ROMEO AND JULIET ILLINOIS THEATRE By William Shakespeare | Robert G. Anderson, director Thursday-Saturday, March 2-4, 2017, at 7pm and 9:30pm Thursday-Saturday, March 9-11, 2017, at 7pm and 9:30pm Sunday, March 12, 2017, at 3pm and 5:30pm Colwell Playhouse season. What kinds of work do our students need to create at this point in their artistic development? Which plays or musicals feed that pedagogical imperative? And how do these works allow, encourage, or (sometimes) confound our ability to understand a bit more about the nature of human becoming? When we leave the theatre, do we feel more closely bound to our neighbors? If we feel alienated by the experience, do we understand why?
It is no accident that this note of welcome to our current season includes a litany of questions. Intellectual, emotional, and spiritual query are at the core of a great education. At Illinois Theatre, “we make BECOMING . . . theatre makers,” but we also ask foundational There is a saying in theatre: “Actors act. questions on our pathways to creation. Stars do what stars do.” Implicit in this Along the way, we learn to think more statement is the idea that “stars” are deeply, critically, and analytically. commodities enriched for attaining a Questions about the nature of the human certain status and function within a rather condition are never easy to resolve. The narrow definition, while “actors”—and challenging road to the answers we seek every artist, one might argue—are encourages public discourse to thrive and continually in a process of becoming. pushes our performing arts to engage in The artistic process in theatre requires positive, healthy transformation. a developing understanding of the Thank you for joining us at this performance. human body, spirit, and mind. An We hope that you will be stimulated, artist’s education demands consistent provoked, and entertained by what you development, metamorphosis, evolution. experience here, and we hope to see you Indeed, education at its best is a continual again very soon. process of becoming. At Illinois Theatre,
our artists—students, staff, and faculty—
are embarked on the exciting journey of
becoming human beings.
It is the same for us when we consider Jeffrey Eric Jenkins which dramatic works to program in a given Head, Department of Theatre Producer, Illinois Theatre
2 PHOTO REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF THE NEWS-GAZETTE, INC. PERMISSION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. 3 PROGRAM ROMEO AND JULIET ILLINOIS THEATRE By William Shakespeare Robert G. Anderson, director
Thursday-Saturday, March 2-4, 2017, at 7pm and 9:30pm Thursday-Saturday, March 9-11, 2017, at 7pm and 9:30pm Sunday, March 12, 2017, at 3pm and 5:30pm Colwell Playhouse
Talkback after the performance on Thursday, March 9, 2017.
This production includes smoke effects and gun shots. This production will be presented with no intermission.
4 DIRECTOR'S NOTE Of all the tragic events in Romeo and Juliet, perhaps the most tragic thing is that none of them had to happen. The constant feuding, blind hatred, and relentless violence between “two households both alike in dignity” is something our society is all too familiar with. Planting this play in 1970s America calls upon our personal recollections of these battles, as the decade was rife with political and cultural tensions, social conflict, rebellion, and hope in the midst of destruction.
The senseless violence that Shakespeare wrote about, which we call to mind onstage as we recreate a world from 40 years ago, and that we see perpetuated still today can often leave us feeling useless as we sit in a dark theatre. But while art can’t literally take the bullets out of the guns, it can help repair in humanity the thing that makes us so quick to fire them. Art can make us more empathetic, more connected with each other, and more willing to open our hearts. With that hope in mind, we present Romeo and Juliet as an agent of change and activism.
-Jessica Elliott, Assistant to the Director
This production is dedicated to the memory of Takiya Holmes.
