A Red Orchid Presents THE BUTCHER OF BARABOO, 4/5-5/20

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the world premiere of The Butcher of Baraboo, written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Artistic Associate Shade Murray. The production will run April 5 – May 20, 2012 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Press Opening is Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 7:00PM.

Skewed family values and the deep and dark secrets they create become a life force for Valerie, the infamous butcher of Baraboo, Wisconsin. Once her husband has gone missing everyone suspects she played a hand, especially her nosy sister-in-law who just happens to be the town sheriff. Enter the drug-pushing pharmacist daughter who just might hold the key to the ultimate unanswered questions.

"A Red Orchid has long admired Marisa's work and The Butcher of Baraboo is the perfect first collaboration for us," says Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. "I am so excited, both as an actor and as Artistic Director, to be back in the room with a couple of myAbigail's Party cohorts, Shade Murray and Natalie West, old AROT friend Lara Phillips, and new AROT collaborators Missi Davis and HB Ward.  We are all over-the-moon to share this amazing play with Chicago audiences."  

The Butcher of Baraboo features A Red Orchid Ensemble Members Kristen Fitzgerald (Valerie) and Natalie West (Gail); with Missi Davis (Midge), Lara Phillips (Sevenly), and HB Ward (Donal). 

The creative team includes Grant Sabin (Set Design), Melissa Torchia (Costume Design), Lee Fiskness (Light Design), Joe Court(Sound Design), and Linda Laake (Properties). Stephanie G. Heller is the Stage Manager and Skye Robinson-Hillis is the Assistant Director.      

About The Artists:

Marisa Wegrzyn (Playwright) productions include Diversey Harbor, Killing Women, The Chicago Landmark Project: State & Madison: The Grid (Theatre Seven), Hickorydickory and Ten Cent Night (Chicago Dramatists), Psalms of a Questionable Nature (Rivendell Theatre), The Butcher of Baraboo (Steppenwolf Theatre's First Look Rep). Her plays have been produced Off Broadway at Second Stage, at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival, and most recently at Moxie Theatre (San Diego) and The Road Theatre (Los Angeles). She's been commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre, and her new play Mud Blue Sky will premier next season at Baltimore Centerstage. Chicago Reader named her Best Playwright in the 2008 "Best of Chicago" issue, and she received the 2009 Wendy Wasserstein Playwriting Prize. Marisa is a staff writer for The Paper Machete, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists, and a founding company member of Theatre Seven of Chicago.

Shade Murray (Director) directing credits include Abigail's Party at A Red Orchid (Jeff Nomination, Director), End Days at 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 A Red Orchid and Strawdog Theatre Companies 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

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