To Be 4/23 Program

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TO BE 4/23 APRIL 23, 2021, 7:00 PM EVENT CO-CHAIRS

RECOGNIZING

Binta Niambi Brown

Sheli Z. Rosenberg

Linda K. Myers

Spirit of Shakespeare Award for Distinguished Leadership

Jane DiRenzo Pigott ROOFTOP MUSICAL PERFORMANCES CREATIVE TEAM

ROOFTOP MUSICAL PERFORMANCES VIDEO RECORDING AND EDITING

Director ROBERTA DUCHAK

Television Director/Editor MATT HOFFMAN, HMS MEDIA

Production Design M. DENNIS REMER, MDR CREATIVE

TO BE 4/23 PROGRAM EDITING

Creative Producer RICK BOYNTON

CALVIN STEINKEN

Director of Production CHRIS PLEVIN

CITYSIDE CONVERSATION CAPTURE & EDITING

Shine So Bright, Composer JORIAH KWAMÉ

SOUNDWORKS PRODUCTIONS, INC. & VANTAGE AV

Music Producer and Orchestrator CAREY DEADMAN

MATT McWILLIAMS, Editor

Music Supervisor ROBERTA DUCHAK

TO BE 4/23 CONCEPT CREATION

Music Director CHARLOTTE RIVARD-HOSTER

HANNAH KENNEDY CRISS HENDERSON

Recording Engineer CRYSTALL RECORDERS, LOMBARD IL

TO BE 4/23 PRODUCERS

Lighting Design MATT CARNEY Lighting Programmer/Director TRAVIS SHUPE Casting BOB MASON and ALEXIS TAYLOR

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ERIC LINDHOLM, Lead Capture

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RICK BOYNTON DOTTIE BRIS-BOIS CHRIS PLEVIN PAIGE WHITSON-MARTINI CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT DOTTIE BRIS-BOIS

Program Prologue

Move Me Soul

“To Be in Chicago”

Community Arts Partner

Unwritten

Jarqueze Haley, Raven Lewis, and Mary Thomas, Dancers

by Natasha Bedingfield

Ayesha Jaco, Choreographer

featuring performances by Ariana Burks, Lucy Godínez, Alexa Xioufaridou Moster, Juwon Tyrel Perry, Brandon Pisano, Sawyer Smith with Tahirah Whittington, Cello

Chicago Shakespeare SLAM Ensemble

Welcome

Izaiah Harris, FloFIYAH, Inc. Community Arts Partner

Barbara Gaines and Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic and Executive Directors

Words

Jose “iasEL” Gonzalez

performed by Ingrid Michaelson with Allie Moss and Hannah Winkler

written by Ingrid Michaelson

Community Arts Partner

Presentation of The Spirit of Shakespeare Award for Distinguished Service to Sheli Z. Rosenberg Binta Niambi Brown, Linda K. Myers, and Jane DiRenzo Pigott, To Be 4/23 Co-Chairs

Change the World

by Eric Clapton featuring Susan Moniz with Kimi Hayes and Dan Peters, Guitar

Cityside Conversation with Common Rapper, Actor and Chicago Community Advocate

Shine So Bright written and performed by Joriah Kwamé featuring Jovan Landry and Briana Arthur and Taylor Ramos, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Joshua L. Ishmon, Choreographer

MUSICIANS Kimi Hayes, Charles Rick Heath IV, Dan Peters, Charlotte Rivard-Hoster, Chuck Webb, Tahirah Whittington Sean McNeely, Contractor

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TO BE 4/23 Sponsors Sponsorships of TO BE 4/23 fuel the Theater’s nationally acclaimed arts in literacy and community engagement programs. Each year, these initiatives connect Chicago Shakespeare with over 600 neighborhood partners across the North, West, and South Sides of the city, and support the work of teachers, bringing Shakespeare to life for tens of thousands of students.

TO BE 4/23 LEAD CONSORTIUM

Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation

Carl and Marilynn Thoma

The Segal Family Foundation

Donna Van Eekeren

Zell Family Foundation

TO BE 4/23 HOST COMMITTEE

Julie and Roger Baskes

The Crown Family The Family of Jack Karp

Bill and Charlene Tomazin

Kevin and Joan Evanich, Linda and Dennis Myers, Richard Porter and Lydia Marti

Matthew and Gloria O’Meara

Burton X. and Sheli Z. Rosenberg

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Ray and Judy McCaskey

Anonymous

TO BE 4/23 SPONSORS

TO BE 4/23 BENEFACTORS The Dombalagian Family Ann Drake Guidehouse Chris and Erin O’Brien Barbara and Keith Kizziah

Latham & Watkins, LLP Neal and Jennifer Reenan

Thomas A. Reynolds

Chase Levey

Ropes & Gray LLP Paulita Pike

Jim and Molly Perry

Jamie and Sara Star

Raino Family

TO BE 4/23 PATRONS Brodsky Family Foundation

Julian Oettinger

Philip and Becky Tinkler

Greg and Marcy Carlin

Sheila Penrose and Ernest Mahaffey

Ventas, Inc.

