Welcome
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater has been home to many epic stagings from the Shakespearean canon—unforgettable stories that illuminate our shared humanity. Brokeback Mountain shares so much synergy with these sentiments and challenges our preconceptions in such a delicate way that it becomes a truly eye-opening experience. It’s a thrill to bring this beautifully rendered piece onto our stage as this play explores powerful emotional journeys through the prism of intense and personal relationships.
The creative team has taken full advantage of the adaptability of the Courtyard stage, creating a space that is very different to anything we have seen this season. The wide-open spaces of Wyoming come to meet us in the audience, expand back into the proscenium, and envelop our senses musically. It’s a rich backdrop to a beautiful and complicated love story.
Theater is so adept at tackling powerful themes through intimate drama and so it is with great joy that we launch the North American premiere of Brokeback Mountain in Chicago, a play that genuinely engages audiences across generations and identities through the magic of live performance. Thank you for joining us and for making the magic happen—
EDWARD HALL
Artistic Director
Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair
KIMBERLY MOTES
Executive Director
by special arrangement with NICA BURNS and ADAM BLANSHAY
presents
A play by ASHLEY ROBINSON
Songs by DAN GILLESPIE SELLS
Based on ANNIE PROULX’s Short Story
Directed by JONATHAN BUTTERELL
Originally produced by Nica Burns, Adam Blanshay Productions, Lambert Jackson and Katy Lipson
for Aria Entertainment, @sohoplace in 2023
Lead Production Sponsor
Audience Notice: As a courtesy to the artists and your fellow theatergoers, please turn off your cell phones
and all other electronic devices. Photography, video, and audio recording are strictly
prohibited during the show. For your safety, we ask that you keep aisles and doorways clear.
This production contains scenes of intimacy and brief nudity. The staging features prop
firearms and gunshot sound effects, live flame, and haze effects. Please take a moment to
check the nearest exit in case of an emergency. Emergency exits are clearly marked. If you
need to step out while the show is in progress, theater staff may ask you to wait in the lobby
before re-entering, and it may not be to your original seat.
If we can help accommodate you during your visit, please speak with our House Manager.
Setting: Various places in rural Wyoming. The action takes place between 1963 and 1983.
Artists
Harrison Ball
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. NEW YORK CITY BALLET: Principal dancer 2011-2023 FILM: Catharsis, Ellipsis, In The Best Interest of the Children CHOREOGRAPHY: Purcell Suite, New Ancient Strings, Aliens with Extraordinary Abilities, Sonance EDUCATION: School of American Ballet AWARDS: Mae L. Wein Award, Janice Levin Award
Jack Cameron Kay
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. FILM: Club Kid (2026 Cannes Film Festival). TELEVISION: Boots (Netflix). EDUCATION: BM in vocal arts, The Juilliard School.
Thomas Cox
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: Lookingglass Theatre (founding Ensemble member); Rock n Roll, Blind Date, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Cratchit in six seasons of A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Pride and Prejudice, Jekyll and Hyde, The Outgoing Tide, Book of Will (Northlight Theatre); Fraulein Else, Raisin, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Agamemnon, Electra, Man In The Ring, Arsenic and Old Lace (Court Theatre); Season on the Line (House Theatre); Richard III (Gift Theatre). REGIONAL: End of the Rainbow (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); six summer seasons (Weston Theatre). FILM: Since You’ve Been Gone (Miramax). TELEVISION: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD (NBC); Brotherhood (Showtime). EDUCATION: Northwestern University.
Cordelia Dewdney
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: Ashland Avenue (Goodman Theatre); Steel Magnolias (Drury Lane); Mr. Dickens’ Hat (Northlight Theatre); Moby Dick, Hard Times, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Lookingglass Theatre). REGIONAL: Pasadena Theatre Workshop, The Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory, The McCarter Theatre. FILM: New Years Rev. TELEVISION: Chicago Med (NBC) and South Side (HBO). EDUCATION: BFA in theatre, Northwestern University.
Kat Eggleston
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: The Selfish Giant (Chicago Children’s Theatre); The Snow Queen (Victory Gardens Theater) Peter Glazer’s Woody Guthrie’s American Song (Briar Street Theater) This Train (Steppenwolf Garage Space). REGIONAL: Vashon Repertory Theater, Vashon Center for the Arts (original play, “The Cyclone Line”), Seattle Repertory Theater (first staged reading, “The Cyclone Line.”) AWARDS: Female vocal album of the year, LiveIreland. EDUCATION: BFA in acting, Ft. Wright College, WA. Kat is a performing songwriter, guitarist, actor, and playwright.
