Growing up,
All we want is to be free.
Free to be who we are,
Free to do what we want.
As adults,
We also know the world is a dangerous place.
So we do what we must
To keep our children safe.
We hold them close.
Rules.
Responsibilities.
Freedom on our terms.
But.
What happens when we hold them too close?
Too tight?
And refuse to let them be the kids they are?
They snap,
They claw,
They buck,
They bite,
They fight to free themselves
From our tightening grip.
And our hands,
Which only ever wanted to keep them close,
Turn rough and raw trying to keep hold.
What happens if we never loosen our grip?
The run time is estimated to be 85 minutes with no intermission. As a courtesy to the actors and your fellow patrons, please silence your cell phone. Due to the intimate nature of the performance space, late seating and re-seating is not guaranteed after the performance has begun and will be facilitated at the discretion of house management. Photography and recording of any kind is prohibited.
Details on thematic and atmospheric elements can be provided by house management. Click HERE to learn more about our content advisory process.
A Small Town in Georgia
STEPHEN H. JOHNSON & DR. JAMES HALL
KAREN & FRANK SCHNEIDER
AJ JONES
JOEL WILLISON
JONAH WINSTON
KEITH KUPFERER
PLUM VALENTINE
SANDRA DELGADO
TARA MALLEN
BRIANNA BUCKLEY* – PEACHES
JAZZY RUSH – PICKLE
DONOVAN SESSION – BIG MAN
STEPHANIE MATTOS – SUGA
Understudies will not substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.
*denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
TERRY GUEST – PLAYWRIGHT
MIKAEL BURKE – DIRECTOR/CO-MEDIA DESIGN
SAM BECKETT – ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
MARIAH BENNETT – PROPS DESIGN
KENYA HALL – DRAMATURG
HARRI HORSLEY^ – COSTUME DESIGN
ETHAN KORVNE- ORIGINAL MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN/CO-MEDIA DESIGN
LAUREN LITTLEJOHN* – STAGE MANAGER
RUBY LOWE – MASTER ELECTRICIAN
STEPHANIE MATTOS – FIGHT DIRECTOR
CAITLIN MCLEOD – PUPPETRY DESIGN
CATHERINE MILLER – CASTING DIRECTOR
CHRIS MOAN – ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
SYDNEY LYNNE – SCENIC DESIGN
ERIC WATKINS^ – LIGHTING DESIGN
LUCY WHIPP – PRODUCTION MANAGER
*denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
^denotes a member of USA 829 – a labor union and professional association of Designers, Artists, Craftspeople, and Department Coordinators.
Raven Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc. (TCG), Producers Association of Chicago Theatres (PACT), and the League of Chicago Theatres.
BRIANNA BUCKLEY* she/they (Peaches) is a Michigan-born, Chicago-raised artist and educator. Dedicated to cultivating new works, Bri thrives on collaborating with playwrights and fellow creatives to bring fresh, innovative stories to life. She is most excited to collaborate with Terry Guest and Mikael Burke again, as well as return to the Raven Theatre stage. Her recent theatrical credits include That’s What Friends Are For (Black Ensemble), Milo Imagines the World (Chicago Children’s Theatre), Midnight Garden of Good and Evil (Goodman Theatre), Clyde’s (Denver Center for Performing Arts), and The Ripple, the Wave that Carried Me Home (Goodman Theatre & Berkeley Repertory Theatre), among others. TV Credits include The Chi (Showtime) and Night Sky (Amazon Prime). Represented by Gray Talent. SAG
JAZZY RUSH she/her (Pickle) is a Chicago-based actor, mover, writer, and director whose work centers Black bodies, evocative storytelling, and fearless vulnerability. She is excited to make her Raven Theatre debut. Chicago credits include STEW (Shattered Globe). Regional credits: As You Like It and Twelfth Night (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Cincinnati Playhouse), and King Lear starring Christopher Lloyd (Shakespeare & Company). On screen, Jazzy appears in and directed the film A Yellow Circus. She made her Chicago PD premiere earlier this year. Jazzy is a proud performer with The Exodus Ensemble and Shattered Globe Theatre. She holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University and is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Follow her on social media: @jazzycheri.
