A Red Orchid Theatre presents Last Hermanos – an audio translation of a play in progress, written by Exal Iraheta and directed by Melanie Queponds. Last Hermanos runs through May 16th. Tickets for the virtual production can be purchased at www.aredorchidtheatre.org.
Reunited and on the run; Miguel and Julio are fleeing an America where being Latinx is a life sentence. Finding themselves sequestered in a Texas state park, the arrival of a sympathetic deserter, Shepherd, brings the conflict between Julio’s desire for revolution and Miguel’s need to return to normalcy into sharp focus. Last Hermanos is a story of tenacious brotherhood, both chosen and blood, in a not-so-distant future that asks which path promises the better future? Tickets will be on sale beginning April 23, 2021.
Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald shares, “We are so fortunate, and I am so grateful for Exal’s generosity in sharing this story. The beautiful humans and relationships he has built here bring us face to face with our own humanity and demand that we ask some essential and urgent questions about how we care for each other. The play’s circumstances may have once seemed far off, but sadly they are just around the corner and in many cases staring us right in the face. The need for change is inarguable. No human is illegal. To be able to explore the world of audio with these vivid characters, this powerful story, and this incredibly talented team is truly an honor.”
Playwright Exal Iraheta spoke about his new play, “I’m extremely excited to share Last Hermanos with everyone. There have been so many people who have dedicated love and mental energy to making this piece truly a meaningful experience. Adapting a stage play to audio presents its own challenges, but as a team, our goal was to create the stage in your imagination, and I believe we accomplished that. I also hope this piece further fuels conversation around the fragility of our American political system and the danger of dehumanizing its own citizens as a consequence of stroking a politician’s ego. Thank you all, and I hope you find moments of impact in the piece.”
Exal Iraheta (Playwright) is a Chicago-based Salvi-American playwright & screenwriter by way of Houston, TX. Sometimes humorous and often uncomfortable, his work explores the intersections of belonging, family, queerness, Latinidad, violence, and sexuality. Exal is a 2020/2021 Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit member and a selected playwright in the 2018 Fornés Playwriting Workshop. In 2019 his play They Could Give No Name was chosen for Victory Gardens' Ignition Festival and an honorable mention in the American Playwriting Foundation's 2019 Relentless Award. Exal earned an MFA from Northwestern University's Writing for the Screen and Stage program and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. On the weekends, Exal enjoys walks with his husband Chris.
Melanie Queponds (Director) is a Latina director and dramaturg from Riverside, California. She graduated with her BA in Theatre and English at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), and she earned her MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2020. Melanie is former Producer and Director of the UCR Latinx Play Project. She is dedicated to culturally responsive theatre as well as new play development and dramaturgy. She will soon be one of the assistant directors on the Goodman Theatre's production of American Mariachi by Jose Cruz Gonzalez when it is safe to gather and create theatre in person again. www.melanieclaireq.com
Giselle Castro (Sound Co-Designer) is a freelance designer based in Chicago and is grateful to have embarked on this audio-imagining of Last Hermanos with A Red Orchid Theatre. Earning her AAS in Recording Arts from Tribeca Flashpoint, she is also a mixer, producer, and composer. Other engineering/design work: Romeo And Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Music Theatre Works), Queen of the Mist, Caroline, or Change (Firebrand), The Bridges of Madison County (Theo). Special thanks to her brilliant sound team, Taylor and DJ. gisellechicago.com
DJ Meadows (Sound Co-Designer) Despite being a quiet person, DJ tends to live a very 'loud' life. Having a background in Audio Production & Sound for Film he recently caught traction in the independent theater realm in 2019, prior to the pandemic, and you could find him making lasting connections and beautiful sounds all across the Chicagoland area. Having worked with Porchlight Music Theatre and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in the past, this is his first time working on a full-scale audio drama for A Red Orchid, and he is excited to have been brought on to this project! Outside of theater productions, you can find him playing with 'trash' [Foley], collecting old records, or creating new sounds for films! Website: djmeadows.me
ABOUT THE CAST
Sebastian Arboleda (Julio) is excited and honored to be collaborating with A Red Orchid Theatre for the first time. Recent theater credits include The Adventures of Augie March (Court Theatre), December (Goodman Theater - Playwrights Unit), Curve of Departure (Studio Theatre), Love’s Labour Lost (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s PlayOn!). He was last seen as Taz aka Other Uncle in Steep Theatre’s production of Leopard play; or sad songs for lost boys by Isaac Gomez which was nominated for multiple Jeff awards, and won Best Ensemble in 2020. TV: Chicago P.D. Sebastian received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama and is represented by Stewart Talent.
Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo (Miguel) is a Mexican-American actor and Chicago native. He feels so lucky to be generating The Last Hermanos with A Red Orchid, Exal, and this unbelievable team to bring the theater from home. Other theater works include Bull, a love story (Paramount via Zoom); Rust (The Goodman via Zoom); The Leopard Play, or sad songs for lost boys (Steep); A Doll’s House (Writers); Lottery Day (The Goodman); The Man Who Was Thursday (Lifeline); Midsummer; Cyrano; Three Sisters (APT); Wit (The Hypocrites). Film credits include Station Eleven (HBO) and Horchata. Radio plays include Brava: a Mexican folktale with musica; City on Fire: Chicago Race Riot 1919 (MakeBelieve Association and WBEZ). Upcoming projects include At the Wedding (TheatreSquared) and a new saga with MakeBelieve.
Steve Schine (Shepherd) is an Ensemble and Board member of A Red Orchid Theatre and marks his 8th AROT production with Last Hermanos. At A Red Orchid, he has appeared in Fulfillment Center, The Nether, Solstice, Louis Slotin Sonata, Hunger & Thirst, The Earl, and Gagarin Way. Steve has performed with many theatre companies, including The Goodman, Court, First Folio, Steep, Stage Left, Raven, Veterans Art Project, Strawdog, American Theatre Company, Lifeline, Piven, and Famous Door Theatre, among others. TV: Jack Gatins on Chicago Fire and Curtis on Chicago PD. Video Games: Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs. He is represented by DDO Artists Agency for stage and screen, and by Stewart Talent for voiceover. Steve is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.
Fact Sheet / Last Hermanos
Title: Last Hermanos
Written By: Exal Iraheta
Directed by: Melanie Queponds
Sound Design by: Giselle Castro & DJ Meadows
Featuring: Sebastian Arboleda, Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo, Steve Schine
Dates: Run: Through May 16th
Schedule: Virtual, tickets on sale now
Location: Virtual event, A Red Orchid Theatre
Tickets: $15, www.aredorchidtheatre.org
Ticket Information
Tickets for Last Hermanos may be purchased online at www.aredorchidtheatre.org. Tickets go on sale April 23, 2021. 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.