Five Flights
by Adam Bock
Red Tape Theatre | 621 W. Belmont Ave | Map
Cast
Victor is so excited to be working with this company. He just enjoyed a successful run of the original sketch revue Oh Brother, The Rent was Due, performed with the sketch group The Dancing Pig (formed from his Second City conservatory class). Recently Victor finished shooting the independent film Miranda’s Lullaby, which will be released in early 2012. Victor has been seen all over Chicago, performing at Donny’s Skybox, Second City e.t.c., Studio Be, Gorilla Tango, Metropolis PAC, and with wonderful companies like Gear Works and Lacking Direction. A devout Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University, Victor loves and embraces this wonderful city and its dedication to the arts.
Chris Carr – Tom
Chris is pleased to be making his Immediate Theatre debut with Five Flights. A Boston native, Chris graduated from Denison University in 2007 with a BFA in theatre performance. Since graduating he has worked with many Chicago theatres both on and off-stage including Goodman, Remy Bumppo, and Profiles Theatre. Earlier this year he understudied in Mary at the Goodman Theatre. Other Chicago credits include Obscura (Red Tape Theatre) and Six Years (New Leaf). Chris can also be seen in Stephen Cone’s film, In Memoriam, which premiered in spring 2011 in a successful run at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Melonie Collmann – Adele
Melonie is grateful to be working with Immediate Theatre and this amazing cast. Thanks Peter and 2Birds! With a background in classical music, Melonie has performed roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Light Opera Works, as well as over 100 outreach concerts with the Chicago Chamber Musicians. She appeared as Andrea/Archangel Michael in the award-winning American premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera at Bailiwick Repertory. Melonie has studied at DePaul University, Acting Studio Chicago, and Black Box Acting Studio.
Nick Freed – Ed
Nick is incredibly excited to be working on such a fantastic show. Nick was most recently seen on stage in Collaboraction’s Sketchbook: Evolution, Chicago Fusion Theater’s Proof, Hesperia with The Right Brain Project, and The Literati with Chicago dell’Arte (of which he is Artistic Director).
Emily Gann – Olivia
Emily recently realized that as of August 21, 2011 she has lived in Chicago ten years. Originally hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Emily trained in acting and costume design and construction. In Chicago she was part of Speaking Ring Theatre for five years, and has worked with About Face, Element Theatre, Collaboraction, Redmoon, The State, and others. Recently she has been working on creating a new play and company, Fine Print Theatre. In 2005 Emily began teaching for Chicago Public Schools.
Mildred Marie Langford – Jane
Mildred is very excited to be making her Immediate Theatre debut in Five Flights. Other Chicago credits include: 13 Clocks (Lifeline Theatre); VENUS (Steppenwolf Theatre); In Darfur (Timeline Theatre); A Civil War Christmas (Northlight); Zulu Fits (MPAACT); the world premiere of War with the Newts and The Overwhelming (Next Theatre); The Twins Would Like to Say (Dog & Pony); 12 Ophelias (Trap Door); The Crucible (Steppenwolf); SINBAD: The Untold Story, The Ghost of Treasure Island, and The Blue House (Adventure Stage); and Professions for Women (Bailiwick Director’s Festival). Mildred is a graduate of George Mason University and the School at Steppenwolf.
Creative Staff
Peter Cieply – Director/Producer
Immediate Theatre artistic director Peter Cieply’s directing work includes an acclaimed production of Under Milk Wood (co-directed and -produced with Michael Barto/Barto Productions), which ran for more than a year at the Theatre Building; Waiting For Godot (CT20 Ensemble); Keep the Yuletide Gay (Theatre Q, San Francisco) and assistant directing work on Brontë (James Bohnen, Remy Bumppo) and The Skin of Our Teeth (David Petrarca, Goodman). As an actor Peter most recently was seen in The Memory of Water (Backstage Theatre) and was an understudy for The Voysey Inheritance (Remy Bumppo). He has worked with numerous other Chicago companies including American Blues, Bailiwick, Econo-Art, Hypocrites, Pegasus, and Stage Left, as well as the original Immediate Theatre Company, of which he was a founding member. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Peter worked with Center Rep and was seen as Harry in The Sum of Us (Theatre Q).
John Rooney – Production Manager/Assistant Director
John is the associate artistic director of Red Tape Theatre. Before joining Red Tape, he was the A/I company intern at Actors Theatre of Louisville for the 2010/2011 season. At Actors Theatre he had the pleasure of assisting Adam Rapp on The Edge of Our Bodies, featured in the Humana Festival of New American Plays. In Chicago, he has worked at such companies as About Face Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, American Theatre Company, and Collaboraction. He is also a proud company member of Dog and Pony Theatre. John holds a BFA in theatre arts from the Theatre School, DePaul University.
Two Birds Casting – Casting
Two Birds Casting provides theatres and producing entities with a specialized casting service. Their team systematizes the entire casting process—they advertise, coordinate, schedule, and facilitate audition sessions and provide both administrative and artistic support to the director and staff for each production. 2BC prides itself on creating an environment in which actors look forward to auditioning and directors can comfortably make casting decisions. In addition to casting, 2BC hosts workshops, master classes, and forums as part of their Birds’ Nest Series. To learn more about Two Birds Casting and the Birds behind the company, please visit www.twobirdscasting.com.
