Lit Play Lab 2024 playbill
| Artistic Producers | MIKAEL BURKE & CATHERINE MILLER |
| Co-curators | MEGAN CARNEY & PEN WILDER |
| Stage Manager | THEO WAMPUSZYC |
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Lit Play Lab 2024 Production Staff
Bonnie Metzgar
Festival Producer
Bonnie Metzgar is a playwright, director, dramaturg, and producer who specializes in creating socially-provocative theatre works across the US. From 2008–2013, Metzgar served as Artistic Director of About Face Theatre. Winner of a 2019 Edgerton New Play Award, Metzgar’s play You Lost Me had its world premiere in January 2020 at the Denver Center and was featured in the DCPA Colorado New Play Summit. Metzgar received a 2018 MacDowell Colony fellowship, the Carl Djerassi Fellowship in Playwriting at the University of Wisconsin, a 2013 NEA commission and was a recent member of the Goodman Theatre’s resident Playwrights Unit. In addition to the DCPA summit, her plays have been finalists for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Festival, and selected for the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha. Metzgar was co-creator of the landmark international public art project called the 365 Festival—a yearlong play cycle in 2006–2007 based on 365 Days/365 Plays written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Previously, she served as Associate Producer at the Public Theater under George C. Wolfe where she founded Joe’s Pub.
Metzgar has taught at Brown University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, SUNY Purchase, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin, DePaul University, and enjoys an ongoing relationship with the low-residency MFA program at Hollins University. She received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Iowa and her BA from Brown. She is a proud member of the founding National Advisory Council for HowlRound.
Franny Rodriguez (they/them)
Festival Coordinator
Franny Rodriguez is a playwright, educator, actor, and comedian based in Chicago, IL. They were a Chicago Children’s Theatre Apprentice for Summer 2023 and recently graduated with their BA in Theatre & Performance at the University of Illinois Chicago. Featured Playwright at UIC’s New Play Festival 2023 & 2024. 2024 iO Scholar. When they’re not behind the writer’s desk. They can be seen improvising at Bughouse Theater, iO, Second City, and UIC. Love and Light!
Catherine Miller (they/them)
Casting Director
Dramaturgy credits include: Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins ’21 and ’22 (Strawdog Theatre), Fun Home, Hand to God, Kinky Boots (Paramount Theatre), The Wolves (Actors Theatre of Louisville/ACLU fundraiser), House of Audacity (First Floor Theater), Love in the Time of Jonestown, Untitled Queer Romance (The New Coordinates), the West Coast Premiere of [Title of Show] (Diversionary Theatre), Assassins, Sweeney Todd & The History Boys (Cygnet Theatre), Passion (Ion Theatre), Breath Boom, Our Lady of 121st Street (Eclipse Theatre). Catherine also works in casting with many theatres around Chicago, including About Face Theatre. Catherine was a 2021 3Arts Make A Wave recipient and was recently featured in American Theatre Magazine‘s Role Call. They also were on NewCity Magazine’s 2020 + 2019 “Players: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago” and the Windy City Times’ “30 Under 30” list. Catherine has a BFA in Dramaturgy/Criticism from The Theatre School at DePaul.
Audrey Kleine (she/her)
AFT Production Manager
Audrey is a Chicago-based artist and the Operations and Production Manager at About Face Theatre. She moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to Chicago to attend college and received a BA in Theater with a concentration in Stage Management from Columbia College Chicago in 2017. After graduating, she freelanced as an Assistant Stage Manager and Production Assistant for more than a dozen productions at Chicago theaters including Windy City Playhouse, The Goodman, About Face Theatre, Rivendell and more.
Megan Carney (she/her)
AFT Artistic Director
Megan is the Artistic Director of About Face Theater, a company dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. Her work as a director, deviser, and educator is recognized with theatre industry awards, the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, APA Presidential Citation, and induction in Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame. She directed the world premieres of Danielle Pinnock’s Body Courage and Lisa Dillman’s The Walls with Rivendell Ensemble, among other notable productions. Megan has an MFA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue. She served as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center at UIC where she created and produced cultural programming and advanced affirming policies. Megan continues to teach in a variety of settings and has volunteered with the Chicago Foundation for Women’s LGBT Giving Council, the Chicago Restroom Access Project of Pride Action Tank, and other queer organizations.