Equity LifeStyle Properties Equity Residential Sylvia Neil and Dan Fischel

Goldie Wolfe Miller

Perkins Coie LLP Stephen and Linda Smith

TO BE 4/23 EVENT DONORS Wade and Rebecca Bacon Mr. and Mrs. Abram Bluestein Mr. & Mrs. Norman Bobins, The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation Linda and Peter Bynoe Citi Private Bank Michael W. Cusick Eileen Dordek and Chris Landgraff

Dr. Larry Goodman and Ms. Michelle Goodman

Mark Ouweleen and Sarah Harding

Jason W. Gordon

Jason and Jackie Peltz

Stephanie and Adam Grais

The Pritzker Traubert Foundation

Grant Park Music Festival Jack and Sandra Guthman Jeff and Renee Hall Joan M. Hall Christie Hefner Thomas Heneghan

Pamela Forbes Lieberman

Hamilton and Traci Hill

Constance and David Freedman

Denise and Adam Hoeflich

Paul and Susan Freehling Sean and Susan Gallagher

Patricia J. Hurley Neil Kujawa

Bill Glader

Mark Levine and Andrea Kott

Joe and Madeleine Glossberg

Chris and Carol Lind

Cindy Sobel and Matt Greiner Asha Spencer David Stone Pam and Russ Strobel Brian and Beth Swanson Christina Tchen Pam and Doug Walter Susan and Bob Wislow Hilary Wolfe Elizabeth Yntema and Mark Ferguson

Andrew and Kate MacNally

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Chicago Shakespeare Theater MAJOR SEASON SUPPORTERS

Anna and Robert Livingston

Ray and Judy McCaskey

Rhoades Foundation

at the Chicago Community Foundation

Burton X. and Sheli Z. Rosenberg

Timothy R. Schwertfeger and Gail Waller

Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust

Carl and Marilynn Thoma

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sheli Z. Rosenberg Board chair Paulita A. Pike Treasurer Frank D. Ballantine Patrick S. Barrett Stephen A. Brodsky Binta N. Brown Thomas L. Brown Allan E. Bulley III Clive Christison Patrick R. Daley Brian W. Duwe Philip L. Engel Kevin R. Evanich Sonja Fischer Richard J. Franke Barbara Gaines C. Gary Gerst Marguerite H. Griffin

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M. Hill Hammock Tim Hannahs Kathryn J. Hayley Criss Henderson

Mark S. Ouweleen Judith Pierpont Richard W. Porter John Rau

Stewart S. Hudnut William R. Jentes John P. Keller Christie B. Kelly Richard A. Kent Barbara Malott Kizziah Chase Collins Levey Judy Loseff Renetta McCann Raymond F. McCaskey Robert G. McLennan Jess E. Merten Linda Myers Christopher O’Brien Dennis Olis Matthew O’Meara

Nazneen Razi Neal J. Reenan Lance Richards Robert Ryan Carole Segal Steven J. Solomon Harvey J. Struthers, Jr. Sheila G. Talton Marilynn J. Thoma Gayle R. Tilles William J. Tomazin, Jr. Donna Van Eekeren Priscilla A. (Pam) Walter Ray Whitacre Elizabeth Yntema

TO BE 4/23 Artist Bios CITYSIDE CONVERSATION COMMON is an artist, actor, activist and, most recently, New York Times best-selling author with the release of his latest memoir “Let Love Have the Last Word.” With a storied career spanning three decades, his work has been recognized with numerous GRAMMY® Awards, as well as an Emmy® and an Academy® Award for the song “Glory” which he co-wrote and performed with John Legend. In Summer 2019, Common released his new album Let Love, inspired by his work and experiences that came from writing his second memoir of the same name. His latest album, A Beautiful Revolution Part 1 was released on October 30, 2020 through Loma Vista Recordings

FEATURED PERFORMERS JOSE “iasEL” GONZALEZ is an actor, poet, and storyteller. He is the host of Legal Aliens—a podcast about living in America from an urban Latino perspective—as well as the host and producer of La Sala: Cuentos from the Latino Living Room, a storytelling series that features comedy, spoken word, and music.

INGRID MICHAELSON was born in New York City and raised by her mother, a sculptor, and her father, a classical composer. After graduating college with a degree in musical theatre, Michaelson toured the country in a theater troupe and began writing her own songs, connecting with millions.

