Joel (he/him) is a Chicago based actor and singer who is thrilled to be back at Kokandy Productions for Amélie! Select credits include: Sweeney Todd (Ensemble & Toby u/s, Kokandy Productions), Shrek The Musical (Ensemble & Donkey U/S, Music Theatre Works), Ride The Cyclone (Ricky Potts, 4 Chairs Theatre), and Sweet Charity (Swing, Blank Theatre Company). Joel is also pursuing a Music BA at Columbia College Chicago. Apart from theatre, he has a love for Vocal Jazz and is a recipient of the 2022 Vocal Jazz Ensemble Winner from Downbeat’s 46th Annual Student Music Awards. ig: @90311a

Todd (he/him) is delighted to make his Kokandy debut with this incredible team. His previous credits include Once (Nat’l Tour), Dames at Sea (TATC), and Come From Away (Rocky Mountain Rep). Todd is the proud cellist in the band, Jennifer Femme, and often can be found busking under lakeshore drive. Thanks to Mom, Bryan, Sans and all of his amazing friends and family. @toddaulwurm

Hailey (she/her) is so excited to be back creating magic in the Chopin Theater basement! Hailey recently graduated from The Chicago College of Performing Arts with a B.F.A in Musical Theatre. She is a singer/songwriter, who loves expressing her creativity through makeup, fashion, and art. Her recent credits include Rock of Ages at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (Ensemble, u/s Justice Charlier), Jump Scares Vol. 1 at Bump in the Night Theatre Company, American Pyscho at Kokandy Productions (Vanden, Jean u/s), Loki: At the End of the World at The Chicago College of Performing Arts (Midgard Serpent), and The Dunes Broadway Cabaret at The Dunes Summer Theatre. She wants to thank her parents and her roommates for always supporting her.

Lucas (he/him) is beyond excited to be making his Kokandy and Chicago debut in Amélie. He earned his B.M. in Vocal Music Education at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo/Moorhead, and recently completed his M.M. in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Regional credits include Next to Normal (Carthage College), Dogfight (ActUp), The Prom (ActUp), and Side by Side by Sondheim (Straw Hat Players). Since moving to the Chicago area in 2023, Lucas has been an active voice and piano teacher with multiple studios while teaching as an adjunct voice professor at Carthage College.

Rachel (she/her) is thrilled to be making her Kokandy debut in Amélie! Rachel was most recently seen as Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (HPP). Other recent credits: Ms. Navarro in Brighter Futures (Paramount), Lucy Harris in Jekyll and Hyde (BrightSide), Bird Woman/Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins and Marie in Cinderella (Metropolis PAC), Angela in Honky Tonk Angels (LTOTS), and The Witch in Into the Woods (Summer Lyric). She would like to thank everyone involved in this lovely production! Special thanks to her family and friends for their unending love and support! Rachel is represented by Talent X Alexander. Psalm 90:17. www.rachelcarreras.com

Joe (he/him)  is excited to return to Kokandy, where he played Alfred in Alice By Heart. Featured credits include Cats (Paramount Theatre); Sondheim Tribute Revue, The Full Monty, and The Most Happy Fella, for which he received a Jeff Award nomination for supporting performer (Theo); Sunset Boulevard, A Chorus Line (Porchlight Music Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Music Theater Works); and All That He Was (PrideArts). Much love to Mom and the fam. Joe is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group. @joegio | joe-giovannetti.com

Sonia (she/they) is deeply grateful to be playing with Kokandy again after appearing in their last two Jeff-sweeping productions; Into the Woods and American Psycho. She is a performer, writer, educator, and a proud Chicago native, here to stay. Other acting credits include Corduroy, Twelfth Night (SITC), Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Pippin (Music Theater Works), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oak Park Festival Theatre), Once Upon a Mattress (Theo – Jeff Award Nomination for Best Performer in a Principal Role), Songs for Nobodies (Northlight Theatre), Three Little Birds (Young People’s Theatre of Chicago) and Wake Up, Brother Bear! (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Regionally, she toured King Lear and Twelfth Night with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. As a writer, her TYA choose-your-own-adventure play Think Fast, Jordan Chase! had its World Premiere in 2023 at Filament Theatre. Sonia was a finalist for Definition Theatre’s New Play Commission, Amplify (Series 4). She works in the Education Department at Court Theatre, and is a company member with Playmakers Lab. They’ve studied at Butler University, LAMDA, and The Moscow Art Theatre School. Sonia is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. www.soniagoldberg.com, IG: @soniagoldberg