Alina Jenine Taber
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Arwen Evenstar in The Lord of the Rings- a Musical Tale, Sinister. CHICAGO: Anthony Rapp: Home for the Holidays (Lookingglass Theatre); Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (Paramount Theatre); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Marriott Theatre); Rizzo in Grease (Drury Lane Theatre); Once (Writer’s Theatre). REGIONAL: Madge in Picnic, Winter’s Tale, Trouble in Mind (American Players Theatre). INTERNATIONAL: The Lord of the Rings- a Musical Tale (Te Civic, Auckland NZ). TELEVISION: Lexi Olinsky in Chicago PD/Fire/Med (NBC Universal). ADDITIONAL: Ludo’s Broken Bride (House of Blues); Ella Fitzgerald: Live at Mr. Kelly’s (City Winery).
Meghan Maureen McDonough
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: Emma in Stripped (Circle Theatre, Joseph Jefferson Citation Nomination for Best Actress), REGIONAL: Angie in the American Premiere of Big Big Sky (The Chester Theater Company); Lt. Scott in Bad Apples (Circle X Theatre – LA Weekly Theatre Award Nomination for Supporting Female in a Musical Performance). FILM: Ice Harvest, Solutions, Break Away, American Underdog, Grey Area (Best Actress Short Film Nominee – Oak Park Film Festival), and The Burger (Best Low Budget Short Film – Broad Humor Festival – which she wrote, acted, directed, and produced.) TELEVISION: Dark Matter, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Mom, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Proven Innocent, The Chi, Criminal Minds, CSI: Cyber, Major Crimes, Henry Danger, 90210, and How I Met Your Mother. Meghan is the author and creator of Magnetize Your Light.
Laura Nelson
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Sunny Afternoon. CHICAGO: Native Son (Lifeline Theatre), Bowie in Warsaw, Princess Ivona, Medea Material, The Killer (Trap Door Theatre), Masque Macabre (Strawdog Theatre), The Sound of Music (Drury Lane Theatre), Grey Gardens (Northlight Theatre). FILM: The MisEducation of Bindu, Senior Moments. TELEVISION: The Bear (FX). EDUCATION: BFA in drama, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Andrew Pappas
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut CHICAGO: Changing Channels (City Lit Theater) EDUCATION: BA from the University of Alabama
Matt Rosin
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: West Side Story (Music Theatre Works); Trial in the Delta (Collaboraction Theatre Company); Describe the Night (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Playboy of the Western World (City Lit Theater Company); Black Knight (Lifeboat Productions); Take Me (Strawdog Theatre Company); Birdland (Steep Theatre Company); Cal in Camo (Rivendell Theatre Company). REGIONAL: Southwest Shakespeare Company. TELEVISION: American Blue (HBO), Chicago Fire (NBC). EDUCATION: BA Russian, Arizona State University.
Andrew Shipman
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut CHICAGO: The Tender Trap (Blue in the Right Way Theatre); Pilot Island and Her Keepers, The Footholds (The Impostors Theatre Co.) REGIONAL: Boeing, Boeing (Flying Anvil Theatre); Airness, Exit, Pursued by a Bear, The Real Inspector Hound (Clarence Brown Theatre) EDUCATION: BA in Theatre, University of Tennessee
Band
Paul Mertens
Harmonicas
Tom McGettrick
Pedal Steel Guitar
Mary Halm
Bass
Ryan Blihovde
Copyist
Heather Boehm
Music Contractor
Ryan Blihovde
Copyist
Heather Boehm
Music Contractor
Jacob Yates
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. BROADWAY: Wicked, Les Misérables, Spring Awakening, Hadestown, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. OFF-BROADWAY: The Baker’s Wife (Classic Stage Company); Alice By Heart, Only Gold (MCC Theater); Rock of Ages (New World Stages). TOUR: Hadestown, Disney Princess The Concert. Currently the Conductor of the Palm Springs Pops Orchestra.