Her music taps into universal themes of self-doubt, betrayal, and of course love. She founded Cabin 24 Records, which has released her gold and platinum hits including “The Way I Am,” “Girls Chase Boys,” and “You and I.” Michaelson has established herself as an artistic force over the course of eight full-length albums, experiencing enviable success writing for other artists and for stage and screen. She received her first Emmy Award nomination for her original song “Build It Up,” written for the hit series, Little Fires Everywhere. In 2017, Michaelson made her stage debut starring in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and will soon make her creative debut, writing the music and lyrics for the musical adaptation of the best-selling novel, The Notebook. www.ingridmichaelson.com.

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IZAIAH MONTAQUE HARRIS is a tap dancer, jazz singer, and musical theater performer. He started tap dancing at the age of 5 at Studio One Dance Theater on the southside of Chicago. A graduate of the Chicago High School for the Arts and a current senior at Columbia College of Chicago working towards a BA in Contemporary, Urban and Popular Music, Izaiah is a recipient and nominee for a Black Theater Alliance Award for his performances in The Scottsboro Boys and The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves. Izaiah has worked with After School Matters, Gallery 37, M.A.A.D. Rhythms, Congo Square, Merit School of Music, Porchlight Theater, Dance With Me Productions and FloFIYAH, LLC. Before the pandemic, Harris toured the world with Norwegian Cruise Lines, and is now sharing his knowledge throughout Chicagoland teaching “Tap Vibez” for students of all ages.

MOVE ME SOUL Founded in 2008 by Ayesha Jaco at Austin High School, Move Me Soul is a youth dance company that fuses technique, performance, and character development. Participants are empowered to “move” their limits on and off stage. On its tenth anniversary, Move Me Soul debuted its professional company, made up of young adults who began in its teens programs. To mark the occasion, the City of Chicago officially declared December 16 to be “Move Me Soul Day.”

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES FROM CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE’S ROOFTOP BRIANA ARTHUR (Dancer) DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATER: Company Member. EDUCATION: BFA in Dance, The Juilliard School, 2013. After graduation, Arthur was appointed to dance captain of Julie Taymor’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Brooklyn. In 2014, Arthur joined Thodos Dance Chicago and was a member of the company for three seasons.

Her second professional choreographic work, Uncovering, was performed at the Auditorium Theatre for Thodos Dance Chicago’s finale season in 2017. Arthur has also performed with Tania Perez-Salas Compañía de Danza in Mexico City, and she recently completed her first season with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre. She is thankful for the opportunity to continue sharing her passion for movement. She is from Gary, Indiana.

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ARIANA BURKS (Singer) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Jojo understudy in Seussical: The Musical. CHICAGO: Urinetown (BoHo Theatre); The Nutcracker (House Theatre); Hairspray (Paramount Theatre & Drury Lane Oakbrook); Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure (Chicago Children’s Theatre); The Compass, Dance Nation, The Burn Workshop (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Broadway Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Trevor, Next to Normal (Writers Theatre); Donner Island (Lookingglass Theatre Company). FILM: Beats (Netflix); A Spoon of Honey (Independent); The Stream (Dreaming Tree Films). TELEVISION: South Side (Comedy Central); Chicago Med, Chicago Fire (NBC); Dearly Departed (Fresh Films); Sirens (USA); The Jr. Cuisine Cooking Show (2011 Emmy nomination); PrankStars (Disney).

LUCY GODÍNEZ (Singer) CHICAGO: Nancy in Oliver!

(Jeff Award Nomination, Marriott Theatre); Ariel in Footloose (Marriott Theatre); Little Red in Into the Woods (Writers Theater); Serena in Legally Blonde (Paramount Theatre); Nina in In the Heights (Porchlight Music Theatre); and Jeannie in Hair (Mercury Theatre Chicago). Godínez is a graduate of Northwestern University.

KIMI HAYES (Guitar) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: SIX. CHICAGO: A Taste of Things to Come (Broadway Playhouse). BROADWAY: SIX (Brooks Atkinson Theater, NY). EDUCATION: Sherwood Conservatory of Music, Chicago.

CHARLES RICK HEATH IV (Drums) TOURS: The Color Purple featuring Fantasia and Michelle Williams, 2007–2010.

PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING: Ramsey Lewis, Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ken Chaney, Donald Byrd, Robert Irving III, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and many others. Heath, whose capabilities on the drums ranges from Gospel to Blues and Jazz to Latin Music, serves as the drummer for piano jazz legend Ramsey Lewis. From 1999 to 2007, Heath taught music in Chicago Public Schools and is now an adjunct professor of jazz drum set at Columbia College and UIC. Originating from Chicago, IL, Heath is a versatile and renowned musician, educator, and producer from local

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to international levels, who is the founder and producer of the (nfp) Ken Chaney Scholarship Fund, designed to assist young jazz musicians through jazz camps, college tuition assistance, and mentorship.

