TARA MALLEN +* she/her (Bernie) A producer, actor, and director, Tara is also the founder and Artistic Director at Chicago’s award-winning Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Raven’s audiences will remember her from the 2023 production of The Luckiest (Jeff Nomination – Supporting Actor). Recent Rivendell credits include the smash-hit world premiere Motherhouse (Jeff Award winning ensemble) and director of the sold-out, critically acclaimed world premiere WIPEOUT. In 2018, she won the Jeff Award for “Actor in a Principal Role” for her portrayal of “Della” in The Cake. Other notable stage credits include the world premiere of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat (Arena Stage); The world premiere productions of SPAY, Laura and the Sea, Look, We Are Breathing, The Walls, The Firebirds Take the Field and Rasheeda Speaking (Rivendell);The Cake (Renaissance Theatreworks); and How Long Will I Cry (Steppenwolf Theatre) among many others. Since Rivendell’s inception in 1996, Tara has produced, directed and/or acted in over fifty productions. She received a Joseph Jefferson award for “Supporting Actress” for work in WRENS and was also a part of that production’s Jeff winning “ensemble”. For Rivendell, Tara has also directed WOMEN AT WAR , The Electric Baby, 26 Miles (co-production with Teatro Vista); Fighting Words; Psalms of a Questionable Nature; Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue (co-production with Stageworks/ Hudson); and the brief and brilliant Shady Meadows by Lisa Dillman as part of the 2007 Chicago Humanities Festival. Screen credits include the critically acclaimed indie film Ghostlight (IFC); Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion (WARNER BROS.); The Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+);The Last Shift (Sony Pictures); Dark Matter (Apple TV); Empire (Fox); Boss (Starz); Chicago Fire (NBC); Doubt (CBS/Sony Pictures); Chicago P.D.(NBC); Sense8 (Netflix) and the independent feature FOOLS. Tara is a 3Arts William Franklin Grisham Awardee, a 2024 Impact Award winner from the Chicago Foundation for Women and a 2018 Volunteers of America Silver Star Awardee.
STEPHANIE SHUM she/her (Jenny) Stephanie Shum is thrilled to make her Raven and Rivendell debut! Chicago: The Crucible, Bald Sisters u/s, The Great Leap u/s (Steppenwolf); Hummingbird (Goodman); Revolution, The Moors u/s (A Red Orchid Theatre); Dogs (Red – Jeff Nomination); One Party Consent (First Floor); Mothers (Gift); Men on Boats (American Theater Company); A Story Told in 7 Fights (Neo-Futurists); Love in the Time of Jonestown, Small World, Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up (The New Coordinates, selected); among others. Regional: Christmas Carol, Tiger Style! (TheatreSquared). Stephanie serves as the Marketing & Development Director at A Red Orchid Theatre, is a 2023 3Arts Make a Wave grantee, a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, and is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. Next: Understudying You Will Get Sick (Steppenwolf). stephanieshum.com
HANNAH KATO she/her (u/s Jenny) Hannah is so thankful to be making her Raven Theatre debut with Gorgeous! Other theater credits include: Come From Away (National Tour), Inherit the Wind (Goodman Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theatre), and Fishing for the Moon (Northern Sky Theater). Television: Chicago Med (NBC). Hannah holds degrees in Musical Theatre and Acting from North Central College and is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Soli deo gloria. @hannah.kato
MELISSA VAN KERSEN she/her (u/s Bernie) Melissa has been acting on the stages in Chicago since 1994. She is so happy to be working on this collaboration of Gorgeous! Melissa recently had the pleasure of working with A Red Orchid theatre to “wonderstudy” for Sadieh Rifai’s The Cave and for Brett Neveu’s Revolution last season. Melissa has worked with Profiles, Irish Repertory of Chicago, Yugen, NOW Theatre and was a company ensemble member of Footsteps Theatre from 1995 to 2000. Favorite roles include Feste in Twelfth Night, Wife in Play, Marshael in The Wake of Jamey Foster and Arlene in Getting Out. Recently, Melissa has been working in commercial film and can be seen in a Raisin Bran commercial, A Sunny Start, as well as commercials with Director Ky Dickens and Director Sandro Miller. Melissa is married to Brian and is mother to Ellis and Mina. She is represented by Chicago Talent Network and Stavins Talent.
KEIKO GREEN she/her (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright, TV writer, and performer based in Los Angeles. Plays include: You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! (South Coast Rep), Empty Ride (Old Globe), Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play (Old Globe; SF Playhouse; Porkfilled Productions – Upcoming), Hells Canyon (Theater Mu; WET – upcoming), The Bed Trick (Seattle Shakespeare Co), Sharon (Cygnet Theatre), Hometown Boy (Actors Express; Seattle Public Theater), and Nadeshiko (Sound Theatre Company). Her plays have been developed at the Old Globe, the Kennedy Center, the National New Play Network, Playwrights Realm, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, and twice by the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Awards/Honors: Susan Blackburn Prize Finalist, Kilroys Web, San Diego Critics Circle Award (Outstanding New Play), Gregory Award (Outstanding New Play). She holds commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and the Kennedy Center/Seattle Children’s Theatre. Affiliations: 2024-2025 Geffen Writers Group, 2023 Chance Resident Playwright, Theater Mu’s Mu Tang Clan, Seattle Rep Resident Writers Group, former ACT Core Company Member. As a screenwriter, she wrote on Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” and AppleTV’s upcoming “Margo’s Got Money Troubles.” As an actor, she has performed at theaters nationwide and originated the role of Connie in Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap at the Denver Center and Seattle Rep. BFA: NYU Drama – Experimental Theatre Wing, MFA: UCSD Playwriting.
