Babes With Blades Theatre Company
Chicago, IL
Photo: Joe Mazza
Drama; Sci-fi/ 7 characters (2 women, 1 man, 4 any gender) + min. 4 ensemble (any gender)/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: The Mark centers on a dystopian, classist society where a young Laborer named Raina is given an unexpected chance to join The Army.
As she starts to acclimate to her new position and higher standing in society, a resistance is brewing among The Laborers. An assassination attempt upends Raina’s life as she becomes caught in the middle of the war between the two classes, as well as her own battle of discovering who and what she believes in.
From the Chicago Reader: “A dystopian tale with young-adult-thriller energy … plot twists ensue, fights are settled with fists and grit, and emotional connections still bloom in this story, which centers humans and the price we pay for our affiliations.”
“Striking, thought-provoking theatre.” – Stage and Cinema
“A climactic bloody feud has the audience gasping.” – The Fourth Walsh
Amateur and professional rights:
Jillian Leff
jeleff11@gmail.com
Ph.: (440) 655-3408
About the Playwright: Jillian Leff is a Chicago-based playwright, actor, and stage combat nerd. Her full-length plays MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, SMALL WORLD (co-written with Joe Lino), (NON)FICTION, THE S PARADOX, and THE MARK have had productions in Chicago and Los Angeles, with SMALL WORLD receiving a Jeff Award Nomination for New Work for its Chicago world premiere.
Additionally, THE S PARADOX is a winner of Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s Joining Sword and Pen Competition/ Margaret W. Martin Award, and THE MARK was a 2023-2024 Henley Rose Playwright Competition for Women Finalist.
Several of her short plays have also been produced in Chicago, including REAL TALK, which was a Finalist for the City Theatre National Award for Short Playwriting, is published in The City Theatre Anthology 2015, and has also been produced in Indiana and Florida. She has a BFA in Acting from Ball State University, is an Advanced Actor Combatant with The Society of American Fight Directors, and is an Ensemble Member and Literary Manager of BWBTC.
The Mark was first produced by Babes With Blades Theatre Company, Chicago IL, in October 2025.
“A relevant and thoroughly entertaining show.” – Buzz Centre Stage