Patchwork New Play Festival Creative

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Director--"Abyss"
Clarissa Dahlhauser
Clarissa Dahlhauser has her Bachelor of Arts in directing from Columbia College Chicago and moved to the area shortly after graduating in 2014 to pursue her passions of directing, acting, and teaching. Some of her favorite directing experiences include Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” at Starlight Theatre, “Little Women” with Pec Playhouse, and both her radio drama and 24 hour play festival experiences with Eclectic Full Contact Theatre of Chicago. Favorite acting credits include Judas in Godspell, Curly’s Wife in Of Mice and Men, and Abigail Williams in The Crucible. Clarissa is also on the Board of Directors for Babes With Blades Theatre Company and is thrilled for the opportunity to be directing again! Thank you to everyone that has helped with this project and to her two lovely girls, Cordelia and Salem, for inspiring her to be better every day.
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Playwright--"Abyss"
Brooke Jones
Brooke Jones is a young actor and playwright graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Acting. She’s a previous winner of the Kellogg Award for Best Short Story, and has worked with several theater companies, including Strawdog Theater, American Conservatory Theater, and the Harris Theater.
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Director--"Any"
Corey Bradberry
Corey is a Chicago-based director and producer, Producing Artistic Director of A Theater in the Dark and a Faculty Member at The Second City Training Center. He directed SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT with Oil Lamp Theatre for its first outdoor summer season, winning 2021 Broadway World Chicago Awards for Best Director, Best Play, and Best Production. In April 2021 Corey directed the audio play A WHITE WHALE, OR: MOBY DICK (A Theater in the Dark), which won top prizes at the 2021 Atlanta Audio Fringe Festival and the 2021 Thornhill Theatre Festival. Corey has assistant directed with major institutions including the Second City and Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. Corey is a Kennedy Center National Directing Fellow and the recipient of an Emerging Artist Award from the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Education: M.F.A. Directing; B.A. Theatre & Performance Studies. Additional Training: Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, the Second City Advanced Directing program alum. In Chicago, Corey's worked with A Red Orchid, Red Tape, Eclipse, Artemesia, PFP, and more. IG: corey.bradberry coreybradberry.com
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Playwright--"Any"
Leah Roth Barsanti
Leah Roth Barsanti is a Chicago-based, playwright, screenwriter, and educator with an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University. Her work focuses on strong women and girls trying to make space for themselves in a world that doesn't ever make that easy. Her protagonists struggle against all sorts of things, but mostly against expectations: both their own and those of others. While the ultimate goal of Leah's work and life is to make the patriarchy squirm, her side goal is to use her writing to figure out what it means to be a "Millennial" in this crazy world. In her (now 10!) years in "the biz', Leah has worked in South Florida, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. She is currently a teaching artist, an adjunct professor at East/West University in Chicago, and an active roller derby player with the Windy City Rollers.
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Director--"Spit Cat!"
Laurel Barrett
Laurel S. Barrett is a theatre practitioner with a penchant for the absurd. She received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in acting from Oklahoma City University and is thrilled to be making her directorial debut in EFCT's Patchwork Festival. She would like to thank the team at EFCT for this opportunity and gives special thanks to her incredible partner and supportive community of friends and famity.
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Playwright--"Spit Cat!"
Philadelphia Elder
Philadelphia Elder is a queer, autistic theatremaker currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Theatre and Dramaturgy from University of California Riverside. Her interests include the history and art of physical theatre, including mime, watching schlocky 70s and 80s horror movies, and playing TTRPGs. She resides in Southern California with her partner, two unrelentingly energetic children, and a slew of feral house cats.
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Director--"Dead Game"
Lisa Murray
