Bios Presented In Alphabetical Order
Mollie Alexander (Asst. Scenic Artist)
Meredith Bell Alvarez (Diane)has been a proud member of Signal Ensemble for the
past nine seasons . On the Signal Stage, Meredith has appeared in The Real Inspector Hound (Cynthia Muldoon), The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (Emma), She Stoops to Conquer (Constance), Catch-22 (Luciana, Nurse Duckett, Nately's Whore, & Mrs. Daneeka) and Much Ado About Nothing (Hero). Her other Chicago credits include Rosalind in As You Like It, Titania/Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Rosaura in Life Is a Dream, Olivia in Twelfth Night, The Chorus in Medea, Hisperia in As You Like It, Stephanie in Losing Rachel, Elizabeth Almond in The Heiress, and Vincentio in The Taming of the Shrew. Meredith is a graduate of Northwestern University and The London Academy of Theatre. Many thanks to: Ronan, for combining two of her favorite things...theatre and football; Aaron, for giving her the chance at a dream role despite the fact that she is a Steelers Fan; Dave, for marrying her even though she is a Steelers Fan; Dad, for making her a Steelers Fan; Mom, for believing that she would grow up to become something more than just a Steelers Fan; Jen, for being the only girl who knows more about football (because she too is a Steelers Fan); and Josiah, who at twelve months of age has little choice in the fact that he is a Steelers Fan.
Julie Ballard † (Lighting Design)is an Artistic Associate with Signal Ensemble and has designed both lights and media. Some Signal designs include Krapp's Last Tape (Aaron Snook's Ensemble Project), The Real Inspector Hound, 1776, Hamlet and Closer. She has also worked with Irish Rep Theatre, Grey Zelda and Whitehorse Theatre Company. Some of her favorite theatre designs include Cabaret (University of Florida), 1776 (Signal Ensemble Theatre) and I Sing(Whitehorse Theatre). Some of her favorite dance designs include 5 Characteristics of Brother (Marquez Dance), Rhapsody (Shapiro & Smith) and Falling on Lobsters in the Dark (Stephanie Carter). She has worked for Hedwig Dance, Breakbone Dance, Mordine & Co., Dance COLEctive, The Seldoms and Same Planet Different World. Ms. Ballard has been a part of numerous festivals as well as American Dance Festival, and has toured nationally and internationally with David Dorfman Dance and The Seldoms. Ms. Ballard is full time staff and adjunct faculty at the Dance Center of Columbia College. Ms. Ballard earned her MFA from the University of Florida. www.overlaplighting.com
Buck Blue (Technical Director)
Stephanie Chavara (Amy) is appearing for the first time with Signal Ensemble. Chicago credits include: Hazel in Mourning Becomes Electra with Remy Bumppo, Maria in The Four Twins with The Agency, and Eva in And a Child Shall Lead with Adventure Stage.She also writes and performs for 2nd Story. Stephanie studied and performed with The Rhodopi International Theatre Collective in Bulgaria and received her MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul.
Jenilee Houghton (Costume Design) recent designs include: Aces and Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Signal Ensemble; Guys & Dolls at Sierra Repertory Theatre; Hamlet, The Tempest, The Maids and Full Circle at Trinity Repertory Company Consortium; Caffeinated for Keigwin & Company, Joyce Theatre-NYC; Splendid’s at Stella Adler Studio-NYC; Twelfth Night at Green Stick Theatre-Chicago. Recent Broadway credits include: Costume Artisan for Green Day's American Idiot. International opera credits include: Assistant Costume Design to Constance Hoffman for Andrea Chenier at the Bregenz Festival-Austria and ACD to Kaye Voyce for Das Liebesverbot at Glimmerglass Opera. She earned a BFA at Illinois Wesleyan University and an MFA at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently the resident designer for Revolution Dancewear. www.JenileeDesign.com
Anthony Ingram (Sound Designer) is in his seventh season as an ensemble member with Signal where he recently directed Accidental Death of an Anarchist. His sound designs with the company include Aftermath, 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. Additionally he has proivided Music Direction for East Of Berlin / The Russian Play and The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe. 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 East Of Berlin / The Russian play 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 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).
Melania Lancy (Scenic Designer) is the resident scenic designer for Signal Ensemble where her designs include: The Weir (2007 Jeff Nomination for Best Scenic Design), East Of Berlin / The Russian Play, 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.
