Company Bios

THE COMPANY

EMILY BERMAN | JEN & ELSA

Emily is honored to make her IRT debut and thrilled to be onstage again. Regional credits include Lost in Yonkers at Riverside Theatre; A Shayna Maidel at TimeLine Theatre Company (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination, 2019); Sense and Sensibility at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Old Globe; The Bridges of Madison County at Marriott Theatre; Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley at Northlight Theatre; and The Diary of Anne Frank at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., as well as voiceovers for Starbucks, Big Lots, and more. Emily also plays and sings with Americanafolk band the Winchesters. She holds a B.F.A. from the University of Michigan, is based in NYC, and is a member of Actors’ Equity. “Thanks to my loved ones for their constant support.” emilygraceberman.com

SEAN DAVIS | ROB & SAM

Sean is thrilled to make his IRT stage debut. Selected theatre credits include The City of Conversation at Lincoln Center, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Edward II at Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in Los Angeles. Selected TV credits include Chicago P.D., The Office, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Medium, The Middleman, and One Life to Live. Sean trained at Juilliard. He has read (and enjoyed) The Age of Innocence.

WILL MOBLEY | WILL & FRANK

Will is delighted to make his return to IRT, where he was previously seen in Other Desert Cities, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and A Christmas Carol. Chicago credits include The Lady from the Sea at the Court; The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at Northlight; The Winter’s Tale at the Goodman; Ragtime at the Marriott; My Fair Lady at Lyric Opera; SS! Twelfth Night at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; and Days Like Today and Antony and Cleopatra at Writers Theatre. Regional credits include Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley at TheatreSquared; The Legend of Georgia McBride at Cardinal Stage Company; and A View from the Bridge, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, Richard III, The Admirable Crichton, The Taming of the Shrew, The Critic, and Of Mice and Men at American Players Theatre. Will is also a member of the Chicago band the Winchesters. thewinchestersband.com

ADAM POSS | ALEX & CARL

Adam is thrilled to make his IRT debut. A native of Chicago, he has had the pleasure to work at several notable theatres, including the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Writers Theatre, Silk Road Rising, and 16th Street Theatre. Regionally he has worked across the country at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Studio Theatre DC, Kansas City Rep, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Television credits include a recurring role on Chicago Med (NBC), as well as Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago P.D. (NBC), Paper Girls (Amazon), The Big Leap (FOX), Empire (FOX), Shameless (Showtime), NeXt (FOX), Crisis (NBC), The Chicago Code (FOX), The Mob Doctor (FOX), and the pilots Controversy (FOX) and No Apologies (FOX). adamposs.com

ANDREA SAN MIGUEL | ANA

Andrea is delighted to return to IRT after appearing in James Still’s Appoggiatura back in 2018. Calling Chicago home, Andrea has been seen around the city in SS! Romeo & Juliet, SS! Macbeth, SS! Twelfth Night, and SS! The Comedy of Errors at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Twelfth Night at Writers Theatre; and most recently How to Defend Yourself at Victory Gardens Theater. Regional credits include As You Like It at the Guthrie Theater; Alias Grace at Cincinnati Playhouse; Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Jungle Theater; two seasons at American Players Theatre; and three seasons touring with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Andrea is represented by Paonessa Talent. Her favorite book is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. She owes her love of literature and storytelling to her mother, Annabelle.

CASSIA THOMPSON | LILY & MRS. SIMPSON

Cassia is based in New York City, a graduate of Webster University’s BFA Acting Program, and was a 2018 Acting Apprentice at American Players Theatre. Select credits include The Wolves at Syracuse Stage; A Raisin in the Sun at Bay Street Theatre; The Book of Will, The Man of Destiny, Our Country’s Good, and Exit the King at American Players Theatre; Romeo and Juliet and Our Town at Alabama Shakespeare Festival; and Safe House at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.Instagram: @Cassia.Thompson. cassiathompson.com

KAREN ZACARÍAS | PLAYWRIGHT

Karen Zacarías is one of the most produced playwrights in the United States. Her award-winning plays include The Copper Children, Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens, Legacy of Light, Mariela in the Desert, and The Sins of Sor Juana, as well as adaptations of Just Like Us, Into the Beautiful North, and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. She is the author of ten musicals for young audiences and the librettist of several ballets. She is one of the inaugural resident playwrights at Arena Stage, a core founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons, and a founder of Young Playwrights’ Theater. She was voted one of the 2018 Washingtonians of the Year by Washingtonian magazine for her advocacy work in the arts.

