Morgan Gould (Playwright) is a fat-fat, not tv fat New York based writer/ director who is a Resident Playwright at New Dramatists and current Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at Juilliard. Morgan’s play I WANNA FUCKING TEAR YOU APART, is a Beatrice Terry/ Drama League Award Winner, and had its world premiere at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC in February 2017 (with Morgan directing). It was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, and DC Metro Arts said that Morgan’s work “shows every bit as much promise as Edward Albee’s early work, arguably more.” Morgan has directed productions at the Humana Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, P73, and more. Morgan is also the Artistic Director of Morgan Gould & Friends – her theater company with 9 actors, 3 designers, and a filmmaker (www.morgangouldandfriends.com) and their work has been seen at many NYC venues including HERE Arts Center, Ars Nova, The Ice Factory and more. Morgan is developing a half hour original series with Amazon Studios and Will Graham/Field Trip Productions.
Jessica Fisch (Director) is excited to be back at Rivendell after directing the World Premiere of The Firebirds Take The Field and Fefu and Her Friends (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latinx Celebration). Recent credits: Cry It Out (Northlight Theatre), You Across From Me (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Late Company (Cor Theatre), Straight White Men (Associate Director, Steppenwolf), Trudy, Carolyn, Martha and Regina Travel to Outer Space (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), The Rosenkranz Mysteries: An Evening of Magic (The Royal George), Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens). Jessica is so FUCKING thrilled to be collaborating with her dear friend Morgan Gould on this project. They literally climbed up from the bottom together (or more aptly climbed the 6 flights of stairs at Ensemble Studio Theatre together). Jessica is a proud SDC member and #MomDirector. MFA: Northwestern University. www.JessicaFisch.com
Gina Marie Hayes (Drag Consultant) (Lucky Stiff) is a drag and variety performer working in Chicago and New York. Their work spans theater, burlesque, and performance art and takes inspiration from Weimar Germany, pierrot clowns, and golden age musicals. They have been seen at Berlin Nightclub (Chicago), Steppenwolf Theater, Disco Dining Club (Los Angeles), Hardware Bar and Metropolitan (New York), Bushwig 2017, Ace Hotel Chicago, and Soho House Chicago, among many others.
Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager) is excited to be working at Rivendell! Recent Chicago credits include productions with The House Theatre, The Hypocrites, TimeLine Theatre, First Folio Theatre, Steppenwolf and Lookingglass. Regional credits include touring with The Hypocrites’ Gilbert and Sullivan productions to Olney Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse, Skirball Center at NYU, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and American Repertory Theatre. Miranda is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Regina García (Scenic Design) As an RTE Ensemble member, Regina designed sets for Baron’s Eat Your Heart Out and Dillman’s American Wee-Pie. She has long standing relationships with the Latinx Theatre Commons and its renowned Teatros including Repertorio Español, the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Teatro Vista and Pregones Theater. Recently completed projects include: Merrimack Repertory Theatre; Steppenwolf; and The Denver Center for the Performing Arts in co-production with The Old Globe. She is a Fellow of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Designers and the Princess Grace Awards, USA; and a Regional Associate member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She teaches at The Theatre School @ DePaul University. www.Garciaportfolio.com @rmgp1977
Anthony Churchill (Projections Design) collaborates on media for theatre, events, and installations. After last season’s Scientific Method at Rivendell, recent projections and media work include Marriott Theatre, Raven Theatre, The Cher Show, Q Brothers, Porchlight Music Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Theatre Wit, Stage Left, Museum of Broadcast Communications, Big Noise Theatre, 16th Street Theatre Berwyn, and BoHo Theatre—where he is a proud company member. Tony has been nominated for 3 Jeff Awards for Projections, winning one in 2017 for Body of An American. When not working on plays, he enjoys sculpting tiny astronauts in peril, and playing projections with his band, Grape Juice Plus. www.artlabchicago.com
Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design) is a Chicago based designer. Her designs have been seen on many Chicago stages including The Hypocrites, The Goodman, Court Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and countless storefronts all over the city. Her regional credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Repertory Theater, Studio Theatre, Magic Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Huntington Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Off Broadway includes Barrow Street Theatre. International credits include the Almeida in London and the Singapore Repertory Theatre. Heather was a recipient of the NEA/TCG Career Development Grant and the 3Arts Award. Heather serves as the Head of Lighting Design at Columbia College Chicago, and received her MFA at the Theatre School at DePaul.
