The White Road

Presents
The White Road
by Karen Tarjan
Directed by
Robert Kauzlaric+
Production Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Set Design
Lighting Design
Projections Design
Costume Design
Sound Design and Original Music
Dialect Design
Dramaturg
Properties Master
Master Builder
Jen Bukovsky+*
Emily Dillard
Ira Amyx+***, Merje Veski***
Julian Pike+**
Smooch Medina
Allison Amidei
Victoria Deiorio
Elise Kauzlaric
Annaliese McSweeney
Ian Jerome
John Peplinski***
This program is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state
agency, the City Arts I Program of the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the
Richard H. Dreihaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.
+Denotes member of Irish Theatre of Chicago (formerly Seanachaí Theatre Company)
*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association
**Denotes member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
***Denotes member of IATSE
The White Road
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CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEAR ANCE)
Ernest Shackleton..................................................................................................................... Paul Dunckel
Crean......................................................................................................................................... Matthew Isler+
Wild..................................................................................................................................... Michael McKeogh
Hurley........................................................................................................................................... Neal Starbird
Worsley........................................................................................................................................Kevin Theis+*
Orde-Lees................................................................................................................................ Joseph Stearns
McIlroy...................................................................................................................................... Nicholas Bailey
McNeish.......................................................................................................................................Steve Herson
Vincent....................................................................................................................................Stephen Walker
Blackborrow.............................................................................................................................. Gage Wallace
Understudies: Peter Gerharz, Ian Jerome, Royen Kent, and Jeff Kurysz
The play will be performed with one ten-minute intermission.
The White Road is presented by special arrangement.
T H E I R I S H T H E AT R E O F C H I C AG O E N S E M B L E
Ira Amyx (Co-Artistic Director), Brad Armacost*, Jen Bukovsky*, Jeff Christian*,
Erin Diener*, Jeff Duhigg, Barbara Figgins, Jacquelyn Flaherty, Jeri Frederickson*
(Associate Artistic Director), Coburn Goss*, Michael Grant* (Co-Artistic Director),
Matt Isler, Robert Kauzlaric, Shane Kenyon, Jodi Kingsley, Carolyn Kruse, Julian Pike,
Anne Sunseri, Kevin Theis*, Dan Waller*, Sarah Wellington, and Jamie L. Young
I R I S H T H E AT R E O F C H I C AG O E N S E M B L E E M E R I T U S
Mac Brandt, Matt Gibson, Thomas Vincent Kelly, Kate Martin, Dan Michel,
Ann Noble, Catherine O’Connor, Karen Tarjan and Andrew J. Turner
T H E I R I S H T H E AT R E O F C H I C AG O B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
Amie Marks (President), Marlena Ascher, Jack Blakey, Michael Cox,
Michael Grant, and Martin Murray.
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Irish Theatre of Chicago
SPECIAL THANKS
All the folks at The Den Theatre, Northwest Arts Connection, Brendan and Siobhan
McKinney and Chief O’Neill’s Pub and Restaurant, Jhenai Mootz and Joe Bowen and
everyone at Renegade Websites, Mikhail Fiksel, Matt Kahler, Jim Hoban and The
Four Corners Taverns Group, Ben Munro and The Grafton Pub, Northeastern Illinois
University, Joe Mazza with Brave Lux Photography, Emily Schwartz, John Grant, Lynne
Jordan, The Shivers, Jay Neander, John & Dawn Palmer, Thad King, the Driehaus
Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the City Arts Program
and the City of Chicago, the Illinois Arts Council, Charles River Associates, The Red
Lion Lincoln Square, The Atlantic Bar & Grill, Martin Murray, Renee Murray, Amie
Marks, Marlena Ascher, Guinness, The Saints, Hero Solutions, Cynthia Judge, B Dubov
Designs, Kathy O’Neill, the staff of the Fifth Province pub at the Irish American Heritage
Center, the Artistic Home, Lookingglass Theatre, Timeline Theatre, My Gym, Sara Jean
McCarthy, Farmhouse Tavern, Revolution Brewing, Comfy Fitness, Few Distillery, The
Poetry Foundation, W.W. Grainger, Jo Cattell, Siiri Scott, Peter V.N. Henderson, Clare
O’Connor, Ned Mochel, Lifeline Theatre, Laura Krueger, Stephen J. Rose, John Ferrick,
Andrea Jablonski, Alla Yanovsky, Karin Andersson and the North Park University Center
for Scandinavian Studies, Kyle Korynta at The Department of Scandinavian Studies at
The University of Washington, Raymond James Financial Services and Women in the
Know and a very special thanks to our Board of Directors.