JORIAH KWAMÉ (Composer of “Shine So Bright”/Soloist) Twelfth Night. REGIONAL: Sophia, Our Beloved (Farmers Alley Theatre). TRAINING: Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project 2020 (Andrew Lippa, Stephen Bray, Craig Carnelia, Lindy Robbins). AWARDS: ASCAP Cole Porter Award 2020, Write Out Loud 2019 for Little Miss Perfect.

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE:

JOVAN LANDRY (Spoken Word) CHICAGO: House of Blues, Lincoln Hall, Wicker Park Fest, Do Division Fest, The Fly Honey Show, Underground Wonderbar, Emporium, Subterranean.

INTERNATIONAL: danceGATHERING Nigeria, WeWork Creator Awards Berlin. TELEVISION: Windy City Live (ABC). EDUCATION: BA in Film, Columbia College Chicago. AWARDS: She Got Bars 2012, WeWork Creator Awards 2017, Hip-Hop Music Video LA Music Video Awards 2019 (Nominee).

SUSAN MONIZ (Soloist) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Sally in Follies. CHICAGO: Elsie in October Sky, Witch in Into the Woods (Marriott Theatre); Joy in Shadowlands (Provision Theater); Eva Peron in Evita (Drury Lane Theater); Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (Court Theater); The Sound of Music, Oklahoma (Lyric Opera of Chicago). BROADWAY: Sandy and Rizzo in Grease.

TOURS: Helen in first national Broadway tour of Fun Home; Madam Giry in Phantom of the Opera. REGIONAL: The Baroness in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Carlotta in Phantom (Fulton Theatre), Yum Yum in The Hot Mikado (Ford’s Theatre). TELEVISION: Chicago PD. AWARDS: After Dark Award, Joseph Jefferson Award.

ALEXA XIOUFARIDOU MOSTER (Singer) CHICAGO: Sita Ram (Lookingglass Theatre Company). INTERNATIONAL: Limbo: City of Dreams (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). FILM: Chance the Rapper’s Chi-Town Christmas. EDUCATION: BA in Theatre & Gender Studies, Northwestern University. AWARDS: Northwestern School of Communication Honoree, 2019.

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JUWON TYREL PERRY (Singer) CHICAGO: Ragtime (2018 Ensemble & Production-Musical Non-Equity Jeff Award, Griffin Theatre Company); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Sugar in Our Wounds (First Floor Theater). EDUCATION: BFA in Musical Theatre Performance, Columbia College Chicago.

Perry is a Chicago transplant by way of Arkansas. Upcoming production credits include Stephen Schwartz’s remount of Children of Eden (Chicagoland Musical Theatre). Instagram: @juwontyrelperry www.juwontyrelperry.com BRANDON PISANO (Singer) CHICAGO: Monty Python’s Spamalot (Mercury Theater); The Producers (Paramount Theatre); South Pacific (Drury Lane). Pisano is an independent American vocalist, songwriter and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Original music can be found on Spotify and Apple Music. Current singles include “Houdini” (2021) and “Time to Go” (2020).

TAYLOR RAMOS (Dancer) DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATER: Company Apprentice. EDUCATION: BFA in Dance, Wright State University. Ramos attended Toledo School for the Arts, |where she first found dance and trained in ballet, modern, and jazz at Toledo Ballet. Ramos went on to dance as a second company member with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Over the course of her training, she worked with choreographers Rob Priore, Greg Graham, and Keisha Lalama. After graduation, Ramos moved to Buffalo to become a company member with Lehrer Dance, where she toured nationally and internationally. In 2018, Ramos toured through Germany, performing in Jon Lehrer’s Shadows in Motion. She was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and now resides in Chicago SAWYER SMITH (Singer) CHICAGO: Recently they’ve been seen in Ms.Blakk for President (Steppenwolf Theatre); Something Rotten, Madagascar (Marriott Theatre); Pippin, The Producers, The Addams Family (Mercury Theater); An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages (Drury Lane Theatre); Rent, Cats, The Producers, A Chorus Line (Paramount Theatre). AWARDS: 2016 Jeff Award recipient for their Choreography in Heathers: The Musical (Kokandy Productions). EDUCATION: BFA Musical Theatre, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University

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DANIEL PETERS (Guitar) CHICAGO: Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale (Broadway Playhouse); Rock of Ages, Mama Mia! (Drury Lane Oak Brook); Grease (Marriott Lincolnshire), Skates the Musical (Royal George Theater). BROADWAY: Rock of Ages (Helen Hayes Theater). REGIONAL: Rock of Ages (Casa Mañana Theatre), Rock of Ages (Pittsburgh CLO). ADDITIONAL: Blue Man Group’s Emotibots, Dee Snider, Lizzy Hale, Kristin Chenoweth, Under the Streetlamp, Rocktopia, Otis Rush, Jools Holland, Joe Piscopo.