Lisa Murray is an actor, director, producer, presenter and voiceover artist born in Chicago and raised in the nearby suburbs. She was ‘bitten” by the performing bug early on playing Santa Lucia in her grade school holiday show, as well as the role of Grand Duchess Olga Katrina in her high school’s production of “You Can’t Take It With You” and as part of her high school’s speech and debate team. With hundreds of TV and radio commercials, industrials, print and presenting projects to her name, including co-starring roles on “Chicago Fire,” “The Chicago Code” and “Prison Break” and several indie movies, Lisa is excited to support Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, their first Patchwork New Play Festival and the talented playwrights. Her greatest joy, inspiration and teacher is her daughter Ava Rose. This marks Lisa’s theatrical directorial debut.
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Playwright--"Dead Game"
Lisa Stratton
Has a B.S. in Communications from Temple University and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where she writes plays and screenplays. She lives alone with her cat, Winkie Dingleberry, but she has pepper spray and a taser, so don’t try any funny stuff.
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Director--"Irish Stew"
Stephanie Murphy
Stephanie Murphy is thrilled to be working with Eclectic again. Previous credits include director for the ten minute audiodramas Title IX and Two Girls, and director for Why Am I Sticky? in the 2019 24 Hour Theatre Festival. As a playwright, director, and actor, Stephanie's Chicago credits also include work with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Three Brothers Theatre, MadKap Productions, The Public House Theatre, Corn Productions, Brightside Theatre, and HartLife Productions. Regional credits include work with the Alliance Theatre, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and a reading of one of her scripts at the Valdez Theatre Conference (Alaska). Stephanie has studied improv at IO and Second City and has an MFA in performance from the University of Georgia. She is a company member at Dragonfly Theatre and Stage Left Theatre
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Playwright--"Irish Stew"
Cary Pepper
Cary Pepper has had work presented throughout the United States and internationally. Among his full-length plays, How It Works won the 2012 Ashland New Plays Festival and Cufflinked was a semifinalist for the 2014 festival. Among his one-act plays, The Walrus Said won the Religious Arts Guild Playwriting Competition; Small Things won the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival 2006 One Act Play Contest; Party Favors won the 2016 Goshen Peace Play Contest. Most recently, Death Does Larry became his second production by Drip Action Theatre Trail in their Arundel Festival (UK) presentation, Crossed was named a winner in Drury University's 2019 One-Act Play Competition, and What Do They Want? made Cary the first (and to date only) playwright to be included in the LaBute New Theater Festival three times. Cary is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and a four-time contributor to Applause Books’ Best American Short Plays series (Small Things; House of the Holy Moment; Come Again, Another Day; Irish Stew).
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Director--"Ten Plagues, No Substitutions"
David Lipschutz
David Lipschutz (he/him) is excited to be back working with EFCT, after directing and writing for several Chicago 24 festivals. He has also directed productions with Hell in a Handbag (company member), BPBCo, Underscore, Pride Films & Plays, and Paradox Theatre Works. Up next, his play, Ahavah (co-written with Dana Hall), will be premiering at Dragon Productions Theatre in Redwood City, CA. Thanks to Andrew, Jess, and everyone at EFCT, and to Erin, the boys, and BC/KJOC. davidlipschutz.com
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Playwrights--"Ten Plagues, No Substitutions"
Ariel and Matt Sanders
Matt Sanders and Ariel Aliza Sanders live and write in Brooklyn, NY. Their short plays have been produced in various New York City venues and in Rochester, Spokane, New Orleans, Winnetka, London, and now, at last, Chicago!
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Director--"Underneath"
Anthony Williams
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, an international thespian society member, and founder of Second Glance Productions, Anthony Williams is an actor and award-winning director, writer, and producer living in Chicago. His directorial-debut feature film, Thicker Than Blood, has garnered him awards for "Best Director in a Feature Film" at the Newark International Film Festival in New Jersey and "Best Narrative Feature Film" at the Arlington International Film Festival in Boston in 2019. His award-winning short film, Absolutely Positive, claimed the award for "Best Director" and took home a nominations for "Best Dramatic Short Film," "Best Actor," and "Best Actress" at the World Music & Independent Film Festival in Washington DC in 2013 and earned a personal invitation to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative at the White House in 2013. In addition to collaborating with networks such as HGTV, National Geographic, A&E, the History Channel, and MTV, Williams has developed and produced digital content for social media and nonprofit organizations, combining the art and creativity of storytelling with the realms of education. He's excited to be working within the Creative Cypher ecosystem, a Chicago-based film community focused on mentoring and propelling content creators of color and developing and uplifting stories from a diverse collective of voices. When he's not working, you'll typically find Anthony whipping and burning in the kitchen, goofing around with his dog Dax, or trying to find more ways to get outside (when it's not subzero below negative zero out!). He enjoys traveling, aimlessly driving through the country, and to this day, still swears up and down he's going to be the next pop/rock icon (as he nurses newly sore fingers from teaching himself the acoustic). Representation: Lori Lins, The Talent Network, Ambassador Talent (CHI and LA) Insta: @Antny_Williams
