About us
Mission
"To create searing hot drama
in a tiny black box
with a little red twist."
We strive to create searing hot drama, from bold new works to obscure buried treasures, that builds empathy, dissects cruelty, and reveals broader truths. We realize these goals by transforming our tiny black box and its explosive immediacy into a thematic asset, tailoring every show to close the gap between actor and audience. Ultimately, we add a little red twist to every production by exploring the violence inherent in our humanity and confronting our audiences with the contradictions of our modern world.
As an ensemble of artists, we embrace our responsibility to stand with those who call for change, inclusivity, and equity, and to stand against hate and racism. We reject white supremacy and we do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, complexion, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. We commit to ongoing anti-racist growth and decolonializing our practices and our art. We encourage conversations that inspire allyship, awareness, and solidarity. We aim to create brave spaces, where listening and learning can take place. We trust in the guidance of groups like We See You White American Theatre and strive to implement their recommendations in our work. Our Edgewater community is diverse, and we are growing and expanding our artistic ensemble to include artists that reflect that diversity.
As a member of the Chicago area theater community, we acknowledge the abusive practices of many leaders in our industry. The Not In Our House movement shed light on many of these abuses within our local community, and the #metoo movement opened all of our eyes to the systems that help keep abuse in the shadows. We seek to create nurturing spaces where artists can be courageous, authentic, and vulnerable. Redtwist follows the Chicago Theatre Standards and employs intimacy choreographers to ensure safe environments for creativity.
Land Acknowledgement
Before it was Chicago, this land was the traditional homeland of the Council of Three Fires, made up of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Shup-Shewana, a Potawatomi elder, dated the formation of the Council of Three Fires to 796 AD at Michilimackinac, present day Mackinac Island. These tribes and others, including the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois Nations, had vast communities and thriving trade networks spanning the Great Lakes region. The arrival of European explorers and settlers brought new diseases, war, and starvation to the tribes of the Great Lakes. With the founding of America in 1776, the Council of Three Fires became the core of the Western Lakes Confederacy, joining with the Wyandots, Algonquins, Nipissing, Sacs, Meskwaki and others to resist American expansion. This confederacy was a precursor to Tecumseh's confederacy, which would further challenge American imperialism in the War of 1812. After the death of Tecumseh and many other indigenous warriors, thousands of survivors were forced to move west of the Mississippi River under President Jackson's Indian Removal Act.
The Council of Three Fires tribes exist today, though they have been separated through relocation. The Ojibwe is one of the largest First Nations populations in North America, with significant populations in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, as well as Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The Odawa peoples can be found mainly in Oklahoma and Michigan. The Potawatomi have spread across Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Chicagoans can learn more about the native people of this area at the American Indian Center. They can also visit the First Nations Garden, which is meant to serve as a healing space for Chicago’s Native community as well as an educational center for non-Native people.
Our History
In 1994 a group of friends who read plays in each other's apartments formed Actors Workshop Theatre and embarked upon their first production as an itinerant company with Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged. After eight shows in seven years, they incorporated as a non-profit and named Michael Colucci as Founding Artistic Director in 2001. The next year Actors Workshop Theatre moved to our current home in the vibrant Bryn Mawr Historic District of Edgewater. The new space was christened with a production of ensemble member Clifford Morts’ Praying Small. Around this time, Jan Ellen Graves joined the company as Managing Director. In 2008, Michael and Jan renamed the company Redtwist Theatre. During this time, Jan directed critically-acclaimed productions of Arthur Miller’s The American Clock and the world premieres of Geezers and Aura, by company member Tommy Lee Johnston. Michael directed critically-acclaimed productions of All My Sons, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Broken Glass.
After twenty-five years at the helm, Michael decided to step down in 2019. With the blessing of the Redtwist Board and ensemble, Charlie Marie McGrath was invited to take over duties as Producing Artistic Director. Unfortunately, Charlie’s first season was cut short by the COVID-19 Pandemic, which shuttered many beloved Chicago institutions. Charlie kept Redtwist moving forward, presenting quality digital content while cleaning up the company's finances, but decided to step down in 2022. Company member Brian Parry stepped in as Interim Artistic Director, while the board of directors began the search for a worthy successor to Michael, Jan, and Charlie.
In 2022, Dusty Brown joined the company as Artistic Director, after serving as production manager on Antigone. Dusty, a non-binary director and producer from Atlanta, began a campaign to rejuvenate Redtwist's facilities, diversify the company, and expand our community connections. In 2024, Eileen Dixon joined the leadership team as co-Artistic Director, following eighteen months rebuilding Redtwist’s community roots in the Bryn Mawr historic district. As leaders, Dusty and Eileen envision Redtwist as an artistic institution that seeks to listen, learn, and facilitate empathy on and off its stage.
Redtwist is supported by: tax funded organizations like the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Chicago Cultural Center; grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation and the Laughing Acres Family Foundation; and the generosity of private donors like you. If you'd like to learn more about supporting Redtwist, please visit our Support page.
