MARY MACDONALD KERR (Director) is delighted to be part of the University Wisconsin-Parkside Theater Arts faculty. She has been a professional theater artist in the Milwaukee area for 28 years, both as an actor and director. She has been part of productions at Next Act Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, First Stage Theatre, In Tandem Theatre, Forward Theater and Milwaukee Shakespeare.

Favorite acting roles include Anna in Burn This and Zelda in The How and the Why at Renaissance Theatreworks, Dana/Darryl in Sweetest Swing in Baseball and Sally in Voice of the Turtle at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Terry in Side Man and Maggie in Red Herring at Next Act.

Recent directing projects include Moon for the Misbegotten at Milwaukee Chamber Theater, Mousetrap at Next Act Theater, Actually at Renaissance Theaterworks, Mary Jane at Forward Theater, West Side Story at Hope Rep(MI) and Cyrano at Titan Theater (NYC).
 
Mary is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.

AMY BATES (Assistant Director) is a junior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Directing. Prior Directing Credits include Twelfth Night: A New Musical Journey and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at the Malthouse Theatre in Burlington, WI (Broadway World Milwaukee Award Winner) and Double Trouble a Musical Tour de Farce, Little Women: the Musical, and The Drowsy Chaperone at Stage Productions in Orlando, FL.

KERRY BIENEMAN (Music Director)

Morgan Williams (Choreographer) is a talented international performer, choreographer, and creative director. At 18, he landed his first professional contract with Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis, IN. After his time with the company, Morgan performed with several other concert dance companies like Momenta Dance Company, Cerqua Rivera, Joel Hall & Dancers, Chicago Dance Crash, Deeply Rooted, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, and Visceral Dance Chicago. He has also lent his dancing expertise to commercial projects like SYTYCD, Catapult Entertainment, Black-eyed Peas, Fox TV show Empire, and Pretty Lights.

In 2021, Morgan opened his studio in the greater Milwaukee area - The Studio - home to his professional repertory dance company, Water Street Dance Milwaukee. Recently named Dance Magazine “25 to watch”. He has choreographed many professional concert dance works and toured the United States. Morgan's choreography has earned him recognition and accolades, and he has been commissioned to set works on several prestigious dance companies and institutions. Some of these include Madison Ballet, Noumenon Dance Ensemble, Visceral Dance Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet II, and Illinois State University.

“Morgan Williams choreography is so unique and expressive that I would be happy if he choreographed every show in Milwaukee.” – (Milwaukee Magazine)

SAMANTHA FEILER (Stage Manager) is a Milwaukee based stage manager and actor and is an alumnus from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, having earned a BA in Theatre Arts with concentrations in Acting, Musical Theatre, and Stage Management. Her professional stage management credits include Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Sunstone Studios. She can be seen on stage with Bug in a Rug Children’s Theater touring the Milwaukee area, as well as other Milwaukee theatres.

JODY SEKAS (Scenic & Prop Designer/Technical Director) is a production designer for theatre & film, whose recent designs include the Off-Broadway debut of Boswell, and the feature film What Happened to Dorothy Bell. In 2021 he won the KCACTF National Scene Design award for his design of Stupid F##king Bird at UW-Parkside. He has worked for such venues as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, First Stage Children’s Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Dell’Arte International, Rochester Civic Theatre, Omaha Theatre Company for Young People, The Western Stage, and on the films The Music Inside, Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes, FLEA, and The Wine of Summer. He taught Scenography for Theatre, Film, & Dance at Humboldt State University in northern California; Scenic/Lighting Design & Technology at UW-Eau Claire and was the resident scenic & lighting designer for the Sioux Falls Playhouse in South Dakota. He is now in his twelfth year at UW-Parkside as Associate Professor of Scenic Design & Technology and is a core professor in the Digital Design & Fabrication program. See examples of his work at www.d4production.com.

MISTI BRADFORD (Costume Designer) is a professional Costume Designer and an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Selected regional design credits include: Spring Awakening, Skylight Music Theatre (upcoming, March 2024); Boswell, MHK Productions- Off Broadway, 59E59 Theatres, 2022 and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2019; Happy Days, and Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven (world premiere) Renaissance Theatre Works (Milwaukee, WI), The Nerd, Murder for Two, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Pride and Prejudice, Illinois Shakespeare Festival; Murder for Two, Merrimack Repertory Theatre; Much a Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors, Door Shakespeare; two seasons of A Christmas Carol, Children’s Theatre of Madison; Goosebumps the Musical (world premiere) First Stage Children’s Theatre; The Thanksgiving Play, Bus Stop, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, The Flying Dutchman, Les Misérables, Man of Lamancha, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. Misti produced five seasons as Resident Costume Designer and three seasons as Costume Crafts Supervisor and Wig Stylist with PCPA Theaterfest, (Santa Maria, CA) and has worked several seasons as a Costume Crafts Artisan for the American Player’s Theatre. Misti has designed over 25 productions at UWP and served as the Department Chair for the past five years. Misti has currently moved into the role of Production Manager for the department and will also serve as the interim Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Humanities in the Spring semester of 2024. Misti is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829.  

