Nevermore Actor Profile: Ryan Lanning!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised? I was born and raised in Midland, MI
2. Zodiac sign: Gemini
3. What are/were the careers of your parents? My father was a high school math teacher and my mother was an accountant.
4. Do you have any Siblings? I have two older brothers.
5. Where were you trained?: I have a BMA in Voice Performance and Theatre from the University of Michigan
6. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore? I like the storytelling aspect of the play and I think Ed will do something creative and interesting with it.
7. Favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem or story? “The Raven”, as my first experience with Poe, will always be my favorite
8. What's your favorite non-Poe scary art? (can be a movie, book, painting, song, etc.) I don’t think it’s scary really, but I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie’s writing.
9. Most played song in your music collection: I wish it was something more interesting, but honestly, it’s Sia’s “I’m Alive”.
10. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: I played Sir Dinadan in a production of CAMELOT my junior year of high school. It was memorable because it was a joint venture between both high schools in Midland, which wasn’t something that was done. My best friendships were forged during that show, and that’s why it’s my favorite.
11. Worst onstage mishap: Completely forgetting where I was in the show during a performance of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. I eventually got back into it, but those seconds were an eternity.
12. Worst costume ever: It didn’t make it into the actual show, but my original costume for “Only in the Movies” in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was a bedsheet draped over me like a gigantic blue and white toga. It was hideous.
13. Worst job you ever had: Summer stock in Indiana. The cast lived in a converted chicken coop and rehearsed on a concrete floor. The theatre roof leaked whenever it rained and we were eventually shut down because the theatre owner wasn’t paying for show rights.
14. Craziest audition story: Not really crazy but fun. Boho’s LA CAGE AUX FOLLES back in 2009. They had us come to the generals in full drag.
15. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: There are so many…a couple I’m actually right for.
16. What were you afraid of as a child? Bullies.

Nevermore Actor Profile: Matt McNabb!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised:

Zion, IL

2. Zodiac sign:

Capricorn

3. What are/were the careers of your parents: Teachers

4. Do you have any Siblings?:

One sister

5. Where were you trained?:

National-Louis University

6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use:

She Wasn't You from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

7. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore?

First and foremost the score. It has a unique haunting atmosphere, and I relish the opportunity to rock out and to sing some great harmonies with this cast.

8. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Nevermore) that you think is must-see:

Die Walkure

9. Favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem or story?

The Fall of the House of Usher-my dad bought me a graphic novel of this story when I was younger, and it's always captivated my imagination.

10. What's your favorite non-Poe scary art? (can be a movie, book, painting, song, etc.)

Huge Guillermo del Toro fan

11. Most played song in your music collection:

Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber

12. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager:

Lenny in Of Mice and Men

13. Worst onstage mishap:

During "City on Fire" in Sweeney Todd, the stage was slippery and I totally wiped out before exiting. I made it work though.

14. Worst job you ever had:

Emergency Room Registrar

15. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play:

Sweeney Todd, Nick Bottom, MacBeth, Titus Andronicus, The Baker, Papageno, Pagliacci, Amos Hart, Charlemagne, Max von Mayerling.

16. What were you afraid of as a child?

Deep water

Nevermore Designer Profile: Robert Hornbostel!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised? Lake in the Hills, IL

2. Zodiac sign: No idea (January)

3. What are/were the careers of your parents? Backend computer programmers for enterprise systems

4. Do you have any Siblings?: Younger brother, Chemical engineering student at U of I

5. Where were you trained?: College, Illinois State University

6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use? Ive always wanted to see someone perform “Master of the House” because it's just the perfect ear worm

7. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore? Its gonna be dark and spooky and fun and we need that in Chicago’s scene right now

8. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Nevermore) that you think is must-see: Billy Elliot at the Ruth Page with Porchlight Music Theater!

9. What's your favorite non-Poe scary art? (can be a movie, book, painting, song, etc.) Theres a reddit thread for “2 sentence scary stories” and my favorite of that was "I begin tucking him into bed and he tells me, “Daddy check for monsters under my bed.” I look underneath for his amusement and see him, another him, under the bed, staring back at me quivering and whispering, “Daddy there’s somebody on my bed.”

10. Most played song in your music collection: Changes weekly, but right now it's Xanthrax by Shredders

11. Worst onstage mishap: Super Bowl Halftime show with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake

12. Worst job you ever had: Working in Hospitality at Lifetime Fitness as a teenager. So many bodily fluids to clean up.

Nevermore Actor Profile: Maiko Terazawa!

