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about random acts
RANDOM
adjective
1. lacking uniformity
2. odd or unpredictable, amusing
RANDOM ACTS is dedicated to presenting unpredictable and diverse genres of theatre. we strive to create approachable art with no expectations.
Since March 2015, RANDOM ACTS has presented 8 productions (including three world premieres and one Chicago premiere) through which the company featured the work of 80 actors, 12 writers, 6 directors and 12 designers while performing at 8 venues including 4 theatres, a bar, an empty storefront, a cafe, and a gymnasium.
After the successful run of All Our Twilight, Random Acts endeavored to create a more spontaneous version of theatre, staging the Chicago Premiere of James Comtois' Monkeys inside a real coffee shop during business hours. The company then took the World Premiere of Ladies Night of the Living Dead to the Chicago Fringe Festival, where the play opened to unanimous critical acclaim and record-setting box office, prompting an extended run at The Pendulum Space. Random Acts returned in 2016 with the one-woman feminist play Daughters of Ire, presented in an Irish pub, and the immersive experience Unbound, which featured the company's largest team yet at 17 actors, 6 writers and 5 production staff. The company closed out 2016 with a staged reading followed by Awkward Family Gatherings at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. March 2017 saw the launch of Strangest Things! The Musical at the Greenhouse Theater Center, currently running through July and reaching the milestone of fifty performances.
adjective
1. lacking uniformity
2. odd or unpredictable, amusing
RANDOM ACTS is dedicated to presenting unpredictable and diverse genres of theatre. we strive to create approachable art with no expectations.
Since March 2015, RANDOM ACTS has presented 8 productions (including three world premieres and one Chicago premiere) through which the company featured the work of 80 actors, 12 writers, 6 directors and 12 designers while performing at 8 venues including 4 theatres, a bar, an empty storefront, a cafe, and a gymnasium.
After the successful run of All Our Twilight, Random Acts endeavored to create a more spontaneous version of theatre, staging the Chicago Premiere of James Comtois' Monkeys inside a real coffee shop during business hours. The company then took the World Premiere of Ladies Night of the Living Dead to the Chicago Fringe Festival, where the play opened to unanimous critical acclaim and record-setting box office, prompting an extended run at The Pendulum Space. Random Acts returned in 2016 with the one-woman feminist play Daughters of Ire, presented in an Irish pub, and the immersive experience Unbound, which featured the company's largest team yet at 17 actors, 6 writers and 5 production staff. The company closed out 2016 with a staged reading followed by Awkward Family Gatherings at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. March 2017 saw the launch of Strangest Things! The Musical at the Greenhouse Theater Center, currently running through July and reaching the milestone of fifty performances.
our company
Bryan Renaud (Artistic Director) is an actor, director, and playwright who has worked with American Theater Company, Pride Films & Plays, Provision Theater, Music Theatre Company, Greatworks, Prologue Theatre, Oak Park Festival, Gorilla Tango, Two Pigs Productions, and Nothing Without a Company. He is the Associate Artistic Director of The Other Theatre Co., where he premiered his plays Barney the Elf and Other Letters. Other plays include Twelfth Night of the Living Dead (produced internationally, available from Chicago Dramaworks), Ladies Night of the Living Dead, All Our Twilight (co-authored with Emily Schmidt), and more. www.BryanRenaud.com
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Maddie DePorter (Company Manager) is an actor from the small town of Orion, IL. Chicago credits include Gypsy (Chicago Shakespeare), Sucker Punch (u/s Victory Gardens) Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (u/s The Other Theatre Co.) Shrewish (u/s Artemesia). As a recent North Central graduate, collegiate credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Iphigenia and Other Daughters, The Threepenny Opera, The Flu Season, The Taming of the Shrew (Irene Ryan Acting Award Nomination). Film/Web credits include: Traveling Without Moving (Feature), The Onion: Sportology (Web), Ricola (Web), Monument (Web). Maddie is represented by Gray Talent Group.
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artistic associates
Tommy Rivera-Vega was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Directing credits include Barney the Elf (2016, The Other Theatre Co.) and Strangest Things! The Musical for Random Acts. Performance credits include: Latino Theatre Festival (Los Angeles); A View From The Bridge, Parachute Men and the World Premiere of Between You, Me and the Lampshade (Teatro Vista); In the Heights (Skylight Music Theatre); My Fair Lady (Paramount); Three Sisters (Steppenwolf); Kiss of the Spiderwoman BoHo); Pippin (Music Theatre Company), Cats (TheoUbique), Aida (Bailiwick); and West Side Story (Drury Lane). Random Acts credits include Monkeys, Girl Found, Twelfth Night of the Living Dead, Awkward Family Gatherings (performer), All Our Twilight, Strangest Things!, Ladies Night of the Living Dead (choreographer). Tommy is a proud ensemble member of both Teatro Vista and The Other Theatre Co. He is represented by Paonessa Talent.
