The Malignant Ampersands

CAST

Gabe | Ensemble member Travis A. Knight

Summer | Emilie Maureen Hanson

West | John Judd

Corey | Ensemble member Steve Schine

Hiker | Meighan Gerachis

Jamie | Sherman Edwards

Bobbie | Jackie Seijo

UNDERSTUDIES

U/S Gabe | Stevie Rose

U/S Summer | Hope Campbell

U/S West | Jean Marie Koon

U/S Corey & Hiker | Barbara Figgins

U/S Jamie & Bobbie | Joshua Pennington

CREATIVE TEAM

Scenic Design | Ensemble member Grant Sabin

Costume Design | Ensemble member Myron Elliott-Cisneros

Lighting Design | Ensemble member Mike Durst

Sound Design | Matthew Muñiz

Props Design | Eren Ahn

Puppet Design | Lolly Extract of Jabberwocky Marionettes

Stage Manager | Kathleen Dickinson

Assistant Stage Manager | Lauren Krohn

Production Manager | Amal Mazen Salem

Assistant Director | Ava Calabrese Grob

Dramaturg | Tanya Palmer

Dramaturgy Assistant | Peter Ruiz

Artistic Producer | Ensemble member Lance Baker

Casting Associate | Kyle Stoffers

Photo credits: Fadeout Media

“The Neveu oeuvre, all of which I’ve seen over the years, has many styles and forms, all the product of an immense and complex talent, soon to get wider exposure, given that fellow Red Orchid ensemble member Michael Shannon is set to direct a movie based on Neveu’s Eric LaRue, a play about the aftermath of a school shooting.” -Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

“Whatever The Malignant Ampersands is, it isn’t boring. Knight has the kind of appealing energy that makes you root for Gabe even as you have no idea what his objective is; Judd makes a specialty of authoritative blusterers like West. And Dado’s direction seems to tease a reveal that never comes to fruition, even with some last-minute surprises.” -Kris Vire, Chicago Sun-Times

“…If you hate stories that resist interpretation, this probably isn’t your show. And I certainly hope most of you don’t have the same family history with cancer that I do. (It sucks, trust me.) But somehow, Neveu’s story felt closer to the truth about what it feels like to be down the rabbit hole of family death and sickness than any number of more straightforward narrative pieces I’ve seen. I’m not sure I can recommend it for everyone, but the adroit work by the ensemble will at least mean you won’t be bored. Does it make sense? No, not always, and the end is particularly befuddling. And that, sadly, is the point.” -Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader — Reader Recommended!