Redtwist Theatre's TWISTED PLAYFEST 12/5-12/22 AND HEADLINING PRODUCTION TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS DECEMBER 5, 2024 - JANUARY 19, 2025

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REDTWIST THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR ITS INAUGURAL 

TWISTED PLAYFEST 

AND HEADLINING PRODUCTION 

TOTALITY OF ALL THINGS

DECEMBER 5, 2024 - JANUARY 19, 2025 

AND PLAYS, PLAYWRIGHTS AND DIRECTORS FOR 

TWISTED PLAYFEST, DECEMBER 17 - DECEMBER 22

Erik Gernand’s Totality of All Things, directed by Enrico Spada, is the headliner 

and kicks off Twisted Playfest

Top: (L to R) Jacqueline Grandt, Kason Chesky, Philip C. Matthews

Bottom: (L to R) Suzy Krueckeberg, Aundria TraNay, Phil Aman

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre is proud to announce the roster of plays for its inaugural Twisted Playfest, December 17 - 22, and the cast and creative team for the headlining production in Twisted Playfest, The Totality of Things, written by Eric Gernand and directed by Enrico Spada, December 5, 2024 - January, 19, 2025, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Complete schedule and additional details are below. The Totality of All Things single tickets and Twisted Playfest reservations will be available on Monday, Nov. 18 at RedtwistTheatre.org with discounts available for seniors, students and industry professionals and pay-what-you-can for all Friday performances of The Totality of All Things.

Redtwist's inaugural new work incubator, Twisted Playfest features six plays at various stages of development. The plays are presented as staged readings, stand readings and a main stage production of Eric Gernand's The Totality of All Things. In addition to inclusion in Twisted Playfest, Redtwist supports its festival playwrights throughout the new year with additional readings and workshops.

“We look forward to the launch of the first Twisted Playfest at our newly renovated Redtwist Theatre,” said Co-Artistic Director Dusty Brown. “This new festival - six plays, 10 days, 20 performances, all Chicago - will introduce plays from Chicago playwrights and offer audiences a rare opportunity to see these new works.”

“The Twisted Playfest is the first step in these new plays’ incubation,” said Co-Artistic Director Eileen Dixon. “From our headliner The Totality of All Things to the staged readings to the stand readings, the inaugural roster of plays represents a wide variety of styles, ideas and themes. Redtwist is introducing this new work so that the playwrights may hear from audiences and contemporaries to continue the works’ development.”

The 2024 Twisted Playfest includes:

TWISTED PLAYFEST HEADLINER 

The Totality of All Things

Headliner of the Twisted Playfest

December 5 - January 19, 2025

Written by Eric Gernand

Directed by Enrico Spada

Previews: Thursday, Dec.5 and Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule:

Previews: Thursday, Dec.5 and Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 12 - Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 9 and Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 12 at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 19 at 3:30 p.m.

Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

RedtwistTheatre.org

Tickets: $35 with discounts available for seniors, students and industry professionals and pay-what-you-can for all Friday performances.

The centerpiece of Redtwist's inaugural Twisted Playfest is The Totality of All Things. The Totality of All Things introduces audiences to Judith Benson, “teacher-famous” for the award-winning student newspaper she proudly oversees at her small Indiana high school, a program that extols truth and integrity in journalism. At the start of a new school year, an anti-gay hate crime occurs calling everything Judith believes about inspiring the next generation of reporters and the definition of truth itself into question.

The cast of Totality of All Things is Redtwist Ensemble Member Jacqueline Grandt (she/her, Judith); Suzy Krueckeberg (she/her, DeeAnn); Philip Matthews (he/him, Gregg); Kason Chesky (he/him, Micah); Aundria TreNay (she/her, Ms. Carter); Phil Aman (he/him, Principal Benson); Hilary Sanzel (she/her, Judith understudy); Michelle Perry (she/her, DeeAnn understudy); Nate Brimner Smith (he/him, Gregg understudy); Zachary Cutter (he/him, Micah understudy); Andi Muriel (she/her, Ms. Carter understudy) and Hugo Balta (he/him, Principal Benson understudy).

The production team for Totality of All Things is Erik Gernand (he/him, playwright); Enrico Spada (he/him, director); Taylor Mercado Owen (he/him, stage manager); Emily Newmark (she/her, assistant director); Madeline Felauer (she/her, costume designer); Redtwist Ensemble Member Jeff Brain (he/him, props designer and technical director); Camille Pugliese (she/her, dramaturg); Nicholas Svoboda (he/him, sound designer); Brandii Champagne (they/them, scenic designer); Raine DeDominici (they/them/she/her, production manager) and Cat Davis (she/her/they/them, lighting designer).

TWISTED PLAYFEST STAGED READINGS

Fiona

Written by Zack Peercy

Directed by Jessica Love  

Performance schedule: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

Fiona is the performance of a lifetime. What starts as an examination of 25 letters all addressed to an unknown "Fiona" rapidly evolves, expands, contracts and explodes into an exploration of belief, reality, presentation and legacy.

Man Cave

Written by Caroline Kidwell

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Eileen Dixon  

Performance schedule: Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

Guess what? The world ended. And Hannah, a lifestyle vlogger, has been living alone in a bunker for five years. She’s an influencer with no one to influence until Wanda, a survivor, knocks on her door.

Keep It Light

Written by Toby Inoue

Directed by LeKecia Harris

Performance schedule:

Tickets: Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 12 p.m.

Pay-What-You-Can 

To find their way back to each other, two mixed-race half-sisters are forced to grapple with the complicated ways in which their mother's racism broke them apart. Winnie, half African-American, is a famous but canceled celebrity stand-up comedian and Tomi, half Asian-American, is an elementary school art teacher who stayed in their hometown. Tomi calls Winnie home when their mother becomes seriously ill and the sisters sort their mother's house as they accommodate her last wishes, including a comeback show for Winnie and a hospital wedding for Tomi.

