Director

Rick founded Forest Theatre Company in the spring of 2020 to bring year-round professional theatre to the near-western suburbs. For FTC he has directed As You Like It, Innogen (adapted from Cymbeline), Measure for Measure, Pericles, The Misanthrope, The Two Noble Kinsmen, On the Verge, and Elektra. Before moving to Chicago, Richard served as the Artistic Director of Madison Repertory Theatre in Wisconsin and as the Associate Producing Director of The Acting Company in New York. He has directed new and classic plays and opera at theatres across the U.S. and internationally. Richard is the recipient of the TCG/NEA Directors Award, and his New York premiere of Tom Dulack’s Incommunicado was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Upcoming directing for FTC: Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man in April and, this summer, All’s Well That Ends Well—his twentieth Shakespeare production as a director.

Costume Designer

Nick Cochran is a Chicago-based costume designer originally from New Hampshire. They studied Costume Design and Acting at Plymouth State University before relocating to Chicago, where they’ve since designed for regional theaters across the country. Nick made their Chicago storefront debut with the premiere of 7 Minutes to Live, produced by Chicago Dramatists. They’ve also worked with After School Matters, designing costumes for youth productions.

Production Manager

Juni Laon Cruz (they/them/theirs) is excited to be the production manager for their first theatre production with Forest Theatre Company. They have been a freelance production manager for events and theatre in Chicago for the past three years managing the Lunar New Year Festival at Navy Pier, fashion shows, pageants, and social gatherings specifically for the AAPI community. They are a high school technical theatre instructor at Francis W. Parker and Niles West High School. As always they are forever grateful for every person who has ever poured into them with knowledge and love, their Chicago family, and their wonderful wife.

Stage Manager

Lillianna Gonzalez is a Michael Merritt Award recipient and a recent University of Illinois at Chicago graduate where she studied Theatre: Design, Production, and Technology with a focus in Stage Management. Her stage management credits include Macbeth (dir. Yasen Peyankov), Dance Nation (dir. dado), She Came From the Bronx (dir. Q Brothers Collective), and The Neighbors, the Asshole, and the Celebration (dir. Yasen Peyankov) at UIC. She is excited to begin the next chapter of her career with Forest Park Theatre and thanks her friends, family, and mentors for their unwavering support.

Asst. Stage Manager & Props Manager

Miranda Fisher recently graduated from Bradley University, majoring in Theatre Design and Production with a focus in Stage Management. Her recent Stage Manager credits include Into the Woods (dir. Al Oltmanns), and John Proctor Is the Villain (dir. Scott Kanoff), and was Assistant Stage Manager for Three Musketeers (dir. Daniel Matisa) at Bradley University. She was also recently Prop Master for the show Everybody (dir. Daniel Matisa) and The Witch Cat Cafe (dir. Al Oltmanns), also with Bradley. She wants to thank her family and friends for always holding her up when she falls or wavers.

Assistant Costume Designer

Kim has been creating costumes and fashion styles since childhood. She worked as a designer in the New York fashion industry during the 1980s and had her own clothing line in the 1990s. Wanting to merge her long-term interest in historical garments with the world of the play, she joined Forest Theatre Company’s design team last season. She is thrilled to be part of this season’s productions including Elektra, The Illusion, and Arms and the Man.

Diana, u/s Helen

India Hadda’i Culpepper, a native Chicagoan, is a singer, actress, and model. She has recently graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with her BFA in Acting. Her recent credits include but not limited to WGN News’ First Kid Movie Critic; A co-star on Showtime’s Original TV Series “The Chi” as ‘Niki’; A Soloist in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Netflix Music Video “Louder Than Words”; A Model for The University of Illinois Chicago Print/Digital Marketing; An Actress in UIC Mainstage Productions (her most recent role being Lady Macbeth in Macbeth); And more.

