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End of Year Message from Redmoon

December 30, 2009 – 11:31 am

Friends of Redmoon,

We write to you now, upon the precipice of Redmoon’s 20th anniversary year, to make a commitment to our artistic and cultural programming. In 2009 over 20,000 people celebrated Redmoon’s activation of public space for civic well-being and community engagement. ALL FOR UNDER $15 A TICKET. MANY FOR FREE.

In 2009, despite the economic turmoil, our artistic accomplishments in this year have already been monumental. Together we have accomplished:

A Home-Grown Tradition as National Opportunity: Inspired by our All Hallows celebrations in Logan Square, Redmoon was invited this year to perform at the White House Halloween Event. This is the ultimate endorsement of the value of our work and the quality of our art, presented in the national spotlight.

A Gift to the City: 8,000 people celebrated free guerilla ephemera events in public locations throughout Chicago, such as The Momentary Opera.

A Wild Artistic Assault: Spectacle 09: Last of My Species, the fearless songs of Laarna Cortaan invaded Belmont Harbor, mounted a work of aesthetic arrest over two weekends, building community throughout public celebration, and leaving the memory of its cultural and civic impact.

A Historic Chicago Location, Transformed: Hunchback rang through the University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel in a phenomenal staging of classic Redmoon work in an unexpected location.

A Fairytale Presented to the World: Once Upon a Time shared a small town in France with puppet theater from around the globe, representing Chicago and the country at a prestigious international festival.

This could not have been accomplished without the generous support of our donors.

In this time when public work is so vital, we strive to present a necessary art to our community. We create unexpected theater in unexpected locations. Please consider making a donation today.

$35 provides an affordable ticket price for all
$100 brings community celebration to Chicago’s Neighborhoods
$250 pays for an artist to teach 50 children creative learning
$1,000 ensures creation of a one-of-a-kind Redmoon object for Spectacle ‘10

With your support, here is what we will do next:

An Enchanted Dream: 2009 Winter Pageant recently transformed Redmoon Central in this much loved, family-friendly holiday tradition. In 2010, The Pageant will tour to Northern, Central, and Southern locations to bring this Redmoon classic to broader audiences throughout the Chicago-land area.

Another Gift to the City: We will return to the streets in 2010 for another installment of our successful guerilla series, bringing free moments of ephemera around the city, all leading up to Spectacle ’10 ! Stay tuned!

A Children’s Spectacle: This year, Redmoon’s Neighborhood Arts Program expanded to work with over 350 students in five grade levels. These young artists created awe-inspiring work and changed the culture of their schools and communities. In 2010, we will expand to include Mentorship Programs at social service organizations and a Summer School, structured to utilize creative learning through art making for Chicago’s young people.

A Shadow Ballet: in 2009 Redmoon renewed its commitment to meaningful partnerships with the recently presented ‘Swan Lake’ in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2010, we will work with new partners to exhibit to diverse audiences in surprising ways. Stay tuned for an upcoming 2010 collaboration with the Harris Theater in Millennium Park and an exciting 2011 partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

We have laid the groundwork for a fantastic future, but we cannot accomplish our ambitious calendar of programming without your support.

Thank you for coming to see our art.

Thank you for sharing our art with your friends and family.

Thank you for supporting our art financially.

We do it for you. We cannot do it without you.

Please consider making a gift today.

JOIN US IN BEING BOMBASTIC!

Sincerely,

Frank Maugeri, Artistic Director & Rebecca Hunter, Executive Producer – Redmoon Theater

P.S. Support Redmoon’s MUSCLE AND POETRY: PROPEL us into our 20th anniversary year. PROMOTE this unique brand of performance. CELEBRATE our commitment to the highest quality artistic product. BE AN AGENT OF UNEXPECTED THEATER IN UNEXPECTED LOCATIONS. Please support us today!

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A Note of Thanks after “Shadow Swan Lake” at the CSO from Redmoon’s Artistic Director

December 20, 2009 – 7:27 pm

Dear Friends,

I am sitting at the final showing of Swan Lake at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra— 4 nights, 5000 audience members— many who have only heard of Redmoon- now introduced to one of the many achievements of Redmoon, and many of our fans— who choose to follow us most anywhere. We could not have had a better experience here— the staff, the union, and all of the artistic team— Martha Gilmore, CSO Artistic Director, especially— have been remarkably pleased with our professionalism and our shadow creation.

