Looking Forward

With the holiday season moving towards its end, so goes The Iliad.  The show will close on Sunday, January 2 with a 3:00 matinee.  There are tickets available for that performance, as well as evening performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  There will be a champagne/sparkling cider toast with the cast at the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day shows, which should be fun.  If the reception after the opening is any indication, then take it from me, there's something a little unnerving about watching these girls socialize while covered in blood.

And in other news, rehersals are well under way for our next production, The New Electric Ballroom, which starts previews on January 20.  Keep an eye out for more news on that one as the opening draws closer.

Last Minute Gift Ideas!

Instead of those standard sweaters and scarfs, why not give your loved ones something they'll really remember?  Get them tickets for the extended the run of The Iliad!  The show dates and times are on the website, and you can purchase tickets there or call us here in the box office. 

And if you are feeling really generous, you could always give a subscription to our season, which you can get online or by calling us.

And from everyone here at A Red Orchid Theatre, Happy Holidays!

Congrats to the New York Crew

Scott Brown of New York Magazine has named his Top 10 theatre productions for New York, and Mistakes Were Made is #6.  He also gave the show a glowing review when it opened, and has nothing but great things to say about it now: "Full of existential portents, tricky rag-doll stuntwork, and gorgeously ominous puppetry, this bam import never used its stunning visuals as an excuse to skimp on narrative and character."   See the entire list and more praise for the show here.

Of course, for those of you who saw the show here in Chicago and know how great it was, you can't really be too surprised, right?

Extended Run - Dates and times for The Iliad

Here's the info for the extended run of The Iliad.  Normally, our shows are at 8pm, but the evening shows for the extended run start at 7pm, so don't forget.

Sunday December 26 at 3pm & 5pm; Wednesday December 29 at 7pm; Thursday December 30 at 7pm; Friday December 31 at 7pm *champagne/cider toast with the cast; Saturday January 1 at 7pm *champagne/cider toast with the cast; Sunday January 2 at 3pm CLOSING PERFORMANCE
*no shows on December 23, 24, 25

Call us here at the box office for your tickets, or get them online!

Best Theatre of 2010?

A Red Orchid Theatre made the Best of 2010 list at the Tribune.  While I think Abigail's Party should have been much higher on the list, it seems to be in good company.  Here's the full list.

It also appears that The Iliad will be extended through the holidays, but I don't have specifics yet. If you're in a rush for details, you can check the theatre's website, or give the box office a call.

Only Two More Weeks for The Iliad

The Iliad is nearing the end of its run, so if you haven't seen it, you need to call us for your tickets.  The show closes on Dec. 19th, which means you only have TWO weeks left to see it.  I'll go ahead and remind you that the show is Highly Recommended by both the Chicago Sun-Times (with such praise as "the concept works brilliantly") and Time Out Chicago (which praised the "remarkable skill and discipline" of the actors, who are able to recite the "passages of epic poetry with sensitive command").  Also, Sarah Fornace's fight sequences are getting a ton praise, such as this one between Hector and Achilles:

Also this reminder, because we had a message from someone who wanted to purchase tickets for A Very Merry (Unauthorized) Scientology Pageant, we are not doing that show this year.  But there are plenty of other holiday shows and events to see around town, including a radio-rendition of It's a Wonderful Life at The Biograph, which looks like a lot of fun.  Granted, it's quite different from the Scientology Pageant, and may not be a substitute, but it looks like a good show nontheless. There's also A John Waters Christmas at the Harris Theater, a couple productions of A Christmas Carol, and The Nutcracker.  There's also And if none of those fill the hole left by the Scientology Pageant, you could always ask Santa to bring it back next year.