Hack/Slash: Cast and Crew bios

Cast

Cassie Hack:                             Jean E. Burr
Vlad:                                          Tim Lee±
Emily Cristy:                              Miona Lee±

Ensemble:
Erika Napoletano, Christopher Prchal, Pete Navis, Richard John McLain, J. Rohr, Melissa Nelson, Kara Charlton and Renee Lynn Jackson

Production team

Director                                       Brad Gunter*
Production Manager                    Letitia Guillaud*
Stage Manager                           John Wefler
Costume Designer                      Carrie Campana*
Sound Designer                          Keith Gatchel*
Lighting Designer                        Chris Corwin
Projection Designer                    Jay Gish
Props and Blood Designer          Mel Gill
Violence Director                        Barbara Charlene
Assistant Violence Director        Christopher DeNardo
Fight Captain                              Pete Navi
Graphic Designer                       Mike Wozniak
Marketing                                   Maria Burnham*
                                                   Holly Robison*
                                                   Allison McCorkle±

Based on the comic book series Hack/Slash by Tim Seeley.

* Denotes a Strangeloop Theatre Company Member
± Denotes a Strangeloop Theatre Associate Member

Hack/Slash: Get to know Cassie Hack

Here's your Cassie Hack trading card. Print it out. Make all the kids jealous.

Hack/Slash Bio: Jean E. Burr

Jean E. Burr (Cassie Hack) is incredibly excited to be working with Strangeloop Theatre and CIC Theater for her first full-length Chicago show since moving to the city in January. She was recently seen as Aqua Woman in Strangeloop Theatre's Loopshop 7, and some of her favorite roles include Linda in Blood Brothers (Open Space Cafe Theatre), Amy Westmond in The Service at Rocky Bluff (The Barn Dinner Theatre), Roberta Victor in Working: The Musical (University of North Carolina at Wilmington) and Paulina in The Seagull (Millikin University). You can see her next in the independent film Battle Scars, as well as around town as Vaudezilla! Burlesque and Productions' Street Team Coordinator. She would like to thank the cast and crew for being awesome, her friends and co-workers for being so patient, her burlesque mentors for their support, and her family for basically everything. Keep up with Jean at www.jeaneburr.com.

Hack/Slash Bio: Tim Lee

Tim Lee (Vlad) is very excited to be a part of Hack/Slash. After studying theatre at Evangel University, he toured and performed as a part of the Skinny Improv. He decided to move to Chicago to pursue acting. Some of his most recent roles include, Busman in Strangeloop Theatre’s production of Rossum’s Universal Robots and as Andy in 101 Ways to Fall in Love with Bard and Fool Theatre. He is very proud to be an Associate Member of Strangeloop Theatre and part of Under the Gun Theatre’s ensemble. Thanks to Miona for always being there with love and support.

Hack/Slash Bio: Miona Lee

Miona Lee (Emily Cristy) received her BFA in Theatre Performance at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. She is an Associate Company Member for Strangeloop Theatre and a Company Member for The Living Canvas. Favorite roles include: Cobweb/Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream, various characters in several Living Canvas productions (including credits for writer and movement consultant), Vixen in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Martha Graham in Ten Lives in Performance, various villainous characters at the Springfield Children's Playhouse, and Gwendolyn in The Odd Couple. Also, thank you to my husband, Tim, for the constant love and support.

Hack/Slash Bio: Erika Napoletano

Erika Napoletano (Acid Angel/Delilah Hack/Ensemble) is bigger than a taco but smaller than an Airstream trailer. While from the South, she was not born in a trailer. Born in Opelika, Alabama and raised in Houston, Texas, Erika’s an actor and voiceover talent with recent appearances at Prologue Theater’s Landmark Festival, Second City, and iO — some of which even include Southern twangs. She has two dogs (Hippopotamus and Penelope), has more bicycles than ex-husbands, and is lactose intolerant yet loves banana milkshakes. Learn more about her at www.erikanapoletano.com.

Hack/Slash Bio: Christopher Prchal

Christopher Prchal (Dan/Rusty/Trent/Waking Man) is thrilled to a part of this production. He hails from the Southside of Chicago and is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has had the privilege of working with some amazing teachers in Chicago at the Piven Theatre Workshop, Black Box, and The Second City to name a few. He can be seen in House Bravura's upcoming productions of Cheers 1773 and John Adams. A tremendous amount of love and gratitude to Mom, Dad, and Johnny.

Hack/Slash Bio: Pete Navis

Pete Navis (Dr. Gross/Tech 2/Fight Captain) is performing with Strangeloop and CIC for the first time, after appearing in Bat-Hamlet (Corn Productions) and Jim & Dave('s Blood Meets Jupiter) (Project 891) earlier this year. Other recent Chicago performances include Uptown Opera (Genesis Ensemble), The People's Passion Play (Quest Ensemble) and It's a Wonderful Santaland Miracle Nutcracking Christmas Story... Jews Welcome (Stage 773). Pete also works in film and television, and this summer shot season two of the webseries #Hashtag and the short film Stone Road. Check out petenavis.wix.com/petenavis for news or to stay in touch.

