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Showing posts with label A Red Orchid Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Red Orchid Theatre. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

The Chicago Premiere of Is God Is Via A Red Orchid TheatreApril 6 – May 28, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

IS GOD IS

BY ALESHEA HARRIS

DIRECTED BY MARTI GOBEL

 April 6 – May 28, 2023

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of Is God Is by Aleshea Harris, directed by Marti Gobel. Is God Is runs April 6 – May 28, 2023 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. The press performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 15 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm. Single tickets for Is God Is will go on sale on Monday, March 6 at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

When twins Racine and Anaia receive a letter from the mother they thought was dead, they swear to avenge her — and themselves — with blood. Their “mission from God” spans from the Dirty South to the California desert, from hip-hop to Afropunk, from ancient tragedy to the Spaghetti Western. Winner of the 2016 Relentless Award and the 2018 Obie Award for Playwriting, Is God Is asks us to consider the roots and futility of cyclical violence, and to question ourselves for wallowing so happily in stories that traffic in it.

Dates:            

Previews: April 6 – 14, 2023

Press Performances: Saturday, April 15 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm

Opening: Sunday, April 16, 2023

Regular Run: April 20 – May 28, 2023

 

Schedule:        

Thursdays:     7:30 p.m.

Fridays:          7:30 p.m. 

Saturdays:      3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  

Sundays:        3:00 p.m.  

 

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St.

Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run. ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening & Sun matinee) 

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org

 

Ticket Information

FLASHPASS subscribers enjoy ticket flexibility and exchanges, additional ticket discounts, and reserved seating. The Two-show FLASHPASS is $70 and includes one ticket to each of the 2 shows in our 30th Season, excluding Opening Night.  The Preview FLASHPASS is $50 and includes one ticket to a preview performance of each of the 2 shows in our 30th season. 

FLASHPASSES and individual tickets may be purchased online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. 

A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors, and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. And we welcome you to join our Red League, Founders Circle, or Orchid Visionary members. These philanthropic leaders foster the development of raw and relevant work: creating a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensuring that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre. To learn more, please contact Individual Giving Coordinator Stephanie Shum at stephanie@aredorchidtheatre.org or 312-943-8722.

 

COVID-19 Policies

A Red Orchid will no longer check vaccination status for entry. We do follow the community masking guidelines recommended by Chicago Department of Public Health and CDC Community Risk Levels as outlined below (https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/covid-dashboard.html).

When Community Risk Level is HIGH (Red)- high quality masks required indoors and in large groups.

When Community Risk Level is MEDIUM (yellow) - Masks are strongly recommended indoors and in large groups. If you are immunocompromised or at higher risk, consider wearing a mask at indoor public settings where vaccination status is unknown.

When Community Risk Level is LOW (green)- masks are optional. If you are immunocompromised or at higher risk, consider wearing a mask at indoor public settings where vaccination status is unknown.

These policies are subject to change based on guidance provided by the CDC, as well as local and state public health authorities. A Red Orchid is grateful for our community’s cooperation in keeping our audiences, artists, and employees safe.

  

About A Red Orchid

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 30 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights, and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Myron Elliott-Cisneros, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Steve Schine, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, and Natalie West.  


Tuesday, April 19, 2022

A Red Orchid Theatre's World Premiere of LAST HERMANOS April 21 – June 12, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

LAST HERMANOS 

BY EXAL IRAHETA 

DIRECTED BY ISMAEL LARA, JR. 

 

April 21 – June 12, 2022 

 

 A Red Orchid Theatre  presents the World Premiere of Last Hermanos by Exal Iraheta, directed by Ismael Lara, Jr.. Last Hermanos runs April 21 – June 12, 2022 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. I'll be out for the press performance April 30th, so check back soon for my full review. Single tickets for Last Hermanos are on sale now at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. 

Reunited and on the run, Miguel and Julio are fleeing an America where being Latinx is a life sentence. Sequestered in a Texas state park, the arrival of a sympathetic deserter, Shepherd, brings the conflict between Julio’s desire for revolution and Miguel’s longing for normalcy into sharp focus. Recorded last season as an audio play and now in its theatrical world premiere, LAST HERMANOS is a story of tenacious brotherhood and love in a not-so-distant future that asks: which path promises the better future?  

The cast includes Eddie Martinez (Miguel), Roberto Jay (Julio), and Chris Sheard (Shepherd).  

The creative team includes Ismael Lara, Jr. (Director), Mara Ishihara Zinky (Scenic), Johan Gallardo (Costumes), Josiah Croegaert (Lights), Joe Court (Sound), Erin Gautille (Props), Alden J. Vasquez (Stage Manager), Lauren Krohn (Assistant Stage Manager), Corey Bradberry (Production Manager), Valen-Marie Santos (Assistant Director), and Leean Kim Torske (Dramaturg). 

“On the heels of the incredibly rewarding collaborations of The Moors, I am thrilled to be reaching further outside ourselves to nurture collaborations with some of the most exciting new-to-us artists I have ever encountered,” says Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. “The pandemic certainly interrupted many a process and collaboration.  I think that makes our journey with Exal and his play Last Hermanos even more special.  From draft to draft to audio play and back to stage, the relationship between these brothers and the world of Last Hermanos continues to reveal new truths that bring us face to face with our own humanity.  Exal’s generosity in sharing this story is matched beautifully by the generosity of spirit, curiosity, and creative genius of our Director, Ismael Lara Jr.  With these two artists at the helm, Last Hermanos breathes deeper at every turn, unearthing both the power and the fragility of family and its function in our ever-shifting environments.”  

 

About the Artists 

EXAL IRAHETA (Playwright) is a Chicago-based Salvi-American playwright & screenwriter by way of Houston, TX. His work explores the intersections of belonging, family, queerness, Latinx identity, violence, and sexuality. Exal is The Chance Theatre’s 2022 Resident Playwright, was a 2020/2021 Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit member, and a selected playwright in the 2018 Fornés Playwriting Workshop. In 2019, his play They Could Give No Name was chosen for Victory Gardens' Ignition Festival and an honorable mention in the American Playwriting Foundation's 2019 Relentless Award. Exal earned an MFA from Northwestern University's Writing for the Screen and Stage program and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. On the weekends, Exal enjoys walks with his husband Chris. 

