Viking Drama
COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER
KEVIN ANDERSON
Viking Class of '74
The Ugly Duckling, Sight Unseen
Nominated for Tony Award, Death of a Salesman
Kevin Anderson, after Tony
nominated performance as Bif in "Salesman" on Broadway
Kevin plays Mr. Arable, Dakota Fanning's father, in Charlotte's Web
Kevin, in the Musical, "Once Upon a Time" moment for Viking Drama.A dependable, self-assured actor who has successfully parlayed his stage success to the silver screen, Kevin Anderson has slowly built an impressive catalog of credits following his feature debut as one of Tom Cruise's onscreen buddies in Risky Business. A Gurnee, IL, native, Anderson was the last of five children, and his interest in acting became readily apparent when he became the founder and president of the drama club at Viking Junior High. After advancing to high school, Anderson joined the forensics team, specializing in oral interpretation and soon realizing that he did indeed have the talent to make it as a career actor.
Higher education found Anderson enrolling in the acclaimed Goodman School of Drama, and shortly after his graduation in 1981, the burgeoning actor joined the ranks of Chicago's renowned Steppenwolf Theatre. It was while working with the respected troupe that Anderson's interpretation of wallflower Phillip in Orphans (a role he would later repeat in the 1987 film of the same name) found the actor standing out from an impressive cast to make a name for himself on-stage.
Following his film debut in Risky Business with the little-seen romantic teen comedy Pink Nights, roles inMiles from Home (1988) and In Country (1989) proved worthy precursors to a powerhouse performance in the early-'90s made-for-television feature Orpheus Descending. His stage roots increasingly obvious, a role in the 1990 effort A Little Night Music gave Anderson the chance to show off his vocal talents, and a supporting part in the following year's Sleeping With the Enemy found the up-and-coming actor sharing the screen with Hollywood beauty Julia Roberts. Though his screen appearances in the remainder of the 1990s lost a bit of momentum, roles in the short-lived television series Nothing Sacred (for which he received a Golden Globe nomination)
The millennial turnover found Anderson receiving critical kudos for his role in The Doe Boy before once again stretching his vocal chords opposite Angela Bassett in Ruby's Bucket of Blood (both 2001), and the following year he would impress as sports personality Frank Gifford in the made-for-television dramaMonday Night Mayhem. A turn as John F. Kennedy in Power and Beauty and a top-billed role in the series Skin confirmed that Anderson's star appears to shine brighter and more intensely on the small screen, through a high-profile role in the 2003 feature Carry Me Home proved without a doubt that Anderson's feature aspirations were still well in place. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Milestones
stage appearance
1983 Film debut, Risky Business (billed as Kevin C Anderson)
1983 Joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where he appeared in Our Town, Twelfth Night, The Three Sisters and starred in Orphans
1985 Off-Broadway debut with Steppenwolf production of Orphans when it moved to New York; also starred in London production
1987 First screen lead, A Walk on the Moon
1987 Recreated his stage role in feature version of Orphans
1989 Broadway debut as Val Xavier opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Decending
1990 TV debut reprising role of Val (again opposite Vanessa Redgrave) in the TNT adaptation ofOrpheus Descending
1991 Had romantic lead opposite Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy
1993 Played Joe Gillis to Patti LuPone's Norma Desmond in London premiere of Sunset Boulevard
1994 While travelling on his motorcycle was struck by a car in Seattle; hospitalized with a broken arm and broken leg; a series of health problems led to a slow recovery in which Anderson had to re-learn how to walk
1996 First role after his recovery, co-starred in William Nicholson's Firelight (released theatrically in 1998)
1996 Returned to the stage in the Off-Broadway production of The Red Address by David Ives
1997 Cast in leading role of a priest in the ABC drama series Nothing Sacred
1997 Had leading role in the independent film Eye of God; also played Michelle Pfeiffer's husband in A Thousand Acres
1998 Played Biff Loman in Chicago revival of Death of a Salesman; production opened on Broadway in February 1999 (Tony Nomination)
2001 Starred opposite Angela Bassett in Ruby's Bucket of Blood (Showtime)