1. Where were you born/where were you raised: I was born in Tokyo, Japan, but moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when I was 6 years old.
2. Zodiac sign: Virgo
3. What are/were the careers of your parents? My mother is a realtor in South Florida.
4. Do you have any Siblings?: Twin Sister (fraternal, not identical). I'm told I also have 7 half brothers and sisters I never met......
5. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use: Favorite audition song right now: "I'm Done" from Rocky the Musical
6. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore? How can you not be drawn to this magical, musical world of Poe?
7. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Nevermore) that you think is must-see: A must see was Circle Theatre's "Triassic Parq". It closed a couple months ago but it was such a fun show to watch and the cast was absolutely phenomenal.
8. Favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem or story? The Raven
9. Most played song in your music collection: Most played song right now is probably "I'm Breaking Down" from Falsettos.
10. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: My favorite role when I was younger was playing The Witch in "Into the Woods" my junior year of high school.
11. Worst job you ever had: I will never again work in a doctors office. I've worked admin jobs for a couple different doctors offices, and it is just the worst!
12. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: Some roles I would love to play are: Mother (Ragtime), Diana (Next to Normal), Bea (Something Rotten!), Lucy (Jekyll & Hyde), Amneris (Aida), and Maureen (Rent).
13. What were you afraid of as a child? Chucky from the "Child's Play" movies. My dad had us watch the movie when we were probably about 4 years old. After seeing the movie, he thought it would be funny to buy the Chucky doll with suction cups on the hands and feet and then stuck it to the sliding glass door outside of me & my sister's bedroom so it looked like Chucky was about to attack us! My mother eventually had to burn the doll in front of us.

Nevermore Actor Profile: Jeremy Trager!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised?
   Born in Chicago, raised in Joliet from age 3 on.
2. Zodiac sign: Libra, with 4 planets in Scorpio
3. What are/were the careers of your parents? My father is a doctor and my mother is a teacher.
4. Do you have any Siblings? Two younger sisters
5. Where were you trained? College - Illinois Wesleyan University, and tons of classes here in Chicago.
6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use: Mine are always changing. I like to do a few different Richard II pieces, and I took my most recent modern piece from an off-kilter television show. The writing just jumped out at me.
7. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore? I've always been interested in Poe, and I haven't done a musical in quite a few years.
8. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Nevermore) that you think is must-see: Fun Home. I'm so very glad I saw it.
9. Favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem or story? The Tell-Tale Heart. So many of his stories have a similar arc - the narrator does something horrible and then is so anxious about getting caught that they confess. I find that quite a fascinating obsession on Poe's part. I also love the imagery with the eye, which reflected his relationship with his step-father.
10. What's your favorite non-Poe scary art? Twin Peaks. It's absolutely terrifying on so many levels. I also love 80's horror films such as Hellraiser and Nightmare on Elm Street. In terms of theatre, the darker the better. Music, too. Not a big fan of major chords.
11. Most played song in your music collection: Oh jeez. I listen to a LOT of music, and focus mostly on new music, so things get cycled back fairly quickly. I'm still stuck on LCD Soundsystem's new album, particularly the song, "How Do You Sleep?"
12. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: My first role in community theatre was the Devil. That certainly set the tone for most of my roles.
13. Worst onstage mishap: Two come to mind. In high school, I was a bit overzealous with an onstage prop and caused my scene partner to have an open cut. He was gushing blood from his forehead while the audience laughed at my antics. We didn't have a fight choreographer, unfortunately. Several years ago, in Porchlight's production of Sweeney Todd, I went on as Toby for one night only (usually I was in the ensemble). I was so excited and had prepared for weeks. I had over 40 friends and family there. After entering as Toby and singing my first line, I banged on Toby's drum with the drum stick, as is custom. I broke the drum immediately. I will never forget that. The rest of the night was perfect.
14. Worst costume ever: Oh dear. I've been fortunate to have some amazing costumes in the last 19 years in Chicago. I actually liked this costume, but I wouldn't want to wear it again: In Ragtime, I played Houdini and did most of the show in a rather revealing singlet, which caused quite a lot of giggling when middle school kids came en masse for a field trip. There was another incident where my costume was so ill-fitting and wrong for the character that I had to object and demand a different costume. It ended up fine, but if I'd said nothing that would have certainly been my worst costume.
15. Worst job you ever had: Waiting tables at I-Hop. Worse than working at McDonalds, which would be second place for me. Not a great place for vegetarians to work, but my friend and I sang excerpts from musicals over the drive through microphones all day, which made it as fun as possible. I-Hop taught me that corporate chain restaurants are a horrible place to be, and I try not to patronize such places as a result.

