LINCOLN SQUARE — Her alter ego, "Days of Our Lives" star Dr. Marlena Evans, was once famously possessed by the devil.
Now actress Deidre Hall, grande dame of daytime television, is going to hell in a handbag — but it's all for a good cause.
Hall is joining the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions' Christmas parody "Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer" for a one-night benefit performance, Sunday at 5 p.m. at DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave.
The soap star, who has close friends in Chicago, caught a Handbag show during one of her frequent visits to the city and said she immediately agreed to take part in the theater company's annual benefit when asked.
After playing the same character on "Days" since the 1970s, Hall said she relished the opportunity to tackle a new role, even if it's a familiar one.
"I'm actually playing myself, 'Deidre Hall, soap opera star,'" Hall told DNAinfo Chicago, though it's a decidedly exaggerated version of herself.
"This is going to be pretty bawdy," she said. "I think I shove Mrs. Claus."
Part of the appeal of participating in the benefit is the opportunity to spend time in Chicago during the holiday season, said Hall.
"I completely love it," she said, with the Water Tower, Downtown's "gorgeous churches" and the Old Town neighborhood among her favorite haunts.
Tickets for the benefit range from $80 to $175 and are available online. Perks include food and an open bar, preferred seating for "Rudolph" and the chance to meet Hall. A portion of certain ticket purchases will be donated to the Wounded Warriors Project.
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