The White Road
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CAST BIOGR APHIES
Nicholas Bailey
(McIlroy) is making his
ITC debut. Other
Chicago credits include
The Submission (Pride
Films & Plays), A Tale of
Two Cities, The Woman
in White (Lifeline Theatre), A Soldier’s Play,
Bang the Drum Slowly (Raven Theatre), and
Dirty Blonde (BoHo Theatre). Regional
credits include the world premiere of
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the
Suicide Club (Arizona Theatre Company),
Much Ado About Nothing (Indiana Festival
Theatre), and The Fox on the Fairway (Old
Log Theater). Film/TV/radio credits include
the upcoming feature Not Welcome,
Scrooge & Marley, Conquest of America, and
various commercials and voiceovers.
Nicholas is represented by Big Mouth
Talent. www.nicholasbailey.info
Paul Dunckel (Ernest
Shackleton) is an
ensemble member of
the Piven Theatre and
has performed in many
productions there
including Someone
Who’ll Watch Over Me, Our Country’s Good,
Mad Forest, King Lear, Book of Days, Great
Expectations, and American Voices. Other
Chicago credits include Life is a Dream, and
The Night Season (Vitalist Theatre), The
Farnsworth Invention (Timeline), The Night
of the Iguana, The Seagull, and A Few Good
Men (Raven), Opus (Redtwist), and Flare
Path (Griffin). He has also performed with
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Stage Left
and others. Television credits include
featured roles on The Chicago Code (FOX),
and Chicago Fire (NBC). This is his first
production with ITC. The White Road marks
Paul’s return to the stage after the birth of
his son, Galileo, to whom he dedicates his
performance.
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Irish Theatre of Chicago
Steve Herson
(McNeish) is so very
pleased to be working
with ITC and to be a
part of telling this
fantastic story of the
human spirit and
endurance. Most recently he played the
role of The Caretaker in Seven Homeless
Mammoths Wander New England at Theatre
Wit. He is an Artistic Associate of the great
Wildclaw Theatre where he has performed
in The Life of Death, Carmilla, The Great God
Pan and others. He shared a Jeff for Best
Ensemble in Twelve Angry Men at Raven
Theatre. For Lakeside Shakespeare, he
appeared in Henry V as Pistol/Archbishop
of Canterbury and in Love’s Labour’s Lost as
Don Armado. Steve has also worked with
Northlight Theatre, Mary-Arrchie, Organic,
and European Rep, among others. He
recently finished up filming Gray Matter,
based on a Stephen King short story and
will begin The Northwoods next year. Other
film work includes the multi-festival award
winning Dead Weight, Colombiana, and The
Drunk. TV credits: Chicago PD and The
Playboy Club. He dedicates his performance
to his wife and author of this play, Karen
Tarjan.
Matthew Isler+ (Crean)
was born and raised in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania and
studied Theatre at
Indiana University.
Matthew is a graduate
of the Second City Conservatory Program
and his credits include Mercutio in Romeo
and Juliet, Morten in Red and Green with
Akvavit Theatre, Gus in The City of Dreadful
Night, and Halldor in Akvavit’s production
of Mishap! Matthew first worked with ITC
as an understudy for the role of Nicky in
The Seafarer where he was able step in for
nine performances; he later played the role
of Dean in Lay Me Down Softly. He is now
CAST BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
extremely proud to call the Irish Theatre of
Chicago his artistic home. Matthew
recently made his Directing debut with
Akvavit’s Co-Directed production of They
Died Where They Lied. As ever, Matthew
needs to thank his family for the love and
support that he has always received from
them.
Michael McKeogh
(Wild) his Chicago
credits include: Hamlet
in Hamlet (Oak Park
Festival Theatre); Col.
Joshua Lawrence
Chamberlain in The
Killer Angels (Lifeline Theatre); Dmitri in
Concerning Strange Devices From the Distant
West (TimeLine Theatre); Dr. Greenberg in
Freshly Fallen Snow (Chicago Dramatists)
and most recently, co-hosted The Chicago
Symphony Orchestra’s holiday show
Welcome Yule! Other regional credits
include: Mr. Brown in The 20th Century Way
(The Know Theatre, Cincinnati); Algernon
in The Importance of Being Ernest (Play
Phare Theatre, NYC) and Roderigo in
Othello (Boston TheatreWorks). In 2012,
Michael received an MFA in Acting from
The Theatre School at DePaul University.
