THE RED STRING: A New Musical Debuts At Fringe ArtSpace

Nessa Reilly is a writer...or at least she is trying to be; but she has been having the dreams again. Foreign cities, romantic languages and the person she loves saying those three little words. Sick of slinging drinks, unfulfilled and restless; Nessa decides to follow her dreams...literally. With her best friend Sami in tow, the two women take off on an adventure that will change their lives forever. THE RED STRING is a romantic comedy about Nessa and Sami; two strong, beautifully flawed, LGBTQ women. Their interwoven stories see them explore friendship, love, sex, and whether it is fate or their own actions that lead them to their happy ending.

THE RED STRING is written by Amanda Scheirer (Winter Garden) with music and lyrics by Dan Drnach (Orlando). Together with Lern Morrison (DeBary) who plays the role of Nessa Reilly, these three artists are the founders of Without Fear Theatre.

Without Fear Theatre's mission is to uplift the Central Florida community by exclusively producing new works that feature live music and are created by local artists in a highly collaborative, creative process. Every new production includes a charitable giving initiative. In May 2023, Without Fear Theatre was chosen to the inaugural class of Orlando Fringe's arts incubator program, The Collective. This is their second production with the program. Their debut production FIND ME, a modern rock opera about neurodivergence was praised by critics and audiences.

THE RED STRING's cast includes Carly Skubick-Clark, Adam DelMedico, Lena Feliciano, Austin Sultzbach, Lily E. Garnett, John Devennie, Kimberly Luffman, Brooke Light, Franky Saavedra, and Orlando Weekly's 2024 Winner for Best Pop Act-Billy Mick. The creative team is lead by Scheirer and Drnach as Director and Music Director respectively. Rhe'a Hughes builds the world of the show through movement as Choreographer and Tanya Wheelock completes the creative team in the vital role of Intimacy Director.

"THE RED STRING brings to life the fun and adventure of early 2000s rom-coms," says Scheirer. The music "captures the whimsy and wickedness of falling in love," describes Drnach. The show's title refers to the legend of The Red String of Fate. The legend is that there is an invisible red string that connects us to those we are destined to meet. That no matter how far apart or how long apart, they will meet again and destiny will be realized.

Audiences are invited to enjoy a show-inspired cocktail or mocktail while taking in the visual art on display. There will be pop-up shops by local independent booksellers as well as a "Blind Date with a Book" sale. On Thursday 11/21, Julie Carr will host a post-show talk back with the show's cast and creative team. Without Fear Theatre takes pride in their inclusivity, they offer free sensory bags to anyone needing extra support while enjoying the show. Touch Tours are offered in conjunction with Audio Descriptionfor those with low vision and an ASL interpreter for the hard of hearing..

In keeping with Without Fear Theatre's mission, they've chosen the Orlando International Fringe Festival for their charitable giving initiative for this production. "We want to help Fringe continue to foster emerging artists the way they have done for us. In the wake of the flood and arts funding veto, it became clear who we wanted to support with this show. We will be selling special merchandise where the proceeds go directly back to Fringe," said Scheirer.

THE RED STRING opens Friday, November 15th and runs through Sunday November 24th at Fringe Art Space. 54 W. Church Street. Orlando, FL 32801. Doors open an hour prior to show time. Tickets start at $22 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at ArtSpace-Shows.

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