TWISTED PLAYFEST STAND READINGS

You Sit Down and You Cry

Written by Ruben Carrazana

Directed by Joshua Servantez

Performance schedule: Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can 

The play is about a break-up. A really bad break-up. Like the worst. And about time. And how time heals. And how, sometimes, it doesn't. A play about moving on. And not moving on. An anti-romantic comedy about toxic masculinity and pain and suicide and pizza rolls and the United States Postal Service. A love letter to getting your heart crushed, because sometimes, you deserve it.

Murder in Residence

Written by MT Cozzola

Directed by Hannah Blau

Performance schedule: Friday, Dec. 20 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 5 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

When a brilliant young poet disappears from an artist’s colony, her fellow writers weave alibis to shield their secrets from an unseen inspector who digs relentlessly for the truth. In a secluded mountain retreat, six ambitious women come together to write their masterpieces but switch to alibis when brilliant young Kenna meets a mysterious demise. As they struggle to shield their secrets, a relentless inspector digs for the truth. Everyone is lying - Kenna’s lover Mandy, rival Fern, would-be bestie Lynette…even the kindly cabbie who saw her last. In a race against time to unmask the killer, each must confront their deepest desires and wrestle with the bonds of love, art and community.

Deserted

Written by Melanie Coffey

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Dusty Brown

Performance schedule: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

Jodie and Emma are the lucky winners of the Project's Soil competition, where they receive a truckload of soil and are to garden it with prairie grasses, native flowers and the vegetables of their choosing. But their well is drying up, the Neighbor keeps sneaking over and eating the soil and the couple is becoming less and less the good team they thought they were. Putting roots down in desertified land is never easy.

Following

Written by Ben F. Locke

Directed by Devin Christor

Performance schedule: Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

Darnell is an up and coming app designer. His popularity attracts a lot of fame and attention. It all seems great until he finds out that he's being stalked. Can Darnell solve the mystery before it's too late? Following explores what exactly it means to be an ally. Do we do what we do because it's the right thing to do or do we all have our own selfish motives that dictate what we deem as what's right and wrong?

Strange Fruit

Written by Brandon Wright

Directed by Rashaad A. Bond

Performance schedule: Friday, Dec. 20 at 10 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 11 a.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

In quiet suburbia, a group of five come across the body of a black boy hanging from a tree. They take it upon themselves to figure out whodunit, but as they explore the nature of this violent hate crime true secrets start to become uncovered within themselves.

Short Changed

Written by Jordan Gleaves

Directed by Aja Singetary

Performance schedule: Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 p.m.

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can

Stan is homeless in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta and estranged from his brother. To make matters worse, Stan is about to lose his beloved “Mother,” Friendship Baptist Church, which is to be demolished and replaced by a new football stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. In the midst of the neighborhood’s rapid gentrification, Richard returns into Stan’s life with hopes of helping his younger brother get a leg up out of homelessness and avoid displacement. First, however, they must work to amend their relationship and work past moral differences. Is reconciliation possible and how much will it matter when the community around the brothers is changing with or without their participation?

Stage managers for Twisted Playfest are Marisa Langston (she/her), Eliot Colin (they/them/he/him) and Charlie Levinson (they/them/she/her).

Productions, participants and dates are subject to change.

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE RENOVATIONS

Redtwist partnered with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development to build back better following the COVID quarantine. Redtwist was selected as a finalist for a 3-to-1 matching grant from the City of Chicago, which provided up to $250,000 in funding to renovate its performance space, lobby and street frontage.

These renovations mean a fresh face for Redtwist’s corner of Bryn Mawr, drawing in audiences from across the city and bringing new life to a Historic District that has been devastated by COVID-19. On the Western side of the building, the lobby was reimagined; increasing accessibility and installing a new cafe to provide concessions for all Redtwist shows. Finally, it means a revived performance space with added production capabilities, which will allow the Company to continue creating thrilling performances in its intimate black box space.
 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is an award-winning theatre company that stages up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District.

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

REDTWIST THEATRE’S 2023 - 2024 SEASON LAUNCHES WITH STEVE YOCKEY’S WOLVES, OCTOBER 1 - NOVEMBER 5th, 2023

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Redtwist Theatre's 19th Season of Pride & Renovations Launches with 

Wolves

a Gay, Gory Reimagining of the Little Red Riding Hood Tale 

The running time is 75 minutes with no intermission. 

Redtwist Theatre is currently mask optional at performances. Redtwist reserves the right to alter this policy based on any new information or an increase in COVID cases in Chicago. 

Award-winning Redtwist Theatre is proud to announce the first production in its 2023 -  2024 Season of Pride at its home in Edgewater, Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. The 19th season begins with a gay reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood, Wolves, by Steve Yockey and directed by Artistic Director Dusty Brown, October 1 - November 5. Previews are Thursday, Sept. 28 - Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. The press opening is Sunday, Oct. 1 at 3:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Single tickets are on sale now for $30 with a three-show subscription available for $100 at RedtwistTheatre.org.

This fall, Redtwist bring’s Steve Yockey’s intimate, gory, gay reimagining of “Little Red Riding Hood” to its little black box. Embrace fear and paranoia as they follow the slow unraveling of Ben (Joshua Servantes) and Jack (Gardy Gilbert), once lovers, now roommates, as they struggle with isolation in a new city. Jack promises that everything will be alright, but Ben just can’t get over the nagging voice in his head that says, “maybe everything isn’t going to work out.” When Jack brings back a new lover, Ben begins to unravel. 

The Wolves cast includes Joshua Servantes* (he/him/his, Ben); Monique Marshaun*  (she/her/hers, Narrator); Gardy Gilbert (he/him/his,Jack) and Michael Dias (he/him/his, Wolf) with understudies Seth Eggenschwiller (he/him/his, Ben U/S) and Riley Lucas (he/him/his, Wolf U/S), Cat Davis* (she/her/hers, Narrator U/S).