5 ROMEO AND JULIET
PLAYWRIGHT HAIR/MAKEUP MASTER William Shakespeare Sharné van Ryneveld
DIRECTOR/ADAPTOR VOCAL/TEXT COACHES Robert G. Anderson Susan Schuld Adam Thatcher SCENIC DESIGNER Regina Garcia FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHERS Robin McFarquhar COSTUME DESIGNER Zev Steinberg Sharné van Ryneveld STAGE MANAGER LIGHTING DESIGNER Autumn J. Mitchell Eric Van Tassel TECHNICAL DIRECTOR SOUND DESIGNER Robert J. Jenista David Greenberg DRAMATURG/ADAPTOR PROPERTIES MASTER Andrea Stevens Kristen Nuhn
6 CAST ROMEO BALTHASAR Xavier Roe Allie Wessel
JULIET SAMPSON Alexis Walker Nico Krauss
FRIAR LAURENCE GREGORY Raffeal Sears* Adam Berg
MERCUTIO ABRAHAM/FIRST WATCHMEN Maya Prentiss Maddie Freeland
NURSE BODYGUARD/APOTHECARY Noelle Klyce Aidan Schliesmann
TYBALT PETER Jordan Gleaves Brad Wiedrich
CAPULET ROSALINE Janjay Knowlden Sophie Garcia
LADY CAPULET ALTAR GIRL Marlene Slaughter Brienna Taylor
MONTAGUE TOWNSWOMAN/APOTHECARY GIRL Cory Sutton Brittney McHugh
LADY MONTAGUE UNDERSTUDY FOR BENVOLIO Danyelle Monson Kevin Woodrow
PARIS UNDESTUDY FOR MERCUTIO Alejandro Mata Allie Wessel
BENVOLIO UNDERSTUDY FOR LADY CAPULET Vincent Willams Brittney McHugh
PRINCE Ethan Perry *Member of the Actor's Equity FRIAR JOHN Association. Kevin Woodrow
7 DRAMATURG'S NOTE Written around 1595-1596—a period of intense be quarantined, prevents the Friar’s explanatory creativity for Shakespeare—Romeo and Juliet is letter from reaching Romeo before the news among his earliest tragedies. Critics have called of Juliet’s supposed death. To be sure, Romeo this play “the pre-eminent document of love in and Juliet is among Shakespeare’s most the West,” a “cultural ideal” that has shaped our stylistically diverse of plays: the punning banter very understanding of what it is to fall in love. of the homosocial world; the Nurse’s colloquial Shakespeare’s own audience may have perceived bawdiness; the Friar’s rhyming aphoristic the play differently from we do now—seeing it less couplets; Romeo’s “romantic wordiness” that as a celebration of the transformative power of yields, in the orchard scene, to Juliet’s far more romantic love (tragic ending notwithstanding) and direct and plain-speaking blank verse: more as a cautionary tale of the disruptive force of eros. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, Shakespeare’s immediate source for the play The more I have, for both are infinite. was Arthur Brooke’s 1562 poem “The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet,” itself a Perhaps the most striking of Shakespeare’s paraphrase of earlier Italian and French versions changes to his source material is that he denies of this tale of star-crossed love. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet an afterlife for love. In Brooke, particular intervention can be discerned in the Juliet dies with at least the hope that she will changes he makes to Brooke’s account. What meet Romeo once again in a heaven where they takes place over three months in the poem, can live together “in place of endless light and Shakespeare compresses to a few days. For bliss.” In contrast, Shakespeare’s lovers never once Brooke, Juliet is sixteen; for Shakespeare, entertain the idea that love transcends death. she is thirteen, her precise age insisted on They know full well that mortal love is fleeting; and with unusual specificity. Brooke mentions the because fleeting, all the more precious, as Romeo “courtier” Mercutio only in passing, save to note so poignantly expresses to the Friar: his remarkably “icy” hands; for Shakespeare, Come what sorrow can, Mercutio is an engine of comedy and linguistic It cannot countervail the exchange of joy surplus who uses wit to deflate any mythologizing That one short minute gives me in her sight. statements about love. Ever the skeptic—and Dou though but close our hands with holy words, clearly threatened by the potential for romantic Then love-devouring death do what he dare— love to dissolve the bonds between men— It is enough I may but call her mine. Mercutio’s often obscene puns drag “love” resolutely into the gutter: “this driveling love The only afterlife afforded to Romeo and Juliet are is like a great natural that runs lolling up and two gold statues that neither house their bodies down to hide his bauble in a hole.” Mercutio’s privately together nor point, by way of epitaph or dying curse—“a plague on both your houses”— marker, to a future reunion, but that may dissolve becomes grimly literal with the “infections the “ancient grudge” that martyred them. Or not. pestilence” that, forcing the Friar’s messenger to —Andrea Stevens, Dramaturg/Adaptor 8 PROFILES Adam Berg (Gregory) is a assistant and aided in teaching a second sophomore in the BFA Acting language, Yoruba, for the production of Dontrell, program at the University of Who Kissed the Sea. Other selected credits Illinois. This is his first Illinois include Henry V (Westmorland/Constable) with Theatre production. He has Armory Theatre and a reading of Wig Out (Rey- also performed with the Inner Rey) with Brown Theatre Collective. Voices group at the U of I. Noelle Klyce (Nurse) is a third-year Acting BFA student at the University of Maddie Freeland (Abraham) Illinois. With Illinois Theatre, is a second-year acting BFA she recently played Mom in student at the University Dontrell, Who Kissed The of Illinois. In her time here, Sea; Floyd's Wife in John she was in Illinois Theatre's Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea Wrath; and Mad Woman in and the Armory Free Theatre's The Other Shore. Outsideof Krannert Center, Call Me Woman. she has played in the Armory Free Theater's Sophie Garcia (Rosaline) is productions ofEleemosynary, Call Me Woman, from Pasadena, California, and and Rockman. Noelle has also worked in various is a junior in the BFA Acting productions with ETA Creative Arts Foundation program at the University of and Bernard Productions, in the green show (the Illinois. She was seen in John opening performance) for Chicago Shakespeare Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Theatre in the Parks, and in the third season of Wrath (Illinois Theatre) and A NBC's Chicago PD. Midsummers Nightmare, Rock Man, and Call Me Woman (Armory Free Theatre.)