Ben is thrilled to be back with Kokandy Productions! He was last seen in the Jeff Award winning production of American Psycho. Other credits include: Guys and Dolls (Music Theatre Works), Bridges of Madison County, Clue, Rent, Jersey Boys, Joseph… Technicolor Dreamcoat (New London Barn Playhouse), Next To Normal (Dunes Summer Theatre). He is a graduate of The Chicago College of Performing Arts and is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group. Enjoy the show! Website: benharmon.net Instagram: benharmon_

Sam (he/him) Kokandy Debut! Recent Chicago Credits: Rock Of Ages (Metropolis Center), The House Without A Christmas Tree (Griffin Theater), The Diary Of Anne Frank (Young People’s Theatre). Graduate of Roosevelt University BFA CO’ 24. Endless love to his family, dog, and friends who he couldn’t do this without! For Dad.

Neill (he/him) is thrilled to be making his Kokandy debut with this charming show! Most recently, he appeared as PrideArts’s holiday panto dame Nanny Fanny in Throbbin Wood, following previous appearances in Sleeping With Beauty and Jack Off the Beanstalk. Other favorite credits include Assassins (Wee Productions); Guys and Dolls, The Full Monty and Parade (Theatre Nebula); A Year With Frog and Toad (Big Noise Theatre); 9 to 5, A Christmas Carol, Dog Sees God, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Pillowman (New Stage Theatre). Neill received his BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Mississippi. Instagram: @jnkelly77

​​Andrew returns to Kokandy after appearing in their productions of Sweeney Todd and Loving Repeating!  They have performed across Chicago for over a decade, having worked with companies such as Mercury Theater Chicago, Porchlight Music Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, The House, Definition Theatre, Northlight, Music Theater Works, and (re)discover theatre. Andrew is also an emerging musical theater director, having twice directed with Kokandy’s Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, Assistant Directing their Sweeney Todd, and Assisting on the upcoming Annie at Music Theater Works, among others. They are represented by Big Mouth Talent.

Mizha (she/her) is ecstatic to return to Kokandy to work on her favorite musical! Credits: A Little Night Music, The Secret Garden (Theo Ubique), Alice By Heart (Kokandy), A Christmas Carol, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Little Women (Milwaukee Rep), The Second City’s Victor Wong Fellowship 2025. From Minnesota, Mizha is a 2023 graduate earning her degree in Theatre and Media Arts. After her time at the Emerging Professional Residency Program at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, she began her professional acting career by moving to Chicago. She’s beyond grateful for all the opportunities she’s had so far and for everyone who got her here! SO MUCH LOVE! Rep: Gray Talent Group. Instagram: @mizhaleeovern

Aurora (she/her) is making her Kokandy debut and elle est excité comme une puce! Rory is a mixed Filipina-American actor, singer, and songwriter who earned her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and is proudly represented by Stewart Talent. Chicago credits include Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Natasha) at Writer’s Theatre, Seagulls (Nina) at Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Fantasticks (Luisa) at Citadel Theatre, and The King and I (u/s Tuptim) at Drury Lane. A huge thanks to the Amélie team and to her beloved parents, family, and friends for their support– Je t’aime de tout mon être! aurorapenepacker.com

Jon (he/him) credits include Caleb in Spitfire Grill (Oregon Cabaret Theatre, OR) Escapologist/Sergei (TheatreSquared, AR) Eamon in Once (TheatreSquared), Billy in Once (2019 National Tour, Fulton Theatre, Paramount Theatre), Henry/Deputy Johnson in Bonnie and Clyde (Kokandy Productions), Max in Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Strawdog Theatre),  Jack Stapleton in The Hound of The Baskervilles (Idle Muse Theatre Company), Ryan in Borderlands (Underscore Theatre Company), Terry in Today We Escape (Tympanic Theatre Company) and John in Barbecue Apocalypse (The Ruckus). Past companies worked for include St Michael’s Playhouse (Vermont) and Bristol Valley Theatre (New York). Jon graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Jon is also a singer/songwriter who performs under the pseudonym “New Blue Eyes”. His music is currently on all streaming services.

