Kesiena C. Obue is a Nigerian Writer, Director and Producer. She writes, directs and produces for theatre and film. In 2009 she founded her own Arts Production Company “Kesservier Vanille Productions” which quickly became the platform for her early artistic expressions and success, notably writing, directing and producing the critically acclaimed play Hertitude. Her other works for theatre includes Ivie, Hey Brother, Maama Dearest and Call Back. She has also written successful musicals like Wakaa the Musical, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens and Queen Moremi the Musical. She has written and directed commissioned works for Netflix, Amazon, Showmax, Independent features and documentary film projects. She has a rising reputation as a prolific writer, auteur and critic. Kesiena is a synergy of talent, good training and a resonant, inclusive worldview. Her voice as an artist is essential and fully representative of contemporary African life. She is poised to tap these for societal growth and development, navigating the complex, global cross-cultural challenges of our 21st century, where Africa is set to play a defining role.

Aleka Fischer is the Costume Designer for A Christmas Carol. She is a third-year costume design graduate student, and the show is her thesis. Here at SIU she has designed Criminal Genius and Ride the Cyclone. Her Instagram is @costumesbyaleka, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

M.K. is a two-time graduate of SIU with an MFA in Scenic Design for the Theater. She is currently the Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Scenic design at the SIU School of Theater and Dance. Her design work has been featured around the U.S. including Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, University of Pittsburgh (PA), Prime Stage Theater (PA), The Pittsburgh CLO (PA), K-State Theater (KS), and the Dobbins Conservatory at SEMO (MO). Her theater craft work in Scenic Art and Props Design has been featured at several regional theaters including The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OR), The Alabama Shakespeare Festival (AL), and The Rep at Point Park University (PA).

Jaemin is a native of South Korea and began his career as a lighting designer in 2005 by designing the opera "La Traviata" in South Korea. He has designed more than 100 productions in various genres such as plays, musicals, operas, and dances. While he was in South Korea, he worked as a full-time lighting supervisor and resident designer in the national theatre with about 1,200 seats in Daegu, South Korea. His unique background in studying vocal music during his undergraduate courses has given him a keen ear for analyzing and expressing music. He has directed opera and loves musical works. He was the most popular lighting designer in Cleveland for the 2021-2022 season. He had nominated for Best Lighting Design of A Play Or Musical at the 2022 Broadway World Cleveland Awards for all seven shows I designed during that season and I had the honor of being a winner for one of them. In addition, he won the 2023 Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award. The United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) for Young Designers Managers and Technicians in the Performing Arts presents the annual award.

Gary Griffith (Sound Designer): Gary is excited to be a part of the design team for the SIU School of Theater and Dance’s production of A Christmas Carol. In the past Gary has often served as consulting Sound Designer for collaborations between SIU’s School of Music and School of Theater and Dance, and this year begins his journey to an MFA in Technical Direction. Gary has also previously worked as Principal Sound Engineer for Artstarts Company (Marion, IL), and is currently the Recording Engineer and Studio Manager for the SIU School of Music. He would like to thank his steadfast partner Kathy, as well as his two daughters, Harper and Cadence for all their support. Enjoy the Show!

Matt is the staff technical director for SIU’s School of Theater and Dance Hailing from Cleveland, OH, Matt was previously a lead carpenter for MadeFirst: Experiential Marketing in Nashville, TN. Over the past year, he has built and erected an array of scenic installations for such events as SuperBowl LVIII, the NBA All-Star Game 2024, McDonald’s Investor’s Day 2024, and the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year Awards amongst others. Matt formerly served as the technical direction apprentice for the Cleveland Playhouse in Cleveland, OH, a lead theater technician for Cuyahoga Community College, and lead carpenter for McLeod Summer Playhouse in Carbondale, IL. He holds a BA in technical theater and design from Cleveland State University and was an MFA candidate, with an emphasis in technical direction, from 2020-2023 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.