16. Craziest audition story: Can't think of anything too crazy, but I used to get called into one of the top 5 theatres here routinely, and got a few callbacks too. The last time I auditioned there for generals, I went over time. The casting director didn't stop me, but afterward he berated me and told me off in such a way that had me sobbing in the car all the way home. Despite apologizing profusely, I've never been called in to that theatre again, and it's somewhere I always dreamed of working. So, I learned my lesson and I strictly time every audition now, usually opting for extremely short pieces.

17. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: My dream roles that I haven't already played are: Salieri, Richard II, Sweeney Todd, Molina, Guido, and Iago.

18. What were you afraid of as a child? Bees and wasps. Still am!

Nevermore Designer Profile: Beth Laske-Miller!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised: Born on the south side of Chicago, raised in small-town Northwest Indiana, Mexico City & South Bend, Indiana.
2. Zodiac sign: Textbook Virgo, all the way.
3. What are/were the careers of your parents: My dad was a purchasing manager for Bendix, now a history/genealogy buff. My mom is an artist and nanny.
4. Do you have any Siblings?: My older brother introduced me to good music (Sex Pistols, the Doors, Dead Kennedys & Pink Floyd), now he's living the good life in Wilmette. But he's still a weirdo.
5. Where were you trained?: Always been an artist, starting with my mom & grandparents, later studied sculpture at IU Bloomington, before I got sucked into costume and fashion design there, and eventually received my MFA in Costume Design from Calarts.
6. Why did you want to be a part of Nevermore? I've always loved the spooky honesty of Poe. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but something about Poe's style makes it accessible and meaningful to me. I also love working with Ed Rutherford, he really lets me run wild and indulge my wacky ideas. Well, and his wacky ideas too.
7. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Nevermore) that you think is must-see: Marie Christine. Maybe someday I'll make it to see this 'Hamilton' show.
8. Favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem or story? He'd hate me for it, but I love The Raven. Also Fall of the House of Usher.
9. What's your favorite non-Poe scary art? (can be a movie, book, painting, song, etc.) Oh anything. I really love seeing anything new. Classically I love Edward Gorey. I've always been a fan of Stephen King & Neil Gaiman. Every year, I look forward to watching The Shining during the first major snowstorm. Preferably alone.
10. Most played song in your music collection: Anything by Queen or Bowie. I will always stop for DJ Kool's 'Let Me Clear My Throat'. Really, there are only a couple genres I don't like, otherwise I've always got music playing.
11. Worst onstage mishap: Mustaches falling off. Always.
12. Worst job you ever had: In theatre? None were THAT bad. Otherwise? Yeah, I worked at Taco Bell. The one I worked at was shut down by the health department two years later. I'm convinced it gave me super-powers.

Shockheaded Peter Actor Profile: Jessica Lauren Fisher!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised: I've always lived in Illinois, but I spent the first 14 years of my life in Deerfield and then I moved to Libertyville.
2. Zodiac Sign: Libra
3. What are/were the careers of your parents: My mom did props for Apple Tree Theatre and that was my home away from home growing up. My Father worked in radio sales.
4. Do you have any Siblings? I have one sister who is an Esthetician and Make up artist.
5. Where were you trained?: as a kid I trained at Apple Tree and Piven. I want to college at Barat College of Depaul and got my degree in Acting and Directing. I've been pursuing a 2nd bachelor's at Northeastern Illinois University for the past few years.
6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use: I currently hate absolutely everything in my book.
7. What skill(s) are you excited to share with the audience of Shockheaded Peter? This show is really great! The actors are doing amazing work and I can't wait for the audience to be as amazed by them as i am!
8. Why did you want to be a part of Shockheaded Peter? I've been a fan of Black Button Eyes since their inception. The shows Ed chooses are always so fun and dark at the same time. Being involved in the process is really a joy.
9. If you could go back in time and catch any show or performer, what would it be? There are so many how do you choose just one! I guess I'd have to say Judy Garland.
10. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Shockheaded Peter) that you think is must-see: I have to say Hamilton.
11. Favorite showtune(s) of all time: That's like asking someone to choose their favorite child.
12. Some favorite musicals: Again, how do I choose! Violet, Mystery of Edwin Drood, Jekyll and Hyde (sorry), Phantom of the Opera (I know), Make Me a Song. I could keep going!*
13. Most played song in your music collection: Its usually whatever show I'm working on!
14. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: It's not quite onstage, but channel 5 news was doing a segment about whether or not you should spank your child. I was maybe 10 and hired to behave like a brat. They showed the clip of me to people on the street and they all agreed that I should be spanked. This segment would pop up on the news every couple of years.
15. Worst onstage mishap: I was playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid and I had just traded my voice for legs so I had no voice. However, the zipper on my dress was sticking and flounder and Sebastian were on stage doing their best to vamp. While they're adlibbing they say "where is Ariel" and I very loudly with the voice I'm not supposed to have yell back "I'll be right there! "
16. Worst costume ever: when i played Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde all of my costumes were rented. When they arrived they were suspiciously all missing pants.
17. Worst job you ever had: I once did an industrial for foot fungus. They painted my feet green and I had to touch other people's feet all day. It was super gross.
18. Craziest audition story: They're all a little crazy aren't they?
19. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: Oh my gosh, this is a tough one too! I've been lucky enough to knock 3 off my bucket list this past year. I'd love to sing more Finn and tackle some Ibsen some day.
20. What were you afraid of as a child? Vocal nodules and quicksand, like any normal child :)

