The Walls


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The Walls by Lisa Dillman April 17th, 2009			Cast Carrie - Lacy Campbell Lacy is delighted to make her Rivendell debut. She was most recently seen as Helena in Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night's Dream with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where she also appeared in Troilus and Cressida. Other credits include The House of Yes (Will Act for Food), several projects with Redmoon Theater including Twilight Orchard, and Loves Me…Loves Me Not; The Nose (Greasy Joan & Co.); The Well of the Saints (Irish Repertory of Chicago); and The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet (Crew of Patches Theatre Company). She frequently performs in That's Weird, Grandma with Barrel of Monkeys, where she is a proud company member. Film and television credits include featured roles on E.R. and Stranger Than Fiction.
At the Merle Reskin Garage Theatre 1650 N. Halsted, Chicago, IL 60614 As part of the visiting artists initiative at Click above for Tickets and information.			Virginia - Meighan Gerachis Meighan is proud to be a part of this collaboration. She has been a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble for 10 years; highlights include Wrens, My Simple City, and Lisa Dillman's Chiarascuro as part of the Momapalooza evening.. Meighan has been seen on stages all around town including Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Latino Chicago, Organic, Lifeline, Bailiwick and Noble Fool.
Reviews Chicago Sun Times "Stunning World Premiere" Centerstage "Must See Show" The Reader "full of compelling details conveyed with great nuance" Robertianish "sensational performances from a diverse and daring cast"			Alice - Tara M. Mallen Tara is a founding member and Artistic Director for Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. For Rivendell, Tara has both produced and performed in TWENTY-SEVEN WAGONS FULL OF COTTON; TEN TINYFINGERS, NINE TINY TOES; WRENS; MY SIMPLE CITY; HOLY DAYS; MOMMAPALOOZA!; THE CLINK; FACTORY GIRLS; FAULKNER’S BICYCLE; THE TRESTLE AT POPE LICK CREEK; INDULGENCES IN THE LOUISVILLE HAREM; SILENCE; SELF DEFENSE; and EXPECTING ISABEL. Tara portrayed the character of Jolene Palmer based on the true life story of Aileen Wournos in Rivendell's production of SELF DEFENSE, or the death of some salesmen as part of Steppenwolf Theatre Visiting Company Initiative which received a 2005 After dark Award for Best Ensemble. She has directed Rivendell’s Jeff Recommended productions of FIGHTING WORDS by Sunil Kuruvilla and the Midwest premiere of Psalms of a Questionable Nature by Marisa Wegerzyn. She also directed a critically acclaimed co-production of ELLIOT, A SOLDIERS FUGUE by Quiara Alegria Hudes with Stageworks/Hudson, a regional Theatre in Hudson, NY. In 1996, Tara was honored with a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Supporting actress for her portrayal of Gwenyth in WRENS as well as being a part of the Jeff winning ensemble for that production. She was nominated the following year for Best Actress in a Principal Role for her work in MY SIMPLE CITY. Tara graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College.
Meighan Gerachis and Lacey Campbell			Jane - Danica Ivancevic Danica is delighted and honored to be making her debut with Rivendell with such a talented group of women. She was last seen as Ruth Snyder in NOT ENOUBH AIR at Timeline Theatre. Additional Chicago credits include; Esther in DOLLY WEST’S KITCHEN at Timeline, Gina in Theatre Mir’s PRISONER’S DILEMMA, Uma Productions’ FAITH HEALER, which earned her a Jeff Citation for her work as Grace, Steppenwolf's production of BUTCHER OF BARBOO, KID SIMPLE at American Theatre Company and Timeline Line Theatre’s production of HANNAH AND MARTIN which earned her a Jeff Citation for her work as Elfride Heiddeger. She has a BFA in Acting from DePaul University.
			Lucy - Mierka Girten
			Vance Chudman & Others - Mark Ulrich Mark was last seen with Rivendell as Ethelred The Unready in Silence. Other Chicago area credits include the Jeff Award and After Dark Award winning Juno And The Paycock, at Artistic Home, Mariela In The Desert at The Goodman, and Bloodline with Division 13. Regional Credits include The Seafarer at City Theatre of Pittsburgh, and The Pavilion at Next Act Theatre of Milwaukee, as well as work at Florida Stage, Palm Beach Dramaworks, and Iowa Summer Repertory. Mark is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association.
