On March 17, Redmoon hosted its annual "Spectacle Lunatique" benefit at The Hudson. A program gave guests a loose overview of the evening, promising "103 wild performances," "71 spectacle moments," and "seven hours of madness," concluding with the affirmation, "Together we can engineer wonder." Along with performers that engaged guests throughout the affair, a 45-minute-long performance offered a sneak peek of the experimental theater's upcoming season, which will include both guerilla-style and preannounced public performances.
Here's a look at some of the gala's moments of surrealistic "spectacle," which included glowing swans, playful monkeys in polka dots, and a boat sailing through a sea of cabbage.
Performers in polka dots and handcrafted monkey masks interacted with guests (and scratched one another).
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
As guests entered the Hudson, which was bathed in low, colorful lights, they walked past two receiving lines of performers.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The actors clapped and cheered as each individual guest or couple arrived, soliciting reactions that ranged from shy smiles to bows.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
A lead-sponsor reception started at 6:30 p.m., offering a pop-up tattoo parlor where guests could get temporary designs.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Just beyond the entrance, a performer mimed working in an installation that resembled the interior of the decaying office. The setting was later elevated and used during the evening's central performance, which offered a preview of Redmoon's upcoming work.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
During the show, an elevated stage with a drummer appeared on the other side of the dilapidated office setting.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The theme of the evening, and of the company's work in general, is "Engineering Wonder." The phrase appeared on a large projection screen during the live auction.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Live-auction prizes, and the real-time bid, were projected onto the screen as well.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
A performer held a sign that alerted guests to the silent auction.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The auction, which contained a section devoted to art, was stationed toward the middle of the space.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Near the entrance, guests could have their photos snapped and upload commitments to Redmoon's Web site. The commitments could be for financial support, but didn't have to be. For example, one guest wrote, "I commit to taking my kids to the park."
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
A trio of roving characters in illuminated swan headdresses made their way throughout the space.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
By moving their arms, the performers made the ghostly swans appear to fly.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Megaphones, balloons, bird masks, and feathery caps adorned a group of performers who wandered through the V.I.P. lounge.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Decor in the V.I.P. lounge had the look of a modern art installation, and included glowing orbs on the ground and pillars holding gramophone-like sculptures.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The evening's program, printed on a large foldout paper, broke the benefit's highlights down. One of the attractions was "27 Culinary Experiences," which included food stations and punch in the V.I.P. lounge, dessert service by the French Pastry School of Chicago, and hors d'oeuvre service by the Washurne Culinary Institute.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
New to the event this year was a "Food Truck Gallery," which offered snack-size samples of dishes from Big Star, Bridgeport Pastry, Brown Bag Lunch Truck, Chicago Schnitzel King, Curry Cruiser, Hummingbird Kitchen, Taquero Fusion, Tamale Spaceship, Traffic Jam, and Waygu Wagon.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Of course, this being a Redmoon function, food wasn't only served at traditional stations. The company's "Stilted Servers" are 10 feet tall and wear skirts made of sculpted steel, with attached trays that hold appetizers, desserts, promotional items, or, in this case, bags of Garrett popcorn.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Another Stilted Server, this one in an all-white ensemble, offered snacks in the V.I.P. lounge.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Guests plucked napkins off a performer's dress. The character, known as "Napkin Lady," can be booked through the theater for private events, as can a variety of characters affiliated with the Redmoon for Hire program.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
With the "Teapot Libation Machine," a Redmoon performer wears a metal backpack with an extended arm that holds a porcelain teapot at its end. The teapot, mechanically operated by a switch on the performer's wrist, poured cocktails into guests' glasses.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The company's mobile "Wine Bike" has a spinning chandelier of wine glasses, and uses a series of gears to pour bottles of wine.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Meanwhile, a roving performer offered snacks from a tray that appeared to dangle from antlers affixed to her head.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
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.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
One of the company's so-called "active site installations" had a duo in a boat surrounded by cabbages.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
The company's "Spinning Vehicles" are rolling platforms with elevated, performer-activated, rotating vignettes including a tilted bathtub with a bather.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Another spinning vehicle has a vignette of a performer on a vintage bicycle, clutching a lit-up umbrella.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
As part of the entertainment, guests got to bash a colorful dinosaur piñata that ultimately spilled forth confetti and hand clappers.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
"What you see tonight is the first step toward a new, large-scale public spectacle that we are building, using the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as a point of departure," wrote directors Frank Maugeri and Jim Lasko in the benefit's program.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Part of the myth takes place in the underworld, which was evoked with images of skulls and bones.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
Performers in white dresses recalled the ethereal characters of Greek mythology.
Photo: Christina Noël Photography
