Mr. Duran is a kindergarten co-teacher at Liberty Elementary who is celebrating his 21st year as a school teacher and has been with the district since 2023. Mr. Duran has an AA in Theatre from Loyola University, a BA in Elementary Education, and an MA in Educational Leadership both from Northeastern Illinois University. Joel has directed 11 children's shows, including last year's D99 production of Into the Woods. He has performed in over 25 musicals with local community theatre companies - his theatre experience began in 4th grade when his music teacher took him to an opera audition at his alma mater. Some of Joel's favorite roles include the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, Bellomy in The Fantasticks, and Dr. Craven from The Secret Garden. Mr. Duran thanks the production staff, the amazing and talented students, and Mr. Henley for their art and passion for exploring the world of theatre. A loving thank you to Michael for his support, insight, and taking care of the fur babies when rehearsal went long - 143!
Mrs. Bonk is the music teacher at Goodwin School and has been teaching general music in Cicero District 99 for 28 years. When she is not teaching music to the children of Cicero, she plays flute and piccolo at her local community band. Her favorite part of being the music director is helping the students realize their potential in their roles in this musical production.
Mr. Ansani is the 6th grade Science teacher at Goodwin Elementary, where he has also served as the Stage Director for the Goodwin Theater Club since 2020. He has worked in Cicero District 99 since 2017. He has a Bachelor of Science in Humanities, as well as a Master of Education in Instructional Leadership. Mr. Ansani has a wide range of experience in theater, from performing in school shows, community theater, and even the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is excited to share his love of theater with Cicero's rising stars, and looks forward to many fantastic productions!
Mrs. Gray is thrilled to make her debut as a costume designer for Finding Nemo Jr. A proud Kindergarten teacher at Liberty School, she has been inspiring young learners in District 99 for 26 years. Bringing the underwater world of Finding Nemo Jr. to life has been a delightful new adventure, and she is grateful for the opportunity to help fulfill the artistic vision of this production. Mrs. Gray shares that the students have been an absolute joy to work with, and she hopes the audience enjoys the show as much as she has enjoyed helping create it.
Ms. Winningham is a first grade teacher at Liberty Elementary. She loves to dance and loves being able to share that passion with student performers. While this is her first time choreographing a District 99 show, she is not new to children's theater as she has choreographed and worked on multiple children's shows at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago. She was so excited to have been able to join the District 99 Musical Team this year. She had a blast getting to work with new staff members and watching student performers flourish, build confidence, and create art over the last few months. Ms. Winningham wants to thank the staff and students for putting in such hard work together to create an amazing production of Finding Nemo. She is so proud of all of the energy and dedication each team member and student performer put in as they continued to Go With the Flow. Congratulations and break a leg!
Mr. Tyler Lubinus has been the Theatre teacher and director at Morton East since 2019. He is thrilled to collaborate on this show and hopes to see these young actors make their way to the East Stage one day!