The Wolves production team includes Dusty Brown* (they/them/theirs, director); Kezia Waters (he/him/his/they/them/theirs,, assistant director); Raine DeDominici (she/her/her/hers/they/them/theirs, stage manager); Courtney Abbott (she/her/her/hers/they/them/theirs, intimacy & violence director); Philip C. Matthews (he/him/his, music director); Rose Johnson* ((they/them/theirs, scenic designer and artist); Evy Burch ((they/them/theirs, property designer); Madeline Felauer (she/her/hers, costume designer); Piper Kirchhofer (she/her/hers, lighting designer and master electrician) and Angela Joy Baldasare (she/her/her/hers/they/them/theirs, sound designer).

*indicates Redtwist Ensemble Member

ABOUT STEVE YOCKEY, playwright

Steve Yockey (he/him/his) is a Los Angeles based playwright and spectacle junkie. His published plays are available from Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. Yockey holds an MFA in dramatic writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He served as co-executive producer on 'Supernatural’ and is the creator/showrunner of “The Flight Attendant” and “Dead Boy Detectives’ both for MAX.

ABOUT DUSTY BROWN, director

Dusty Brown (they/them/theirs) is the artistic director of Redtwist Theatre. Brown worked as a theatrical administrator and producer for many years in Atlanta, both at LORT and small professional theaters. They are a graduate of Oglethorpe University (BA) and Ohio University (MFA). Directing Credits: Macbeth (Three Crows Theatre), Uffizi, and God Created the Earth and Evan Created Himself (Bottled Lightning). Educational: Pluto, Bug, Evolution of Rattlesnakes, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Finding the Sun, The Choephorii, Bat Boy: The Musical, The Chalky White Substance. Asst. Directing: Cabaret, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. 

REDTWIST 2023 - 2025 SEASON

Following Wolves, Redtwist presents a heart wrenching story of advocacy and a modern classic, The Normal Heart, a new play by Jacqueline Goldfinger, Bottle Fly, exploring queer survival in the Everglades and Redtwist’s first new play festival in the summer of 2024. Dates to be announced based on the theatre renovations. 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE RENOVATIONS

As Chicago rebuilds after the pandemic, Redtwist is thrilled to partner with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development to build back better. Redtwist has been selected as a finalist for a 3-to-1 matching grant from the City of Chicago, which will provide up to $250,000 in funding to renovate its performance space, lobby and our street frontage. 

These renovations will mean a fresh face for Redtwist’s corner of Bryn Mawr, drawing in  audiences from across the city and bringing new life to a Historic District that has been devastated by COVID-19. On the Western side of the building, the lobby will be reimagined; increasing accessibility and installing a new cafe to provide concessions for all Redtwist shows. Finally, it will mean a revived performance space with added production capabilities, which will allow the Company to continue creating intimate performances in its tiny black box space. 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist is an award-winning theatre company that stages up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District. 

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project  and proactively endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

REDTWIST THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR JACQUELINE GOLDFINGER’S BABEL, MARCH 23 – APRIL 30, 2023

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Redtwist Theatre Presents

Jacqueline Goldfinger's dark comedy 

Babel

MARCH 23 – APRIL 30, 2023

Redtwist presents the winner of the Smith Prize For Political Theater and the Generations Award, the dark comedy Babel, written by Jacqueline Goldfinger and directed by Redtwist Associate Artistic Director Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, March 23 – April 30, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. I'll be out for the press opening on March 26th, so check back soon for my full review.

Redtwist Theatre, currently presenting the world premiere of The Great Kahn through February 26, announces the second production of its 2023 season, Babel, written by Jacqueline Goldfinger and directed by Redtwist Associate Artistic Director Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, March 23 – April 30, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. The current running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Previews are Thursday, March 23 - Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for previews and $40 for all other performances with student, military and senior discounts available at RedtwistTheatre.org or by emailing reserve@redtwist.org.

Jacqueline Goldfinger’s Babel paints a dystopian society in the not-so-distant future. Provocative and unsettling, Babel follows two couples as they try to get pregnant in a world in which eugenics is the reality. This dark comedy explores the value society places on a child, on one’s free will and the future generations of the human race. Goldfinger dares to ask questions that press the audience to think deeply about what is really important: our imperfect humanity or the progression of a perfect society? How far are we willing to go and what is the cost of perfection?

Babel Cast includes:

First row: (L to R) Monique Marshaun and Shannon Leigh Webber

Second Row: (L to R) Michael Sherwin and Soleil Pérez

The cast of Babel includes Monique Marshaun (she/her/hers, Renee); Shannon Leigh Webber (she/her/hers, Dani); ensemble member Michael Sherwin (he/him/his, Jamie) and Soleil Pérez (she/her/hers, Ann).

The current creative team of Babel includes Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary (she/her/hers, director); Eileen Dixon (she/her/hers, assistant director); Haley Willits (she/her/hers, dramaturg); Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (he/him/his, scenic designer); Jeff Brain (he/him/his, property designer and technical director); Kathleen Gardin (she/her/hers, costume designer); Cat Davis (she/her/hers, lighting designer) and Jake Sorgen (he/him/his, sound designer).

Babel playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger

ABOUT JACQUELINE GOLDFINGER, playwright

Jacqueline Goldfinger (she/her/hers/them/they/theirs) is a playwright, librettist, poet and dramaturg who grew up in rural North Florida with a love of music and storytelling. Today, they are an artist who seeks out unique collaborations, working across disciplines to create singular works of theater and opera. They began their career as a teaching artist and teaching/mentorship is still a significant part of their process.

Babel director Redtwist Associate Artistic Director Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary

ABOUT RINSKA CARRASCO-PRESTINARY, director

Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary (she/her/hers) is a Dominican-American who is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Gray Talent Group. Carrasco-Prestinary’s previous Redtwist credits include: Isaac’s Eye, Death Tax and Between Riverside and Crazy. Other credits include Firefly Love (Something Marvelous); The River Ride (Halcyon) with other past selected production credits: Taming of the Shrew (assistant director, Barbara Gaines, director, Chicago Shakespeare) and Romeo and Juliet (directing intern, Marti Lyons, director, Chicago Shakespeare). When she is not directing you can catch her being silly with her baby. 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist is an award-winning theatre company that stages up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District.

