LEWIS AND CLARK REACH THE EUPHRATES: Creative Team

The Cast

Joshua Atkins is proud to once again collaborate with ICT. Returning audiences may remember Joshua from the award-winning production of The Kentucky Cycle and from this season’s Resort 76. Most recently Joshua was seen in the Goodman Theatre’s staged reading of Brett Neveu’s new play, Gas for Less. Selected credits include: Last of the Boys (Next Act Theatre-Milwaukee), Can You Spot Me? (Sandbox Theatre Project), A Dublin Bloom (Irish Repertory of Chicago), Flanagan’s Wake (Noble Fool) and Moby Dick (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). Mr. Atkins is a graduate of Wittenberg University. Thanks and love to Lisa and Lu.

Andy Baldeschwiler is pleased to be working with Infamous Commonwealth for the first time.  Last fall Andy was privileged to appear in BackStage Theatre Company’s production of Waiting for Lefty, and he was also recently seen in Jesus Christ Superstar with the Beverly Theatre Guild.  Andy has also worked locally with Victory Gardens, Circle Theatre, Pegasus Players, Light Opera Works, and others.  In the words of Studs Terkel: “Here’s to peace and sanity.”

Bryan Breau is grateful to be a part of this wonderful show. This is his first opportunity to work with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre and he is extremely excited. His previous roles include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Estragon in Waiting for Godot, and Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire at Virginia Tech University. Bryan is fairly new to the city, having only been in Chicago for a little less than a year but loves it here, and he hopes to continue to perform around the area. Bryan was last seen understudying the roles of Tom and Nathan in Diamante Production's My Dinner With Amy  at Theatre Building Chicago, he played Kinzie in Oracle Theatre's Disturbed II, and was a part of A.C.T. Company's The Last Play Standing 2. He would like to thank all his friends and family for their constant love and support, and he would also like to give thanks to all of his classmates and professors back at the Virginia Tech Theatre Department.

Carlos Rogelio Diaz is very happy to have the opportunity to be working with ICT again after having recently participated in their 24 Hour Project, and last year's Homage That Follows. Carlos received his Bachelor's in performance from UIC and has worked in Chicago theater for the last 5 years.  His most sincere thanks to his mentors throughout the years (you know who you are); especially his parents.

Stephen Dunn is really excited about playing Merriwether Lewis in this show (and he really means it, not like he has in his other bios for ICT where he was totally faking his excitement).  As well as being the Director of Audience Development for ICT, he has appeared in their productions of Wonderful World, The Kentucky Cycle, Cloud 9 (Jeff nomination for best supporting actor), The Lady From Dubuque and Resort 76.   Other Chicago and regional credits include Les Liasons Dangereuses, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Blithe Spirit, The Ruling Class, Terra Nova and others.  Stephen also works in local industrial films, which you have never seen, and therefore this information means nothing to you.  He would like to dedicate this show, and everything he does, to the memory of Nick.  Enjoy the show! 

Kevin M.Grubb is delighted to be making his ICT debut.  Kevin is a proud ensemble member of Open Eye Productions.  He was last seen as Dale Harding in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other OEP credits include: Sam Byck in Assassins, Kolenkhov in You Can't Take it With You and The Captain in Christopher Durang's Titanic - all directed by Chris Maher.  Kevin has also worked with Strawdog, Bailiwick, Porchlight Music Theatre, Light Opera Works, Circle Theatre, Steppenwolf, Signal Theatre and Theatre Building Chicago.

Colin K. Jones is happy to make his second appearance with ICT.  He has previously been seen around town in venues as diverse as The Organic and The Chicago Theatre Company.  Colin believes in the power of theatre to transform people's lives and wishes every one of you love, peace, and happiness

Paul Joseph has been hustling in the Chicago theater scene for a little over six years.     During that time he has had the opportunity to work with New Leaf Theatre (Limbo Tales), Circle Theatre (Stone Cold Dead Serious), Mary-Arrchie Theatre (A Prayer for my Daughter), and several times with   Infamous Commonwealth Theatre where he is a company member. Paul would like to thank the rest of the cast and crew for all their hard work, Chris for his direction, and Gen and Diane for their leadership of ICT.  He hopes you enjoy the outcome of their efforts. Be well!