He is represented by Paonessa Talent.
Joseph Stearns (OrdeLees) is making his
debut on the Irish
Theatre of Chicago
stage. He is the founder
and co-artistic director
of Signal Ensemble
Theatre. Recent credits there include Red
Bud, The Next Thing, Plainsong, Princes of
Waco, Successors, Hostage Song, Aftermath.
He also recently appeared with Fox Valley
Repertory - Brighton Beach Memoirs, City Lit
Theater - Comrades Mine, The Strange Tree
Group - The Half-Brothers Mendelssohn,
Goodbye Cruel World, The Right Brain
Project - ...And They Put Handcuff on the
Flowers, and Chalk. Love to Mom, Dad, Liz
and Arthur.
Kevin Theis+*
(Worsley) has been an
ensemble member
with ITC since 2000, but
his work with the
company goes all the
way back to 1996 when
he directed Helen Edmundson’s The
Clearing, the company’s second
production. He has since directed three
more shows for ITC: The Pagans, Drink Me,
and A Moon for the Misbegotten. As an
actor, Kevin has appeared with ITC in
Neal Starbird (Hurley)
Dancing at Lughnasa, Our Father, The Weir,
is glad to be
and was part of this past season’s Jeff
performing with Irish
Award-winning ensemble of The Seafarer.
Theatre for the first
An actor/director, Kevin has appeared with
time. Recent credits
or helmed productions for a number of
include The Arsonists
Chicago companies. He has performed at
(Strawdog), Social
the Goodman Theatre, Next Theatre,
Creatures (Tympanic), Heist Play and Facing Lifeline, City Lit, Buffalo Theatre, Oak Park
Angela (The Ruckus), and Speaking in
Festival, Peninsula Players and CT20
Tongues (Interrobang). He is an Artistic
Ensemble, where he served as Artistic
Associate with The Ruckus. Growing up, he Director. He has directed at, among others,
remembers sitting happily next to his
City Lit Theatre, greasy joan & co., CT20
father watching movies like Das Boot, The
Ensemble, Oak Park Festival and Lifeline
Dirty Dozen, and Paint Your Wagon. He
Theatre (where he staged last year’s hit
suspects he’s finally doing the perfect show production of Terry Prachett’s Monstrous
for Dad.
The White Road
5
CAST BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
Regiment). He has been nominated for
three Jeff Awards for his directing work and
for Principal Actor as Edward in Oak Park
Festival’s Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.
Stephen Walker
(Vincent) is delighted
to be working again
with Irish Theatre of
Chicago, having
previously performed
in War by Roddy Doyle.
Recent Chicago stage credits include The
Coward with Stage Left Theatre and Hellish
Half-Light with Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Gage Wallace
(Blackborrow) is thrilled
to be making his ITC
debut with The White
Road. Gage is a proud
Founding and
Company Member with
Red Theater (Chicago, Lincoln, and Omaha)
as well as a member of the Associate
Ensemble with Trap Door Theatre. Chicago
Credits: Trap Door Theatre (Cookie Play,
Tommy), Red Theater-Chicago (Schweyk in
the Second World War, Prochazka; Red
Hamlet, Hamlet; Dylan, Dylan Thomas;
Three Soldiers for Sisters, Misfit), Red Tape
Theatre (Mnemonic, Ensemble), Nothing
Without a Company (Alice, White Rabbit).
Regional: Nebraska Shakes (A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Peter Quince; Romeo and
Juliet, Romeo), Flatwater Shakes (Two
Gentlemen of Verona, Proteus), Haymarket
Theatre (Orphans, Phillip). As a
performance poet, Gage has been seen on
regional and national stages. www.
gagewallace.com
Peter Gerharz (U/S Shackleton, Worsley)
is very excited to be understudying for the
roles of Shackleton and Worsley for ITC.
Originally from Lombard, IL, Peter began
acting at Glenbard East High School and
continued his theater education at Indiana
6
Irish Theatre of Chicago
University. He has recently moved back
to Chicago after 11 years on the west
coast in the San Francisco Bay area, and is
overjoyed to return home. Credits include
Duke Frederick in As You Like It, Ralphie in
In the Boom Boom Room, The Gentleman
Caller in The Glass Menagerie, and Argante
in Scapino!