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Playwright--"Underneath"
Dana Hall
Dana Hall is a playwright, actor, and mental health therapist. Dana has dozens of plays produced across the US and internationally. She took home a Best of Fringe award at the Women’s Theatre Festival (NC) for her examination of social disparities with the play, No Justice. Her self-performed monologue, Sound Mind, was the 2021 Hear Me Out Monologue Competition Finalist Winner (NY). She is the 2022 Femuscript (FL) Monologue Winner performing her original piece Snowglobe. She’s published with The Red Penguin Collection, Smith Play, StagePlay Publishing, Fleas on a Dog, Heuer, and Grace & Hope LLC. Her three young children keep her grounded, thankful, and hopeful for a brighter future. She is represented by Promote Talent Chicago. DanaHallCreates.com Instagram: @DanaLHall
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Director--"The Wanderers"
Kelly Levander
Kelly Levander (she/her/hers) is an Actor/Director working in the Chicago area. Prior to moving to the Windy City, she has directed in Texas, Virginia, and Minnesota. Chicago directing credits are GIGI'S PARTY and the Rooftop Theater Series (Yellow Rose Theater), ATTACHMENT DISORDER (NoMads Arts Collective), DISORIENTATION OF BUTTERFLIES (Uncovered Theatre) as well as working as a director with EFCT for their "Miscast Disney" cabaret and in the initial stages of their popular THROWING SHADE. After our collective pandemic hiatus, Kelly is thrilled to return to the crucial art of live storytelling and so grateful to her friends at Eclectic Full Contact Theatre for inviting her back to play! You learn more about her acting and directing work at www.kellylevander.com
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Playwright--"The Wanderers"
Steven Korbar
Steven’s full-length and one-act plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. His short plays, “Table for Four”, “Mrs. Jansen Isn’t Here Now” and “What are You Going to Be?” have all been published in Smith and Kraus’ “Best Short Plays” series. Other productions include “Hard” at Elephant Stageworks in LA, “Mrs. Jansen...” at The Barrow Group Theatre in NYC, “Yellow” at Pop Culture Theatre in Melbourne, “Mother and Child” at the Fury Theatre, Chicago and “The Disappearance of Small Objects” at the Odyssey Theatre in LA.
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Director--"Wilcox Prom 2K13"
Christopher Sylvie
CHRISTOPHER SYLVIE is an actor, model, and director based in Chicago with a BS in Theatre Performance and Directing from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Previous directing credits include The Soccer Player in the Closet (Nothing Without a Company), Assistant Director for Pakalolo Sweet (Nothing Without a Company) and Barney the Elf (Pride Films and Plays). They also directed in play festivals for companies such as The Arc Theatre, Dandelion Theatre, The Sound, and Eclectic Full Contact Theatre. Christopher Sylvie is represented by Lily’s Talent and is an Equity Membership Candidate. www.christophersylvie.com
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Playwright--"Wilcox Prom 2K13"
Cris Eli Blak
Cris Eli Blak is an award-winning and internationally-produced writer for the page, stage and screen. His work has garnered him a Bronze Remi from the Worldfest Houston International Film and Video Festival, the Christopher Hewitt Award in Fiction, a Pushcart Prize nomination and honors and recognition from The Negro Ensemble Company, Austin Film Festival, Barrington Stage Company, TEDxBroadway, Ignition Arts, Louisville Arts Network, Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Vectis Radio and A is For. His work has been produced, performed and/or published around the world, from Off-Broadway (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Urban Stages), London (The Quean's Company, Flawstate), Canada (Ryerson Community Theatre) and Ireland (Eva's Echo Theatre Company). He is developing new work with American Stage, Company One, Derby City Playwrights and Et Alia Theater. He was the resident playwright at Fosters Theatrical Artists Residency and the Paterson Performing Arts Development Council, received a fellowship through Broadway Across America/Black Theatre Coalition, and was shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize. He continues to strive to create work that reflects the world that we live in, with all of its different and diverse colors, creeds and cultures.
