We are super excited to open our doors to A.O. The Traveling Trunk Show. They’re a Chicago-based theatre duo, and they’ll be performing at The Hideout for one night only as part of their North American tour.

A.O. The Traveling Trunk Show’s production of “Gashlycrumb Orphanage”
originally conceived by Jeff Trainor and Lacy Katherine Campbell
performed by Scott Ray Merchant and Michele Stine

Tim Burton meets Edward Gorey in this immersive theatrical experience where the orphans are running the orphanage.

Rowena and Thaddeus, the two eldest orphans, have taken over Gashlycrumb Orphanage following the mysterious and sudden disappearance of headmistress Mrs. Gintz. As we, the audience-cum-orphans learn, Mrs. Gintz has lied to us about our given names and respectable origins. Only Rowena and Thaddeus know the true story behind the fateful night we each arrived at the orphanage, and only they can help us to uncover the truth.

Gashlycrumb Orphanage examines identity and origin through a range of storytelling styles, including dance, toy theater, and original music. The Hideout Theatre has opened its doors to host Scott Ray Merchant and Michele Stine; the traveling troupe of two, in their quest to reinvigorate the lost art of the independent touring theatre artist. For one weekend in November, The Hideout and A.O. join forces to bring Austin this piece of original Chicago Theatre in its Southern premiere.

About A.O. The Traveling Trunk Show
A.O. The Traveling Trunk Show is a compilation and collaboration with Chicago artists touring across the United States showcasing the values of what makes Chicago Theatre great: raw, honest storytelling carried out with bare bones materials and executed with painstaking care. Theatre-creators Scott Ray Merchant and Michele Stine utilize a rotating repertory of five unique performances, customizable to nearly any venue. To learn more visit www.aothetrunkshow.com.