A Red Orchid Theatre Welcomes New Ensemble Members

A Red Orchid Theatre (AROT) welcomes award-winning actor Kamal Angelo Bolden, director and long-time AROT artistic associate Shade Murray, and lighting designer Mike Durst into its storied Ensemble. Bolden, Murray and Durst are the most recent additions to the A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble, which includes Lance Baker, Dado, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, Natalie West and Craig Wright.

Shade Murray's recent directorial credits with AROT include the Chicago Premiere of Annie Baker's The Aliens in fall of 2012; The Butcher of Baraboo in 2011; and the critically-acclaimed 2010 production of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party featuring an all-ensemble cast. Kamal Angelo Bolden starred opposite AROT co-founder Guy VanSwearingen in the world premiere production of fellow Ensemble Member Brett Neveu's The Opponent in fall of 2012, for which he received both a Jeff Award Nomination and BTAA Nomination for Best Principal Actor. Mike Durst's AROT design credits include lighting for bothSimpatico and The Opponent.

"We at A Red Orchid are thrilled and honored to invite this group of exceptionally talented theater artists to join our creative family in a more formal and ongoing capacity," says Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. "With our firm belief that theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit, our past work with Shade Murray, Kamal Angelo Bolden and Mike Durst could only lead to ongoing work. Each of our new ensemble members brings skill, talent and experience that enriches and ennobles our Company and we are so very fortunate to welcome them home to A Red Orchid."

Kamal Angelo Bolden has worked with A Red Orchid Theatre (The Opponent *Jeff/BTAA Nomination-Principal Actor*), Victory Gardens Theatre (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, We Are Proud to Present...), Court Theatre (The Misanthrope, Home, Jitney *Jeff Nomination-Best Ensemble*), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Short Shakes: Romeo and Juliet), Remy Bumppo (The Island *BTAA Award--Leading Actor*), Chicago Children's Theatre (Bud, Not Buddy, Jackie and Me), About Face (Immediate Family), Actors Theatre of Louisville (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity), Nashville Shakespeare Festival (Coriolanus), Tennessee Rep (Glengarry Glen Ross), Nashville Children's Theatre (four shows), and is an artistic associate of Erasing the Distance. In addition to acting in independent films and national commercials, Kamal has guest-starred on Low Winter Sun, Betrayal, Chicago Fire, Boss, Lights Out, and The Row. Next up: Detroit 67 at Northlight Theatre.

Mike Durst is a Chicago-based lighting designer for the past 8 years whose projects for A Red Orchid Theatre include Simpatico and The Opponent. Other Chicago projects of note include Still Alice and The Great Fire for Lookingglass Theatre, David Cromer's Come Back Little Sheba for Shattered Globe, an equity Jeff award for Requiem for a Heavyweight at Shattered Globe, Audible Feast with Ira Glass for Chicago Public Radio, and numerous designs for companies such as About Face, The Neo Futurists, Pegasus Players, Adventure Stages, Profiles Theatre, Theater Wit, and others. Mike is also the resident lighting designer for the Black Dahlia and Red Dog Squadron in Los Angeles where he has premiered works for Jonathan Tolins, Stephen Belber, Rajiv Joseph, and Stephen Adly Guirgis. His work for the Dahlia earned him an Ovation Award for Adam Rapp's Nocturne. Other West Coast designs include Better Angels at the Eli Broad PAC starring Dustin Hoffman, Amy Ryan, and James Cromwell. Pete Townshend in concert at La Jolla Playhouse. X, Live in Los Angeles, at House of Blues. Off Broadway credits include Secrets of the Trade (starring John Glover) for Primary Stages at 59e59 and Extinction (starring James Roday and Michael Weston) for Red Dog Squadron at Cherry Lane. Also, the national tour of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Nightman Cometh. Mike also serves as a lighting consultant for theatrical renovations including the Gray Center at University of Chicago and Circle Theater in Los Angeles.

Shade Murray directed Annie Baker's The Aliens at A Red Orchid as well as The Butcher of Baraboo, Abigail's Party (Jeff Nomination, Director) andKimberly Akimbo. He recently had the pleasure of directing Annie Bosh is Missing for Steppenwolf Theatre's First Look. Other credits include End Daysat Next Theatre, The Chosen (Jeff Nomination, Director), The Subject Was Roses at Writers' Theatre, Fatty Arbuckle... at Second City, The Petrified Forest, The Good Soul of Szechuan, R.U.R., Marathon '33 (Jeff and After Dark Awards, ensemble), Detective Story (Jeff Award, Production, Director, Ensemble), WRLS #5, and Our Country's Good at Strawdog Theatre, Stupid Kids (Jeff Nomination, Director), Some Explicit Polaroids, Santaland Diaries,Never Swim Alone at Roadworks as well as productions at the MCA, Shattered Globe, About Face, Colbalt, Shakespeare's Motley Crew, Timberlake Playhouse and dance theatre in collaboration with MK and Birgitta Victorson. Shade is an MFA candidate in directing at Northwestern University, an associate artist with Strawdog Theatre Company and has taught at Northwestern University, DePaul University, Act One Studios, National Louis University, National High School Institute, Piven Workshop and the Actor's Gym.