Red Tape Valentine: Alex Kyger and Les Enfants Terribles

Alex is one of our newest ensemble members, and currently in the role of Director of Community Engagement. Alex comes to Red Tape by way of Les Enfants Terribles, a local buffoon troupe that first performed at Red Tape as part of CFANN 2010. After finding out how amazing Alex was, we couldn't help but scoop him up, and are eternally grateful that he can tear himself away from the buffoons every now and then.

Dear Mes Enfants,The more grotesque you are, the more I love. Love, Alex

Alex Kyger and Les Enfants Terribles- Celebrating our 3 year anniversary in March!

Hang out with Red Tape on Industry Night
Monday, February 14 at 8:00
After party at Wilde
Tickets: http://www.redtapetheatre.org/ , code: mermaid

Stub Hub

Throughout the years while performing for Les Enfants Terribles, many things have changed. People have left, changed sexes, lost and gained lumps, and even grew back a pair of legs. But for me, the one thing that has never and will never change is my physical position in the group. I am the one always looming in the background, my head popping up over this potatoey mass of lumps and beige. Upon creating my buffoon, we drifted towards things that we were uncomfortable with. Naturally, as being actors, we all like to be the center of attention, and I was no exception. So to counter that, I moved towards the back of the group, and anchored myself there, to stay. I have been called “the anchor” of group, and I definitely see why. My character, called “The Father”, treats these other buffoons as if they were his children. When the group is stuck and doesn’t know what to do, everyone looks at me just like if I WAS their dad, and they my kids.

The other noticeable thing about my buffoon is the stub arm. Losing an arm stemmed out of my lack of coordination and self-awareness of being so uncoordinated. It turned into a sort of therapy for me, because after being in this body and not being able to use of one of your arms, even for a short amount of time, has made me appreciate my body so much more. The stub is also a vessel of sorts, used to communicate with higher powers. I receive messages from “God”, and speak those messages to the group. It’s interesting that this channeling brings a second meaning to my character name. Want to see Les Enfants Terribles in all it’s potatoey, beige glory? Put on your tux, grab your sweetie, and come see Prom Night! to find out!

Christopher Paul Mueller
Les Enfants Terribles
Believe in Nothing, Mock Everything
July 16-August 14 at Red Tape Theatre

Opening Night Artwork

Happy Opening to Les Enfants Terribles and the entire cast and crew of Prom Night!

Paul G. Miller

Managing Director

Red Tape Theatre Company

A Lady Never Tells

I think it is important to realize that at one point in time, I used to be a man.

When I first started with Les Enfants, I was just as much a man as the rest of them. Of course, back then, we also had an actual woman in the group. After she left, it seemed almost necessary to have a woman because it opened up so much more to us both thematically and plot wise. When the idea was proposed that one of us should switch and be a woman, I was hesitant. Not only would I be changing my character that I had developed and worked on, but I’d be…well, changing my sex. Both of these issues I quickly resolved within myself and jumped on the opportunity (to have boobs.) It has been one of the more interesting characters that I have ever had to work on because the work is so emotionally open. And being a lady with five other buffoons is emotional work. However, I would not have it any other way. I have truly fallen in love with the character and the work that it has allowed me to do.

In my opinion, one of the most difficult aspects of this work is definitely building a strong ensemble. This is by far the most ensemble heavy work that I have ever done. You have to move together, look together, laugh together, spit together, think together, and feel together. It is essentially taking six guys in nude leotards and molding them into one giant clump of buffoon. The ensemble work is no doubt hard, but it truly completes the work.

Les Enfants is nothing without the support of a great audience. So please, grab a date, get something to wear, and come to prom with us.

Casey Kells

Les Enfants Terribles

Believe in Nothing, Mock Everything

July 16-August 14 at Red Tape Theatre

False Phallus

I'm the one with the big. . .thing.


Easy to identify, difficult to ignore and one of the oldest comedic prosthetics. But none of this came into the decision behind my buffoon's most prominent "lump." When the ensemble first began to work in this style of clowning, we were asked to draw where we initially thought our "lumps" would go. They are areas that resonate with sensitivity and insecurity, which the world scrutinizes. For one reason or another, I was personally drawn to symmetry, feeling that each place of vulnerability had a double on the other side. My lumps are the calves, genitals, hips, shoulders and ears. Though the false exaggeration of these areas physically offers protection, they are highlighted emotionally.


The emotional openness of this type of performance is easily the most difficult aspect. If we're doing it right, it's about completely dropping our defenses and letting everything in. It's a type of psychological state that is litterally unhealthy to live in day-to-day, as some semblance of emotional protection is simply necessary in the real world. But for the clown (or buffoon), we get the opportunity to create our own world where we can be absolutely vulnerable. While exhausting, the work is so rewarding and ultimately much more interesting to the audience to be invited into this world. Never before has the ensemble experienced the emotional stress that a full run of a show demands but I think I can speak for the group when I say we are all looking forward to it as a challenge.


The most integral part of this project is you. It will not exist without the support of new and veteran audience members alike. So get on rown paper tickets, choose a date, pick out your outfit and we'll see you at the show.

Scott Ray Merchant
Les Enfants Terribles
Believe in Nothing, Mock Everything
July 14-August 14 at Red Tape Theatre

Behind the Bouffant

The modern clown is an ever growing influence on the Chicago theatre scene. Its influences affect actors, directors, and the final artistic product. And why shouldn’t it? The clown loves the audience and has an insatiable appetite for play that is infectious with spectators of all ages. The clowning tradition that Les Enfants Terribles follows takes a different approach. The buffoon disgusts the audience and its world of play emerges from an insatiable appetite to mock.

The buffoon is best recognized by his lumps and deformities that make him a parodied version of a human being. He is ostracized for his appearance and is fed with bitterness and relentlessness. These deformities may not to be admired, but they are the buffoon’s license to tell the truth - or at least his version of the truth. An ensemble of bouffant believe that they live in an ideal society. Their inner workings and relationships are to be highly respected. Coming from their model world, buffoons have observed our behaviors, they have seen our way of life, and they are noticing some glaring flaws. They recognize the absurdity of our belief in love, social norms, and a number of other pressing subjects that we refuse to diagnose objectively.

The buffoon acts as an agent of change by very simply presenting our world to us. Our behaviors are performed with comic antics that might be considered below skill, or wit, or competence of any kind. The jokes are those of a low jester, but the buffoon is to be admired for his cleverness and innate intelligence. Audiences slowly begin to approve of the buffoon and eventually learn to respect him and even begin to accept his appalling actions and appearance.

The bouffant tradition is centuries old and yet still resonates with audiences today. Its past is storied, its future is bright, and that is why we have chosen to be active members in paving the bouffant’s future. Won’t you join us?

Alex Kyger

Les Enfants Terribles
Believe in Nothing, Mock Everything

July 14-August 14 at Red Tape Theatre

Les Enfants Terribles returns!

Les Enfants Terribles

return to Red Tape

Monday May 24 at 8:00pm

An audience favorite at CFANN 2010, Les Enfants Terrible's mission is to create improvisation, song, and the constant development of new games to challenge and entertain audiences. As an ensemble of buffoons, Les Enfants Terribles draws from equal parts clown, commedia, and flash performance. Through this unique worold of play all six members cling to one another as one mind and body which forces each buffoon to juggle complicity with themselves, fellow ensemble members, and audiences.

Seats are limited and selling quickly.

Get your TICKETS now!