Kate Warner (she/her)
AFT Interim Managing Director
After holding both Artistic Director and Managing Director positions for 20 years, Kate completed her Executive MBA in 2015, became a Certified Global Innovator at Oxford, and now regularly consults with non-profits on everything from strategy and sustainability to transformation and innovation. In her theatre career, she has held leadership positions at New Rep in Boston and Dad’s Garage and Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta. She served as a board member of Theatre Communications Group from 2006 to 2012 and co‐chaired the 2012 Conference in Boston. She is a member and presenter for both Lincoln Center Theatre Directors’ Lab and Directors Lab West. She has been a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society since 1999.
The Leads Artists
Matthew Sherbach (he/him)
Playwright
Matthew Sherbach has worked as an actor in Chicago for many years. He is not listing his credits. While he worked as an actor at [imagine list of theatre companies here] he also spent many nights performing at a weekly event called Salonathon. There he met many incredible underground, emerging and genre-defying artists, including Jesse Morgan Young. This play is very much the result of all the years spent huddled together in Beauty Bar with some of the most inspiring folks anyone could meet. This is for them.
Jesse Morgan Young (he/they)
Playwright
Jesse Morgan Young lives in Chicago and works at the intersection of theatre, performance art, film and music. Most recently Jesse’s play Stepmom at the Old Ethan Allen Space (co-written with Alex Grelle) was invited back for it’s second run at Steppenwolf’s Lookout series. Other recent credits include creating/directing Floor Show, an homage to David Bowie, conceived w/ Alex Grelle; creating/directing Full Bush, an homage to Kate Bush, conceived w/ Alex Grelle and Finom; and directing/producing Andrew In Anotherland a feature length music-movie conceived w/ Andrew Sa and featuring some of Chicago’s favorite musicians, performers and filmmakers, now streaming on Open Television. Jesse was a founding member of the queer performance art/band/group Baathhaus and co-creator of Revival, a vessel for Chicago performance art.
Eric Hoff (he/him)
Director
Connecting stories with guest experiences, from concept to completion, Eric Hoff is a creative director across multiple platforms of entertainment and artistic expression. Eric is currently working as Principal Creative Director at Thinkwell Group, a TAIT company.
Jojo Brown (she/her)
“Emily”
Jojo Brownis a stage, television, and film actor. Off-Broadway credits include 7 Minutes (Waterwell Theater) and CHARM (MCC Theater). Chicago theatre credits include The Brightest Thing in the World (About Face Theatre) and The Room (Red Orchid Theatre). Most known for her role as Mindy on Single Drunk Female (Hulu), Jojo has also appeared on NBC, Showtime, Comedy Central, and Paramount Plus. With roots in the documentary-theatre scene of Chicago, Jojo has a passion for telling stories that amplify the voices of marginalized people.
Kirsten Fitzgerald (she/her)
“Celeste”
Kirsten Fitzgerald is a proud member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre and has served as Artistic Director since 2008. She was most recently onstage at A Red Orchid in In Quietness and in NYC at the Minetta Lane Theatre in the Goodman Theatre’s production of Swing State. A few additional AROT credits include Grey House, Traitor, Evening at the Talk House, The Room, Pilgrim’s Progress, Mud Blue Sky, The New Electric Ballroom, Abigail’s Party, The Sea Horse (Jeff Award). Kirsten directed The Moors at AROT, which earned her a Jeff Award for Best Director of a Play (Midsize). Other onstage credits include Motherhouse (Rivendell); Swing State, I Hate It Here, ROE, Sweat (Goodman); Mary Page Marlow, The Qualms, Clybourne Park (Steppenwolf); Appropriate, Lettie (Victory Gardens), and work with Chicago Shakes, Utah Shakes, Shattered Globe, Remy Bumppo, Plasticene, Prop, Defiant, and more. TV: Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, The Exorcist, Sirens, Chicago Med/Fire/Justice, Underemployed, ER. Film: Widows, Working Man. Representation: Grossman & Jack Talent.
