Emily Newmark (Director, Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater) is a director, choreographer, and filmmaker. Recent directing credits include the short film Kintsugi; Next to Normal, The Tempest, and Oklahoma! (Oberlin College); This Is Not the Reunion (Independent Project); and The Shrew Strikes Back (Playground-Chi). Select assistant directing credits include The Heart Sellers, Much Ado About Nothing, The Nativity Variations, and The Greatest Love for Whitney (Milwaukee Rep), as well as The Totality of All Things (Redtwist Theatre). Emily is so grateful to make her Village Theater debut and to bring this powerful new Greek retelling to life alongside such an incredible team. emily-newmark.com
Team
Olivia Marmer
Sofie Schmeltzer (Stage Manager) graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with their BFA in Stage Management. Some recent stage management credits include Facility Theatre’s Pussy Sludge, UrbanTheater Company’s Chicago Lore(s), and FLUSH at Campfire Repertory Theatre. Sofie is so grateful to be working with The Village Theater team to bring Calypso to fruition.
Kieran Minor (Music Director) is a Chicago-based musician and law student. Previous favorite stage credits include Cabaret (Emcee), Angels in America (Louis), Melancholy Play (Frank), and The Old Man and the Old Moon (Llewelyn). He leads math-jazz-rock band CDPROM (@cdprom_). He is thrilled to be a part of this magical production and to collaborate with old friends and new!
Naomi Zhanel Kalter (Dramaturg, Artistic Associate of The Village Theater) is a Chicago-based actress who is thrilled to be part of The Village Theater’s artistic team. As a lover of Greek mythology, she has had such a fun time being the dramaturg on this production! Naomi is grateful to be collaborating with such a wonderful and hardworking team. She is so proud of everyone who helped make this production happen and hopes everyone enjoys the show!
Bailey McWilliams-Woods (Intimacy Director & Producer, Executive Director of The Village Theater) is thrilled to welcome our first-ever audiences to The Village! Bailey is a Chicago-based theater artist and intimacy coordinator. She holds degrees in Theater and Gender Studies from Oberlin College and an MA in Nonprofit Management from the University of Chicago. Acting credits include Cabaret (Texas) and Twilight Bowl (Brielle). She is passionate about theater as a transformative space for identity exploration through performance and dialogue.
Clara Zucker (Producer, Co-Artistic Director of The Village Theater) is a Chicago-based director, playwright, 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 the world premiere of Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man (The Village Theater), the Midwest premiere of The Lacy Project (Snails on a Bike), Sophie Sucks Face (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, shortlisted for best show for Edinburgh Comedian's Choice Awards), Doom Tank (Under St. Mark’s Theatre), Shayna Punim, The Aliens, Athena, and Mr. Marmalade (Oberlin College). Past playwriting credits include Fishing for Whales (2024 Cherry Picking, New York, NY) and Shayna Purim (Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio). Clara was the dramaturg for Ashland Avenue (Dir. Susan Booth, Goodman Theatre) and the assistant dramaturg for Revolution(s) (Dir. Steve H. Broadnax III, Goodman Theatre). Clara currently serves as the literary assistant at Goodman Theatre and is the assistant director of Dear Evan Hansen (Dir. Jessica Fisch) at Paramount Theatre. 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. She wants to thank everyone for being here — it truly takes a village! Check our Clara’s website here.
Jane Hobson (Director of Marketing at The Village Theater) is originally from Madison, WI, and graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in English in 2022. She's thrilled to put her marketing, social media, and web design skills to the test with this production—and apologizes in advance for any overly enthusiastic Instagram or TikTok content you may have seen. This is Jane’s second production with The Village Theater, and she feels so proud to be part of this amazing team. As an actor, Jane has collaborated with Co-Artistic Director Clara Zucker on five productions, most recently performing in The Lacy Project (spring 2024). Outside the theater, she leads a self-titled music project and works as an Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago by day.
Emily Waskowitz (Marketing Associate at The Village Theater) is a Chicago-based artist and public health worker who primarily works with fiber, illustration, and printmaking. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Public Health, Emily’s work aims to strengthen and empower disenfranchised communities throughout Chicago. Emily champions creativity and expressive design throughout their work and is so excited to be joining The Village Theater!
Kat Monty (Production Manager & Set Designer) is a Chicago-based theatrical artist who is thrilled to be working with The Village yet again! She has such a deep love for this company and all who make it possible. Theater has been a constant love in her life. She is filled with the most pride when creating and sharing her work with the world. Past productions include Billy Elliot (Porchlight Music Theater), Johnny Appleseed (Morton Arboretum), Artemis Books & The Well-Meaning Man (The Village Theater), Anon(ymous) (GovState University), and Rapornzel (PrideArts). Kat 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.
Emmerich Mager (Sound Designer) is a newly minted sound designer and audio engineer based in Chicago. Their recent credits include Black Bone (assisting the ever-brilliant Satya Chávez) and On My Terms, both at Definition Theatre.
Averly Sheltraw (Props Master) is a visual artist who has worked at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Studio since 2022. Past projects include Mirrored Pool (The Athenaeum Center), The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane), See What I Wanna See (Out of the Box Theatrics), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Joffrey Ballet), The Matchbox Magic Flute (Goodman Theater), and Florencia en el Amazonas (The Metropolitan Opera). Currently, she is making her favorite type of puppets (bugs!) with Tom Lee for La Mama’s Creatures.
Maggie McGlenn (Costume Designer) is thrilled to be the first costume designer 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. Maggie made her Chicago costuming debut last year, costuming the Midwest premiere of The Lacy Project (The Understudy).
Joseph Nelson (Lighting Designer) is overjoyed to be working with The Village Theater on their debut show. He is a student at The Theatre School at DePaul University. A recent favorite credit would be Ride the Cyclone at DePaul University.
Andi Muriel (Poster Designer & Program Designer) is a Chicago-based actress, artist, and arts educator. They are a graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Theatre and Music, where they received their BFA in acting. Some recent Chicago credits include: Irina Prozorov in Sandbox Collective’s immersive production of Three Sisters, Cecily Cardew in Strawdog’s queer retelling of The Importance of Being Earnest, and Annie in Jeff Award-winning Motherhouse at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, where she is a proud ensemble member.