CHUCK WEBB (Bass) TOURS: Hamilton, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Aretha Franklin, Grover Washington Jr., Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, and many others. Webb serves as an adjunct professor in the Music Department at Columbia College Chicago. Webb is also a writer, producer, and has performed on hundreds of records, commercial jingles, and soundtracks.

As owner of Earth Tone Enterprises production company, Webb has produced and composed the scores for major motion picture releases, a series of educational children’s CDs and two jazz CDs, all available through his website. (www.chuckwebbmusic.com) TAHIRAH WHITTINGTON (Cello) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Tug of War: Foreign Fire, 2016 Gala performance with Alan Cumming and Lance Horne. CHICAGO: Dear Evan Hansen (Nederlander Theatre); Hamilton: An American Musical (Broadway in Chicago). TOUR: Dear Evan Hansen. REGIONAL: Hero, Spring Awakening, October Sky (Marriott Theatre); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Camelot (Drury Lane Theater). FILM: Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. TELEVISION: Empire (FOX). STUDIO RECORDINGS: The Lion King (2019), Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift, John Legend’s Big Love and PJ Morton’s Gumbo Unplugged.

EDUCATION: bachelor’s degree, New England Conservatory; Master of Music in Cello Performance, The Juilliard School. Whittington performed the cello solo for Rhiannon Giddens’ “Cry No More” arranged by Michael Abels.

CREATIVE TEAM ROBERTA DUCHAK (Director/Music Supervisor) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night, SIX, Hamlet, The Little Mermaid, Romeo and Juliet the Musical— The People vs. Friar Lawrence, Murder for Two. CHICAGO: Little Shop of Horrors, South Pacific, 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, Chicago, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Crazy for You, Hazel, Billy Elliot, Les Misérables, West Side Story,

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White Christmas, Young Frankenstein, Hello, Dolly!, Oliver, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Spamalot, Gypsy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Miss Saigon (Drury Lane Theatre); Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre); The Story of My Life directed by Richard Maltby Jr. (Biograph Theater); The Original Grease (American Theatre Company); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Mercury Theater Chicago); musical supervisor for A Little Night Music (Writers Theatre). FILM: vocal coach for Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables. AWARDS: one Jeff Award, five nominations. ACTING: Mother in Ragtime (Broadway); Ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooge, Magnolia and Ellie in Showboat (national tour); Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chicago/national tour). Duchak has two vocal studios in the Chicago area.

M. DENNIS REMER, MDR CREATIVE (Production Design) A Michigan native, Remer moved to Chicago at seventeen to embark on his dream of stage design and theatrical lighting. While attending Columbia College, he was able to see that his love of transforming spaces went beyond the stage and he began a career in event production. Highlights include 2020 DNC and 2021 Presidential Inaugural, Chicago Shakespeare Galas from 2003–present, Nick Offerman’s Full Bush tour, Showtime at the Apollo, Lollapalooza, Target’s Fall National Meeting, Teamsters Convention, NFL Draft, Justin Timberlake Super Bowl Halftime Show as well as fashion events, galas, and private events throughout the United States. He was part of the Emmy Award winning team for Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and was named one of Biz Bash’s “Most Innovative Event Professionals.” “No matter how over the top it is, Dennis Remer’s attention to detail and ability to produce a client’s vision is what sets him apart from the rest.”

RICK BOYNTON (Creative Producer) focuses on current and future artistic planning and production, as well as the development of all new plays, musicals, and adaptations for Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST). Projects include: SIX (CST, American Repertory Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Broadway), The Book of Joseph, Ride the Cyclone (CST, MCC, 5th Avenue/ACT, Alliance Theatre), Sense and Sensibility (CST, Old Globe), Cadre (co-director) (CST,Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Edinburgh, Vancouver), Othello: The Remix (CST, London, Germany, Edinburgh, South Korea, New York), Funk It Up About Nothin’ (CST, Edinburgh, Australian tour, London), A Flea in Her Ear (CST, Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Three Musketeers (CST, Boston, London), The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Murder for Two (CST, New York), and The Feast: an intimate Tempest (in collaboration with Redmoon). Former artistic director of the Marriott Theatre and multiple Jeff Award-winning actor, he has starred in productions nationally, including CST’s production of A Flea in Her Ear as Camille (Jeff Award, After Dark Award). As casting director/associate at Jane Alderman Casting, projects included: the television series Early Edition, Missing Persons, Untouchables, and ER; the films

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While You Were Sleeping and Hoodlum, among others; and numerous national tours. Boynton has lectured at his alma mater Northwestern University and is the former president of the board of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.