Quinn (he/him) is a Chicago-based, Jeff-nominated actor, musician, playwright and graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s Musical Theatre BFA program. Previously seen in Kokandy’s Alice by Heart, The Spongebob Musical and Sweeney Todd, and featured as a writer in the 2024 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, (Out of Focus, book/lyrics) Quinn could not be happier to be back at his artistic home for a fourth go-around. Additional credits include Marriott Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Beautiful City Project, and Timber Lake Playhouse. When not performing, Quinn can be found collaborating with best friend and castmate Kelan M. Smith. @quinn._.stagram, qrigg.com

Samantha (she/her) is thrilled to be making her Kokandy debut! She has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Rider University, but was born and raised in Chicago. Recent credits: Bridget/Maggie in Lizzie; Olive, Logainne, and Marcy U/S in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Ensemble and Dawn U/S in Waitress. All the love to her family and friends!

Bio coming soon!

Kelan (he/him) works in many facets of the performing arts, both throughout Chicago, and the rest of the world! Locally, his work has been seen at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane, Apollo Theater Chicago, Northlight Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Metropolis Performing Arts Center, The Beautiful City Project, The House Theatre, Boho Theatre, Underscore Theatre Company, Haven Theatre, and Columbia College Chicago where he received his BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. As a composer, his full-length musical Out of Focus has been seen in multiple workshops, as well as being featured in Kokandy’s Chicago Musical Theatre Festival at the Steppenwolf in 2024. Smith is also the co-artistic director of Streamline Theatre, a company which writes, rehearses, and performs new musicals in two weeks.

Mel (she/they) is trés excited to be back with Kokandy Productions, after appearing in Hundred Days. Lately, she’s been performing Toddler Hiking Club with Kerfuffle TVY at parks in Chicago and Northbrook. Other favorite credits include Hundred Days (Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre), Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Strawdog Theatre), Haymarket (Underscore Theatre, Jeff-Award Nominated), A Christmas Carol (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), A Christmas Carol, Murder on the Nile, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Gift of the Magi (Oil Lamp Theater) Junie B. Jones, Curious George, and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences). Mel is a company member of Playmakers Laboratory. They also teach music, drama, and art at Bubbles Academy and plays bass, accordion, and many other instruments with the band THEM. Much love to Quinn, Lola, and Jane!

T.J. (he/him) is a Chicago-based actor, music director and musician. Recent productions he has music directed include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ragtime in Concert and Kinky Boots (Highland Park Players); Little Women and [title of show] (Brown Paper Box Co); Night Tide (Towle Theater); and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes Productions). As an actor, he recently appeared in Whisper House and Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions); as well as Haymarket (Underscore Theater). He would like to thank all his friends, family, and you, kind audience member, for supporting live theater!

Kirsten (they/them) is a Chicago-born intimacy professional, cultural/gender sensitivity specialist, and theatre educator. Chicago credits include In  His Hands (First Floor Theater) Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Haven Chicago) Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf)  Tick, Tick…Boom (BoHo Theatre) The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas ( Theo Ubique Theatre); Rent (Porchlight Music Theatre); American Psycho: The Musical, Sweeney Todd, Cruel Intentions (Kokandy Productions); Mosque4Mosque and  The Magnolia Ballet (About Face Theatre) Regional credits: 9 to 5 (Metropolis Performing Arts Center) Sugar in Our Wounds, and Stonewallin’ (Richmond Triangle Players).

Derek (he/him) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (3 Jeff Awards and 2 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag) Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet, and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Ethan (He/They) KOKANDY: Debut! CHICAGO: A Little Night Music (Theo Ubique), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Shrek the Musical, Brigadoon & The Producers (Music Theater Works). Ethan is the resident Stage Manager for The North Suburban School of Dance! 

