home windows, and make a pillow fort to cover in. Then, to go the time, slumber get together antics ensue.
Every scholar tells a scary story at nighttime with a flashlight (all three tales are linked to traumas that finally tie into the unfolding battle). Between all of it, it’s revealed that Chelsea’s mom is a cop, which takes Ry, a Black lady, off guard. A charged recreation of fact or dare results in a pillow combat, the place Chelsea is by accident knocked out. Ry and Jordan, left alone, start to acknowledge their emotions for one another, get excessive, and pull a prank on Chelsea: writing “ACAB” in Sharpie on her brow.
The play shines most in its third act. It’s troublesome to witness in the easiest way as Ry makes Jordan cowl for her twice, whereas chastising her for cooperating with the police. By the top, audiences would possibly marvel: in a world with a lot worry, how will you be each sturdy and comfortable? What do you do to guard your self and keep protected? Can we achieve this in solidarity, or will we change into egocentric? How will we deal with one another? How will we save one another and have one another’s backs? Who’s harmless and who’s harming others?
Sia Li Wright’s portrayal of Ry’s anxiousness is gorgeous to see. Her worry of the cops comes off as professional, however she can also be caught in her methods and doesn’t contemplate the complete humanity of these round her. It’s not black and white, nevertheless it’s what she believes is correct, as a result of the trauma is deep-seated. It’s nice to see this actor in such a realist position after seeing her work within the classics and Brecht final yr.
Sommer Schaap provides a splendidly nuanced tackle the character of Jordan. Her efficiency carries the load of this play, grounding it with actuality. Jordan’s worry leads her to attempt to survive and be in management. She is aware of sweet-talk herself out of unhealthy conditions, even when it includes getting concerned with the cops.
As Chelsea, Camille Pivetta is cool and chill, but additionally the cop-apologetic one. Her heightened asshole vitality was a bit jarring in contrast with the opposite two extra naturalistic performers. However as drama ensues, she’s “only a woman” who desires her mother and to not get in hassle. She does spend lots of time knocked out on the sofa; maybe staging wherein you don’t must see her sleeping may have been thought-about. As her mother, Kim, Nadine Pineda supplies sincerity and severity as she searches for her daughter, anchoring the battle.
For a play executed in an intimate DIY type, akin to the spirit of the various current small indie theaters within the DMV space — in a black field with a minimalist but reasonable set evoking a school woman’s condominium with posters galore (Dom Ocampo) and on a regular basis costumes (Olivia Levin) — it was effectively produced, carried out, and written. The play may definitely profit from future productions at venues like District Fringe to additional its growth. However you’re lacking out when you don’t expertise this new work. These areas for burgeoning younger artists to create professionally and name the pictures are important, and the area must be watching Peregrine, certainly one of a number of new firms rising this yr, achieve this.
Working Time: 90 minutes, no intermission.
Pillow Fortress performs by means of March 22, 2026, introduced by Peregrine Theatre Firm, acting at Theatre on the Run, 3700 S 4 Mile Run Drive, Arlington, VA. Buy tickets ($26.90-$37.25) on-line.
This system is offered on-line.
Pillow Fortress
By Aysha Zackria
CAST
Ry: Sia Li Wright
Chelsea: Camille Pivetta
Jordan: Sommer Schaap
Kim: Nadine Pivetta
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Jaida Gillespie
Stage Supervisor: Megan Hanna
Manufacturing Supervisor: Marcus L. Maia
Dramaturg: Fatima Dyfan
Sound Designer: Hannah Chester
Costume Designer: Olivia Levin
Scenic and Props Designer: Dom Ocampo
Lighting Designer: E. Lieu Wolhardt
Affiliate Lighting Designer and Board Operator: Alexis Morrison
Affiliate Sound Designer: Mikayla White
Battle Choreographer: Nate Huff
Intimacy Marketing consultant: Kwezi Shongwe
Home Supervisor: Emma Magner
Entrance of Home Group: Erica Bass, Amelia Emory, Nate Huff
Co-Producers: Erica Bass and Nate Huff