ISMAEL LARA, JR. (Director) is a Mexican director, educator, and producer, who focuses on bridging the gap between institutions and the Latiné community. He has developed plays in collaboration with Cleveland Public Theatre’s Entry Point, Playwrights Local CLE, Kane Rep, Rec Room Arts, Creede Repertory Theater, Lake Forest College, The Lark, and National Queer Theatre. Selected credits include In His Hands (NU), The Displaced (NU Audio), Tomas & The Library Lady (NU), El Guayabo (Creede Rep), The Thing I Hold (Hangar Wedge), And All the Dead Lie Down (Convergence-Continuum), Aunt Leaf (Cleveland Play House Academy), and The Elephant Man (French Creek). Chicago assistant credits include American Mariachi (Goodman), I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Steppenwolf), and The Leopard Play, or sad songs for lost boys (Steep). Ismael is a recipient of the Hangar Drama League Fellowship, the current Northlight Artistic Fellow, and an MFA Directing candidate at Northwestern University. 

EDDIE MARTINEZ (Miguel) is a Teatro Vista ensemble member seen in Parachute Men, Fade, and Hope (Victory Gardens and Den Theatre). Other credits include: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Our Lady of 121st Street (Steppenwolf); Native Gardens (Old Globe); Fade (Denver Center, Cherry Lane, TheatreWorks); As You Like It (Denver Center); Big Lake Big City, Cascabel (Lookingglass); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens); and Romeo y Julieta (Chicago Shakespeare). Film/TV credits include: Sense8 (Netflix), Sirens (USA), Chicago Fire (NBC), Shameless (Showtime), and The Dilemma (Universal). 

ROBERTO JAY (Julio) is humbled to make his AROT debut in Last Hermanos. Other Chicago credits include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly (Northlight Theatre), The Royal Society of Antarctica (The Gift Theatre Ensemble), The Laramie Project (Aston Rep), and a reading of The Hours are Feminine by Jose Rivera (Goodman Theatre). Prior to working in Chicago, Roberto apprenticed at Actors Theatre of Louisville and was featured in several productions, including A Christmas Carol, Girlfriend by Todd Almond, and 27 Ways I Didn’t Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne directed by Meredith McDonough. Film credits include Blame, Alex/October, and festival circuit pick Moon Talk, which he also wrote and produced. TV credits include Showtime's American Rust. Roberto is represented by Big Mouth Talent and Management by Morgan. 

CHRIS SHEARD (Shepherd) is thrilled to be making his A Red Orchid Theatre debut! Chris is an ensemble member with Definition Theatre (An Octoroon, A Doll’s House) and has performed at Chicago theatres such as Goodman Theatre (A Christmas Carol for four years, The Winter’s Tale), Writers Theatre (The Last Match, Arcadia), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Nell Gwynn, SS!), Remy Bumppo, Steppenwolf, American Blues, TimeLine, and Windy City Playhouse. Regional credits include five seasons with American Players Theatre (Romeo and Juliet, The Seagull, A Phoenix Too Frequent), Third Avenue Playhouse, and Great River Shakespeare. He is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. He received his MFA from the University of Illinois and his BA from Florida State and is back in school again for social work. 

Dates:

Previews: April 21 – 29, 2022 

Press Performances: Saturday, April 30 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm 

Regular Run: May 5 – June 12, 2022 

 

Schedule:    

Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. 

Fridays:  7:30 p.m.  

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.   

Sundays:  3:00 p.m.   


Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St. 

Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run.  ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening & Sun matinee)  

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org.


 

Covid 19 Policies 

A Red Orchid is part of a growing coalition of more than 70 performing arts venues and producers across Chicagoland who have agreed upon Covid-19 Vaccination and Mask Requirements for audiences. This unified COVID-19 protection protocol requires audience members to provide proof of vaccination or negative test certification upon entry and to wear masks.   

These venues and their performers, backstage crew and staff will comply with vaccination requirements and testing protocols to further ensure the safety of all guests and company members. The current protocols were developed by the coalition in consultation with public health officials. They will be reviewed regularly and may include an extension or relaxation of certain provisions if the science dictates.  

All patrons will need to be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine in order to attend a performance at A Red Orchid Theatre and must show proof of vaccination and identification at their time of entry into the venue with their valid ticket. “Fully vaccinated” means the performance date must be at least 14 days after the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or at least 14 days after a single-dose vaccine. Where negative tests are accepted, guests may provide proof of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time. This includes accommodations for children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination. All patrons will have to wear a mask throughout the performance and during their time in the theatre. Refreshments and all concessions will not be served this season at A Red Orchid.   

 


About A Red Orchid 

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 29 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights, and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.   

A Red Orchid Theatre  is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Myron Elliott-Cisneros, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Steve Schine, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, and Natalie West.   

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of The Moors January 6 – February 27, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

A RED ORCHID THEATRE WELCOMES AUDIENCES BACK WITH

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

THE MOORS

By JEN SILVERMAN

DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR KIRSTEN FITZGERALD




January 6 – February 27, 2022


A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of The Moors, written by Jen Silverman and directed by Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. The Moors runs January 6 – February 27, 2022 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. Single tickets for The Moors are on sale now at www.aredorchidtheatre.org

On the wind-blown desolate moors two spinster sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the savage land around them. When a governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, all three are forced to ask what price they might pay for love. Inspired (perhaps) by certain 19th-century gothic romances, and the sisters who wrote them, this savage comedy disrupts the conventions of visibility. 

The cast of The Moors includes Ensemble Members Karen Aldridge, Dado, Jennifer Engstrom and Guy Van Swearingen, with Audrey Billings and Christina Gorman.