More photos have arrived, and they are Awesomer (The sequel!)

We had the most fantastic opening weekend! We played to packed houses, the show was Jeff Recommended, and the critical response has been pretty rapturous so far. We also had the show photographed by photographer Cole Simon, and below are our official press photos. Didn't they turn out great?

Shockheaded Peter Actor Profile: Kat Evans!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised: Born in Wheaton, IL, but moved to Northfield, MN, Bowling Green, KY, Atlanta, GA, Oxford, UK, and Grand Rapid, MI. For grad school I moved to Columbus, OH.
2. Zodiac sign: Capricorn. Just like Jesus.
3. What are/were the careers of your parents: My folks are academics, my father in Philosophy and my mother in Spanish.
4. Do you have any Siblings?: I have an older sister and younger brother. I have all the typical middle child symptoms.

5. Where were you trained?: I am quite grateful to the children's theatre programs at in the Northfield Arts Guild, including summer theatre day camps, improv, and the Young People's Theatre Travelling Troupe. Because of the last, I was co-writing and co-producing new adaptations and original works by the time I was twelve. Also, the Northfield Children's Chorus for teaching me good breathing techniques at an early age. I have a BA in Communications from Calvin College and spent a good deal of my time in the Calvin Theatre Company. I have an MA in Theatre History/Lit/Crit and an MFA in Acting from The Ohio State University.

6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use: I'm fond of singing "The Girl in 14 G" by Jeanine Tesori, and "Life Upon the Wicked Stage," by Jerome Kern. For monologues, I do one from Desperate Affection by Bruce Graham, and House of Blue Leaves by John Guarre.

7. What skill(s) are you excited to share with the audience of Shockheaded Peter?: I'm always, ALWAYS excited to sing. But for this show, I'm hoping I get to do some acro. I've only ever done acro as part of circus act, not as part of storytelling or theatre yet.

8. Why did you want to be a part of Shockheaded Peter? I first heard of it back in 2003 when Improbable Theatre (Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch) did a residency at Ohio State. Their show The Hanging Man was one of the best I've ever seen. I was excited to do a creepy show with circus skills and singing. Also, I've wanted to work with Ed again ever since we worked on Scandalous Behavior. It seems like the timing finally worked out!
9. If you could go back in time and catch any show or performer, what would it be? Sarah Bernhardt. Eleonora Duse. Isadora Duncan. Helene Weigel.
10. Current or recent show in Chicago (other than Shockheaded Peter) that you think is must-see: London Assurance at City Lit was my most recent current show; we got Jeff Recommended! We were delighted to have found a play that Chicago wasn't seen in over a hundred years and made it a delightful romp.
11. Favorite showtune(s) of all time: "You Should See Her Fly" from Fanatical! "I Heard Someone Crying" from The Secret Garden; "All Grown Up" from Bare; "Mama Who Bore Me" from Spring Awakening.

12. Some favorite musicals: Spelling Bee. Avenue Q. Urinetown. Fanatical! The Cradle Will Rock. The Three Penny Opera.

13. Most played song in your music collection: of all time? "Precious Things" by Tori Amos; "Glory Box" by Portishead. recently? "Your Loves Whore" by Wolf Alice; "Here" by Alessia Cara.

14. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden.

