CAPTAIN BLUNTSCHLI

Marck is thrilled to be a part of Arms and the Man! Since moving to Chicago from Michigan, he has been seen in Shawnee Summer Theatre’s I and You, BWBTC’s The Mark, and Forest Theatre Company’s The Illusion. He holds a BFA in Acting from Wayne State University. Thanks to all on the Forest Theatre Company team for this journey, thanks for coming out and joining us!

LOUKA

Angelina is a Chicago-based actor represented by Gray Talent Group. She holds a BA in Theatre and Performance from UIC. Passionate about collaborative storytelling, she has been an Associate Artist with Forest Theatre Company since 2024. Arms and the Man marks her seventh production with FTC, and she is thrilled to continue deepening her artistic practice with the ensemble. Angelina is also the Theatre’s Casting and Social Media Director.

MAJOR PETKOFF

Robert is very happy to be back with Forest Theatre Company after recently appearing in Elektra. Some recent credits include Uncle Vanya (upcoming), The Pillowman, Betrayal, Buried Child, Equus, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Doubt (Astonrep Productions), as well as Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and The Rivals (Montana Shakespeare Company), Macbeth (Hawaii Shakespeare Festival), and The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (Steppenwolf). He is grateful to Richard for the chance to dive into Shaw, to all involved in the production, and most of all to you, the audience. Love to Lea.

CATHERINE PETKOFF

Molly has always found great joy in performing. She studied Drama at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, playwriting at Chicago Dramatists, and mime with Marcel Marceau. She has had the pleasure of performing with the Brecht Company, American Drama Group Europe, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Fillet of Solo, and the Elgin Fringe Festival, and was most recently seen in Forest Theatre Company’s production of Elektra.

SERGIUS SARANOFF

Avery-Slade is a Chicago-based actor and Associate Artist with Forest Theatre Company. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2021 with a BFA in Acting. His recent credits include Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Deli Boys, The Chi, and Dark Matter. He is grateful to be part of this production and thanks you for joining us.

RAINA PETKOFF

Elizabeth is a Chicago-based actor, singer, writer, and teacher, and an Associate Artist with Forest Theatre Company. This marks their sixth production with the company, and they are excited to continue growing with the ensemble this season. Notable credits include the critically acclaimed titular role in Elektra and Célimène in The Misanthrope, both with Forest Theatre Company. Elizabeth received their BA in Theatre from the University of Illinois at Chicago and would like to thank their friends and family for their continued love and guidance, as well as all who come out to support Forest Theatre.

NICOLA

John appeared most recently as Satine in The Lower Depths with Gwydion Theatre. Other Chicago credits include Governor Anderson in Come Again with Stage Left Theatre and roles with Court Theatre including Malcolm in Macbeth, George Kittredge in The Philadelphia Story, Dumain in All’s Well That Ends Well, and Laurent in Tartuffe.

Regional credits include Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Salieri in Amadeus, and Michael Waterman in Fiction at Pendragon Theatre. He originated the role of Dr. Kyle in the world premiere of Sarcophagus at McCarter Theatre Center, where he also appeared in Liviu Ciulei’s Coriolanus. At American Players Theatre he appeared as Horster in An Enemy of the People, Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale, and Yolland in Translations. Additional credits include Proculeius in Tina Packer’s Antony and Cleopatra and the Prologue in Roman Fever at Shakespeare & Company.

He received his MFA from the Professional Actor Training Program at Temple University.

LOUKA / UNDERSTUDY

is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan's BFA Acting program (Go Blue!). Some of her recent credits include Elektra (Forest Theatre Company), A Few Good Men (University of Michigan), 7 Hours Difference (Sibiu International Theatre Festival), and The Cherry Orchard (University of Michigan). She would like to thank everyone who worked on this production as well as her family and friends.

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.

STAGE MANAGER

Nevaeh is thrilled to be back with Forest Theatre Company stage managing Arms and the Man. Nevaeh is a stage manager from Houston, Texas and a proud graduate of North Central College. Her recent credits include The Grown-Ups (North Central College), Elektra (Forest Theatre Company), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical (Main Street Theater), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (North Central College), and Ride the Cyclone (Jet PAC).

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER / PROPS MANAGER

Mema is a Chicago-based playwright and founding member of Stovelight Collective. She has worked as Assistant Stage Manager for several Forest Theatre Company productions and most recently served as ASM and Props Manager for FTC’s production of The Illusion. A former newspaper reporter and writer, Mema has been recognized by the New England Press Association and received two Honorable Mentions in the 2021 Writer’s Digest Awards—one in the Essay Competition and another for Script Writing.

SCENIC DESIGNER

Annie is a Chicago-based multi-disciplinary designer and artist. Her work is often seen at Young People's Theatre of Chicago in Lincoln Park, including their upcoming production of Hula Hoopin' Queen. Her past work includes The Hobbit (YPT), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Odds & Ends), and her original work with her own Municipal Hole Company. She's happy to be working on her first show with Forest Theatre Company!

COSTUME DESIGNER

Nick is a Chicago-based costume designer and technician originally from New Hampshire. They studied Costume Design and Acting at Plymouth State University before relocating to Chicago, where they have since designed for regional theaters across the country. This marks Nick’s third production with Forest Theatre Company. Recent credits include The Illusion and The Two Noble Kinsmen with Forest Theatre, as well as The Drowsy Chaperone at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. They have also worked with After School Matters, designing costumes for youth productions and teaching classes in costume design and sewing. Nick is thrilled to be back and grateful to be working with such an incredible team.

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

Inaija is a Chicago-based creative and freelance production manager, company manager, house manager, and casting director. She works across Chicago’s theatre community supporting productions from development through performance and enjoys collaborating with artists to build efficient, welcoming creative environments. Inaija has worked with companies including Lookingglass Theatre Company and Goodman Theatre, and on productions presented at The Den Theatre. She holds a degree in Film and Television and a master’s degree in Business and Entrepreneurship from Columbia College Chicago.

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Emmitt is a lighting designer, director, and photographer originally from Indianapolis. This is their third show with Forest Theatre Company and they are excited to be back. Emmitt’s local collaborations extend across various companies including The Factory, Backyard Theatre Co, Raven, Lookingglass, and Here’s the Exit.

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.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Michael is grateful to return to his passion, classical theater. A graduate of the UMN / Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, he has previously worked in the New York theater scene including roles with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, and in the national scene, where he has performed with the Southwest Shakespeare Company.  He recently moved to the Chicago area after spending the last several years as an editor and director for film and television in Los Angeles working with companies including Encore, Deluxe, and Company 3.