Program - Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Akua Sarhene (Dr. Goldman) isa junior at the U of I pursuinga BFA in acting. Most recently,she was Saint Matthew in TheLast Days of Judas Iscariot.Other acting credits includeroles at the Armory Free Theatreincluding the Tightrope Walkerin Cirque du So Lean, Lady inPurple in For Colored Girls Who Have ConsideredSuicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, and Lorna inCigarettes and Chocolate.Brian Zielnicki (Renfield), fromArlington Heights, Illinois, is ajunior in the BFA Acting Programat the U of I. Last year, Brianmade his Krannert Center debutas a Nazi Guard and Patron inCabaret and was cast as a Kokenin Lady Macbeth: A Kabuki Play.He has also performed in twoArmory Free Theatre productions, Hominid and MyNew Cult.authored essays, articles, and presentations onWilliams’ early career and composed performancesintroducing these little-known works. Tom alsodirected two lost plays by the twentieth-centurySpanish playwright Jose Lopez Rubio and thepremiere of James Still’s play Meet Me Incognito.He is a former chair of the Mid-America TheatreConference Directing Symposium and receivedthe 2007 Award of Honor from the Illinois TheatreAssociation. With colleague Burnet Hobgood,Mitchell authored “A Framework for Directing in theTheatre” and has made numerous presentations onthe practice of directing in the contemporary theatre.Tom Mitchell is married to Joi Hoffsommer, anaccomplished actress and the director of the TheatreProgram at Parkland College in Champaign.Andrew Bevacqua (Scenic Design Ensemble), anMFA candidate in the Scenic Technology Program,is happy to be a part of this production of Dracula.Andrew earned his BFA at the University ofWisconsin at Stevens Point. His next production isFlorencia en el Amazonas.the Contemporary Music Center, a one-semesterintensive for music production, recording, andperformance. Although his background is primarily inmusic, Garrison has enjoyed exploring applications ofsound in other areas of media and performance art.Most recently, Garrison served as the sound designerfor Paradises Lost as well as Summer Studio Theatreat Krannert Center.Justice Janowski (Scenic Design Ensemble) is asenior in the BFA Theatre Studies Program at theUniversity of Illinois. She recently finished workingas the scenic charge artist and ensemble memberfor the Illini Union Board’s production of Chicago.She has also served as the scenic charge artist andscenic designer for IUB’s productions of SeussicalThe Musical and The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee. Currently, she is working with IlliniStudent Musicals as the scenic designer and sceniccharge artist of The Drowsy Chaperone. Along withher design background, Justice was awarded theSenior Champion Award for vocal performanceduring the 2010 IAAF Illinois State TalentCompetition.Cigarettes and Chocolate at the Armory FreeTheatre. Other recent credits include scenic designfor Broskie at the Armory Free Theatre and assistantdirector for Battle of Angels at Krannert Center. In2011, she directed for SPOT (Student PlaywrightOutreach Theatre) and was the assistant director forMacbeth at Krannert Center. In 2010, she was theassistant director and assistant stage manager forSee What I Wanna See at the Armory Free Theatre.Kevin Pelz (Lighting Designer) is an undergraduateBFA student in lighting design and recently designedlighting for Studiodance I at Krannert Center.Originally from Carol Stream, Illinois, Kevin hasworked on many shows at Krannert Center, from TheMagic Flute to A Midsummer Night’s Dream—It’s aBachannal!Christina Rainwater (Scenic Charge Artist) hasbeen a professional scenic artist for twelve years.She received a BFA in theatre from Missouri StateUniversity and an MFA in scenic art from theUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts,where she developed the workshop, “A DistressingSubject,” on distressing techniques for scenery,properties, and costumes. She was the scenic chargeartist at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina fortwo years. She has an ongoing working relationshipat Goodspeed Musicals, where recently she’s hadthe pleasure of working on the musicals Happy Days,Camelot, Carnival, and Carousel. She also worked forFeld Entertainment in Palmetto, Florida, includingDisney Princesses on Ice and the Disney PlayhouseTour II.Rachel Bennett (Dramaturg) is a PhD studentTom Mitchell (Director) isin theatre history and criticism at the U of I. HerAustin Lin (Stage Manager) is a senior pursuingthe associate head of themaster’s degree is from New York University indegrees in stage management (BFA) and computerDepartment of Theatre at theperformance studies and her bachelor’s degree isscience (BS). Austin’s previous Krannert CenterUniversity of Illinois. Mitchell hasfrom Butler University in theatre and German. Incredits include assistant stage manager forchaired the Summer Theatreaddition to her university and production work,Macbeth, The African Company Presents RichardProgram at Interlochen CenterRachel has presented papers at graduate, regional,III, Studiodance I, La Calisto, Cabaret, and Thefor the Arts, where he directedand international academic conferences. RachelLast Days of Judas Iscariot, as well as a co-stageShakespeare and musicalhas also worked as a dramaturgy intern at Indianamanager for Studiodance II 2012. Other creditstheatre productions. He servedRepertory Theatre in 2008, where she contributedinclude assistant stage manager for The Illusionas a member of the National Selection Team of theto multiple productions. She is currently the residentat the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago and stageKennedy Center American College Theatre Festivalstage manager at the Parkland Theatre at Parklandmanager for columbinus at the Armory Free Theatre. Robert Ramirez (Voice and Dialect Coach) hasand travelled the nation to review 56 productionsCollege.Austin is honored to be working on Dracula with such performed with the New York, Utah, Illinois,by schools from Maine to Hawaii. He has directeda talented cast and production team.Alabama, Baltimore, and Wisconsin Shakespearefive of Tennessee Williams’ earliest full-length plays Garrison Frick (Sound Designer) is beginning hisFestivals as well as numerous theatres in the Newincluding the twenty-first-century premieres of third year at the U of I, pursuing an MFA in soundArielle Ness-Cohn (Scenic Design Ensemble) York City area. He has been an award-winningCandles to the Sun and Stairs to the Roof. He has design and technology. After receiving a BA ingraduated in May from the BFA Theatre Studies voice artist and narrator of audio books for the pastpercussion from Truman State University, he attendedProgram at the U of I. She recently directedseventeen years and is a longtime member of the14 15