The creative team includes Milo Bue (scenic design), Myron Elliott-Cisneros (costume design), Kaili Story (lighting design), Jeffrey Levin (sound design), Therese Ritchie (props design), Elenna Sindler (vocal/music direction), and Christina Gorman (fight/intimacy direction), and Kathleen Dickinson (stage manager).

Dates:                       

Previews: January 6-15, 2022

I'll be out for the Press Performance Saturday, January 15th, so check back soon at ChiILLiveShows.com for my full review. 

Opening: Sunday, January 16, 2022

 

Schedule:                    

Thursdays:    7:30 p.m.

Fridays:          7:30 p.m. 

Saturdays:     3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  

Sundays:        3:00 p.m.  

                       

Location: 

A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.

Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run. ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening &Sun matinee) 

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org


Ticket Information

FLASHPASS subscribers enjoy ticket flexibility and exchanges, additional ticket discounts, and reserved seating. The Two-show FLASHPASS is $60 and includes one ticket to each of the 2 shows in our 29th Season, excluding Opening Night.  The Preview FLASHPASS is $40 and includes one ticket to a preview performance of each of the 2 shows in our 29th season. 

FLASHPASSES and individual tickets may be purchased online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors, and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. And we welcome you to join our Red League, Founders Circle, or Orchid Visionary members. These philanthropic leaders foster the development of raw and relevant work—creating a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensuring that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre. To learn more, please contact Managing Director Abigail Madden at abigail@aredorchidtheatre.org or 312-943-8722.

 


Covid 19 Policies

A Red Orchid is part of a growing coalition of more than 70 performing arts venues and producers across Chicagoland who have agreed upon Covid-19 Vaccination and Mask Requirements for audiences. This unified COVID-19 protection protocol requires audience members to provide proof of vaccination or negative test certification upon entry and to wear masks.  

These venues and their performers, backstage crew and staff will comply with vaccination requirements and testing protocols to further ensure the safety of all guests and company members. The current protocols were developed by the coalition in consultation with public health officials. They will be reviewed regularly and may include an extension or relaxation of certain provisions if the science dictates. 

All patrons will need to be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine in order to attend a performance at A Red Orchid Theatre and must show proof of vaccination and identification at their time of entry into the venue with their valid ticket. “Fully vaccinated” means the performance date must be at least 14 days after the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or at least 14 days after a single-dose vaccine. Where negative tests are accepted, guests may provide proof of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time. This includes accommodations for children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination. All patrons will have to wear a mask throughout the performance and during their time in the theatre. Refreshments and all concessions will not be served this season at A Red Orchid.  


About A Red Orchid

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 29 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights, and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Myron Elliott-Cisneros, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Steve Schine, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West. 

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

OPENING: EUGENE IONESCO'S KILLING GAME VIA A RED ORCHID THEATRE May 2 – June 23, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

 A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS
KILLING GAME
By EUGENE IONESCO
directed by ENSEMBLE MEMBER DADO
FEATURING ENSEMBLE MEMBERS LANCE BAKER AND DOUG VICKERS on stage 
and Mike Durst and Karen Kawa with Lighting design and dramatugy

May 2 – June 23, 2019

I'll be seeing Killing Game the week of May 12th, so check back soon for my full review. A Red Orchid Theatre presents Eugene Ionesco’s Killing Game, directed by Ensemble Member Dado, and featuring Ensemble Members Lance Baker and Doug Vickers. Killing Game runs May 2 – June 23, 2019 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. Tickets for Killing Game now on sale.

A town is beset by plague and the bodies are piling up along with moral accusations, political implications and medical speculations.  We peer into households and down many streets as people search for any logic to the ceaseless barrage of death. One of Ionesco's last plays, Killing Game is a piercing and frighteningly funny look at how the function of language and the panic surrounding social crisis sends a community into a chaotic state of paranoia, hypocrisy and opportunism. 

The cast of Killing Game includes Ensemble Members Lance Baker and Doug Vickers, along with Angela Alise, Dano Duran, Sherman Edwards, Andres Enriquez, Roy Gonzalez, Maya Lou Hlava, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Ashley Neal and Londen Shannon.

The creative team for Killing Game includes Elenna Sindler (original music), Grant Sabin (set design), Kotryna Hilko (costumes), Mike Durst (lighting design), Sarah Putts (sound design), Samantha Rausch (properties) and Ensemble Member Karen Kawa (Dramaturgy).

About the Artists
Dado (Director) is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre. Last year she directed Simpatico by Sam Shepard at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. Recent AROT productions are The Room by Harold Pinter, The Mutilated by Tennessee Williams and Red Handed Otter by Ethan Lipton. Dado appeared on AROT's stage in Brett Neveu’s Traitor, Abbie Spallen's Strandline, and she also appeared here in an incubator, Celebration, (by Harold Pinter) which was a musical experiment with percussion ensemble Beyond This Point, which she also directed. Last spring dado acted in Theatre Wit's Chicago premiere of Ann Washburn's 10 out of 12. She is the recipient of the 2017 Edes Prize. She holds an MFA in visual art from University of Chicago. 

Angela Alise (Ensemble) ​is making her A Red Orchid Theatre debut. Angela ​is an award-winning performer, writer and producer originally from KCMO. ​Her favorite acting credits include ​The Wolves (Goodman); ​The House That Will Not Stand (Victory Gardens);​ Saturday Night/Sunday Morning (Prologue at Steppenwolf Garage Rep); ​How We Got On​ (Haven); ​Black Side of the Moon, Nothing to Lose but Our Chains (Second City at Woolly Mammoth) and ​Almost Accurate Guide to America (Second City at The Kennedy Center). Angela is a 2018 NBC Universal/Second City Bob Curry Fellow. She holds a BA in Theatre and Sociology from Loyola University and is represented by Gray Talent Group. 

Lance Baker (Ensemble) is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre. He has been seen here in Evening At The Talk House, The Mutilated, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Becky Shaw, The Mandrake, Hunger and Thirst, and The Grey Zone. He also directed The Earl and co-directed A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant.

Dano Duran (Ensemble) returns to A Red Orchid Theatre where he was last seen in The Room and understudied for Traitor at AROT. He is more than honored to be able to work with this generous theatre company once again. By day he can sell you a house. 