Redmoon’s team: Jim Lasko, Andrea Everman, Alex Balestrieri, Lee Potter, Mike O’Neill and Gabriel Richardson have done wonderful work as makers and representatives of the theater. We have been introduced to many fascinating people. And we worked alongside Maestro Polianichko— who earlier this week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recognized his distinguished service to his nation’s music by awarding him the title ‘Honored Artist of Russia’— one of the most distinguished awards for an artist in Russia. What an honor to perform on the same stage as such a amazing and important artist. He has been consistently impressed with our work this week— watching us shape, change and develop the work, to its wonderful conclusion this evening. 

Martha Gilmore requested a picture of our September Spectacle at Belmont Harbor, “Last of my Species”, to give to Yo Yo Ma, who just this week was named Creative Consultant for the CSO. Ma’s three-year appointment was announced by CSO music director designate Riccardo Muti at an appearance at New York’s Lincoln Center, where Muti was being named Musician of the Year by Musical America. Martha thinks Redmoon and Yo Yo Ma would enjoy each other greatly. And she hopes the team meets him soon.

So, with only a couple weekends of an oversold Winter Pageant left (Redmoon Central is packed to the brim with joy and chaos), an aesthetically arresting event at the CSO, and a great 2009— of which we can and should all recall: our successful March 2009 Lunatique, our excellently consistent and community impactful Neighborhood Arts Programming, “The Momentary Opera” throughout Chicago, our most successful spectacle event to date— “Last of my Species”, a historic trip to the White House, Jim’s appointment by the City of Chicago as Artist-in-Residence (the first ever of its kind), “Once Upon a Time” to France, “Hunchback” in Rockefeller Chapel, and a critically acclaimed “Winter Pageant”— we are simply grateful and confident about our work, mission and community that is Redmoon. Grateful and confident for the support of our board of directors, for a great artistic team of unwavering artisans with boundless creativity, for a tireless and committed administrative team, for a devoted and meticulous production team, the hundreds of artists who labored over Redmoons art, for the many, many young emerging performers and artists who trained with us this year, and for all our fans who continue to locate us, celebrate our work, and appreciate the Redmoon vision of a New Public Art committed to and reflective of the muscle and poetry of the most beautiful city in the country, Chicago.

I thank all of you for your commitment to this team, this work, and this vision.

To a glorious and powerful 2010— 20 years of hard work will pay off in ways we cannot even imagine.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Bombastic Behavior to all…

Many thanks and much respect,

Frank Maugeri
Artistic Director, Redmoon Theater
Chicago

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Redmoon Artistic Director toasts Chicago’s New Artist-in-Residence

December 17, 2009 – 12:59 am

This evening at the post-show discussion of Redmoon’s collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director Frank Maugeri toasted the newly appointed Redmoon Resident Artisit Jim Lasko as the City of Chicago’s Artist-in-Residence. Below is his speech that was given at the beginning of tonight’s opening night, post-show discussion. Nicholas Winter, the CSO’s Artistic Administrator, moderated the discussion. Artists on the stage for the post show discussion in the ballroom were: Redmoon Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, Resident Artist Jim Lasko, Chicago Actor Alex Balestrieri and CSO Maestro Alexander Polianichko.

“Dear Friends, I would like to take a moment of your time, please.
I am Frank Maugeri, Redmoon’s artistic director. I am proud to stand here before you this evening as a representative of Redmoon Theater.

It is an honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a prestigious institution like the CSO, to be able to perform with this orchestra and this evening’s Maestro. Redmoon is very grateful to be here.