Laura Rook is very excited to make her ICT debut with Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates. She has most recently performed with Dramatic Diversity, Echo Theater Co. (Envoy), and appeared last winter in Hamlet with MidTangent Productions where she serves as an artistic associate.  Other credits include Caravaggio (Silk Road Theatre Project) and A Dark Fool (XIII pocket productions.) Laura received her BFA in Theater Performance from the CCPA at Roosevelt University.  While there, she appeared in many main stage productions including Orestes 2.0, Judgement at Nuremberg, The Love of the Nightingale and The Laramie Project. Laura also serves as Ensemble Director with XIII Pocket, an artistic collective dedicated to original work. She wants to thank all of her friends and her unbelievably wonderful family. “I love you all forever.”

Allen Hope Sermonia is pleased to tread on the ICT stage.  He’s been around for the last ten years on and off area stages where he’s worked at StageLeft, Chicago Dramatists and others.  Favorite roles include Tuzenbach in Three Sisters and Phil(inte) in The Misanthrope.  Coming in August he’ll be in Phil K.Gotanda’s The Wind Cries Mary, a modern re-telling of Hedda Gabler, for A-squared Theater Workshop.  Much love to his Wife, Jenn.

Craig C. Thompson considers it a huge honor to play a role in this, the second, production of Robert Schenkkan's new play, Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates. He previously played Jed Rowen and Scotty Rowen in Schenkkan's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Kentucky Cycle. Other credits with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre include My Thing of Love, Big Dreams, Savage in Limbo and Treegirl. Craig has also performed with BackStage Theatre Company, Lifeline Theatre, Emerald City Theater, Foreground Theatre and Real Rain Productions. While Craig has still been very much involved with ICT as the Director of Marketing, he is thrilled to be back on-stage with the company after an extended break. Taking a break to get to know his truly brilliant and undeniably adorable (almost two-year old) son Sam was one of the best decisions of his life. Craig extends a special thanks to Chris for his clear vision and communication, Stephen for his openness and truthfulness, and the entire cast and crew for their amazing work. Most of all Craig is grateful to his wife Gen for her unconditional love and to his friends and family who have chosen to support ICT over the last six years.

The Production Team

Majel Cuza (Assistant Production Manager) is delighted to see this show   go up. She is currently the Director of Development for ICT where she has filled a variety of production roles, most recently Properties Designer for Keely and Du. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented cast and production crew on this show.  Thanks for coming, enjoy the show! 

Diane Fairchild (Scenic Designer, Production Manager) is excited to be designing again with Infamous Commonwealth. Previous design work with ICT includes scenic for Resort 76, scenic, costume and lighting for My Thing of Love, and lighting for The Kentucky Cycle. Other design credits include: Chicago: Next, Northlight, Pegasus Players, Neo-Futurists (at Northlight), Redmoon, Noble Fool, Wheaton College, Fleetwood-Jourdain, TimeLine, Court Theatre;  NYC: The Juilliard School, Dixon Place, The Kitchen, Joyce Soho, HERE, New Georges; Regional: INTIMAN Theatre, Trinity Repertory, Syracuse Stage.  Diane is an     Artistic Associate of Next Theatre and adjunct faculty at the School of the Art   Institute of Chicago.  Ms. Fairchild holds an MFA in theater design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and she earned her BFA in design and technology for the theater from Wright State University in her hometown, Dayton, Ohio.  Much thanks and love to F.L. and Xander.

Molly Gilbert (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago majoring in Painting and Drawing. Originally from Needham, MA, Molly worked on high School theatre productions but this is her first endeavor into the world of professional theatre. Much gratitude to Diane Fairchild for giving her this  tremendous opportunity. Molly sends her love to the cast and crew of Lewis and Clark.