Sherman Edwards (Ensemble) is making his A Red Orchid Theatre debut! He was named 2012’s “Best Stand Up Comic in Chicago” by the Chicago Reader. He's been lucky enough to perform at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and a few other notable places. TV/ Film credits include Single Long (HBO GO); Empire (FOX) and the upcoming feature film Monuments. Sherman is represented by Paonessa Talent.

Andrés Enriquez (Ensemble) is making his A Red Orchid debut Chicago credits include: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Merrily We Roll Along (Porchlight Music Theatre); Sylvester, Northanger Abbey (Lifeline Theatre); A Wonderful Life, My Way (TATC); Adding Machine (Hypocrites) and Love and Information (Remy Bumppo). Regional credits include: School House Rock Live! (Birmingham Children’s Theatre); The Fantasticks, The 39 Steps (Shawnee Theatre); The Woman In Black (Iowa Repertory) and Scapin (Colonial Williamsburg). He is a proud ensemble member of Lifeline Theatre, where he also serves as Casting Director. Andrés received his MFA from the University of Iowa and is represented by Gray Talent.

Roy Gonzalez (Ensemble) returns to A Red Orchid Theatre after being seen in the 2016 production of The Mutilated. In the past, he's worked as an actor and musician with companies like Steep Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, The Hypocrites, and a number of others you've probably heard of. He's been featured in a couple of those Dick Wolf shows, several commercials as the spokesman for an auto insurance company, and as the young dad to ethnically ambiguous families in holiday print ads. Roy is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. 

Maya Lou Hlava (Ensemble) returns to A Red Orchid where she was most recently seen in The Nether. Other Chicago credits include Zurich (Steep Theatre); Oklahoma (Marriott Theatre); Violet (Griffin Theater); Trevor (Writers Theatre); White Christmas, Bye Bye Birdie (Drury Lane Theater); Jake's Women (Spartan Theatre Company);The Secret Garden (Court Theatre); The Talking Cure (Idle Muse Theatre Company); Jane Eyre (Lifeline Theatre) and The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre). Television credits include Chicago Med. 

Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Ensemble) is a fifth grader at Peirce Elementary school on Chicago's north side. She made her professional debut in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 2014 production of Gypsy and her big screen debut that spring in the full-length indie feature Fools.  Most recently, she was seen in Steve McQueen's Widows as Kirsten Fitzgerald's gun loving daughter, and in the Cox Communications commercial "Windblown.” Proudly represented by Gray Talent Group.

Ashley Neal (Ensemble) returns to A Red Orchid Theatre again having previously appeared in The Nether and Red Handed Otter. She is a proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble where she has appeared in many productions, including Alias Grace, Call in Camo, Scientific Method, Wrens, and others. Other shows you may have seen her in include London Wall, Men Should Weep, Stage Door (Griffin Theatre); The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle (Steep Theatre); Reverb (Redtwist Theatre); 25 Saints (Pine Box); Holidaze (Step Up Productions); Scenes from the Big Picture (Seanachi) as well as work with Chicago Dramatists, Jackalope Theatre, Victory Gardens, Strawdog, The Greenhouse Theatre, and others. Ashley is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago and The School at Steppenwolf. Thanks to the AROT crew for being kick ass and to my husband for all his support. 

Jill Oliver (Ensemble) returns to A Red Orchid Theatre, where she was last seen in Dado’s Incubator production of A Night Out. Jill spent 9 years as an ensemble member of The Factory Theater where she produced, directed, wrote, and acted in over a dozen shows. In addition to The Factory, Jill has worked around Chicago with Artistic Home, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Shattered Globe, LiveWire Theatre, and Wayward Productions. Jill is represented by Hayes Talent Agency. 

Londen Shannon (Ensemble) is making his A Red Orchid Theatre debut. He was most recently seen in The New Colony’s Fun Harmless Warmachine and has previously worked with the Goodman Theatre, the Gift Theatre, and Teatro Vista. 

Sarah Thompson Johansen (Ensemble) is a keen advocate for new music. She frequently performs music of contemporary living composers and recorded the role of Helen in Rosśa Crean's horror opera The Great God Pan (album on Navona/PARMA). Recent modern operatic roles include Artistic Director in ...for the sake of a narrative closure; Donna Elvira in The Times are Nightfall; Ensemble in The Little Match Girl Passion; Steampunk Girl in Cosmic Ray and the Amazing Chris and Zina in Dark Sisters. Other roles include Beth in Adamo's Little Women, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. 

Doug Vickers (Ensemble) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he most recently appeared in Evening at the Talkhouse by Wallace Shawn. Some of his other favorite appearances at Red Orchid have been in Accidentally Like a Martyr, Simpatico, Four Murders, The Grey Zone, and Ionesco's Hunger and Thirst. Doug was the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for The Best Man at Remy Bumppo Theatre (Best Cameo Performance). Chicago: Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare); U.N. Inspector, Turcaret the Financier (Next Theatre); Two Planks and a Passion (Famous Door Theatre); People Annihilation (Trap Door Theatre) and The Birds (Hell in a Handbag). Regional: Illinois Shakespeare Festival. TV: Underemployed (MTV). Doug holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Northwestern University - School of Professional Studies and has done graduate level work in English at NU as well.

Dates:
Previews: May 2-11, 2019 

Press Performances: Saturday, May 11 at 3:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. 
Opening: Sunday, May 12, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. 
Red Night: Friday, May 17, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. 

Schedule: 
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 7:30 p.m. 
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  
Sundays: 3:00 p.m.  

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.
Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run.  ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening &Sun matinee) 
Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 

  
With our 26th season of ambitious and powerful storytelling, we continue to champion A Red Orchid Theatre’s Red League, which is a gift $1k or more, and the Founders Circle, which is a gift of $5k or more annually for a three-year pledge. These donors represent a community of our most committed and impactful cultural investors. Every profound and shocking moment on our stage is made possible through their critical annual contributions. Their philanthropic leadership fosters the development of raw and relevant work, creates a platform for our talented ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensures that A Red Orchid Theatre remains a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre. 