DONOVAN SESSION he/him (Big Man) is ecstatic to finally be making his Raven Theatre debut! He has been a Chicago resident for eight years and is honored to be a part of Raven Theatre history. Previous credits include: The Hot Wing King (Writers Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre YSA), Is God Is (Red Orchid Theatre), The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Steppenwolf Theatre), and others. He is represented by DDO Artists Agency. Instagram: @slaysession “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe, deserves your love and affection.”- Buddha
STEPHANIE MATTOS she/her (Suga/Fight Director) is an actor, fight director, and combatant in Chicago and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. Credits include The Prodigal Daughter, A Lie of the Mind (Fight Director) and Gorgeous (Fight Director) at Raven Theater; Noted from the Field (TimeLine Theatre Co.); The Duchess Of Malfi (Assistant Fight Director, Babes with Blades); Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf);and Mary’s Seacole (Griffin). Regional credits include Reentry (Montana Repertory Theatre). Television: The Chi. Commercial: Salesforce. Stephanie is represented by Big Mouth Talent and is an Ensemble Member of Midsommer Flight. Instagram: @asmattering. Visit stephaniemattos.com.
OLIVIA PRYOR she/her (u/s Pickle) is so excited to be a part of this incredible piece! She last played Hermia in Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s Shakes in the City and Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Prior to that she played Zuma and Sweetie in the world premiere tour of PAW! Patrol Live “Heroes Unite”. Thanks to Raven and the whole production team!
CAT EVANS (They/She/Him) is a 3 time Jeff Nominee and B.A.C.A. 2024 Black Excellence Award recipient. They area Chicago based Actor and recieved their BFA in Acting from Northern Illinos University and is currentlyrepresented by Lily’s Talent Agency. Notable works: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Babes with Blades), JANE: Abortion and the Underground (Idle Muse), Joan and the Fire (Trap Door), Medea Material (Trap Door), The Crucible (Edge of the Wood)
LAWRENCE EIRIK GREEN, he/him (u/s Big Man) is a Philadelphia native, currently based in Chicago, and is excited to return to Raven. He is an alumnus of The Pennsylvania State University– WE ARE! Recent credits include: Ironbound (Raven Theater), A Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Globe Theatre), Black Card (2025 Black Men Talk Play Festival), 2025 Young Playwrights Festival (Pegasus Theatre), Gold Dogma, a USC thesis film shown at the Micheaux International Film Festival, and Cluster XY, a Universidad de Argentina thesis series. Lawrence is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. AAAAA PHI!!.
ROBBYN T. SIMONE she/they (u/s Suga) is a Chicago actor and recent graduate of the Theatre School at DePaul University (BFA Acting ‘25) , where she last performed Men On Boats (Powell) and Hurricane Diane (Diane). She is stoked to be apart of this production, making it her first professional production since graduation. She is represented by Stewart Talent.
