The Illinois Shakespeare Festival's 2021 Season

Additional Thank-yous

Once it became clear to ISF leadership that we could move forward with a Summer 2021 season, a wide network of individuals and campus units made this possible by contributing time, labor, and insight on a scale that far exceeds that of any previous season. The 2021 ISF leadership and company gratefully acknowledge the expertise and assistance of those listed below. We truly could not have done this without your collaboration.

I can no other answer make but thanks, And thanks; and ever thanks; - Twelfth Night

Dr. John Baur, Professor Emeritus, Analytical Chemistry

Dr. Larry and Marlene Dietz

Ewing Cultural Center and Genevieve Green Gardens:
Toni Tucker, Director
Kristen Bernas

Facilities Management:
Vincent Allen, Assistant Director of Campus Services
Julie Guither, Stores
Daniel Kane, Assistant Director of Heating Plant
Brady Mann, University Engineer
Kristie Toohill, Director, Facilities Management

Dr. Paul Garris, Distinguished Professor, Neurobiology

Human Resources:
Janice Bonneville, Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Melanie Fata, Director, Academic Employment
Clay Gruenwald, Faculty Employment Consultant
Cass Hermacinski, Employment Consultant
Kira Shelton, Employment Consultant
Derek Story, Director of HR Systems
Kelly Walker, Director, Benefits Services

Office of Legal Counsel:
Wendy J. Smith, Associate University Counsel
Teri K. Hammer, Business/Administrative Associate/Paralegal

Brent Paterson, Professor Emeritus

Payroll:
Jeffrey Jacob, Assistant Comptroller
Tami Brown, Accounting Associate

Elisabeth Reed, Office of Sustainability

Risk Management

Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts

Jean M. Miller	Dean
Andrew Bond	Director of Development
Ann Haugo	Director, School of Theatre and Dance
Sara Semonis	Associate Dean
Janet Tulley	Assistant Dean
Michael Wille	Director, Wonsook Kim School of Art
Adriana Ransom	Interim Director, School of Music
Rose Marshack	Director, Creative Technologies Program
Kendra Paitz	Director and Senior Curator, University Galleries
Nick Benson	Coordinator, Center for the Performing Arts
Stephanie Kohl Ringle	Business Communications Associate
Vikkie Cossio	Budget Associate
Eric Yeager	Director, CFA-IT

 

Illinois State University

Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy	President
Dr. Aondover Tarhule	Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Pat Vickerman	Vice President for University Advancement
Dan Stephens	Vice President for Finance and Planning
Dr. Levester Johnson	Vice President for Student Affairs

 

Illinois Shakespeare Festival Staff - Summer 2021

Ann Haugo	Producer
John C. Stark	Artistic Director
Derek R. Munson	Managing Director
Colleen Tovar	Production Manager
Molly Briggs-Yonke	Finance and Communications Manager
Kee-Yoon Nahm	Festival Dramaturg
Connie Blick	Office Manager
Jeremy Jenkins	Technical Director
Kari Beth Rust	Costume Shop Director
Nick Benson	Box Office Manager
Robert Quinlan	Associate Artistic Director

 

Stage Management

Colleen Tovar *	Production Stage Manager, The Winter’s Tale
Lucy Yahr	Stage Manager, Measure for Measure
Victoria Coulter ^	Assistant Stage Manager, Measure for Measure
Zach Mlekush ^	Assistant Stage Manager, The Winter’s Tale
Clara Hoppe ^§	Stage Management Intern, Measure for Measure
Connor Maccabee ^§	Stage Management Intern, The Winter’s Tale

 

Company Management

Drew Burningham	Company Manager
Sarah Stamborski §	Company Management Intern

 