About A Red Orchid   
A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored in 2016 with a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 25 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.  

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF FULFILLMENT CENTER AT A RED ORCHID THEATRE January 31 – March 24, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF
FULFILLMENT CENTER
By ABE KOOGLER
directed by JESS MCLEOD
FEATURING ENSEMBLE MEMBER NATALIE WEST, Artistic Associate Steve Schine, Jose Nateras, & Toya Turner

January 31 – March 24, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening February 9th, so check back soon for my full review. A Red Orchid Theatre is one of our favorite Chicago storefronts, with world class productions and edgy choices. 

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of Fulfillment Center by Abe Koogler, directed by Jess McLeod, and featuring Ensemble Member Natalie West, Artistic Associate Steve Schine, Jose Nateras, and Toya Turner. Fulfillment Center runs January 31 – March 24, 2019 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. 

In the New Mexico desert, a down-on-her-luck folk singer takes a job at a giant retailer’s shipping center. Her young manager struggles to connect with his newly relocated girlfriend. A drifter living at a local campground dangerously links them all. Four lonely lives come together in the search for fulfillment in this raw, surprising and funny Chicago premiere.

The creative team includes Sarah JHP Watkins (scenic design), Stephanie Cluggish (costume design), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (lighting design), Brando Triantafillou (sound design), and Jeremy Hollis (properties design). Christa Van Baale is the stage manager. 

About the Artists
ABE KOOGLER (Playwright) earned an MFA in playwriting from UT-Austin's Michener Center for Writers and is a 2016 graduate of Juilliard's Playwrights Program. His plays have been developed at Kitchen Dog Theatre, the Playwrights' Center, the Great Plains Theatre Conference, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Black Swan Lab. He is a Theatre Masters Visionary Playwright. Abe won the Kennedy Center's Paula Vogel Award and the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s L. Arnold Weissberger Award for KILL FLOOR, which premiered at Lincoln Center/LCT3 in the fall of 2015. Abe is under commission from Manhattan Theatre Club. He is a native of Washington State.

JESS MCLEOD (Director) is the Resident Director of Hamilton Chicago and the 2018 Next Generation Samuel G. Roberson Artistic Fellow at Victory Gardens Theater.  Chicago credits include developing and directing five short operas with local community groups with Lyric Unlimited (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s Hang Man (The Gift); Idris Goodwin’s How We Got On (Haven); Short Shakes! A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakes); Marry Me A Little and Babes in Arms (Porchlight Music Theatre); Shawn Pfautsch’s Season on the Line (The House); Kevin Coval’s L-vis Live! (Victory Gardens); Venus (Steppenwolf Next Up!); Lauren Yee’s in a word (Strawdog), Kin (Griffin); and Fugitive Songs and The Pajama Game (The Music Theatre Company). New York credits include work by Joyce Carol Oates, Rachel Axler, Harrison David Rivers, and The Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, where she served as Director of Programming from 2005-08. A teaching artist and believer in youth and community engagement, McLeod coordinated the Louder Than A Bomb Youth Poetry Festival for Young Chicago Authors from 2016-17 and has worked as a teaching artist with Storycatchers Theatre.  2017 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow (Goodman Theatre). M.F.A., Northwestern University.

JOSE NATERAS (Alex) is a Chicago based actor, writer and director. Recent acting credits include: Frankenstein (Remy Bumppo); Neverwhere (Lifeline Theatre); Two Mile Hollow (First Floor Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Q Brothers Collective’s I <3 a="" amlet="" amp="" and="" anual="" appeared="" art="" as="" by="" cafe="" chicago="" cinema="" company="" cymbeline="" dame="" dventure="" elsewhere.="" festival="" fire="" font="" for="" fox="" from="" gift="" gogh="" graduate="" grapes="" gray="" group.="" he="" hicago="" his="" i="" ilament="" illinois="" in="" innocent="" institute="" is="" juliet="" labs="" loyola="" merican="" mfa="" montana="" my="" nbc="" night="" of="" on="" onion="" otre="" parks="" picnic="" proven="" radar="" received="" recently="" represented="" reprise="" romeo="" s="" school="" shadow="" shakespeare="" since="" soul="" spots="" stage="" studios="" suppose="" talent="" teatro="" the="" theatre="" toured="" trawdog="" twelfth="" university="" van="" vista="" well="" with="" wrath="" writing="">

STEVE SCHINE (John) returns to A Red Orchid with Fulfillment Center. An Artistic Associate, Steve has appeared at AROT previously in The Nether, Solstice, Louis Slotin Sonata, Hunger & Thirst, The Earl, and Gagarin Way. He has also performed in notable Chicago productions at The Goodman, Court, First Folio, Steep, Stage Left, Raven, Veterans Art Project, Strawdog, American Theatre Company, Lifeline, Piven, and the late, great Famous Door Theatre, among others. Regional credits include several productions with Lakeside Shakespeare, the Clarence Brown Theatre in Tennessee, as well as new work development at Abington Theatre in NYC. TV: Jack Gatins on Chicago Fire and Curtis on Chicago PD. Video Games: Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs. Additionally, as a voice over artist, he can be heard in many TV, radio, and internet commercials. Steve is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

TOYA TURNER (Madeleine) makes her Red Orchid Theatre debut! She attended the British American Drama Academy (BADA) at Oxford University. Stage credits include: Blues For An Alabama Sky (Court Theatre), A Raisin in the Sun (A Noise Within-CA), Intimate Apparel (Theatre Squared-AR). TV/Film credits include: Incredibles 2 (Disney-Pixar), The Mick & Empire (FOX), Easy (Netflix), Chicago Fire & Chicago Med (NBC). She is represented by Stride Management.

