A Red Orchid Theatre: Veal
Jasper Johnson and Alexandra Chopson
A Red Orchid Theatre Presents VEAL Review - How Far Would You Go For Revenge?
TLDR: Entering into a middle school that looks like it’s frozen in time, we meet the new Queen of North America who plans a twisted memory game with her “friends” from middle school. Showing us the terrifying lengths a person would go to for revenge, Veal keeps us on our toes in this psychological thriller of a play.
Alice Wu, Jojo Brown, and Carmia Imani
The Desolate Landscape of North America
After walking out of your middle school, you probably didn’t think you’d ever have a reason to step into that building again. Walking into A Red Orchid’s theatre space, we’re met with relics from a different era. Someone’s treasures from the 2000s to be exact, like a school locker preserved in a museum. An early model iPhone in a thick Otterbox case. A copy of Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul. A My Little Pony figurine.
Stacked in piles up marble steps are elementary school chairs. And on them, flanked by a bodyguard in sunglasses and dressed in a regal, patchwork gown sits a pale figure. She wears a tiara and fur stole while staring at all of us around the room. Everything is bathed in a cold and harsh fluorescent light that makes it seem like we’re in a dismal, dystopian alternate reality.
Here in this new work, we’re frozen in a specific point in time, both figuratively and literally. Veal shows us what would happen if the bullied, weird girl in school takes her grudges to the extreme.
The Scream Queen Herself
Truly a character out of a horror movie, Alexandra Chopson plays our Queen Chelsea. She sits regally on her throne and expresses delight that her old middle school friends have come to see her! They have a request, but it soon becomes clear to Franny, Noa, and Lulu (Jojo Brown, Alice Wu, and Carmia Imani respectively) that Chelsea won’t let them leave without first bringing them back to middle school, literally.
They must recreate scenes from school exactly as Chelsea wants them too. Soon this playacting becomes a sick and twisted game going through each traumatic core memory Chelsea has being the outcast friend of this friend group. Chopson has this way of moving her head and eyes almost like a snake. She peers up underneath her brows as an evil smile slowly crawls across her face, widening like a python delighted that her prey has decided to play. She fully embodies the weird girl in middle school (which translates to maybe a little socially awkward, doesn’t quite know how to fit in) and is absolutely thrilling to watch as she commands the stage.
Throughout these middle school memories, we see the dynamic of the friend group and Brown, Wu, and Imani each create a distinct personality and show us their role within the group. Wu is the practical one, keeping everyone grounded. Imani plays the peacemaker, not wanting to go against the majority, but sees how their actions affect others. And Brown stands tall as the leader of the group and balks at any opposition to Franny. As we switch from memory to memory, it feels like they all eventually find it easy to slip into their past selves and dynamic.
Alexandra Chopson, Alice Wu, Jojo Brown, and Carmia Imani
Suspense At Every Turn
We’re in this dystopian universe where all of North America has fallen to Chelsea’s rule. There’s enough hinted at through the dialogue that while we don’t know everything about how we got to this point (like how a woman in her 20s managed the downfall of three countries) but we have enough info that we go along with it and honestly don’t care. We want to know what the heck happened to these friends and what Chelsea’s master plan is.
The galley staging makes us continuously turn our heads and ping pong back and forth between everyone. We look at one person saying their line, and immediately turn back to look at the receiver to see their reaction. We have no idea what is going to happen next or what Chelsea’s ultimate goal is, which is what makes Veal an absolute thriller.
Carmia Imani (front), Alice Wu, Jojo Brown, and Alexandra Chopson
The After Party Thoughts
Ho. Ly. Shit. I was leaning forward in my seat the whole time as this show turned into a psychological thriller and I had no idea who to root for. Sometimes we’re on Franny, Lulu, and Noa’s side and other times we flip over to Chelsea’s side because we know how rough middle schoolers (especially mean girl cliques) can be. One thing is for sure, Veal is an excellently written and performed show by all the cast. For those that like thrillers combined with teenage drama, this would be a good show for you.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Jasper Johnson and Alexandra Chopson
When
Now through November 2, 2025
Where
A Red Orchid Theatre
1531 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60610
Runtime: 90min, no intermission
Tickets
$25+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (312) 943-8722 or through A Red Orchid Theatre website
Photos
Evan Hanover
Jasper Johnson and the cast of Veal
CAST
Jojo Brown (Franny)
Alexandra Chopson (Chelsea)
Carmia Imani (Lulu)
Jasper Johnson (Unnamed Male Concubine)
Alice Wu (Noa)
Lola Fratto (u/s Franny)
Kaitlyn Gorman (u/s Chelsea)
Amy Yesom Kim (u/s Noa)
Sean McGlynn (u/s Unnamed Male Concubine)
Christin Prince (u/s Lulu)
CREATIVE
Jojo Jones (Playwright)
dado (Director)
Tianxuan Chen (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
Connor Blackwood (Sound Designer)
Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer)
Ab Rieve (Props Designer)
Jyreika Guest (Violence and Intimacy Director)
Faith Hart (Assistant Director / Script Supervisor)
Elliott Puckette (Dramaturg)
Tom Daniel (Technical Director)
Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager)
Lauren Lassus (Stage Manager)
Dorothy Craven (Assistant Stage Manager)
Faith Locke (Assistant Stage Manager)