KIRSTEN FITZGERALD she/her (Director) is a proud member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre and has served as their Artistic Director since 2008. Recent directing credits include The Moors at A Red Orchid (Jeff Award for Best Production and Best Director of a Play-Midsize), and Dance Nation at Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center. She is thrilled and grateful to be collaborating with Raven, Rivendell, and Keiko to bring this gorgeous world premiere to life. As an actor Kirsten has originated roles in the world premieres of The Cave, Grey House, Traitor, Pilgrim’s Progress, Weapon of Mass Impact (A Red Orchid); Swing State, I hate It Here (Goodman); Lettie, Appropriate (Victory Gardens); Mary Page Marlow, The Qualms (Steppenwolf). TV: Dark Matter, Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, The Exorcist, Sirens, The Big Leap, Chicago Med/Fire/Justice, Underemployed, ER. Film: Widows, Working Man. Kirsten is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.
JOJO BROWN she/her (Assistant Director) Jojo Brown is a stage, television, and film actor from Chicago, Illinois. She is best known for her role on the TV series “Single Drunk Female,” with additional credits on Showtime, NBC, Comedy Central, and Prime Video. Her theatrical background includes Off-Broadway productions like “CHARM” (MCC Theatre) and “7 Minutes” (Waterwell Theater), as well as Chicago-based shows such as “The Brightest Thing in the World” (About Face Theatre) and “The Room” (A Red Orchid Theatre). Brown also serves as an Artistic Representative on the board of directors at About Face Theatre. This production marks her debut as an Assistant Director.
SAMMI GRANT she/her (Dialect Coach) Sammi previously worked with Rivendell Theatre as the dialect coach for Spay. Other Chicago theatres she has worked with include: Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Lyric Opera, Writers Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Remy Bumppo, and many more. Film/TV credits include: Rescued by Ruby (Netflix), Patriot (Amazon Prime), The Exorcist (Fox). Sammi is the Co-Head of Voice and Speech at The Theatre School at DePaul University. She holds an MFA with Distinction in Voice Studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
SEOJUNG JANG she/her (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer who seamlessly balances creativity and technical expertise across plays, musicals, operas, and dance. Originally from South Korea, she earned her MFA in Lighting Design from Northwestern University in 2024, where she worked on productions such as The Tempest, The Aliens, Working: A Musical, The Revolutionists, Foreshadows of the Flesh, Me Jane, and MuLan. Her recent works include 13 Suits and The Love Object. In 2025, Seojung was honored with the USITT YDMT The Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award and Opera America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize.
PALOMA LOCSIN she/her (Props Designer)
RUBY LOWE they/them (Master Electrician)
STEPHANIE MATTOS she/her (Fight Director) is an actor, fight director and combatant in Chicago and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. BFA in Performance Arts – Acting, Western Kentucky University. Credits include: A Lie of the Mind (Fight Director) and The Prodigal Daughter (Raven Theatre); Notes from the Field (TimeLine Theatre Co.)The Duchess of Malfi (Asst. Fight Director, Babes with Blades Theatre Co.) Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf), Marys Seacole (Griffin Theatre Co.), Light Falls (Steep Theatre). Regional: Reentry (Montana Repertory Theatre). TV: The Chi. Film: Rent’s Due (Fight Coordinator), Go to the Body (Asst. Stunt Coordinator). Commercial: Salesforce. Represented by Big Mouth Talent. Ensemble member of Midsommer Flight. www.stephaniemattos.com. IG: asmattering.
CATHERING MILLER they/them (Raven Casting Director) is excited to be back at Raven Theatre, having cast A Lie of the Mind, Ironbound, Brother Sister Cyborg Space, The Prodigal Daughter, Night Watch, The October Storm, Right to be Forgotten, Private Lives, The Luckiest, Sundown, Yellow Moon and Hoodoo Love. They are also the casting director for About Face Theatre and have recently cast shows for Chicago Children’s Theatre, Theatre Wit, American Musical Theatre Project, Northwestern University and Backstitch Arts, among many others. Additionally, Catherine has done dramaturgy and gender consulting work for Paramount Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and About Face Theatre. Catherine was a 2021 3Arts Make A Wave recipient and was featured in American Theatre Magazine’s Role Call. They also were on NewCity Magazine’s 2020 + 2019 Players: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago and the Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30 list. Catherine has a BFA in Dramaturgy/Criticism from The Theatre School at DePaul and is a proud artistic associate with About Face Theatre. For more, subscribe to their substack at https://frombehindthetable.substack.com/
GLENN OBRERO he/him (Rivendell Casting Director) is a Casting Associate and a proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. He was an intern at Paskal Rudnicke Casting and have cast productions with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and Griffin Theatre. As an actor, he was recently seen in Ironbound (Raven Theatre). Select credits: Scientific Method and Wipe out (Rivendell Theatre), The Great Leap (Steppenwolf Theatre), 20K Leagues Under The Seas (Lookingglass), Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Globe Theatre). Upcoming: Barefoot in the Park and Misery (Peninsula Players Theatre). He is represented by Gray Talent Group.
