Alumni Accomplishments
Our alumni succeed on the professional stage as well screens large and small.
- Joan Allen ('89) is an original founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. A two-time Academy Award nominee for her portrayal of Pat Nixon in Nixon and her performance in The Crucible, Joan has also appeared in the movies Pleasantville, Face/Off, The Ice Storm, and The Upside of Anger.
- Tracy Arnold ('98) can be seen regularly at American Players Theatre. Recent roles include Cleopatra in Anthony and Cleopatra, Charlotta in The Cherry Orchard, Gertrude in Hamlet, Rosaline in Loves Labour's Lost and Titania in a Midsummer Nights Dream. She also works regularly with North Light Theater. Recent work includes Lady Winderemere in Oscar Wilde's Lady Winderemeres Fan and Red Herring.
- Bill Auld ('05) is the Technical Director for Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre
- Sydney Barton ('77) owns the successful Barton Mural & Trompe'loi Studios.
- Lydia Berger ('97) performed Arsenic and Old Lace at the Drury Lane and was a company actor for the American Theatre were she appeared in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at New American Theatre in Rockford . She has appeared in After the Ball at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. The production was also aired on PBS Television
- Lisa Bernacchi ('99) is lighting designer working at Schuler Shook where she is a CAD and electronic visualization specialist.
- David Bettino (05) is understudying at Steppenwolf Theatre as Bean in Love Song.
- DeAnna Brooks ('01) is a writer and actor whose work has been seen in England, New York, and Chicago. She appeared in the world premiere of RACE directed by David Schwimmer at Lookingglass Theatre, where she also is an artistic associate. Brooks has also appeared in Barbershop 2, and the Nicholas Cage film, The Weatherman
- Tony Casale ('02) performed a lead role in The Royal Hunt of the Sun for the Journeymen Theatre Company where he is a company member.
- Dan Castellaneta ('79) is the well known voice of Homer Simpson on FOX Television.
- Katie Classen ('05) was in the Full Monty at the Drury Lane, Chicago.
- Inny Clemons ('95) has a recurring role on the CBS Television series Judging Amy . Other work includes work on the feature films Strange as Angels, Live from Baghdad, Book of Love. Inny has also been seen in the television series King of Queens as Edwin.
- Wood Harris ('94) has appeared in several recent movies, including As Good As It Gets and Remember the Titans. He also appeared on Showtime as Jimmy Hendrix.
- Linda Kimbrough ('68) is a Jeff Award nominated Chicago actress and has appeared in major roles at the Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres.
- Michael Leonard ('97) Since graduation he has recieved an MFA, earned a prestigious Americian Film Institute Internships in L.A., and has been Designing and Rendering in Los Angeles.
- Scott Marr ('82) is a USAA scenic designer and Resident Design Associate for the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Adair McDonald (formerly Cohoat) ('02) Since graduating, she has worked at numerous non-equity theatres in Chicago- one of her most recent favorite roles was Bunty Mainwaring in The Vortex by Noel Coward at Boxer Rebellion Theatre. Adair has also done a commercial and landed some industrial work.
- Chris McLinden ('03) has worked with the Walk About Theater Company at the PacEdge Theater Festival in their production of Voyaging
- Bud Melto and Bill Phebus ('68) are partners in Williams Gerard Productions in Chicago.
- Justin Mentell ('05) is currently filming G-Force, a Disney film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, which is scheduled for release in 2009. The indie film, Palo Alto, in which Justin plays Ryan, a college student, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this past spring.Justin is still represented by Innovative Artists, but has change management companies and is now represented by Untitled Entertainment.
- Joe Minoso ('04) Lead role in the American Theatre Companies Living Out, guest star on Fox television series Prison Break, and George in Madison Reps Our Town.
- Dan Ostling ('92) is an award winning scenic designer who has worked with the Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and at L.A. Studio Theatre.
- Alice Pacyga (BFA '99, MFA 2004) appeared in Cupid Misfires His Arrows at Second City in Chicago. She has been featured in the East Coast commercials for Gloria Jean's Gourmet Coffees.
- Ligia Popescu ('97) has served as the assistant dramaturg/literary manager at the Court Theatre as well as the literary manager at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
- Steven Rishard ('98) Performed in the Phillip Glass opera The Penal Colony ; Appeared as Starbuck in The Rainmaker at the Triad Stage in North Carolina; Appeared in Coriolanus at the Public Theatre in New York and Quartete by Heiner Muller at Court Theater. Television appearances include Law and Order and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
- Travis Schafer ('05) is the Head of the Scene Shop at UPSTAGING, a major supplier of services for the Concert Industry.
- Grant Simmon ('00) appeared in the Drury Lane Theatre's production of 1776 which received Chicago's coveted Joseph Jefferson Award for best production and best direction/musical.
- Chris Solger-Binder ('82) is a Jeff Award winning lighting designer in residence at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and the Steppenwolf Theatre.
- Kurt Sutter ('97) is a writer and producer on the television series The Shield.
- Mike Tuman ('02) played a supporting role in The Royal Hunt of the Sun for the Journeymen Theatre Company. Tuman was also an assistant Choreographer for The Romance Cycle at the Court Theatre.
- Nathan Wyman ('98) is an assistant professor in the Communications Department at William Jewell College in Kansas City.