This evening I also wanted to take a moment to toast my dear friend and a core artist of Redmoon, Jim Lasko. I have been with Redmoon going on fifteen years and I have been very lucky to work in collaboration and alongside Jim’s ambitious, brave, and visionary leadership. It was not until I held this position over the course of this last year of extraordinary programming that I really understood the sacrifices he made, the difficulty in his decision-making, and the power of the artistic vision he commanded— as Redmoon’s past artistic director, he has been a great teacher to many, a remarkable artist, a powerful leader and personally to me, a good friend. Recently Jim was appointed the nation’s first Artist-in-Residence for the City of Chicago.

This appointment is the first of it’s kind in the country: showcasing the city of Chicago’s commitment to innovation, art and culture. And calls attention to Jim’s vision and craft on a national level- a well deserved recognition. Long overdue.

I personally want to honor his achievement, and congratulate him on this position. There are few artists in our country who share Jim’s vision of public engagement, the necessity of public art, and the value of art in the fabric of a city’s culture, identity and well-being. He is a man who believes art can and should be an agent for change at a local, national and global level.

Jim, we honor you and your appointment. I am also grateful that Jim continues to serve as a core artist for Redmoon- as Redmoon’s Resident Artist, he continues participating in our artistic strategies and our artistic product.

Like much of our work this year, “Swan Lake” is the product of a collaboration with Jim’s ideas, direction, and artistic engagement.

Now I ask you to raise your glasses: on behalf of Redmoon, we toast you Jim; and to the Redmoon team, and to the City of Chicago, the most important arts city in the country.

Thank you.”

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Redmoon Holiday Art Sale - Sat Dec 5th, noon to 7pm

December 4, 2009 – 3:26 pm

“19 years worth of theatre creations – ALL FOR SALE!”

We’ve been working diligently these past few weeks, pulling, pricing, and polishing hundreds of items from our rich production history, in order to raise funds and make room for our 2010 season.

The unique masks, puppets, drawings, posters and works of art we are offering would make the perfect holiday gift for children ages 1to 101. Take this opportunity to unlock someone’s imagination with interactive artwork ranging from simple stocking-stuffers to elaborate artistic creations, priced from hundreds of dollars to a few cents.

We hope to see you at the art sale!

p.s. if you’re not on Redmoon’s e-blast list, but would like to receive our updates, please email boxoffice@redmoon.org!

Get a sneak peek of some of the items on sale here: “Redmoon Central Facebook Art Sale Pictures”

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time: 12:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: Redmoon Central
Street: 1438 W. Kinzie St.
City/Town: Chicago, IL

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL REDMOON CENTRAL: 312850-8440

Winter Pageant 2009 is running Thurs/Fri 7.30pm and Sat/Sun 4pm & 7.30pm

Be Bombastic!

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Redmoon Partners with CSO for a surprise holiday treat!

December 2, 2009 – 3:40 am

For Immediate Release
December 1, 2009

Four Performances Dec. 16-19

December 2009, Chicago – On the heels of their Halloween performance at the White House October 31st, and running concurrently with their family-friendly tradition of “Winter Pageant” at Redmoon Central through December 27th, Redmoon has teamed up with the CSO for a surprise holiday treat to present a 30 minute world-premiere shadow-puppetry spectacle accompanying music from Tchaikovsky’s fairy-tale ballet “Swan Lake”.

Russian conductor Alexander Polianichko returns to the CSO podium to conduct the all-Tchaikovsky programs, which also include selections from “The Snow Maiden”.

Known for their enormous and spectacular live productions, Redmoon’s artistic team led by artistic director Frank Maugeri, have constructed a unique addition to the standard concert-hall experience, to be staged in synchronization with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of music from “Swan Lake”.

Redmoon’s specially created dramatization showcases an array of handcrafted shadow puppets, meticulous live puppetry and larger-than-life video projections, bringing alive the tragic story of a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse, and the prince who falls in love with her.
The program also includes Tchaikovsky’s incidental music to “The Snow Maiden”, featuring Chicago actor Alex Balestrieri reciting a new adaptation from Aleksandr Ostrovsky’s play.
Gerard McBurney, CSO artistic programming advisor and an authority on Russian music, has retailored key scenes from Ostrovsky’s original text, telling the poetic story of an ice goddess whose heart is warmed when she falls in love with a mortal.