TERRY GUEST he/him (Playwright) is a 3 time Jeff Award winning playwright, actor, director and teaching artist. Works include: At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen (The Story Theatre), OAK, The Magnolia Ballet (Jeff Awards for Best Production and Best Performance in a short run), A Ghost in Satin (Williamstown Theater Festival), Marie Antionette and the Magical Negroes (3 Jeff Awards including Best New Work, Best Director and Best Ensemble), Nightbirds, The Madness of Mary Todd (Goodman Playwrights Unit commission), and Andy Warhol Presents the Cocaine Play. As an actor Terry has worked at regional theaters including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Raven Theatre, Alliance Theatre, About Face Theatre and Actors Express. Keep up with Terry on Instagram: @terryexplainsitall
MIKAEL BURKE he/him (Director) is a Black, queer director and educator based in Chicago. A Princess Grace Award-winner and Jeff Award-winning director, he is an Assistant Professor of Theatre-Acting, at the CCPA at Roosevelt University. Recent directing credits include: Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, Forward Theatre; At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Terry Guest, The Story Theatre; A Tale of Two Cities, adapted by Brendan Pelsue, Shattered Globe Theatre; Milo Imagines the World by Terry Guest, Christian Magby, and Christian Albright, Children’s Theatre Company & Chicago Children’s Theatre, World Premiere; Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Noted from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith, TimeLine Theatre; The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers, Yale Rep, World Premiere; Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris, Refracted Theatre Company, winner of 8 Jeff Awards. MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University | mklburke.com
MARIAH BENNETT she/her (Props Designer) is a Texas native with a BFA from University of North Texas and a Masters of Design from Rhode Island School of Design. She gave up her life as an architect to pursue her current career in the realm of film and theater. As a properties designer, she’s had the pleasure of working with Chicago Opera, Definition Theater, Haven, Congo Square, Filament Theater, Third Rail, APTP, Refracted Theater, The Gift, Gilbert & Sullivan, DePaul Opera, Shattered Globe, and Northlight Theater. She is currently the resident properties designer at Columbia College.
SAM BURKETT she/they (Assistant Stage Manager) is a stage manager, scenic artist, and producer. They are excited to make their Chicago Theatre debut, having recently moved from Los Angeles. Recent credits include: Production Stage Manager on Enchanted Forest; The 39 Steps; Hay Fever (South Pasadena Theatre Workshop); Stage Manager on Shakespeare in Love; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (The Waverly School); Producer on Ultimately Cleansed (2Cow Productions); 1st AD on Snowman (Villainy Media). Sam is energized by uplifting the voices of her community and celebrating the richness brought to the arts through sharing marginalized experiences.
KENYA HALL she/her (Dramaturg) is an actress, writer and dramaturg based in Chicago, raised in Oakland, CA. Her dramaturgy credits include Beneath the Willow Tree (Pulse Theatre Chicago); Alaiyo, Fairview, Judy’s Life’s Work, Splash Hatch on the E Going Down, (Definition Theatre Company); Tambo & Bones, Coronation (Refracted Theatre Company); Panther Women (Cleveland Public Theatre); Kill Move Paradise (asst./Timeline Theatre); Saint Joan (Poetic Forum Collective); The Good Fight and The Lady Demands Satisfaction (Babes with Blades). She has provided dramaturgy for new play development workshops at Broken Nose Theatre, Refracted Theatre Company and Definition Theatre Company. She is a graduate of Northwestern University where she completed the Playwriting Module and the Advanced Playwriting Sequence.
HARRI HORSLEY^ they/them (Costumes Designer) is a 2nd generation Afro Costa Rican-American, a Texan, and a native child of the Chicago Southside. Currently and in the future as an interdisciplinary artist, a trans queer person, and a product of centuries of migration from their ancestors, Harri’s main goal as a costume designer is to help enhances stories of grit and transcendence in art. They hold a MFA in Costume Design from the University of Texas at Austin and a BFA in Design/Technology from Kent State University. Along with designing, Harri was previously on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Costume Design at James Madison University and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Costume Design at Illinois Wesleyan University. Harri is based in New York City and Chicago. Harri is a proud member of Local USA 829, IATSE.