NATALIE WEST (Suzan) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre where she last appeared in Traitor. Other A Red Orchid productions include Evening at the Talk House, The Mutilated, Strandline, Mud Blue Sky, The Butcher of Baraboo and Abigail's Party. Most recently she was seen in Nell Gwynn at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Other credits include shows at The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Northlight among others. She is a former ensemble member of Remains Theatre. Natalie was a regular on the television show Roseanne as Crystal and has recently reprised her role on The Conners. Natalie is the recipient of three Jeff Awards for supporting actress for The Butcher of Baraboo, Abigail's Party (A Red Orchid) and Life and Limb (Wisdom Bridge). She holds a MSW from Loyola University Chicago, a BA in Theatre at Indiana University and she attended Webber Douglas Academy in London.

Designers: Sarah JHP Watkins (scenic design), Stephanie Cluggish (costume design), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (lighting design), Brando Triantafillou (sound design), and Jeremy Hollis (properties design). Christa Van Baale is the stage manager.

Dates: Previews: January 31-February 9, 2019 
Press Performances: Saturday, February 9 at 3:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. 
Opening: Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. 
Red Night: Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. 

Schedule:
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 7:30 p.m. 
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  
Sundays: 3:00 p.m.  

Location:
A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.
Tickets: $15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run.  ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri & Sat Matinee, $40 Sat evening &Sun matinee) 
Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 



Ticket Information
A Red Orchid continues the FLASHPASS. As always, FLASHPASS holders get reserved seats, ticket and date flexibility, no-fee ticket exchanges, discounts for friends & family tickets, and early access to events such as readings, panel discussions, and more. The Three-show FLASHPASS is $90 and includes one ticket to each of the 3 shows in our 26th Season, excluding Opening and Red Nights. The Three-show Red Night FLASHPASS is $150 and includes a ticket to each of the 3 show's Red Night Opening and post-show receptions with the cast and creative team.  The Preview FLASHPASS is $60 and includes one ticket to a preview performance of each of the 3 shows in our 26th season.

FLASHPASSes may be purchased from the Box Office at 1531 N. Wells Street, Monday through Friday from 12pm to 5pm, by telephone during office hours by dialing (312) 943-8722, or online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

With our 26th season of ambitious and powerful storytelling, we continue to champion A Red Orchid Theatre’s Red League, which is a gift $1k or more, and the Founders Circle, which is a gift of $5k or more annually for a three-year pledge. These donors represent a community of our most committed and impactful cultural investors. Every profound and shocking moment on our stage is made possible through their critical annual contributions. Their philanthropic leadership fosters the development of raw and relevant work, creates a platform for our talented ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensures that A Red Orchid Theatre remains a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre.

About A Red Orchid  
A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored last year with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 25 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories. 

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West. 

Friday, September 28, 2018

OPENING: Small Mouth Sounds at A Red Orchid Theatre Through December 9, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS
SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS
By Bess wohl
directed by ensemble member shade murray



October 18 – December 9, 2018

A Red Orchid Theatre presents Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl, directed by Ensemble Member Shade Murray. Small Mouth Sounds runs October 18 – December 9, 2018 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago.  Press performances are scheduled for Saturday, October 27 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm.

“Consider those times in your life when you ached for a fresh start or a hard stop,” suggests Artistic Director, Kirsten Fitzgerald. “It is hard to break a cycle, but when we find ourselves in real agony a change is needed; a reset. In Bess Wohl’s beautiful play we get to witness six individuals risking something new, trying desperately–sometimes hilariously–to hit that reset button. They give up comfort and familiarity and some discover that when the talking stops, the real communication begins.”

Six urbanites take their troubles to the woods and attempt to work them out at a secluded spiritual retreat. Attendees may not speak for the entire week, clothing is optional at the lake, and beware of bears.  The isolating silence collides with the human ache to connect.  How do we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us?  A Chicago premiere that is at once strange and compassionate, awkward and graceful, silly and profound. 

The production features Ensemble Members Jennifer Engstrom (Joan) and Lawrence Grimm (Jan), with Cynthia Hines (Judy), Heather Chrisler (Alicia), Meighan Gerachis (Teacher), Levi Holloway (Ned), Travis A. Knight (Rodney). 

The creative team includes Kurtis Boetcher (Scenic), Myron Elliott-Cisneros (Costumes), Heather Gilbert (Lights), Jeffrey Levin (Sound), Jenny Pinson (Props), Samantha Rausch (Technical Director), Cortney Hurley (Production Manager), S.G. Heller (Stage Manager), Chloe Orlando (Assistant Director), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach) and Leean Kim Torske (Dramaturg).

About the Artists
BESS WOHL (Playwright) Bess Wohl's Plays include Small Mouth Sounds, American Hero, Barcelona, Touched and In. They have been produced or developed at theaters in New York and around the country. Her original musical about the adult entertainment industry, Pretty Filthy, produced by The Civilians, also premiered off-Broadway and was nominated for both the 2015 Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical. She won the Sam Norkin special Drama Desk Award for “establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater, and having a breakthrough year” in 2014-2015. She also writes for film and television, most recently the pilot Broad Squad for ABC. Her screenplay adaptation of her play In was included on Hollywood's Black List of best scripts. She has also developed original television pilots for HBO, USA, FOX and the CW. As an actress, Ms. Wohl appeared onstage in New York and regionally, and in numerous films and television shows. She is a graduate of Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude, where she was awarded the Rona Jaffe Writing Prize and the Tennessee Williams Scholarship. She earned her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where she was a recipient of the Rebecca West Scholarship. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and lives in New York.

SHADE MURRAY (Director) is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theater, where he has directed the world premieres of Brett Neveu’s Pilgrim’s Progress and Ike Holter’s Sender, as well as productions of Wallace Shawn's Evening at the Talk House, David Adjmi’s 3C, Grant Varjas's Accidentally Like a Martyr, Marisa Wegrzyn’s Mud Blue Sky and The Butcher of Baraboo, Annie Baker’s The Aliens, Nick Jones’ Trevor, Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party and Kimberly Akimbo by David Lindsay-Abaire.  He also performed in the A Red Orchid production of The Mutilated.  Other directing credits include Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The House Theater, Steep Theater, Second City, Writers’ Theater and elsewhere. Shade is a lecturer at University of Chicago and teaches at DePaul University and Actors’ Studio Chicago.