CHRIS PLEVIN (CST Director of Production) has directed the production efforts of Chicago Shakespeare Theater since 2007, leading the team in managing the design, realization, and operation of over 225 produced and international productions. He serves as a senior member of the leadership team, collaborating on the Theater’s strategic, programmatic, and operational planning. He served as a lead project manager of an international team in the design and creation of CST’s revolutionary and globally acclaimed new multi-form performance space, The Yard. He works closely in the realization of Chicago Shakespeare’s access and outreach programming, having piloted and planned the operations and growth of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. Plevin has provided strategic and operational consulting services for Category 41 Experiential, a Los Angeles based firm developing entertainment that explores the boundaries between the digital and the physical. He previously served as the production manager for Uma Productions and the production manager of the National High School Institute at Northwestern University where he was also an instructor and mentor in the stage management program. Plevin has been a speaker for various production and design process classes at Northwestern University, DePaul University, Columbia College, and Roosevelt University.

He holds a degree in Theater and a certificate in Project Management from Northwestern University.

CAREY DEADMAN (Music Producer and Orchestrator) An active trumpet player in the Chicago music scene since 1985, Deadman has had the pleasure of performing with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sting, Adam Levine, Celine Dion, Michael Bublè, Hugh Jackman, and many others. Favorite theater shows include Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Producers with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, Fosse (featured trumpet soloist), Sophisticated Ladies (Drury Lane), Movin’ Out (pre-Broadway), and Ragtime. Television appearances include Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach, Ron Isley, David Foster, Bernadette Peters, Amy Grant, and Under the Streetlamp. As an orchestrator, Deadman has written for several artists including Frank Sinatra, Peter Cetera, Lyle Lovett, Diana Ross, and has written hundreds of TV and radio commercials, as well as many of the orchestrations at the Drury Lane Theater. Currently, Deadman stays active in the recording studio, producing music for albums and video, and is also collaborating with Roberta Duchak in a new business enterprise called CabaretandConcerts.com.

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CHARLOTTE RIVARD-HOSTER (Music Director/ Keyboard) CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Emma. CHICAGO: Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, Little Mermaid (Paramount Theatre); Into the Woods (Writers Theatre); Queen of the Mist (Firebrand Theatre); Fun Home (Victory Gardens Theater); Marry Me A Little (Porchlight Music Theatre); Urinetown (Jeff Award Nomination­— Music Direction, BoHo Theatre Company); Bat Boy (Griffin Theatre Company); Heathers (Kokandy Productions); Methtacular! (About Face Theatre).

REGIONAL: Cardinal Stage. EDUCATION: Berklee College of Music.

BOB MASON (Artistic Associate/Casting Director) recently celebrated his twentieth anniversary as CST’s casting director, where his credits include over 125 productions and thirty-two plays in Shakespeare’s canon. In addition to numerous productions with Barbara Gaines, other productions of note include: a host of Sondheim musicals (Pacific Overtures, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, Passion, Road Show, Gypsy, directed by Gary Griffin); SIX, the Musical (CST, Broadway, A.R.T., Ordway Center, the Citadel); Ride the Cyclone, directed by Rachel Rockwell (CST, off-Broadway at MCC, Fifth Avenue/ACT, the Alliance); Rose Rage: Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3, directed by Edward Hall (CST, the Duke on 42nd St); and The Molière Comedies, directed by and starring Brian Bedford. He also directed and co-created Shakespeare Tonight! with Beckie Menzie, as part of CST’s Shakespeare 400 Festival. Prior to casting, Mason enjoyed a career as a Jeff Award-winning actor and singer, and has been a visiting educator for Northwestern University, the School at Steppenwolf, the Guthrie BFA program, Acting Studio Chicago, and DePaul, Columbia, and Roosevelt University, among others. He currently hosts Speak the Speech, a free bi-weekly webinar that coaches actors in classical pieces of text.

MATT HOFFMAN, HMS MEDIA (Television Director/Editor) is a multiple Emmy Award winner who earned a degree in television management from The Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. He supervises and directs HMS’ major multicamera shoots for broadcast specials, most recently directing The Hip Hop Nutcracker for PBS, executive produced by Eva Price.

Hoffman directed the multi-Emmy winning public television special CHICAGO VOICES featuring Renée Fleming, John Prine, Jessie Mueller, and many others.

In 2015 he directed the PBS primetime special First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb. He also directed A Christmas Carol—The Concert, three Under the Streetlamp specials, and the concert film Celtic Woman: Emerald, which was released on DVD, Blu-ray and on iTunes after its PBS airing. In 1990, Hoffman was awarded his first Emmy for directing Why Am I Hiding, a groundbreaking documentary about the survivors of sexual assault hosted by L.A. Law’s Susan Ruttan. In 2007 Hoffman won two Emmy Awards for directing and editing

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Getting There, a dance performance documentary featuring Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. In 2012 he won for directing the electrifying performance documentary Dance For Life which critics called “nothing short of stunning.”