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and proactively endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

Sophocles’ Tragedy, Antigone is Given a Modern Adaptation at Redtwist Theatre JUNE 23 – JULY 31

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Sophocles’ Tragedy 

Antigone 

at Redtwist Theatre 

JUNE 23 – JULY 31

Sophocles’ Tragedy is Given a Modern Adaptation by Anne Carson, Directed by Christine Freije and Starring Retwist Company Members Brian Parry and Sarah Sapperstein 

Redtwist Theatre announces the cast and creative team for its next production, Antigone, adapted by Anne Carson and directed by Christine Freije, June 23 – July 31, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. The current running time is 2 hours including the intermission. Previews are Thursday, June 23 – Saturday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $15, previews; $35, Thursday performances and $40, Friday – Sunday performances. Student and senior discounts are available. All tickets are now on sale at RedtiwstTheatre.org or by calling 773.728.7529. 

Antigone is a woman suddenly pitted against the world. She simply wants to give her brother a fair burial and isn’t afraid to fight the patriarchy to do it. In this colloquial, light-fingered and cutting translation of one of Sophocles’ great tragedies, Antigone places personal allegiance before an unjust city law, a tenacious act that ultimately triggers others into a cycle of destruction.

The cast of Antigone includes Isabel Alamin, (Antigone); Natalie Welber, (Ismene); Brian Parry*, (Kreon); Nick Shank, (Haimon); Joan Nahid, (Eurydike/Chorus); Javier Carmona, (Teiresias/chorus); Peter Ferneding, (guard/boy/chorus); Sarah Sapperstein*, (messenger/chorus); and Andrew Bosworth, (chorus leader). The understudies include Samie Jo Johnson, (Antigone); Amanda Hays, (Ismene); Nathan Reilly, (Haimon); Jessica GoForth, (Eurydike/chorus); Peter Ferneding, (Teiresias/chorus); Maddy Hoderhack, (messenger/chorus); and Evin McQuinstion, (chorus leader).

The creative team of Antigone includes Christine Freije, (director); Anne Carson, (adapter); Solomon Weisbard, (lighting + sound designer); Eric Luchen, (scenic designer); Anna Bodell, (costume designer); Jeff Brain, (props designer); Dusty Brown, (production manager); La’Tia Owens, (assistant stage manager); Mike McShane, (assistant lighting designer); Moises Diaz, (assistant props director); Chas Mathieu, (technical director); Anna Petersen, (scenic charge); Hannah Blau, (assistant director); Shariba Rivers*, (casting director); Jose Jimenez*, (graphic designer); Lauren Grace Thompson*, (resident production manager); E. Malcom Martinez*, (box office manager); Karen Epton, Annette Galeas, Johnny Garcia* and Amanda Grissom, (box office associates) and Brian Parry*, (interim artistic director).

*Indicates Redtwist staff or company members.

ABOUT ANNE CARSON, playwright

Anne Carson is a MacArthur Fellow; she has received the Lannan Prize, the T.S Eliot Prize, the Pushcart Prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize (twice awarded) and a Guggenheim fellowship. She was also the Anna-Maria Kellen Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, Germany. 

ABOUT CHRISTINE FREIJE, director

Christine Freije is a director and deviser based in Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Recent credits include Tartuffe, Everybody, The Gap (The Theatre School at DePaul University),Dream-Rushes (A Wonderful Trip) (Theatre Contra),Song of My Self-Care (Jimmy Grzelak) and Shrew (Reject Theatre Project). She is a current MFA candidate at The Theatre School at DePaul University and has worked at the Arden Theatre, Interact Theatre Company, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company and Berkshire Theatre Group. 

ABOUT REDTWIST THEATRE

Redtwist is an award-winning theatre company that stages five, up close and personal contemporary dramas annually in its intimate black box theatre housed proudly within the heart of Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Historic District. 

Intimate performances at Redtwist are designed to place the theatre patron in the midst of the stories being told, making them accessible and riveting. Redtwist strives for excellence with every project and proactively endeavors to take risks while offering opportunities for up-and-coming actors, designers and directors to work with established talent. Redtwist provides the very best Chicago storefront theatre experience from excellence on stage, to warm hospitality in a clean, friendly environment.

OPENING: Issac's Eye via Redtwist Theatre March 20 Through April 24, 2022

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R E D T W I S T  T H E A T R E  P R E S E N T S

Isaac's Eye

by Lucas Hnath

Directed by Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary

Long before the infamous apple landed, Sir Isaac Newton was a backcountry experimenter, hoping to make the discovery of a lifetime. When the Royal Society’s prestigious academic Robert Hooke appears on the scene, Isaac thinks it’s his shot at the scientific big-time -- provided he can prove his own hypothesis. 

Part historical drama, part contemporary satire, Isaac’s Eye will have you rolling in the aisles – alongside all those apples.

Opens Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 3pm

Runs Thurs, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through April 24, 3:00pm

C A S T

Josh Servantez* (Isaac Newton)

Michael Sherwin* (Robert Hooke)

Brooke Reams (Catherine)

Jackie Seijo (Dying Man/Actor)

P R O D U C T I O N

Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary (Director), Lucas Hnath (Playwright), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (Scenic Designer), Elizabeth Niemcsyk (Costume Designer), Cat Davis, (Lighting Designer), AJ Morley (Props Designer), Jeff Brain (Technical Director), Alyssa Flasch (Production Manager), Corbin Paulino (Stage Manager), Jen Poulin (Assistant Director), Shariba Rivers* (Casting Director), Jose Jimenez* (Graphic Designer), Lauren Thompson* (Resident Production Manager), Alyssa Victoria Flasch (Box Office Manager), Annette Galeas, Johnny Garcia*, Amanda Grissom & Eric Eilersen (Box Office Associates), Charlie Marie McGrath* (Producing Artistic Director)

* Denotes Redtwist Staff or Company Member

P R E V I E W S

mar 17 - 19

preview tickets only $15

thurs – sat @ 7:30pm

O N S T A G E

mar 20 - apr 24

tickets start at $35

thurs – sat @ 7:30pm

sun @ 3pm

BUY TICKETS

SENIORS + STUDENTS GET $5 OFF

OPENING: Dark Comedy BELOW THE BELT at Red Twist May 17 through June 16, 2019

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HUNDO4U PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES DARK COMEDY

BELOW THE BELT

By Richard Dresser Directed by Jon Dambacher

Redtwist Theatre announces an upcoming production of a bizarre dark comedy BELOW THE BELT, running May 17 through June 16. This Off-Broadway hit has been compared to NBC’s The Office as if written by Samuel Beckett and was named “Best American Play of 1996” by the Wall Street Journal. Since its debut it has found especially high popularity in Europe, with over 40 productions in Germany alone.