Ian Jerome (U/S Wild, McNeish, Vincent,
Properties Designer) is thrilled to be
working with Irish Theatre of Chicago again
where he previously understudied a role
in The Seafarer and also stage managed
their production of Hughie. In Chicago he
has appeared on stage in Fanny’s First Play
with 20% Theatre and in A Muse in Love
and Crossing Six Corners with Filament
Theatre Ensemble. Ian is originally from
Idaho where he’s toured with the Idaho
Shakespeare Festival’s production of H.G
Wells: The Science of Fiction and graduated
from Boise State University.
Royen Kent (U/S Orde-Lees, McIlroy)
Royen Kent is thrilled to debut with Irish
Theatre of Chicago. He most recently
appeared in The Full Monty with Kokandy
Productions and Griffin Theatre’s acclaimed
Titanic. Other recent credits include: The
Killer Angels (Lifeline Theatre), Cymbeline
(First Folio Theatre), Six Degrees of
Separation (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre),
and A Little Night Music (Writers Theatre).
He’s a proud alumnus of Vanguard
University of Southern California, where
his performances include Souvenir, Twelfth
Night, Alice in Concert and the title role
in Romeo & Juliet. He extends limitless
gratitude to Rob and Karen. Please enjoy
this amazing show!
Jeff Kurysz (U/S Blackborrow, Hurley,
Crean) is very excited to be working with
The Irish Theatre of Chicago for the first
time. He was last seen in Lifeline Theatre’s
One Came Home and will be attending the
School at Steppenwolf this summer. Other
CAST BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
Chicago credits include: Wilhelm Grimm
in Hansel and Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious
Musical (Emerald City Theatre); Venticello
1 in Amadeus (Boho Theatre); Romeo in
Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista); Claudio in
Much Ado About Nothing (The Arc Theatre);
Chris Keller in All My Sons (Eclectic Theatre);
John in Dark of the Moon (New American
Folk Theatre); Richmond in Richard III
(Wayward Productions); Fortinbras in Red
Hamlet (Red Theater Chicago *Company
Member*) He was also seen in a recurring
role on NBC’s Crisis and is represented by
Big Mouth Talent.
PRODUCTION TEA M BIOGR APHIES
Karen Tarjan (Playwright) is one of the
Irish Theatre founders and served as an
ensemble member and Board Member
from 1995 to 2003. She appeared in And
Neither Have I Wings to Fly, The Clearing,
Chekhov in Yalta, Translations, Marked Tree,
The Pagans and Dylan and returned to
the fold to create the “fast forward dream
ballet” for their production of War. She
is also a founding member of another
long-standing company, Boston’s Beau
Jest Moving Theatre, which is still running
strong after over 30 years. Karen is an
Artistic Associate of Wildclaw Theatre
and has crafted many of the unusual
movement sequences in their productions
of The Great God Pan, Dreams in the Witch
House, Legion, Carmilla and The Life of
Death. Her adaptations of The Overcoat,
The Two Towers (with James Sie), The Return
of the King, and The Killer Angels (2004 and
2013) have all been produced at Lifeline
Theatre. The Killer Angels has also been
played at theatres across the country
including Mother Road in New Mexico
and Wayside in Virginia. The White Road is
Karen’s first original play.
Robert Kauzlaric+ (Director) is a proud
member of the ITC ensemble. Recent
directing credits include Cymbeline (Wilde
Award: Best of the Bard), She Stoops To
Conquer, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Wilde Award:
Best of the Bard), and Tartuffe (Wilde
Award: Best Comedy) for the Michigan
Shakespeare Festival; as well as the world
premieres of Chris Hainsworth’s adaptation
of Hunger and John Hildreth’s adaptation
of Treasure Island, both at Lifeline Theatre.
As an actor, Robert has appeared with
ITC as Mush in A Whistle in the Dark, Denis
in War, Oscar in Our Father, and Mojo in
Mojo Mickybo. As a playwright, Robert has
written over a dozen theatrical adaptations
which have been produced in nearly 40
U.S. states, as well as in England, Ireland
and Canada, including The Island of Dr.
Moreau (2008 Non-Equity Jeff Awards:
Production-Play and New Adaptation) and
Neverwhere (2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award:
New Adaptation). Much love to Karen for
this grand adventure.
Allison Amidei (Costume Designer) has
previously designed Bold Girls, A Whistle in
the Dark, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Weir,
Hughie, and Shining City for ITC. She is the
artistic director of WildClaw Theatre and
an ensemble member and designer at
Strawdog Theatre Company and Lifeline.