DATES / TIMES: Dec. 16, at 6:30pm (part of the rush-hour Afterwork Masterworks series); Thursday, Dec. 17, at 8pm; Friday, Dec. 18, at 1:30pm; and Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8pm

WHERE: Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60604

TICKETS: $22 – $199

To Purchase Tickets: call the CSO ticket hotline (312) 294-3000 or visit www.cso.org

“With the remarkable amount of holiday celebrations available to audiences in Chicago during this point in the season, our goal is to create a memorable experience that goes beyond the spectator’s palette of expectation,” noted Artistic Director Frank Maugeri. “The gift of working in collaboration with the CSO, creating the necessary magic to invent a short classical music fairy-tale that visually astounds, is every artistic team’s dream! So we can only do what Redmoon does best—turn our dream into a landscape of the imagination, full of muscle and poetry, and take over Symphony Hall as a temporary holiday playground.”

Conceived by Frank Maugeri and Jim Lasko, co-Directed by Frank Maugeri, Jim Lasko, Alex Balestrieri, in collaboration with Andrea Everman, with a team of Redmoon artists. Executive Produced by Rebecca Hunter

Production credits include: Shadow Puppet Illustration and Design – Andrea Everman, Shadow Performers – Julia Miller, Sarah Latin-Kasper, Sarah Ely, and Mike Oleon, Shadow Workshop Participants –Taylor Bibat, Shu Shubat, Sarah Fornace, Freddie Beckley, Lydia Bottom, Jake Carr, Stephanie Kalil, Cody Proctor, Elizabeth Silva, Laura Statford, Mark Umstattd, Live Film Projectionist – Liviu Pasare, Production Assistants – Taylor Bibat, Shu Shubat, Technical Direction – Mike O’Neill, Shadow Screens and Carts Design – Zach Perrault, Construction Engineer – Gabriel Richardson, Build Interns – Amalia Buisson, Sarah Covert, Dustin Brunjels, Gabriel Underwood.

Redmoon has a commitment to creating new pathways for more audiences to encounter and participate in art and culture. In 2009, Redmoon successfully collaborated with the Chicago Park District for Spectacle 09: Last of My Species, The Fearless Songs Of Laarna Cortaan at Belmont Harbor; travelled to France to present Once Upon A Time in Charleville at the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes; the University of Chicago for a production of Hunchback at Rockefeller Chapel in Hyde Park, and is delighted to collaborate with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on Swan Lake at Downtown’s Symphony Center.

Redmoon’s 2009 programming is made possible through the generous support of the following contributors:
The Mullen Family Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and by a CityArts Program 3 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

Redmoon was founded in 1990 to promote a unique brand of performance committed to the highest quality artistic product and to civic well-being. Pulling with conviction from contemporary art forms and ancient theatrical forms, Redmoon has created a performance style that is equal parts pageantry, gadgetry, acrobatics, and ephemera. Over the past decade Redmoon has garnered international attention for theatrical productions and site-specific performances, which have been seen across Chicago from the Jackson Park Lagoon, the façade of Museum of Contemporary Art to Belmont Harbor and theater venues such as Steppenwolf. Over recent years, Redmoon has developed expanding projects in Holland, Ireland, France, and Australia. The company was recently honored to perform for the President and First Lady at the White House for Halloween 2009. Redmoon is committed to a mission of creating unexpected theater in unexpected locations.

Redmoon is a proud member of The League of Chicago Theatres and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

Contact: Sean Kaplan
312-850-8440 ×114
skaplan@redmoon.org

###

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2009 Winter Pageant Review by Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

November 26, 2009 – 1:40 am

“Redmoon’s ‘Winter’ warms your heart”
REVIEW | Season ticket: summer, fall, spring also take a bow

November 25, 2009
BY HEDY WEISS Theater Critic
hweiss@suntimes.com

Early on in Redmoon Theatre’s 2009 Winter Pageant, a girl arrives onstage carrying an old-fashioned suitcase. As she carefully lifts its locks and raises its lid the sound of birdsong fills the air. And inside the case we see strange grass-like balls — birds’ nests perhaps — that make you believe it just might be spring again.

