A Red Orchid Theatre presents American Bottom, an experimental audio book directed by Neil Verma and collectively conceived by Brett Neveu, Neil Verma, Matthew Muñiz, Ele Matelan, Rich Sparks, and Frankie Pedersen. American Bottom runs through June 27th.
Tickets for the virtual production can be purchased at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.
This multi-disciplinary art piece inspired by the geographical area of southern Illinois called American Bottom begins life here as an experimental audio fiction, written in verse, performed by a full cast, and featuring original music and illustrations. Kevin disappeared in rural Illinois near the site of the Cahokia Mounds. American Bottom follows the thoughts of the people who knew him; unearthing the many layers of life and story connected to the place he called home.
Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald shares, “I am enthralled by not only the art but also the process of American Bottom. One of the things I love most about live theatre, and in particular live theatre at A Red Orchid, is the sense that there is no final “locked” product. Discovery is expected (encouraged even) throughout a run. Yes, the words are the same and our feet and physicality land in choreographed places but no two shows are ever exactly alike. American Bottom is a living document of sorts. The experience of making this audio iteration will feed or inform the iterations to come, be they recorded, live, or other. As with live theatre, the give and take between artists is deepened as we add the give and take with audience.
Ensemble Brett Neveu, who wrote the text for American Bottom, spoke about the collaborative project, “American Bottom (the name of a lowland region of southern Illinois) is a story that is written like a ‘found text epic poem’ which culls together individual tales and images of the American Bottom region, including its small towns, side roads, as well as the center of the area – the ancient indigenous city of Cahokia and its breathtaking earth mounds. I collaborated with an amazing group of artists, thinkers, and makers to develop and explore all that American Bottom could become (and will yet be). This exciting sound/visual iteration of the piece is an experience that holds many mysteries, stories, and dreams.”
ABOUT THE ARTISTIC TEAM
NEIL VERMA (Director/Sound Designer) Neil’s artistic practice focuses on found sound recordings and experimental audiobooks. His works have been selected for air on Resonance FM, WaveFarm, Earlid, Radiophrenia, Cities & Memory as well as on a number of field recording podcasts and literary festivals. He is Assistant Professor of sound studies at Northwestern University, and his books include Theater of the Mind: Imagination, Aesthetics, and American Radio Drama (2012) and Indian Sound Cultures, Indian Sound Citizenship (2020). He is the editor of the RadioDoc Review.
MATTHEW MUÑIZ (Composer) is a pianist, composer, game designer and educator, as well as the founder and co-curator of The Lab, a free resource for creators wherein participants meet monthly to workshop new narrative works in any medium. Matthew’s music has been featured on Chicago artistic projects and on stages since the early oughts. He created music for The Last Defender, an escape room created with Cards Against Humanity. His underscoring has been met with praise in plays such as Psychonaut Librarians (New Colony) and Pinocchio (The House Theatre of Chicago). His music and songs can be heard in two short films and in one feature-length zombie horror flick; and on a full length album he released with his now-defunct band, The Live Debate!. Matthew is a company member at The House Theatre of Chicago, where his music direction and performance credits include The Nutcracker, Verböten, United Flight 232, and Hatfield & McCoy. He has also music directed for other Chicago companies, including Kokandy and Chicago Children’s Theatre.
BRETT NEVEU (Text Author) Brett’s recent theatre productions include Verböten (House Theatre, Jeff Nomination, New Work), Traitor (A Red Orchid Theatre, Jeff Award, New Adaptation) and To Catch a Fish (Timeline Theatre). Film/TV productions include the short Convo (Breakwall Pictures) and The Earl (Intermission Productions). A Sundance Institute Ucross Fellow, Brett is also a recipient of the Marquee Award from Chicago Dramatists, the Ofner Prize for New Work, the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres, and an After Dark Award for Outstanding Musical (Old Town). He is a resident-alum of Chicago Dramatists, a proud ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, a founding member of the playwright collective MC-10, an alumni member of TimeLine Theatre Company’s Writers Collective and Center Theatre Group’s Playwrights’ Workshop in Los Angeles. Several of his plays are published through Broadway Play Publishing, Dramatic Publishing and Nick Hern Publishing. Brett has taught writing at DePaul University, Second City Training Center and currently teaches writing for the screen and stage at Northwestern University.
RICH SPARKS (Illustration Artist) is an illustrator/cartoonist living in the Chicago area. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, WSJ, Barron's, American Bystander, and many other publications. His first book, Love and Other Weird Things (IDW Publishing/Yoe Books), was released in 2020.