Jordan Gleaves (Tybalt) holds a BA in Drama from Morehouse College and is a second-year MFA Acting student at the University of Illinois. His past credits with Illinois Theatre include Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (Ensemble) and Kingdom City (Luke Overbey). Jordan also served as rehearsal
9 Janjay Knowlden (Capulet), Brittney McHugh a Champaign native, is (Townswoman/Apothecary pursuing his BFA in Acting at Girl) is a sophomore pursuing the University of Illinois. This at BFA in Acting at University is his sixth appearance at the of Illinois. She comes from Krannert Center, following the northwest suburbs of his time playing The Minotaur Chicago and has been acting in The Minotaur, as directed since she was eight years old. by Thomas Mitchell. Previous Romeo and Juliet will mark her stage roles include Reverend D/Baby in In the Blood acting debut at the Krannert Center. Some of her (Lisa G Dixon, director), Card Player/Father in The previous credits include The Tempest (Miranda), Other Shore (Sandra Zielinski, director) and Jim in Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Not About Nightingales (Thomas Mitchell, director). Blockhead (CB's Sister), After Juliet (Bianca), The Film credits include Ben Hoene's Indian Ben, Adding Machine (Daisy), and Call Me Woman. John Isberg's Listen, and Derek Souders' Double Exposure. Janjay is the co-founder of production Danyelle Monson (Lady company Protagonist Pizza Productions. Montague) hails from the south-side of Chicago. She Nico Krauss (Sampson) is is a junior pursuing a BFA in from Newton, Massachusetts Acting at the University of (a suburb near Boston), and is Illinois. Previous production a sophomore pursuing a BFA credits include Dontrell, in Acting at the University Who Kissed the Sea (Yemaya of Illinois. His credits at Dancer); In The Blood (Bully/ the Armory Free Theatre Welfare Lady); Moonside Manners (Ensemble); As include Mr. Marmalade Wind in Dry Grass (Ensemble); and the All-State and Impulse 24/7 directed production of The Grapes of Wrath (Granma by Kate Fenton, as well as It Doesn't Happen Joad). She was also a three-time regional finalist directed by Johnathan Lattanzi. Past credits in the August Wilson Monologue Competition from Massachusetts include Glenn Cooper held at the Goodman Theatre. from Rumors, Manus from Translations, Kenneth Penmark from Bad Seed, and Len Hoch from Ethan Perry (Prince) is a Book of Days. sophomore BFA Acting student from Detroit, Michigan. This Alejandro Mata (Paris) is is his second mainstage show a second-year BFA Acting at Krannert Center. In the student from Chicago, Illinois. fall of 2016, he was in Anne He attended Lane Tech High Washburn's Mr. Burns, a post- School where he first began electric play. Previously, he was taking studying Drama. in the Penny Dreadful Player's Romeo and Juliet marks his productions of Life, Death, and other Coincidences; first stage production at Good Kids; and Reasonably Priced Shorts. Krannert Center. 10 Maya Prentiss (Mercutio) is Aidan Schliesmann a second-year MFA Acting (Bodyguard/Apothecary) is a student from Richmond, senior BFA Acting student at Virginia. She recently the University of Illinois. This graduated from Spelman is his fourth show at the U of I, College where she received following appearances in The a BA in Drama. Maya has Skin of Our Teeth (Broadcast an extensive background Official/Ensemble), Tis' Pity in spoken word poetry and She's a Whore (Ensemble), as mentoring and has been around the world, from well as John Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Wrath the Apollo Theatre in New York to Akure, Nigeria, (Noah/ Hooper Guard). sharing these gifts. Some of her past productions include, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea and In the Raffeal Sears (Friar Laurence), Blood (Illinois Theatre), and King Henry V, Real a native of Kansas City, Women Have Curves, Crowns, and Shakespeare in Missouri, is a second-year the Park. MFA Acting student at the University of Illinois. He Xavier Roe (Romeo), from studied commercial vocal the South side of Chicago, performance at Belmont is pursuing his BFA in Acting University in Nashville, here at the University of Tennessee and he is a Illinois. He has performed in wedding and corporate vocalist for Starlight Illinois Theatre's production Orchestras in New York. Recent Illinois Theatre of The Skin of Our Teeth, The credits include Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea and Other Shore, John Steinbeck's: John Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Wrath; as well The Grapes of Wrath, as well as Henry V (Armory Theater). Other stage credits as multiple Armory Free Theatre's productions include The Play of Adam (The Met Cloisters, (including Moonside Manners). He was also Mr. New York), Amazing the Change (Atlantic Clark in the premiere production of the upcoming Theater, New York), A Midsummer Night's Dream opera Polly Peachum. Xavier has achieved (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Lost in the Part regional, national, and international ranking of the (Amity Hall, New York), In the Blood (The New International Thespian Society. He also performs School, NewYork), Moonchildren (Kansas City with the University of Illinois Black Chorus, Rep, Missouri), and Alexander and the Terrible, directed by Dr. Ollie Watts Davis. Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (The Coterie, Missouri). Voiceover credits include McDonald's, Burger King, and Grand Theft Auto.
11 Marlene Slaughter (Lady year Acting BFA student. Her first production at Capulet) is a sophomore Krannert center was Dontrell, Who Kissed the BFA Acting student at the Sea, which will make Romeo and Juliet her second University of Illinois, by way of performance role at Krannert Center. Houston, Texas. She moved to the Chicago area in 2013 Alexis Walker (Juliet) was and decided to pursue her born in Atlanta, Georgia, education here in Urbana. and is now attending the Once in Chicago, she got University of Illinois to pursue heavily involved in competitive speech and a BFA in Acting. She is an drama. In 2014 and 2015, Marlene was a State active James Scholar, Fine and qualifier in the IHSA Speech competition. In 2015, Applied Arts Ambassador, and she competed in the National NAACP ACT-SO member of the LENS Diversity competition in Philadelphia and became the gold program on campus. She has medalist and national title holder. Romeo and recently been awarded scholarships from the Walt Juliet will be her second main stage performance Disney Corporation and the Northbrook Women's at the U of I. Club. Selected performance credits include Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea; St. Lucy's Home for Cory Sutton (Montague) is Girls Raised by Wolves, Call Me Woman; and In a Lincoln Park High School Plain Sight. graduate from Chicago, Illinois. He is a senior BFA Allie Wessel (Balthazar) is Acting student at the a junior pursuing her BFA in University of Illinois. Cory Acting at the University of played Mark Antony in Julius Illinois. Previous credits in Caesar in his senior year of the Champaign-Urbana area high school. At the U of I, include a reading of Naomi Cory played Ollie in Not About Nightingales, and Iizuka's GoodKids (Amber), Shadow in The Other Shore. He has also worked Will Grayson (Maura), Might with Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Victory (Sabrina), The Effects of Gardens Theater, and has played several roles on Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds the Chicago PD television series as well. (Ruth), Rockman (Roll), Midsummer's Nightmare (Kelsey), Kingdom City (Crystal), Mr. Burns, a post- Brienna Taylor (Altar Girl) electric play (Quincy/Bart), and Call Me Woman. is from the south-side of Most recently, Allie was seen as Devil in the 12th- Chicago. Before coming to the century English translation of The Play of Adam University of Illinois, she did at the Met Cloisters in New York City. She can several summer productions also be scene writing and performing with Potted through the Heritage Meat Sketch Comedy on the U of I campus. Community Development Corporation program (HCDC), HCDC Freedom school and HCDC Destination Safe Haven. She is a second- 12 Brad Wiedrich (Peter) is Robert G. Anderson a junior in the BFA Acting (Director) is an Associate program at the University Professor in the Department of Illinois. Romeo and Juliet of Theatre at the University marks his first production of of Illinois, where he teaches a Shakespeare play. Previous acting and directs main roles at Krannert Center stage productions. In 2012 include John Steinbeck's: he received the College The Grapes of Wrath and of Fine and Applied Arts The Other Shore. Other selected credits include Teaching Excellence Award. He is a founding The Flick (Penny Deadful Players); The Pirates member of the London-based devised work of Penzance, You Can't Take it With You, and theater company, 21st Century Chorus. There, Sweeney Todd (New Trier High School); and in collaboration with Director Struan Leslie, numerous original plays and films produced by he produced the solo performance piece the Young Actors' Theatre Camp. My Case Is Altered. As a theatre Director he has lead professional productions at the Vincent Willams (Benvolio) Chicago, Milwaukee, Idaho, and Free (Chicago) hails from Chicago and is Shakespeare