Of course this being the latest Redmoon holiday season pageant — yet another of those traditionally wintry romps that first put the company on the map (long before its recent little Halloween adventures at the White House) — it is a sure bet that all the seasons will eventually be spotlighted. And yes, this year’s pageant lets spring, summer, fall and winter all take their bows with small, artfully poetic moments counterpointed by a storm of big, silly bombastic ones.

And who can resist it? Certainly not the wide eyed, one-year-old boy whose mother devotedly held him in her arms throughout the hour long show, angling him so that he could see each surprising scene. (He remained spellbound.)

Human clouds perambulated. A big blue car arrived, with four bakers tumbling out — bearing cakes and pies that a lost girl would happily have devoured had it not been for a big, fat baby with a ravenous appetite who pursued the sweets more feverishly.

Then came a surrey with a garden on its roof. It was tended by a fellow who ate a bunch of red phosphorescent berries that unexpectedly “hatched” in his belly and were expelled to much laughter.

White rice paper cranes, lit from within, flew into the space next, signaling a mood change. And another suitcase was opened revealing dried leaves and mushrooms.

In the wake of a great downpour a trio of cocky pirates sailed into view. They sang a winning chanty that proclaimed: “We ransom our mothers, and with the coins in our chest/We buy them right back and in stocks we invest.” (This earned a big laugh from the adults in the house.)

Deep-sea divers arrived with soap bubble-generating tanks on their backs. And then, before you knew it, winter was on its way in the form of a spectacular ice draped banquet table. Here, in a particularly dark and disturbing moment, cries for food from the offstage “hungry” were heard, and a great global food fight was set in motion.

The show comes full circle as giant trunks are opened, and a little village of illuminated houses is assembled, with a particularly beautiful one revealing a granny on a rocking chair, surrounded by birds. On a cold night it appears there might be peace on Earth.

Though the transitions from scene to scene sometimes lose a bit of momentum, director Vanessa Stalling — whose collaborators include Frank Maugeri, Jim Lasko, Chantal Calato, a slew of other visual and musical artists, and an ensemble of seven hugely likable performers — has made sure that the arrival of our first real snowfall this year will be a bit less painful.

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A Note on the Eve of Winter Pageant’s Opening

November 20, 2009 – 6:32 pm

Dear Friends of Redmoon,

November 1st Redmoon returned from Washington DC – where we had an enormously successful journey – in the offices of our congressmen, senators, the NEA, and on the front lawn of, and in, the White House, where we presented work that our artistic team has collaboratively developed over several years: our drum cart, wine bike, underwater lovers… We are eager to share the wonderful slide show of our experience at the next Redmoon Board meeting just a few days from now, and again, at “Franskgiving” to our community of artists, performers, and supporters. Sean Kaplan has developed an unforgettable and meaningful presentation of our unprecedented trip. You will not want to miss it.

Upon our return from DC we mounted a remarkable benefit for Intuit Gallery, where we turned an old steak house into a lavish realm of dream and nightmare. Meanwhile we planned a Holiday Momentary Opera for the Wicker Park community (coming soon), and Jim Lasko and I continued our artistic labor and work around our collaboration with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I can assure you it will be gigantic and beautiful.

And we worked tirelessly as a team – Vanessa Stalling, Jim, Rebecca Hunter, and myself – to generate this year’s 2009 Winter Pageant – which opens in just a few hours. Vanessa created the foundation of a humorous, wild, dreamlike journey in which I was able to shape objects, design, and whimsical performance material, and Jim graciously and powerfully supported the team in shaping, tightening, and unifying the show. Beth Kaskel has once again led several young administrative interns to accomplish much of the necessary labor around administrating a show, and Angie Tillges, Mike Oneill and Gabe Richardson have led several more emerging artists in supporting the art and space of the show. Together, as a team, we have created yet another dynamic Redmoon expedition into professional beauty and important play.

We open in just a few hours. We are very excited.

The team has done astounding work of the past several weeks – huge, massive work- committing themselves to the mission of the theater. I am proud to be a member of this team – and at the risk of being too earnest, I will nonetheless say – 2009 has been a year of artistic bravery, tireless commitment, and an undying devotion to a legacy that continues to have great local and national impact. Everyone deserves credit: the artistic team, our administrative team, our board.