BELOW THE BELT takes place within the guts of an industrial compound sitting far off in an unknown location. Three men, a power-obsessed boss (played by David McNulty), an emotional middle manager (played by Michael Lomenick) and an eager newcomer (played by John Hundrieser) are isolated from their wives and the other unseen people occupying the factory. They must form a bond out of necessity, while battling sabotage, one-upmanship, and secret alliances among each other. But their need to compete is as strong as their need to connect. The play is about trust, betrayal, and the deep existential pettiness of people attempting to co-exist. Someone always wins and someone always retreats or loses.

Richard Dresser (Playwright) plays have been produced in New York, regional theater, and Europe. They include Rounding Third, which started in Chicago, appeared off-Broadway and has had hundreds of productions and BELOW THE BELT premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville, moved Off-Broadway, then was made into the film “Human Error” which premiered at Sundance.

From May 17 through June 16 the performances are Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Individual tickets are $20 at the door and are available online at www.Hundo4u.com, or over the phone at (847) 906-3209.

About Redtwist Theatre  
Redtwist is located at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr – 2 blocks West of Lake Shore Drive & 2 blocks East of the Red Line station. Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca’s – Dining is not required.

Shows On Our Radar: HERLAND Rolling World Premiere at Redtwist Through April 14th

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

HERLAND

A queer coming of age comedy with a Bruce Springsteen

Rock n’ Roll soul.

After graduating from high school, Natalie gets a summer internship working for Jean, her elderly neighbor, on a special project: creating a DIY retirement home for Jean and her two best friends. They set up shop inside Jean's garage, the former home of Jean’s ex-husband’s Bruce Springsteen cover band, and plan for the next chapter of their lives. Herland is a comedy about women growing up, growing old, and rocking out to the beat of their own drums.

Previews $15: Mar 13-15, 7:30pm
Opens Sat Mar 16, 3pm
Runs thru April 14, 2019
(no evening show on Mar 16)
Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Tickets: $35-40
(seniors/students: $5 off)

Top row: Valerie Gorman, Simi Bal, Kathleen Ruhl

Bottom row: Deanalis Resto, marssie Mencotti.

Photos by Gracie Meier

CAST (in alphabetical order)
Simran Bal (Natalie), Valerie Gorman (Terry), marssie Mencotti (Louise), Deanalís Resto (Becca), and Kathleen Ruhl (Jean)
Barbara Button (Jean U/S), Mishell Livio (Becca U/S), Julie Mitre (Louise U/S), Esme Perez (Natalie U/S), and Patricia Tinsley (Terry U/S)
Understudy Show Tuesday April 9, 7:30pm

STAFF 
Grace McLeod (Playwright), James Fleming (Director), Bex Ehrmann (Assistant Director), Kate Cuellar (Dramaturg), Julia Skeggs (Casting Director), Evan Sposato (Technical Director), Alyssa Mohn (Scenic Designer), Shelbi Ardnt (Lighting Designer), Joe Palermo and Stephen Severn (Sound Designers), Elle Erickson (Costume Designer), Erin Gautille (Props Designer), Tara Huffman (Scenic Charge), Zachary Payne (Fight and Intimacy Choreographer), Megan Chaney (Stage Manager) Ari Craven (Graphic Designer), Gracie Meier (Photographer), Jan Ellen Graves (Marketing), Brennan T. Jones (Producer)



Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca’s Bryn Mawr for most performances—hours vary. Dining is not required. Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. Parking & Policies

Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago, 773-728-7529, www.redtwist.org

OPENING: Between Riverside and Crazy at Redtwist Theatre January 12 - February 10, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Between Riverside and Crazy

Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Directed by Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary

Opens Saturday, January 12, 2019, at 3pm

(this is also the press opening)

Runs Thu, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through Sunday February 10, 7:30pm

In this stunning 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winner, we meet Pops, an ex-cop and widower clinging to one of the last rent-controlled apartments in NYC, dealing with a never-ending swirl of demands from family, friends, former colleagues, and a shady church lady...until he resolves to draw the line and make some demands of his own.

Featuring Redtwist company members Adam Bitterman as Lieutenant Caro, Johnny Garcia as Oswaldo, and  KC Karen Hill as Detective O'Connor,

THE CAST (in order of appearance)
Johnny Garcia (Oswaldo), Kenneth D. Johnson (Walter "Pops" Washington), Almanya Narula (Lulu), Kevin Tre'Von Patterson (Junior), Adam Bitterman (Lieutenant Caro), KC Karen Hill (Detective O'Connor), Gabrielle Lott-Rogers (Church Lady)

Understudy Cast: (in order of appearance)
Cesar Gonzales (Oswaldo), Arch Harmon (Walter "Pops" Washington), Kylie Anderson (Lulu), Vincent Williams (Junior), Casey Freund (Lieutenant Caro), Sissy Anne Quaranta (Detective O'Connor), Derin Adesida (Church Lady)

THE STAFF
Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary (Director), Arik Vega (Assistant Director, Fight Choreographer), Megan Gray (Stage Manager), Chelsea Allen (Assistant Stage Manager), Julia Skeggs (Casting Director), Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), Sarah Scanlon (Intimacy Choreographer) Nicholas James Schwartz (Scenic Designer and Technical Director), Cat Davis (Lighting Designer), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Designer), Uriel Gomez (Costume Designer), Christian A. Kurka (Props Designer), Brian Keys (Dramaturg), Ari Craven (Graphic Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Marketing Consultant), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla (Box Office Associate), Brennan T. Jones, James Fleming, & Michael Colucci (Producers)

THE SCHEDULE 
Opens: Sat, January 12, 2019, 3pm (note: there is no evening performance on opening day)
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy Show: Tuesday, February 10, 7:30pm
Closes: Sunday, February 10 (7:30pm show)
Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, January 9, 10, 11, at 7:30pm
Tickets: Thursdays, $35; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $40 (seniors & students $5 off)
        
RESERVATIONS 
Tickets: www.redtwist.org
 Call: 773-728-7529  



Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. 

