A Red Orchid Theatre to Present Spring Fundraiser At American Writers Museum

A Red Orchid Theatre's (AROT) Board of Directors, Ensemble and staff, in collaboration with the American Writers Museum, announces its 2018 Spring Fundraiser, featuring a special performance by A Red Orchid Ensemble Member Jennifer Engstrom. Guests will also receive a special presale code for Victims of Duty, starring Ensemble Members Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen and directed by Shira Piven. The event will be held on Monday, May 21, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the American Writers Museum, 180 N Michigan Ave, Chicago. Tickets, priced at $100, are available by calling A Red Orchid Theatre at (312) 943-8722 or online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

"We are thrilled to partnering with the American Writers Museum on this fundraiser," said Abigail Madden, Managing Director of A Red Orchid Theatre. "Coming together to highlight writers and playwrights is the perfect way to honor where we come from during our 25th Anniversary season. The fact that the American Writers Museum is an amazing space with such an interactive experience for our guests is a great bonus and we look forward to an exciting evening."

The Spring Fundraiser will feature a special performance by A Red Orchid Ensemble Member Jennifer Engstrom, performing excerpts from her one-woman-show Excuse my Dust (A Dorothy Parker Portfolio). Engstrom, in an exploration of New York's most celebrated wit, uncovers the soul of Dorothy Parker through characters from the writer's short stories. An ensemble member since 2003, Engstrom 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. She last appeared on A Red Orchid's stage in the Chicago Premiere of David Adjmi's 3C. Other AROT appearances include The Mutilated, The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Erice LaRue, Kimberly Akimbo, and The Hothouse, among others. Engstrom was 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. Her work at Northlight Theatre was rewarded with the Jack Springer Award for Best Actress in Sky Girls by Jenny Laird. Other Chicago credits include April Green in Hot l Baltimore at Mary-Arrchie (directed by David Cromer), Shirl in Defiant Theatre's The Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, as well as both The Incident and Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been... at Next Theatre which garnered Jeff Awards for Best Ensemble.

A Red Orchid Theatre will also provide guests with a special presale code for tickets to the summer bonus show, Victims of Duty. The production, directed by Shira Piven and featuring Ensemble Members Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen, will play Summer 2018 (dates TBA) at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. Tickets are very limited and expected to sell quickly.

Proceeds from the Spring Fundraiser will benefit both A Red Orchid Theatre and The American Writers Museum. Each year A Red Orchid's critically-acclaimed theatrical productions attract diverse audiences from across the country. With the funds raised through the event, AROT will advance its commitment to creating exceptional Ensemble-based theatre and fostering new theatrical works, both at home in Chicago and on the national stage.

A Red Orchid Board of Directors includes Rebecca Mills (Chair) Mollie Stromberg (Vice-President), Hugh Breslin, Robin Breslin, Michael Fatall, Marla Forbes, Larry Grimm, Pamela Harrington, Mary Gail Fitzpatrick, Ann McCartney, Maureen O'Rourke, Michael Shannon, Giulia Sindler, Karen Stephenson, Christian Chadd Taylor and Guy Van Swearingen.

A Red Orchid Ensemble includes 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.

Space is limited, so order tickets now for this exclusive event by calling A Red Orchid Theatre at (312) 943-8722 or online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

About the Event:

Tickets to the Spring Fundraiser, priced at $100, include appetizers and drinks, as well as a special performance by Red Orchid Ensemble Member Jennifer Engstrom, performing excerpts from her one-woman-show Excuse my Dust (A Dorothy Parker Portfolio). A Red Orchid Theatre will also announce its 26th Season and provide guests with a special presale code for tickets to the summer bonus show, Victims of Duty, starring Ensemble Members Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen and directed by Shira Piven.

About A Red Orchid Theatre:

A Red Orchid Theatre has long served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago. Chicago Magazine named Red Orchid Chicago's Best Theatre Company of 2010. Over the past 25 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists. A Red Orchid is well known for its highly-acclaimed experimental and cutting-edge productions. In addition to its professional season, the company also now maintains an exciting youth programming wing.

About the American Writers Museum:

American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nations. As the only museum devoted to American writers and their works, AWM connects visitors with their favorite authors and writings from more than five centuries, while inspiring the discovery of new works of every type - poetry, lyrics, speeches, drama, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and more. The authors and works that are presented are not meant to be a definitive list of who is the greatest or most influential. Instead, the AWM presents authors and works as part of a continuum that will grow and change.

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