Theater Companies. A long standing pursuing his BFA in Acting at member of Actors' Equity Association, he has the University of Illinois. Vincent performed across the United States at numerous has taken part in a reading theatres including The Resident Ensemble for Ford Bower's Man of the Players (Delaware), Utah Shakespeare Festival, Century, Marcus Gardley's Tacoma Actors Guild, Illinois Shakespeare The Box, and has worked Festival, the Empty Space Theater (Seattle), the with Mercy Street Theatre in Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and the Arkansas their devised production, Rotpeter. Vincent was Shakespeare Theater (where he is a member of its also in Illinois Theatre's productions of 1984; John artistic collective). He won the Seattle Footlights Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Wrath; and Dontrell, Award for his performance as The Fool in Dario Who Kissed The Sea; as well as the Brown Theatre Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist and is a Collective's staged reading of Topdog/Underdog, member of the International Classical Theatre and the Funny or Die video Humans of Hollywood. Company based in Frankfurt, Germany. Also Kevin Woodrow (Friar John) active in film, Anderson is one of the founders hails from Wilmette, Illinois, of Lenten Entertainment, which produced the and is a sophomore in the documentary Within A Play, which aired for two BFA Acting program at the years on the Sundance Channel as part of its Doc University of Illinois. This is Day Series. His most recent film isThe Actual his first performance with Authentic Version of Who You Say I Am. He holds Illinois Theatre. Previous an MFA in Acting from the Professional Theater credits include Lysander in A Training Program at the University of Delaware . Midsummer Night's Dream (Loyola Academy), Impulse 24/7 (Armory Free Theatre), and The Grown-Up (NHSI Cherubs). Regina Garcia (Scenic Designer) An Illinois- University of Illinois include Mr. Burns, a Post- based Scenic Designer, Regina has had long Electric Play (Technical Director); In The Blood standing relationships with the St. Louis Black (Technical Director); The Other Shore (Technical Rep, The Cherry Lane Theatre, and renowned Director); Into the Woods (Assistant Technical Latino theaters including Repertorio Español, Director); and as the Opera Technical Director for the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, INTAR, Lyric Theatre's 2014-15 season. and Pregones Theater. Recent projects include designs for TimeLine Theatre Company, Chicago; Robin McFarquhar (Fight Coreographer) is the GALA Hispanic Theatre, Washington, DC; Arizona Chair of Acting in the Department of Theatre, an Theatre Company, Tucson; and the Oregon accredited fight director/teacher with the Society Shakespeare Festival. Regina is a Fellow of the of American Fight Directors, and an accredited NEA/TCG Career Development Program for teacher of the Alexander Technique (AmSAT). Designers and the Princess Grace Awards, USA. As a fight director/movement specialist, he has She is a company member with Rivendell Theatre worked at major regional theatres throughout the Company and Teatro Vista, in Chicago; and a country, including Steppenwolf, the Goodman Regional Associate Member of the League of Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Professional Theatre Womenand the Latina/o Theatre, the Old Globe, the Long Wharf Theatre Commons. Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre (Washington, DC), the Guthrie, and the David M. Greenberg (Sound Designer) is a Lyric Opera of Chicago, and also at numerous first-year MFA candidate in Sound Design from Shakespeare festivals. His work has also been seen Plantation, Florida. He earned a BA in Theatre on Broadway, at the Royal Shakespeare Company, from the University of Tennessee. While there, in the West End of London, on the national tour he was at the Clarence Brown Theatre where of The Color Purple, and on international tours he was the Assistant Sound Designer for 2015 to Japan, Cyprus, and Hungary. He has been production of A Christmas Carol and the world nominated for two Jeff Awards (Chicago) and a premiere of Rob Caisley's The Open Hand. His Helen Hayes Award (Washington, DC) for his other works include the Clarence Brown Lab fight direction. At the University of Illinois, he Theatre productions of The Idiot Box and Waiting has received the Excellence in Undergraduate for Godot. Teaching Award and the Excellence in Research Award and is a University Scholar. Robert J. Jenista (Technical Director) is a third- year MFA candidate in the Scenic Technology Autumn Mitchell (Stage Manager), a native of program. He holds a BA in Theatre