Anderson Lawfer (Andy)
Ronan Marra (Playwright) is a co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Signal Ensemble Theatre. Previous original works produced by Signal include: Aftermath, Landslide and Learning to Fly. Directing credits with the company include East of Berlin/The Russian Play, 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
Tim Martin (Casey) is ecstatic to be back working with Signal Ensemble on this fantastic project. Tim last appeared with Signal in Six Degrees of Separation. Other Chicago credits include, Lighthousekeeping (New Leaf Theatre at the DCA), Wreckage (Caffeine Theatre), The Ghosts of Treasure Island (Adventure Stage), and The Conduct of Life (Tooth and Nail Ensemble). Tim also performs clown monthly with Dal Vivo
Theatre. Tim is a founding member of Tooth and Nail Ensemble and Dal Vivo. He recieved a BFA in Acting from Illinois Wesleyan University, and attended the School at Steppenwolf in 2010. Thanks so much to Signal, wp10, and my ever supportive and loving friends and family.
Joe McCauley (Drew) is very excited to be making his Signal Ensemble debut in Motion. He is an ensemble member at Eclipse Theater where he last appeared in the critically acclaimed production of After the Fall. Other Eclipse shows include Resurrection Blues, The Rimers of Eldrich, Sextet and Tally & Son. Chicago Theater credits: the Artistic
Home (Days to Come, Juno and the Paycock, The Petrified Forest), City Lit (Twelfth Night), The Annoyance Theater (Stations), Collaboraction, Theater Wit and American
Theatre Company. Much thanks to Aaron, Ronan and the good folks at Signal. Joe dedicates this performance to his father Paul, whose love of football is surpassed only by his love of family.
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 East Of Belin / The Russian Play, 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.
Eric Roach (Eric)
Aaron Snook (Director) has been a member of Signal Ensemble Theatre since it’s inaugural season and, most recently, appeared as Garrett Paige in Aces. As a director, he has helmed The Dumb Waiter, The Birthday Party and Krapp’s Last Tape (Ensemble Project) as well as assistant directed She Stoops to Conquer. Other performances with Signal include Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Fool for Love, Closer, Waiting for Godot, and Seascape (nominated for a Jeff Award). Other Chicago theatres he has worked with include Lifeline Theatre, Right Brain Project and Chicago Dramatists, where he is an Associate Artist. A graduate of Duke University, Aaron also studied with the ACT. Love and gratitude to Simone, his family and Signal.
Glenn Stanton (Raymond) is very happy to be making his Signal debut. After playing football at Ohio Northern University while studying theater, he is glad to finally merge the 2 worlds again in this brilliantly written show. He was most recently scene in the role of Christian in The House Theater's production of Cyrano. He has also worked at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Porchlight, Metropolis PAC, and Illinois Theater Center to name a few. He will be joining Utah Shakespeare Festival this coming May. He is also currently finishing his debut solo album. He would like to thank his Savior, his
family and LBAD for their love and support. Enjoy the game!
Bries Vannon (Scott) is a very proud ensemble member and Literary Manager for Signal Ensemble Theatre, where he has previously been seen in Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Hamlet, and She Stoops to Conquer. He also served as assistant director for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and will step into those same shoes this spring for
Hostage Song. Outside of Signal, Bries most recently directed the Chicago Premiere of Sheila Callaghan's We Are Not These Hands for The Right Brain Project. He has also been seen on stage at Mary Arrchie, the side project, The Right Brain Project, The Building Stage, and WNEP Theater (where he is also a company member). Bries is the creator and director of The Nine, an independent project dedicated to free experimental theatre. The Nine will continue next summer with Part Three: Arthur Adamov's Ping Pong (more information at www.theninechicago.com). Thanks to all of you for being
here. Stick around and say hey!
Philip Winston (Michael) is a proud ensemble member of Signal Ensemble
Theatre. With Signal he has performed the following roles: Hastings in She Stoops to Conquer, Gus in The Dumb Waiter, The Gravedigger and Marcellus in Hamlet, John Adams in 1776 (Jeff Award nomination for Actor in a Principal Role – Musical, Jeff Award winner Outstanding Production – Musical), Marvin Macy in The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Common and Host in Aftermath, and most recently Pete in Aces. He has workedwith numerous companies in Chicago including The Artistic Home, Backstage Theatre Company, Breadline Theatre Group, City Lit Theatre, Collaboraction, Court Theatre,
Infamous Commonwealth, The Right Brain Project, The Side Project, Seanachai
Theatre Company, and Tin Fish. Janna, his best friend, and love, makes his art possible.