A Red Orchid Theatre Extends THE MUTILATED

Due to popular demand, A Red Orchid Theatre has extended its critically-acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams' The Mutilated, directed by Ensemble Member Dado. The Mutilated will now run through March 13, 2016. The Mutilated features Ensemble Members Lance Baker, Jennifer Engstrom, Mierka Girten, Steve Haggard, Shade Murray, Doug Vickers and Natalie West with Ciera Dawn, Jennifer Glasse, Roy Gonzalez, Mario Hernandez, Morgan Maher, Lauren Vogel and Dominque Worsley. A Red Orchid Theatre is located at 1531 N Wells.

The creative team for The Mutilated includes Grant Sabin (scenic), Karen Kawa (costumes), Mike Durst (lighting), Jie Court (sound), Brando Triantafilou (original music composition and music direction), Amanda Herrmann (props), Skye Robinson-Hillis (dramaturgy), S. G. Heller (stage manager) and Shannon Golden (production manager).

It's Christmas Eve in New Orleans and Trinket Dugan is holed up at the Silver Dollar Hotel with a painful secret. Her only friend and confidant, Celeste, has just been released from jail and will stop at nothing to get back into her good graces, her pocket-book and her booze. Can their friendship survive the cruelty, the con men, hookers, cops, sailors and drunks? The Mutilated is one of Williams' funniest and most moving plays, and according to Williams himself is "an allegory on the tragicomic subject of human existence on this risky planet." -Esquire magazine 1965.

About the Artists

Tennessee Williams (Playwright) was a master playwright of the twentieth century, who won two Pulitzer Prizes, for A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955). His other major plays include Summer and Smoke (1948), The Rose Tattoo (1951), Camino Real (1953), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). In addition to his two Pulitzers, Williams was nominated four times for the Tony Award for Best Play, winning once, for The Rose Tattoo. Tennessee was also awarded four Drama Critic Circle Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is widely considered the greatest Southern playwright and one of the greatest playwrights in the history of American drama.

DADO (Director) In 2015, Dado directed Red Handed Otter by Ethan Lipton and the Incubator project of Harold Pinter's Celebration (infused with the music of Mauricio Kagel) for A Red Orchid, which enjoyed an extended run at Kamehachi. She also directed As You Like It at UIC and Suburbia at St Joseph (where she also teaches Intro to Performance). She also staged an experimental opera at the Art Expo 2015 called Cake Mix, originally composed by Mikey Moran (Red Handed Otter) and based on the contents of a box of Pillsbury cake mix. Previous shows at A Red Orchid include Strandline, Simpatico, Megacosm and The Hothouse, among others. She recently took her MFA from the University of Chicago in visual art. She lives in Whiting, Indiana with Stella and Booker. Dado would like to dedicate her work on The Mutilated to Sandi Mendrella, a courageous woman with an indomitable spirit.

Lance Baker (Bernie, Police, Jack) is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, and has been seen here in The Grey Zone, Hunger and Thirst, Becky Shaw, and The Mandrake. He also directed the world premiere of Brett Neveu's The Earl, co-directed the Chicago premiere of A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, and directed and starred in the Chicago premiere of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. He was most recently seen in Steppenwolf's 1984, Writers Theatre's Diary of Anne Frank, ATC's The Humans, and Chicago Shakespeare's King Lear. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, but alas, not Chicago Med, not quite yet.

CIERA DAWN (Violet) is a Louisiana native. Previous Chicago theatre credits include work with both American Blues Theatre and Northlight Theatre. She holds an acting degree from Emerson College and is a School at Steppenwolf graduate. Thank you to all of my loved ones who make my artistic endeavors possible.

Jennifer Engstrom (Celeste) An A Red Orchid ensemble member since 2003, Jennifer has appeared in over a dozen AROT productions, culminating in a much coveted 2008 Orgie Award for her delicate portrayal of Fudgie in John Clancy's Fatboy. Ms Engstrom was most recently seen as the Angel Of America in David Cromer's soaring production of Angels in America (both parts) at Kansas City Rep. Other regional credits include Eunice in A Streetcar Named Desire (directed by David Cromer) at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Lady MacD in MacBeth at Notre Dame Shakespeare, and Zelda in Lisa Dillman's Ground at the 2009 Humana Festival. In Chicago, Jennifer has worked with Steppenwolf, Goodman, Northlight, Writers' Theatre, Famous Door, Strawdog, Defiant, Next and Mary-Arrchie Theatres. Ms Engstrom proudly made her NYC theatre debut in 2014 with Excuse My Dust, a Dorothy Parker Portfolio. Jennifer will next be seen as Blanche DuBois in Writers' Theatre's upcoming parody, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf.

Mierka Girten (Trinket) is an ensemble member and the Casting Director at A RED ORCHID THEATRE, where she has been seen in over thirteen productions. Additionally, she has worked with The Hypocrites, Rivendell Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Cobalt Ensemble, Apple Tree, Provision, Strawdog, Circle Theatre, American Blues, Mary-Arrchie, Live Bait, Roadworks, Steppenwolf and The Goodman. She played Esther in the Off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre production of MISTAKES WERE MADE with friend Mike Shannon. Her voice can be heard on national broadcast and web commercials.