BENJAMIN HANNA | DIRECTOR

Ben is in his fifth year as associate artistic director at Indiana Repertory Theatre. He has previously worked with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Penumbra Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Steppingstone Theatre, and the Bay Area Children’s Theatre. At the IRT, Ben has directed Tuesdays with Morrie, This Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!,” and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Later this season he directs Fahrenheit 451. (see full bio on page 9)

THE COMPANY

JUNGHYUN GEORGIA LEE | SCENIC DESIGNER

At the IRT Junghyun has designed scenery for Pipeline; costumes for This Wonderful Life and The Unexpected Guest; and both for Twelve Angry Men. She is a Korean-born New York–based scenic and costume designer. She has designed for Ma-Yi, Soho Rep, the Play Company, Alley Theatre, the Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, PlayMakers Rep, and the Acting Company. She is a member of New Neighborhood, a theatre/TV/music company. She earned her M.F.A. at the Yale School of Drama. junghyungeorgialeedesign.com

ALEX JAEGER | COSTUME DESIGNER

Alex designs costumes across the country. For the IRT he has designed A Doll’s House Part 2 and James Still’s Interpreting William. Other credits include Two Sisters and a Piano for the Public Theatre; Mr. Burns, a post-electric play for the Guthrie; The Sneetches for Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis; many productions including the All’s Well That Ends Well, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for Oregon Shakespeare Festival; The Nether and The Paris Letter for Kirk Douglas Theatre; many productions including Amadeus for South Coast Repertory; Arcadia, Major Barbara, Once in a Lifetime, and others for A.C.T., San Francisco. Alex is also a frequent designer for the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. alexjaegerdesign.com

BETSY COOPRIDER-BERNSTEIN | LIGHTING DESIGNER

This is Betsy’s 43rd production at the IRT, including The House That Jack Built, Morning After Grace, The Originalist, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Mystery of Irma Vep, On Golden Pond, The Giver, And Then They Came for Me, An Iliad, Jackie and Me, Julius Caesar, Mary’s Wedding, Love Letters, Macbeth, and The Power of One. Betsy and her husband, Chef Alan Bernstein, just retired from catering (Alan’s Catered Events) after a 26-year run. Betsy has started a fresh “mission” to rescue and upcycle vintage jewelry & other objects in the creation of new treasures. You might catch her at local arts and crafts fairs or visit her shop ReVivable Goods on Etsy.

SHARATH PATEL | SOUND DESIGNER

Sharath is a designer based in Portland, Oregon, who works nationally and internationally focusing on experimental, commercial, academic, political, and socially conscious theatre. Recent designs include Portland Center Stage, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT, American Rep, Artists Rep, Seattle Rep, Yale Rep, Cal Shakes, Alabama Shakes, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, Arena Stage, and the Geffen Playhouse. Additional work in New York City, San Francisco, L.A., D.C., Boston, Norfolk, Raleigh, Aspen, India, France, England, Germany, and Romania. His affiliations are: member of USA829, member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, Arts Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, National Respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Resident Artist at Artists Rep. BFA: Ohio University. MFA: Yale School of Drama. sharathpatel.com

MIKE TUTAJ | PROJECTIONS DESIGNER

At the IRT, Mike has designed projections for The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Mountaintop. Based in Chicago, his designs have been seen and heard on the stages of the Goodman, Steppenwolf, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Second City, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Writers’ Theatre, the Court Theatre, TimeLine, American Theater Company, Paramount Theatre, the Hypocrites, and many more. Off-Broadway credits include MCC Theater, p73, EnGarde Arts, and the York Theatre. Regional credits include the Alliance Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, South Coast Rep, Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Stage, Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, and Theatre Squared.

RICHARD J ROBERTS | DRAMATURG

This is Richard’s 32nd season with the IRT, and his 24th as resident dramaturg. He has also been a dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, Write Now, and the Hotchner Playwriting Festival. He has directed IRT productions of A Christmas Carol (four times), Bridge & Tunnel, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Cay, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. Other directing credits include Actors Theatre of Indiana, the Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Edyvean Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Butler University, University of Indianapolis, and Anderson University. This season he directs Pippin at Marian University. Richard studied music at DePauw University and theatre at Indiana University and has been awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

NATHAN GARRISON | STAGE MANAGER

This is Nathan’s 26th season at the IRT. He has also worked with Center Stage in Baltimore, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Brown County Playhouse; and he is a company member with the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company.