Kevin Theis (Dickens) 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 seven show 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 and Salieri in Amadeus. As a director, he has worked on Picnic, Robin Hood, Henry V, The Glass Menagerie, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Fair Maid of the West (which he also adapted).  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) where he was a member of 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 novels, “Confessions of a Transylvanian” with co-author Ron Fox and “Invading Nirvana: a Chicagoan in the City of Angels”.  He has been seen on NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” and ABC’s “Betrayal.”

Matt Gall (Assistant Director/ Ratchford) is an Artistic Associate at OPFT, appearing in Macbeth, Hamlet, and Taming of the Shrew. Past Chicago productions include New Country (Den Theatre.), Design for Living (Pride Films & Plays), Misalliance, Major Barbara, Pygmalion, Saint Joan (ShawChicago), Dial “M” for Murder (Metropolis), Enchanted April (Citadel), Wrong Mountain (Rare Terra), The Pillowman (Spartan), and The Blue Room (Stage 773). Regionally, Matt appeared recently in Ah, Wilderness! (A Noise Within, Los Angeles) and in the 2014 National Tour of Griffin Theatre’s Letters Home. Matt is a New Hampshire native and a graduate of Ithaca College.

Matty Robinson (Chapman/Forman/Vendor 2/Rescue Worker/Ensemble) As an actor he appeared in in OPTF’s production of The Taming of the Shrew as Grumio, and worked on The Fair Maid of the West and To Kill A Mockingbird. An OPFT Artistic Associate, Matty also was OPFT’s Internship Coordinator in 2017. Matty is a proud Illinois State University alumni holding a Bachelor of Science degree in theatre. You can find him Friday nights during Pimprov as Prince Midas, doing shows around Chicago with The Moonsharks, or performing stand-up around the city.

Erica Bittner (Female Prisoner/Mrs.Ratchford/Dilbert/Past/Ensemble) Erica Bittner returns to OPFT where she is an Artistic Associate and has appeared in Pygmalion and Love’s Labours Lost.  Favorite credits include: King Charles III (Cardinal Stage Company); Bad Jews (Theatre Wit); The Madness of Edgar Allen Poe (First Folio Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane); Richard III: No Beast So Fierce (Oracle Theatre); and work with Piven Theatre, Music Theatre Works, Redmoon, One Year Chekhov, GreatWorks, Chicago Dramatists, Victory Gardens, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. International: The Two Noble Kinsmen (RADA) and Momentary Opera (Redmoon).  Television: Chicago Fire, American Greed.  Erica holds a BFA from the Chicago College of Performing Arts and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Represented by Gray Talent Group.

Robert Koon (Shakespeare/Seargent Joe/Ensemble) Robert is pleased to be working with OPFT once again, after appearing in 2016’s The Taming of the Shrew.  Recent appearances include Seminar for Spartan Theatre Company, The Woman in Black for WildClaw Theatre Company, Chagrin Falls for The Agency Theatre Collective (Jeff nomination), and Human Terrain for Broken Nose Theatre.  He is a Resident Playwright Alumnus at Chicago Dramatists, where his plays Homecoming 1972 and St. Colm’s Inch were produced; and he is a former Playwright Resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts.  Robert is an Associate Artist with 16^th Street Theatre and Broken Nose Theatre, and he is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Gwendolyn Theis (Charlie/Peter/Ensemble) – Gwen is thrilled to return to OPFT, where she appeared earlier this season as Fleance in “Macbeth.”  Previous OPFT credits include “Richard III,” “Midwinters Tales” and “Mrs. Coney.”  She was a member of CAST while at Percy Julian Middle School where she appeared as Svetlana in “Chess,” Margo in “The Diary of Ann Frank,” Esperanza in “House on Mango Street” and Jacques in “As You Like It.”

Frederick Harris (Conductor/Future/Ensemble) Frederick Harris is happy to be making his OPFT debut! Frederick’s most recent productions include LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: William Street Repertory Theatre (Audrey II) RAGTIME: Griffith Theatre (Booker T. Washington) THE WIZ: Kokandy Productions (The Wiz) DIRECT FROM DEATHROOW THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS: Raven Theatre, winner of the Jeff Award for Best Ensemble (Piano Player) NUNSENSE: Beverly Arts Center (Sis Hubert) HANDS ON A HARD BODY: William Street Repertory Theatre (Ronald). Frederick has received his M.F.A. from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Frederick was also nominated for a Black Theatre Alliance Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (The Wiz). Frederick is thankful to God and the Spirit of his Ancestors for continuing to give love and light this life. T.E.