Jennifer Glasse (Berenice) makes her A Red Orchid debut. She was last seen in Love and Information (Remy Bumppo Theatre). Other Chicago credits include Saturday Night/Sunday Morning (Steppenwolf Garage) For my Brothers Whenever I May Find Them (Step Up Productions), The Mountaintop, The Misanthrope, Tartuffe (all u/s Court Theatre), The North Plan (Theatre Wit), Amuse Bouche (Pavement Group), and The Darkest Pit (Prop Theatre). Jennifer received her degree in Musical Theatre from North Central College, she is a graduate from The Conservatory at Act One Studios and The School at Steppenwolf. Jennifer is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Hope 31:9 Theatre Co. www.hope319theatre.org

Roy Gonzalez (Roy, Guitar, etc.) makes his A Red Orchid debut. In the past, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with a slew of Chicago companies you've probably heard of. When not on stage, Roy enjoys riding his bike year-round and regaling people with tales of his home state of Texas. He also composes musicals, including one story about JFK fighting Jesus Christ in a battle of thumb war.

Steve Haggard (Slim) was last seen at A Red Orchid Theatre in Accidentally Like A Martyr and has been an ensemble member since 2007. Other Orchid shows include The Aliens, Kimberly Akimbo and The Mandrake. Chicago credits: Tribes (Steppenwolf); Funnyman and Season's Greetings (Northlight); Doubt, Old Glory, The Subject Was Roses and Our Town (Writers'); Wasteland (Timeline); King Lear, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare). Regional Credits: American Players, Milwaukee Repertory and Indiana Repertory. Steve is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University.

MARIO HERNANDEZ (Good Mario, Bass, etc.) has been playing music since he was 10 years old. Ever since he picked up his first instrument, he has been in love with music and its sounds. Mario began taking music as a serious career 3 years ago in 2013. Mario is currently majoring in Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago studying under Stewart Miller. He could not be more excited to be involved in putting together works of all genres of music together. Well versed in both classical and jazz, Mario is a bass player that is versatile and ready to work in all styles of music.

Morgan Maher (Bruno) makes his A Red Orchid debut. He is an ensemble member with the Griffin, where his credits include Pocatello, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, The Burnt Part Boys, and Stage Door. Other recent credits include She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf Garage Rep), I'll Get You Back Again (Steppenwolf First Look), Othello (The Gift) The Casuals (Jackalope), The Crownless King (House) and The Whole World Is Watching (Dog + Pony). He holds a B.A. In Philosophy from the University of Chicago and is represented by Gray Talent.

SHADE MURRAY (Maxie) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theater, where his directing credits include Brett Neveu's Pilgrim's Progress, Grant Varjas' Accidentally Like a Martyr, Marisa Wegrzyn's Mud Blue Sky and The Butcher of Baraboo, as well as A Red Orchid's productions of Trevor, The Aliens, Abigail's Party and Kimberly Akimbo. Other Chicago directing credits include projects at Steppenwolf Theater Company, Writers' Theatre, Victory Gardens, Second City, Steep Theater, Next Theater, Wildclaw Theater, Strawdog Theatre, Cole Theater, RoadWorks Productions, and others. Shade will be directing A Red Orchid's premier of Ike Holter's Sender this spring. He also teaches at the University of Chicago and DePaul University.

Doug Vickers (Henry, Pious Queen) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he most recently appeared in Accidentally Like a Martyr, one of Time Out Chicago's top ten shows of 2015. Some of his other favorite appearances at Red Orchid have been in Simpatico, Four Murders, The Grey Zone, and Hunger and Thirst. Doug was the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for The Best Man at Remy Bumppo Theatre (Best Cameo Performance). Other Chicago credits: Chicago Shakespeare (Comedy of Errors), Next Theatre (R.I.P.) (U.N. Inspector, Turcaret the Financier), Court Theatre, Famous Door Theatre, Trap Door Theatre, and Hell in a Handbag. Regional: Illinois Shakespeare Festival. TV: Underemployed (MTV). Film: One Rainy Day (MPG Productions), Hope's Happy Birthday (Perry Productions).

Lauren Vogel (Princess, Violin, Banjo, etc.) makes her A Red Orchid debut. Regional Credits: H.M.S. Pinafore at The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Mikado at American Repertory Theatre. Vogel is a member of The Hypocrites in Chicago, Hypocrites credits include All Our Tragic- Equity Jeff Award Best Ensemble-, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore, and Johanna Faustus (May 2016). Vogel is an artistic associate with Walkabout Theatre Co. where she made her professional debut in Core of the PUDEL (Gertrude's Angel) at Trap Door Theatre. Lauren is a senior musical theatre major at Columbia College Chicago. Lauren is a violinist and has studied the instrument for over 17 years.

Natalie West (Bird Girl, Rose) is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid, where she most recently appeared in Strandline. Other AROT productions include Mud Blue Sky, The Butcher of Baraboo and Abigail's Party. Over the years she has appeared in shows at The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Northlight, and American Theatre Company among others. She is a former ensemble member of Remains Theatre. Natalie was a regular on the television show Roseanne as Crystal. Films include Nate and Margaret, Poker House, Life Sentence and Bushwhacked. Natalie is a recipient of three Jeff Awards for supporting actress for The Butcher of Baraboo, Abigail's Party at A Red Orchid and Life and Limb at Wisdom Bridge. She holds a MSW from Loyola University Chicago, a BA in Theatre at Indiana University and she attended Webber Douglas Drama Academy in London.

Dominique Worsley (Tiger) last appeared at A Red Orchid Theatre in Accidentally Like a Martyr. He most recently performed as an understudy in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Grand Concourse and Animal Farm. Other Chicago credits include Tartuffe (Court Theatre), and Titus Andronicus (The Right Brain Project).

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