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. 

OPENING: Olivier Award Winner for Best Play, Six Degrees of Separation at Redtwist Theatre 9/5-10/7/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Redtwist Theatre presents

Six Degrees of Separation

By John Guare

Directed by Steve Scott

Opens Saturday, September 8, 2018, at 3pm

Runs Thu, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through Sun, October 7

(Note: The play includes a brief scene with nudity)

What happens when a total stranger enters your life and changes it forever?
Based on a true story, this Olivier Award winner for Best Play examines the impact of a charming young con man on a mature wealthy woman when she suddenly begins to care for his well-being.

THE SCHEDULE
Previews 
$15: Sept 5-7, 7:30pm
Opens Sept 8, 3pm
Runs thru Oct 7, 2018
(no evening show on Sept 8)
Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm

Tickets: $35-40
(seniors/students $5 off)
Early Bird Season Flex Tix: 5 for $99
Offer good thru Sept 9
or call 773-728-7529

Featuring Redtwist company members & Jeff Award-winners

Jacqueline Grandt & Brian Parry, as Ouisa & Flan

And new Redtwist company member, Donovan Session, in the role of Paul

CAST (in alphabetical order)
Colton Adams (Woody), Zach De Nardi (Doug), Nick Dorado (Larkin), Elena Victoria Feliz (Elizabeth), David Gallo (Ben), Grace Glasgow (Tess), Darryn Glass (Dr. Fine), Jacqueline Grandt (Ouisa), Tom Lally (Detective/Doorman), Jim Morley (Geoffrey), Devon Nimerfroh (Rick), Brian Parry (Flan), Bryan Renaud (Trent), Debra Rodkin (Kitty), Donovan Session (Paul), Daniel Shtivelberg (Hustler/ Policeman)

UNDERSTUDIES (in alphabetical order)
Cathleen Brumback (Tess/Elizabeth), Dwayne Everett (Paul), Michael D. Graham (Geoffrey/Detective/Larkin/Dr. Fine/Doorman), James Hesla (Flan), Victoria Montalbano (Ouisa/Kitty), James Ogburn (Woody/Doug/Trent/Rick), Alex Rocha ((Hustler/Ben/Policeman)

STAFF 
Steve Scott (Director), Max Colvill (Assistant Director), Elaena Hoekstra (Stage Manager), Beth Weinstock (Assistant Stage Manager), Jessie McCarty (Production Manager), Shea Messinger (Set Designer/Scenic Charge), Adrienne Miikelle (Lighting Designer), Eric Backus (Sound Designer), Meagan Beattie (Costume Designer), Hillarie M. Shockley (Props Designer), Seph Mozes (Dramaturg), Ari Craven (Graphic Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Photographer), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla & Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associates), Brennan T. Jones (Co-Producer), Michael Colucci (Co-Producer)



Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca’s Bryn Mawr for most performances—hours vary. Dining is not required. Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. Parking & Policies

Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago, 773-728-7529, www.redtwist.org


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Six Degrees of Separation is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
Six Degrees of Separation was originally produced by Lincoln Center Theatre, New York City.

OPENING: National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Surely Goodness and Mercy Via Redtwist Theatre Through 3/18/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Redtwist Theatre presents

the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere**

Surely Goodness and Mercy

by Chisa Hutchinson

Directed by Wardell Julius Clark

Runs Thu, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through Sun, March 18

**SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY is produced at REDTWIST THEATRE as a part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other partnering theaters are SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY (SALT LAKE CITY, UT) and WRITERS THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY (MADISON, NJ). For more information, please visit www.nnpn.org

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're eager to check out new works, and we'll be out to see this one February 18th. Check back soon for my full review.

THE PLAY 
A powerful new drama with incredible heart and humor. Tino is a Newark schoolboy sent to live with an abusive aunt after his mother dies protecting him in a street fight. Seeking solace, Tino befriends the cantankerous lunch lady at school who has been diagnosed with MS. The moving, heartwarming climax shows these two unlikely friends helping each other navigate a harsh world. 

THE CAST (in alphabetical order) 
Cast: Renee Lockett (Bernadette), Katrina D. RiChard (Alneesa), Donovan Session (Tino), Charlita "Charli" Williams (Deja)
Voiceover: Brianna Buckley (Teacher), Wardell Julius Clark (Minister), Julia Skeggs (Principal)
Understudies: Nicholia Aguirre (Bernadette), Nic Bell (Tino), Sophie Hoyt (Deja),  Jessica Vann (Alneesa)

THE STAFF 
Wardell Julius Clark (Director), Brianna Buckley (Assistant Director), Brennan T. Jones (Stage Manager), Josy Gonzalo (Assistant Stage Manager), Buzz Leer (Tech Director), Lauren Nichols (Set Designer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Grover Hollway (Sound Designer), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Dana Macel (Props Designer), Natalie Santoro (Scenic Charge), Almanya Narula (Fight Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer/Marketing), Charlie Hano (Casting Director), Noelle Simone (Dramaturge), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla & Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associates), James Fleming & Michael Colucci (Producers)

THE SCHEDULE 
Opens: Sat, February 17, 3pm (note: there is no evening performance on opening day)
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy Performance: $20, (seniors & students $5 off), Tue, Mar 13, 7:30pm
Closes: Sun, March 18
Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, Feb 14, 15, 16, at 7:30pm
Tickets: Thursdays, $35; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $40 (seniors & students $5 off)
        
RESERVATIONS 
Tickets: www.redtwist.org
 Call: 773-728-7529 

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 
This play is highly relevant given our polarized political climate which shows a disturbing resurgence of marginalizing certain groups of people. We're especially grateful to Chisa for writing such a beautifully heartwarming story and we look forward to having her with us during the process of producing this brand new play. Also, Redtwist is thrilled to welcome an entire team of exciting guest artists to collaborate on the project of this NNPN Rolling World Premiere.

