COMPANY MEMBERS
LEIGH ANNE BARRETT
COMPANY MEMBER
Leigh is a proud artistic associate of Oak Park Festival Theatre who has been a director, designer and stage manager in the Chicago area since settling here in 1989. Additional Chicago area credits include work with Shattered Globe, Next Theatre, City Lit, Stage Left, Promethean Theatre, The Conspirators, Factory Theater, Plasticene, and Babes With Blades Theatre Company, where she served as artistic director from 2011-2016.
ERICA BITTNER
COMPANY MEMBER
At OPFT, Erica (she/her) has appeared in The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe, I & You, You Can’t Take It With You, A Dickens Carol, Pygmalion, and Love’s Labours Lost. Other Chicago credits include productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane, Theater Wit, Windy City Playhouse, Redmoon, First Folio, Music Theater Works, Oracle Theatre, Piven Theatre, and many others. Regional and international: Cardinal Stage, Redmoon, and RADA. Television: The Chi (Showtime), Chicago Fire (NBC), Soundtrack (Netflix). Erica holds a BFA from the Chicago College of Performing Arts and a certificate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She is represented by Gray Talent Group. www.ericabittner.com
BELINDA BREMNER
COMPANY MEMBER
Since 2008, she has acted, directed, and written for OPFT. Roles include The Chorus in Henry V, Amanda Wingate, Lady Bracknell and , most recently, Gonzalo in The Tempest. She directed Dancing at Lughnasa, Of Mice and Men (Jeff Nominated), Richard III, Faith Healer, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Jeff Nominated) and many benefit performances. OPFT writing credits include Mrs. Coney, Love Spats, all the Midwinter’s Tales, as well as all the radio plays. A co-founder of ShawChicago and a founding member of the Body Politic ensemble, she has also worked with the Goodman, Court, Northlight, First Folio, and Irish Theatre Chicago.
WALLACE CRAIG
COMPANY MEMBER
Wallace Craig is overjoyed to join the Oak Park Festival Theatre family of artistic associates. Wallace moved to Chicago in 2018 following her graduation from The University of Cincinnati with a BFA in Stage Management. She has since worked on the OPFT Stage Management team for African Company Presents Richard III, A Dickens Carol, Elizabeth Rex, and most recently The Madness is Edgar Allen Poe: A Love Story. Other Chicagoland productions include Measure for Measure (Any Other Name Company); The Firestorm, All Childish Things, The Madness of Edgar Allen Poe (First Folio Theatre). This winter, she will Assistant Stage Manage First Folio’s production of Jeeves Saves The Day.
TONY DOBROWOLSKI
COMPANY MEMBER
An Oak Park resident since 1992, Tony’s relationship with OPFT began with the 1996 production of HAMLET in which he played both Polonius and The First Grave Digger. In 1997 he played Leonato in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 2001 saw Tony as Baptista in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Tony was Lord Stanley in the 2012 production of RICHARD III. In addition to his Austin Gardens appearances, Tony has also performed in the annual OPFT and PREVAIL (and its previous incarnation) holiday benefits of MRS. CONEY and MIDWINTER’S TALES. He performed and enjoyed being part of OPFT “Radio Acting Company” offerings and the Play-and-a-Pint readings of THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, DEATHTRAP, SLEUTH. Tony is the Founding Artistic Director of UBIQUITOUS PLAYERS – a weekly online play-reading group (with more than a dozen “new play” writers) started in April 2020. Tony has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1989.
AUGUST FORMAN
COMPANY MEMBER
AUGUST FORMAN (they/them) is an actor, educator, and playwright based in Chicago, IL. Credits include: Jason in HAND TO GOD (Paramount Theatre); Letter Writer 3 in TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS (Victory Gardens Theater and TheatreSquared); Richard Rutherford in RUTHERFORD AND SON (TimeLine Theatre); Harry Pearle in ELIZABETH REX and Bess Bridges in THE FAIR MAID OF THE WEST (Oak Park Festival Theatre); Theo in PLOT POINTS IN OUR SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT and Kid in A KIND OF WEATHER (Diversionary Theatre). Prince Dauntless in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (Theo Ubique); Viola in TWELFTH NIGHT (Midsommer Flight); Luitger in THE LADY DEMANDS SATISFACTION (Babes with Blades); and Gina in GIRL IN THE RED CORNER (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Supporting Actor – Broken Nose Theatre). August is an ensemble member with Broken Nose Theatre. They are also a facilitator and ensemble member with Imagination Theater, a touring company addressing social issues with young audiences. August is represented by Gray Talent Group.
MATT GALL
COMPANY MEMBER
Matt Gall (he/him) has been working with OPFT since 2014 and became an Artistic Associate in 2016. At Oak Park Festival, he has appeared in Hamlet, The Taming of The Shrew, Macbeth, The Tempest, and the world premiere of A Dickens Carol. He has directed several reading series and workshop performances, and co-directed the 2018 remount of A Dickens Carol. He has worked in Chicago and regionally for over a decade and is also a film producer, podcaster, and writer. Matt is a New Hampshire native and holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Ithaca College.
JULIO CESAR GUTIERREZ
COMPANY MEMBER
Julio (he/him) is incredibly enthusiastic to be joining the big family at OPFT. He was born and raised in Miami, Florida and recently made the move here to Chicago after graduating with a degree in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University. He made his OPFT debut as Demetrius in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Nights Dream” and right after played the role of Simon in Beth Hyland’s “Seagulls”. Other significant roles that he has played in the past include Sonny in “In the Heights”, Jake in “Simona’s Search”, and Jacques in “As You Like It”.