Omer Abbas Salem (he/they)
“Jay”
Omer Abbas Salem is an actor and playwright. As an actor, they’ve worked at Roundabout Theatre, Atlantic Theatre, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Goodman, Steep Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, Silk Road Rising, First Floor Theatre, The New Coordinates, About Face Theatre, Griffin Theatre, and The Second City. As a playwright, their work has been produced at The Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre, About Face Theatre, First Floor Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, The New Coordinates, Actors Theatre of Louisville, National Queer Theatre, Definition Theatre, and The Theatre School of DePaul. They are a member of the 2021/22 Goodman Playwrights Unit and had a play developed in The Goodman’s New Stages Festival in 2022. They are the winner of the 2022 Blueprint Commission winner from First Floor recipient of the 2021 Cunningham Commission from DePaul University. They were given an Emerging Playwright commission from Audible Theater and are also the most recent recipient of the Edergton Commission at Steppenwolf Theater. They also won the 2022 3Arts Award in Theater. They are an ensemble member of Steep Theatre, First Floor Theater, Jackalope Theatre, and The New Coordinates. They graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and the University of Chicago. They are represented by Gray Talent and the Gersh Agency. Find out more at www.omerabbassalem.com
Em Modaff (they/them)
“Moss”
Em Modaff is excited to be working with these Chicago icons and contributing to queer, exciting, new work. Recent credits include Paramount Theatre, First Floor Theatre, TheatreNow NY, and the Sundance Award-Winning film Desire Lines.
Mitchell Fain (he/him)
“Levene”
Mitchell J. Fain has been a working actor/director/storyteller in Chicago for 30+ years. He has previously worked at Northlight; Marriott, Lookingglass; The Second City (2 shows in UP, 10 years as a ShipCo cast member, also shows at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville and LaJolla Playhouse); and many others. He performed for 8 years in The Santaland Diaries at Theatre Wit. He is a co-director of Chicago’s “Midnight Circus in the Parks”; a city-wide touring circus. This 17-year sold-out annual tradition has raised close to $2,000,000 to help renovate and improve the Chicago Park Districts, and to foster community, city wide, one circus at a time. https://www.midnightcircus.net/ Grateful to be part of this excellent group.
Mary Williamson
“Lindsay”/”David”/”Officer”
Mary is a multidisciplinary performer, artist, rodeo clown, and disco ball repairman based in Chicago. She host, writes and directs for The Fly Honey Show, The Cosmic Country Showcase, and The Grelley Duvall Show. Some theatre credits include: Lucy & Charlie’s Honeymoon (Lookingglass Theatre), Mrs. Harrison (Indiana Rep), Engines and Instruments of Flight (The Goodman), Twelfth Night (Writer’s Theatre), The Minutes (u/s Steppenwolf), Sender (Urbanite Theatre and A Red Orchid Theatre) and Hit The Wall (The Inconvenience/ Steppenwolf). TV and Film credits include: Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago PD (NBC), The Red Line (CBS), Shrink (NBC), Our Father, Swipe Up Vivian!, and Rideshare. You can catch her acting and costume/make up design in several newly released music videos for Chicago mainstays Finom and Minor Moon, and maybe you’ve recently caught her on TV in a new spot for Coca-Cola. She is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University and represented by Grossman and Jack Talent. You can follow all the chaos on Instagram @artisdeadgobears!
Jamie Meun
“Kale”/”Blake”
Jamie is a Chicago comedian and drag performer. He’s a producer for Dim Sum & Drag, a queer, pan-asian drag brunch, and can be found twirling on the North Halsted strip as “Aunty Chan”. Let’s queen out!
Alex Benito Rodrigeuz (he/him)
“Roma”
Alex Benito Rodrigeuz is thrilled to be part of About Face’s Lit Play Lab! Chicago credits include In His Hands (upcoming at First Floor Theater); Short Shakespeare! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare); The Lifespan of a Fact (TimeLine Theatre); Anna in the Tropics (Remy Bumppo); Botticelli in the Fire (First Floor Theater, Jeff Award Nominee – Performer in a Principal Role); Dory Fantasmagory (Young People’s Theatre of Chicago). Regional Credits include The Crucible, Noises Off, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Our Town (Asolo Repertory).
