Photo Flash: Red Tape Theatre & Walkabout Theater Company Present MOTHER OF SMOKE

Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company are pleased to present the world premiere of MOTHER OF SMOKE, a co-created production inspired by the collision of Chuck Mee's Trojan Women: A Love Story and Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, playing March 23 - April 15, 2017 at Pride Arts Center (The Broadway), 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. Directed by Walkabout's Artistic Director Thom Pasculli+, MOTHER OF SMOKE features original writing by Emma Stanton+, Morgan McNaught, Lucas Baisch and Ruth Margraff* with original music and text by Lucia Thomas. Tickets are currently available at www.redtapetheatre.org.

MOTHER OF SMOKE is performed by Red Tape Company Members Emma Ladji, Ruth Margraff, Kelsey Shipley, Stephanie Shum and Johnard Washington, Walkabout Ensemble Members Nigel Brown, McCambridge Dowd-Whipple, Cooper Forsman, Katie Mazzini and Alex Rodriguez with guest artists Anita Darwish and Lucía Mier y Terán Romero and musicians Oya Dubey and Lucia Thomas.

In a city on fire, one woman laments the destruction of her house while another fails to recognize the danger; and the chorus fights for survival. Through live music, dance, poetry, and a mash-up of dramatic text, Mother of Smoke begins with the juxtaposition of The Trojan Women and The Cherry Orchard to examine the conflicting forces relevant to violence and disparity present in Chicago now. Co-created with a team of writers, musicians and performers, Mother of Smoke is an epic performance of remembering, coming together and picking up the pieces.

The MOTHER OF SMOKE production team includes: Stephanie Pasculli (scenic design), Michael Banks (lighting design), Phia Sherry (costume design), Steve Labedz* (sound design), Lacie Hexom (props design), Chris Owens (projections design), Carrie Drapac* (movement collaborator), Casey Wright* (dramaturg), Dani Wieder (asst. director), Deirdre Connelly (production manager), Kyle Land* (producer)

Dina Klahn+ (stage manager) and Julia Santha (asst. stage manager).

*Denotes Red Tape Theatre Ensemble Members

+Denotes Walkabout Theater Ensemble Members

(center) Lucía Mier y Terán Romero and the ensemble of Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
(left to right) Lucía Mier y Terán Romero, Ruth Margraff, Anita Darwish, Cooper Forsman, Kelsey Shipley, Nigel Brown, Emma Ladji and McCambridge Dowd-Whipple in Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
(far left) Johnard Washington with ensemble of Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
(front) Kelsey Shipley with (back, l to r) McCambridge Dowd-Whipple, Emma Ladji and Stephanie Shum in Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
(left to right) Nigel Brown, McCambridge Dowd-Whipple and Cooper Forsman in Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
(left to right) Nigel Brown, Cooper Forsman, Johnard Washington and Alex Rodriguez in Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.
front to back) Emma Ladji and McCambridge Dowd-Whipple in Red Tape Theatre and Walkabout Theater Company’s world premiere co-production of MOTHER OF SMOKE. Photo by Austin D. Oie.