Costume and Crafts

Kari Beth Rust	Costume Shop Director
J. Wendy Wallace	Costume Craft Supervisor
Kyle Pingel	Cutter-Draper, Measure for Measure
Kera Storrs	Cutter-Draper, The Winter’s Tale
Veronica Blumberg	Firsthand, Asst. Costume Designer, Measure for Measure
Mollie Spoerer	Firsthand, Asst. Costume Designer, The Winter’s Tale
Lindsay Van Wyk	Costume Technician
Savannah Oseguera ^	Costume Technician, Wardrobe Crew
Emily Stranski-Brame ^	Costume Technician, Wardrobe Crew
Alexandra Howe	Crafts Technician
Rachel Katz ^	Crafts Technician, Wardrobe Crew

 

Electrics

Rosa Cano	Master Electrician
Joseph Chambers ^	Asst. Master Electrician, Board Operator, Spot Operator
Bryan Clark ^	Asst. Master Electrician, Board Operator, Spot Operator
Haley Carr	Electrician
Kevin Kress ^§	Electrician Intern, Spot Operator
Ellery Cordes ^§	Electrician Intern, Spot Operator

 

Sound

Jaritt Catellier ^§	Sound Engineer Intern, Board Operator
Jacob Self ^§	Sound Engineer Intern, Board Operator

 

Scenic

Jeremy Jenkins	Technical Director
Dave George	Assistant Technical Director
Maximillian B. Zorn	Master Carpenter
Jared Hansen ^	Changeover Supervisor
Justin Rozinski ^	Carpenter, Welder
Barbie Brown	Carpenter
Roman Reyes	Carpenter
Myles Daugherty ^§	Carpenter Intern, Run Crew
Katie Novak ^§	Carpenter Intern, Run Crew

 

Paint

Mary Jungels Goodyear	Scenic Charge Artist
Stephen Menard	Assistant Charge Artist

 

Props

Jess Fleeman	Props Master
Gregory Kontos ^	Asst. Props Master
Faith Seltzer ^§	Props Intern, Run Crew

 

Box Office

Nick Benson	Box Office Manager
Natasha Amezcua	Box Office Agent
Sarah Lange	Box Office Agent
Samantha Masini	Box Office Agent
Bailey Reiser	Box Office Agent

 

Front-of-House

Shannon Epplett	House Manager
Maria Amenabar Farias	Usher
Norma Johnson	Usher
Sanhawich Meateanuwat	Usher
Payton Scudieri	Usher

 

Education

Cristen Monson	Education Coordinator
Jimmy Chrismon	Theatre Teacher Education Supervisor
Parker Daugherty	Instructor
Al Goldfarb	Instructor
Caitlyn Martin	Instructor
Ryan Renc	Instructor
Morgan Whalen	Instructor

Biographies

Acting Company

Christian Castro is very excited to be making his theatre debut in Bloomington-Normal after having spent the last 19 years working in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. He was last on stage in the Eclipse Theatre World Premiere of Megastasis in 2017. He started off his professional career as an ensemble member for the Chicago Dance Crash from 2002-2005 and has worked at Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Victory Gardens, Lifeline Theatre, About Face Theatre, Eclipse Theatre, TimeLine, Artistic Home, Teatro Vista, Urban Theatre Company, and Illinois Theatre Center with the late Etel Billig. His TV credits include Chicago Code, Mob Doctor, Chicago Fire, Crisis, Chicago PD, Empire, and Chicago Med.

Haven Janeil Crawley§ is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in acting at the University of Illinois. This is their first time working with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and, as an intern, you can spot them in the Theatre for Young Audiences show, A Summer’s Winter Tale, as well as voicing several crying babies on the mainstage. Their previous experience with Shakespeare involves a production of Titus Andronicus at U of I and several productions through Chicago Youth Shakespeare, including a role as Prospero in The Tempest performed at The Joffrey Ballet. Outside of theatre they pursue several arts including poetry, painting, and contortion.