Hoffman’s Broadway and national tour press-footage directorial credits include: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Jagged Little Pill, Oklahoma, Slave Play, The Cher Show, The Band’s Visit, Fun Home, Waitress, Beautiful, and many others. Hoffman serves on the advisory board of Lucky Plush Productions.

JOSHUA L. ISHMON (Choreographer for “Shine So Bright”) Joshua L. Ishmon was born and raised in Gary, IN. He is a 2007 graduate of Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts, where he also studied with Ballet Chicago and M.A.D.D. Rhythms. After graduating, Ishmon joined Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2 and in 2009 matriculated into the 1st company. He is now a co-rehearsal director, a co-founder and the artistic/producing director of Deeply Rooted’s Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase, in addition to continuing to dance with the company. Ishmon is also a member of Winifred R. Harris’ Between Lines (Denver, CO), Seamless Dance Theater (Kansas City, MO), a guest artist with Ballet Chicago as well as Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and has shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin. Ishmon is always in a constant pursuit of deepening his artistry, continuing to grow, and must pay homage to the amazing people whose shoulders he stands on.

NICOLE CLARKE-SPRINGER (Artistic Director, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater) began formal training under the guidance of Claudette Soltis (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Joliet Ballet Society) and the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre under Dace Diodonis. She received her B.S. in arts administration-dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, where she was honored as Butler Ballet’s Outstanding Performer. Shortly after graduating from Butler, Clarke-Springer found her dance home within the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater family as an apprentice and later a company member. As a member of Deeply Rooted, she had the opportunity to perform with Roberta Flack in Kevin Iega Jeff’s Flack, as well as Jennifer Holiday in the world-renowned Penumbra Theatre’s Black Nativity.

After leaving the company she taught as an adjunct professor in Western Kentucky University’s Dance Department. While there, she toured with the Clifton Brown Dance Company to Istanbul, Turkey. Clarke-Springer returned to the Deeply family as dance education director and artistic team member in 2007. She has presented her choreography in Durban, South Africa, and Sophia, Bulgaria, as well as worked with and performed for choreographers such as Katherine Dunham, Matthew Rushing, and recording artist Jeffrey Obsborne.

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TO BE 4/23 ARTIST BIOS

She teaches and choreographs throughout the country, has been on faculty as an adjunct professor at Chicago State University and Western Kentucky University, and is currently on staff at Northwestern University. Crediting the Deeply Rooted mission, Clarke-Springer works to create an environment where artists participate in a process that is not only spiritually affirming but requires open and honest dialogue that leads to self-reflection, constructive feedback, and accountability to the work required. Clarke-Springer was appointed artistic director of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in September 2019.

BARBARA GAINES (Artistic Director/Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair) has directed nearly sixty productions at Chicago Shakespeare since founding the Theater in 1986, including thirty of Shakespeare’s plays. Honors include the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the prestigious Honorary OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her contributions strengthening British-American cultural relations, the Making History Award, as well as multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best Production and for Best Director. Gaines has directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and The Old Globe in San Diego.

CRISS HENDERSON (Executive Director) has produced the Theater’s past thirty seasons. Under his leadership, CST has become one of Chicago’s most celebrated cultural organizations and a leading American regional theater, honored with the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, as well as multiple Laurence Olivier and Joseph Jefferson Awards. He oversaw the Theater’s move to its home on Navy Pier in 1999 and led the recent development of The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. In 2016 he spearheaded the citywide, yearlong celebration of Shakespeare’s legacy, Shakespeare 400 Chicago. Henderson has garnered multiple honors, including: the 2013 Cultural Innovation Award from the Chicago Innovation Awards; Arts Administrator of the Year by Arts Management Magazine at the Kennedy Center; recognition in Crain’s Chicago Business “40 under 40”; and the Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture of France. In 2019, with Barbara Gaines, he was honored with the Making History Award, given to Chicagoans whose contributions to the city have made it “a better and more vibrant place to live.” Henderson has served on the boards of directors of the League of Chicago Theatres and Arts Alliance Illinois, and for many years as president of the Producers’ Association of Chicago-area Theaters. Henderson is director of DePaul University’s MFA/Arts Leadership Program, a two-year graduate-level curriculum in arts management training created through a joint partnership between Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The Theatre School.

