Kelly Bailey is very grateful for the opportunity to hang out with this incredibly funny and talented group of young people. She has a BFA in Musical Theater from Syracuse University and has performed in regional musical theater productions in both NY and Chicago, done two national tours and improv shows as well as TV and commercial voice-over work. She has also directed multiple children’s theater productions with Act Out, a local children’s theater group she helped create with her husband. She most recently assistant directed PACT’s inaugural children’s theater production of Willy Wonka. She is currently playing the role of "Chef and Co-Owner” at Happy Belly inside Werk Force Brewing. She'd like to thank her incredibly supportive husband Randal and kids Evelyn and Oliver for always encouraging her to find her joy.

Katie is so excited to be assistant directing Shrek Jr. with Plainfield Children’s Theatre! She’s had a long history in theatre, spanning 3 decades. She starred in her first production at age 8 and has been in love with the stage ever since! She appeared in several productions in high school and it was there that she knew she had to learn more! She was accepted into Roosevelt University’s Conservatory, Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she majored in Musical Theatre. She’s been involved in many productions over the years but this is her directing debut! She’s particularly thrilled to be apart of this production with her 2 daughters, Mabel and Penny. She’d like to thank her family for all their support!!

Erin has music directed 22 productions for Spotlight Theatre in Elk Grove Village since 2010. She is thrilled to be working on her first full production with Plainfield Children’s Theatre after a successful camp last summer. Erin earned her Bachelor of Music in Opera Performance from DePaul University, and she performed throughout the Chicagoland area with the CSO chorus,Chamber Opera Chicago, Music Theatre Works, and was a singer at Tokyo Disneyland. She is working towards her Masters in Music Education(Kodaly Emphasis) from Capital University, where she was the recipient of the Gregory von Stein/Sandra L. Mathias Scholarship. She serves as President of the Board of Plainfield Arts Community Theatre and loves sharing this special time with her children Grayson(12) and Vivienne(10). As always, sending love to Max for his endless support and my family for coming to see the show!

Amy is thrilled to be a part of Plainfield Children's Theatre's first production of Shrek Jr! Amy graduated from Millikin University with her BA in Theatre. Amy is a professional dance instructor and manager at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Oakbrook Terrace where she has been for over 15 years. She also works with Spotlight Theatre in Elk Grove Village where she has done over 24 productions directing or choreographing. Last summer, Amy also helped with Plainfield Children's Theatre's first summer camp production of Willy Wonka Kids. As a long time theatre lover, Amy loves sharing her passion for theatre with others, especially young talented kids and giving them a safe, fun space to express their art. Her favorite thing about theatre now is sharing it with her daughter, Kaylee. Amy would like to thank her fellow team of directors, production team and parent volunteers- you are all rockstars! Thanks for joining me to be a part of this Big Bright Beautiful World! And extra love and gratitude to her husband, Dan and family for all their support amongst the chaos and joy.

Kelly Panfil is thrilled to work on her first Plainfield Children’s Theatre Production. She has been active in choir in some way since grade school, when she also began playing the violin. In high school, she joined the orchestra, choir, show choir, and musicals, where she met our choreographer, Amy. She graduated from Ohio University with a BA in Sociology/Criminology. There, she sang with The University Singers, Women’s Chorale, and Title IX, an all-girls a cappella group. She is a lifelong member of Alpha Omicron Pi women's fraternity. In her “real life,” she works in Talent Acquisition for Northwestern Medicine and is an active member of the Naperville Community Choir. She thanks her supportive parents, Chris & Lori, for always encouraging her love of music, even if it isn’t her “day job.” She also wants to thank Kelly B, Katie, Amy & Erin for welcoming her to the Plainfield Theatre community. And finally, to the cast—I am so proud of each and every one of you and all your hard work. Don’t forget: What makes us special, makes us strong! Let your freak flag wave!

Abigail is entering her senior year at Plainfield Central where she is the theatre stage manager. She is excited to be working with PACT again, previously being backstage manager for this past Christmas Carol. These kids have been working so hard, so she hopes you enjoy the show!

Brian is the technical director for Plainfield Children's Theatre; he helped to build the set and is leading our technical crew. Brian has also been the technical director for Playnfield Players. Brian would like to thank his family for their support of bringing theatre to Plainfield.

Deb has been designing theatrical sets since high school. Though retired now from teaching, she was set designer & tech director for 30 plus productions during her tenure as an art teacher at Plainfield Central. Deb has designed for 4 Playnfield Player productions, including this summer's upcoming show The Dining Room. She was also the designer for Plainfield Children's Theatre's first camp production of Willy Wonka Kids and is thrilled be designing for PCT's first full production of Shrek Jr. She is excited about being involved with the theatre again and she is looking forward to many more productions. This has been an ongoing dream for Deb since those high school days. Deb also wishes to thank Ed, her husband of 50 years, for his ongoing support in all her creative endeavors!

Kelley is excited to be a part of the Plainfield Children's Theatre creative team! Costume design is an interesting and fulfilling way to be productive after 35 years of teaching elementary school. She started sewing when she was ten years old and has been involved in theater since 1972. Recently, she has combined her love of theater and sewing by creating costumes for “Cinderella”, “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” and “A Christmas Carol”! Helping an actor bring a part to life through costume is an awesome experience. It is wonderful to have a creative outlet and work with talented, dedicated people.

Jake Long is a freshman at Plainfield North High School. He is a theater tech student at the Paramount School of the Arts. Jake designed and operated lights for A Christmas Carol (Playnfield Players), Newsies, Jr. and Lion King, Jr. (IJMS) and Frozen Jr. (HGMS). Jake has also assisted with tech crew for Mean Girls, Jr. and The Lightning Thief at Paramount School of the Arts. Jake also enjoys being on stage and has played the roles of Young Simba (Lion King, Jr.) and Race (Newsies, Jr.) at IJMS. Last summer, Jake played the role of Nigel in Matilda at The Fireside, a professional dinner theater in Wisconsin. Jake plays piano and trumpet and also loves baseball and farming.