Lisa Gaye Dixon* is Professor and Producer for University of Illinois Theatre. Regional and international credits include: Steppenwolf, Royal Shakespeare Company, New Globe Theatre, The Attic, Lost Nation, The Kitchen, GEVA Center, Milwaukee Shakespeare, and The Goodman. She is author of: “My Case Is Altered: Tales of a 21st Century Roaring Girl.” Directing credits include: Detroit '67, Ladyish, and King Lear. Film Credits include: The Trouble with Men and Women (BBC/IFC), Leading Ladies, USING, and most recently, Ruby Love. As actor, director, poet, playwright and devisor, Lisa finds interest in the intersections of humanity - the universality of experience discovered inside the specificity of identity.

Grant Goodman* is delighted to return to ISF where he previously appeared as Antony in Julius Caesar and Antipholus of Syracuse/Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors. New York: King Lear, The Iliad (Lincoln Center), Antony & Cleopatra, The Merchant of Venice (Theatre for a New Audience), Pericles (Red Bull), Three Sisters (International Chekhov Festival), Richard II (NY City Center/Pearl Theatre). Regional: Yale Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Hartford Stage, Court Theatre (Chicago), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Indiana Repertory, Pioneer Theatre Company, PlayMakers Repertory, Syracuse Stage, Milwaukee Repertory, People's Light (Philadelphia), Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Arizona Theatre Company and the Utah, Notre Dame, Indianapolis, and Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals among many others. Film/Television: Chicago Fire, As the World Turns, Sex and the City, Sleepers. Training: NYU. Grant is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

Rondale Gray is performing in the Illinois Shakespeare Festival for the first time and is thrilled to be starting his professional acting career in a familiar place. Graduating from Illinois State University's acting program in the spring of 2020, the remainder of the year proved to be an unexpected challenge for the Chicago native to say the least. Without the loving support of his mother, stepfather, and aunt, none of this would have been possible for him. “I can no other answer make but thanks, And thanks; and ever thanks.” – Twelfth Night

Isa Guitian is thrilled to be returning to ISF for a second season. Her credits include Pride and Prejudice, As You Like It, and Caesar at ISF, and Technicolor Life at Rep Stage. A proud native of Baltimore, Maryland, Isa just graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, where she most recently appeared in Heresy of Love and The Oresteia. In 2019, she had the opportunity to study at Shakespeare's Globe in London, where she performed in Julius Caesar.

Erica Cruz Hernández is currently pursuing her M.F.A. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Recent collaborations include performances and readings with the New Harmony Project, St. Louis, and Arkansas Shakespeare Festivals. She is looking forward to joining American Players Theatre later this year. Other credits include: Dipped in Honey (Teatro Bravo, AZ), Cabaret, Titus Andronicus, Because I Am Your Queen, Aguijón Theater's bilingual production of Soldaderas for Goodman Theatre's Latino Theatre Festival, and the Festival de Mujeres en Escena por la Paz in Bogotá, Colombia. She can also be seen in the films En Algun Lugar (A Place To Be - available on Amazon) and the upcoming Midwestern. She is an ensemble member with Chicago's Aguijón Theater Company, which has produced Spanish-language and bilingual works for over 30 years.

Carol Kelleher§ is a rising senior at Illinois State University and is honored to be a part of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival acting company this summer. Her previous credits include Logan in The Thanksgiving Play, Hastings in Richard III, Marianne in Constellations, and Irene in The Blue Room. Carol is a recipient of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival’s Sutter Family Shakespeare Scholarship.