David Dietrich Gray (Dialect Coach) is an actor and a dialect coach around Chicago and beyond. He studied dialects at Illinois State University and just completed dialect work on 13 Dead Husbands for Sansculottes. Chicago acting credits include: Robert Falls production of King Lear with Stacy Keach at Goodman;The Royal Family (dir. Frank Galati), Mother Courage (dir. Eric Simonson) and I Just Stopped By To See The Man all at Steppenwolf; The Miser at Northlight; Short Shakespeare! Taming of the Shrew at Chicago Shakespeare; Eurydice, Great Expectations, Our Country's Good, Lady Chaplin and Her Tramp and The Mad Dancers all at Piven (Ensemble member); Mr. Marmalade, Crumble, Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake and Osama the Hero all for Dog & Pony (Artistic Associate). Film credits include: DogJack; Realization; Hold Me Off; and the recent Maverick release, 8 Of Diamonds with Eric Roberts.

Tom Haigh (Sound Designer) is an English composer and sound designer. He moved to Chicago from England in September 2007 to join his wife, sound artist Monica Ryan. He is excited to be working with Infamous Commonwealth for the first time on creating an explosive sound world for Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates.  During his postgraduate studies, Tom developed electro acoustic works  for presentation over 5.1 surround-sound systems, as well as pieces combining live instrumentalist and electronics. Tom is actively involved in music education, and taught music at Old Swinford Hospital School in England.  In addition to his sound design and composing for theatre, Tom is currently working on independent film productions in the Chicago area as a production sound mixer.

Chris Maher (Director) is very excited to be working with Infamous  Commonwealth for the first time.  He is currently the artistic director for Open Eye Productions, where he has directed productions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Assassins, You Can’t Take it With You and Christopher Durang’s Titanic. Chris will be directing Steven Dietz’s Trust for them in the fall at The Raven.  Thanks to Infamous Commonwealth for such a fantastic opportunity. Thanks to the actors and designers for all of their hard work.  Also, special thanks to Katy.

Mary Kate Rix (Properties Designer) graduated in 2007 from New York University with a BFA in Drama studying experimental theater. She worked in NYU's scene shop for four years building props for University shows like Sweeney Todd, Spring Awakening and an all white-colored production of Hair. Mary Kate is also a puppeteer/puppet-builder who has written and directed several plays. Acting credits include Martin in Manson House, Poe in April and Rossum's Universal Robots. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support during this transitional period in her life.

David Skavarla (Fight Director) has been a part of performance violence in Chicago since he studied theater and stage combat at Columbia College.  Most recently he played the viciously punitive Morris Fishman in Factory Theatre’s Dirty Diamonds, and assisted Geoff Coates directing the violence in Robin Hood for Oak Park Festival Theater.  He and Mr. Coates will co-fight direct BackStage Theatre’s upcoming production of Bloody Bess, A Tale of Piracy and Revenge, performing downtown this summer at the Storefront Theater.  Dave has also staged violence for Shaw Chicago, Open Eye Productions, Mary-Arrchie, A Red Orchid, Defiant, The Hypoctites, Trap Door, Big Game Theatre, and The Tale of Kev and the Quest for Some Beers for Careening Theatre, and he has performed various violences in Robin Hood, Richard III, The Three Musketeers, Macbeth, Godbaby, Scavenger Hunt, The Hobbit, The Hairy Ape, and etc. Currently a freelance theater artist, Dave enjoyed a long association with Defiant Theatre (in Pace Resquiescat), has been a company member of Asylum Productions, Big Game Theatre, and Open Eye Productions, and is the Artistic Director of the intermittently Careening Theatre.  Dave would like to offer very special thanks to Infamous Commonwealth, Maestro David Woolley of the Society of American Fight Directors and Columbia College, and Chris Maher.

Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer) is proud to be working on ICT's current epic Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates. A recent company member, she has previously designed Keely and Du, Resort 76, The Kentucky Cycle, Savage in Limbo and The Sign in Sidney Bruestien's Window. Other Chicago credits include The House of Yes,  We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! and Absent Friends with Will Act for Food (WAFF), Mother Courage and The Bay at Nice with Vitalist, The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl,The Permanent Way and The Dining Room with New Leaf, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Open Eye and Ceres, Siskel and Ebert Save Chicago and Dirty Diamonds with The Factory. Rachel is an Affiliated Artist with New Leaf and Production Manager for Theatre Entropy. When not working in storefront theatre, you can find Rachel teaching at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, stage managing at the Royal George or working as the assistant rental   manager at Broadway Costumes, Inc. Some of Rachel's upcoming designs include: RenFaire with the Factory Theatre Ensemble and Bloody Bess with BackStage Theatre. If you would like to see more of her work, check out Vitalist's Jeff Recommended A Passage to India now playing at the Theatre Building through June 1st. Much love to the family, Robb and of course her cats, Lucky and Tiny.