Lynsy (she/hers) is honored to be back with Kokandy Productions for the sixth production and third season in a row. You may find her working in the Chicagoland area as a sound artist, actor, director, or whatever trade she decides to pick up next. Lynsy would like to thank her loved ones, especially her family, for their constant support and faith in her!

Bio coming soon!

Syd is thrilled to be back designing for Kokandy after designing past Kokandy hits, SWEENEY TODD, AMERICAN PSYCHO, and last summers splashy SPONGEBOB THE MUSICAL (where she not only designed, but also performed in the role of Perch Perkins!) Syd is an ensemble member, Company Manager, and Company Makeup Designer for Hell in a Handbag Productions, where she has performed and designed for the past 13 years. Past favorites with HIAH include SNOWGIRLS (Ice Crystal), THE ARTIFICIAL JUNGLE (Roxanne), RUDOLPH THE RED HOSED REINDEER (Elfina). She designed for many other companies, including Trap Door, Haven Chicago, Highland Park Players, Glass Apple Theatre, and more! She’s a graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. She is a freelance makeup designer and artist, certified at Make Up First School Chicago. www.madcbs.com

Carrie is pleased to be back with Kokandy after last working on Sweeney Todd.  You may have heard her previous voice coaching efforts around town with: First Folio, Lifeline Theatre, Babes with Blades, Black Button Eyes, Pegasus, Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Prologue Theatre Co, Aston Rep, First Floor Theatre, Idle Muse, and Loyola University Chicago, where she also teaches. Many thanks to Derek and all involved, and to her family for putting up with her near-constant quiet mumbling in different voices.

Craig is a American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director. He is currently Associate Artistic Director at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle.

Born on April 30, 1951, and abandoned in a car in Atlanta, Lucas was adopted when he was eight months old by a Pennsylvanian couple. His adoptive family was conservative; his father was an FBI agent and his mother was a housewife. He graduated in 1969 from Conestoga High School in Berwyn, PA. In the 1960s and 1970s, Lucas was interested in the political left and discovered an attraction towards men. He recalls that his coming out made it possible for him to develop as a playwright and as a person. 

In 1973, Lucas graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and creative writing. His mentor, Anne Sexton, urged him to try his luck in New York. He worked in many day jobs while performing in Broadway musicals including Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century, and Sweeney Todd (musical). 

In 1991, he rewrote his play, Missing Persons, which a friend showed to director Norman Rene. Norman promised to produce the play when finished. This was the beginning of a fifteen-year collaboration. While working on Missing Persons, the two developed a musical revue entitled Marry Me A Little, about two people who live next to each other and never meet yet both sing about the failure to connect with others. 

After his early work on romantic comedies, Lucas began to write more serious works about AIDS, including Singing Forest and The Dying Gaul, the latter of which was made into a film that Lucas also directed. Lucas also authored the book for The Light in the Piazza, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination. Lucas also directed classic plays such as Miss Julie and Loot. 

His work is unintentionally divided in gay-plays (Blue Window, Longtime Companion) and straight-plays (Reckless, Three Postcards, Prelude to a Kiss). Lucas considers himself able to write about human problems in a global manner. 

In 2004, he won the Obie Award for Best American Play for Small Tragedy and the New York Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay for The Secret Lives of Dentists. In 2001, Lucas received an Obie Award for his direction of Harry Kondoleon’s Saved or Destroyed. 

Lucas’ other awards include the Excellence in Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the PEN/Laura Pels Mid-Career Achievement Award, the Outer Critics, L.A. Drama Critics, Drama-Logue and LAMBDA Literary Awards; he has also received a Tony Award nomination, and fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts and the PEW Charitable Trust and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Prelude to a Kiss.

After over a decade in Chicago, Max (he/him) has created over 300 designs on over 190 professional & educational productions. He is a Teaching Artist/Resident Lighting Designer for the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and was an instructor at Northeastern Illinois University for 7 years (Instructor Excellence Award, 2019). Max won a Lou Award for Lighting on Into the Woods (Big Noise), has 2 Equity & 8 Non-Equity Jeff nominations, and designed on 1 Equity & 4 Non-Equity Jeff Award-Winning Best Musicals. A founding member of Another Door Theatre Project, he worked for 3 years as Head of Production/Resident Scenographer. Max spent 2 summers designing lighting for the touring opera company La Musica Lirica (Novafeltria, Italy). Favorite projects at Kokandy, Invictus, Paramount, Porchlight, Black Ensemble, American Blues, Handbag, Cincinnati Shakespeare, Mercury, TATC, Black Button Eyes, BoHo, Steppenwolf Garage, City Lit, ADTP, CCPA, NEIU, Northwestern, & DePaul. www.ivMaxin.com & phobiachicago.com – PHOBIA 2025 – this October!