SAVANA ANDERSHOCK (Lighting Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design and Technology. Over the summer, Savana worked as an Electrician at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Lighting Designer), The Altruists (Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Head Electrician), Meteor Shower (Lighting Designer), The Aliens (Light Board Operator), As You Like It (Assistant Stage Manager), The Wolves (Master Electrician), She Kills Monsters (Assistant Stage Manager), Indecent (Assistant Master Electrician), and The Penelopiad (Deck Crew). Recent acting credits include She Kills Monsters (Narrator) and The Thanksgiving Play (Logan). Last summer, Savana was a Production Assistant at American Players Theater in Spring Green, WI.

PETR WILLIAM (Projections Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design and Technology. Past credits at UW-Parkside include Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Director), When We Dead Awaken (Lighting Designer), The Flood (Director), Meteor Shower (Projections Designer), The Laramie Project (Asst. Lighting Designer), Spring Awakening (Ensemble, Moritz cover, Head Electrician), Hir (Stage Manager), Reasons to be Pretty (Lighting Designer), The Wolves (Assistant Lighting Designer), She Kills Monsters (Head Electrician), Circle Mirror Transformation (Lighting Designer), and The Mad Ones (Adam U/S). 

TAYLOR IRELAND (Hair & Makeup Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management. Recent UW-Parkside credits include True West (Lighting Designer), Peter & the Starcatcher (Stage Manager), The Altruists (Lighting Designer), When We Dead Awaken (Assistant Director), Meteor Shower (Head Electrician), The Laramie Project (Stage Manager), Spring Awakening (Spotlight Operator), The Aliens (Stage Manager), As You Like It (Assistant Stage Manager) and The Wolves (Assistant Stage Manager). Taylor was also the Stage Manager for The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales at Cyclopedic Ensemble, The Diviners, James and the Giant Peach, and Oedipus at State Fair Community College. Additionally, Taylor has been the Assistant Stage Manager for two seasons at Door Shakespeare, for their productions of The Old Man and The Old Moon, As You Like It, Emma, and Romeo and Juliet.

KEVIN GRAY (Sound Designer) is UW-Parkside’s Sound Manager and Instructor, working with both the Theatre Arts and Music departments to produce art and events on campus. Kevin received a BA in Sound Design with a minor in Music Composition from Michigan Technological University. UW-Parkside Design credits include When We Dead Awaken, The Laramie Project, The Aliens, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Cinderella, and Stupid F##king Bird, for which he received a KCACTF National Award for Excellence in Sound Design.

MAGGIE JAY (Charge Artist/Sound Engineer) is a junior Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Acting and Design & Technology. She has recently worked as a Scenic Artist at the Texas Shakespeare Festival and previously at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Peter & the Starcatcher (Charge Artist/Sound Engineer), When We Dead Awaken (Charge Artist), Meteor Shower (Charge Artist), The Wolves (Charge Artist), The Laramie Project (Ensemble/ Reggie Fluty), Reasons to be Pretty (Steph), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Narrator), and Circle Mirror Transformation (Theresa). Additional credits include The Aliens (Assistant Sound Designer).

BRIAN J. GILL (Fight Choreographer) is an Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. He has been a professional stage actor for over 30 years, appearing at such theaters as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children’s Theatre, and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Chicago credits include Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company; Regionally Brian has performed at Theatre at the Center, the Illinois and Texas Shakespeare Festivals, and the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. International credits include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London where he trained as a member of the first International Artistic Fellowship. Brian has staged violence for Parkside, College of Lake County, Harper College, Elgin College and the Southwest Shakespeare Company where he is a core company member. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and an Advanced Actor-Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. 