HEATHER CHRISLER (Alicia) was recently been seen in Chicago in Mies Julie (Victory Gardens); Machinical (Greenhouse Theatre Center // Jeff Award Nomination Performer); Her Majesty’s Will (Lifeline); and Good Friday (Oracle // Jeff Award Nomination Ensemble). Chrisler is an Artistic Associate of First Folio Theatre where she was recently seen in Mary’s Wedding and Captain Blood. Upcoming appearances include Twilight Bowl (Goodman). Television work includes CHICAGO PD on NBC. Chrisler holds a Masters of Fine Arts from Ohio University. 

JENNIFER ENGSTROM (Joan) has been part of A Red Orchid’s ensemble since 2003, Jen has appeared in many productions, most recently a revival of AROT's 2014 Simpatico, in a co-production with McCarter Theatre, NJ. Other Chicago credits include: Women Laughing Alone with Salad (Theatre Wit); HIR, The North Plan, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Steppenwolf Theatre); Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire, Death Of A Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, (Writer's Theatre); Sky Girls (Northlight Theatre). Regionally, Jen appeared in The David Cromer directed Angels in America (Kansas City Rep); Ground (Humana Festival); MacBeth (Notre Dame Shakespeare); A Streetcar Named Desire (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Off Broadway, Excuse My Dust, A Dorothy Parker Portfolio (Soho Playhouse). Jen has appeared in Chicago Fire, APB, The Onion Network and the feature film SLICE. 

MEIGHAN GERACHIS (Teacher) returns to A Red Orchid, where she previously appeared in Solstice. She most recently appeared in Graveyard Shift at The Goodman Theatre where she also appeared in The Wolves, A Christmas Carol and the New Stages production of Blue Skies Process. Other Chicago credits include Domesticated, Our Town and The House on Mango Street (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Theater Wit); The Electric Baby, Precious Little, The Walls, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue, Indulgences at the Louisville Harem, Factory Girls, My Simple City, Wrens and Ten Tiny Fingers, Nine Tiny Toes (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Cloud Nine (About Face Theatre); Cigarettes and Moby Dick and Che Che Che (Latino Chicago); The Underpants (Noble Fool Theatricals) and The Road to Graceland (Lifeline Theatre). Regional and international credits include Charm (Mixed Blood Theatre); Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue (Stageworks) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Contact Theatre in Manchester, England). Film credits include Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, At Any Price and Virginia. Television credits include Chicago P.D., Crisis, Bobby & Iza, Sirens and Battleground. 

LAWRENCE GRIMM (Jan) is a founding Ensemble Member of A Red Orchid theatre. Favorite and most recent at A Red Orchid: Traitor, (Jeff Nomination); 3C, Trevor (Jeff Nomination); Solstice, In a Garden, Pumpgirl, Abigail’s Party, The Meek, The Physicists, Mr. Kolpert, Caine-Mutiny Court Martial, In the Solitude of Cotton Fields, and Born Guilty. Selected credits: The Heavens Are Hung in Black as Abraham Lincoln (Shattered Globe); King Charles III and The Tempest (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); 2666 (Goodman Theatre); My Name is Asher Lev (Timeline Theatre); In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (Victory Gardens); Maple and Vine, Welcome Home Jenny Sutter (Next Theatre); Orlando (Court Theatre);  King Lear, Two by Pinter (Piven Theater Workshop); The Glass Menagerie (Raven Theatre // Jeff Award); The Brothers Karamazov, 1984, The Naked King (Lookingglass); I Never Sang for My Father, Wolf Lullaby (Steppenwolf). Film: Welcome to Me, Perfect Manhattan, Cicero in Winter, Captive State. Television: Chicago PD, Chicago Med. 

CYNTHIA HINES (Judy) has worked previously in Women at War (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Clybourne Park and Doubt (both at Harper College); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Galaxy Theatre Company); Barbecue (Understudy-Strawdog Theatre Company); Wedding Band (Understudy-The Artistic Home) and Everything In Between (Dandelion Theatre).

LEVI HOLLOWAY (Ned) is an actor, producer and playwright. As an actor, Chicago credits include works with companies such as Steppenwolf, Northlight, Aboutface, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Provision, Shattered Globe, and Hell in a Handbag. Levi is the co founder and co artistic director of Neverbird Project, a Chicago based Deaf and hearing youth theatre company. Also a playwright, his own play, The Haven Place had it’s world premiere here at AROT in 2016. He currently holds a Tutterow Fellowship at Chicago Dramatists and is a teaching artist for Lookingglass Theatre and Silk Road Rising. Levi is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University.

TRAVIS A. KNIGHT (Rodney) Chicago credits include: The Crucible (Steppenwolf Theatre); Ah, Wilderness! Christmas Carol, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Measure for Measure, and Camino Real (Goodman Theatre) and Camelot (Drury Lane). Regional credits include: The Brothers Size (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire (Uprooted Theatre) and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Forward Theatre). He also spent five seasons at American Players Theatre appearing in The Tempest, Glass Menagerie, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Richard III. TV and web series credits: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Mind Games, and Dad Man Walking. Film credits: Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, and Runner. 

Dates:
Previews: October 18-27, 2018 
Press Performances: Saturday, October 27 at 3pm & 7:30pm 
Opening: Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 7pm 
Red Night: Friday, November 2, 2018 at 7:30pm 

Schedule: 
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. 
Fridays: 7:30 p.m. 
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  
Sundays: 3:00 p.m.  

Location:
A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.



Tickets:
$15-$25 previews, $30-$40 regular run.  ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri, Sat matinee, $40 Sat evening & Sun) 

Box Office:
Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 

Ticket Information
A Red Orchid continues the FLASHPASS. As always, FLASHPASS holders get reserved seats, ticket and date flexibility, no-fee ticket exchanges, discounts for friends & family tickets, and early access to events such as readings, panel discussions, and more. The Three-show FLASHPASS is $90 and includes one ticket to each of the 3 shows in our 26th Season, excluding Opening and Red Nights. The Three-show Red Night FLASHPASS is $150 and includes a ticket to each of the 3 show's Red Night performances and post-show receptions with the cast and creative team.  The Preview FLASHPASS is $60 and includes one ticket to a preview performance of each of the 3 shows in our 26th season.