Thank you to the team for your committed administrative and artistic work, and thank you to our board for all your confidence and support.

I hope I see all of you tonight at Redmoon Central for our lunatic holiday event.

Frank Maugeri
Artistic Director
Redmoon

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2009 Winter Pageant Press Release

November 18, 2009 – 10:31 am

For Immediate Release
November 7, 2009

“WINTER PAGEANT 2009” AN EVENT FOR ALL AGES at Redmoon Central

November 2009, Chicago – After Redmoon’s Halloween performance at the White House October 31st, the company returns to its home in the industrial corridor of West Town to present its longest running spectacular tradition: Winter Pageant 2009. Redmoon has committed to continuing their 15-year tradition of creating an event where Chicago’s communities and families can gather to celebrate the holiday season in an accessible, beautiful and unique way. Redmoon invites you to this year’s Winter Pageant where you’ll be able to experience many of the performance elements that paraded around the White House grounds and played about in the halls of the East Wing Residence.

Redmoon’s family friendly annual event returns to celebrate the changing seasons and the coming of spring. Expect the unexpected.

DATES: Previews Nov 14 & 15, Opens NOV 20 – DEC 27 (no shows NOV 26, DEC 24 & 25)

TIMES: THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS at 7:30 PM, SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS at 4:00 & 7:30 PM

WHERE: REDMOON CENTRAL, 1463 W. HUBBARD STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60642

TICKETS: Adults: $15 Seniors & Under 10: $10
To Purchase Tickets: 312.850.8440 ×111 OR www.redmoon.org

FAMILY PICNIC PERFORMANCES: SATURDAY, NOV 28 & DEC 19 at 2:30 PM
Purchase a special ticket that includes a boxed lunch with the artists, served at Redmoon Central, followed by
the 4:00 PM performance.
Family of 4: $100 Adults: $30 Kids: $20

HOLIDAY ART SALE: SATURDAY DEC 5, 12 – 7:30 PM
Do your holiday shopping with Redmoon!

“Inspired by Chicago’s industry and working class foundation— the ‘muscle and poetry’ of this city— Redmoon is committed to producing and presenting our unique art form outside of traditional contexts,” noted Artistic Director Frank Maugeri. “Redmoon’s audience always loves our alternative take on the ‘Holiday Show’. As we’ve been reinventing Winter Pageant off-and-on as a holiday celebration since 1991, focusing on creating community not through typical commercial Christmas themes or worn out holiday classics but rather engineering a journey that explores nature, humanity, ritual, storytelling… We get rid of the fluff and commercial noise around the holidays and attempt to reconnect people to what we feel is its essence – community through a shared experience of dreamscapes of the imagination.”

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Vanessa Stalling and co-created with Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, Resident Artist Jim Lasko and Executive Producer Rebecca Hunter in collaboration with a team of Redmoon artists.

Winter Pageant 2009 will take audiences on a visual, dream-like journey that explores collective universal themes: nature, humanity, ritual, storytelling, by creating a theatrical experience that’s intimate and interactive, involving and inspiring spectators in a shared, live event. An event that is memorable both by critics (2008 Jeff Nominated Production) and by audience members (6,500 people over 6 weeks). This year’s Winter Pageant will gradually reveal a fanciful journey for audience members through the four seasons beginning with summer, traveling through autumn and winter and culminating with the rising of the sun in spring.

Redmoon has a commitment to creating new pathways for more audiences to encounter and participate in art and culture. In 2009, Redmoon successfully collaborated with the Chicago Park District for Spectacle 09: Last of My Species, The Fearless Songs Of Laarna Cortaan at Belmont Harbor; the University of Chicago for a production of Hunchback at Rockefeller Chapel, and is delighted to collaborate with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on Swan Lake in December 2009.

This year’s “Winter Pageant” production has donated a select number of tickets to Title 1 school students in the North Lawndale neighborhood in order to fulfill on that commitment. Please contact Redmoon for more details.