from the Savannah, Georgia, is currently a first-year MFA University of Notre Dame. Robert recently spent Stage Management Candidate at the University two seasons with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre of Illinois. She obtained her BA in Theatre and where he worked as the Technical Director (2016) Performing Arts from Alabama State University and Assistant Technical Director (2105). Previously, with a concentration in Technical Theatre. he has worked as Assistant Technical Director Romeo and Juliet is her first Illinois Theatre for the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (2010, production. Before graduate school, Autumn '12, '14 seasons), a faculty intern in Theatre at the was an entertainment technician at Disney World Culver Academies (2011-13), and as a carpenter in Orlando, Florida, and worked briefly as a at Syracuse Stage (2013-14). His credits at the freelance stage manger for Mill Mountain Theatre 14 and The Montgomery Ballet. Her most recent she worked intensely in New York City for 10 professional endeavor was in Ashland, Oregon, years creating new work in the world of physical functioning as an Assistant Stage Manager for theatre. Additional regional acting and vocal The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s The Wiz. coaching credits include American Players Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Henley Street/ Kristen Nuhn (Properties Master) is a second- Richmond Shakespeare; Playwrights Horizon's year graduate student in the University of NYC; Mile Square Theater, New Jersey; Amphibian Illinois Properties and Management program. Productions, Texas; Colonial Theater, Pittsfield, Before graduate school, Kristen received a Massachusetts; Berkshire Theatre Festival, degree in Bachelor of Arts Honors in Theatre at Massachusetts; Childsplay, Arizona. She has her the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. MFA in Acting from Rutgers University, she is a Kristen's previous work as a Properties Master 2007 Designated Linklater Teacher, a 2014 Knight- at Krannert Center include In the Blood and Thompson Speechwork Associate, and a National Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea. Michael Chekov Association Teaching Candidate.
Zev Steinberg (Fight Choreographer) is a Andrea Stevens (Dramaturg/Co-Adaptor) is visiting professor of Stage Combat, Movement, Associate Professor of English, Theatre, and and Acting at University of Illinois. Zev has Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois at choreographed violence in theatres all over the Urbana-Champaign, specializing in the drama of Midwest and has as been recognized 11 times Shakespeare and his contemporaries. She is the for his artistic achievements. Zev is a Certified author of Inventions of the Skin: The Painted Body Teacher and recipient of the Paddy Crean Award in Early English Drama and her work appears with the Society of American Fight Directors. Zev in a variety of journals and essay collections is also a certified Yoga teacher. Zev holds his MFA including English Literary Renaissance, Theatre in Acting from Michigan State University, after Notebook, and Shakespeare Bulletin. Recent and graduating with a BFA from the department of current projects include a performance history of Theatre at the University of Illinois. Edward II, an edition of William Heminge’s 1639 Susan Schuld (Vocal and Speech Coach) has been tragedy The Fatal Contract for a forthcoming acting and vocal coaching nationally for over 20 New Anthology of Renaissance Drama, and a years. She has taught at numerous institutions book-length study tentatively titled Shakespeare over her career, including Virginia Commonwealth and the Performance of the Commonplace. University, The Actor's Studio at Pace University Serving as dramaturg for different Shakespeare MFA program, Rutgers University Mason Gross productions at Krannert Center—as well as School of the Arts BFA program, NYU Tisch lecturing on Shakespeare in such venues as the School of the Arts CAP21, Circle in the Square Illinois Shakespeare Festival—she also directed a Theatre School, Maggie Flanigan Acting Studio, production of The Duchess of Malfi at the Armory The Linklater Center for Voice and Language, Theatre (2015). Recent teaching awards include University of Northern Iowa, and served as the the 2014-2015 Campus Award for Excellence Director in Residence at Shakespeare's Globe in Undergraduate Teaching and the 2014-2015 in London, UK for Mason Gross School of the Lynn M. Martin Award for Distinguished Women Arts in 2003-04. She is a company member Teachers in the College of Liberal Arts and of Theatre Lila and Inertia Productions where Sciences.