Her costume and makeup designs have
also been seen at Michigan Shakespeare
Festival, Buffalo Theater Ensemble, Stage
Left, Artistic Home, House Theater of
Chicago, Piven Workshop, Teatro Vista, and
Vitalist Theater. She works as the costume
and makeup coordinator for the College
of DuPage theater and dance department.
Upcoming designs include the costumes
for Soon I Will Be Invincible at Lifeline and
makeup for WildClaw’s Motel 666 at the
DCASE storefront theatre.
The White Road
7
PRODUCTION TEA M BIOGR APHIES
Ira Amyx+*** (Co-Set Designer/Co-Artistic
Director) is a Chicago-based freelance
artist working as a theater practitioner
and in the Art Department of Film/TV/
Commercials. An ensemble member since
2012, Ira has appeared in The Seafarer
(Winner Best Ensemble, nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Equity
Jeff Awards), In Pigeon House and That
Was Then (Nominated Best Actor in a
Supporting Role, Equity Jeff Awards). He
also co-designed the set for A Moon For
The Misbegotten (Nominated Best Scenic
Design, Equity Jeff Awards). Around Town
Ira has been seen on stage at Steppenwolf,
Strawdog and The Strangetree Goup
among others. He directed and coproduced the world premiere of
Shakespeare’s King Phycus at The Building
Stage in 2010 (Winner Best Ensemble, NonEquity Jeff Awards). Ira performed in five
seasons at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival;
other favorite credits include Chris in All My
Sons, Vladimir in Waiting For Godot, Owen
in Translations, and James Tyrone Jr. in A
Moon For the Misbegotten. Television credits
include Shameless (Showtime), Sirens
(USA), Resurrecting McGinns, HitMen, Rogers
Park, The Dwarves of Demrel. Ira is co-owner
of Hero Solutions, a prop, set and special
effects studio serving the Chicagoland
film and commercial community. He
holds a B.A. in Dramatic Writing and
Acting from Boise State University and an
M.F.A. in acting from Indiana University.
Representation: Paonessa Talent Agency.
Jen Bukovsky+* (Stage Manager)
is excited to be a member of the ITC
ensemble, having recently stage managed
Lay Me Down Softly and Shining City. She
is also an ensemble member of the Den
Theatre and her other Chicago stage
management credits include: The Drawer
Boy and Hank Williams: Lost Highway with
Filament Theatre Ensemble, and Faith
Healer and Quality of Life with the Den
Theatre. Previously, she stage managed for
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Irish Theatre of Chicago
c o n t.
the Roanoke Children’s Theater and worked
as a stage manager and video editor for
the Miss Virginia Pageant. Jen has a B.A.
in Directing and Dramatic Literature from
Christopher Newport University.
Victoria (Toy) Deiorio (Original Music and
Sound Design) is so happy to be back with
Irish Theatre of Chicago having designed
Shining City, Moon for the Misbegotten,
Shadow of a Gunman, War and Bold Girls.
Off-Broadway Productions: A Christmas
Carol – St. Clement’s Theatre, Two Point
Oh – 59E59th St., Cassie’s Chimera – Joe’s
Pub, The Public Theatre, The Bluest Eye –
Steppenwolf Theatre @ The Duke Theatre,
and Ophelia – NYC Fringe Festival. National
Tour: Private Lives – LA Theatre Works.
Productions with: Oregon Shakespeare
Festival, The Goodman Theatre,
Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens
Theatre, Center Stage, Chautauqua
Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory,
Milwaukee Shakespeare, Milwaukee Rep,
Geva Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, and many
other theatres in and around Chicago, NY,
and LA. Victoria is a founding member
of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and a
member of Lifeline Theatre. She has been
nominated for 11 and has received 6
Joseph Jefferson Awards, as well as 2 After
Dark Awards. She is the head of Sound
Design for The Theatre School at DePaul
University. For more information visit
www.victoria-sound-design.com.
Emily Dillard (Assistant Stage Manager)
is excited to be working with the Irish
Theatre of Chicago for the first time. She
has recently worked for Theater Wit’s Mr.
Burns: a Post-Electric Play and Strawdog
Theatre Company’s Great Expectations and
The Arsonists. She was also the Assistant
Director for Monstrous Regiment at Lifeline
Theatre. Dillard recently directed The
Foreigner, Spark!: Broadway Revue, and The
Best of Times: Broadway Revue at Olivet
Nazarene University.
