The company's biggest annual fund-raiser, typically held in the winter, was known as "Spectacle Lunatique." And it was always full of surprises. At the 2008 event, a strange performance featured Redmoon performers pulling faces behind window panes.
At the next year's event, a Redmoon actor poured drinks from his perch atop the theater's wine bike—a machine with an umbrella of rotating glasses. The company offered the machine for hire, and it appeared (with an attendant) at several Chicago events.
Also at the 2009 gala, performers dressed as pregnant women opened papier-mâché bellies to reveal tiny puppet shows.
As guests arrived to the 2010 event, performers wearing giant fists cheered them on and shouted "ooh" and "aah."
The company routinely offered innovative ideas for food presentation. At its 2011 fund-raiser, a performer lay in a bathtub covered with a pool of candlelit wine bottles. Two trays at the side of the tub held hors d'oeuvres such as deviled eggs.
The company's "Spinning Vehicles" were rolling platforms with elevated, performer-activated, rotating vignettes including a tilted bathtub with a bather. The tropes appeared at the 2012 fund-raiser.
On highboy tables throughout the general receptions space, unusual centerpieces included flowers and bits of machinery sprouting from patches of grass. Other tables held jars filled with tiny winged ladders.
With the "Teapot Libation Machine," a Redmoon performer wore a metal backpack with an extended arm that held a porcelain teapot at its end. The teapot, mechanically operated by a switch on the performer's wrist, poured cocktails into guests' glasses.
A trio of roving characters in illuminated swan headdresses made their way throughout the event space. By moving their arms, the performers made the ghostly swans appear to fly.
Redmoon's musical entertainment was far from standard. Referred to as the "drum cart," a three-tiered, pedal-powered contraption held several percussion instruments. At the 2013 benefit, drummers dressed in bird masks and feathery headdresses commandeered the instruments as they rode the cart through the warehouse space.
The 2014 event showcased fresh ideas for raising money. A series of "give and get" experiences treated guests to Redmoon-style activities after paying for the opportunity via BidPal. One such experience was called the "Bearthday Party," which let guests celebrate their birthday (whether or not it was their actual birthday) on stage with a bear and a clown. Other treats included a cupcake with a sparkler and a birthday serenade. The experience ended with an explosion of confetti from the theater's so-called confetti cannon. "It was like your own personal celebration of you," said a rep for the theater company, after the function.
Another experience, given to guests who bid $1,000 (including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, pictured), was a 10-minute dinner prepared by Schwa chef Michael Carlson. Along with the rapid meal, bidders were treated to a private opera performance and champagne service from the theater's champagne chandelier. Dishes included melon with carbonated peaches, short ribs with dehydrated corn, and a caramel-apple-style dessert.
An amenity that was offered to all guests: snacks from the "Cyclone Grill." Stationed at the entrance to the event, the fixture contained 16 grills donated by Weber. At the start of the night, the grills held roasted pig, plantains, and black beans. Later in the evening, the grills held slices of pizza.
A costumed bear nodded to the theater's upcoming spring spectacle, "Bellboys, Bears, and Baggage." At the event, guests could bid $50 to play pool with the bear. Those who beat the bear at the game won a six-pack of beer.
The company also hosted events for holidays such as Halloween and Labor Day. The theater described its Joyous Outdoor Event—which took over Lakeview's South Belmont Harbor park over Labor Day weekend in 2010—as “a spectacular festival of performance, live music, and art for ordinary Joes and average Janes of all ages.” Lines formed outside the Luminarium, a cocoon-like, dimly lit structure from British company Architects of Air. Billed as "an inflatable, walk-in sculpture,” it contained a maze of glowing areas.
Described as a “skeletal spectacle,” Redmoon Theater’s 2012 Halloween party in Chicago featured dozens of the bony Halloween icons, and planners created unique ways to combine food and entertainment. At a s’mores station, two performers in lingerie and face makeup warmed chocolates over candles in a bathtub; blowtorches were used to sear the marshmallows.
Redmoon also threw parties to welcome in the New Year. At the 2013 gathering, aerialists in giant swaths of silk manned "sky trays" that held items such as strawberries and grapes.
The performers swooped down on silk swaths to drop the fruits into guests' mouths.
Halo Top celebrated the opening of its new Scoop Shop at the Grove in Los Angeles in August with installations inspired by the brand’s ice cream flavors and containers. Designed by Shiraz Creative, the three installations were inspired by Halo Top’s rainbow swirl, strawberry, and birthday cake flavors. The rainbow installation featured a swing; the strawberry installation mimicked a hot air balloon; and the birthday cake installation had a colorful ball pit.Â