			Plaid Cranston & Others - John Zinn John was Associate Artistic Director for storefront favorite Uma, and his Uma stage credits include The Violet Hour, The Pool of Bethesda, why they invented dancing (also New York Fringe Festival), and Moment: Three Days of Rain/The Author's Voice. He is also a company member at Collaboraction, where he has acted in Sketchbook three times (including this year). In Chicago, John has acted with Signal (The Weir-Jeff Nomination, Best Ensemble), Timeline, Chicago Dramatists, The Side Project, National Pastime and Victory Gardens among others and has done numerous voice-overs. Film credits include Baby on Board, Into It and the acclaimed short The Fifth Horseman. John has an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School/DePaul University and is Marketing Director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
			Tabitha/Woman in Yellow/Orderly - Ashley Neal Ashley is an ensemble member at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and was last seen in their production on These Shining Lives. She is also a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago. Ashley has worked with many theatres in Chicago including Seanachi Theatre, greasy joan and co., and Chicago Dramatists. She would like to thank her family for being the best and wierdest family in the world!!
			Playwright Playwright - Lisa Dillman Lisa Dillman’s plays include HALF OF PLENTY (American Theatre Company, the 2007 Summer Play Festival [SPF], and Rogue Machine Theatre Company); DETAIL OF A LARGER WORK (Steppenwolf Theatre; Hypothetical Theatre Company); FLUNG (American Theatre Company; published by Dramatic Publishing); SIX POSTCARDS (Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Festival); ROCK SHORE (O’Neill Playwrights Conference; published by Dramatic Publishing); and GROUND: A PLAY ABOUT BORDERS (commissioned by Northlight Theatre). Dillman has won the Sprenger-Lang New History Play Prize, the Sarett Award, and the Julie Harris–Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Award. She has received two commissions from Steppenwolf Theatre and two fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council. Recent commissions include plays for the Chicago Humanities Festival and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. She is an ensemble member with Route 66 Theatre Company, a facilitator for the Victory Gardens Access Project/Artist Development Workshop, and a two-time mentor for Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival. Her work is published by Dramatic Publishing, Smith & Kraus, Heinemann, and New Issues Press.
			Production
			Assistant Producer - Zena Vaughn Zena is excited to be working with the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble on this ground-breaking production of The Walls. During the day, Zena is the Managing Director of Raven Theatre where she is currently preparing for the run of Hedda Gabler. Zena holds a Bachelors in theatre from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi and is completing her Masters in Non Profit Management at DePaul University. Zena would like to thank Tara for the amazing opportunity, David for the professional and moral support, and Chris for the love.
			Director - Megan Carney Megan is a director, playwright and educator. She is an Artistic Associate with About Face Theatre where she recently co-directed STUPID KIDS and was a founding director of the About Face Youth Theatre for LGBTQ youth and their allies and her work resulted in nine years of plays including UP UNTIL NOW and ON THE RECORD both at The Goodman Theatre and THE HOME PROJECT at Victory Gardens. Other recent credits include PITTSBURGH PROJECT REMIX, an oral history exploration of the legacy of steel staged in the Pump House of the now razed Homestead Mill, [CLASSIFIED] a project about diversity and intervention at Virginia Tech (multiple sites), and TURNING CORNERS, addressing race and racism through stories of 100 students from 15 Chicago area schools, (Gallery 37, two regional tours, and the Illinois Theatre Festival). Recent awards include a Bard College Voices and Visions residency with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and a TCG Observership Grant. Megan has taught in a variety of contexts including The Goodman Theatre, the Urban Studies Program of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, Roosevelt College, and Rhodes College in Memphis. She has reviewed grants for TCG and the Kentucky Foundation for Women and presented at multiple conferences. Megan has an MFA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue.
			Scenic Designer - Elvia Moreno Elvia is an RTE ensemble member. Elvia has done scenic design for Rivendell’s productions of Fighting Words, Silence, Indulgences in the Louisville Harem, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, The Factory Girls, Holy Days, Mommapalooza! and WRENS; the Rivendell/Powertap production of Hamlet; Powertap’s Mr. Roberts; Blue, White and Blood Red at Chase Park Theater; and The Lightkeepers for the Bailiwick’s Pride Series. During the day, Elvia is a professional architect at GREC Architects.
			Lighting Designer - Diane Fairchild Diane is a proud ensemble member of Rivendell and an Artistic Associate of Next Theatre. Previous designs for Rivendell: Psalms of a Questionable Nature. Other Design Credits include: Chicago: Next, TimeLine, Northlight, Pegasus Players, Neo-Futurists (at Northlight), Redmoon, Infamous Commonwealth, Noble Fool, The Side Project, Wheaton College, Court Theatre; NYC: The Juilliard School, Dixon Place, The Kitchen, Joyce Soho, HERE, New Georges; Regional: INTIMAN Theatre, Trinity Repertory, Syracuse Stage. Ms. Fairchild holds an MFA in theater design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and she earned her BFA in design and technology for the theater from Wright State University in her hometown, Dayton, Ohio. Much thanks and love to F.L. and XanMan.