Mac Vaughey (Lighting Designer) is a Chicago-based lighting designer. Recent credits include work with Teatro Luna, 16th Street Theatre, Silk Road Theatre Project, Premiere Theatre and Performance, Emerald City Theatre and Walkabout Theatre Company.  Mac is also the master electrician for Pegasus  Players, American Theater Company and the Next Theatre. You can see Mac's work Saturday nights at Climax Lounge where he is the house "LJ."

Cade Wenthe (Stage Manager, Dramaturg) is excited to be working with  ICT for the first time and thanks them for letting him be a member of this  production's "Corps."  He is the Company Manager for Open Eye Productions and most recently served as dramaturg for their production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  He will be producing Trust by Stephen Dietz for Open Eye this summer.  Other Chicago companies he's worked with, both on and off stage, include Blind Faith Theatre and Bailiwick Repertory.  Thanks to Chris for the opportunity and his fellow Guambats for their support at home.

Robert Schenkkan was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina but grew up in   Austin, Texas. As a Plan II Honors student he received a B.A. in Drama from the University of Texas at Austin (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, and Friars' Society) and an M.F.A. in Theatre Arts (Acting) from Cornell University. 

Schenkkan is the author of ten full-length plays. The Kentucky Cycle was the result of several years of development, starting in NYC at New Dramatists and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. The two-part epic was later workshopped at the Mark  Taper Forum, EST-LA, the Long Wharf Theatre, and the Sundance Institute. The complete "cycle" was awarded the largest grant ever given by the Fund for New American Plays and had its world premier in 1991 at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle (Liz Huddle, producer) where it set box office records. In 1992, it was the centerpiece of the Mark Taper forum's 25th Anniversary Season. There it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the first time in the history of the award that a play was so honored which had not first been presented in NYC. It also won both the PEN Centre West and the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards for Best Play. In 1993, it appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and opened on Broadway in November of that year where it was nominated for a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards.

Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates had its world premier at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in December 2005. By the Rivers of Babylon first appeared at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in February, 2005. The Marriage of Miss Hollywood and King Neptune had its world premier at the University of Texas at Austin in November 2005. Handler premiered at the Actors Express Theatre. Heaven on Earth premiered off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre and won the Julie Harris/Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Award and was a participant in the Eugene O'Neill Playwright's Conference. Final Passages premiered at the Studio Arena theatre. TACHINOKI (Critic’s Choice, LA Weekly) premiered at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in Los Angeles.

Schenkkan has written two plays for children, The Dream Thief and The Devil and Daniel Webster.  The Dream Thief had its premiere at Milwaukee's First Stage and is published by Dramatic Publishing. The Devil and Daniel Webster premiered at the Seattle Children’s Theatre in February 2006.  Schenkkan has written numerous one-acts which are collected together and published by Dramatists Play Service as Conversations with the Spanish Lady. Among them is The Survivalist which premiered at ATL's Humana festival, which went on to the EST Marathon in NYC, Canada's DuMaurier Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival where it won the "Best of the Fringe" award.  Schenkkan's film work includes: The Quiet American directed by Phillip Noyce. For television he wrote the miniseries Crazy Horse (TNT), Spartacus (USA NETWORK) and The Andromeda Strain. He has written films for Sidney Pollack, Oliver Stone, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard, and Kevin Costner among others. He is currently writing a film, The Rules, for DreamWorks, and is a writer/producer for Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks and HBO’s epic miniseries, The Pacific.

Schenkkan is the recipient of grants from New York State, the California Arts Council, and the Vogelstein and the Arthur foundations. He is a New Dramatists alumnus and a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the National Theatre Conference. He lives in Seattle with his wife, the author, Maria Dahvana Headley (www.theyearofyes.com), and his two children, Sarah Victoria and Joshua McHenry. 

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