Jeffrey Levin (Original Music and Sound Design) is a composer, sound designer, and musician based in Chicago. Jeffrey is happy to be working with Rivendell for the first time. Jeffrey has contributed original music and sound designs for over 100 productions for many theaters in and outside of Chicago. Awards and recognitions include 8 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations for Sound Design and Original Music and one win, the Edes Award for Emerging Artists, the Michael Philippi Prize (2016), the Kleinman Composition Competition Winner, a Chicago Theatre Award (The Hawk Chicago), 2 Broadway World nominations, and a Wilde Award Nomination. Education: Masters of Music from DePaul University and Bachelors of Music from Columbia College Chicago. www.jeffreylevinmusic.com
Alison Siple (Costume Design) Recent projects include On Clover Road (American Blues Theatre), Fantastic Mr. Fox (Emerald City Theatre) and Guards at the Taj (Milwaukee Rep). alisonsiple.com
Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (Properties Design) is a Chicago-based designer and artisan. Jonathan has previously worked with companies including The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Paramount Theater, Hope Summer Repertory Theater, Underscore Theatre, Something Marvelous, and Mudlark Theatre. Favorite design credits include: Scientific Method, HeLa, Haymarket, Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter, Bomber’s Moon, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Alice in Wonderland, Ghosts, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Endgame, and Prometheus Bound. He holds a BFA in Scenic and Costume Design from Boston University. Jonathanbergeinhorn.com
Catherine Allen (Production Manager) is thrilled to continue her work with Rivendell where she was previously Production Manager for Scientific Method, The Cake and Cal in Camo. Other production management credits include work with Steep Theatre, where she is also an Artistic Associate, About Face Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Route 66, Congo Square, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Pegasus Theatre Chicago, Haven Theatre, Chimera Ensemble, and many circuses with Actors Gymnasium where she is the staff Production Manager. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received a BFA in Acting.
Hannah Siglin (Assistant Director) is so happy to be working with Rivendell for the first time! Other Chicago credits include Suddenly Last Summer (Assistant Stage Manager) at Raven Theatre and The God of Isaac (Assistant Stage Manager) at Piven Theatre. Hannah recently graduated from Columbia College with a B.F.A. in Theatre Directing. Her directing credits at the college include Orlando, 24-Hour Play Festival, One-Act Play Festival, Carmilla, and Springtime.
Manuel Ortiz (Technical Director) is a Chicago native actor, carpenter, designer and photographer. He received his BFA in Acting at DePaul University. When he is not building and/or performing on stage, you can find him at home joyfully playing with all 15 of his animal friends (yes, he has pictures). As an artist, he has devoted himself to many artistic mediums such as puppeteering, makeup, lighting, and more. Working in such a prodigiously diverse community of captivating artists, Manny has grown and hopes to continue to collaborate and cultivate a community of inclusion and ardent passion of theater in a new in hopes to one day operate a Theater and education training grounds/facility for all ages.
Tara Mallen (Rivendell Artistic Director / Producer) is an actor, director, and the Producing Artistic Director at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. She is the 2017 3Arts William Franklin Grisham Awardee and the 2014 Volunteers of America Silver Star Awardee. Most recently Mallen was seen onstage in The Cake for which she won the 2018 Jeff award for Performer in a Principal Role. In 2016 she performed in the world premiere production of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat at Arena Stage. Prior to that she was in Rivendell’s Jeff nominated world premiere productions of Look, we are breathing and Rasheeda Speaking. Tara appeared in Steppenwolf’s How Long Will I Cry: Stories of Youth Violence written by Chicago Journalist Miles Harvey. She was part of the ensemble in Rivendell’s world premiere, Jeff nominated production of The Walls and played Jolene Palmer (inspired by the true-life story of Aileen Wuornos) in Rivendell’s award winning production of Self Defense, or the Death of Some Salesmen—both productions part of Steppenwolf’s Visiting Theater Initiative. For Rivendell, Tara has produced and acted in over twenty-five productions. She received a Joseph Jefferson Award for Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Gwenyth in WRENS as part of that production’s Jeff-winning ensemble. She was nominated the following year for Actress in a Principal Role for her work in My Simple City. Her screen credits include Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion opposite Kate Winslet , the Starz series Boss starring Kelsey Grammer, the NBC pilot of Chicago Fire, the CBS/Sony Pictures pilot Doubt, the NBC series Chicago P.D. and the Netflix series Sense8 directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski. With Rivendell, Tara conceived and directed the world premiere of WOMEN AT WAR, directed the Jeff nominated Midwest premieres of The Electric Baby, 26 Miles (co-production with Teatro Vista); Fighting Words; Psalms of a Questionable Nature; the co-production of Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue with Stageworks/Hudson in Hudson, NY; and the brief and brilliant Shady Meadows by Lisa Dillman as part of the 2007 Chicago Humanities Festival.
Jackie Banks-Mahlum (Rivendell Managing Director / Producer) is an arts manager, producer, and educator based in Chicago. She was thrilled to join the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble as the Managing Director in March 2014. Jackie is also the Membership and Development Associate at Arts Alliance Illinois, and the Co-Producer for Theatricum Botanicum. Previously Jackie was in the Los Angeles area where she worked with Center Theatre Group’s P.L.A.Y., the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Theatricum Botanicum. She has also freelanced regionally where she has had the opportunity to work in a variety of performing arts including opera, ballet, modern dance, improv, and theatre. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, has a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Production and Business Management from Bradley University, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Producing from the California Institute of the Arts.
