Searing hot drama, in a little black box, with a little red twist.

But, what is the red twist? You’re hearing from our ensemble: it’s being feet away from the action, material that challenges you to think, taking chances on exciting new work. Redtwist Theatre encompasses all of those things and more.

Supporting Redtwist means you’re supporting all those things… and the artists who make it all happen. Your donation ensures that all of the artists Redtwist hires can continue to do all of those things for many seasons to come!

The Independent Productions Initiative is an innovative way to support an often overlooked and underfunded aspect of theater in Chicago-- the many independent workshops, readings and full productions that contribute to the vitality of Chicago’s cultural landscape. The Initiative will offer a resource for independent productions to turn to for a little advice and funding, while also benefiting the theater landscape overall. Having such a resource would also enable new efforts by artists with less access to dollars and “social capital.”

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Independent productions offer unexpected work by ambitious and wildly varying teams, often in places that are also surprising, from factories to stores to parking garages. Independent productions also offer immediacy, the ability to mount a show relatively quickly, without the constraints that can be in place for an established theater, where obligations and necessary internal procedures may leave a two or three-year ramp or more before an idea can come to fruition.

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Goals of the IPI

• This Initiative will enable 15-20 independent producers to make work that enriches what Chicago theater has to offer artists and audiences.
• As a relatively modest but important pilot, goals include to learn what self-producing artists need and how support of their work contributes to the development of organized theaters and Chicago’s cultural landscape overall.
• Gain experience that will help determine what next steps might be for establishing an ongoing entity supporting self-produced or independent productions.

The Redtwist Ensemble and Staff would like your help in starting our 2025 off right!

Last year was transformational for Redtwist starting with the opening of our beautifully renovated venue, followed by three back-to-back Jeff Recommended productions, and closing with the wildly successful launch of our Twisted Play Festival. From classics like The Normal Heart to world premieres like The Totality of All Things, Redtwist tells stories that speak to now through the voices of artists that reflect our neighborhood. The incredible response from our community is a testament to how important the work at Redtwist is, from investing in Chicago Artists to creating community dialogues around vital topics.

As we move in to 2025, we want to keep that momentum going. Our year starts with a brand new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus followed by the regional premiere of Taylor Mac’s Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus. Later this spring we’ll announce the exciting line-up for our 25 – 26 season, as well as plans for new annual traditions at Redtwist.

Donating to Redtwist builds the foundation of our organization and helps us fully support the artists and entertainers that make Redtwist an essential theater for our community. Your gift supports Redtwist’s core values of:

• Timely Storytelling: We focus on stories for NOW, we craft narratives that speak to 21st century audiences, whether working with living playwrights or classic texts.

• Community Engagement: At a time when our lives are increasingly spent online and in the isolation of our own homes,  Redtwist provides a space to live life in community.

• Inclusive Entertainment: Our ensemble and our audience is growing and diversifying so that we can tell stories for all  of our neighbors in Edgewater, Andersonville, and the greater city of Chicago.