About the Show
Ethnicities we’ve dated, ethnicities who’ve wronged us, dads (alive and not), older sister trauma, ethnic moms, cycles we want to break and growing up with curves. These are some of the topics Mantra, Alondra and Anelga muse on in Women Off-Colour. Featuring musical numbers, sketches and monologues, this show invites women to be offensive, wrong and unapologetic.
After a near-sold-out debut at Red Orchid's incubator program (co-produced by Silk Road Cultural Center) this past fall, Women Off-Colour's comedy has reached across the country—with a recent run at San Francisco's Playground Theatre, an upcoming Second City residency and multiple viral reels on Instagram. Featuring a bold new form blending sketch comedy and pattern play, Women Off-Colour redefines the boundaries of comedy, offering a fresh, authentic and diverse Gen-Z perspective.
Think a three-person solo show in the style of Anna Deavere Smith, paired with the absurdity of Do Not Destroy, if they knew how to pronounce ‘guacamole’). Comedy, but with depth. A whole new aesthetic.
An Indian, an Armenian and a Puerto Rican walk into a bar, and the punchlines write themselves.
@womenoffcolour
THE ARTISTS
Artists/Actors/Creators: Anelga Hajjar, Alondra Rios and Mantra
Producer: Hershey Suri
About the Artists
Alondra Rios is a Puerto Rican playwright, actress and director currently based in Chicago. She recently appeared in Las Borinqueñas at Vision Latino and Side by Side by Sondheim at Oil Lamp Theatre. She is a co-founder of Women Off-Colour, a comedy group which recently debuted at A Red Orchid Theatre’s Incubator Series, performing sketch comedy throughout Chicago and the US. Her full length play El Hilo del Pastel was recently featured in Avalanche Theatre’s Next Draft Series. Alondra holds a BA in Theatre from Northwestern University. When not onstage, she enjoys weight-lifting, a good game of backgammon and being a dog mom of two!
Anelga Hajjar is an actor and writer, currently serving as Jackalope Theatre’s Playwright in Residence. Her original play, Janitor’s Baby earned the Northwestern Agnes Nixon Playwriting Award, and her most recent work, The Sex Talk I Never Had, received a staged reading in Avalanche Theatre’s Next Draft Series. Recent theatre credits include Zabel In Exile (Boston Playwright’s Theatre), The Singularity Play (Jackalope Theatre), Selling Kabul (Northlight Theatre) and Tragedy Averted (iO). Beyond the stage, Anelga is a digital content creator (@hayerenhayeren123) producing engaging videos exclusively in Western Armenian for a growing audience of over 16,000 followers. She is passionate about revitalizing the Armenian language through humor, cultural commentary and storytelling.
Mantra (she/any) is a playwright, director and comedian originally from Bangalore, India. Her work was recently seen at 24HourPlays (Off-Broadway), Writers Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Artemesia Theatre, Token Theatre, The Second City, The Road Theatre, Theo Ubique, Shattered Globe, Sandbox Theatre collective and Avalanche Theatre. Her plays have received recognition from the 2026 Jeff Impact Fellowship (winner), 2024 Agnes Nixon Playwriting Award (winner), Fulbright Creative Writing scholarship (alternate finalist), Ojai Playwrights Conference (semifinalist), Inkslinger Playwriting Competition (semifinalist), SheNYC festival (finalist) and Boise Contemporary Theatre’s Playwriting festival (finalist). She was a Victor Wong Fellow, is currently an assistant director at the Second City and performs stand-up at venues all over Chicago!
Running Time
Due to the high volume and wide breadth of work we present, we are often not able to proactively offer content advisories for individual performances. However, if you have specific concerns about stage effects (such as strobe lights or fog/haze) that might have a bearing on comfort or well-being, or if you would like to know more about the age appropriateness of the performance, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.
RED Card Members
If you are a RED Card Member, your credits are valid for this LookOut presentation! Click the button below to learn more about redeeming your credits online.
Patron Code of Conduct
Welcome to Steppenwolf, one of the premiere ensemble theaters in America. By visiting us, you agree to adhere to the theatre’s Patron Code of Conduct and Health and Safety Protocols.
SPONSORS
Running Time
Content Advisory
Due to the high volume and wide breadth of work we present, we are often not able to proactively offer content advisories for individual performances. However, if you have specific concerns about stage effects (such as strobe lights or fog/haze) that might have a bearing on comfort or well-being, or if you would like to know more about the age appropriateness of the performance, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.
RED Card Members
If you are a RED Card Member, your credits are valid for this LookOut presentation! Click the button below to learn more about redeeming your credits online.
Patron Code of Conduct
Welcome to Steppenwolf, one of the premiere ensemble theaters in America. By visiting us, you agree to adhere to the theatre’s Patron Code of Conduct and Health and Safety Protocols.