“I do think there’s something we’re all missing about the Scab’s story.”
Scab for Hire is an original play by Wesley Tilford, starring Wesley and Mia Martinez in dual roles.
When a man unknowingly crosses a picket line, he accidentally becomes a Scab. Left alone in the factory, he forms an unlikely friendship with an opossum he discovers living there. But when management orders him to get rid of his new companion, he faces an impossible choice: obey the boss or protect his friend? The answer is more complicated than it seems... Exploring labor inequality, the cult of personality, and—above all—the power of friendship, Scab for Hire is a thought-provoking and heartfelt journey you won’t forget.
Tickets are sold on a sliding scale ranging from $15 to $35 available HERE
Watch the Scab for Hire trailer here: https://youtu.be/sb1udxCr0tA?si=tNFhyRS6z6HEPEKs
Mia Martinez (she/her) (The Opossum | Liliana Garza) is a performer/choreographer (and various other sorts of theatrical artist when needed) based in Minneapolis. A true Minnesotan lake gal, she is originally from Detroit Lakes, MN and has had a lifelong love for telling stories through theatre, music, and dance. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Duluth in 2021 with a bachelor’s of arts in theatre and a minor in applied dance (& a bachelor’s of applied science in psychology, if you’re the curious type). Mia is especially passionate about musical theatre, new works, and pieces that advocate for a higher cause. She is also the co-founder and co-artistic director of Budding Heads Production Company, a new multimedia production company started by Mia and her partner in life and work, Wesley Tilford. When not onstage or in the studio, Mia can be found practicing yoga, playing the piano, nose deep in a good book, or showering her cats — Hermes, Frank, & Floyd — with her love and devotion.
Wesley Tilford (he/him) (The Scab | Tyler Bloom) is an actor, playwright, and director based in Minneapolis. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Budding Heads with his partner Mia Martinez. Wesley got his bachelor’s degree in theatre from Illinois State University in 2016. After working as a freelance actor for several years in both Chicago and Minneapolis, Wesley decided to go to grad school for acting in 2023. After finishing a year and a half of his MFA program, he made the difficult decision to drop out in order to pursue theatre making full-time. He came back to the Twin Cities at the beginning of the year to start Budding Heads Production Company with Mia in the hopes of creating original works and developing a diverse group of artists that enrich the Twin Cities community. Wesley has been developing Scab for Hire since 2023 and is excited to present it in its full form for the first time here at The Hive Collaborative!
Budding Heads Production Company is a new artistic production company motivated by the power of new ideas from many voices. We strive to promote community, open collaboration, and healthy artistic conflict within our work and to reject the outdated hierarchies often found in artistic spaces. We are eager to tell new stories and to create unconventional work with excited and empowered artists.