Liz Bollar (Cow)
Liz is thrilled to be performing with Lifeline and the barnyard friends for the first time! Since graduating from the Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2012, she has performed in shows with many theatres throughout Chicago and the surrounding areas including Reefer Madness with Circle Theatre; Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical and The Frog Prince, Continued (World Premiere) with Emerald City Theatre; Les Miserableswith The Little Theatre on the Square; and A New Brain with Pastiche Productions, where she is also the production director. She will be featured in Hair at American Theatre Company in the spring.
Heather Currie (Pig)
Heather is thrilled to be back “on the farm” as well as joining Lifeline as an ensemble member! Past Lifeline Kid Series shows include: Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type (2010); Dooby Dooby Moo; Duck for President (2008 and 2012), and How To Survive a Fairy Tale. Favorite past credits include: School House Rock Live!, The Taffettas, Nunsense, Spinning Into Butter, Frankie and Johnny In the Clare De Lune, and Cloud Nine. Heather holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and currently teaches in the department of Cinema Art + Science at Columbia College and the department of Motion Pictue and Television at College of DuPage. Heather can also be heard singing every Saturday night in The Nitz and Howe Experience at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret.
Derek Czaplewski (Farmer Brown)
Derek is pleased as punch to put on Farmer Brown’s kerchief and overalls for a third time! He was previously seen as Farmer Brown in Lifeline’s Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2010) and Duck for President (2012). He also played the many “dads” of How To Survive a Fairy Tale. A graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, Derek has also worked with Northlight Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, Piven Workshop, Circle Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, Pegasus Players, and Emerald City, among others.
Amanda Link (Hen)
Amanda has appeared on the Lifeline stage in Duck For President (2008 and 2012), How To Survive A Fairy Tale, Dooby Dooby Moo, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and Half Magic. Next, she will be directing The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Also at Lifeline she choreographed and assistant directed The Emperor’s New Threads, assistant directed and movement designed The City & The City, and assistant directed Pride and Prejudice. Amanda is a proud member of the Lifeline Storytelling Project. Other Chicago credits include work with Griffin Theatre, The Mill, The Anatomy Collective, and Sandbox Theatre Project.
Nathaniel Niemi (Duck)
Nathaniel is thrilled to be back on the farm after playing Duck in Duck for President (2012) and Dooby Dooby Moo. At Lifeline, Nathaniel also played Jack in How to Survive A Fairy Tale and Wilbur in Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. Other recent credits include Phillipe in The Baker’s Wife at Circle Theatre and Jack in Into the Woods at Quest Theatre Ensemble. Other favorite roles include Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Dewey in The Diviners, and Mortimer in The Fantasticks. Nathaniel also enjoys clowning and puppeteering.
Alexandra Gonzalez (Understudy)
This is Alex’s first production with Lifeline! She will be seen later this season as an understudy in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. She is a graduate of CCPA at Roosevelt University, BFA musical theatre. Around the country she has been seen as Mary Jane in a national tour of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (The Classical Theatre Project). Chicago credits include Jo March in Little Women (NightBlue Performing Arts Company), Mavra in Dead Souls (Spartan Theatre Company), and Cissy Torres in Dancing in the Mirror (Chicago Pride Films and Plays).
Lauren Guglielmello (Understudy)
Lauren is originally from Massachusetts but has lived in Chicago for the past four years. She is thrilled to begin her career with Lifeline after graduating in June from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a BFA in Acting. Lauren can also be seen this October in Redtwist Theatre’s original play Please Say Yes. At The Theatre School, Lauren played Bess Marvin in the children’s production of Nancy Drew and The Sign of the Twisted Candle and is excited to be performing again for young audiences! She is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
Timothy Maples (Understudy)
Timothy is ecstatic to be making his Lifeline Theatre debut with Click, Clack, Boo! He will be seen later this season at Lifeline as an understudy in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Recent work includes Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of Amadeus, as well as working in Kansas for three months as part of Emporia State University’s Summer Theatre Season. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO.
Jeremy Myers (Understudy)
Jeremy returns to Lifeline after understudying Duck in last year’s Duck for President. Around Chicago, Jeremy has also worked with City Lit, Circle Theatre, Bailiwick Rep, Bailiwick Chicago, Hell in a Handbag, Light Opera Works, and American Girl Theatre. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
James E. Grote (Adaptor)
Jim joined the Lifeline ensemble in 1999. This is his fifth play in the Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type series. The plays have been produced all across the country, from Portland (Oregon) to Dallas to New York City, and many points in between. Jim also adapted C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair, Daniel Mason’s The Piano Tuner, and Amy Timberlake’s The Dirty Cowboyfor Lifeline. As an actor, Jim has appeared at Lifeline in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile; Around the World in 80 Days; and The Killer Angels (2004), among other shows.
George Howe (Music & Lyrics)
George is an award-winning composer/lyricist and a familiar face at Lifeline Theatre. He has written the songs for many Kidseries shows, including the four musicals in the Click, Clack, Moo series; Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile; Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch; The Emperor’s New Threads; and 2011’s hit Arnie the Doughnut, which went on to be performed at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). His musical Queen Luciapremiered at Lifeline and received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for Best New Musical 2006. He recently wrote a song for Perez Hilton which will be featured on the CD Carols for a Cure, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. George can be heard belting out showtunes and pop songs at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret.