ELE MATELAN (Foley Designer) has designed, choreographed, and performed Foley for over 80 productions in Chicagoland, with companies including Theatre of Western Springs, Lifeline Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, and The Second City Training Center. She is Foley designer in residence for Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment's monthly live comedy serials (pre-pandemic), and served as Foley designer in residence for WildClaw Theatre's Deathscribe, the annual international live horror radio festival, from 2014 to 2021. She has guest lectured on stage Foley at universities including Northwestern University's School of Sound, South Carolina School of Arts and Design, and Harvard University's School of Music. Ele has consulted for theatres ranging from London, UK to Livonia, MI. She is also a featured voice actor on Hartlife NFP's Our Fair City and Unwell.
FRANKIE PEDERSEN (Digital Art Editor/Indigenous Consultant) is a Chicago-based director, performer, and teaching artist. She earned her BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a concentration in directing and a minor in digital cinema production. Frankie was recently named a Walder Foundation Virtual Commissioned Artist grantee and is currently a United National Indian Tribal Youth 25 Under 25 Awardee. Her work has been seen at DePaul University, Chicago Fringe Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre, Southern Repertory Theatre, and NOLA Playhouse.
ABOUT THE CAST
ECHAKA AGBA (The Writer) a is an award winning actor based in Chicago having performed on stages including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, House Theatre of Chicago, and probably every stage at The Den. TV/Film includes Showtime's critically acclaimed comedy series Work In Progress. While acting and new work development have been her primary focus over the course of her career, the paradigm shift the world experienced in 2020 has helped her recognize the need and importance of finding new ways to create and engage with storytelling. In short, Echaka decided to get hyphenated. She's now an Actor - Writer - Director - Producer. This essential step towards expansion in skillsets has led her to collaborations with some of the most highly artistic and talented creatives. Currently, she is in pre-production for Where Could We Go, an anthology docu-series which investigates what home actually means and where we make home.
SHERMAN EDWARDS (The Passenger) is overjoyed to be working with A Red Orchid Theatre again after previously being a part of their production of A Killing Game! He was named 2012’s ‘Best Stand Up Comic in Chicago’ by the Chicago Reader and has been lucky enough to perform at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and a few other notable places. TV/ Film credits include HBO GO's "Single Long", FOX’s “Empire” and the independent film “Monuments”. Sherman and his wife, Brittany Burch, just welcomed a daughter into their family and are looking forward to getting some sleep in the distant future. He is represented by Paonessa Talent.
CALEB WAYNE FATH (The Pastor) is thrilled to be a part of this production of American Bottom. After a year away, this intriguing new form of storytelling offers an exciting jump back into the world of performing and artistic collaboration. Caleb graduated from Indiana University in 2016 with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Some favorite regional credits include Jesus (Godspell), Sonny (Grease), and Pablo (Sister Act). A big thank you to the entire cast, creative team, and to A Red Orchid Theatre for this opportunity!
BERNARD GILBERT (First State Trooper) is honored to be welcomed back for American Bottom. He previously appeared A Red Orchid Theatre’s production of Do You Feel Anger? His other Chicago theatre credits include Incendiary (The Goodman Theatre, New Stages), How To Catch Creation (The Goodman Theatre), Father Comes Home From The Wars, Parts 1, 2, & 3 (The Goodman Theatre), Skeleton Crew (Northlight Theatre), Our Lady of 121st Street (Eclipse Theatre), Man In The Ring (Court Theatre), and a tour of Letters Home with Chicago’s Griffin Theatre. Bernard’s regional theatre credits include Two Trains Running (Weston Playhouse, Weston, VT), co-productions of The Royale (City Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA and The Reparatory Theatre of St. Louis). Bernard’s television credits include The Chi, The Big Leap, Empire, Utopia, Soundtrack, and Chicago P.D. Bernard earned his MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul, and his BA from Morehouse College. Love > violence.
