Halcyon Theatre and The Blind Owl Present U.S. Premiere of DIRTY BUTTERFLY

Chicago's Halcyon Theatre presents dirty butterfly by debbie tucker green, a co-production with Chicago's The Blind Owl. Artistic Director of The Blind Owl, Azar Kazemi, directs this U.S. Premiere. dirty butterfly runs now through December 10, 2016 at Halcyon Theatre (press opening Nov. 10), located in residence at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3253 W. Wilson Avenue, on Chicago's north side. The show made its World Premiere at London's Soho Theatre in 2003.

The cast features Leah Raidt, Reginald Robinson Jr. and Genevieve Venjohnson. All three make their debuts at Halcyon Theatre. Understudies include Charlee Cottonand Eleni Sauvageau.

dirty butterfly follows Jason and Amelia as they continue to learn about Jo, their mutual neighbors' dark and compelling world. Through paper thin walls, fragments of all three lives come to light causing a blur of voyeuristic confessions and confrontations of the violence they cannot escape.

dirty butterfly will be performed November 3 through December 10 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8p.m. and Sundays at 6p.m. Tickets are $20 for guaranteed advance admission or at no-cost through the Radical Hospitality program. For additional information, visit halcyontheatre.org/productions/dirtybutterfly or call 773-413-0454.

ABOUT THE CAST:

Genevieve Venjohnson (Amelia) is humbled by the opportunity to play in dirty butterfly, which is her first three - hander. A New Yorker who calls the Chicago theatre community her home, local credits include work with Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Broadway In Chicago, The House, Chicago Children's Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Ravinia Music Festival, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, and other fine ensembles now gone; but not forgotten. She's performed Off-Broadway, Regionally, in tours across Europe, many commercials, and the occasional film and TV show. She's still amazed she gets to make her way in the world by connecting, engaging, and playing with others.

Leah Raidt (Jo) is a founding member of The Blind Owl, and is proud to work with Halcyon Theatre for the first time. Professional credits include The Flick at Steppenwolf Theatre (U/S Rose), Columbinus 3.0 at American Theatre Company directed by PJ Paparelli, Punk Rock directed by Jonathan Berry with Griffin Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Emerald City Children's Theatre, and Pavement Group. Leah is a private coach and runs the children and teen on-camera program at The Green Room Studio. She holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University, and is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. She is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. Special thanks to Azar Kazemi and the generous donors of The Blind Owl! www.LeahRaidt.com

Reginald Robinson Jr. (Jason) is thrilled to be working with The Blind Owl and Halcyon. His Chicago credits include: Cymbeline, Romeo and Juliet, and Henry V (Muse of Fire Theatre) Run, Chris, Run (Stone Soup Theatre); Ghosts of Treasure Island(Adventure Stage); and understudied Avery in The Flick (Steppenwolf Theatre). Regional credits include: Tommy J and Sally (Studio@620); and Fences (American Stage Theatre). Reginald received his MFA from the Florida State University's Asolo Conservatory. Everlasting thanks to his family and his wife, Chelsea.

As a core part of Halcyon's mission of eradicating economic boarders and building inclusive audiences, the theatre offers no-cost access to all productions for any audience member. There are two ways to see a performance:

1) No-cost admission: Halcyon holds a significant number of seats for no-cost admission on a first come, first served basis for each performance. To access these seats, provide contact information at the box office up to one hour prior to curtain. Seating begins 30 minutes before show time. No assigned seats.

2) Guaranteed admission: $20 guaranteed seats can be reserved in advance online and in person at the box office. Seating begins 30 minutes before show time and is open. No assigned seats.

Halcyon Theatre is fiercely committed to making the stage as diverse as the city of Chicago. Dedicated to presenting new voices from inadequately represented communities, Halcyon works to recast classic works in order to showcase contemporary relevance.

Based in the Albany Park neighborhood, Halcyon Theatre was formed in 2006 to connect people, transform borders and ascend toward a more just union. The theatre's artistic philosophy is driven by the continuing belief that at every point of human history where there has been an explosion of artistic creativity, it has happened when different cultures and traditions have met and learned from each other. Halcyon's work includes productions as well as providing platforms-including Compass Lab as well as writing workshops & new play labs-for artists to grow and reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.halcyontheatre.org.

The Blind Owl is a socially-charged theatre where the political and personal collide. Founded in 2012 by a group of DePaul University graduates dedicated to speaking for those the world chooses to ignore. The company produces relationship-based plays that are deeply influenced by political themes and champions the process of discovery over the end result. The Blind Owl takes its name from the book by the late Persian writer Sadegh Hedayat, an existentialist who illuminated the great mysteries of the human experience. For more information, visit www.theblindowl.org.

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