Shole Milos (Director)
Shole is an ensemble member who has directed more than twenty KidSeries productions including last season’s Duck for President, How To Survive a Fairy Tale, and many others. Shole has staged all of the original adaptations from the Click, Clack, Moo series; A Long Way From Chicagoon the MainStage and at Theatre on the Lake; and has appeared in Mariette in Ecstacy, The Piano Tuner, and Johnny Tremain.
Ellen Willett (Stage Manager)
Ellen is glad to be herding the animals on Farmer Brown’s farm once again. Her previous Lifeline Theatre credits include Duck for President (2008 and 2012); How to Survive a Fairy Tale; Click, Clack, Moo; Dooby Dooby Moo; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Talking It Over; Half Magic; Crossing California; Sophie’s Masterpiece; and Strong Poison. In addition, she has stage managed and production managed with American Blues Theater, Adventure Stage Chicago, The Inconvenience, Steep Theatre, Redmoon Theater, and many more. She also serves on the board of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), a unique and vibrant music ensemble dedicated to advancing the music of our time, and spends her days sailing aboard the Tall Ship Windy.
Jana Anderson (Costume Designer)
Jana returns to Lifeline, where she designed Duck for President (2008 and 2012); Dooby Dooby Moo; and Click, Clack, Moo (2010), among other KidSeries productions. Prior to coming to the U.S., Jana designed for classical opera productions at the National Theater in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. For the last decade she has been designing throughout the Chicagoland area and has collaborated with numerous theatre groups (including the Lyric Opera, Collaboraction, Porchlight, Theatre at the Center, Light Opera Works, and Redmoon) and some of the finest theatre schools (including Loyola, DePaul,and Northeastern, to name a few). Jana works at Roosevelt University, where she supervises the student costume construction crews. She also has loyal clientele in U.S. and Europe for whom she makes unique haute-couture garments.
Benjamin W. Dawson (Production Manager)
Prior to coming to Chicago, Ben served as the Production Safety Coordinator with The Santa Fe Opera and as Art Director for several television series with networks like Discovery, PBS, MTV and VH1. In Chicago, Ben has served, among other things, as Production Manager for Pine Box Theater and WildClaw Theatre; as Technical Director for Haven Theatre and The Strange Tree Group; and as the Scene Shop Foreman at Goodman Theatre. In addition to his work with Lifeline, Ben is also a Company Member and the Production Manager for Sideshow Theatre Company and the Assistant Technical Director for Lookingglass Theatre Company.
Jesse Gaffney (Properties Designer)
Jesse has been working in the Chicago area for over four years and is excited to be back at Lifeline after working on Hunger, Pride and Prejudice, and The City & The City. Elsewhere in the Chicago area she has worked with Silk Road Rising (Resident Designer), Immediate Family, 16th Street (Artistic Associate), Congo Square, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Remy Bumppo and Victory Gardens among others. Outside of Chicago Jesse worked for Allenberry Playhouse (PA), The Arrow Rock Lyceum (MO), Peninsula Players (WI), and Notre Dame Shakespeare (IN).
Anthony Ingram (Sound Designer)
Anthony is very happy to be back at Lifeline after having most recently designed sound for Duck For President (2012). Previous designs for Lifeline include How To Survive A Fairy Tale; Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2010); and Dooby Dooby Moo. As the resident Sound Designer and Production Manager at Signal Ensemble Theatre, Tony has worked on a majority of their productions since 2004 including East of Berlin & The Russian Play, Aces, 1776, Aftermath, The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe, and Seascape. He has also worked with other companies in the Chicagoland area including Shattered Globe Theatre, (The Old) Bailiwick, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, and The Right Brain Project. On a day-to-day basis Tony can be found at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago where he is the Technical Associate.
Jordan Kardasz (Lighting Designer)
Click, Clack, Boo! marks Jordan’s fourth Lifeline KidSeries show, having previously worked on Duck for President (2012), Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, and How to Survive a Fairy Tale. She has also assisted on The Woman in White and Neverwhere. Other recent credits include ‘Namosaur(Factory), The Burden of Not Having a Tail (Sideshow), and Improbable Frequency (Strawdog). Jordan has worked with lots of companies around town and is an artistic associate with Sideshow and Strange Tree. She is also a very proud ensemble member with Strawdog. When not designing lights, Jordan works as the Assistant Technical Director in the student union at Northeastern Illinois University.
Michele Lilly (Scenic Designer)
Michelle has lived and worked in Chicago since 2005. She spent four years as New Leaf Theatre’s resident scene designer, five years as Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Technical Assistant in scenery, and a semester as a Teaching Artist with Lifeline Theatre. Locally, she has also scene designed for A Red Orchid Theatre, Emerald City Theatre, the side project, Theatre Seven of Chicago, TUTA Theatre, The Springfield Muni, and the Springfield Theatre Center. Michelle has also assistant designed for productions at The Court Theatre, Drury Lane, Chicago Shakespeare, and Milwaukee Rep.
Joe Schermoly (Technical Director)
Joe is a set designer, technical director, and painter. His design work has been seen at Lifeline Theatre (The Count of Monte Cristo, The City & The City), Griffin Theatre (Flare Path, Punk Rock, No More Dead Dogs, Port, The Constant Wife), Theatre Wit (Completeness), Strawdog Theatre (Duchess of Malfi, Master and Margarita, Richard III), Sideshow Theatre (Idomeneus, The Ugly One), Eclipse (Beyond the Horizon, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek) and more. He has also designed and built shows in London for The Finborough, Bush, and Gate theatres, among others. Joe studied set design at Northwestern University and is a proud Griffin Theatre company member. He has received two After Dark Awards for Outstanding Scenic design.
