Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer)

Liz is excited to be a part of another Black Button Eyes show! Some of her recent lighting design credits include Ghost Quartet, Nevermore, Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes), The Sundial, Bloodhound Law, Father Ruffian and Peyton Place (City Lit), Bard Fiction (Commedia Beauregard), Marisol, Winter's Tale, A Study in Scarlet and Henry V (Promethean).

Adrian Hadlock (Props Designer)

Adrian is thrilled to be working with Button Eyes Productions again after Ghost Quartet, his first show with the company! Additionally, he has designed props for The Grelley Duvall Show (2018 & 2019), Grelle On the Lake at Theatre On The Lake, Proxy with Underscore Theatre, Little Women with Brown Paper Box Co., and numerous shows with Hell in a Handbag Productions including Artificial Jungle, Bewildered, and Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical. Adrian has also worked as a propping assistant for The Black Ensemble Theatre and assisted in building puppets for Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s production of Seussical: The Musical.

Robert Hornbostel (Sound Designer)

Robert is a human male, Sound Designer, Composer, and Engineer based out of Chicago. Superpowers include: making sound travel through wires, eating many tacos, making and sharing memes, biking very quickly on Damen, and drinking. Robert enjoys telling big stories in small spaces through the power of sound design...and pyrotechnics. Scratch this part of your screen to hear some of his previous works, or check them out at TechMagicDesigns.com. Thanks and enjoy the show!

Brendan Hutt (Violence Designer)

Brendan Hutt is a Chicago-born actor and violence designer and is very excited to work with Black Button Eyes for the first time. He’s a proud member of the Promethean Theatre Ensemble where he has served as violence designer eight times. Love always to his family and his incredible wife Jennifer.

Cecilia Koloski (Stage Manager)

Cecilia is so excited to be making her Black Button Eyes debut as the stage manager of Whisper House. Hailing from Alabaster, Alabama, she has now lived and done theatre in Chicago for 3 years. Previous credits include At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen (The Story Theatre) as assistant stage manager Speech & Debate as the stage manager, Cabaret as the assistant stage manager, and The Importance of Being Gendered as the lighting designer and Dr. Prism (Loyola University). She thanks Ed, the cast, production team, and her amazing friends and family for all the support!

Ed Rutherford (Director)

Directing for Black Button Eyes: Ghost Quartet, Evil Dead the Musical (Jeff Nomination, Best Director) Nevermore (Chicago premiere), Shockheaded Peter, Amour (Chicago premiere), Goblin Market, and Coraline (Midwest Premiere). He is an artistic associate with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where he directed The Liar, his own adaptation of the Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the company's inaugural production, Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy. Directing with Brown Paper Box Co: The Baltimore Waltz. As an actor, he's performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. A graduate of Northwestern's theater program, he recently completed his MBA at Kellogg.

Nikolaj Sorensen (Set Designer, Technical Director)

Nikolaj is a Chicago based set designer and production manager hailing from Palo Alto, California. Recent local credits include Route (Aegis Theatre), Hopelessly Devoted (Piven Theatre Workshop), Through the Lookingglass and 3:35pm (Mudlark Theater). He is the staff production manager at both Piven Theatre Workshop and Haven Theatre, and has previously worked in that capacity with Northwestern University and Palo Alto Players. www.sorensets.com

Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer)

Rachel M. Sypniewski is grateful to be back with BBEP, previously designing, Ghost Quartet, Evil Dead: The Musical. She has designed at the Goodman, Broken Nose, Strawdog,The New Colony, Jackalope, Red Tape, Trap Door, Emerald City, Lifeline, Haven,Griffin,CityLit, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Promethean, Strawdog, Vitalist, Rasaka, the Factory, Redtwist, Wheaton College, North Central College, St. Patrick's High School, Indiana University Northwest, and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Rachel is a 6 time Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominee and has been awarded one. More info at www.rachelsyp.com

Micky York (Music Director)

Micky has worked in performing arts venues throughout the country, most recently with Porchlight on their Revisits production of Call Me Madam. Other Chicagoland credits include Peter and the Starcatcher, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, ...Spelling Bee (Metropolis PAC), Happy End (After Dark Award – Outstanding Music Direction) and Jacques Brel (Brown Couch), Make Me a Song (Eclectic), Pr0ne (Underscore) and Sarita (Halcyon). Next up is After Party: Clarkson on February 29 at Sylvie's Lounge on Irving Park featuring the music of Kelly Clarkson, a full band, and lots of drinking stories. More info at afterpartycabaret.com.

Derek Van Barham (Choreographer)

Derek is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions and a member of the Red Tape Theatre ensemble. He previously served as Associate Artistic Director of Pride Films & Plays and Artistic Director of The Ruckus. Recent directing credits: Head Over Heels (Kokandy), The View Upstairs (Circle), Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag) and Taylor Mac’s A Walk Across America for Mother Earth (CCPA/Roosevelt). Recent choreo credits: Ghost Quartet, Evil Dead the Musical (Jeff nomination), Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing individuals from Chicago's LGBTQ community.