ABOUT THIS SHOW

When a hot air balloon with two dead strangers in it crashes on top of some prize tomatoes in Reese’s backyard, he teams up with his eccentric aunt and bad-tempered little sister to uncover the truth about the murder, his family, and himself.

THE RED FORTUNE COOKIE will be featured in Bramble’s Fall Reading Series happening this fall.

Public Reading on October 23rd, 2023

Grace Bolander at the Festival of Unfinished Work 2023

THE ARTISTS

Playwright | Karissa Murrell Myers*

Director | Dan Washelesky

Stage Manager | Emma Crumpton

Dramaturg | Yiwen Wu

Casting Director | Karissa Murrell Myers*

CAST

Yuchi Chiu

Preeti Thaker

Rasheeda Denise*

Hilary Williams*

Emily Zhang

Mia Park

David Stobbe

* Bramble Ensemble Member

Cast

  • YUCHI CHIU

    Yuchi Chiu (he/him) is excited to return to Bramble Theatre this fall! Theater credits include Once (Writers Theatre), Botticelli in the Fire (First Floor Theater), and The Chinese Lady (TimeLine Theatre). Screen credits include Chicago Med (NBC), Dark Matter (Apple TV+, upcoming), and BJ's Mobile Gift Shop (Sundance Film Festival). Endless gratitude to his village and agents at DDO Chicago. Instagram: @yuchidchiu

  • RASHEEDA DENISE

    Chicago native, Rasheeda Denise, is eternally grateful to be an ensemble member with Bramble Theatre. She earned her BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago and further honed her craft at The School of Steppenwolf in 2019. Rasheeda's theatrical journey is a testament to her passion for storytelling and dedication to her art. She has had the privilege of working in various Chicago productions, some of her theatre credits include Bramble's "Festival of Unfinished Work", "Valiant Theater's: New Works Festival," DuSable Theatre's "Dance Little Sister," and has participated in multiple runs of "The Vagina Monologues." Some of her film credits include "Sweet Nothings," "Kismet," and "The Real Untruth." Rasheeda firmly believes in the transformative power of art and the potential for positive change through compassionate endeavors. With genuine dedication and unwavering commitment, she aspires to touch lives and foster meaningful connections through her craft.

  • MIA PARK

    Mia Park functions as a grassroots eco-system of projects that connect people. She is a taiji and yoga teacher, actress, cultural producer, and CNA in nursing school. Boundless enthusiasm binds them all. Theatre credits include Goodman Theatre, Court Theater, Silk Road Rising, Jackalope Theatre, Collaboraction, Chicago Children’s Theater. Film and television credits include The Lakehouse; Signature Move; Perpetrator; Chicago Med; Chicago Fire; Chicago PD; BOSS; Empire; Shameless; APB; Saturdays; and Chic-A-Go-Go! Web series credits include Code-Switched. MiaPark.com

  • DAVID STOBBE

    David Stobbe is a Chicago based actor on the stage and screen. His collective The Tramps have produced and toured original works, and were recent recipients of the CliffDweller's Club Grant where he's an artist in residence. Recent credits include Buddy:the Buddy Holly Story at Marriott Theater, Big River with Mercury Theater, The Aliens with Kaliope Theater, Venus in Fur with The Artistic Home, Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes with the Story Theater. He's worked with the Black Ensemble Theater, A Red Orchid Theater, Steep Theater, and Lifeline Theater. You can see him in John Mossman's award winning feature “Good Guy with a Gun”. Thank you DDO Chicago, his wife Becky, and his dog Thriller.

  • PREETI THAKER

    As a classically trained Indian vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer since a young age, Preeti’s cultural pursuits have always been central to her as an artist. Chicago credits include Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight Theatre), Dance Nation (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Lady from the Sea (Court Theatre) and The Moors (A Red Orchid Theatre). Preeti is a 2018 alumni of the prestigious School of Steppenwolf and is gratefully represented by Stewart Talent.

  • HILARY WILLIAMS

    Hilary Williams is a proud ensemble member of Bramble. Other Chicago credits include work with Rivendell Theatre, The Hypocrites, Promethean Ensemble, Northlight, and more. Look out for her short film, Luteal, on the festival circuit! She is represented by the fine folks at Shirley Hamilton Talent and is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf. Love to the blueberry and the rabbit.

  • EMILY ZHANG

    Emily Zhang (she/her) is a Chicago based actor and is excited to be doing this reading with Bramble Theatre! Recently, she was seen in The Mall The Mall The Mall at Greenhouse Theater Center, Woo Girls at the Factory Theatre, Flush with Campfire Repertory, and understudied in Among the Dead at Jackalope Theatre. Other credits include Hannah and Halmoni Save the World with Ghostlight Ensemble, When the Sun Melts Away with Token Theatre and Bechdel Fest 9 at Broken Nose Theatre. She has a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

CREATIVE TEAM

KARISSA MURRELL MYERS, PLAYWRIGHT (she/her) is a Filipino American theatre artist in Chicago, where she works as an actor, playwright, producer, and casting director. As a playwright, her work has been developed and/or produced at Strawdog Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, American Blues Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Avalanche Theatre, Our Perspective: Asian American Plays, and Bramble, where she serves as Artistic Director. MFA in Performance from University of Hawaii, BA in Theatre from Boise State University, and proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf 2019. Member of SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild. www.kmurrellmyers.com

DAN WASHELESKY, DIRECTOR (he/they) is a Chicago-based director/dramaturg. They completed their M.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Dan is the Managing Director of Bramble Theatre and previously served as the Managing Director of The Passage Theatre. With Steppenwolf Theatre, he assistant directed Describe the Night and The Children, provided dramaturgical support for The Rembrandt and The Doppelgänger, and script supervised workshops of La Ruta and Lindiwe. They have also worked with Avalanche Theatre, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, First Run Theatre, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, and (remotely) Seattle-based Dacha Theatre. 

YIWEN WU, DRAMATURG, is a dramaturg and scholar. She is currently a PhD student at the University of Chicago, in the joint program between Theater & Performance Studies and East Asian Languages & Civilizations. Yiwen finds her passion in amplifying Asian voices on contemporary stages, from translations and adaptations of classical works to new plays that explore what it means to be Asian in modern America. Her dramaturgical credits include Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon (Lookingglass Theatre Company), Akutagawa (Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival), The Chinese Lady (TimeLine Theatre), Hungry Ghost Festival (Lifeline Theatre), and The Feet of God (TimeLine Theatre).

EMMA CRUMPTON, STAGE MANAGER - Originally from Starkville, Mississippi, Emma is excited to stage manage her first production with Bramble Theatre Company! A recent graduate of Northwestern University, she has stage managed both new works and classics for Northwestern student productions, Candle House Theatre Company, and most recently, Thompson Street Opera.