Brandon Rivera
“Aaronow”
Brandon Rivera is a Chicago-based actor and ensemble member with Steep Theatre Company. Select credits include Sanctuary City (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Rust (Goodman Theatre), Light Falls, The Leopard Play, Pomona, Zürich, and Brilliant Adventures (Steep Theatre Company), Ironbound (Penobscot Theatre Company), Pinocchio (The House Theatre of Chicago), No Child (Cape Fear Regional Theatre), and Into the Beautiful North (16th Street Theater). Upcoming: I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Denver Center for the Performing Arts) Brandon is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Jeremy Owens (he/him)
Stage Directions
Jeremy Owens is the creator, producer, and host of You’re Being Ridiculous, a long running storytelling series most recently featured as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series.
Peter Clare (they/them)
Sound Designer
Peter Clare is a multi-disciplinary theatre artist originally from Milwaukee and currently based in Chicago. Select sound design and music credits include: a home what howls (Steppenwolf for Young Adults); Blues for an Alabama Sky, Anna in the Tropics, Routes (Remy Bumppo Theatre); The Mamalogues, American Son (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre); Hoops, The Island (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); Natural Shocks (Third Avenue Playhouse/Next Act Theatre); Medea (Voices Found Repertory); Quality Street (Acacia Theatre); The Nautical Tragedy of Dick III (Quasimondo Physical Theatre); and Starlings (Soulstice Theatre). Love and thanks to Kelsey, Sky, Jennifer, Ellen, Bree, and their family at Zao MKE.
Audrey Kleine (she/her)
Stage Manager
Audrey is a Chicago-based artist and the Operations and Production Manager at About Face Theatre. She moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to Chicago to attend college and received a BA in Theater with a concentration in Stage Management from Columbia College Chicago in 2017. After graduating, she freelanced as an Assistant Stage Manager and Production Assistant for more than a dozen productions at Chicago theaters including Windy City Playhouse, The Goodman, About Face Theatre, Rivendell and more.
Estrellazo Artists
Nelson Rodriguez (he/him)
playwright
Nelson A. Rodriguez is a playwright and actor. As a playwright, his credits include New Personalidad (DCASE Residency 2023; Inicios 2023), Ropa Vieja (Broken Nose Theatre’s Bechdel Fest), and Snapshots (Spartan Workshop). As an actor, he was nominated for Jeff Awards for his performances in Men on the Verge of a His-Panic Breakdown and That Must Be The Entrance To Heaven. His on-camera credits include the feature films En Algun Lugar (TLA Releasing) for which he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the International Film Festival and Soul Sessions (Gravitas Ventures). He is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. IG: @nelstar_rodriguez
Xavier M. Custodio (he/him)
director
Xavier M. Custodio is one of the Co-Founders and Founding Artistic Director of Visión Latino Theatre Company and a Jeff Award winner for Director in a Short Run for That Must Be The Entrance To Heaven. Xavier’s directing credits also include Sancocho (Midwest Premiere), New Personalidad (Workshop), Failure: A Love Story, Y Tu Abuela, Where is She? (World Premiere), Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Stories of Us, Fame, In The Heights, Yellow Eyes, Revolt (World Premiere), and Parachute Man (Assistant Director). He has been in the following productions: The Scarecrow (Minster Dodge), Rent (Benny), Godspell (John the Baptist), Man of La Mancha (Juan), Nine Lives: A Musical Web Series (BFPS Manger), Evita, Ragtime, and The Wiz.
Yona Moises Olivares (they/she/he)
“Macho,” “Jo,” “Eddie,” “Isabel,” etc
Chicago: Sanctuary City (Steppenwolf Theatre), Gender Play, or what you Will (About Face Theatre); Anna in the Tropics (Remy Bumppo); Same Sects (Haven Chicago); When Harry Met Rehab (Greenhouse Theater). Regional: How to Defend Yourself, We’ve Come to Believe, A Christmas Carol, Dracula (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Education: B.A, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; The School at Steppenwolf; The ACADEMY, Black Box Acting; Hillman Grad Mentorship Program; UNCSA. Yona is represented by Gray Talent.