CHRISTOPHER ELST (Intimacy Director) is a prominent member of several national theater organizations (SAFD, Dueling Arts International, IDC, TIE) and an advocate for safe practices in theaters nationwide, Christopher has performed, directed, and designed violence, movement and intimacy for professional theaters across the country, including Ogunquit Playhouse, Door Shakespeare, First Stage Childrens Theatre, Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival (now The REV), Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, Skylight Music Theatre, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and the Milwaukee Rep. He is currently studying for a double MFA in Theatre Performance and Theatre Directing at Western Illinois University.

JULIANA CAMPOS-TAYLOR (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Musical Theatre. Previous roles Peter & the Starcatcher (Ensemble, U/S Grempkin/Fighting Prawn/Mack/Sanchez/Bill Slank/Hawking Clam), and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside and Seussical Jr. (Stage Manager), and Moana Jr. (Assistant Director) at the Truckee Community Theatre.

HADLEY RUETTEN (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore Theater Major with concentrations in Musical Theatre and Acting. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Sister of Mercy), The Laramie Project (Deck Crew) and Burn: The Musical (U/S Natasha). She has also performed and worked backstage in numerous productions in the Oshkosh area. 

KENNEDY FRICK (Assistant Costume Designer) is a junior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Kennedy transferred here from Allen Hancock College in CA, where her credits include Costume Designer for No Exit and Calabasas Street. Additional professional credits include Stitcher for Wolf at the Door and The Virgin Queen Entertains her Fool at American Players Theatre, Costume Designer for The Music Man and Evita at Saint Joseph High School, and Emma (Asst. Costume Design), The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Cinderella, River Bride, and Bright Star (Stitcher), and Native Gardens (Wardrobe Crew) at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Kennedy is a costume shop assistant and her credits at UW-Parkside include True West (Costume Designer), Peter and the Starcatcher (Asst. Costume Designer), The Laramie Project (Wardrobe Supervisor) and Meteor Shower (Asst. Costume Designer).

FORGE DWYER (Assistant Prop Designer) is a fourth-year Theatre Arts major. Previous credits include Peter & the Starcatcher (Ensemble, U/S Alf) and The Flood (Stage Manager) at UW-Parkside, Murder on the Orient Express (Sound Technician) and Dial M for Murder (voice-overs) at the Racine Theatre Guild, Crimes of the Heart (Doc) at Wittenberg University, and as a performer at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.

QUINCY WILSON (Asst. Scenic Designer) is a junior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Recently he was a scenic carpenter at American Players Theatre. He is a scene shop assistant at UW-Parkside, and holds an AAS in Welding-Manufacturing Technology. Previous credits include Peter and the Starcatcher (Asst. Scenic Designer), When We Dead Awaken (Rubek / Lead Carpenter), Meteor Shower (Lead Carpenter), The Laramie Project (Ensemble, Lead Carpenter) at UW-Parkside, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed The Rock Experience (Grandpa Mole Rat) and The Stinky Cheese Man (Foxy Loxy) with the Cyclopedic Ensemble; Check Please/ Check Please Take 2 (Guy) with the Blue Springs Community Theatre; Puffs (Wayne Hopkins), Heathers (Kurt Kelly) and The Tempest (Gonzalo) at State Fair Community College.

HUGO DUMS (Head Electrician) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Previous credits include True West (Saul), Peter & the Starcatcher (Boy/Peter) and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside.

JEFF BRAIN is a graduate of UW-Parkside (2020) with focuses on performance, carpentry, and props design. At Parkside, his performance credits included Romeo and Juliet (Friar Lawrence), Love's Labour's Lost (Longaville), and War of the Worlds (Announcer #2). He also designed props for Silent Sky and served as Lead Carpenter for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Jeff has also worked as a carpenter and props artisan for theatres including The Alley Theatre (Houston, TX), American Players Theatre (Spring Green, WI), and Fireside Dinner Theatre (Fort Atkinson, WI). He is an ensemble member of Redtwist Theatre in Chicago, where he continues to expand his portfolio of performance, carpentry, and props design.  

LESLIE VAGLICA (Costume Shop Supervisor) is a costumer whose foundation in fashion and art has enriched her focus in theatrical costuming. She has worked as a costume technician for Off-Broadway productions of Trevor, The Musical and Boswell, as well as for professional companies, including American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Florentine Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Professional regional design credits include The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sugar Creek Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Florentine Opera Company, Luminous Theatre, UW-Milwaukee Dance and Musical Theatre, Peter Stathas Dance, and Renaissance Theaterworks. She has also served as Costume Shop Manager at Hope Summer Repertory Theater in Holland, MI. Leslie is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and holds a certificate in Apparel Product Design and Development from Mt. Mary University.