MAEGAN PATE she/her (Costume Designer) is a Chicago-based costume designer and technician in Theatre and TV/Film. Her recent credits include You Will Get Sick, Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, and The Bear. She is especially interested in theatre that focuses on female-identifying experiences with an emphasis on social change. She is thrilled to be involved with this production of Gorgeous at Raven Theatre!
CAROLINE MICHELE UY they/them (Dramaturg) is the Director of New Work at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and is thrilled to work at Raven Theatre for the first time. As a dramaturg, stage manager, and producer, they have worked at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Steep Theatre, American Music Theatre Project, and other Chicago theaters. Other credits include: New Stages Festival 2023 (Line Producer, Goodman), Purpose (Script Supervisor, Steppenwolf), Wonder Boy (Dramaturg, AMTP), The Writer (Dramaturg, Steep Theatre), This Happened Once… (Dramaturg, Goodman Theatre), and Swing State (Asst. Dramaturg, Goodman Theatre). Stage management work include Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, Die Fledermaus, Cendrillon, and additional credits from the University of Michigan, Trinity Rep/Brown University, Berlin Opera Academy, and New York Stage and Film. BFA Design & Production (Stage Management), BA Cognitive Science (Language & Cognition; Minor in Germanic Languages and Literature) – University of Michigan.
THEO WAMPUSZYC they/he (Assistant Stage Manager) has been a queer theatre artist in one form or another for over a decade. Having moved from Michigan to Chicago to pursue an acting career, Theo soon discovered a penchant for theatrical production and direction, and over the past four years has had the joy to stage manage, produce, and direct for several prominent theatre companies including Raven Theatre, Rivendell Theatre, About Face Theatre, Steep Theatre, Bring Your Own Theater, Gender Fucked Productions, the American Music Theatre Project, and more. Still a devout performer, Theo indulges their dramatic side by performing as their drag persona “the Transjester” and by spending summers working as a beloved minor league baseball mascot in the Chicago suburbs.
CONNOR WANG he/him (Sound Designer) Connor is happy to be making his Raven Theatre debut with this lovely team of collaborators! Chicago: Leroy & Lucy (Steppenwolf); America v.2.1 (Definition Theatre). Broadway: How to Dance in Ohio; assistant designs for Hadestown and The Cher Show. Connor has designed regionally for The Old Globe, American Conservatory Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, KC Rep, TheatreSquared, American Repertory Theater, and many others. In addition to his work in theatrical design, Connor is a mix engineer for Disney/ABC concerts. connorwangdesigns.com
LUCY WHIPP she/her (Production Manager) is a Chicago-based production manager, stage manager, and a generally useful set of hands to have around. She is the production manager at Raven and Gorgeous is her 7th production while she’s been here. Recent production credits that made her smile: Production Manager on Lobby Hero (Shattered Globe), Assistant Stage Manager on Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakes), Assistant Production Manager on the immersive production Port of Entry (APTP/TRP); Production Stage Manager of world premieres Gender Play: or What You Will and The Magnolia Ballet (About Face); Anna in the Tropics and Routes (Remy Bumppo); ASM for Kitty & Georgiana: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight); Women of Soul (Mercury); Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Who’s Holiday (Theater Wit); Plano (First Floor Theater). She is proud to be a Governing Ensemble member at The Story Theatre. She has worked with The Story since Season I, stage managing Leave Me Alone! and the premiere production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, production managing Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes, and producing several emerging playwright workshops and festivals. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.
JC WIDMAN she/her (Stage Manager) This is JC’s Raven and Rivendell debut. She has previously worked regionally with Red Orchid, Steppenwolf, Marriott Lincolnshire, Paramount Theater, Drury Lane, The Goodman, Shattered Globe, Neo-Futurist, Hell In A Handbag, Kokandy Productions, Jackalope Theatre, and Firebrand Theater. She has also worked with the International Puppet Festival, Make Believe Association podcasts, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Theater for One with the Chicago Architecture Biennial and toured North America with the Empire Strips Back burlesque show. She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity, and is thankful for the inspiration and support from so many incredible females in this company, in our theater community, and in her own life.
MARA ISHIHARA ZINKY she/her (Scenic Designer) is a Chicago-based scenic designer and props artisan. Recent credits include Nightwatch (Raven Theatre), Dial M For Murder (Northlight Theatre), Native Gardens (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Enough To Let The Light In (Contemporary American Theatre Festival) The Porch On Windy Hill (Northlight Theatre, Merrimack Rep, People’s Light and Theater, Weston Theater Co). Mara’s work as a props artisan has also been seen onstage at Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre. The Theatre School at DePaul University, 2017.