Redmoon Theater Chicago. Public facing Spectacle...

Redmoon Theater Chicago. [deceased] In part an extravagant public facing theatrical company funded by Private sponsors in what could be called an oldschool Republican tradition. [also deceased].... I was the principle performer in one of their productions late 90's. I'd met their artistic director Jim Lasko the year before at a private birthday party in the Aragon Ballroom held for a billionaire featuring Redmoon, myself, James Brown and Aretha Franklin and 300 strong choir. I believe Jim Lasco was additionally this billionaires social secretary. So our first communication was him asking me if I were available and what my fee and rider was. I said yes I was available, named a price and stipulated that my rider was four cheerleaders, a therapist and a puppy. Within 24 hours he'd agreed and asked me what kind of puppy? A year later he invited me back to take the lead role in a show that was performed at the Met Museum, the Chicago O'Hare International Airport and various parks and public spaces throughout Chicago. A funeral procession of sorts with the mothers of the disappeared being stiltwalkers with large woks as headpieces that water was ladled into and we'd lean over a burning body in a coffin and extinguish the fire. I was the matriarch. I remember whinging a bit about the wok headpieces. Typical artistic romantic masochism, artistically catholic. They had to be wound tight to the top of the head to remain fast under the weight of a gallon or so of water and I did complain ceaselessly on my and my fellow performers behalf to the props dept for making them so brutal and painful. I remember optimistically thinking that with the new wave of youthful wealth being created by 90's startups that funding for sponsored spectacles and well managed performance arts foundations was assured. Only to discover as time went on with myself and the world that such optimism was unfounded. NZ ideally should have a public WoW type spectacle/ national circus hybrid that exists for people other than the bourgeoisie. Obviously I can't do it on my own but with an initial say 20 million I could corral a staffed foundation and an initial production.