Realness, Rawness & Red All Over

Compassion.

Rigor.

Honesty.

In the past 31 years, over 100 plays have been produced at A Red Orchid with these real and raw tenets from our mission. One of our newest ensemble members has been carrying these virtues, both artistically and spiritually throughout their work on stage and in their teaching. We are thrilled to have Esteban Andres Cruz lead actors through a curated deep dive into some of the company’s most iconic, celebrated and definitive work in our 31 year history. A retrospective from A Red Orchid’s company playwrights Brett Neveu and Levi Holloway as well as AROT classics treasures such as Tracy Letts’ Bug, Sam Shepard’s Simpatico and Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party, among others. At the vanguard of new play development in NY and across the country, Esteban has been cultivating their own process and technique, called Contemporary Naturalism (CN). Blending movement, improv and Meisner, CN is a physical and spiritual entry into contemporary playwrights (such as Stephen Adly Guirgis, Bruce Norris, Simon Stephens, Exal Iraheta and Jesus Valles). This class will guide students with the tools of authenticity and personal dignity to bring to the work what both audiences and casting directors want to see: one’s truest self. Students will be assigned scenes and/or monologues, depending on the student’s capacity and availability. Scenes and monologues will be curated from the company’s bountiful history, in dialogue with the actors.