Stephen Carmody – Scenic Design
Stephen’s credits include: A Twist of Water for Route 66, Becky Shaw for A Red Orchid Theatre, Changes of Heart for Remy Bumppo, Man from Nebraska for Redtwist, Kingsville for Stage Left, Around the World in 80 Days and Bad Dates for Fox Valley Rep, and Nunset Boulevard for Theatre at the Center. Stephen has worked for Todd Rosenthal, Jack Magaw, Kevin Depinet, and Derek McLane and is currently assisting scenic designer Walt Spangler. Stephen an artistic associate for Caffeine Theatre Company and received The John Murbach Scholarship for Collaborative Design, presented at The 2009 Michael Merritt Awards. www.stephenHC.com
Diane D. Fairchild – Lighting Design
Diane is excited to be working with Immediate Theatre. Past design credits include shows with Raven, Rivendell, Next, TimeLine, Northlight, Chicago Dramatists, Redmoon, Court Theatre, Pegasus Players, and Wheaton College. Diane is a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, an artistic associate of Next Theatre, and adjunct faculty at the School of the Art Institute. Diane holds an MFA in theater design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and earned her BFA in design and technology for the theater from Wright State University.
Michael Fernandez – Projections Design
Michael Fernandez is a projectionist, filmmaker, animator, and motion artist in Chicago with a BA in theater and a masters in film. Michael most recently has worked on The Homosexuals with About Face Theater and Heddatron with Sideshow Theater Company at Steppenwolf Garage Rep. Michael also has been shooting numerous films in the Chicago area and doing motion graphics at a production company in Evanston, and is enjoying getting back to theatre again.
Emily Guthrie – Props Design
Emily is excited to be working on her first production with Immediate Theatre. Emily is an ensemble member and company manager of Red Tape Theatre. She was the 2009–2010 properties apprentice and is current properties overhire at Steppenwolf Theatre. Her recent properties credits include Etiquette of Vigilance, A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf); Brand, Obscura, The Love of the Nightingale (Red Tape Theatre); Man From Nebraska (Redtwist Theatre—Jeff Award for Best Production); The Farnsworth Invention (TimeLine—Jeff Award for Best Production-Midsize Theatre); and Blues for an Alabama Sky (Greenetree Productions). Emily earned a BFA in scene design from the Theatre School at DePaul University. Upcoming work includes Gingerbread House (Red Tape Theatre).
Michael Huey – Original Music and Sound Design
Michael is is a film and theatre composer who is delighted to be working with Immediate Theatre. Selected designs and original music: The Spirit Play (Strange Tree Group); Tragedy: a tragedy (Red Tape Theatre); The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen (Strange Tree Group); and columbinus (TSU Theatre). Assistant Design: The Amish Project (with Fabian Obispo, ATC); The Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf, Milburn-Bodeen). Engineering:
Middletown, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, and The Hot L Baltimore (all Steppenwolf). Michael received his BA in theatre from Truman State University. Music and more can be found at www.officialmichaelhuey.com.
Izumi Inaba – Costume Design
Izumi has been working as a freelance costume designer in Chicago for about two years. Her favorite design works include Stage Door (Griffin), Woyzeck (The Hypocrites), and most recently The Kid Thing (Chicago Dramatists). She will be designing Spring Awakening (Griffin) next. She is a recipient of non-equity Jeff Award for makeup design for Theo Ubique Cabaret production of Cats. Izumi holds a B.A. in dance and theatre from SUNY at Buffalo and an M.F.A. in stage design from Northwestern University.
Jan Seleznow – Technical Director
Recent Chicago credits include: production manager for Bug (Redtwist Theatre); technical director for Brand and Gingerbread House (Red Tape Theatre), and for Mami, Where’d My O Go? (t&t productions at Lifeline Theatre), among others. Jen is a recent graduate of the Theatre School at DePaul University, where she was the technical director for Mayday Mayday Tuesday, Electricidad, and The Pillowman and was awarded the USITT Midwest Section Founder’s Award. Jen has enjoyed working with such companies as the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Fisher Theatrical (Baltimore), Ravenswood Studios (Chicago), and the Central School of Speech and Drama (London).
Dan Stermer – Movement Design
Dan is an artistic associate with About Face Theatre, a company member with Dog & Pony Theatre Company, and a proud member of Goldmine. He also teaches with Northlight Theatre and the National High School Institute. Recent theatre credits include The Homosexuals (About Face Theatre),
Auctioning the Ainsleys (Dog & Pony), LeRoy, LeRoy, LeRoy (Goldmine). Dan can also seen performing around town with”triple trouble” dance trio DoubleDJ.
Ariel Welch – Stage Manager
Ariel is a recent graduate of the Theater School at DePaul University. She is very excited to be working with Immediate Theatre and the wonderful Five Flights team. Recent credits include work as assistant stage manager for Light Opera Works’ production of The Student Prince; stage management intern for Victory Gardens’ production of A Guide for the Perplexed; and stage manager for Cock and Bull’s Axe Lizzie and the Possession of Alice Von Truskin. Her Theater School credits include stage management for the Graduate Showcase, DNA, 4.48 Psychosis, and assistant stage management for A Raisin in the Sun, Annual Gala (‘10& ’11) and The House of Blue Leaves.
SHOUT Marketing – Public Relations
SHOUT Marekting & Media Relations specializes in entertainment events and leisure activities. With more than 30 years of collective experience, the partners, Jill Evans La Penna and James Juliano, give a strong voice to individuals, organizations, and events of varying sizes, budgets, and needs. From hotel/resort destinations to theatrical presentations, restaurants, musicians, and film projects, SHOUT creates an individual approach to each client and their specific goals. SHOUT strives to utilize the most up-to-date marketing and media relations approaches, including unique online and grassroot campaigns and strategic advertising plans.