Diego Vazquez Gomez (he/they)
Manny
Diego Vazquez Gomez is an actor and director based in Chicago, IL, and Miami, FL. He has two ferrets, a chihuahua, an African Grey parrot, and a Persian cat at home—as well as siblings and parents he also loves. Diego is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, class of 2023 (Go Pickles!). Some of Diego’s favorite credits include A Year with Frog and Toad (Chicago Children’s Theatre), Romeo y Julieta Limeño (National Black Theatre Festival), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theatre), and you can catch them next in The Full Monty at Paramount Theatre this fall. Diego is represented by Gray Talent Group. Instagram: @diego.vazgom
Franny Rodriguez (they/them)
Stage Directions
Franny Rodriguez is a playwright, educator, actor, and comedian based in Chicago, IL. They were a Chicago Children’s Theatre Apprentice for Summer 2023 and recently graduated with their BA in Theatre & Performance at the University of Illinois Chicago. Featured Playwright at UIC’s New Play Festival 2023 & 2024. 2024 iO Scholar. When they’re not behind the writer’s desk. They can be seen improvising at Bughouse Theater, iO, Second City, and UIC. Love and Light!
Samantha Aviles (she/they)
Music Producer
With a passion for all things music, Sam is a versatile talent in the fields of audio engineering and beat making. In the realm of audio engineering, Sam is known for their meticulous attention to detail, technical expertise, and their commitment to unwavering sonic excellence. As a beat maker, she brings a unique perspective and creativity to their productions. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences, they craft dynamic and innovative beats that set the stage for unforgettable musical experiences in Reggaeton, R&B, and Lo-Fi music. Her latest project includes recording and mixing for Mariachi Sirenas, Chicago’s very first all women mariachi. Sam is a forward-thinking professional who is constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the music industry.
Isabell Patt (they/them)
Stage Manager
Isabel is so excited to be returning to About Face after stage managing this season’s Lavender Men. Recent credits include ¡Bernarda! (Teatro Vista/Steppenwolf), The October Storm (Raven Theatre), The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences (First Stage), Carmela Full of Wishes (Children’s Theatre Company), Pivot Arts Festival 2021 and 2022 (The Edge Theater), and touring with The Second City from 2021-2023. In addition to stage managing, Izzy was recently traveling the world with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring/common ground[s] in collaboration with the UK’s Sadler’s Wells and Senegal’s École des Sables as company manager. They can also be found working at iO Theatre and the Neofuturists. Izzy is a member of Actors Equity Association and holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota.
Jump the Shark Artists
Bonnie Metzgar
Playwright
Bonnie Metzgar is a playwright, director, dramaturg, and producer who specializes in creating socially-provocative theatre works across the US. From 2008–2013, Metzgar served as Artistic Director of About Face Theatre. Winner of a 2019 Edgerton New Play Award, Metzgar’s play You Lost Me had its world premiere in January 2020 at the Denver Center and was featured in the DCPA Colorado New Play Summit. Metzgar received a 2018 MacDowell Colony fellowship, the Carl Djerassi Fellowship in Playwriting at the University of Wisconsin, a 2013 NEA commission and was a recent member of the Goodman Theatre’s resident Playwrights Unit. In addition to the DCPA summit, her plays have been finalists for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Festival, and selected for the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha. Metzgar was co-creator of the landmark international public art project called the 365 Festival—a yearlong play cycle in 2006–2007 based on 365 Days/365 Plays written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Previously, she served as Associate Producer at the Public Theater under George C. Wolfe where she founded Joe’s Pub.
Metzgar has taught at Brown University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, SUNY Purchase, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin, DePaul University, and enjoys an ongoing relationship with the low-residency MFA program at Hollins University. She received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Iowa and her BA from Brown. She is a proud member of the founding National Advisory Council for HowlRound.