ETHAN KORVNE he/him (Composer & Sound Designer/Co-Media Designer) is a composer and sound designer from Akron, OH and based in Chicago. Recent credits include: Infinity Burns at A Red Orchid Theatre (Incubator Series), Hamlet at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen at The Story Theatre, No Such Thing at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Coronation at Refracted Theatre Company (Joseph Jefferson Nomination – Best Sound Design), Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and the Chicago premiere of Tambo & Bones at Refracted Theatre Company (2 Joseph Jefferson Awards – Original Music in a Play and Best Sound Design). Ethan graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a BFA in Sound Design. He believes in theatre that draws a diverse audience, plays that challenge and thrill, and work that puts a spotlight on perspectives that don’t receive hardly enough attention. Listen to his work and more at: ethankorvne.com
LAUREN LITTLEJOHN* she/her (Stage Manager) is an actor, stage manager, director, and lover of movement. She is proud to call Chicago her artistic home. She was last seen in the staged reading of Touch Me My Exodus: An Ode to the Hood with Subtext Studios. Recent production credits include: Stage Manager on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (Galaxy Theatre); Hurricane Diane (UIC Theatre); The (W)rites of Summer (Story Theatre); I Don’t Wanna Play Myself; Measure Of A Man (Prop Theatre); a hit dog will holler (Artemisia Theatre); Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation (Perceptions Theatre); Production Assistant for No Man’s Land; Chlorine Sky; The Book of Grace; Purpose (Steppenwolf). Lauren is thrilled to share stories that awaken her need for collective support through artistry.
CAITLIN MCLEOD she/her (Puppetry Designer) is a Chicago based costume, puppet, and scenic designer. Recent design credits include: The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane); Leaf (Lifeline); Fat Ham, Blues for an Alabama Sky (Virginia Stage Co); Lavender Men (About Face); What the Constitution Means to Me (Copley Theatre, Aurora); The Dream King (Teatro Vista); The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (Chicago Children’s); Trouble in Mind (Timeline); The Seagull (Steppenwolf); Exquisite Corpse (Rough House); Stick Fly (Writers Theatre). Craftwork credits include The Goodman, The Kennedy Center, Lookingglass, Manual Cinema, and Northlight. Caitlin is a co-curator of NBS: Chicago’s Puppet Slam, company member of Rough House, and project manager of the Chicago Puppet Studio. Instagram @CaitlinMcLeodDesign
CATHERINE MILLER they/them (Casting Director)is excited to be back at Raven Theatre, having cast Gorgeous, 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 have recently cast productions for About Face Theatre, 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 along with being on the Advisory Board for Mudlark Theatre. For more, subscribe to their substack at https://frombehindthetable.substack.com/
CHRIS MOAN he/him (Assistant Director) is excited for his first production at Raven Theatre. He is a seasoned theatre director and educator based at Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, IL, where some directing credits include Next to Normal, Aida, Alice By Heart, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and many other plays and original productions. As a past performer, Chris was a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the a cappella ensemble An Octave Above, and has appeared in regional theatre productions around the Chicagoland area. He is currently completing his Master’s in Theatre Direction at Roosevelt University. Chris is passionate about storytelling that connects, challenges, and uplifts both artists and audiences.
SYDNEY LYNNE she/her (Scenic Designer) is a Chicago-based scenic designer and civic artist, specializing in the craft of world-building experiences. Her exploration of live arts environments stems from an extensive award-winning career in theatrical scenic design, featuring over 75 different projects in 15 different cities. Her recently recognized Chicago productions include Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), What To Send Up When it Goes Down (Lookingglass Theater / Congo Square Theater), cullud watah (Victory Gardens Theater), and Tambo & Bones (Refracted Theater Co). Lynne was last seen at Raven for the productions of Hoodoo Love (2019) andTthe Last Pair of Earlies (2022). Her most recent scenic design engagement is the touring production of Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway. ~To those who got me here, thank you. sL