ABOUT THE PLAY, SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY
In an under-funded public school in Newark, New Jersey, a motherless, bible-toting boy with a photographic memory and a tender heart befriends the cantankerous woman who works in the cafeteria. Against all odds, they help each other through the bullshit of growing up and growing old. --Chisa Hutchinson

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT, CHISA HUTCHINSON
Chisa Hutchinson's socially probing plays, which include SHE LIKE GIRLS, SEX ON SUNDAY, THE SUBJECT, DEAD & BREATHING, and SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER among others, have been presented by such venues as Second Stage Theater, City Parks' Summerstage, the Lark, the National Black Theater, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Atlantic Theater Company. She's won a GLAAD Award, the John Golden Award for Excellence in Playwriting, a Lilly Award, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, the Paul Green Award, a Helen Merrill Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and has been a finalist for the highly coveted PoNY Fellowship. She's also been a Lark Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts, a New York NeoFuturist, a staff writer for the Blue Man Group, a Humanitas Fellow, and most recently, Resident Playwright at Second Stage Theater. In addition to venturing into screenwriting, Chisa is currently a proud fourth-year year member of New Dramatists and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Delaware. (B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A NYU - Tisch School of the Arts.) chisahutchinson.com

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, WARDELL JULIUS CLARK
Wardell Julius Clark hails from Fairfield, Alabama. Chicago Acting Credits include SILENT SKY (First Folio Theatre); APARTMENT 3A (Windy City Playhouse); GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre); A RAISIN IN THE SUN (TimeLine Theatre); THE WHIPPING MAN (Northlight Theatre); WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT... and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES (Victory Gardens Theatre); INVISIBLE MAN (Court Theatre); THE BEATS (16th Street Theater); GHOSTS OF ATWOOD (MPAACT), for which he received the Black Theater Alliance Denzel Washington Award for Most Promising Actor; and TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (American Theater Company/Congo Square Theater). Regional credits include THE WHIPPING MAN (Cardinal Stage); CYMBELINE (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); FENCES (Carver Theatre). Chicago Directing Credits include The One Minute Play Festival, SHOLA'S GAME (Black Lives, Black Words Chicago 2), Assistant Director for SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF and GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre). TV/Film: Chicago Fire Seasons 1 and 4, Transformers: Dark the Moon. Wardell is an Associate Artist with TimeLine Theatre Company, where he also serves as a Teaching Artist in the Living History Program, he is also an Associate Artist with the Black Lives, Black Words theatre collective. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School, at DePaul University.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK
National New Play Network (NNPN) is the country's alliance of non-profit professional theaters dedicated to the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Since its founding in 1998, NNPN has supported more than 250 productions nationwide through its innovative National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program, which provides playwright and production support for new works at its Member theaters. Additional programs--its annual National Conference, National Showcase of New Plays, and MFA Playwrights Workshop; the NNPN Annual and Smith Prize commissions; its residencies for playwrights, producers and directors; and the organization's member accessed Collaboration, Festival, and Travel banks and online information sessions--have helped cement the Network's position as a vital force in the new play landscape. NNPN also strives to pioneer, implement, and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and playwrights. Its most recent project, the New Play Exchange, is changing the way playwrights share their work and others discover it by providing immediate access to information on more than 16,250 new plays by living writers. NNPN's 30 Core and 75 Associate Members--along with the more than 250 affiliated artists who are its alumni, the thousands of artists and artisans employed annually by its member theaters, and the hundreds of thousands of audience members who see its supported works each year--are creating the new American theater. nnpn.org | newplayexchange.org 

Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. 

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. 

JEFF RECOMMENDED: Chicago Premiere I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn't Even Smile at Redtwist Through December 18th

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THE PLAY
A dysfunctional family of three generations of alienated women with vastly different personalities are thrown together due to circumstances they can’t quite control. They immediately disrupt each other’s lives, then drastically change each other’s worlds, and finally enrich each other’s souls.

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Adam Bitterman (Jamie), John Blick (Paul), Jacqueline Grandt (Rebecca), Emma Maltby (Sadie), Kathleen Ruhl (Daphne), Joshua Servantez (Eric)

Understudy cast: Daniel Dauphin (Paul), Isabel Sophia Dieppa (Sadie), Buzz Leer (Jamie), Darrelyn Marx (Daphne), Jeanne Scurek (Rebecca), Jared Sheldon (Eric)

uscast

STAFF 
Erin Murray (Director), Max Colvill (Assistant Director), Jenn M. Thompson (Stage Manager), Josy Gonzalo (Assistant Stage Manager), Joel Collins (Production Manager), Johnnie Schleyer (Tech Director), Arnel Sancianco (Set Designer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Sebby Woldt (Sound Designer), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Abigail Cain (Props Designer), Natalie Santoro (Scenic Charge), Ashley Neal (Vocal Coach), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer & Marketing), Charlie Hano (Casting Director), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla & Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associates), James Fleming & Michael Colucci (Producers)

SCHEDULE
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy Performance: $20, (seniors & students $5 off), Tue, Dec 12, 7:30pm
Closes: Mon, Dec 18 (7:30pm show)
Running Time: 1:45, no intermission
Tickets: Thursdays, $35; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $40 (seniors & students $5 off)

RESERVATIONS
Call: 773-728-7529
Website/Tickets: www.redtwist.org

LOCATION/PARKING
Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station.

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca’s Bryn Mawr for most performances—hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat.