Lucy Chmielewski graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Credits with Random Acts include All Our Twilight, Monkeys, Awkard Family Gatherings and Ladies Night of the Living Dead. Film Credits: Unbound Underground, Sisters, Had He Fidelity, and Trying Times. Stage credits include Twelfth Night of the Living Dead, 1989, Spring Awakening, A Dream Play, Our Town, and Battle of Angels.
Rasell Holt is a Milwaukee native who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in May 2015 with his B.F.A. in Theatre (Performance). Since making his way to Chicago, credits include: The Hairy Ape (Oracle Productions), HELLCAB (Profiles Theatre), and Ladies Night of the Living Dead (Random Acts). As an actor and poet, Mr. Holt is looking to take part in the world of arts.
Shannon Webber joined the company as an Artistic Associate after beating zombies to death with a giant dildo in Ladies Night of the Living Dead. A few other Chicago credits include: Unbound, Twelfth Night of the Living Dead (Random Acts), Hell's Kitchen (Arc Theatre), Crimes of the Heart (Step Up Productions). Enjoy the show!
"Theatre is a mirror, a sharp reflection of society." -Yasmina Reza 
Becca Russo is thrilled to be part of this collaborative, inspiring community! With Random Acts, she has performed in Unbound and Awkward Family Gatherings. Recent Chicago credits include Imogen in The Last Days of Wonder (2nd Act Players), Erin in Burn (Public House Theatre), Jeb Bush in Election! The Musical (Second City), Haely in George Michaels (MadKap Theatre Short Play Festival), Carol in Central Park West (Saint Sebastian Players), and as a member of the ensemble in #Humanity (The Annoyance Main Stage). Recent on-camera roles include Christina in Nightswim (DePaul CDM) and Felix in the adaptation of The Odd Couple (Harold Ramis Film School, Second City). Becca loves dogs, teaching fitness, and riding her bicycle through this wonderful city. www.missbeccarusso.com
Chelsea Milligan is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee. She is an Artistic Associate of Random Acts, where she has performed in Ladies Night of the Living Dead, All Our Twilight and Girl Found. Other Credits: WRENS, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress and productions of Kiss Me, Kate and The Music Man at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. Television: Snapped: Killer Couples. Chelsea would like to thank her friends and parents for their unending love and support and Random Acts for this wonderful experience.
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Nora Lise Ulrey is an Artistic Associate of Random Acts, where she developed her creation Unbound. Chicago acting credits include The Resistible Rise of Artuo Ui (Trap Door), Charlie Brown Christmas (Emerald City Theatre) Down the Hall: An Improvised Play (Independent Production), The Sundial, Guilded Age (CityLit), Design for Living, The Children's Hour (Pride Films and Plays, Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actress), Down the Moonlit Path (NWaC), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (AstonRep), Alice Invents a Little Game… (Forget Me Not Theatre Co), The Jewels (TUTA), Jerusalem (Profiles) and Tea with Edie and Fitz (Dead Writer’s Collective). She has also worked on projects with First Floor Theatre, Spartan Theatre, 20% Theatre, Strangeloop, Woman’s Theater Alliance, Redmoon, GreatWorks Theater and Compass Creative Dramatics. Film credits include: Spoiled Child (Jarvis Productions, Best Lead Actor Award - New York's First Run Film Festival). She is also proud Associate Company Member of Trap Door Theater. - noraliseulrey.com
Ayssette Muñoz is an ensemble member with Teatro Vista, where her credits include The Wolf at the End of the Block; In the Time of the Butterflies; You, Me and the Lampshade; Romeo & Juliet; A View From the Bridge. Additional Chicago credits include Ah, Wilderness; Marisol (Goodman Theatre) Alias Grace (Rivendell Theatre) and understudying in Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Regional credits include The Comedy of Errors; Richard III (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). Television credits include Chicago P.D. She was featured as one of the Chicago Tribune’s “Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre” in 2015 and is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
Ben F. Locke received his double degree in Theatre & Human Services from Millikin University. Credits include Barney the Elf (The Other Theatre Co.) Legally Blonde and Peter Pan (Millikin University), Dog Sees God (Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre), Avenue Q (Theatre 7). For Random Acts, he has appeared in Awkward Family Gatherings and Strangest Things! The Musical.
Ali Bailey is an actress and voice-over artist represented by Big Mouth Talent, and has had the pleasure of working with several Chicago theatre companies including Chicago Kids Company, Shakespeare on Clark and The Other Theatre Co., where she also serves as Literary Manager. Random Acts credits include Unbound and Girl Found (director), Monkeys (performer) and All Our Twilight (assistant director). She served as the Managing Director of Random Acts from 2015-2016.
Emily Schmidt is an admissions representative by day and a writer by night. After spending 5 years writing sketches for Acid Reflux Comedy, she wrote original lyrics for The Other Theatre Co's Barney the Elf. Other credits include co-writing All Our Twilight and Strangest Things! with Bryan Renaud. She received her MA in English from Loyola University.
Gracie Harper has recently appeared in Random Acts' productions of All Our Twilight, Strangest Things! The Musical and Monkeys. She also appeared as the u/s to Rebel in columbinus at American Theater Company.
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