15. Worst onstage mishap: I was playing Paquette in Candide. Pangloss and I had a short scene where we ended up with him standing over me as though we were about to have sex; we had to freeze in that position while the focus was switched to another part of the stage. The actor playing Pangloss was bald and sweat dripped off his bald head and dripped right into my eyes and I couldn't move. I could only try to blink it away.

16. Worst costume ever: My wig playing Princess Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin Jr with Emerald City. It was painfully heavy and gave me headaches and neck aches. Opening performance, I was in a sequence where Jasmine is courted by suitors and rejects them. The bit required the actor playing the suitor to force me to tango and me to resist; during a turn, my enormous heavy wig came flying off my head. I caught it with my hand and held it to my head for the rest of the scene but the mishap still made into Chris Jones' review.

17. Worst job you ever had: I was managing the phones for a sprinkler system company. It was summer in the midwest. They were weeks behind and the customers were all frantic and angry. I was 16 and easily intimidated. The technicians all invariably insulted me and hit on me. The boss was impatient and angry. It was miserable.

18. Craziest audition story: Callbacks for Be Twixt and Be Twain at The Human Race Theatre in Dayton in 2006. I drove up from Columbus and was feeling very odd and unpleasant. They kept us for hours, asking us to read again and again, and I worried that I would faint or vomit. Between readings, I would run to the bathroom wondering if I needed to pass out or throw up. They finally released us around 5 pm. I drove the 80 minutes back to Columbus, climbed up the back stairs of to my 3rd floor apartment, and vomited for several minutes, the vomit traveling all the way down to splatter on the ground. My apartment building was next to the premiere gay bar in Columbus and the drag queens out smoking in the back alley looked over and shook their heads at me. I did book the role.
19. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: Hotspur in Henry IV; George Washington in Hamilton; Claudia in Honor; Olive in Spelling Bee.
20. What were you afraid of as a child? I think I allowed the media to tell me to be afraid of sharks, Freddy Krueger, serial killers. I let Fire Prevention week at school make me terrified of house fires. But I have this odd memory of being on a family vacation when I was 9. I was playing with other kids in the pool at a hotel. A boy about my age said, "What is your biggest fear? Mine is of being tortured" and then he proceeded to describe several hideous scenarios. He then asked again, "What's yours?" and I said, "Rejection, probably." I think he was disappointed. But damn, I was an old, sad, soul at 9.

Shockheaded Peter Actor Profile: Genevieve Lerner!

1. Where you were born/where were you raised: I was born and raised in Rochester, NY

2. Zodiac sign: Pisces! But I don't think I act very much like a Pisces. Like, at all.

3. What are/were the careers of your parents? My father is a psychiatrist and my mother was a nurse. Not sure where I came from.

4. Do you have any Siblings? I have an older sister who is also a nurse.

5. Where were you trained? I received my BFA in Theatre Performance from the University at Buffalo. I also received some of my most valuable training at New York State Summer School of the Arts and at Geva Summer Academy, both programs for high school students in New York.

6. Current favorite audition song or monologue to use: Theresa Rebeck has been my go-to for years, she writes the way I speak!

7. What skill(s) are you excited to share with the audience of Shockheaded Peter?: I'm excited to play saxophone and to have the opportunity to dance!

8. Why did you want to be a part of Shockheaded Peter? I love theatre that is visually interesting, that finds different ways of expression other than just words!

9. If you could go back in time and catch any show or performer, what would it be? Lucille Ball.

10. Some favorite musicals: Peter Pan, Les Miz (I know, I know), The Wizard of Oz

11. Most played song in your music collection: The "Center Stage" soundtrack, and "I'll Make a Man out of You" from Mulan.

12. Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: Played a dinosaur family pet in The Skin of Our Teeth in high school, pretty much every prostitute role ever before the age of 15, Mrs. Peterson (at age 12) in Bye Bye Birdie.
13. Worst onstage mishap: Before I had contact lenses, I would crash into set pieces during blackouts ALL. THE. TIME. Also one time my boob fell out my leotard during an aerial piece.
14. Worst costume ever: In high school in a horrible musical called Starmites, I had to wear a unitard that was painted half black and half white, and I also had to paint my hair and face half black and half white. I looked very attractive.
15. Worst job you ever had: I spent a holiday season in sales at a jewelry store, and would get harshly reprimanded for standing for two minutes without cleaning the glass cases, not selling credit cards with disgusting interest rates, and wearing inappropriate attire (it wasn't).
16. Role(s) you’ve been dying to play: Anna in Lanford Wilson's Burn This.