15 Adam Thatcher (Vocal and Speech Coach) Eric Van Tassell (Lighting Designer) worked is returning to his Alma Mater for this Illinois in Chicago for nearly a decade with numerous Theatre production. He received his MFA in storefront theatre companies, and is a Non-Equity Acting from the University of Illinois in 2015 after Jeff Award-Nominated and BroadwayWorld receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago Award-Nominated Lighting Designer. State University of New York at Fredonia, where Eric is an MFA Lighting Design candidate at he graduated magna cum laude. Adam began his the University of Illinois. A graduate of Hope work in Linklater-based vocal technique in New College, Eric's artistic home in Chicago was York and continued this technique throughout Oracle Theatre where he has designed lights for his career, including teaching other actors. numerous productions including The America Along with Linklater, he incorporates other vocal Play, The Mother (nominated BroadwayWorld techniques in his teaching (such as Rodenburg Chicago Award for Best Non-Equity Lighting), and Skinner), tying them with movement and The Ghost Sonata (nominated Non-Equity techniques (such as Feldenkrais and Laban). As an Jeff Award for Lighting Design). Additional actor, Adam has performed in many productions, credits include Chalk (Sideshow Theatre), Genesis including The Tempest, Eurydice, The Merchant (Definition Theatre),A Midsummer Night's Dream of Venice, The Elephant Man, and The Fantasticks. (Strange Loop Theatre), Bard Fiction (Commedia He has performed nationally and internationally in Beauregard), Beautiful Broken (Broken Nose various productions and musical theatre workshops. Theatre), and They Are Dying Out (Trap Door Adam currently resides in Chicago and is an artistic Theatre). associate of the Polemic Theatre Company. Jaclyn Zimmerman (Scenic Charge) is a second- Sharné van Ryneveld (Costume Designer) is in year graduate student at the University of Illinois. her second year of the MFA Costume Design She most recently designed the set for Mr. Burns, Program at the University of Illinois. She received a post-electric play, and is currently working her BA from The Cape Peninsula University of with The Station Theater on Sleep Deprivation Technology in South Africa. This summer, she Chamber and The Christians. She has also worked worked as a Dressing/Stitching Apprentice at the with the Seoul Shakespeare Company in South Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. She designed Korea on their production of Titus Andronicus. Tannhauser directed by Mathew Ozawa for She looks forward to her continued experience at the Apprentice Scenes at the Santa Fe Opera. the U of I and designing All the King's Men in the She was also awarded the Katherine M. Mayer fall of 2017. Apprentice award for Most Esteemed Apprentice. Her past design and assistant design experience includes working with choreographer Ping Chong on a dance piece called Baldwin/NOW with Dance at Illinois; Kiss Me, Kate with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois; and 1984 with Illinois Theatre.
16 PRODUCTION STAFF ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS PROPS CREW Andie Antonik Grace Chariya Zeenah Hussein Katelin Dirr
ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR SOUND BOARD OPERATOR Patrick Szczotka Miykael Hatchins
ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGNER WARDROBE CREW Daniela Cabrera Matthew Leigh Nancy Liang ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER Samantha Padillo Megan Cudd Eric Rothlind
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR Heather Raynie Stephen Moderhock
ASSISTANTS TO DIRECTOR DECK CREW CHIEF Jessica Elliott Elisabeth Schapmann Athanasia Giannetos DECK CREW MASTER ELECTRICIAN Emilie Belluomini Stewart Wilson Lauren Harders AUDIO TECHNICIAN Devin Richard Tyler Knowles Tonatiu Ruiz-Escobedo
WEAPONS MASTER HAIR/MAKEUP CREW Michael Byrd Brian Kim
17