Lisa Dawn (Director) Lisa Dawn was Artistic Director/Co-Founder of the late Players Please Theatre (Suburban Nitelife’s Best Live Theatre two years in a row), and co-director of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s acclaimed Shadow Program at College of DuPage. Directing credits: The Night of January 16th, The Problem, Night Visits, The Boy Who Ate The Moon, Check, Please!, and The Boys Next Door (PPT), Steel Magnolias, Wit (Wheaton Drama), Falling (Habakkuk Theatre), Into the Breeches! (iambe theatre ensemble) and served as second eye for various other productions.
Mike Boyna (Ass’t Director/Set Design) A long-time actor, director, designer, producer, and musician. Mike is proud and humbled to share this project with such an uber-talented group. Select favorite roles: Atticus Finch (Mockingbird); Salieri (Amadeus); Van Helsing (Dracula); Bev Weston (August, OsageCounty). Directing/Design credits: Cabaret; A Piece of My Heart; A Gentleman’s Guide…(Lou Award-nominated: Best Director/Best Musical; Sweeney Todd: (Best Set Design: Broadway World Chicago)
Elissa Wolf (Dramaturg/Advisor) is a creative practitioner and Shakespeare scholar. She has worked as a teaching artist and educator with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, and the former Chicago Youth Shakespeare. Recent projects include As You Like It (Assistant Director, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), Shakespeare in Love (Director, Quincy Community Theatre), Shakespeare’s R&J (Assistant Director/Dramaturg, PrideArts), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Dramaturg, Two River Theatre). Elissa has shared her work on the use of asides in Shakespeare at conferences including the International Congress on Medieval Studies (Western Michigan), the Wooden O Symposium (Utah Shakespeare Festival), the Blackfriars Conference (American Shakespeare Center), and the Australian/New Zealand Shakespeare Association Conference. Elissa holds an MA in Shakespeare and Creativity from the Shakespeare Institute and is pursuing a PhD at King's College London
Kurt Naebig (Visiting Artist) is an Actor/Director and member of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. He can be seen in multiple episodes of the television shows: Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Empire, Prison Break and ER. He has also been featured in shows: A League of Their Own, Fargo, The Red Line, Sense8, Chicago Code, APB and Detroit 1-8-7. Kurt has been in films: Public Enemies, Road To Perdition, The Express and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Kurt has performed in and directed many shows as a company member with BTE over the last 30+ years. Kurt is a graduate of The Juilliard School, former artistic director of The Theatre of Western Springs and an acting coach at Acting Studio Chicago.
Willa Zatzenbloom (Original Songwriter) Willa is thrilled to have written and performed her original music for LLL, with her new song "Willow's Bend." A Naperville native & high school sophomore, 14-year-old Willa plays guitar, bass, keys, & upright bass. Willa's favorite past credits include Margaret Gormley in Billy Elliot at Paramount, Grace in A Christmas Carol at BrightSide Theatre, and the Hero Child on the Polar Express, Chicago. Willa is a proud company member of Inkwell Arts and Learning, most recently seen playing original music in their Morton Arboretum walking play, House at Pooh Corner. Willa is grateful to Lisa Dawn for this exciting opportunity!
Karin S. Kramer (House Manager)
Karin is delighted to be working with these talented women and the two stalwart men involved in this production. She is often found in the tech booth running lights and sound or working backstage as Stage Manager at the Village Theatre Guild and Wheaton Drama. Working in the front of house is a fun change of pace for her!