PRODUCTION TEA M BIOGR APHIES
Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Designer) is
happy to be working with ITC again after
coaching dialects for The Seafarer, Shadow
of a Gunman and Mojo Mickybo as well
as directing Dancing at Lughnasa. She
is a member of the artistic ensemble of
Lifeline Theatre where she has coached
numerous productions including The
Killer Angels, The Picture of Dorian Gray,
The Mark of Zorro, and The Piano Tuner.
She has also coached for Timeline, Griffin
Theatre, Signal Ensemble, the hypocrites,
Michigan Shakespeare Festival and others.
Twice nominated by the Non-Equity Jeff
Committee for her dialect work (Busman’s
Honeymoon at Lifeline and Punk Rock
at Griffin), she also directs and acts
around town, receiving a Non-Equity Jeff
nomination for her direction of Mariette in
Ecstasy (Lifeline) and Supporting Actress
nomination for her work in On the Shore
of the Wide World (Griffin). Elise teaches at
The Chicago College of Performing Arts at
Roosevelt University.
Annaliese McSweeney (Dramaturg) is
excited for this opportunity to work with
Irish Theatre of Chicago for the third time,
having served as Dramaturg for Shining
City and Lay Me Down Softly. Previously,
she worked on The Little Prince and In
the Garden at Lookingglass Theatre and
The People’s Temple at American Theatre
Company. She also works with the literary
departments at Steppenwolf, Stage Left
and Route 66 Theatre Companies. Her next
project is the new play, The Bottle Tree by
Beth Kander, which will appear in Stage
Left’s Leapfest this summer and All’s Well
That Ends Well that is currently running at
Theatre Wit. And of course, she wouldn’t
be able to do what she does without the
wonderful support of her own lovely
Irishman, Brían.
Smooch Medina (Projections Designer)
is excited to be working with The Irish
Theatre Company for the first time.
Some of his recent credits include
c o n t.
Projections for The Other Place with
Profiles Theater, RENT with Hemmens
Cultural Center, Down the Moonlit Path
with Nothing Without a Company and
most recently he worked with Chicago
Tap Theater designing projections for
their production of Tightwire. Upcoming
projects include Cinderella with Hinsdale
Dance Company and Next to Normal with
Hemmens Cultural Center. Smooch is the
Head of Lighting and Projection Design,
Technology and Education for Midwest
Event Solutions as well as the Senior
Stage Technician for Hemmens Cultural
Center. Smooch received a BFA in lighting
design from Columbia College Chicago SmoochDesign.com
Julian Pike+** (Lighting Designer) is
a freelance theatrical lighting designer
originally from the small town of Iron
Mountain, MI but claims Houghton, MI as
his hometown. He attended Alma College
in Alma, MI as a Psychology Major before
switching to Theatre & Dance, with an
Emphasis in Theatre. After graduation he
moved to Kansas City, MO to attend the
University of Missouri -Kansas City M.F.A.
program in Theatrical Design & Technology.
Upon graduating UMKC in 2003 he moved
to Chicago where he still resides with
his fiancé and two cats. While in Chicago
he has designed for several companies
that span varied genres of performance.
In addition to lighting design Julian has:
worked three seasons at the Lyric Opera
of Chicago as a Lighting Assistant, worked
two seasons at Chicago Opera Theater
as the Lighting Director & Assistant
Lighting Designer, assisted his mentor,
Victor En Yu Tan at the Goodman Theatre,
been the Master Electrician of Writer’s
Theater for one season, and worked as
the Rental Manager of Chicago Spotlight,
Inc. & Designlab Chicago. Julian is a proud
member of United Scenic Artists, Local
829, and to see a full bio & portfolio, please
visit http://julianpike.wix.com/julian-pikelighting.
The White Road
9
PRODUCTION TEA M BIOGR APHIES
Merje Veski*** (Co-Scenic Designer,
Painter) Originally from Estonia, Merje
lives in Chicago working as a designer
and decorator for film, television and
theater. Most recently she was the coscenic designer for Shining City at Irish
theatre of Chicago, where in 2012 she
co-designed A Moon For The Misbegotten,
Equity Jeff Nomination (Scenic Design).
Other theater credits include Quills (2001),
c o n t.
People Annihilation (2005, directed by Tracy
Letts) and Eva Peron (2007) for Trap Door
Theater. Merje designed for Catherine
Sullivan, media and video performances,
Tis A Pity She’s a Fluxus Whore (2003), Ice
Floes of Franz Joseph Land (2005 @ Whitney
Museum and The Chittendens (2005 TATE
Modern, UK). Merje was the Set Decorator
for The Conversation (2005) and Gardens of
Frau Hess (2005) for Pyewacket Theatre.
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