Run Time
100 Minutes, No Intermission
Previews
December 5 and 6th at 7:30 PM
Opening
December 7th at 7:30 PM
Understudy Performances
Sunday, January 12th at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, January 15th at 7:30 PM
Closing
January 19th at 3:30 PM
About the Show:
Judith Benson is “teacher-famous” for the award-winning student newspaper she proudly oversees at her small Indiana high school, a program that extols truth and integrity in journalism. But when an anti-gay hate crime occurs one fall, everything Judith believes about inspiring the next generation of reporters, and the definition of truth itself, is called into question.
Meet the Team
*denotes Redtwist Ensemble Member
Playwright
Erik Gernand
(He/Him) Erik's plays have been in production and/or development at theaters including Premiere Stages (Union, NJ), Redtwist, American Theater Company, and Chicago Dramatists (all Chicago), Actors Theatre of Louisville, as well as The Barrow Group (NYC). As a filmmaker, his award-winning short films have screened at more than 100 film festivals around the world including SXSW, Chicago International Film Festival, and Cinequest, as well as been broadcast on IFC, PBS, and the Logo Channel. Erik is graduate of Ball State University and a Professor of Instruction in Radio-TV-Film at Northwestern University.
Director
Enrico Spada
(He/Him) is a freelance director and teaching artist. Recent Chicago credits include: The Winter’s Tale at DePaul University; National Merit for BoHo Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors at Metropolis Performing Arts Center; two seasons directing with Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival; The Light in the Piazza, The Illusion, All's Well That Ends Well, and Kimberly Akimbo at Illinois State University; Sleeping Beauty at Illinois Shakespeare Festival; Much Ado About Nothing at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre; assistant director for Romeo and Juliet at Chicago Shakespeare. Enrico was the founder of Pittsfield Shakespeare in the Park, a free outdoor festival in Western Massachusetts. As a teaching artist: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Shakespeare SLAM, National High School Institute at Northwestern, Raven Theatre residencies, Shakespeare & Company’s Fall Festival of Shakespeare. He holds an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University/Illinois Shakespeare Festival. enricospada.com
Assistant Director
Emily Newmark
(She/Her) is a theater/film director and choreographer newly based in Chicago. Emily graduated from Oberlin College with degrees in Theater and Psychology and further honed her craft at Prague Film School. As a 2022/23 Emerging Directing Resident at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, she assistant-directed various productions, including The Heart Sellers, Much Ado About Nothing, The Nativity Variations, and The Greatest Love for Whitney. Her recent directing credits include the short film Kintsugi, which she wrote, produced, and which earned Prague Film School's Best Cinematography Award, as well as Next to Normal, The Tempest, and Triplets (Oberlin College). Passionate about developing new work, Emily has contributed to several world premieres, directing Retold (Oberlin Musical Theater Association) and This Is Not The Reunion (Independent Staged Reading). emily-newmark.com
Stage Manager
Taylor Mercado Owen
(He/Him) is an actor, director, playwright, and native Texan, recently relocated to Chicago. He most recently was Assistant Stage Manager for Turret (A Red Orchid Theatre). Onstage credits: 30 in 60: The Student Show (The Neo-Futurists), Luchadora! (Cara Mía Theatre), Cooties (Uptown Players), & The Drowsy Chaperone (The Firehouse Theatre). Taylor holds a BA in Theatre Performance from the University of North Texas and is a proud alumnus of The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting. Taylor is represented by Lily's Talent. IG: @taylormarketowen
Technical Director and Props Designer
Jeff Brain*
(He/Him) is a Props Designer, Technical Director, and Performer from the north suburbs. He is proud to be an ensemble member with Redtwist, where he has worked on shows including Babel (Props Designer/TD), Isaac's Eye (TD), and Antigone (Props Designer). He has most recently worked on Nonsense Theatre Company's production of Faustus (Mask Designer) and City Lit's production of The House of Ideas (Props Designer). His upcoming work includes Technical Direction and Scenic Design at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for their '25-'26 season.
Thanks for supporting live theatre!
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Scenic Design
Brandii Champagne
(They/Any) Brandii is a Louisiana native but a Chicagoan at heart, and is thrilled to be working with Redtwist again. On top of being one of Theatre L’Acadie’s (Co) Artistic Directors, Brandii is also always collaborating with super rad artists all over Chicago. Some of their recent Chicago credits include If This is the End (director), The Swan (actor & scenic designer), and most recently Bottle Fly here at Redtwist (assist. director). A lover of all things art and food, they also likes to spend their time seeing stuff (you know, theatre, traveling, exploring) and makin’ things (aka. art and food and love and messes). Brandii loves to watch scary movies and snuggle up with their stinky pets - Jacques, Prue, and Mackie. Check out more of their work:
instagram: @brandii.champagne
website: brandiichampagne.com
Costume Design
Madeline Felauer
(She/Her) is thrilled to be returning for another Redtwist production! Felauer is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied Fashion Design. Some of her credits include Costume Design for Bottle Fly ( Redtwist), Wolves ( Redtwist), Murder Rewrote ( Hell in a Handbag), Hamlet ( Red Theater), Dogs ( Red Theater) and Costume Crafts for Lord of the Rings: A Musical ( Chicago Shakespeare), Henry V (CST), Richard III (CST), Frog and Toad ( Chicago Children's ), Milo Imagines the World ( CCT). Felauer thanks her friends and family for supporting her through numerous tech weeks!