ERIC WATKINS^ (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer for theatre, opera, and dance who has been based in Chicago for more than a decade. In that time he has designed for many theatres including: Raven, Shattered Globe, Chicago Children’s, Timeline, Chicago Shakespeare, Steep, Rivendell, Remy Bumppo, About Face, First Floor, Definition, Northlight, Jackalope, The Gift, and Lifeline among others. Recent highlights include Tambo and Bones at Refracted Theatre Company (for which he won a Jeff Award for best lighting), Ironbound at Raven, A Slow Air at Steep, and A Tale of Two Cities at Shattered Globe. Outside Chicago, Eric works across the country in both regional theatre and grand opera with select recent / upcoming engagements at Opera San Jose, Minnesota Opera, Mercury Chamber Orchestra (Houston), Theatreworks (Colorado Springs), Peninsula Players, Northern Stage, and Trinity Rep. Immediately following Oak he will be travelling to Manchester, UK to relight Rick Fisher’s design for the musical Sunny Afternoon, recently seen at Chicago Shakes, for the UK tour. He received his MFA from Boston University and is a proud member of USA 829 – the theatrical design union. ericwatkinsdesign.com
LUCY WHIPP she/her (Production Manager) a Chicago-based production manager, stage manager, and a generally useful set of hands to have around. She is the production manager at Raven, starting her third season with Oak. Recent production credits that made her smile: Tour Stage Manager for Gender Play: Or What You Will (Steppenwolf Lookout, Theatre Alliance, Winnipeg Fringe), 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); Stage Manager for World Premieres of Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre), Women of Soul (Mercury); Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Who’s Holiday (Theater Wit); Plano (First Floor Theater). Thanks to Mikael and Terry for being constant incredible collaborators, to Sarah for being the most reliable artistic partner, and to this team for making it so easy to come to work. @lucy.whipp
Raven Theatre is in its 42nd year of providing revivals of modern dramas and thought-provoking new works to the Northside Chicago community, as well as theatrical education to the children and schools in the surrounding neighborhoods. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85 seat Johnson Stage and its 56 seat Schwartz Stage.
SUBSCRIPTION SERIES: Raven offers three productions in its subscription series, all in the Johnson Stage, focusing on revivals of works primarily from the late 19th century to the present and including both Chicago and World premieres.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING: Our Take Flight education program offers classroom and after-school theatre residencies to our neighboring schools and community partners as well as summer theater camp. Raven serves over 800 students & young people each year.
Take Flight is committed to sharing the importance and dynamic power of ensemble work. We believe that the guiding principle of all theatrical work is that of collaboration: respecting others, feeling the confidence to contribute and the courage to try something new. Exposure to these fundamental life lessons through the lens of theatre translates into every facet of scholarship, play, and community.
With efforts in the community, in neighborhood schools, and on the stage, Raven plays an important part in the city’s cultural landscape.
Raven Theatre Company resides on the ancestral homelands of an alliance of three Native American nations: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, known collectively as the Council of Three Fires. Dozens of other tribes, including the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk nations, called this region home. Today, thousands of native people continue to live and work in the city colonially known as Chicago.
NATHAN TAYLOR President
LAUREN GUYDAN Vice President
JEREMY HECKMAN Treasurer
RICHARD RODRIGUEZ Secretary
JUDITH BEAUPRE
DANIEL DE LA CRUZ
STUART GOLD
DR. JAMES A. HILL
STEPHEN H. JOHNSON
JUSTIN KULOVSEK
MICHAEL McCALLEY
JEANETTE SAMO
SALLY SCHWARTZ
SARAH SLIGHT Ex-Officio
MATTHEW TOLES
SUSAN SCHAALMAN YOUDOVIN
CAROL ZSOLNAY
SARAH SLIGHT Executive Artistic Director
DANNY FENDER Literary Associate
DAVID HAGEN Graphic Design
KANDACE MACK Development & Communications Manager
MICHELLE MOE Education Director
LISA TROI THOMAS Venue & Special Events Manager
LUCY WHIPP Production Manager
Front of House: Derek Van Tassel, Amanda Egle, Terah Jene, Kayla Drescher, Emma Durbin and Harrison Lampert.
Ushering services are generously provided by THE SAINTS.
Our corporate and foundation partners provide critical support for our operations, productions, and theatre arts education programs. Raven’s 2024- 2025 season is made possible in part by:
This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This season is sponsored in part by a grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.
