director/adaptor – Zach Weinberg
associate director – Nyssa Lowenstein
stage manager/devisor – Corinne Hastings
scenic and property design – Melissa “13andit” Schlesinger
lighting design – Benjamin Carne
sound and foley design – Morgan Hunter
costumer – Nyssa Lowenstein
producer – Anna Gelman
prop thtr artistic director – Olivia Lilley
lobby installation- Nina D’Angier
irish dance choreography – Bridgette Hammond
poetry/step choreography – Schanora Wimpie
movement/fight choreography – Nyssa Lowenstein
Zach Weinberg (director / adaptor) is a Chicago-based theater director, adaptor, and administrator. He is interested in the creation of new, non-traditional works and finding the perfect medium for the message. Zach is a company member and Grants Manager at Red Tape Theatre, and a graduate of Oberlin College. Selected directing credits include serving as a Directing Apprentice with the late Redmoon Theatre, the 2016 Director’s Haven at Haven Theatre, two seasons with the Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival, two original adaptations at Curious Theatre Branch’s Rhinofest: Love in a Maze (’17) and MAY DAY (’18). His credits as an assistant director include The New Colony, Organic Theatre Company, Oracle Productions, the Actors’ Gymnasium, and Redmoon.
“ENFP”
Nyssa Lowenstein (associate director / costumer / fight and movement choreographer) is a theatre artist and administrator from Denver. She associate directed the workshop of 2 unfortunate 2 travel. She directed two fully produced devised pieces The Elephant Grief and Curious Light on the Last Moments of the Naive Mind. She was last seen in Tiresias was a Weatherman with Organic Theater Company. She acted in and co-devised Why Do You Always Wear Black? with Organic as well. She is a company member of Organic Theater Company, and works closely with Walkabout Theater Company. She is a proud graduate of Northern Illinois University and holds a certificate from Moscow Art Theater School.
“Favorite place I’ve ever cried: definitely goes to seeing those sweet sweet Colorado Rockies whenever I return home.
Gemini Sun/Leo Rising/Leo Moon If you couldn’t tell by everything about me.
Ravenclaw Head Girl and strong ENTJ.”
Corinne Hastings (stage manager / devisor) is a stage manager, director, and theatermaker originally from New York. She is a recent Chicago transplant and excited to work at Prop Thtr for the first time! Since her arrival here, she’s worked with Halcyon Theatre and Adventure Stage. Previously, Corinne was an Artistic Direction Apprentice at Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where she worked on the world premiere of Richard Montoya’s Nogales and assistant directed Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love. New York credits include Basil Twist’s Rite of Spring (Lincoln Center), CAT (Dixon Place), Martyna Majok’s John, who’s here from Cambridge (EST), Juniper Tree (The Hive), and Wildrose (|the claque|). She is a graduate of Vassar College, where she co-founded the Britomartis Devised Theatre Ensemble.
“My favorite kind of cuisine is Japanese
The most beautiful place I’ve cried is Inishmore, Ireland
Libra.
Gryffindor.”
Melissa “13andit” Schlesinger (scenic and property design) is a multi-disciplinary creative mercenary specializing in MacGyvering and magic. With the the power of storytelling as fuel, Melissa seeks out artistic endeavors that inspire audiences to improve their reality. She thrives in the development of imaginative new worlds for the stage, galleries, events, haunts, room escape games, and on screen. Melissa is the Lead Designer and a founding member of Escape Artistry, home to a showcase of her sonic, scenic, and puzzling interactive environments. A third generation artist, Melissa studied Theatre Production and Studio Art at Bradley University. (www.melissaschlesinger.com)
“Food in New Orleans is the best food.
Ireland is pretty.
Scorpio/Libra Cusp”
Ben Carne (lighting design)is a freelance lighting designer originally from New Hampshire. A recent Columbia College grad, his credits there include Sweet Charity directed by Ashton Byrum and Fefu and Her Friends directed by Brian Shaw. Ben’s recent professional credits include Neverland directed by Olivia Lilley and the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival presented by Underscore theatre. Ben’s work has also been seen at Jackalope Theatre, Trap Door, and Otherworld Theatre, Prop Thtr, Pride Films and Plays, and Factory Theatre. Ben is excited to be returning to Prop Thtr after designing Neverland last fall.