Mikael Burke (he/him)
Director
Mikael Burke is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-winning director, his recent credits include: Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Notes From the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues For an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of 2 Jeff Awards); Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford). Mikael is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University. MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University | mklburke.com
Barbara Figgins
“Crystal”
CHICAGO: Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); My Brilliant Divorce (Jeff Nomination, Best Solo Performance), The Shadow of a Gunman, Scenes From The Big Picture, WAR, Doubt, Dancing at Lughnasa (Irish Theatre of Chicago); Fairview (Definition Theatre), Barbecue (Strawdog Theatre); Hedda Gabler (Writers Theatre); Exit Strategy (Jackalope Theatre); The History Boys (Timeline, Jeff Award Best Ensemble); The Seagull (The Artistic Home); Elizabeth Rex, Richard III (Oak Park Festival Theatre); Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Othello (A Crew of Patches). REGIONAL: Pipeline (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Henry VIII (Lakeside Shakespeare): TELEVISION: Chicago Justice (NBC), The Chi (Showtime).
Jonah D. Winston (he/him)
“Shark”
CHICAGO: SS! Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Big Fish The Musical, Damn Yankees (Marriott Theater); Avenue Q, Little Shop of Horrors, Clue, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot (The Mercury Theater Chicago); A Christmas Carol (The Goodman Theater); Parade (Writers Theater). TOURING: The Play That Goes Wrong, Saint-George’s Sword and Bow. REGIONAL: Illinois Shakespeare Festival, The Cleveland Playhouse, Beef and Boards Dinner Theater. FILM: Tears To A Glass Eye, Lacy’s Christmas Do-Over, Evil Lurks, The Resentful Angel. TELEVISION: Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago PD (NBC), Discover Indie Film (Amazon Prime). EDUCATION: BA in Theatre and Vocal Music, Butler University. Master of Letters in Acting, Flinders University. AWARDS: Multi-time Jeff Award winner and nominee. Jonah is a member of Actor’s Equity, SAG-AFTRA, AGMA, and is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group. He will next appear as Cal in the MUNY’s production of Waitress The Musical, and then as Balaga in the Writers Theater production of the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
Kidany Camilo (All Pronouns)
“Athena”
Originally from Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Kidany is a Chicago actor, director, and teaching artist. Recent Credits: Women Beware Women (Blue in the Right Way), Sweet 15: Quinceañera (Sweet 15 LLC), Queering the Canon: Jerry Herman! (Ring of Keys), Measure for Measure, Shakesfest! (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Mojada, Oedipus: El Rey (Indianapolis Shakespeare Theater). Education: MFA in Acting (Purdue University). kidanycamilo.com
Michael-Ellen Walden (they/he)
“Drew”
Michael-Ellen Walden is an actor, writer, musician, and teaching artist based in Chicago who hails from Kentucky. Since graduating from Northwestern University with degrees in theatre and gender studies, they’ve enjoyed creating works with expansive imaginations, queer narratives, and nontraditional forms. His recent highlights have been A Drama In Rogers Park (actor, Young Krones), Tambo and Bones (actor, Refracted Theatre Company), and Revenge of the Broccoli (teaching artist/composer, Chicago Children’s Theatre). Outside the theater, you might find them singing country classics at karaoke, dancing with toddlers, or wherever the party is. IG: mikeyfairlight5000
Isabell Patt (they/them)
Stage Manager
Isabel is so excited to be returning to About Face after stage managing this season’s Lavender Men. Recent credits include ¡Bernarda! (Teatro Vista/Steppenwolf), The October Storm (Raven Theatre), The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences (First Stage), Carmela Full of Wishes (Children’s Theatre Company), Pivot Arts Festival 2021 and 2022 (The Edge Theater), and touring with The Second City from 2021-2023. In addition to stage managing, Izzy was recently traveling the world with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring/common ground[s] in collaboration with the UK’s Sadler’s Wells and Senegal’s École des Sables as company manager. They can also be found working at iO Theatre and the Neofuturists. Izzy is a member of Actors Equity Association and holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota.