Ben Mathew§ is currently a rising senior pursuing a B.F.A. in acting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These productions of The Winter's Tale, Measure for Measure, and A Summer's Winter Tale will be Ben's first performances with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. In the recent past, he has appeared in such productions as Titus Andronicus (Lucius), The Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio), and She Kills Monsters (Chuck). In his free time, Ben performs and tours nationwide with The Other Guys, a comedy octet. The Other Guys are also the music ambassadors for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dan Matisa* is thrilled to be performing in his first season with ISF. He has performed at Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Vermont Shakespeare, Nebraska Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Stonington, Tennessee Rep, Asolo Rep, American Stage, American Globe, and for over 10 seasons with Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Some of his favorite Shakespearean roles include Falstaff, Richard III, Shylock, Bottom, Dogberry, Jaques, and Malvolio. Dan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts at Bradley University. He earned his M.F.A. from the Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, and his B.A. from Hofstra University. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. He hails from New Jersey. Many thanks to Rebekah Scallet, Jenny McKnight, and John C. Stark. Love and thanks to my family, and to my lemon pie.

Dan Matisa is the 2021 John Stevens Equity Actor.

Nora McKirdie§ is excited about this opportunity to be a part of ISF as an intern. She is pursuing acting at Illinois State University’s School of Theatre and Dance. Nora is a graduate of the Chicago Academy for the Arts' acting program and trained at Acting Studio Chicago and Stella Adler Studio of Acting. As a member of Bard in a Box at Illinois State University, Nora plays Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and considers it to be one of her favorite roles. Other favorite roles include Elinor in Sense and Sensibility, Cloten in Cymbeline, and AP in columbinus. Nora would like to thank her family for their continued support. Nora is a recipient of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival’s Sutter Family Shakespeare Scholarship.

Nathan Stark* is proud and honored to be returning for his seventh season with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, first appearing in 1998, and most recently in 2019. Most notably, Nathan appeared on Broadway, in Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of Macbeth. Regionally, he has worked at Notre Dame Shakespeare and Palm Beach Dramaworks. On television, Nathan has recurred his role of the Process Server in both The Good Wife and The Good Fight, appearing in a total of twelve episodes to date. Other TV credits include: The Following, Alternatino, and I Love You…But I Lied. Love to my Mom and Dad, sister Anna, and friend Fletcher, thank you for everything.

Chauncy Thomas* is thrilled to return to ISF for a second season, previously appearing in 2019. Originally from Peoria, Illinois, he currently resides in New York City and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with B.A.s in drama and psychology. New York Theatre: Romeo and Juliet at Lincoln Center Education, Hamlet at RIPT Theater Company. Regional Theatre: A Raisin in the Sun at Bay Street Theater, Our Town at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Clybourne Park at the St. Louis Rep, The Winter's Tale at St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Topdog/Underdog at St. Louis Actors' Studio (STL Circle Award Lead Actor in a Drama Nominee). Television: Madam Secretary.

* -  Member of Actors’ Equity Association
§ -  Member of Summer 2021 Internship Company

Directors

Lori Adams – Director, A Summer’s Winter Tale – is again directing the work of Nancy Steele Brokaw with this year’s Theatre for Young Audience’s production of A Summer Winter’s Tale. Other TYA credits: Double, Double, Shake, Shake, Shake Your Shakespeare, and Who Stole Cleopatra? Lori’s directing credits include the Off-Broadway production of Falling (three Drama Desk Award nominations). Regional credits include Mustard Seed Theatre and Heartland Theatre Company. Lori is the Resident Director for Holiday Spectacular, Inc. ISF audiences may remember seeing Lori on stage where she has appeared for seven seasons. Lori serves as Head of Acting at Illinois State University and is a proud member of SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society).

Jenny McKnight – Director, Measure for Measure – is a Professor of Practice in Acting & Directing at Indiana University in 'the other Bloomington'. Recent directing credits: Waycross: An Audio Play, Tiger Beat, Only Child, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (IU Mainstage); Little Women (IU Summer Theatre); The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Cardinal Stage); Leipzig (JTB), Confessional (Eclipse Theatre, Chicago). As an actor, Jenny has also enjoyed opportunities to perform at Chicago-area and regional theatres including the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Northlight, Remy Bumppo, Chicago Dramatists, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory, Milwaukee Repertory, Kansas City Repertory, and Arizona Theatre Company, among many others. Jenny is a 20-year member of Actors' Equity Association, an Associate Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a trained Intimacy Consultant, and she holds an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Alabama.