			Costume Designer - Kathryn Doebler Kat is thrilled to be working on The Walls as her first production with Rivendell Theatre. Most recently she designed Stupid Kids for About Face Theatre. Other costume design credits include Third (Apple Tree Theater), The Laramie Project (Dominican University), American Girls Holiday Celebration (American Girl Theater Chicago), and Standing in Mattoon (Leaving Iowa, LLC). She is the Costume Shop Manager at Dominican University and can also be found doing hair and make-up at the Lyric Opera of Chicago during their season.
			Sound Designer - Christopher Kriz Chris works in Chicago as a composer, sound designer and audio engineer. Recent theatre credits include Literally Sexy 2 at Victory Gardens, The Shape of a Girl at Pegasus Players, The Rocks at Side Project Theatre, Aura at Redtwist Theatre, Private Lives at City Lit Theatre, Twelfth Night at Piccolo Theatre, The Illusion with Promethean Theatre, Golda’s Balcony at Pegasus Players and Odin’s Horse with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre. Other recent credits include A Taste of Honey with Shattered Globe Theatre, Glengarry Glen Ross at Redtwist Theatre, bobrauschenbergamerica with Chicago Fusion Theatre and Jitney at Pegasus Players. To hear more of his work, please visit www.christopherkriz.com.
			Puppet Design/Choreography - Joe Mazza Joe is honored to be working with Rivendell for the first time. His critically acclaimed solo-pieces THE HYPERBOLIST and WHAT IS LOVE were featured in the Building Stage’s recent festival of puppetry, Objects in Motion. He’s been caught stealing on Real Stories of the Highway Patrol, patting a spaniel in Mademoiselle Magazine, and pontificating as Napoleon on the Discovery Channel. Some of his other credits include two solo-shows, THE TINY O OF LONG and MAN AND VARIATIONS which received extended runs at Tom Robinson Studio/ Gallery; Aufidius in CORIOLANUS (Red Tape), Claudius in HAMLET (Delvena Theatre, Boston), Vladimir in WAITING FOR GODOT, and T.L. Shannon in THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA (Theatre Coop, Boston), and several productions at The Opera Company of Boston under Sarah Caldwell. As a playwright, his work has been performed at venues from tavern-vaults to nationally syndicated radio and his latest play, ART AND HER UGLY SISTERS, is a 2008 Eugene O’Neill semi-finalist.
			Props Designer - Caleb Charles McAndrew This is Caleb's first production with Rivendell Theatre and he is excited to be working on such an ambitious project. His previous work includes Technical Director for Pegasus Players Shape of a Girl, Teatro Vista La Posada Magic, The Howmet Playhouse Summer Repertory Theatre, and Northwestern Opera Bartered Bride. He has also worked for Teatro Vista Our Lady of the Underpass - PM, for Pegasus Players Still Life - SM, for Northwestern Opera Cosi Fan Tutte and Eugene Onegin - SM. Caleb is also a founding member of the Lawrence Youth Ensemble, a community outreach program in Lawrence Kansas bringing underprivileged youth and adult volunteers together to creatively explore their community and themselves.
			Dramaturg - Martha Wade Steketee Martha was a court researcher and child welfare and domestic violence policy analyst in a past professional life. Steketee been a script reader for Washington, DC and Chicago area theatres, has dramaturged productions and readings at Chicago theatres including Writers Theatre, Rivendell Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists. She has published Chicago theatre reviews at Aislesay.com and mentors young writers in drama criticism in the Cindy Bandle Young Critics program co-directed by the Goodman and Association for Women Journalists Chicago. Steketee sees well over 150 Chicago productions a year, in part due to her active membership on the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. She has been a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas since 2004.
			Stage Manager - Stephanie Hurovitz Stephanie continues with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, after stage managing These Shining Lives. She also assistant stage managed Rivendell’s joint production of Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue with Teatro Vista at the Steppenwolf garage. She has worked with Pegasus Player; Lifeline Theatre Company; Bailiwick Reparatory; Theatre Building Chicago (where she worked with Hancock Productions); Walk-About Theatre Company, in conjunction with Lookingglass; Collaboraction Theatre Company; (the since re-named) International Theatre of Chicago; Brown Couch Theatre Company; and (the since dissolved) Pywackett Theatre Company.
			Assistant Stage Manager - Keri Godsey-Mack Keri holds dual BAs from The Ohio State University in theatre and humanities. She has been a freelance stage manager in Columbus, Ohio for over a decade and was a resident SM with Actors’ Theatre, Shakespeare in the park. Keri moved to Chicago last September and is proud to call Rivendell her third Chicago production. She would like to thank her family for all their love and support and a wonderful cast and crew for all their hard work.


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