Creative Team
Ashley Robinson
Playwright
Jonathan Butterell
Director
Dan Gillespie Sells
Composer
Stephanie Farina
Sound Recreation and Additional Content
Shaheen Baig
Casting
Brenden Marble
Assistant Lighting Designer
Zeb Lalljee
Associate Costume Designer
Ethan Smith
Assistant Intimacy Choreographer
Laurence Miller & Susanne Noble
For Nica Burns, General Manager
Claudia Brunning
For Nica Burns, Marketing Manager
Stephanie Creed
Assistant to Nica Burns
Brenden Marble
Assistant Lighting Designer
Zeb Lalljee
Associate Costume Designer
Ethan Smith
Assistant Intimacy Choreographer
Laurence Miller & Susanne Noble
For Nica Burns, General Manager
Claudia Brunning
For Nica Burns, Marketing Manager
Stephanie Creed
Assistant to Nica Burns
Jacob Yates
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. BROADWAY: Wicked, Les Misérables, Spring Awakening, Hadestown, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. OFF-BROADWAY: The Baker’s Wife (Classic Stage Company); Alice By Heart, Only Gold (MCC Theater); Rock of Ages (New World Stages). TOUR: Hadestown, Disney Princess The Concert. Currently the Conductor of the Palm Springs Pops Orchestra.
Tom Pye
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: Eugene Onegin, Anna Karenina (Joffrey Ballet). WEST END: Paddington (Olivier, WhatsOnStage Awards); My Neighbour Totoro (Olivier, WhatsOnStage, Critic’s Circle Awards); Brokeback Mountain; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; A Christmas Carol; Sinatra. BROADWAY: Long Day’s Journey into Night; The Testament of Mary; All My Sons; The Glass Menagerie; Fiddler on the Roof (Tony nom.); Cyrano de Bergerac; Medea. OPERA/BALLET: Eugene Onegin (San Francisco Ballet); Cinderella (The Royal Ballet); The Hours (Metropolitan Opera); The Nutcracker (Atlanta Ballet); The Seagull (The Bolshoi Ballet – Moscow); Cosi Fan Tutte, The Death of Klinghoffer, Eugene Onegin (ENO/Metropolitan Opera); Akhnaten (ENO/L.A. and Met Opera); Aida (ENO/Geneva/Houston Grand Opera); Riders to the Sea, St John Passion (ENO); Thebans (ENO/Theater Bonn); and Messiah (ENO/Opera Lyon). FILM: A Feast at Midnight, Christie Malry’s Own Double Entry. TELEVISION: Renegade Nell; Gentleman Jack; To Walk Invisible; Gloriana; Richard II; Twelfth Night; Just William; The Helen West Casebook; The Late Michael Clark and several years of production design for MTV Europe.
David Finn
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. DANCE: Resident lighting designer for Twyla Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project (1993–2000). BALLET: Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Ballet, and Australian Ballet. OPERA: The Royal Opera, Metropolitan Opera, La Scala Milan, Salzburg Festival, Paris Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Canadian Opera Company. FILM: The Age of Innocence. DIRECTING: The Green Monster (PBS). ADDITIONAL: Cirque du Soleil (Michael Jackson ONE, ZED, R.U.N.). EDUCATION: Dartmouth College. AWARDS: Yomiuri Award; Knight of Illumination Award; four Dora Mavor Moore Awards.