Rebekah Scallet – Director, The Winter's Tale – is thrilled to be back at ISF after spending nine years as the Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. At AST, she directed many productions, including Macbeth, My Fair Lady, Love's Labour's Lost, The Two Gentleman of Verona, King Lear, and Twelfth Night. She also oversaw the creation of AST's educational touring program that brought Shakespeare to schools and communities across the state of Arkansas and into Texas. Last year, she helped create "Revisiting Shakespeare," an online and at-home festival featuring performances and panels discussing Shakespeare's relevance today. With ISF, Rebekah directed Theatre for Young Audiences productions of Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Tempest. In Chicago, she was a member of the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, and worked with Northlight Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Raven Theatre, among others. Rebekah was the recipient of the Arkansas Arts Council's 2014 Individual Artist Fellowship in Directing. She received her B.A. in Theatre and English from Brandeis University and is a proud graduate of Illinois State University with her M.F.A in directing.

Designers/Artistic Staff

Nancy Steele Brokaw – Playwright, A Summer’s Winter Tale – Nancy's previous works for ISF include TYA shows Who Stole Cleopatra?, Double, Double, and Shake, Shake, Shake Your Shakespeare and green shows Henry 1-2-3-4-5 and The Ballad of Macbeth and Other Campfire Tales. She has written eleven operas for children for Prairie Fire Theatre that tour yearly in Illinois and California. She wrote libretti for Fertile Ground (Fort Worth Opera) and Cleopatra and the Plastic Surgeon. Nancy is a longtime contributor to The Pantagraph and wrote the award-winning middle grade novel Leaving Emma (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin). Nancy has been resident playwright for Holiday Spectacular for 20 years. 

Laina Reese Carney – Festival Choreographer – is a performing artist, choreographer, and professor of dance. Laina received her M.F.A. in Dance Performance & Pedagogy and Certificate of Study in Feminist Methodologies & Sexualities from Arizona State University; with her B.F.A. in dance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Laina comes from a rigorous professional and performing career in dance, including study and touring with companies such as Joel Hall Dancers & Center, The Ailey School, Las Vegas Talent Agency, and more. Currently Assistant Professor of Dance at Illinois State University, Laina specializes in the teaching and pedagogical advancement of contemporary modern, jazz, and African dance performance. Laina’s extensive research methodologies are centered around decolonization, popular culture, and Intersectionality.

Rob Fulton – Festival Lighting Designer – is enthusiastically delighted to design for Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He has taught and designed at Young Harris College in the north Georgia mountains; the University of North Carolina, Charlotte; and Illinois Central College. Rob has previously worked at the Festival, Illinois Wesleyan, Heartland Theatre, and the Peoria Ballet. Recent design work includes Three Tall Women, Clybourne Park, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Troilus and Cressida, and Heartland Theatre’s Ten-Minute Play Festival. Rob completed a Master of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design at Illinois State University, training primarily in lighting.

Susie L. High – Costume Designer, Measure for Measure – This year marks her sixth year at ISF, and her first as Costume Designer for Measure for Measure. Susie began as a stitcher and held roles as assistant designer, crafts artisan, and cutter/draper.  Susie is transitioning from Costume Shop Supervisor/Instructor/Designer at Illinois Wesleyan University to her new role in Arts, Patron Services Manager with the City of Bloomington. Susie's past credits include Michigan Shakespeare Festival; runway; and corporate designs from Navy Pier, Chicago to Charleston, SC. Susie completed her M.F.A. in theatre: costume design at Illinois State University amid COVID-19 in 2020. She also holds an MBA from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina.