Helen

CC Meade is a Chicago based actor and teacher. Her recent credits include Elektra (Forest Theatre Company), Arms and the Man (Forest Theatre Company), All Nighter (The Village Theatre, and the upcoming Macbitches (Lady Dog Theatre Company). She’d like to thank her family, friends, and the University of Michigan.

Lord G

Anh Nguyen is a new actor in the Chicago theater scene. He is excited to make his debut with Forest Theater Company. His credits include Cornwall (King Lear), Professor Willard (Our Town), Michael (Paradise Lost), Boy Hamlet (The Book Of Will). Thanks to his friends and family for their support.

Ann Nunez (Rinalda, Soldier 2) This is Ann’s first appearance with the Forest Theatre Company. Ann has appeared in several plays in Chicago, most recently appeared in The Cemetery Club at the Riverfront Playhouse. She has a special interest in Shakespearean plays and studies with Susan Hart. Ann resides in Oak Park and is very pleased to be working with such a talented cast and director. She hopes you enjoy the show.

Widow

Jolaine Orlin is excited to be a part of Forest Theatre Company’s, All’s Well that Ends Well.  After 30 years of teaching theatre, Jolaine is happily “retired” and passionate about her work as a director and acting coach, and is having so much fun returning to the stage. It is thrilling to share the joy of Shakespeare with Oak Park, where she happily resides with her family.

Lafew

Jimmie Rogers III (he/him) is from Chicago, Illinois. His recent credits include: The Tragedy of Macbeth as assistant director with Yasen Peyankov; The Housing Situation on Neptune directed by Dado; Summertime: An Interlude directed by Bonnie Metzgar and Omar Fernandez; She Came From The Bronx directed by The Q Bros. Collective; Not About Nightingales directed by Edward Torre;, Urinetown directed by Monty Cole; Blue For An Alabama Sky by Ericka Ratcliff; and Yerma directed by Edward Torres. None of this would be possible without the love and support of his family, friends, and his late grandmother, Valencia Rogers.

Bertram

Abraham Sangye (they/them) is a progressive, queer artist blending disciplines to tell stories for and about queer, punk, and feminist lifestyles through acting and film.  A recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago, they received an Interdisciplinary Degree in Acting & Filmmaking where they headed production of their thesis film “Bruise Violet” in the roles of writer, director, and producer. Alongside film, they have acted in several stage productions ranging from Shakespeare’s Hamlet as Hamlet, Titus Andronicus as Demetrius, and King Lear as the Duke of Albany/Burgundy, to Lynn Nottage’s Sweat as Jason and Jen Silverman’s Witch as Frank Thorney.

Mariana/Lord E/Ensemble

Susie Swanton is a theatre artist from Chicago. Her recent credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Loop Players), Taming of the Shrew, Merry Wives of Windsor, and Eurydice (Hyde Park Community Players). She trains at Acting Studio Chicago and has completed the theatre program at Harold Washington College.

King of France

Guy Wicke is a Chicago native and thrilled to tackle Shakespeare’s sickly king, the role he was born to play! Some theatre highlights: Birds of North America, Infinity Burns (A Red Orchid Theatre); Life on Paper (Jackalope Theatre Company); Tres Bandidos (The Agency); A Murder Most Novel, The Basement Company (Death & Pretzels); Noises Off, The Mousetrap (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre); The Explorers Club, Don’t Dress for Dinner (Citadel Theatre); and various projects as an ensemble member of Avalanche Theatre. He also pops up in random bits of mischief around town and on TV, thanks to his reps at Lori Lins.

The Countess

Megan Wells, MFA, is the Program Leader for the Theater Dept. at Concordia University Chicago. A seasoned actress, director and playwright, Megan holds a Jeff Award for Direction and a Jeff nomination for Solo Performance. In 1990, Megan shifted her focus from Chicago theater, expanding her artistic curiosity into the realm of storytelling, creating hybrid programs that reknit two of our oldest art forms. She is an Oracle Award master teller, granted the title from the National Storytelling Network. Megan is thrilled to be in this beautiful production with all these vital, talented artists.