That Which Hath Made Me Bold: Kayla Rivers plays Lexi in MACBITCHES

"Lots of us are good. You’re just the one who gets told you are."

When freshman Hailey is cast as Lady Macbeth, a meet-and-greet party with upper-class peers becomes a night of spilled tea and sabotage. A darkly humorous tale about creative rivalries and toxic environments, MACBITCHES continues its run in the Firemen's Kitchen at Hickory Community Theatre, May 8th through May 16th.

Making her HCT debut as the salty, straight-talking Lexi is Kayla Rivers.

Rivers, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from UNC-Charlotte, was born and raised in Catawba County, but recently moved to Hickory after a decade of living in nearby Mecklenburg County. Given the move, and gas prices being what they are, it's no surprise that Rivers considers herself "the actor most likely to walk to rehearsal."

Though this is Rivers' first show at HCT, she is a familiar face to audiences at the Green Room Community Theatre, where she has appeared in such productions as SHREK THE MUSICAL, MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S (for which she won a Most Valuable Cast Member Award), DRACULA; A COMEDY OF TERRORS, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, THE TEMPEST, and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED).

For Rivers, this production ticks a lot of the boxes she likes as a performer. "I love a black box show. The space is so intimate, and every detail is seen by the audience so there’s nothing to hide behind. I love sharing shows with the audience right there. I also love Shakespeare. I have upwards of 10 of his shows under my belt.

"Lexi has quite the potty mouth, so it’s been really fun to find her acting beats. Like, when is she dropping an F-bomb for fun, or for shock value, or for a genuine emotion?"

Performances of MACBITCHES are Fridays and Saturdays, May 8th-16th at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 10th at 2:30pm; and Thursday, May 14th at 7:30pm.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for youth and students. Due to adult language and content, the production is recommended for ages 18 and up. Tickets are available at hickorytheatre.org or by calling 828‑328‑2283.

MACBITCHES is produced in association with Pretty Chicken Productions, with additional support from a Friend of the Theatre. Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of Arts Culture Catawba and receives sustaining support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Season 77 support is provided by the City of Hickory, A Cleaner World, Shurtape Technologies, Acuña & Acuña Dentistry, and BellaAge.

(Photo: Katherine Stone)