We Could Be: The Future of Sex-Ed Artists
Dionne Addai (they/she)
Creative Producer
Dionne Addai is a performer, writer, director, and teaching artist local to Chicago. They’re a passionate advocate for reproductive rights, racial justice, and free comprehensive sex education. Their artistic practice centers on educating in order to encourage sociopolitical action and mutual aid. As a performer, Dionne has multiple on-camera credits and has worked with over 20 renowned theatre companies in the US (Merrimack Repertory, Raven Theatre, Filament Theatre; etc). Prior to joinging About Face Theatre as Education Manager, she worked with AFT as an actor, director, and writer (Kickback Festival, Power in Pride, Re/Generation Studio). Dionne is represented by Actors Talent Group
Kirsten Baity (they/them)
Playwright
Kirsten is a multifaceted theatre person focused on intimacy design, theatre education, and playwriting. Favorite credits include RENT (Porchlight Music Theatre), Cruel Intentions the 90’s Musical (Kokandy Productions), The Magnolia Ballet and Mosque4Mosque (About Face Theatre), and Sugar in Our Wounds (Richmond Triangle Players). They have consulted on productions and developed consent-based workshops with The Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, For Youth Inquiry, Life Span, and Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline. Kirsten is a proud member of the Intimacy Coordinators of Color cohort and an alumn of About Face Theatre’s Green Room Collective. For more info, check out kirstenbaity.com
Teddy Thomas (they/them)
Playwright
Teddy Thomas is a GNC creative, filmmaker, playwright, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Graduate from Clark Atlanta University, Teddys passionate to create and document the stories, legacies, triumphs, and adversities of our community. Teddy continues to break through societal barriers creating moments in systematic spaces and making change for trans/gnc folk.
Alyssa Vera Ramos (she/her/ella)
Director
Alyssa is a theatre director, devising artist, cultural strategist, and blossoming intimacy director dedicated to dreaming—and living into—a liberated world. Her always-collaborative artistic work explores themes of bodily autonomy and delight, racial justice and decolonization, collective learning, and her Boricua heritage. Directing and lead developer credits include: Epic Tales From the Land of Melanin (FEMelanin at Latinx Theatre Commons’ International TYA Festival and Free Street Theater), Expectation (For Youth Inquiry), Meeting Our Desires (Night Out In the Parks – also a podcast!), and You Can’t Cover the Sky With Your Hand (Pivot Arts’ The Memory Place), in-development with her mother, novelist Marisel Vera. For many years, she served as the Artistic Director of For Youth Inquiry Performance Company at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), where she also co-facilitated the youth organizing cohort and helped win major legislation for abortion access. Alyssa is a practitioner of Theatre of the Oppressed, Creative Drama, and Participatory Theatre. She co-authored The Sex Ed Playbook: Participatory Theatre for Health Education and is a contributor to the upcoming volumes Applied Theatre and Gender Justice and Into Abolitionist Theatre: A Guidebook for Liberatory Theatre-making. She is also a proud curator of Swarm Artist Residency and a dedicated student at La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón — two of her cultural homes. Learn a little more at alyssaincolor.com.
Special Thanks
UIC Gender & Sexuality Center, Billy Huff, and Jacob Mueller
Our Mission
About Face Theatre advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance.
Our Vision
About Face Theatre envisions an affirming and equitable world in which all LGBTQ+ individuals are thriving and free from prejudice and discrimination.
Anti-racism Statement
About Face Theatre is dedicated to being an intentionally and increasingly anti-racist organization. Due to the intersectionality of our identities, we understand our work to advance LGBTQ+ equity as directly connected to movements for racial justice.
Thank you to our Generous Funders
For a complete list of our donors and supporters, please visit our Support Us page.
BECOME AN ABOUT FACE SUPPORTER TODAY!
Today, it’s more important than ever to tell bold, powerful LGBTQ+ stories on stage, in our communities, and now online. About Face Theatre’s work is a powerful catalyst for moving forward local and national conversations on sexual and gender identity. With your help, we will continue to adapt and expand our impact into Chicago communities and beyond.