Daniel is the founder/principal songwriter of the band Hem, which began as a DIY project in 2001 (Rabbit Songs), and has gone on to worldwide acclaim over the course of six studio albums. In 2009, The Public Theater tapped Hem to score Twelfth Night for Shakespeare in the Park (starring Anne Hathaway and Audra McDonald, dir. by Daniel Sullivan), for which they were nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Along with Collaborator Mindi Dickstein, Dan has written four shows for Theatreworks USA, received a Jonathan Larson Grant from the American Theatre Wing and has been commissioned by Playwrights Horizons to write a new full-length musical (Trip). Daniel Messé is the composer and co-lyricist of Amélie.

Kendyl is thrilled to be magic in the basement again on their fifth Kokandy Prods show. Kokandy credits include: INTO THE WOODS (PSM), AMERICAN PSYCHO (PSM), SWEENEY TODD (ASM), CRUEL INTENTIONS (ASM). Other Stage Management credits include: ONE PARTY CONSENT, PRO-AM (First Floor Theatre), A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD (Chicago Children’s Theatre), TWO GENTLEWOMEN OF VERONA, THE ROVER (Lakeside Shakespeare). With a BFA in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, they are a Chicago based actor and stage manager. So much love to this cast, production team and all their support system in and out of the theatre.

David is a Chicago-based performer most recently seen as Drew in Rock of Ages at Mercury Theater, before that he was Mark in RENT with Porchlight Music Theatre and Sebastian in Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical with Kokandy Productions, for which he received a Jeff Nomination. Previous credits include: Don’t Dress for Dinner, Bridges of Madison County (Brightside Theater); Noises Off, Mousetrap, A Christmas Carol (Metropolis Performing Arts) The Last Five Years, Big Fish (Big Noise Theater).

Matt (he/him) is so thrilled to be designing his first show with Kokandy. He is a Chicago-based audio engineer and sound designer for theatre. He has sound-designed over sixty theatrical productions and received two Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for his work. He is an A1 for musical theatre and has mixed shows with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Theatro ZinZani & Manual Cinema.  He is currently the Sound Supervisor for Chicago Children’s Theatre, and he has a degree in Sound Design for Theatre from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Nicholas (he/him) NYC: Sentinels: A New Play with Music (A.R.T./New York Theatres), Jungle Jim: A Musical Wildlife Adventure (Theatre Row). Kokandy: Into the Woods (2025 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Musical), Alice By Heart, American Psycho (2024 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Musical), The SpongeBob Musical, Hundred Days, Head Over Heels, and two seasons as Festival Producer of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago credits include work with Theo Ubique, CPA Theatricals, Haven Chicago, Underscore Theatre Company, and Circle Theatre. Upcoming: Sentinels: A New Play with Music (CPA Theatricals/Theo). Nicholas was previously named as one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, honoring the best and brightest individuals in Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ youth community, and currently serves as the Productions Manager at The Den Theatre in Wicker Park.

Keith is the Wig Designer for the Fabulous, and is so happy to be designing American Psycho! Keith is a 2020 Jeff Award winner for Artistic Specialization,Wig Deseign, for Hedwig and The Angry Inch. With over 140 shows to his credit, he created magic last season with Jeff Award winner Sweeney Todd;  Black Ensemble Theater: The Real Housewives of Motown,  Reasons, A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire,  Blue Heaven; Hell In A Handbag Productions, I Promised Myself to Live Faster, Frankenstriesand, The Golden Girls Christmas, The Drag Seed, (the Chicago run and the New York City run); Mercury Theater Chicago, Big River, Lady Day, Clue, Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Oak Lawn Park District Theater, You Can’t Take it Witk You, Spongebob The Musical and Cinderella; Alex Grelle Productions, StepMom, Floor Show; Sweetback Productions, Tooth of Crime; Marian Catholic High School, Chicago;Theo Ubique Theatre; Firebrand Theatre; New American Folk Theater; Big Noise Theater.