LAWRENCE GRIMM (Narrator) is an ensemble member of a Red Orchid Theatre where some of his favorite and most recent roles include Do You Feel Anger?, Small Mouth Sounds, Traitor, 3C, Trevor (Jeff Nomination), In a Garden, Pumpgirl, Abigail’s Party, The Meek, The Physicists, Mr. Kolpert, Caine-Mutiny Court Martial,and Born Guilty. Selected theatre credits: King Charles III and The Tempest (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), 2666 (Goodman Theatre), My Name is Asher Lev (Timeline Theatre), In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (Victory Gardens), The Heavens are Hung in Black, Hannah and Martin (Shattered Globe), Maple and Vine, Welcome Home Jenny Sutter (Next Theatre), Orlando (Court Theatre), King Lear, Two by Pinter (Piven Theater Workshop),The Glass Menagerie (Raven Theatre – Jeff Award), The Brothers Karamazov, 1984, The Naked King (Lookingglass), I Never Sang for My Father, Wolf Lullaby (Steppenwolf). Film: Captive State, Welcome to Me, Perfect Manhattan, Cicero in Winter. Television: Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire. . Upcoming: The Grimmagination Children's Podcast. www.grimmactor.com.
CHARLIE HERMAN (Motherload Kevin) is grateful to be a part of this production and last appeared in A Red Orchid Theatre's production of Grey House. Other recent theatre roles include, Mamillius in The Winter’s Tale at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, Bert in All My Sons at the Court Theatre, and Billy Rockne in Something In the Game with the American Music Theatre Project. He has been involved with training programs at The Lookingglass Theatre and Second City. His television roles include an appearance on Chicago Med. Charlie will be completing his freshman year at DePaul College Prep High School and would like to thank Stewart Talent and his parents for all their support.
AMANDA RAQUEL MARTINEZ (The Singer) is grateful to return to A Red Orchid Theatre and be a part of this exciting auditory experience. Last time she was rocking out on the AROT stage was in their production of 33 to Nothing, which she treasures dearly. Prior to 2020, she was last seen at The McCarter Theatre working on Lookingglass Theatre Company's production of Frankenstein. Regional credits include: Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions), La Ruta (Steppenwolf), Kitty Hawk (Adrienne Arsht Center), Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado (Olney Theatre Center, Pasadena Playhouse and Skirball Center), Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes (Hypocrites), As You Like It, Love, Loss and What I Wore (First Folio Theatre), For the Love Of (Pride Films and Plays), Even Longer and Farther Away (The New Colony), El Stories: The Holiday Train (Waltzing Mechanics), Generation Sex (Teatro Luna), Big Lake, Big City (Lookingglass Theatre Co.)
JUNE THIELE (Second State Trooper) is an Indigenous, two-spirit actor, writer, filmmaker, and storyteller. Recently they performed in a radio play with Theater for Young Audiences at the Kennedy Center, Incomplete Conversations with Silent Theatre Company and wrote and performed an original story, When Animals used to Talk with 2nd Story. Film credits include atoms of ashes as writer, producer and story and Adhara, as writer and actor. They’ve also had their play Ashana (a Native Sukdu’a) included in a showcase with The Syndicate’s reading series First Read and were selected for a scriptwriting fellow in 2018 with PBS Kids and are currently writing for the new animated series Molly of Denali. IG: @junosynthesizer
Fact Sheet / American Bottom
Title: American Bottom
Directed by: Neil Verma
Text by: Brett Neveu
Sound Design by: Neil Verma
Foley Design by: Ele Matelan
Artwork by: Rich Sparks
Digital Art Editor/Indigenous Consultant: Frankie Pedersen
Featuring: Echaka Agba, Sherman Edwards, Caleb Wayne Fath, Bernard Gilbert, Lawrence Grimm, Charlie Herman, Amanda Raquel Martinez, & June Thiele
Dates: Run: June 2 – 27, 2021
Schedule: Virtual, tickets on sale now
Location: Virtual event, A Red Orchid Theatre
Tickets: $15, www.aredorchidtheatre.org
Ticket Information
Tickets for American Bottom are $15 and may be purchased online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. Tickets for the audio play may be used anytime during the run. Tickets are non-transferable. Upon purchase, ticket holders will receive an email confirmation with a code to access the recording. For ticketing questions, contact Managing Director Abigail Madden, abigail@aredorchidtheatre.org.
As we shift to an exploration of the virtual world of ambitious and powerful storytelling, your support is more important than ever. We continue to champion A Red Orchid Theatre’s Red League, which is a gift of $1k or more, and the Founders Circle, which is a gift of $5k or more annually for a three-year pledge. These donors represent a community of our most committed and impactful cultural investors. Every profound and shocking moment on our stage and in our virtual offerings are made possible through their critical annual contributions. Their philanthropic leadership fosters the development of raw and relevant work, creates a platform for our talented ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensures that A Red Orchid Theatre remains a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre.
About A Red Orchid
A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 27 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its honest and rigorous approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.
A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Myron Elliott-Cisneros, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Mierka Girten, Lawrence Grimm, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Steve Schine, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.