, has also known Magnus and the other Curious Theatre Branch ensemble members for a long time.
Rhino have always felt like a family affair, and not just because of literal family connections. People are brought into the creative fold at Curious who don’t necessarily fit the traditional mold of actors looking to audition or playwrights looking for commissions. Instead, there’s been a mix of people who return year after year to try out new material, and artists who are new to town finding an unexpected home with Rhino.
Williams notes, “I moved here about ten years ago, and kind of tangentially knew Jenny and Stefan and got put into the Rhino as a helper—one of the people who would run tech, be in the space, open the door, get the Coke outta the fridge, whatever was needed. And I think that kind of introduction was really wonderful. I don’t have a theater background. I didn’t go to theater school. I was never cast in things as a kid cuz I didn’t know how to talk loud. And I was kinda awkward.
, a comedy about three coworkers tasked with running a fundraiser for their terrible company and turning it into a pro-union message of hope. Originally from southern California, Luna and his El Bear cohorts stumbled onto Rhino Fest shortly after moving to Chicago. Their first Rhino appearance was with Luna’s playLuna says, “It gave us an opportunity to put our work out there and try to build some sort of an audience or just let people know ‘Hey, we’re here. This is what we’re doing.