Kathy Logelin – Festival Text and Dialect Coach – is thrilled to be returning to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, having appeared as an actor in the 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, and 2010 seasons, as well as text coaching in 2018. Chicago coaching credits include: Oliver at Marriott Theatre, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, and Moby Dick at Lookingglass Theatre Co., Suddenly Last Summer and How I Learned to Drive with Raven Theatre Company, Alias Grace with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Hedwig and the Angry Itch at TheoUbique, Beauty’s Daughter with American Blues Theatre, and The Mutilated with A Red Orchid Theatre. Regional/international credits include: Alias Grace and A Christmas Carol with the Clarence Brown Theatre, Boeing Boeing with Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Persuasion with Chamber Opera Chicago (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015, London Camden Fringe 2017, Buxton Festival Fringe 2017).

Lauren M. Lowell – Costume Designer, The Winter’s Tale –  is the Head of Production Design & Technology for Illinois State University's School of Theatre and Dance, where she teaches all things costume design. She has had the honor of teaching both in Prague, Czech Republic and Bangkok, Thailand and has presented research at symposiums in England, Hawaii, and at various United States Institute of Theatre Technology conferences across the U.S. Born and raised in southeastern Michigan, Lauren received her B.A. from Central Michigan University. Following undergrad, Lauren studied at University of Georgia where she received an M.F.A. in design (costumes). In addition to credits in Chicago, New York, Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee, Lauren’s ISF design credits include Merry Wives of Windsor (2018), Peter and the Starcatcher (2016), Much Ado About Nothing (2014), Elizabeth Rex (2014), Failure: A Love Story (2013), 3 Wills & A Shakespeare (2012), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2009), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (2008), Julius Caesar (2007), Twelfth Night (2005), and As You Like It (2003). Recent designs for Illinois State University include Roe, Eurydice (scenic), The House of Bernarda Alba, Cosi Fan Tutte, Alice in Wonderland, Cabaret, Into the Woods, and Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Lauren resides in Bloomington, Illinois with her two children and life partner.

M. Anthony Reimer – Festival Sound Designer/Composer – Originally an orchestral French Horn player, he has worked and taught much of the last 30 years in the fields of composition and sound design as applied to live theatre. His work has been heard on stages and at festivals in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, abroad in Egypt, Greece, Germany, Russia, several countries in South America, as well as in his home state of Indiana. More recently, his work has extended to the visual and interactive arts. He is currently an instructor in sound design at Illinois State University.

John C. Stark – Artistic Director, Scenic Designer (Measure for Measure and The Winter's Tale) – John has served as the ISF Artistic Director since 2017. He has produced 36 designs for ISF, including Hamlet in 2016, Shakespeare in Love in 2018, and Caesar in 2019. John is a Professor of Design at Illinois State University. He has designed for Chicago theatre companies such as A Red Orchid Theatre, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane Theatre, Noble Fool Theatricals, and Famous Door Theatre, where his design of The Living won a Joseph Jefferson Award in 1997. Regional credits include work with The New Jewish Theatre, Mustard Seed Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Garden Theatre, Nebraska Repertory Theatre, and Pennsylvania Center Stage. Local credits include The Holiday Spectacular, Heartland Theatre, and Prairie Fire Theatre.

John Tovar – Festival Fight Director/Intimacy Consultant – has directed the violence at ISF since 2017. Off-Broadway: The Opponent. Regional: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Camelot (Equity Jeff Award Nomination), and Ragtime (Drury Lane, Oakbrook, IL); Of Mice and Men (Steppenwolf); Treasure Island (Lookingglass). Professional Affiliations: Society of American Fight Directors. John was awarded the 2019 Non-Equity Jeff Award for Fight Direction for Girl in the Red Corner and the 2013 Equity Jeff Award for Fight Direction for The Opponent. He holds a master's degree from Illinois State University where he is an assistant professor in the School of Theatre and Dance.