Christopher Shutt
CHICAGO: St Nicholas (Goodman Theatre). REGIONAL: Washington DC Shakespeare Theatre. BROADWAY: War Horse, Coram Boy, All My Sons, Not About Nightingales, Moon for the Misbegotten, Privacy. OFF-BROADWAY: Mnemonic, Macbeth, Love & Information, Arturo Ui. INTERNATIONAL: London Tide, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Much Ado About Nothing, Murder on the Orient Express, The Corn Is Green, Paradise, The Twilight Zone, Antony and Cleopatra, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, A Disappearing Number, The Elephant Vanishes, Street of Crocodiles, The Father, Twilight Zone, Oppenheimer, All About My Mother. FILM: Romeo & Juliet. AWARDS: Tony Award (War Horse), Drama Desk Awards (Mnemonic, Not About Nightingales). Christopher is an Honorary Doctor of Arts and a Companion of Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
Zev Steinrock
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: America V2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of the American Negro (Definition Theatre). REGIONAL: South Coast Repertory, Paper Mill Playhouse, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival (Hamlet, Romeo & Zooliet), Illinois Shakespeare Festival (Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona), Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), New Jewish Theatre (Baskerville), Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, The Williamston Theatre. FILM/TELEVISION: Mrs. Fletcher (HBO). EDUCATION: MFA in Theatre, Michigan State University; BFA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. AWARDS: Paddy Crean Award; Darrel Rushton Teaching Award. Certified Teacher, Society of American Fight Directors; Certified Intimacy Director, Intimacy Directors & Coordinators. Steinrock is an Assistant Professor of Acting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Sammi Grant
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: Miss Julie, Big White Fog, Berlin, Raisin in the Sun, Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution (Court Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), Lehman Trilogy (Broadway in Chicago/Timeline Theatre), Black Sunday, Notes from the Field, Relentless (Timeline Theatre), West Side Story (Lyric Opera of Chicago), The Band’s Visit, Once (Writers Theatre). FILM: Rescued by Ruby (Netflix). TELEVISION: Patriot (Amazon Prime), The Exorcist (Fox). EDUCATION: MFA with Distinction in Voice Studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Sammi is an Assistant Professor and Co-Head of Voice and Speech at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Bob Mason
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: 150 plus productions over 24 years, including 35 plays in Shakespeare’s canon under current Artistic Director Edward Hall and Founding Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. Also at CST: nine productions of Stephen Sondheim musicals under the direction of Gary Griffin. CHICAGO: Bounce, Light in the Piazza (Goodman Theatre); REGIONAL: SIX (CST, American Repertory Theater–Artios Award, Ordway Center, The Citadel); Ride the Cyclone (CST, Fifth Avenue Theatre/A Contemporary Theater, Alliance Theatre); OFF-BROADWAY: Ride the Cyclone (MCC); Rose Rage: Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall (The Duke on 42nd Street); Marionette Macbeth (New Victory); BROADWAY: SIX, The Notebook; INTERNATIONAL: The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale (Auckland, NZ); Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse–Olivier Award, Outstanding Musical); Henry IV, Parts One and Two (RSC). Prior to casting, Mason enjoyed a career as a Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and singer and has been a visiting educator at Northwestern University and multiple college programs across the country.
Christopher Chase Carter
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Sunny Afternoon (Associate Director) CHICAGO: Former Artistic Director of Mercury Theater Chicago and Venus Cabaret Theater: Big River, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Young Frankenstein, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Jersey Boys. AWARDS: Joseph Jefferson Awards (Big River, Prascilla Queen of the Desert)
Emily Hayman
Christine D. Freeburg
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Sunny Afternoon. CHICAGO: Catch Me If You Can (Marriott Theatre); The Thanksgiving Play, BUG, The Minutes, Seagull, Describe the Night (Steppenwolf Theatre); Hamlet (Court Theatre), Arabian Nights (lookingglass theatre); Four Hands, Two Pianos (Northlight Theatre). BROADWAY: BUG (Manhattan Theatre Club). REGIONAL: American Buffalo (McCarter Theatre); After the Quake (Long Wharf Theatre); Ragtime, Chicago, Pirates of Penzance, Stones in His Pockets (Weston Theatre). EDUCATION: BFA in Stage Management, The Theatre School at DePaul University. Ms. Freeburg is also an Assistant Professor and Head of the Stage Management Department at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.
Danny Fender
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamnet, Rome Sweet Rome, Circus Abyssinia, Sunny Afternoon, Avaaz, Pericles, Henry V, Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. CHICAGO: Two Trains Running, The Lady from the Sea, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, The Mousetrap, Oedipus Rex, King Hedley II (Court Theatre); The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Lookingglass Theatre Company); The Music Man, Ah, Wilderness! (Goodman Theatre); Revolution (A Red Orchid Theatre); new play workshops for Steppenwolf Theatre Company; author events for Chicago Humanities Festival. NEW YORK: Black Swan (workshop). TOUR: Hamilton (Philip Company Tour). EDUCATION: The Theatre School at DePaul University, Interlochen Arts Academy. Fender is one of the owners of The Understudy Coffee and Books, a theatre bookstore and specialty coffee shop located in Andersonville. The Understudy was featured in the New York Times’ 36 Hours in Chicago and voted Chicago Reader’s Best Coffee Shop in Chicago for 2023 and 2024, and is listed in Louis Vuitton’s Chicago City Guide.