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TO BE 4/23 Team TO BE 4/23 PRODUCTION TEAM Liz Anne Larsen Bethany Curtis Project Coordinators

Arianna Brown Bradley Buri Brian Elston Tyler Guynes Dan Nurczyk

ROOFTOP MUSICAL PERFORMANCES VIDEO RECORDING & EDITING John Ford Joe Lukawski Camera Operators

Cameron Frazier

ASL INTERPRETATION Elizabeth Bartlow Breslin (Ci/Ct)

SPECIAL THANKS Navy Pier

Jib Operator

TLC Lighting

Tom McCosky

TC Furlong

Lighting Crew

Drone Operator

Rene Larsen

Dan Schreck Mat Piotrowski

Ken Dabek

Sound Crew

Carli Angone Alex Cirillo Dean Muench

Jack Birdwell Scenery Crew

Location Audio Recording

Assistants

Alice Broughton Jess Kenyon

Sean Glover & Jill Remis Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications Mary Patrick Jessica Smith

Wardrobe

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Staff Barbara Gaines

Criss Henderson

Artistic Director Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair

Executive Director

ARTISTIC

Marty Tilton TO BE 4/23 Copyist

HUMAN RESOURCES/ COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Sawyer Smith

Ty Woodfolk

TO BE 4/23 Dance Captain

Director of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion

Daniel J. Hess

Associate Producer

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Doreen Sayegh

Marilyn J. Halperin

Human Resources Manager/ Finance Associate

Rick Boynton Creative Producer

Bob Mason Artistic Associate/Casting Director

Aislinn Frantz

Producing Associate /Manager of International and Special Projects

Director of Education and Communications Ray and Judy McCaskey Chair

Alexis Taylor

Jason Harrington

Casting Assistant

Education Outreach Manager

Mikey Gray

Sara B.T. Thiel, PhD

Assistant to the Creative Producer

Public Humanities Manager

Paige Whitson-Martini Arts Leadership Fellow

Company Manager

Dan Grycza

FINANCE Linda Orellana Director of Finance

Alana Rybak Assistant Director of Finance

Alysse Hunter Accounting Manager

Kathleen Hechinger Finance Consultant

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CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER STAFF

ADVANCEMENT Dottie Bris-Bois Director of Development

Jenny Seidelman Director of Partnerships

Kristen Caruso

Robert L. Wilson

PJH & Associates, Inc.

Scenery Supervisor

Event Consultant

Ryan Magnuson

Medical Program For Performing Artists/ Maria E. Reese, MD

Costume Shop Manager

Cathy Tantillo Costume Design Assistant

Medical Services

Senior Advancement Manager/ Board Liaison

Mac Vaughey

Aon Private Risk Management

Lighting Supervisor

Insurance Services

Karl Sissman

Alec Thorne

Individual Giving Manager

Assistant Lighting Supervisor

Amanda Owens

Jonathan Hill

Advancement Coordinator

Sound Supervisor

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP McDermott Will and Emery Nevin Law Group, PLLC

Joseph E. Disbrow

MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND GUEST SERVICES

Sound Crew Head

Julie Stanton

Interim Prop Supervisor

Persephone Lawrence-Wescott

Director of Marketing and Sales

Legal Services

Regina Buccola, PhD Scholar-In-Residence

Stephen Bennett, PhD Katie Blankenau, PhD Casey Caldwell, PhD Elizabeth Charlebois, PhD Vanessa Corredera, PhD Rebecca Fall, PhD

Public Relations Director

OPERATIONS/ IT/ FACILITIES

Makeda Cohran

Deborah Vandergrift

Events Director

General Manager

Guest Lecturers

Cathy Taylor

Susan Knill

Public Relations Consultant

Facilities and Operations Director

Michael Brosilow Justin Barbin Bill Burlingham Vashon Jordan Liz Lauren Michael Litchfield Joe Mazza Jasmine Oliver Chuck Osgood Vito Palmisano Jeff Sciortino James Steinkamp

Hannah Kennedy

Abigail Toth Digital Marketing Manager

Jessica Connor Marketing and Communications Associate

Daniel Walters

Jeanne Devore Technology Manager

Kevin Spellman Technology and Innovation Specialist

Marketing and Communications Designer

Daniel Lopez

Mikayla Shaw

Felix Ross

Marketing Assistant

Custodial Assistant

Bessie Bess Amber Gougis Micah Hazel

CONSULTANTS AND SPECIAL SERVICES

Guest Services Associates

Assistant Facilities Manager

Photographers

HMS Media, Inc. Calvin Steinken Video Production

Kara Riopelle Strategic Projects Director

PRODUCTION Chris Plevin

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP

Director Of Production

Auditor

Jeff Williams

Jasculca Terman

Associate Director of Production

Public Relations Consultant

Alexa Berkowitz

Fundraising Consultant

Campbell & Company

Production Office Manager

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