Production credits include, Music Composition: Mark Messing, Sound Design: Mikhail Fiksel, Lighting Design: Nick Matonich, Object Light Design: Chase Corman, Lead Artisans: Chantal Calato, Tyler Burke, Tara Smith, Gretta Johnson, Performance Ensemble: Missi Davis, Nick Demeris, Sarah Fornace, Alexander Knapp, Matt Rudy, Eric Swanson, Dustin Valenta.

2009 Winter Pageant is made possible through the generous support of the following contributors:

The Mullen Family Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and by a CityArts Program 3 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

Redmoon was founded in 1990 to promote a unique brand of performance committed to the highest quality artistic product and to civic well-being. Pulling with conviction from contemporary art forms and ancient theatrical forms, Redmoon has created a performance style that is equal parts pageantry, gadgetry, acrobatics, and ephemera. Over the past decade Redmoon has garnered international attention for theatrical productions and site-specific performances, which have been seen across Chicago from the Jackson Park Lagoon, the façade of Museum of Contemporary Art to Belmont Harbor and theater venues such as Steppenwolf. Over recent years, Redmoon has developed expanding projects in Holland, Ireland, France, and Australia. The company was recently honored to perform for the President and First Lady at the White House for Halloween 2009. Redmoon is committed to a mission of creating unexpected theater in unexpected locations.

Redmoon is a proud member of The League of Chicago Theatres and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

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Seth Bockley wins Jeff for ‘Best New Adaptation’

November 18, 2009 – 10:27 am

Longtime Redmoon collaborator Seth Bockley was nominated and won a Jeff award on October 19th, 2009 for ‘Best New Adaptation’ for the script of “Jon”. Here’s his 60 second acceptance speech, reproduced in its entirety:

“I want to dedicate this award to risktakers— first the great Chicago companies that against all odds and possibly good sense, produce artistically adventurous, uncompromising and unapologetically experimental art. You are why I live and work here.

Second to Anthony Moseley and Collaboraction for taking a chance on this project with vision and generosity. Also Sam Poretta, Lucas, Kelly and Guy, and the rest of the amazing team.

To George Saunders for writing an extraordinary story called ‘Jon’. His approval of the final production more than any award or honor is the single most satisfying event in my artistic life so far. Thank you George.

Finally to those who have taken a risk on me in my five years in Chicago so far: Kristan Schmidt from Walkabout, Jim Lasko from Redmoon, my parents, and Angie Tillges, who continue to unconditionally support my ‘career choice’.

And finally Frank Maugeri my dear friend and mentor who has the courage to demand from others what he demands from himself: discipline, honesty, spiritual purpose, and unfettered imagination.”

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Redmoon at the White House - Halloween 2009

November 4, 2009 – 11:30 pm

When you get a phone call from the White House you’ve got to admit, it doesn’t matter who you are – it tends to make you feel pretty important.

That’s what happened to us. We got the call and it made us feel like we had conquered the world, that we had an opportunity to put Redmoon on a national platform. “To expose,” as one Redmoon supporter put it: “Chicago’s local treasure to everyone!”

Here we were, in this one phone call with the White House, given the opportunity to take our Chicago spirit and make it as big as it could possibly get. The White House was creating a Halloween celebration, largely for members of the community. 2500 school children from the DC area were to be invited to enter the grounds of the President’s home and trick or treat at the steps of the White House.

We were asked to perform at this event because they wanted to create a civic Halloween experience – Chicago Style. Redmoon has a 19-year legacy that began with a neighborhood Halloween celebration focused on community which ran for over a decade.This has become a unique brand of spectacle theater that we now perform throughout the city of Chicago – in public places and a myriad of indoor venues from theaters to churches to schools. We also have a great reputation in the events market since implementing Redmoon for Hire, allowing us to provide our art to all manner of private functions and events. This is why they called.

In this invitation we were gifted an opportunity to make a real impression on the people who frame the criteria and policy around arts and cultural provision in this country. And in that moment we took the idea of that opportunity and did what we do at Redmoon so well, we got expansive.