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Stage Manager
Kaeley Osterman
Kaeley Osterman is a Chicago based actor, costumer, writer, and the resident stage manager for Eclectic Full Contact Theatre. With EFCT, they stage managed and costumed Richard III, and their voice work and writing can be heard on Eclectic's podcast, Throwing Shade. They also appeared as the narrator on EFCT's audio production of A Christmas Carol. Recently, Kaeley stage managed Fear Experiment 13 with Mac & Cheese Productions at the Park West. They have also worked with MadKap Productions and Saint Sebastian's Players.
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Sound Design
Laurel Barrett
(See director bio above)
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Lighting Design
Lena Aubrey
Lena Aubrey is a freelance lighting designer and electrician based in Chicago. During the summer she is a boat captain followed by theater in the winter. This is her first show with Eclectic Full Contact Theatre.
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Producer
Daniel Houle
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Panel Member
Ele Matelan
Ele (She/Her/Hers) has designed, choreographed, and performed Foley for over 90 productions ranging from London, UK to Livonia, Michigan, and for companies such as A Red Orchid Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, The Second City Training Center, Prop Thtr, and Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment. She served as resident Foley designer for WildClaw Theatre's Deathscribe from 2014 to 2021. Ele has guest lectured and led workshops on stage Foley for schools including Northwestern University, Harvard University, DePaul University, and Savannah College of Art and Design. She is also a featured Foley artist in the newly-released third edition of the definitie textbook on Foley, The Foley Grail, by Vanessa Theme Ament. Ele is also a voice actor on Hartlife NFP's audio dramas 'Our Fair City' and BBC Best Online Audio Drama winner 'Unwell.'
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Panel Member
Charles Askenaizer
Charles Askenaizer is the founder and Artistic Director of Invictus Theatre Company Chicago. Recent directing credits include "Hamlet" (Invictus Theatre), "The Merchant of Venice" (Invictus Theatre), "'night, Mother" (Assoc. Director Invictus Theatre), "Othello: The Moor of Venice" (Invictus Theatre), "Two Gentlemen of Verona" (Reutan Collective), "Julius Caesar" (Assoc. Director Brown Paper Box Theater), "Titus Andronicus" (Bare Knuckles Theater), and "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Tempest" through Invictus Theatre's Shakespeare in the Courts outreach program. Aside from the aforementioned Invictus productions, producer credits include "Ruined" (Invictus Theatre *Jeff Recommended), "A Raisin in the Sun" (Invictus Theatre), and "Love's Labour's Lost" (Invictus Theatre). As an actor Charles has worked with companies such as The Artistic Home, Citadel Theater, City Lit, The Side Project Theater, Raven Theater, Teatro Vista, and many more.
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Panel Member
Wendy Kaplan
Wendy Kaplan has been a fixture in the local Chicagoland theatre scene for many years. She started her career on Broadway as a Production Assistant at age 16 and hasn’t stopped her involvement in theatre except for a short period when she “tried out” the real world. Wendy has primarily stage managed and produced local theatre. She owns the Skokie Theatre in downtown Skokie and has been producing all of the work for MadKap Productions since its inception in 2011. Some of her favorite productions include a tour of “Side Effects May Include”, MadKap’s productions of “Bonnie & Clyde”, “1776”, “Anyone Can Whistle” and “Doubt” which is currently running at the Skokie Theatre.
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Panel Member
Ed Rutherford
Ed Rutherford is a Chicago-based theatre artist and the Producing Artistic Director of Black Button Eyes Productions. Directing for Black Button Eyes: Whisper House, Ghost Quartet (Jeff Nomination, Best Director of a Musical), Evil Dead the Musical (Jeff Nomination, Best Director of a Musical), his own world premiere adaptation Nightmares & Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier, Nevermore- The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe (Chicago premiere), Shockheaded Peter, Amour (Chicago premiere), Goblin Market, and Coraline (Midwest Premiere). He is an artistic associate with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where he directed The Liar, his own world premiere adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the company's inaugural production, Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy. Directing with Brown Paper Box Co: The Baltimore Waltz. As an actor, he's performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. A graduate of Northwestern's theater program, he recently completed his MBA at Kellogg.