Production Manager
Raine DeDominichi
(They/She) is thrilled to be on staff at Redtwist as ManagingDirector, and Production Manager for Totality. They also work as a stage manager and librarian.
Production Management: Bottle Fly, The Normal Heart (Redtwist Theatre).
Stage Management: Wolves (Redtwist Theatre), Spamalot, Big Fish, A Chorus Line (The Theatre Lab; Washington, D.C.), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Ohio Valley Summer Theatre; Athens, OH), Krapp’s Last Tape, Angels in America Part One - Millennium Approaches, Pluto (Ohio University). Raine holds a Master of Library & Information Science from Dominican University and a BFA in Stage Management from Ohio University.
Lighting Design
Cat Davis
(She/They) is excited to be designing with Redtwist again. This is the tenth show she has worked on for Redtwist. She has designed with several companies including BrokenNose Theatre, Halcyon Theatre, Mudlark Theatre, Factory theatre, and Rough House Theatre's "Exquisite Corpse" She is also an accountant, and Business Manager for Redtwist Theatre.
Sound Design
Nicholas Evan Svoboda
(He/Him) is an Audio Engineer and Sound Designer located in Chicago. Having won laurels in film, he applies the same professional acuity in theaters and music studios as well.
Casting Director/Producer
Eileen Dixon*
(She/They) is a Chicago based director, playwright, actor, and teaching artist with a focus on creating and directing new work. Eileen is also proud to be the Co-Artistic Director of Production at Redtwist. She received her MFA in Acting and Directing from UMKC in 2022 and spent the following summer at Ojai Playwrights Conference, before moving to Chicago to embrace her dream of having a career in new work development. Other credits include The Coterie Theatre, Ensemble Stage, Oil Lamp Theater, and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Eileen’s interest currently is on artful collaboration within the rehearsal process and the directors role in new play development.
Recently, Eileen directed the world premiere of Jacqueline Goldfinger's Bottle Fly at Redtwist Theatre. Coming up, she will direct a Staged Reading of Caroline Kidwell's Man Cave for Redtwist's Twisted PlayFest.
eileendixon.com
Producer
Dusty Brown*
(They/Them) is one of the Co-Artistic Directors of Redtwist Theatre. They began their career as a stage hand in Atlanta, Georgia, working on everything from Shakespeare to new works, and everything in between. They received their MFA in Directing from Ohio University in 2021. Notable productions include: Steve Yockey's Wolves at Redtwist and Pluto at Ohio University; William Shakespeare's Macbeth at Three Crows and Ohio University; Tracy Letts' Bug at Ohio University; Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at DramaTech in Atlanta; Uffizi at Bottled Lightning in Atlanta; and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at Vox Populi Productions in Chattanooga.
Coming up next, Dusty will directed Melanie Coffey's Deserted for Twisted PlayFest, and in the spring, they will direct their adaptation of Titus Andronicus.
Dramaturg
Camille Pugliese
Bio to come!
Meet the Cast
Judith
Jacqueline Grandt*
(She/Her) This is Jacqueline's 30th show at Redtwist Theatre since 2004. What a reason to celebrate!! She is so excited to be working on another original show with playwright Erik Gernand! What a pleasure to continue getting his amazing work out there into the world! She is so thankful for this warm, beautiful cast and crew. Jacqueline's previous credits include her Jeff Award winning role as Agnes in Bug, and her other Jeff nominated performances including Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, Margie in Good People, Ruth in Collected Stories and Du in Keely and Du. She feels truly blessed.
Ms. Carter
Aundria Tranay
(She/Her) is excited to make her Redtwist Theatre debut as Ms. Carter in The Totality of All Things. She is a Chicago native who received her BFA in Acting from AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Some of her Chicago credits include: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (Pegasus Theatre) Young Playwrights Festival 37’ (Pegasus Theatre), Scorpio (Perceptions Theatre), cullud wattah (U/S, Victory Gardens Theatre) and Lorraine (Prairie Center for the Arts). She is passionate about spreading the importance of mental health in the arts and creating stories to amplify that message. She is also a singer and acting coach. Special shout out to her incredible village for always showing up and keeping her encouraged! She is represented by Lori Lins LTD.
Micah
Kason Chesky
(Him/Him) is an actor based here in Chicago, Illinois. A Texas native, Kason moved to Chicago to study acting at Northwestern University, where he is currently a third-year undergraduate. The Totality of All Things marks Kason Chesky’s first performance at Redtwist Theatre, and he is thrilled to be performing with such a terrific cast at such a powerhouse company. Kason is currently an ensemble member at Gwydion Theatre, where he hopes to continue making invigorating, boundary-pushing theatre about the turbulence of American life. Recent credits include Warren in This is Our Youth (Gwydion Theatre Company), Kevin in Heroes of the Fourth Turning (NU), Evan in The Aliens (NU), and Mercutio’s understudy in Romeo and Juliet (Oak Park Festival Theatre).Company. Thank you to Erik, Enrico, and everyone else in Totality for being so kind. Big thanks to Mom and Dad.