Bruno Diaz Miranda
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. TOUR: TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (North American Tour). REGIONAL: The Old Globe. OPERA: Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicci, Street Scene, Così fan Tutte, Turn of the Screw, Orfeo ed Euridice, Dark Sisters. EDUCATION: The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Nica Burns
Nica Burns CBE is a multi-award winning producer of over a hundred productions. She is Chief Executive and co-owner of Nimax Theatres Limited which owns and operates six beautiful West End theatres. In 2022 after 12 years development, she opened @sohoplace, the first new West End theatre in 50 years. Nica is consistently recognised in the annual The Stage 100 as one of the most influential people in Theatre. Full bio: About Us | The Nimax Story | Nimax Theatres
Adam Blanshay
Adam Blanshay Productions is a London-based company with over 60 productions worldwide. Recipient of 8 Tony Awards, 10 Olivier Awards and 1 Helpmann Award, Current Productions: Kim’s Convenience (Toronto & North American Tour); Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Broadway, West End, Australia, US Tour, World Tour). Adam is an EMBA Graduate of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and a recipient of the Linbury Scholarship for his studies. Full bio: www.adamblanshay.com
Special Thanks to Stone Arch Theatricals and Laird A. Lile.
Brokeback Mountain Full Staff Listing
Edward Hall Artistic Director, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair
Kimberly Motes Executive Director
ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE
Ericka Ratcliff Literary Manager
John Hance Interim General Manager
Daniel J. Hess Artistic Administrator
Bob Mason Artistic Associate/Casting Director
Brian Haas Company Manager
Alexis Taylor Casting Associate
Rose Kalef Executive Assistant
Shemar Wheeler Arts Leadership Fellow
EDUCATION
Nora Carroll Director of Lifelong Learning & Education, Ray and Judy McCaskey Education Chair
Rick Lostutter Associate Director of Education
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Brad Boron Chief Marketing Officer
MARKETING
Mackenzie Schleyer Associate Director of Marketing
Katie Bell Digital Marketing Manager
Olivia George Graphic Designer
Shelly Binkley Tessitura Administrator
Ali Khan Marketing Associate
COMMUNICATIONS
Hannah Kennedy Director of Communications
Emma Perrin Associate Director of Communications
Tiffany Mullins Digital Content Specialist
BOX OFFICE
Scott Letscher Ticketing Services Manager
Sonja Pardee Box Office Supervisor
Al Duffy Box Office Associate
Jaz Fowlkes Box Office Associate
Micah Hazel Box Office Associate
Aurthur King Box Office Associate
Eric Perrine Box Office Associate
Ash Pierce Box Office Associate
Kir Westrick Box Office Associate
DEVELOPMENT & SPECIAL EVENTS
Stacy Shafer Peterson Chief Development Officer
Makeda Cohran Events Director
Melissa Rosenberg Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving
Elizabeth Aranza Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving
Finley Jones Manager of Annual Fund and Planned Giving
Nick Magel Donor Services Associate
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
FINANCE
Jane Clifford Interim Chief Financial Officer
Dan Thomas Director of Finance
Jane Dominowski Controller
Alejandra Sujo Accounting Associate
TECHNOLOGY
Jeanne DeVore Technology Manager
OPERATIONS
Mark Kozy Director of Operations
Daniel Lopez Facilities Manager
Mike Atkins Custodian
Dwayne Brewer Custodian
Anthony Davis Custodian
Cano Hernandez Custodian
Ferris Robertson Custodian
GUEST SERVICES
Devin Faught Front of House Manager
Phoebe Silva Assistant Front of House Manager
Julia Ravenscroft Show Supervisor
Erika Wilson Show Supervisor
Will Adams Guest Services Associate
Sam Castillo Guest Services Associate
Madalyn Cruz Guest Services Associate
Jennifer Hinojosa Guest Services Associate
Amanda Farmer Guest Services Associate
Cayla Joy Guest Services Associate
Paulette Maher Guest Services Associate