Stage Managers

Colleen Tovar – Production Manager, Production Stage Manager (The Winter’s Tale) – is happy to return to ISF, having previously Stage Managed in 1997 and 2002, as well as Sound Designed for the 1999 season. Professionally, Colleen was the Production Manager for the Equity Wing of the Joseph Jefferson Awards from 2005-2019 and served as Managing Director/Producer for Noble Fool Theatricals and Fox Valley Repertory from 2007-2015. Her professional body of work has spanned over 300 productions with over 30 companies. Academically, Colleen was the Production Stage Manager and Instructor of Stage Management at Ball State University from 2015-2020 and is currently Production Manager and Instructor of Stage Management at Illinois State University. She holds B.S. in production/design from Illinois State University. 

Lucy Yahr – Stage Manager, Measure for Measure – is very excited and grateful to be spending her third summer with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Previously, she was the assistant stage manager for The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2018 and stage manager for Pride and Prejudice in 2019. She would like to thank her family and partner, Devon, for their ongoing love and support.

Leadership

Nick Benson – Box Office Manager – has been the Coordinator for the Center for the Performing Arts and Box Office Manager for ISF since the fall of 2017. When not in his office in the CPA, Nick can be found playing tennis or volunteering and performing in the local theatre community. This is especially true of Community Players Theatre, where he serves as President of the Board of Governors. It has been a crazy but fulfilling spring in the ticketing office, but all's well as the Festival is back this summer. Welcome and enjoy the show!

Connie Blick – Office Manager – is proud to have played a part in bringing the Illinois Shakespeare Festival back to the boards this season. Connie joined the School of Theatre and Dance staff as Office Manager in 2018, and this is her second season in that role for the Festival. She earned her B.S. in acting from Illinois State University and is Co-Founder of Nomad Theatre Company. She is a frequent volunteer, actor, and supporter of local theatre in Bloomington-Normal.

Molly Briggs-Yonke – Finance and Communications Manager – is excited for her third season of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Molly joined the Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance administrative staff in 2017 after three years in the finance department at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. She earned her B.A. in acting and theatre management at Illinois State University. She and her husband are expecting their first child.

Ann Haugo – Producer – also serves as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance. She is a past president of the Mid-America Theatre Conference, former Advisory Board member for Project HOOP (Honoring our Origins and People through Native Theatre, Education, and Community Development), and founding convener of the Indigenous Americas working group within the American Society for Theatre Research. Her current projects include an oral history of the Festival and serving as President of the Normal Rotary Club. She holds a Ph.D. in theatre history from UIUC.

Cristen Monson – Education Coordinator – is an educator, actor, and director originally from El Paso, Texas.  She earned a B.A. in acting from the University of Texas at El Paso and her M.A. in theatre studies from Illinois State University. This is her seventh year coordinating camps for ISF. Cristen also created camps for Summer on Stage at Illinois Wesleyan University and recently started Nomad Theatre Company with Connie Blick, which brings site-specific theatre to the Bloomington-Normal community. Cristen is currently the Academic Advisor for the School of Theatre and Dance at Illinois State University.

Derek R. Munson – Managing Director – holds a PhD from the University of Missouri and is an Assistant Professor in Theatre Studies at Illinois State University. He is working on his first book, a critical biography about Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson. He worked as an arts manager in New York City for the internationally acclaimed Ballet Hispánico and the Tony-award winning The Acting Company. He is also an award-winning director and a longtime member of Actor’s Equity.

Kee-Yoon Nahm – Festival Dramaturg – holds a D.F.A. (Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism, Yale School of Drama) and is Assistant Professor in Theatre Studies at Illinois State University and Festival Dramaturg at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He works as a dramaturg and theatre translator in the United States and South Korea. His translations have been presented at the National Theatre Company of Korea, the Seoul Performing Arts Festival, Illinois State University, Coalescence Theatre Project, and Yale Cabaret. His dramaturgy work includes productions at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Yale Repertory Theatre, Yale Cabaret, the National Gugak Center, and the National Dance Company of Korea. He also works as regional editor for The Theatre Times, where he covers South Korean theatre.