TOM & ELIZA
TOM & ELIZA
by Celine Song
Directed by Kyle Stoffers
POSTPONED INDEFINITELY DUE TO COVID
October 28 through November 12, 2021
A Red Orchid Theatre | 1531 N Wells St, Chicago, Illinois 60610
About the Play
Tom’s mother and father made love, Tom was born, Tom grew up, Tom entered this restaurant, Tom is on a date with Eliza. Eliza’s mother and father made love, Eliza was born, Eliza grew up, Eliza entered this restaurant, Eliza is on a date with Tom. TOM & ELIZA is a play about two people marching relentlessly toward their future and the end of the world. In one long breath, Celine Song's play offers a humorous and harrowing look at the primal and intellectual forces at the heart of one couple's relationship.
About the Playwright CELINE SONG
CELINE SONG's play ENDLINGS received its world premiere in 2019 at American Repertory Theater, and its New York premiere in Spring 2020 at New York Theatre Workshop. It was selected for the 2018 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, and it was placed on the 2017 Kilroy's list. Celine is a member of the Public Theater’s 2016-2017 Emerging Writers Group, Ars Nova’s 2014-2015 Play Group, and The Orchard Project's inaugural NYC Greenhouse 2018. She was a Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow from 2017-2018, a 2014 & 2016 Great Plains Theatre Conference Playwright, and she was a 2017 semifinalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship. Her play TOM & ELIZA was a semifinalist for the American Playwriting Foundation's 2016 Relentless Award. Celine has been awarded residencies, fellowships, and commissions from MTC/Sloan, Sundance, the Millay Colony for the arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Edward F. Albee Foundation. She holds an M.F.A. from Columbia. Celine was a staff writer on Amazon's The WHEEL OF TIME Season 1 and is directing her feature film PAST LIVES for A24.
About the Director KYLE STOFFERS
KYLE STOFFERS is a theatre artist based in Chicago focused mainly in stage direction. Previous Chicago credits include those at A Red Orchid Theatre: TRAITOR and THE MUTILATED (Assistant Director), PILGRIMS PROGRESS and RED HANDED OTTER (Assistant Stage Manager) and the Incubator Series' PUGET SOUND (Director), CELEBRATION (Stage Manager/ Assistant Director). Other Chicago credits include: as Director WITH OR WITHOUT WINGS (Steppenwolf Look Out); as Assistant Director ALIAS GRACE (Rivendell); and as Assistant Stage Manager THE SWEETER OPTION (Strawdog), A SCENT OF FLOWERS (BackStage Theatre). Kyle received his BA in Theatre Directing from Ball State University and currently serves as the Casting Assistant at A Red Orchid Theatre. For more visit kylestoffers.com.
A Note About COVID-19
All patrons will need to be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine in order to attend a performance at A Red Orchid Theatre and must show proof of vaccination and identification at their time of entry into the venue with their valid ticket. All of our artists, crew, and volunteers have been fully vaccinated.
Cast
Jacob Alexander
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TOM
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TOM
JACOB ALEXANDER's Theatre credits: PHOEBE IN WINTER (Facility Theatre Co.), TRAITOR (A Red Orchid Theatre), A NIGHT OUT (A Red Orchid Theatre Incubator Series), PONTYPOOL (Strawdog Theatre), BLOOD ON THE CAT'S NECK (Trap Door Theatre), THE BRIG (Mary Arrchie Theatre), ORPHEUS DESCENDING (Shattered Globe Theatre), MY THREE ANGELS (The Attic Playhouse), BECKY SHAW (A Red Orchid Theatre u/s), SKETCHBOOK 8 (Collaboraction).
Film/Television credits: ECHO BOOMERS, EYIMOFE (THIS IS MY DESIRE), GOOSE, THE ART POLICE, CITIZEN IN THE TEMPLE, I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT, THE RETURN OF JOE RICH, BEYOND THE BASEMENT DOOR, THE SEASHELL, GIRLS (HBO), ELEMENTARY (CBS).
Dado
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Eliza
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Eliza
DADO is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre where she most recently was seen on stage as The Ancient in GREY HOUSE by Levi Holloway. Her 2019 production, KILLING GAME, by Eugene Ionesco, had material in it by the playwright that has never been seen before in the USA. In 2018, she starred as Karla Stock in the world premiere of TRAITOR, by Brett Neveu, directed by Michael Shannon. Other plays dado has directed for A Red Orchid are SIMPATICO (Sam Shepard), THE MUTILATED (Tennessee Williams), RED HANDED OTTER, (Ethan Lipton), THE HOTHOUSE (Harold Pinter), MEGACOSM (Brett Neveu), THE UNSEEN (Craig Wright), among others. She has staged incubators at AROT, including Harold Pinter's CELEBRATION, infused with live percussion and music by Mauricio Kagel. She holds an MFA from the University of Chicago in visual art. She has directed and acted at The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Famous Door, Shattered Globe, Mary Arrchie, TUTA, Trapdoor, Facility Theatre, among many others. Dado is also a Goodman Theatre Maggio director and has won a Jeff Award and an After Dark Award. She teaches privately as well as at DePaul University and University of Illinois Chicago.
CReative team
Stage Manager | EMILY MARRAZZO
EMILY MARRAZZO is thrilled to be back in the booth. In the past, she has worked with many companies, including Fever Inc, Haven Theatre Company, 4 Chairs Theatre and Pride Films and Plays. She will be making her A Red Orchid Incubator debut with Tom and Eliza and couldn't be more grateful to the team for welcoming her!
Scenic Design | LINDSAY MUMMERT
LINDSAY MUMMERT is a Chicago based scenic designer and artist. Recent designs include WATER BY THE SPOONFUL and FUR (dir. Melanie Queponds) and A WRINKLE IN TIME (dir. Jeff Mills). She works as assistant designer to Regina García (MRS. HARRISON at Indiana Repertory, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Oregon Shakespeare, and A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Guthrie- upcoming) and Jack Magaw (RELENTLESS at Timeline- upcoming). International credits include DAVID COPPERFIELD at The Miller Centre/The Minack (U.K.). She received her B.F.A. in Scenic Design from The Theatre School at DePaul University. lindsaymummertdesign.com
Costume Design | CINDY MOON
CINDY MOON is a Chicago-based freelance costume designer, originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Her recent design work includes MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET (Tuacahn Center for the Arts), 4000 DAYS (PrideArts), and assistant designer for LEGALLY BLONDE (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre). She holds an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Virginia Tech. More of her work can be seen at www.cindymooncostu.me
Associate Producer | BRENT ERVIN-EICKHOFF
BRENT ERVIN-EICKHOFF is a Chicago-based stage director, writer, and filmmaker. He's worked with A Red Orchid Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Silk Road Rising, Facility Theatre, BoHo Theatre, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co., The Barrens Theatre Co., The Public House Theatre, Bramble Theatre Co., and other storefronts in a variety of roles. Brent serves on the board of The Passage Theatre. His films have screened at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, the Frog Baby Film Festival, and the Indianapolis 48 Hour Film Project. Brent served as Co-Artistic Director and later Managing Director of Blue Goose Theatre Ensemble, of which he was a founding member. Visit www.brentasmagoria.com.