MUSIC ATTRIBUTION

EFCT would like to thank and credit the following artists whose work has been sourced for this production.

Songs used in these performances created or sourced by the following artists under various Creative Commons licenses:

Anthem of Rain: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/anthem-of-rain

  • Adaptation (Instrumental)
  • All for Nothing
  • Blood (Instrumental)

Antique Phonograph Music Program: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_Various_Artists

  • Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ran (Irish Lullaby)

Axletree

  • Drops of Melting Snow (after Holst, Abroad as I was walking)

Broke for Free: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free

  • Drop of Water in the Ocean
  • Something Elated

Cullah: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/MC_Cullah

  • Love You Gotta Be

Damiano Baldoni: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni

  • Cassiopeia

David Mumford: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/David_Mumford

  • Old House

Doctor Turtle: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Doctor_Turtle

  • Beaconsfield Villas Stomp
  • Last Slate Of The Roof
  • Today’s Special: Jam Tomorrow
  • Which That is This

Evan Schaeffer: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Evan_Schaeffer

  • Laurel breeze
  • Over-Soul

Fog Lake: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Fog_Lake

  • Dream Gate
  • Nocturnal Blues
  • Roswell
  • Side Effects
  • lost love letters

Golden Duck Orchestra: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Golden_Duck_Orchestra

  • My Little Kingdom

HoliznaCC0: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0

  • Anxiety
  • Childhood
  • Day Jobs
  • Recluse
  • Cold Feet
  • Videogames

Jahzzar: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar

  • Phone Call
  • Cold Like This
  • MainSquare
  • The Valley
  • Then Again
  • I saw you on TV

Johannes Weber x Fachhochschule Dortmund: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/johannes-weber

  • Slow Burn

Josh Woodward: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

  • Flutter By Butterfly (Instrumental)
  • With a Whimper
  • Bloom
  • Josie Has the Upper Hand (Instrumental version)
  • Brevity (Instrumental version)
  • Memorized (Instrumental)

Michael Angel: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/michael

  • Without a Trace

Milton Arias: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Milton_Arias

  • Vidala en Verde

Miseryslims: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Miseryslims

  • Living Together
  • Cub’s World
  • Big On U

Nuisance: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/nuisance

  • Bacchanal (used with permission)

Paweł Feszczuk: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/pawel-feszczuk

  • Chat by the Fire

selfpity: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/selfpity

  • Everlasting Room
  • Dead Dreams

Truth Serum: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Truth_Serum

  • Gas Leak

Zight: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/zight

  • Daisy
  • Fly Away (EDM/Instrumental)