Gregg
Philip C. Matthews
(He/Him) is thrilled to be a part of sharing Erik Gernand's beautiful new play in RedTwist's first Twisted Playfest! Other Chicago credits include Bruce Niles in The Normal Heart (Redtwist Theatre) and Orin Scrivello in Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theater.) Philip holds and MFA in Acting from Ohio University and lives in Edgewater with his incredible wife, Jill, and their two orange cats.
DeeAnn
Suzy Krueckeberg
(She/Her) is thrilled to return to Redtwist, where she U/S for Keely and Du and The Humans. Credits include Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Sonia), Ripcord (Marilyn), Plano (U/S Mother), Twelfth Night (Toby Belch), and Rabbit Hole (Nat). Suzy is a graduate of School at Steppenwolf, Black Box Academy, and Second City’s Conservatory. She is a proud ensemble member at Bramble Theatre. She is represented by DDO Chicago. Learn more at suzyykrueckeberg.com
Principal Benson
Phil Aman
(He/Him) is thrilled to return to Redtwist alongside this amazing cast and production team, previously understudying the role of Ben Weeks in The Normal Heart. Earlier this year, he played several roles including Ebby Thatcher and Billy Dodson (also understudying Bill W. with performances) in Bill W. and Dr. Bob with Theatre 68 at the Biograph. He has appeared in numerous short films including: Invisible Touch, Blotch, In the Waiting Line, Going the Distance and Mindblower!. Phil studied acting under Steppenwolf’s Eric Simonson at The University of Chicago as well as The Groundlings and The Second City Conservatory.
Judith Understudy
Hilary Sanzel
(She/Her) is thrilled to be working with Redtwist Theatre for the first time. She has a BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Paltz, and is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory. Hilary recently appeared as Grandmother in Beyond the Garden Gate with The Impostors Theatre Company. Other Chicago credits include shows at The Factory Theater, Otherworld Theatre Company, Hell in a Handbag Productions and Midnight Summit Ensemble. In addition to be an actor, she is also a multi-sport Special Olympics coach. When not acting or coaching, you can find Hilary walking her dog Millie. Or saying ‘hi’ to your dog. Or cat. Or really any animal.
Ms. Carter Understudy
Andi Muriel
(She/They) is a Chicago-based actor, artist, and arts educator who is absolutely thrilled to be working with Redtwist for their very first time! Andi is a graduate of UIC's School of Theatre and Music, where their received their BFA in acting. Chicago credits include: Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest at Strawdog Theatre Company; Cymbeline with Midsommer Flight; and Jeff award winning Motherhouse, at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, where she is a proud ensemble member.
Micah Understudy
Zachary Cutter
(He/Him) is a senior at Evanston Township High School at which he has performed in a number of productions representing multiple genres. He also assistant directed the annual musical Matilda. He has performed with the Evanston- based Mudlark Theater. He intends to pursue film when he begins college next year. He is delighted to make his professional debut with Redtwist Theatre.
Gregg Understudy
Nate Brimner Smith
(They/Them) is making their Chicago theatre debut and loving it! Nate moved to Chicago from Richmond, Virginia to study film at Northwestern University. After spending several years working as a film editor, they now focus primarily on writing and performance. They recently appeared in staged readings of Tethered and Chaun and Eve at the Waukegan Theatre Festival (Three Brothers Theatre). Their theatrical adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas had its world premiere as part of Stanford University’s Graduate Repertory ’24. When Nate isn’t working they enjoy collecting retro gadgets, curating DIY film screenings, and journaling. They want to thank their parents Parke and Marjorie, their brother Zane, and their partner Jordan Gleaves for their love and support.
DeeAnn Understudy
Jill Bellak
(She/Her) Born and raised in Chicago, Jill has always had a love for theater and began acting at the tender age of eight with a children’s theater troupe.
She most recently appeared as Cam in Deserted with Artemisia Theatre; other recent highlights of her work include Accidental Election of an Anarchist at The Athenaeum, starring as Stella in Cloudburst, Enid in Enid’s Fly Trap, appearing as the boss in the film Just Add Water and directing Perfect Arrangement at Artserve in Fort Lauderdale.
When Jill isn’t on the stage she enjoys biking, hiking, kayaking, traveling with her wife Sabrina and spoiling her three rescue pups.
Jill is thrilled to make her Redtwist debut with an incredibly talented group of people in such an important play given the current state of our country and the devastating threats to our personal rights and freedoms.
Principal Benson Understudy
Hugo Balta
(He/Him) is not new to the Chicago theater community, but to Redtwist Theatre.
He recently played Corey Giles in PlayTime Theatre Company’s production of The Crucible, Reverend John Hale in the Theater Lab's production of The Crucible, and was part of the ancestor chorus in The Addams Family musical, which was produced by the Beverly Theatre Guild.
Balta is the Illinois Latino News Publisher and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College Chicago. He lives in Chicago's Galewood neighborhood with his wife and children.