Hack/Slash Bio: Richard John McLain

Richard John McLain (Joe Fitch/Mortimer Strick), or RJ to many of his friends, is a Chicago native, and this is his first production with Strangeloop as well as with CIC, but as an avid comic book fan he could not pass up the opportunity. His recent credits include the films Igniting Justice as Xander and Kleptosomnia as John, with previous theater experience including productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Big Mary, The Stage Door and Grease. RJ has trained at The Second City in Chicago for improv and regularly does martial arts, more specifically Krav Maga through Krav Academy. He has also performed singing with an American Choir touring through China for the 2008 Olympic Ceremonies, and is currently working on YouTube based web series that will be premiering later this year. He wishes to thank Tim Seeley for creating such a bad ass comic that gave us such a great story, and director Brad Gunter for making all of this happen, bringing Hack/Slash to the stage while keeping it true to the original story.

Hack/Slash Bio: J. Rohr

J. Rohr (Peter LaPage/X-O) This is J. Rohr's first time on stage. An internationally published author of short fiction, his work has appeared in The Mad Scientist Journal, and the zombie anthology Black Chaos. Currently, he runs the blog Honesty Is Not Contagious.

Hack/Slash Bio: Melissa Nelson

Melissa Nelson (Mean Boy 1/Delivery Woman/Paramedic) is excited to be in her first show with both Strangeloop and CIC Theater. Her previous works include roles in The Factory that Makes Devils with Demigods Theater, The David Bowie Christmas Special 1977 with New Millenium Theater and The Santa Claus Caper with Alphabet Soup Productions. Melissa is a graduate of Illinois State University.

Hack/Slash Bio: Kara Charlton

Kara Charlton (Mean Boy 2/Hostess/Ashley) is originally from California and has previously done many shows there, such as Much Ado About Nothing, The Crucible, Eurydice and You Can't Take it With You. Hack/Slash is both her favorite comic series and first Chicago show.

Hack/Slash Bio: Renee Lynn Jackson

Renee Lynn Jackson (Mrs. Miller/Security/Hibachi Devil) is pleased to be collaborating with Strangeloop for the first time. Recent Chicago acting credits include Losers! (Cloud Gate Productions), Trash, And A Moon Said Nothing… (Forget Me Not Theatre) and work with the Piven Improvisational Ensemble. Renee is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hack/Slash Bio: Brad Gunter

Brad Gunter (Director) is originally from suburban Westmont, Ill., and went to Ball State University and Middlebury College with some layovers in different parts of Germany. As a founding member of Strangeloop, Brad wears a lot of hats in the company and typically stays busy during productions as a director, dramaturge or production manager. Outside of theatre, he makes money by doing German-to-English translation and VO recording. He’s worked with several other theatres in town, but you’re most likely to see him busy at his other theatre company, TUTA, where he is an Associate Company Member.

Hack/Slash Bio: Letitia Guillaud

Letitia Guillaud (Production Manager) is a founder and Co-Artistic/Development Director for Strangeloop Theatre. Letitia has a B.A. in Theatre from Ball State University and since moving to Chicago has worked as an actor, writer, improvisor, director, props designer and production manager. She is a resident artist with CIC Theater and has been lucky enough to work with TUTA, Babes with Blades, Seanachai, Red Orchid, CIC, The Annoyance, iO and Bughouse. Most recently, she was seen as Hermia in Strangeloop Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and you can see her props design work in TUTA's upcoming Anyway Cabaret. She would like to thank her company, Brad Gunter and Tim Seeley.

Hack/Slash Bio: John Wefler

John Wefler (Stage Manager) began his love of show business as director/producer of The Rob Linkhart Show, a Comedy Central award winning public access television variety show in the 1990s. He is also an actor and musician with training from the Annoyance, Second City, Green Shirt Studio, Black Box, and the Old Town School of Folk Music. This is his third production with Strangeloop and first as stage manager. Thanks to Paul, Patricia, James, Carol and to Ticha and Brad.

Hack/Slash Bio: Carrie Campana

Carrie Campana (Costume Designer) is an actor and costume designer for Strangeloop. She has worked with St. Sebastian Players (associate member), the Living Canvas and Wig Bullies, predominately during her time in Chicago. Prior to moving to Chicago she lived in New York where she was the resident costume designer and actor with PharePlay Productions. She is very pleased to be a part of Strangeloop and grateful for the opportunity to design as well as perform with them.

Hack/Slash Bio: Keith Gatchel

Keith Gatchel (Sound Design) comes to us from Rockford, Ill., by way of Southern Illinois University (with a few stops in Florida). Since 2005, Keith has worked tech at The Goodman Theatre, Collaboraction, Teatro Vista, Victory Gardens, Pegasus Players, and more. He was also a writer for Big News at IO and Second City, and contributor to several Loopshop productions, as well as Strangeloop's Our Perfect Holiday 2012 with the cast. Along with being the co-literary manager for Strangeloop, he works at Blue Man Group and is the stage manager for The Kiss Kiss Cabaret.

Hack/Slash Bio: Chris Corwin

Chris Corwin (Lighting Designer) was a founding company Member of Dolphinback Theatre Company long ago, and he has been an ensemble member of Eclipse Theatre Company sinc 1999. He has designed lights or scenery for several Eclipse productions, perhaps your favorite. He is currently the lighting director for The Kiss Kiss Cabaret. He has some self image issues, so he is going to end this bio here.

Hack/Slash Bio: Jay Gish

Jay Gish (Projection Designer) is a co-creator and producer with Bindledog Productions, whose work can be seen on the NFL Network and the cable channel IFC. He also created the cult web series, Improv City.