Nat Martinez-White Guest Services Associate
Adiyah Parham Guest Services Associate
Maggie Perisho Guest Services Associate
Jessica Plummer Guest Services Associate
Jack Porter Guest Services Associate
Nora Rumery Guest Services Associate
Lisa Townes Guest Services Associate
Samantha Waitkus Guest Services Associate
Nyja White Guest Services Associate
Philip Macaluso Lead Concessioner
Patty Roache Lead Concessioner
Jack Saunders Lead Concessioner
Sam Adams Concessioner
Dani Brown Concessioner
Suzie Glover Concessioner
Christian Helem Concessioner
Sophia Jovanovic Concessioner
Zoe Maxwell Concessioner
Tanner McCormick Concessioner
Robbie Matthew Concessioner
Leaf McCastle Concessioner
Lily Mulcahy Concessioner
Reese Sheldahl Concessioner
Dalton Smith Concessioner
Emily Stipetic Concessioner
Prenae Thomas Concessioner
Mo Werder Concessioner
HUMAN RESOURCES
Laurel Legler Director of Human Resources
Mohad Zahid HR Generalist
PRODUCTION
Wendy Stark Prey Director of Production
Mac Vaughey Production Manager
Alexa Berkowitz Assistant Production Manager
SCENERY
Tyler Metoxen Technical Director
Tobi Osibodu Stage Crew Head
Bradley Buri Stage Crew Carpenter Head
Jack Birdwell Stage Rigging Crew Head
Nicolas Cabrera House Technician
Chris Culver House Technician
Amber Hahn House Technician
Danny Carraher Carpenter
Reese Sheldahl Carpenter
Casey Fort Carpenter
Aubrey Pierce Carpenter
Kat Taylor Carpenter
Nicholas Thomas Carpenter
Anthony Doyle Carpenter
Kendra Luedke Carpenter
Scott Gerwitz Scenic Painter
COSTUMES
Cathy Tantillo Costume Design Assistant
Melissa Perkins Costume Design Assistant
Jenn Giangola Wardrobe Supervisor
Tyler Phillips Draper/Workroom Supervisor
Teagan Anderson First Hand
Yas Maple Stitcher
Madeline Felauer Costume Crafts
Laura Holt Dresser
Naomi Arroyo Dresser
LIGHTING AND VIDEO
Alec Thorne Lighting and Video Department Manager
Arianna Brown Assistant Lighting and Video Department Manager
Joan E. Claussen Lighting Crew Head
Chris Feurig Lightboard Programmer
Emily Brown Electrician
Nicholas Chamernik Electrician
Angela Duggins Electrician
Elliot Hubiak Electrician
Ish Petersen Electrician
Samantha Tetzlaff Electrician
SOUND
Nicholas Pope Sound Department Manager
Tyler Malone Sound Crew Head
Sarah Ortiz Sound Technician
Harper Justus A1 Cover
HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Ashley Adams Hair and Make-up Department Manager
Sarah Collins Hair and Make-up Attendant
Hailey Hance Hair and Make-up Attendant Cover
PROPERTIES
Jesse Gaffney Interim Properties Supervisor
Meghan Savagian Assistant Properties Department Manager
Dan Nurczyk Properties Crew Head
AnnaMae Durham Properties Artisan
Sara Grose Properties Artisan
Katie Novak Properties Artisan
Edward Hall Artistic Director, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair
Kimberly Motes Executive Director
ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE
Ericka Ratcliff Literary Manager
John Hance Interim General Manager
Daniel J. Hess Artistic Administrator
Bob Mason Artistic Associate/Casting Director
Brian Haas Company Manager
Alexis Taylor Casting Associate
Rose Kalef Executive Assistant
Shemar Wheeler Arts Leadership Fellow
EDUCATION
Nora Carroll Director of Lifelong Learning & Education, Ray and Judy McCaskey Education Chair
Rick Lostutter Associate Director of Education
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Brad Boron Chief Marketing Officer
MARKETING
Mackenzie Schleyer Associate Director of Marketing
Katie Bell Digital Marketing Manager
Olivia George Graphic Designer
Shelly Binkley Tessitura Administrator
Ali Khan Marketing Associate
COMMUNICATIONS
Hannah Kennedy Director of Communications
Emma Perrin Associate Director of Communications
Tiffany Mullins Digital Content Specialist
BOX OFFICE
Scott Letscher Ticketing Services Manager
Sonja Pardee Box Office Supervisor
Al Duffy Box Office Associate
Jaz Fowlkes Box Office Associate
Micah Hazel Box Office Associate
Aurthur King Box Office Associate
Eric Perrine Box Office Associate
Ash Pierce Box Office Associate
Kir Westrick Box Office Associate