Four weeks of production planning and numerous phone calls to old friends and future contacts in DC later, we departed Chicago with 1 truck packed full of Redmoon objects and art, a 20-person team of performers, artists and crew; we were off to the White House! In our inventory we bought skeleton costumes, miniature day of the dead installations, a table lady, a wine bike, a band, two ancient deep sea diver costumes complete with mobile bubble machines attached and our favorite spectacle object: the bombastic drum cart.

Myself and Sean Kaplan in Development arrived to DC early with the idea that if we were as audacious in our daily conversations as we are in our art-making, we would aim to meet as many people in DC as time and permission allowed us. Over a two-week period, before the event at the White House, Sean called, emailed and even wrote letters to single-handedly arrange, schedule and juggle meeting times with the highest levels of the administration: the Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the West Wing; Secretary Duncan at the Department of Education; the Chairman at the National Endowment for the Arts; Senator Dick Durbin at the Capitol Building, Congressmen Davis and Gutierrez in the House; Senator Roland Burris at the Senate; the Executive Director of The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, in addition to representatives at Americans for the Arts, and the National Assembly for State Arts Agencies… It seemed that there wasn’t a door he couldn’t open.

Upon our arrival, people welcomed us, genuinely wanted to hear more about what Redmoon is, how we do it, and share in our celebratory spirit.

We took photos, gave tokens of our appreciation for their support and commitment to the arts, but most importantly shared with them the uniqueness and power of the Redmoon story.

A story that takes us from Logan Square producing grassroots community celebrations in the form of the All Hallows Pageant, to the professional annual spectacles of 2004 through 2009, to our commitment in creating and building community through an art that focuses on public engagement. We shared with them our plans for 2010-11, to merge our Neighborhood Arts Programming with our ability to create public work of the highest caliber in the form of a Children’s Spectacle, authored and engineered by children, with professional production values, as a cultural public celebration of their work in our city.

We even received a letter from Mayor Daley that was left behind at each of our meetings, acknowledging Redmoon’s contribution to art for the community and our Chicago-centric, populist vision of public works, any place, any time: “We in Chicago are very proud of Redmoon Theater…you have enriched the cultural life of our city and strengthened Chicago’s international reputation for great theater,” wrote the Mayor.

It turns out that DC also thinks very fondly of Chicago and when Redmoon shares its story, people listen and take notice. They’re interested in our mission, they see the uniqueness of our work and they hear the value of our model. We have a real opportunity to leverage these conversations, create a national conversation about Redmoon’s artform and the real impact we have on our communities. That is, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. The Department of Education. Americans for the Arts…we had that response everywhere we went.

The reason we’ve been able to accomplish all of this and get to the level we’re at is because of you.

Because you have consistently shown up to support us.

To let us know, what we’re doing is valuable to you and that we provide you a kind of art, experience, theater that is unique to this organization.

And that you like it.

This grassroots recognition and national validation means we will only get stronger, better, louder and more vital in the art we make for public engagement.

As Redmoon’s Artistic Director Frank Maugeri was quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times: “It was absolutely a Halloween I will never forget.”

Also, we congratulate Redmoon’s Resident Artist Jim Lasko for his appointment by the City of Chicago as the first ever Artist-in-Residence. An honor that is the first of it’s kind in the country. We hope that working in these two roles, both at Redmoon and with the Office of Tourism, Department of Cultural Affairs, will fulfill you to no end! As a friend to Redmoon and former, long-time Artistic Director, we look forward to the opportunity of the work we’ll create together. Thank you, Jim.

Be Bombastic,
Rebecca Hunter
Executive Producer

For related press on our adventure, click on these links:

“Redmoon to do Halloween show at the White House“, Chicago Sun-Times
“Redmoon Theater to perform at White House on Halloween“, Chicago Tribune
“Obama to Howl at the Redmoon”, NBC Chicago
“Halloween at the White House”, Washington Post
“Redmoon’s White House plans become less ghostly”, Chicago Sun-Times
“Obamas turn White House into Halloween central“, Reuters
“Redmoon Theater part of White House Halloween“, Chicago Sun-Times
“Michelle Obama ‘Cat Woman:’ Halloween“, Swamp Politics
“Halloween Festivities“, The Official White House Website

White House Halloween Facebook Album

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