Signal Ensemble to Present RED BUD, 1/22-2/28

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Red Bud by Brett Neveu and directed by Brant Russell at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 22 - February 28. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 22 and Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Saturday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m.

Regular performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $12 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com. NOTE: There will be no performance on Sunday, Jan. 25 and there will be an added industry night performance on Monday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

A group of forty-somethings celebrate the "good old days" by taking an annual trip to Red Bud, a championship motocross race. The group has nearly wrung their mutual friendship dry and uses the overnight camping party to relive past glories, play asinine games and beat the holy hell out of each other. The fly in the ointment this year, is the eighteen year old girlfriend of one of the group's forty-something members. Frustration, weirdness and old baggage rapidly comes to the surface as old friendships die hard.

The cast and production team for Red Bud includes:

CAST: Samantha Beach (Jana), Sarah Gitenstein (Jen), Joe McCauley* (Greg), Colby Sellers* (Jason), Joseph Stearns* (Bill) and Bries Vannon* (Shane) *Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member

CREW: Brant Russell (director), Megan Sutter (assistant director), Stephanie Ingram* (stage manager), Dan Stratton (scenic designer), Carla Hamilton* (costume designer), Michael Stanfill (lighting designer), Thomas Dixon (sound designer), Christopher Neville (props designer), Amanda Herrmann (assistant props designer) and Tyler Rich (violence designer) *Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member

Director Brant Russell is a graduate of Kenyon College (BA, political science) and Northwestern University (MFA, stage direction). He is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, an associate member of SDC, and has worked on the staffs of Writers' Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Steppenwolf. Russell has worked as a producer and/or director for Theater Seven, Steep Theater, Steppenwolf, Collaboraction, MoonPie Productions, Next Theater, Victory Gardens, the Side Project and Around the Coyote, among others. He has taught at Northwestern University, Kenyon College and Steppenwolf and is currently teaching at The College-Conservatory of Music at The University of Cincinnati. In the summer of 2014, he produced and directed the World's Fair Plays at Queens Theatre in the Park in New York.

Playwright Brett Neveu is a writer for film, television and the stage. His recent film productions include the shorts Convo with Breakwall Pictures, Exit, Clowny with JonPon Films and the feature The Earl with Intermission Productions. His recent theatrical productions include The Opponent and Megacosm with A Red Orchid Theatre and 4 Murders with SkyPilot Theatre. Neveu's work has been produced at The Royal Court Theatre, Writers' Theatre, The House Theatre, The Inconvenience, The Side Project, The Goodman Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, TimeLine Theatre Company, A Red Orchid Theatre and American Theater Company. He has received commissions from The Royal Court, Manhattan Theatre Club, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Writers' Theatre, Strawdog Theatre and, in addition, has had several plays published through Broadway Play Publishing, Dramatic Publishing and Nick Hern Publishing. Neveu is a 2012 Sundance Institute Ucross Fellow and the recipient of the Ofner Prize for New Work, the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres and an After Dark Award for Outstanding Musical (Old Town with Strawdog Theatre Company). He has developed plays with companies including The New Group, The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens and he is a resident-alum with Chicago Dramatists. He is also an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, a member of The Playwrights' Union, and an alumni member of the Center Theater Group's Playwrights' Workshop. In addition to teaching at Northwestern, Neveu has taught writing at DePaul University and the Second City Training Center.

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Red Bud by Brett Neveu and directed by Brant Russell at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 22 - February 28. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 22 and Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Saturday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. There will be no performance on Sunday, Jan. 25 and there will be an added industry night performance on Monday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $12 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com.

Street parking available on Ravenswood and Berenice (runs one way going west) CTA Brown line EL stops Irving Park and Addison. CTA busses #80-Irving Park, #152-Addison, #50-Damen, #11-Lincoln. The theatre is handicapped accessible.

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