JACK HICKEY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
Jack most recently made his first appearance with Citadel Theatre as Tony Reilly in Outside Mullingar. A proud member of Actor’s Equity for over 40 years, over the past 20 years Jack has been a member of the Oak Park Festival Theatre where he served as Artistic Director for 15 of those years. He has acted in or directed over 25 productions with the company, most notably Falstaff in Henry IV, Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, and Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac. Jack was nominated for an Equity Jeff Award playing Michael in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.
MARK LANCASTER
COMPANY MEMBER
Mark became an Artistic Associate at Oak Park Festival Theatre in 2017 where he has been seen in Macbeth, The Fair Maid of the West, and A Dickens Carol. Mark moved to Chicago in 2007 from Dallas, TX. He completed an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2012, and has since worked as an actor, burlesque emcee/performer, creature effects model, and is currently pursuing a path up the ranks of the Society of American Fight Directors.
SAVANNA RAE
COMPANY MEMBER
Savanna Rae became an Artistic Associate in 2018 where she was last seen in Macbeth, Richard III and Inherit the Wind. Most recently, Savanna played Bianca Minola in Shrewish at Artemisia Theatre. Other Chicago credits include Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theater) and Dating and Dragons (The Factory Theatre). Savanna’s solo show, Daughters of Ire, was nominated for Best New Work of 2015 (Broadway World Chicago) and continues to tour through The Other Theatre Company, of which she is a member. Savanna is represented by the incredible ladies of Shirley Hamilton Talent.
KEVIN THEIS
COMPANY MEMBER
Kevin’s association with Festival Theatre goes back to 1990, where he first appeared as Prince John in Tom Mula’s production of “Falstaff.” Since then, he has appeared in numerous productions as a performer- both indoors and out- and has staged eight shows for OPFT as a director. Favorite roles include Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing,” George in “Of Mice and Men,” Edward in “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,” (Jeff nomination), Frank Hardy in “Faith Healer,” the title role in “Richard III,” Salieri in “Amadeus” and Charles Dickens in the world premiere of “A Dickens Carol.” As a director, he has worked on “Picnic,” “Robin Hood,” “Henry V,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “The Fair Maid of the West” and “A Dickens Carol.” In addition to his work at OPFT, Kevin has worked as a performer at the Goodman Theatre, Next, Theater Wit, Peninsula Players, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and the Irish Theatre of Chicago (formerly Seanachai Theatre). He was in the Jeff Award winning ensemble of 2014’s “The Seaferer.” He has directed at Seanachai, CT20 Ensemble, Lifeline Theatre, City Lit and greasy joan & co. and has been nominated for three Jeff Awards for his directing work. He has two published plays, adaptations of Thomas Heywood’s “The Fair Maid of the West” and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Sign of the Four” (the latter in conjunction with Shanghai Low Theatricals) and two books: “Invading Nirvana” and “Confessions of a Transylvanian” (the latter with co-author Ron Fox). He has been seen on NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.”, ABC’s “Betrayal.” and FOX’s “Empire.”
BARBARA ZAHORA
COMPANY MEMBER
Barbara Zahora joined the leadership team for Festival Theatre in 2018, after having acted with the company since 2008. She has directed several of the shows in Austin Gardens, including The Tempest, Elizabeth Rex and 2017’s acclaimed Macbeth. As an actor she’s appeared on our stages over the years as Penny in You Can’t Take It With You, Maggie in Dancing at Lughnasa, Harriet in Christmas Comes But Once a Year, and the title character in Mrs. Coney.
Additional acting credits include All My Sons and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (American Players Theatre); Hamlet, Heartbreak House, A Little Night Music, and Misalliance (Writers’ Theatre); The Country Girl (Illinois Theatre Center); Marionette Macbeth, The Moliere Comedies, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Richard II, The School for Scandal, and All’s Well That Ends Well (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Northlight Theatre); A Christmas Carol, Wit (Goodman Theatre); Hard Times (Lookingglass Theatre); Arms and the Man, The Devil’s Disciple, Heartbreak House, Major Barbara, Coward in Two Keys, and What Every Woman Knows (ShawChicago); and many appearances with the Shakespeare Project of Chicago, where she served as associate artistic director for eight years.
Her other directing credits include Hollow/Wave (Silk Road Rising), Shrewish (Artemisia Theatre), Candida, Hay Fever, Misalliance and Private Lives (ShawChicago), and Love’s Labour’s Lost, Ovidian Myths, Something Shaw, and Spoon River: Coming Home for the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University. TV and film credits include Chicago Fire and Operator.
Barbara is co-head of the Acting program at Roosevelt University’s CCPA, and she previously taught at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and North Central College. She is represented by Paonessa Talent and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Love to George, always.
GEORGE ZAHORA
COMPANY MEMBER
George Zahora has been doing sound design in various professional and semi-professional capacities for over thirty years. He’s also a playwright, IT consultant, DJ and mostly retired music journalist. OPFT audiences have heard his work in The Tempest, Elizabeth Rex, Much Ado About Nothing, I and You, You Can’t Take It With You, The African Company presents Richard III and Macbeth. He’s also the resident sound designer for the Shakespeare Project of Chicago, where he has created sound and music for more than thirty shows, and created a lot of music and sound effects for the much-missed ShawChicago.