Morgan Hunter (sound and foley design) This is Morgan’s second professional sound design credit, with the first being for Why Do You Always Wear Black? with Organic Theater Company. College sound design credits at Illinois State University include Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, A Lie of the Mind, and two dance concerts. Morgan also does live foley and sound for the old time radio group RG Audio Productions. She spent the last two summers working as a stage manager at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, and this summer will be interning at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
“Fav cuisine: Spanish
Most beautiful location I’ve ever cried in: Venice
Descriptor: Taurus”
Anna H Gelman (producer)is a director, devisor and filmmaker. As a director and assistant, she has worked with Prop Thtr, RhinoFest, Runaways Lab, Greenhouse Solo Lab, and on many projects with Organic Theater Company, where she is a company member and Media Director. As a devisor and adaptor, she has created several original projects, including I Do It So It Feels Like Hell (based on the work of Sylvia Plath), MAY DAY (adapted from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald) and Mine HaHa (based on a story by Frank Wedekind), and the upcoming I Am Going to Die Alone and I Am Not Afraid at Prop Thtr (based on the story of Franceska Mann). Recently, she directed the music video for 1:1, a new single by Chicago band Honey & The 45’s. She holds certificates from The Moscow Art Theater and The Prague Film School and is a graduate of Oberlin College. By day, she is the Manager of School-Based Programs at Goodman Theatre.
“my fav place on earth is Moscow, baby! Specifically Vahktangov Theater, on Arbat. You know, baby!!!I once wept in a graveyard in Heptonstall, England, in front of Sylvia Plath’s grave. It was my best and worst moment. Fun fact, I almost said my favorite place on earth was Novodyevichy, but realized I shouldn’t include two graveyards? but also that’s #veryme
I’m a powerful aries and definitely a Slytherin. ”
Olivia Lilley (Prop Thtr Artistic Director) is a Chicago based writer, director, and producer of theatre, film, and performance. Her work runs the gamut from her radical reinventions of classic stories and texts (Faust: Save me or I’ll die, Neverland)to dance theatre (In Sarah’s Shadow, I Saw The Best Minds of My Generation)to new plays that tackle contemporary intersectional issues (Mary Shelley Sees The Future, Expectations (for little mixed girls). Olivia is the founding Artistic Director of The Runaways Lab Theatre (Voted Best New Theatre Company in the Chicago Reader’s “Best Of 2014”). She is the Creative Director of Pop Magic Productions, the Artistic Director of The Prop Thtr, and an Artistic Associate with Pivot Arts. Olivia was recently named one of NewCity Magazines 50 Players Who Really Perform in Chicago Theatre in 2019. She will make her curatorial debut at the MCA in September 2019. Olivia received her BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy for Music Composition.
“Favorite Place on Earth: New Orleans, LA
Most Beautiful Location I’ve ever Cried In: The Aquaducts in France (I got stuck in an ancient bathroom. I was stuck for like twenty minutes with this hole in the ground.)
I’m a Pisces Sun/ Leo Rising/Aries Moon. “
Nina D’Angier (lobby installation) is a graduate of Harrington College of Design, is a Professional Creative and new company member of the Prop Thtr. She designed and built the set for the storefront’s production of NEVERLAND; created many of the props you’ll find in Escape Artistry’s rooms; designed signage and window displays for Chicago shops and cafés; and has built costume pieces for burlesque dancers, cosplayers, and other performers. A historian, taxidermist, and one of seventy remaining silhouette portrait artists in the world, she thrives in designing and crafting immersive, detailed, and informative environments. Her lobby display for 2U2T is a first attempt at combining dramaturgy, interactive immersive art, and behind-the-scenes “DVD extras” for the play. Connect with her on Instagram (@ninadngr/@silhouetteportraits) or if you’d rather not hear from her for six months, find her outdated CV on LinkedIn.
“:-favorite place on earth or favorite cuisine :: I love banchan: the little side dishes in Korean cuisine.
:-most beautiful location you’ve ever cried in or alike :: I get teary every time I see the Statue of Liberty, for both good and bad reasons.
:-one of those ‘descriptors’ :: I’m a “Maureen” in RENT. “
2 unfortunate 2 travel 