Allison Cook (Violinist) specializes as a musical collaborator in theatrical productions. In Chicago, she
was last seen as the violinist and music director for ShawChicago's MidWinter’s Tales, directed by Robert
Scogin. She has performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook as a violin soloist and movement consultant
for Sherlock's Last Case, directed by Ray Frewen, and with the Big Noise Theatre Company as a
concertmaster. A new graduate of Northwestern University, Allison has provided music for more than
twenty of their theatre productions, including several directed by David Bell and Dominic Missimi. With
the American Musical Theatre Project, she was featured as the violin soloist in Moby Dick: An American
Opera. In concert at Northwestern, Allison has performed with Eric Whitacre in the premiere of his opera
Paradise Lost, and also as a soloist in two Baroque Music Ensemble concerts televised by the Big Ten
Network. In addition to television, commercial, and ballet credits, her onstage experience as an actor/
singer ranges from Ariel in The Tempest to West Side Story. Allison continues to play with the Northbrook
Symphony on both violin and viola, and she enjoys crossing over into other musical styles including early
music, fiddle, jazz, and pop.
Billy Fenderson (Rudi / Kostya) is excited and honored to be working with Signal on East of Berlin and
The Russian Play. Theatre credits: Caucasian Chalk Circle at Theatre Mir, Ian in Hesperia at Right Brain
Project, Max in Open Floor Ensemble's Stage Lights, as well as Camille in A Flea in Her Ear, Rasklonikov
in Juan Souki's Crime and Punishment, Silvius in As You Like It, and Didi in Waiting for Godot at
Columbia University. Film credits: Johnny-Boy in Sneakers and Soul, and The Editor in Carmen Vidal's
Slate.
Elsa Hiltner (Costume Design) is delighted to design with Signal Ensemble again! Past costume designs at Signal are Aftermath, The Real Inspector Hound and The Birthday Party. Other favorite Chicago credits include Tea at Five, Driving Miss Daisy (Nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Costume Design), A Moon for the Misbegotten, Twelfth Night (First Folio Theatre); The Autumn Garden and Bourbon at the Border (Eclipse Theatre); Jon, 1001 and Be a Good Little Widow (Collaboraction); El Grito del Bronx (Collaboraction/Teatro Vista/The Goodman Theatre). Elsa recently returned to Chicago after living in Damascus, Syria and traveling in the Middle East with her husband. For more information about her designs please visit www.elsahiltner.com.
Mark J. Hurni (Lighting Design) Mark is very excited to be working with Signal, again. Most recently, he's stage managed The Nine's production of Radio Silence. His recent lighting designs include Signal Ensemble's Aces, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Six Degrees of Separation, as well as Right Brain's Modern Prometheus. His Chicago stage manager credits include the Nine's first installment of subUrbia, the independently produced Sandoval at La Costa Theatre, Bohemian Theatre's Gross Indecency and Right Brain's A Devil Inside. Thanks to the company for always making this a fun experience.
Anthony Ingram (Sound Designer) is in his sixth season as an ensemble member with Signal where he most recently directed Accidental Death of an Anarchist. His sound designs with the company include Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Six Degrees of Separation, The Birthday Party, Old Wicked Songs, Fool for Love, Hamlet, The Weir, Closer, The Dumb Waiter and The Zoo Story, She Stoops to Conquer and Seascape. He has stage-managed prior Signal Ensemble productions including Catch-22 and the original run of Waiting for Godot as well as performing as Lucky in the remount of Godot. He has been building, designing, performing in, directing and stage-managing productions in the Chicagoland area since his arrival in 2002. His other recent sound designs include The Factory's Dead Wrong, Right Brain Project's And They Put Handcuffs On The Flowers, Shattered Globe's The Little Foxes, and Bailiwick's Thrill Me. He would like to thank Jill, Kyle and Stephanie for their love and support, and dedicates his work to Marlene.
Stephanie Ingram (Stage Manager) is in an ensemble member, Managing Director and resident stage manager with Signal. Company credits include stage manager for Aces, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Aftermath, The Real Inspector Hound, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Birthday Party, 1776, Fool for Love, Hamlet, The Weir, Closer, She Stoops to Conquer and the remount of Waiting for Godot; as well as props design for Old Wicked Songs. Other Chicago credits include Mrs. Caliban and Mariette in Ecstasy at Lifeline, and also productions with First Folio, Bailiwick and Big Picture Group. Up next, she will be stage managing Motion with Signal this winter and Pride and Prejudice with Lifeline in the spring. Stephanie holds a BA in Theatre and Business from Illinois Wesleyan University. Thanks and love to Tony.
