VEAL World Premiere Extended At A Red Orchid Theatre

A Red Orchid Theatre has announced an extension for the world premiere of Jojo Jones’ Veal, directed by ensemble member dado, following strong ticket sales and critical acclaim. Originally scheduled to close November 2, the production will now run through Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 1531 N. Wells Street in Chicago’s Old Town.

Set in the aftermath of a violent coup, Veal follows Chelsea, a young woman who has unexpectedly become Queen of North America. When three former middle-school friends—Franny, Lulu, and Noa—arrive at her palace seeking a favor, Chelsea demands they revisit their shared past and the tragic event that tore them apart. What follows is a darkly comic exploration of power, memory, and the fragile nature of loyalty.

The cast features Jojo Brown (Franny), Alexandra Chopson (Chelsea), Carmia Imani (Lulu), Jasper Johnson (Unnamed Male Concubine), and Alice Wu (Noa), with understudies Lola Fratto, Kaitlyn Gorman, Amy Yesom Kim, Sean McGlynn, and Christin Prince.

The creative team includes Tianxuan Chen (Scenic & Lighting Design), Connor Blackwood (Sound Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Ab Rieve (Props Design), Jyreika Guest (Violence & Intimacy Direction), Faith Hart (Assistant Director/Script Supervisor), Elliott Puckette (Dramaturg), Kyle Stoffers (Casting Director), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager), and Lauren Lassus (Stage Manager), with Dorothy Craven and Faith Locke as Assistant Stage Managers.

A Red Orchid’s Artistic Director dado described the play as “a story about what we become when survival demands reinvention — and the human cost that comes with it.”