FLASHPASSes may be purchased from the Box Office at 1531 N. Wells Street, Monday through Friday from 12pm to 5pm, by telephone during office hours by dialing (312) 943-8722, or online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

With our 26th season of ambitious and powerful storytelling, we continue to champion A Red Orchid Theatre’s Red League, which is a gift $1k or more, and the Founders Circle, which is a gift of $5k or more annually for a three-year pledge. These donors represent a community of our most committed and impactful cultural investors. Every profound and shocking moment on our stage is made possible through their critical annual contributions. Their philanthropic leadership fosters the development of raw and relevant work, creates a platform for our talented ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensures that A Red Orchid Theatre remains a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre.



About A Red Orchid  
A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was recently honored with a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 26 years, its Artistic Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories. 
  
A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West. 

Thursday, July 19, 2018

REVIEW: Victims of Duty at A Red Orchid Theatre With Michael Shannon

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:
Victims of Duty by Eugene Ionesco 
at A Red Orchid Theatre
1531 N. Wells Ave. Chicago, IL 60610



Review
By Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic

Remember the old commercial for grape jelly that suggested: “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good”? Well, I was reminded of this when watching Victims of Duty, “With a name like Ionesco, it’s got to be weird.” Absurdist theater makes me whimper, and to admit such a thing is like saying the Emperor has no clothes, or I am tragically unhip (which my teens can attest to anyway…)


PHOTO CREDIT FOR ALL PRODUCTION SHOTS: fadeout foto
Karen Aldridge (Madeleine), Michael Shannon (The Detective), and Guy Van Swearingen (Choubert)


cast

Ionesco’s play begins with a quiet couple onstage. The husband, Choubert, is reading the newspaper; the wife, Madeleine, is sewing. They chat about dog poop on the sidewalk in the neighborhood, how the government is encouraging citizens to be detached to conquer problems, and opinions on theater. The husband, played by Ensemble Member Guy Van Swearingen, bemoans how nothing new ever happens in theater; everything is a “thriller.” (Cue: a visitor who will shake things up in this tranquil home.) Oh, and there is a clawfoot bathtub, half-filled with water, between them. Oh, and a now-famous movie star is in the production, which is really why anyone, myself included, wants to see it.


Aldridge, Van Swearingen, Shannon

With Michael Shannon from the Academy-Award winning movie The Shape of Water in the role of The Detective, A Red Orchid Theatre has a hit show that sold out its entire run in minutes. Both Van Swearingen and Shannon were in the original production at A Red Orchid in 1995, along with director Shira Piven; ticket sales then involved some begging. The space is small and intimate, which adds to the thrill of being there. A Red Orchid could realistically sell “safe” versus “unsafe seats” if the audience doesn’t mind getting wet from the pool of water onstage which the actors swish around in. (I wondered if the actors have an alternate set of clothing for their second show later that evening.)

Rich Cotovsky (Nicolas D’eu)

cast

Shannon

The Detective is searching for “Mallot with a t” who lived in their building. The sedate couple is intrigued and invite the seemingly timid but soon-aggressive Detective into their home. The biggest laugh came when the couple referred to the “sweet face” of the Detective. His interrogation involves force-feeding Choubert bread and having him submerge in the pool, as our memories can be fleeting like liquid. (I had sympathy for the stage crew and the splashing they will have to clean up after every performance.)

Karen Aldridge is wonderful as the wife who is initially darning socks mildly, then playfully changes into a sexy dress to entice the Detective. When he asks her for a cup of coffee, she willingly obliges by frantically bringing out cup after cup after cup, lining them up along the edge of the stage. (Reminding me of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” where T.S. Elliott observed: “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.”)


Mierka Gierten (The Lady)


Van Swearingen, Gierten,

In a time when the real/fake news is mind-boggling and our commander-in-chief is a former reality-tv star-Narcissist, do we need entertainment to be more absurd? As Ms. Piven writes in her Director’s Notes: “Now there is also a social/political resonance that we can’t escape, as much as we might want to. Themes of torture, blind compliance to authority and the absurdity (not to mention the insidiousness) of every aspect of our current political morass” was present in their rehearsals.


AldridgeVan Swearingen


Shannon, Van Swearingen, Aldridge

Perhaps Ionesco was warning us to be citizens who are not detached by society’s problems, for innocent bystanders who are unaffected by turmoil around them are not helping.


Victims of Duty is running through August 5. Good luck scoring a ticket.


Van Swearingen, Aldridge

Shannon, GiertenVan Swearingen, Aldridge

Check www.aredorchidtheatre.org for last minute tickets, as some do become available. If you miss those, show up in person and try their standby lines. They are sometimes even able to get everyone in!

Ensemble Members Michael Shannon (The Detective) and Guy Van Swearingen (Choubert), as well as Karen Aldridge (Madeleine), Rich Cotovsky (Nicolas D’eu), and Ensemble Member Mierka Gierten (The Lady).

Title: Victims of Duty
Written By: Eugene Ionesco
Directed by: Shira Piven

Creative Team: Danila Korogodsky (Production Design), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (Lighting Design), and Brando Triantafilou (Sound Design)

Dates:
Regular Run: July 17 – August 5, 2018
Tuesday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 21 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 22 at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 28 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 29 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 5 at 3:00 p.m.

Schedule: Tuesdays: 7:30 p.m. (July 17 & 31)
Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m. (July 11 & 25)
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. (July 12, 19 & 26)
Fridays: 7:30 p.m. (July 13 & 20 and August 3)
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. (July 21 & 28 and August 4)
and 7:30p.m. (July 14, 21 & 28 and August 4) 
Sundays: 3:00 p.m. (July 22, 29 and August 5)

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.
Tickets: $50

Box Office:Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 




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