DEVELOPMENT & SPECIAL EVENTS
Stacy Shafer Peterson Chief Development Officer
Makeda Cohran Events Director
Melissa Rosenberg Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving
Elizabeth Aranza Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving
Finley Jones Manager of Annual Fund and Planned Giving
Nick Magel Donor Services Associate
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
FINANCE
Jane Clifford Interim Chief Financial Officer
Dan Thomas Director of Finance
Jane Dominowski Controller
Alejandra Sujo Accounting Associate
TECHNOLOGY
Jeanne DeVore Technology Manager
OPERATIONS
Mark Kozy Director of Operations
Daniel Lopez Facilities Manager
Mike Atkins Custodian
Dwayne Brewer Custodian
Anthony Davis Custodian
Cano Hernandez Custodian
Ferris Robertson Custodian
GUEST SERVICES
Devin Faught Front of House Manager
Phoebe Silva Assistant Front of House Manager
Julia Ravenscroft Show Supervisor
Erika Wilson Show Supervisor
Will Adams Guest Services Associate
Sam Castillo Guest Services Associate
Madalyn Cruz Guest Services Associate
Jennifer Hinojosa Guest Services Associate
Amanda Farmer Guest Services Associate
Cayla Joy Guest Services Associate
Paulette Maher Guest Services Associate
Nat Martinez-White Guest Services Associate
Adiyah Parham Guest Services Associate
Maggie Perisho Guest Services Associate
Jessica Plummer Guest Services Associate
Jack Porter Guest Services Associate
Nora Rumery Guest Services Associate
Lisa Townes Guest Services Associate
Samantha Waitkus Guest Services Associate
Nyja White Guest Services Associate
Philip Macaluso Lead Concessioner
Patty Roache Lead Concessioner
Jack Saunders Lead Concessioner
Sam Adams Concessioner
Dani Brown Concessioner
Suzie Glover Concessioner
Christian Helem Concessioner
Sophia Jovanovic Concessioner
Zoe Maxwell Concessioner
Tanner McCormick Concessioner
Robbie Matthew Concessioner
Leaf McCastle Concessioner
Lily Mulcahy Concessioner
Reese Sheldahl Concessioner
Dalton Smith Concessioner
Emily Stipetic Concessioner
Prenae Thomas Concessioner
Mo Werder Concessioner
HUMAN RESOURCES
Laurel Legler Director of Human Resources
Mohad Zahid HR Generalist
PRODUCTION
Wendy Stark Prey Director of Production
Mac Vaughey Production Manager
Alexa Berkowitz Assistant Production Manager
SCENERY
Tyler Metoxen Technical Director
Tobi Osibodu Stage Crew Head
Bradley Buri Stage Crew Carpenter Head
Jack Birdwell Stage Rigging Crew Head
Nicolas Cabrera House Technician
Chris Culver House Technician
Amber Hahn House Technician
Danny Carraher Carpenter
Reese Sheldahl Carpenter
Casey Fort Carpenter
Aubrey Pierce Carpenter
Kat Taylor Carpenter
Nicholas Thomas Carpenter
Anthony Doyle Carpenter
Kendra Luedke Carpenter
Scott Gerwitz Scenic Painter
COSTUMES
Cathy Tantillo Costume Design Assistant
Melissa Perkins Costume Design Assistant
Jenn Giangola Wardrobe Supervisor
Tyler Phillips Draper/Workroom Supervisor
Teagan Anderson First Hand
Yas Maple Stitcher
Madeline Felauer Costume Crafts
Laura Holt Dresser
Naomi Arroyo Dresser
LIGHTING AND VIDEO
Alec Thorne Lighting and Video Department Manager
Arianna Brown Assistant Lighting and Video Department Manager
Joan E. Claussen Lighting Crew Head
Chris Feurig Lightboard Programmer
Emily Brown Electrician
Nicholas Chamernik Electrician
Angela Duggins Electrician
Elliot Hubiak Electrician
Ish Petersen Electrician
Samantha Tetzlaff Electrician
SOUND
Nicholas Pope Sound Department Manager
Tyler Malone Sound Crew Head
Sarah Ortiz Sound Technician
Harper Justus A1 Cover
HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Ashley Adams Hair and Make-up Department Manager
Sarah Collins Hair and Make-up Attendant
Hailey Hance Hair and Make-up Attendant Cover
PROPERTIES
Jesse Gaffney Interim Properties Supervisor
Meghan Savagian Assistant Properties Department Manager
Dan Nurczyk Properties Crew Head
AnnaMae Durham Properties Artisan
Sara Grose Properties Artisan
Katie Novak Properties Artisan
Conversation with the Artists
What brought you to Brokeback Mountain, and inspired this new theatrical adaptation?