REVIEW: Jeff Recommended Scarcity Disturbs and Delights at Redtwist Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:  

Scarcity 

by Lucy Thurber

A Chicago Premiere directed by Cody Estle

Sept 10 to Oct 9, 2016

If you're eager to see a happy comedy full of family values and fun times, this is not the play you're looking for. Scarcity is dark, edgy, and seeps under your skin. Its very title, Scarcity... scare city... scar city, speaks of poverty, want, shortage, and the fear that living in a constant state of economic deprivation leaves. This family is not getting out of this without deep and lasting scars. Sometimes when one has nothing, pride is all that's left worth fighting for, and losing that leaves a simmering, potentially explosive rage. 

Even the ending is a cliff hanger, lacking in closure and leaving the audience with a sense of foreboding and inevitable evils yet to come. If you're up for embracing the darker side of human dependents, dependence, and interdependence then we highly recommend Scarcity. The psychological and physical manipulation is palpable and despite just about all the characters insisting they've done nothing wrong (yet), suspicions, sexual tensions and innuendos abound.

We particularly liked the fantastic portrayal of the mother, Martha, by Jeff Award winning actress, Jacqueline Grandt. An Arlington Heights resident, Jacqueline Grandt is a 4-time Jeff nominee and won the Non-Equity Jeff Award for her role in Bug at Redtwist. 

Another standout is daughter, Rachel (Ada Grey), with beauty, brains, a preternatural talent for "seeing", and an obsession with reading tarot cards. She's a fascinating character who can glimpse some of the future, yet she's trapped in her own present and powerless to change much of it. 

Ada Grey has been reviewing plays and interviewing actors since she was 4-years old. She writes a blog called Ada Grey Reviews for You.

Ada Grey, Jacqueline Grandt, Mark Pracht

The son, Billy, brilliantly depicted by Brendan Meyer, is charming, smart, and gorgeous, with an irresistible grin, a predilection for drinking, and anger management issues, not unlike his father. He's already mastered the art of manipulation and domination in an unsettling way for a kid as young as 16.



Emily Tate, Brendan Meyer

There's a certain genius in these deeply flawed characters, portrayed so well. Scarcity embraces many disturbing, yet all too human themes, including hints of unfulfilled incestuous desires, a teacher's affair with an underage student, and the parents' tacit consent for their children to "do whatever you have to do" to survive and get out. 

There is passion and compassion still, amid the grinding poverty, hard work, and the struggle to stay afloat, but it comes at a steep cost. There's also still a spark of hope for the smart, beautiful children who are determined for something better. Yet there's a fatalism and a sense that these parents were once attractive, intelligent children too, before they were beaten down by life and succumbed to mind numbing alcoholism. 

Yet the show is not without it's humor. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments. And the rapport the family members had through the arguments, intensity and the tenderness came across in a genuinely moving way. 


Jacqueline Grandt, Ada Grey, Brendan Meyer

That said, there's a macabre train wreck of an aura surrounding this family. The audience can see the impending crash, but they're powerless to look away. We highly recommend this captivating drama.

Debra Rodkin, Mark Pracht, Jacqueline Grandt, Johnny Garcia

THE PLAY
A family stuck in the sticks and struggling to make ends meet has a chance to get their brilliant son into an advanced program when his obsessed math teacher becomes mesmerized by Billy's intellect and potential and offers to help with his college dreams. But what are her real intentions? And will the family grab this golden opportunity for a way out? 

Filled with dark humor and grittiness, Scarcity is an intense look at ambition and ambivalence within a family from the wrong side of the tracks.

Featuring Redtwist Company Member & Jeff Award-winner Jacqueline Grandt, along with fellow Redtwisters, Johnny Garcia and Debra Rodkin, as well as guest artists Ada Grey, Brendan Meyer, Mark Pracht, and Emily Tate

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Johnny Garcia (Louie), Jacqueline Grandt (Martha), Ada Grey (Rachel), Brendan Meyer (Billy), Mark Pracht (Herb), Debra Rodkin (Gloria), Emily Tate (Ellen)

Understudies

Sarah Liz Bell (Ellen), Nick Dorado (Herb), Judith Laughlin (Gloria), Michael Lomenick (Louie), Jeanne Scurek (Martha), Elodie Tougne (Rachel), Harrison Weger (Billy). Understudy performance on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:30pm

STAFF 

Cody Estle (Director), Max Colvill (Assistant Director), Mary Brennan (Stage Manager), Erica Bush (Assistant Stage Manager), Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Set Designer), Emma Deane (Lighting Designer), Jim Alrutz (Sound Designer), kClare McKellaston (Costume Designer), Laurel McKenzie (Prop Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer), Josh Hurley (Tech Director), Elyse Balogh (Scenic Charge), Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), Sam Hubbard (Fight Choreography), Catherine Miller (Dramaturg & Casting Director), Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla (Box Office Associate), Jan Ellen Graves, James Fleming, & Michael Colucci (Producers)

Mark Pracht, Jacqueline Grandt, Ada Grey, Brendan Meyer, Emily Tate

RESERVATIONS

Call: 773-728-7529

Website/Tickets: www.redtwist.org

Opens: Sat, Sep 10, 3pm (note: there is no evening performance on opening day)
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy performance: Tue, Oct 4, at 7:30pm. $20 (seniors & students $5 off)
Closes: Sun, Oct 9
Running Time: Approximately 1:45, which includes one intermission

Tickets: Thursdays, $30; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $35 (seniors & students $5 off)

LOCATION/PARKING

Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station.

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca’s Bryn Mawr for most performances—hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat.

Want more?

13th Season Announced For Redtwist Theatre
Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, Redtwist has long been a favorite of ours on the blackbox storefront theatre scene. They're polished, professional productions and edgy late night choices keep Redtwist on our radar. Mark your calendars. Their lucky 13th season looks like a winner. Click here for our past coverage and full details on Redtwists' upcoming season.

"Home is where the HURT is" examines the fabric of 

family relationships. 

How do we live in the present when the future is looming? 
How far will we go to reach our potential and make our dreams a reality? 

And will that help or hurt the ones closest to us?