Elise Kauzlaric (Dialects) is thrilled to return to Signal having previously coached their productions of Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Birthday Party. She is a member of the artistic ensemble of Lifeline Theatre where she has coached numerous productions including Busman's Honeymoon, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Mark of Zorro, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Piano Tuner and The Killer Angels. Other dialect coaching projects include Mojo Mickybo (Seanachai); Golda's Balcony (Pegasus Players); and Angels in America, Equus and Henry V (the hypocrites). Recent directing credits include Wuthering Heights (Lifeline Theatre), Dancing at Lughnasa (Seanachai Theatre) and Mariette in Ecstasy (Lifeline Theatre, Non-Equity Jeff nomination – Director). As an actor, she has worked with The Goodman, Lifeline, City Lit, Circle Theatre, First Folio Shakespeare, Apple Tree and Griffin Theatre (On the Shore of the Wide World, Non-Equity Jeff nomination for Supporting Actress).
Melanie Keller (Sarah / Sonya) is a proud member of Signal Ensemble Theatre and is pleased and
honored to be returning to work with Signal after a hiatus. She appeared in Signal's productions of The
Weir (Jeff Nomination-Best Supporting Actress), She Stoops to Conquer, Landslide and Much Ado about
Nothing. She is also a company member with First Folio Theatre where her credits include Blithe Spirit,
Twelfth Night, Private Lives, Angel Street and Jeeves in Bloom. She was the Chicago Fellow and joined
the acting company at the Stratford Festival of Canada, where she won a Tyrone Guthrie award. Most
recently, Melanie spent the summer at Peninsula Players in Door County, Wisconsin performing in The
Fox on the Fairway. Other credits include A Life (Northlight Theatre), Hamlet and King John (Chicago
Shakespeare), and productions with Next, Metropolis, BackStage and Strawdog among others. Melanie
trained at the Birmingham Conservatory of Stratford and RADA in London, and is a graduate of Illinois
Wesleyan University. Early next year, she will play the governess in The Turn of the Screw at First Folio
Theatre.
Melania Lancy (Scenic Designer) Melania is the resident scenic designer for Signal Ensemble where her designs include: The Weir (2007 Jeff Nomination for Best Scenic Design), Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Aftermath, The Real Inspector Hound, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Catch-22, Landslide, Seascape, She Stoops to Conquer, Closer, Hamlet, Fool for Love, 1776 (2008 Jeff Award for Outstanding Musical Production), The Birthday Party, Six Degrees of Separation, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Some of Melania's other Chicago credits include: The Little Foxes (2009 Equity Jeff Nomination for Best Scenic Design in a mid-size theatre), A Devil Inside, You Never Can Tell, Half Life, Nefertiti the Musical, The Sound of Music, Cinderella, The Wiz, Aida, Brigadoon, Clue, Antigone, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Noises Off. Melania has also worked on commercial sculptures for the Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, Sea World of Texas, and the Museum of Science and Industry. To learn more about Melania please visit www.melanialancy.com.
Ronan Marra (Director) Ronan is a co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Signal Ensemble Theatre. Directing credits with the company include Aces, his own Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Six Degrees of Separation, 1776 (Jeff Award, Best Production, Jeff Nomination, Best Director), Fool for Love, Hamlet, Closer, The Zoo Story, Seascape (1 Jeff Citation), Waiting for Godot, (Jeff Recommended), his own Landslide (Jeff Nomination, New Work), She Stoops to Conquer, Much Ado About Nothing and his own Learning to Fly. As a writer, Ronan's plays have been produced or workshopped in Chicago, NYC, LA and Cleveland. Ronan is a recipient of the 2006 Illinois Arts Council Finalist Award in Scriptworks. Please feel free to e-mail him at ronan@signalensemble.com
Tom McGrath (Hermann / Piotr) is [newly-invented positive emotion] to be working with Signal for the
first time. A native Chicagoan, and Northwestern alum, if you are reading this on a Saturday evening, he
would appreciate you not shouting out college football scores; he doesn't want to be spoiled. Recent roles
include: Hideous Progeny (Shelley - LiveWire Chicago), A Perfect Wedding (Jonathan - Circle Theatre),
The Modern Prometheus (Henry - Right Brain Project), as well as work with Dog & Pony, Dream Theatre,
Halcyon Theatre, and others.
Mary O'Dowd (Props) was seen in Signal's productions of The Real Inspector Hound, The Birthday Party and Seascape. Her props most recently appeared here for Aces, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Real Inspector Hound and Aftermath. Favorite prop/set dressing credits include Columbinus, Death of Salesman and The Odd Couple (Raven), On Golden Pond and Enchanted April (Theatre of Western Springs), and Ballad of the Sad Cafe (Signal). Thanks to John for love, support and all that jazz.