ASHLEY ROBINSON, PLAYWRIGHT: It all started in Chicago, funnily enough. I saw the film in Lakeview when it came out in 2005. It was the first time I saw myself as a working-class queer man in any form of media, and I immediately went to the bookstore across the street to buy Annie Proulx’s short story.
JONATHAN BUTTERELL, DIRECTOR: And I’m a guy from Sheffield, England… In some ways, I’m far removed from the world of Wyoming. I grew up in what you could call the projects, so I understand the fear that permeates in an insular environment like that. Both in its sense of community, which was absolute,
but also in its potential violence. There is a complexity of desire in a working-class place—around what is accepted, what is not, and what fear results. That became my in.
AR: Me as well, but in a working-class mill town in middle-of-nowhere South Carolina. The sense of community is very strong, but there’s always two sides to that coin. I moved back into my grandma’s house and it’s amazing how accepted and loved I am… even if it goes against their politics or beliefs.
How does music layer into the storytelling of this play?
JB: In this story, we have two small figures in space: Jack and Ennis. They’re a blip against this huge landscape, but they also know that their passion is mighty. Music goes straight to the heart, then goes through the heart into the spirit—and the spirit of this music is massive. It allows us to be beautifully detailed because in the inarticulate speech of the heart, so much is said in the silence, in what is said and unsaid.
AR: The music doesn’t just move us through 20 years of time—it becomes the key to unlocking what’s otherwise impossible on stage. We can’t manifest the vast, sweeping landscape Annie describes, and we also have a lead character who doesn’t speak much at all, so somehow we have to capture the complex, wordless interior of Ennis. Music can do both: it conjures the outer landscape of the environment and the inner landscape of Ennis.
What do you hope audiences will come away with in this experience?
JB: This is ultimately a story about place, class, generations. At its best, I see it as cross-generational, cross cultural, cross-class. Happiness and sadness exist together in this story. There’s almost divinity at the center.
AR: And the last gesture of the play is about redemption and healing.
JB: If you think about it, hope is really a complex thing. It’s multifaceted. It’s not purely transformative, but there’s potential. The important bit is the potential: to return home, to be loved and accepted.
AR: That’s why it’s such an honor to have the North American premiere here in Chicago, one of the great theater cities. I love that this show has Chicago roots and that it’s coming home too.
Brokeback Mountain Timeline
1997 Annie Proulx’s short story is published in The New Yorker magazine
2005 Ang Lee’s film starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal is released
2023 World premiere of the stage adaptation at London’s @sohoplace
2026 Brokeback Mountain makes its North American premiere at CST
SEASON SPONSORS
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is proud to recognize the sustaining partnership of our Season Sponsors,
whose visionary support ensures that we live out our artistic mission for audiences today and for generations to come.
SEASON SPONSORS
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is proud to recognize the sustaining partnership of our Season Sponsors, whose visionary support ensures that we live out our artistic mission for audiences today and for generations to come.
The Jentes Family
Ray and Judy McCaskey
Burton X. and Sheli Z. Rosenberg
The Segal Family
Carl and Marilynn Thoma
Chicago Shakespeare productions are made possible in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Chicago Shakespeare is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization of non-profit theaters; Shakespeare Theatre Association; Arts Alliance Illinois; the League of Chicago Theatres; and Ingenuity, Inc.
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org
The Director of this production is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.
All musicians are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208
About Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST)
Our Mission
To create vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world.
Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare.
Our Vision
We deliver excellent, powerful, life-changing theater that challenges our preconceptions of everything. We are an open and inspiring destination to meet, talk, and share experience through community and live performance that is available to everyone. We build a better future with those who watch, work, create, and participate.
Our Story
CST is a leading international theater company and the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient engages nearly a quarter of a million people through more than 12 productions each year. Shakespeare is at the heart of the artistic work, illuminating the playwright as a modern writer for our modern world. CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh artistic voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as a presenter of international theater and producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. For nearly four decades, CST has distinguished itself with a spirit of innovation, dynamism, and ambitious vision.
More About Us
Our Team
The thrilling work on our stages would not be possible without our visionary leadership, talented team of theater professionals, and dedicated Board of Directors.
Our Supporters
Chicago Shakespeare gratefully recognizes the gifts and partnerships provided by our hundreds of individual donors and institutions in our digital donor listing.
Our Education Programs
We are committed to providing access to high quality, culturally responsive arts education, and fostering a love for lifelong learning through innovative programming.