REDLINE COLLECTION To Receive Staged Reading From Indigo Arts Collective

Indigo Arts Collective is proud to present a one-night-only staged reading of Redline Collection by KJ Cuitiño Bjorge, taking place on Saturday 8 August at 6:30 pm at The Calder Bookshop and Theatre in London. A talkback with the cast and creative team will follow.

Set in Chicago in the early 1980s at the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis, Redline Collection is a powerful, character-driven drama that follows four queer women navigating careers, relationships, and identity in a rapidly shifting world. As an unknown illness begins to devastate their community, the play charts their evolving roles as friends, caregivers, and witnesses, illuminating the often-overlooked contributions of lesbian women on the frontlines of care and activism during the AIDS epidemic. Through its intimate storytelling, the play explores themes of chosen family, resilience, grief, and joy in the midst of pain. Redline Collection offers a moving portrait of a community under pressure and a poignant reflection on love and survival in the face of crisis.

Playwright KJ Cuitiño Bjorge is currently developing an ambitious cycle of interconnected plays called the Boomer Cycle, of which Redline Collection is a part. The cycle follows seven diverse women with strong connections to each other throughout eight decades of their lives, set in Chicago. Her plays have received development from A Red Orchid Theatre, Interact Theatre and IAMA, where her dark comedy, The Playground, was featured in IAMA Theatre Company's 2024 New Works Festival. KJ was named to the Tracking Board's 2021 Next List and was a finalist for Tanya Saracho's inaugural Ojalá lab. Her feature screenplay NOTABLE PEOPLE was #1 on the blcklst.com for several weeks, and alongside her frequent collaborator Heidi Weitzer, the pair have their next feature, The Advance, eyeing production in late 2026.

Director Sara Harrak recently directed the single drama Never Too Late (Vertigo Films / Channel 5) as part of the revived Play for Today slate, and a dark comedy for Comedy Central. Her latest film, Solers United, executive produced by Dame Kelly Holmes, premiered at BFI Flare and is now in development as a longer-form project. Her award-winning short F**KED won Best British Short at the Iris Prize, aired on Channel 4, and is now being developed into a vertical series.

The reading also features an accomplished US cast including Anna Lamadrid (HBO's The Rehearsal; This Fool; Shining Vale; The Goldbergs; Night Court), Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz (Eureka Day - Broadway; Swarm; The Resident; Law & Order: SVU), Jacqueline Emerson (The Hunger Games; High Potential; Sheriff Country), Sarah Hollis (Toy Story 5; My Divorce Party; Clue - First North American Tour), and Borris Anthony York (Holiday Inn - Broadway; The Gilded Age; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Anxious People).

Founded to champion untold stories and foster international artistic collaboration, Indigo Arts Collective develops work at the intersection of art, scholarship, and activism. The company presents work at theatre and film festivals worldwide, supporting both emerging and established artists while creating pathways for new work to reach audiences and progress toward full production.

Tickets are available in advance at https://www.ticketsource.com/indigo-arts-collective and on the door, subject to availability.

Don't Miss a UK Regional News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...