Clara Zucker (Director, Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater) is a Chicago-based director, producer, and dramaturg. She is passionate about utilizing theater as a tool for social change and firmly believes in theater’s ability to uplift and unify diverse voices. Directing credits include Dear Evan Hansen (Assistant Director, Paramount Theatre), Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man (The Village Theater), The Lacy Project (Snails on a Bike), Doom Tank (Under St. Mark’s Theatre), A Doll’s House Part II (Assistant Director, The Juilliard School), Shayna Punim, The Aliens, Athena, Mr. Marmalade (Oberlin College). Dramaturgy credits include Ashland Avenue and Revolution(s) (Goodman Theatre). Clara works as the literary assistant at Goodman Theatre and has also been involved with the Annoyance Theater, Logan Square Improv, and Chicago Dramatists. Clara holds a B.A. in Theater and American Studies from Oberlin College and is the recipient of the Nash Drama Award for exceptional achievement in Oberlin Theater. clarazucker.com
Team
Sophia Urban (Assistant Director) could not be more thrilled to be on the team for All Nighter at the Village Theater! They are a graduate of the BFA Theatre Studies program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Midwest-grown and Chicago-based, their work explores when and where the environment, dreams, and queerness intersect. Select directing credits include Lizzie (Station Theatre), Hurricane Diane (Armory Free Theatre), and The Town Where Fun Is Illegal (The Playground Theater). Select assistant directing credits include Baskerville (New Jewish Theatre), Falsettos (Station Theatre), Witch (Illinois Theatre), and The Moors (Armory Free Theatre). For Latrelle, always.
Karina Patel (Dramaturg) is a director and dramaturg originally from London, UK. She is the New Works Manager at Jackalope Theatre Company, where she recently directed The Dress Up Play by Juliet Kang Huneke. Karina has developed new work with Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, City of Chicago’s DCASE New Play Residency, The Understudy Chicago, The Story Theatre, Avalanche Theatre, Token Theatre, and more. Karina has served as an assistant/associate director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Court Theatre, and the Repertory Theatre of St Louis. BA: Northwestern University.
Emily Newmark (Line Producer, Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater) is a Chicago-based director, choreographer, and filmmaker. Her most recent directing credits include her short film Kintsugi, as well as Next to Normal, The Tempest, Triplets (Oberlin College), and The Shrew Strikes Back (Playground-Chi). Passionate about developing new work, Emily has contributed to several world premieres, directing Retold (Oberlin Musical Theater Association) and This Is Not The Reunion (Independent Staged Reading). Selected assistant-directing credits include: The Heart Sellers, Much Ado About Nothing, The Nativity Variations, and The Greatest Love for Whitney (Milwaukee Rep), and The Totality of All Things (Redtwist). Emily was a 2022/23 Emerging Directing Resident at Milwaukee Repertory Theater and subsequently continued her journey there as an Artistic assistant. Emily holds a B.A. in Theater and Psychology from Oberlin College and a certificate in film direction from Prague Film School. She is a recipient of the Nash Drama Award, and her short film won Best Cinematography at Prague Film School. www.emily-newmark.com
Maddy Brown (2nd Line Producer) is a Chicago-based dramaturg and actor. She has worked at Remy Bumppo, Steep, Avalanche, Jackalope, Strawdog, and others. She is the Literary Manager at Avalanche Theatre, an Associate Collaborator at The Digital Development Project, and a graduate of UNCSA. maddyjbrown.com
Amanda Tancioco Rokosz (Stage Manager) is a Filipino-American stage manager proudly based in the city of Chicago. She is thrilled to be returning to The Village Theater after stage managing Artemis Books and The Well-Meaning Man. Other credits include The Pets (ASM) with Bramble Theatre Company, Four Places (SM) with Four Chairs Theatre, and Hedwig and The Angry Inch (ASM) with Haven Chicago. A native of the Chicagoland area, Amanda moved to the city after receiving her BFA in Stage Management from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As always, she is so grateful to her family and friends for all of their support throughout her stage management journey. Maraming salamat at mahal kita!
Satya Chávez (Sound Designer) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist whose work as a composer, sound designer, actor, and live looper has been produced across the country.
As a composer, Chávez co-created Refuge with Andrew Rosendorf, which received an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, multiple Jeff Awards, with support from the Venturous Theater Fund and MAP Fund (Curious Theatre, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, and Theatre Lab FAU). Their original scores and musicals include The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Goodman Theatre), Where Did We Sit on the Bus? (Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Steppenwolf, Cleveland Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, Kravis Center, and more), Fruition (Goodman Theatre New Stages Residency), The Olive Tree (TheatreSquared, in development), Brighter Futures (Paramount Theatre), and Seattle History Remix (Seattle Children’s Theater).
As a sound designer, Chávez’s credits include BOTH, and Memorabilia (Jeff Award for Sound Design) (Teatro Vista), Corduroy (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Black Bone (Definition Theatre), One Party Consent (First Floor Theater), Artemis Books (The Village Theater), Aquí o Allá (Actors Gymnasium), The American Project (Albany Park Theatre Project), and Where Did We Sit on the Bus? (Kravis Center, Arsht Center, Denver Center) and Empanada (The Public San Antonio).
Stay connected at satyachavez.org.
Isabella Boudreaux (Assistant Stage Manager) is currently pursuing a degree in Stage Management at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is grateful to have been stage managing in some form since high school. Her recent shows include PSM for Dance at Illinois’ Studiodance (UIUC), ASM for Anastasia (UIUC), and ASM for N/A (Barrington Stage Company). She’s beyond excited to begin working in Chicago, and especially thankful for everyone’s hard work in putting this show up.
Tina Arfaee (Props Designer) has been based in Chicago for over a decade. They have worked at the Second City, Remy Bumppo, and Lookingglass Theater as a writer and an actor. They also produced and performed in shows with their burlesque collective The Ass Menagerie, where they discovered their love for design and prop construction. IG: TinaTwoCats
Joseph Nelson (Lighting Designer) is overjoyed to be working with The Village Theater for the third time! Previously, he designed lights for The Village Theater’s productions of Calypso and Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man. He is a student at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Maggie McGlenn (Costume Designer) is excited to costume her third show for The Village Theater! Maggie graduated from Lawrence University in 2022, where she worked as costume shop manager under the mentorship of designer Karin Kopischke. As a 2022 Watson Fellow, Maggie spent a year studying how the creation of clothing can sustain all the different aspects of our lives. Previous costuming includes The Village Theater’s productions of Calypso and Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man, as well as The Lacy Project (also directed by Clara Zucker). Enjoy the show!
Katelyn Montgomery (Scenic Designer & Lead Carpenter, Director of Development) is a Chicago-based theatrical artist who is thrilled to be joining the Village Theater team! A 2024 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Graphic Design, she began her career at The Village Theater in set design for Artemis Books & the Well-Meaning Man. She has since been production manager and set designer for Calypso, and has now taken on the role of Director of Development while continuing her set design work. Katelyn has such a deep love for this company and all who make it possible, and she is filled with the most pride when creating and sharing her work with the world. Her other past productions include Billy Elliot (Porchlight Music Theater), Johnny Appleseed (Morton Arboretum), Anon(ymous) (GovState University), and Rapornzel (PrideArts). Katelyn would like to give a big, warm thank you to everyone who helped her make her vision come to life. Three cheers for community!!! If you wish to get in contact or just be friends, her Instagram is @kkatmontyy.
