Thank you to our NTYA Sponsor
WAKE UP, BROTHER BEAR CAST
PRODUCTION TEAM
Production
Board
NORTHBROOK PARK DISTRICT TEAM
Executive
Performing
Bear Brittany Stock
Bear Aaron Davidson Adventure Guide Sam Shankman Adventure Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Zelvin
Sister
Brother
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Shmidt Chapman Set Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Gyondla Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Morrison
Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Gyondla Props Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Wisniewski
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rob Proce, Dave Wisniewski
Lighting
Carpenters
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natalie Tangeman
Operator Kyle Gyondla
Media Michael Noens
Production
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Hamer
of Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eileen Loftus
of Arts and Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Sweet
Director
Superintendent
Arts Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drew Kambach
Theatre Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Gyondla
Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Morrison
Technical
Costume
Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences’ production of
Original Music and Foley Design by Sam Shankman
Book by Janet Stanford and Kathryn Chase Bryer
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Welcome to the woods! We are so thrilled to bring you this production of Wake Up, Brother Bear – the first Theater for the Very Young production to be presented by Northbrook Theatre, designed especially for 0 to 5 year olds For many of our young audience members, this will be the first piece of theatre they experience . Rather than just witness the story, they become a part of it – meeting butterflies, feeling the mist from a waterfall, interacting with fireflies, and encountering the changing of the seasons up close We hope that children and grownups alike are transported into the woods with us on this sensory journey of discovery, and that this adventure is the first of many opportunities to delight in the magic of live theatre .
CAST & PRODUCTION BIOS
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman (Director) specializes in creating immersive, sensory performance for kids and families . He has devised and directed new work for young audiences at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, and Seattle Children’s Theatre . He is also the founder of The K’ilu Company, creating projects that activate Jewish early childhood education through theater and imaginative play .
Jonathan is the recipient of the 2022 Pomegranate Prize from the Covenant Foundation and the 2022 Young Pioneers Award from the Jewish Education Project, both recognizing innovation in the field of Jewish Education . He also received the 2021 Orlin Corey Medallion Award from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America for significant national impact in theater for young people . He currently serves on the theater faculty at Northwestern University, teaching coursework on Sensory Theater for Young Audiences and Theater for the Very Young Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Theater for Young Audiences USA (TYA/ USA), the national organization for professional children’s theater . His forthcoming book Playing the Bible, a guide for families and teachers to bring the bible to life with 4–7 year olds through dramatic play, will be published by Behrman House in 2024 . He and his husband Rabbi David Chapman (Northbrook’s Congregation Beth Shalom) are the proud parents of a 6-year-old and a 2-month-old .
Aaron Davidson is an actor, musician, and educator originally from Denver and now based in Chicago . He is thrilled to share Wake Up Brother Bear! with you all, and to return to working with NTYA for his sixth production! He has a passion for performing theatre for young people, and hopes you all let your imagination lead you on adventures as big as Brother Bear . When he’s not doing theater, Aaron is touring all around the world singing the music of Frankie Valli as a member of the The Four C-Notes . Love to Zoe, Dinah, and Hoagie!
Sam Shankman (he/him) is so happy to be back at the Northbrook Theatre, where previous credits include Knuffle Bunny and Curious George: The Golden Meatball . Originally from Memphis, Sam is a Chicagobased actor and music director, who has performed with companies all around Chicago such as Drury Lane, Marriott Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Citadel Theatre, First Folio, Blank Theatre Company, and Young People’s Theatre of Chicago . Sam is so grateful to do what he loves surrounded by wonderful people Graduate of Northwestern University . Thanks to this exciting team of collaborators . All his love to Adam!
@samshankman
Brittany Stock is very excited to be part of Wake Up, Brother Bear with this wonderful group of people for this wonderful audience! She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Hope College, and has worked throughout Chicagoland as an actor and teaching artist . As an actor, she’s worked with The Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, Kokandy, Broken Nose, About Face Theatre, and Aston Rep, among others . Brittany has spent nearly a decade in Chicago performing in a kids’ band and teaching ballet, creative movement, gymnastics, and other classes for kids 0–6 . She is currently a teaching artist at the Paramount School of the Arts in Aurora .
Jordan Zelvin is elated to be working with Northbrook Theatre again after the run of Across the Sand: A Passover Theatrical Experience which graced the Northbrook stage earlier this month . Some of her favorite Chicago credits include Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins (Strawdog Theatre Company), Failure: A Love Story (Oil Lamp Theater), Chicago Women’s Funny Festival (Stage 773), and performing with ComedySportz Chicago (Blackout Cabaret at Piper’s Alley) . Jordan would like to thank her friends, family, and all of you for supporting immersive theatre for people of all ages .
UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS
Spring Youth Musical – Footloose
Performances: May 20–21
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school . But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth .
To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top 40 score, augmented with dynamic new songs, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people while guiding them with a warm heart and open mind
Tickets for all Northbrook Theatre productions on sale at nbparks org
PROFESSIONAL. EXPERIENCED. PASSIONATE.
The Northbrook Park District is proud of our commitment to the Arts .
The Northbrook Theatre was created to give Northbrook residents the opportunity to enjoy and participate in quality, local productions . We appreciate your support of the production .
Thank you for watching, and we hope you enjoy the show!
Board of Park Commissioners
Lisa Chalem, President • Michael Goodman, Vice President
Mary Ann Chambers • Matthew Curin
Michael Schyman
Jeffrey Simon
Michael Ziering
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