Quinn is a Chicago-based musical theatre performer and choreographer. Associate Choreography: 9 to 5 and Rock of Ages (Metropolis). Performance: Spring Awakening (Flint Rep), The SpongeBob Musical and American Psycho The Musical (Kokandy), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Marriott), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Trans Voices Cabaret, and Godspell (Theo Ubique). Quinn is a proud Filipino-American, and a graduate of Chicago College of Performing Arts’ BFA Musical Theatre program. Huge thanks to my family, always. Mahal ko kayo!

Kyle (he/him) is part of the next generation of American theatremakers. He served as the Founder/Artistic Director of Act One Project – Orange County’s independent student-led theatre initiative (2021-2024). Act One Project created a multitude of world premiere plays, cabarets, and musicals during its time; opening its doors to 50+ young creatives to explore within their theatrical outlet. Kyle is a Theatre Management student at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where we serves as the Artistic Director for The Theatre School’s Musical Theatre Players. He’s also the Fundraising Manager for the Prototypes New-Work Festival and has worked with Chicago’s International Voices Project and Lazy Susan Theatre Co. Kyle is an alumnus of the Acting and Musical Theatre conservatories at the Orange County School of the Arts, and is set to graduate with his BFA in Theatre Management from DePaul University in 2027.

Rachel is thrilled to be back with Kokandy! Other companies she has worked with include Goodman, Midsummer Flight, Music Theater Works, Theater Wit, Backstage Breckenridge Theater,  Babes with Blades, Trap Door, Oak Park Festival Theater, Citadel, Black Button Eyes, Hell in a Handbag, Lifeline, Porchlight, Griffin, Strawdog, the Factory and Redtwist. She also has designed at Wheaton College, Governor’s State University, North Central College, St. Patrick’s High School, Indiana University Northwest, Loyola Academy, and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. She is a ten-time Non-equity Jeff nominee, having been awarded two. More info at www.rachelsyp.com

Bio coming soon!

Broadway: Paradise Square (with Jason Howland & Masi Asare), Amélie (with composer and co-lyricist Dan Messé, Drama League nomination), Tuck Everlasting (with composer Chris Miller; Outer Critics & Drama League nominations). Off-Broadway: The Burnt Part Boys (Playwrights Horizons & Vineyard Theatre; Lucille Lortel nomination), Fugitive Songs (Drama Desk nomination), Stars of David. Regional: Stillwater (Kansas City Rep with band Joe’s Pet Project), The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Barrington Stage Co.). TV/FILM: A Killer Party, Sesame Street, Elmo’s World and The Electric Company. Awards from the Kleban, Ebb, Rodgers and Larson foundations. Writer/director for Lovewell Institute, creating original musicals with young adults. MFA NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, BFA Missouri State University. Husband to writer Kait Kerrigan, father to Lucy. nathantysen.com

Anna (she/her) returns to Kokandy after last season’s Alice By Heart as Associate Music Director/Conductor. She is a performer and educator in the Chicago area, often acting as orchestrator and sound designer. Recently, she music directed, orchestrated and conducted Into the Woods with CCPA/Roosevelt University, directed by Heather Currie. Last summer, she joined Chicago Musical Theater Festival with Eric Matthew Richardson’s ei hytte (the cabin): an a capella musical, directed by Noah Watkins, as well as performing with the band for The Brass Teapot: A New Musical, words and music by Chaz Cardigan and directed by Landree Fleming. Other notable shows as music director and conductor: Young Frankenstein (Wheaton Drama, Lou Nomination), Sleeping With Beauty (Pride Arts), Assassins (Wee Productions), Xanadu! (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre). A proud collaborator, Anna plays piano throughout the year in musical pits, alongside school choirs, and for cabarets and auditions while maintaining a studio of over 25 students with Piano Power. www.88keysacc.com | IG @88keysacc