2001 Appeared on the NYC stage in Speaking in Tongues
2002 Cast as Frank Gifford in the TNT movie Monday Night Mayhem
2002 Portrayed John F. Kennedy in the Showtime movie Beauty and Power: The Judith Exner Story
2006 Played Jokanaan in Oscar Wilde's Salome with Al Pacino at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles
T.V. And Films
2014 Heaven Is for Real Mr. Baxter
2013 Salomé John the Baptist
2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Frank Sullivan- Torch (2010) ... Frank Sullivan
2008 Dockweiler (Short) Red
2006 Charlotte's Web Mr. Arable
2004 Carry Me Home (TV Movie) Charlie
2003-2004 Skin (TV Series)
Tom Roam- True Lies (2004) ... Tom Roam
- Blowback (2003) ... Tom Roam
- Amber Synn (2003) ... Tom Roam
- Endorsement (2003) ... Tom Roam
- Secrets & Lies (2003) ... Tom Roam
2002 Power and Beauty (TV Movie) John F. Kennedy
2002 The F.B.I. Files (TV Series documentary) Reenactment Actor- Deadly Dentist (2002) ... Reenactment Actor
2002 Monday Night Mayhem (TV Movie) Frank Gifford
2001 Ruby's Bucket of Blood (TV Movie) Billy Dupre
2001 When Strangers Appear Bryce
2001 The Doe Boy Hank
1999 Gregory's Two Girls Jon
1999 The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (TV Movie) Ira Einhorn
1997-1998 Nothing Sacred (TV Series)
Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux- Felix Culpa (1998) ... Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux
- Sleeping Dogs (1998) ... Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux
- Sex, God and Reality (1998) ... Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux
- Holy Words (1998) ... Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux
- HIV Priest! Film at Eleven (1998) ... Father Francis Xavier 'Ray' Reyneaux
Show all 20 episodes
1997 Eye of God Jack Stillings
1997 A Thousand Acres Peter Lewis
1997 Firelight John Taylor
1993 The Wrong Man Alex Walker
1993 Rising Sun Bob Richmond
1993 The Night We Never Met Brian McVeigh
1992 Hoffa Robert Kennedy
1992 The General Motors Playwrights Theater (TV Series) Nathan Hale- Hale the Hero (1992) … Nathan Hale
1991 Liebestraum Nick Kaminsky
1991 Sleeping with the Enemy Ben Woodward
1990 Live from Lincoln Center (TV Series) Henrik Egerman- New York City Opera: A Little Night Music (1990) … Henrik Egerman
1990 Orpheus Descending (TV Movie) Val Xavier
1989 In Country Lonnie
1988 Miles from Home Terry Roberts
1987 A Walk on the Moon Everett Jones
1987 Orphans Phillip
1986 Silver Spoons (TV Series) Fast Eddie- Rick Sings (1986) … Fast Eddie
1985 Pink Nights Danny
1985 Miami Vice (TV Series) Blue Wacko - The Prodigal Son (1985) … Blue Wacko
1983 Risky Business Chuck (as Kevin C. Anderson)
1980 Growing Up Young (Short) Tom
J. SPENCER GREENE
Viking Class of '74
The Ugly Duckling, Sight Unseen
Recipient "Jeff Award" in Chicago
Jeff at the filming of 5-25-77 in front of the Genesee Theatre with Jim Neal, founding Director of Viking Drama.
J. SPENCER GREENE is an Artistic Director of Theatre Nebula, which produces plays bringing college and high school students together with professional theatre artists, as well as offering paid on-the-job theatre arts internships and college scholarships for those pursuing theatre arts.
At Famous Door, Jeff directed, produced, and designed Hellcab, which ran in Chicago for 10 years. He has produced over a dozen shows at FDT including the long-running hits Early & Often, and GHETTO(Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production.) He also produced the long-running and award-winning hitBeautiful Thing, which moved to Off-Broadway in New York, The Living, (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production), and the Joseph Jefferson Award nominated A Yard of Sun.
Jeff was the Associate Designer/Technical Director for German designer Dirk Thielec from the Thalia Theatre in Hamburg for FDT´s Mann ist Mann.
Over the years, he has designed many shows for Caught In the Act and Second Suburb Players at the Palatine Park District. Jeff has directed over 70 plays in his career. Jeff is a graduate of Illinois State University Theatre Department, and has directed educational theatre for over 27 years. He would like to thank his family, friends, and loyal students for their love and support.
DAWN FERRY
Viking Class of '75
The Devil and Daniel Webster
Dawn has often returned to share her extensive knowledge of movie production with Viking students.
Dawn's career is extensive. Starting with graduating from DePaul University and receiving Awards in lighting from the Kennedy Center and moving into Set Decoration and Production Design.Dawn is a production designer in LA with credits ranging from Disney series, Even Stevens, to Race to Space with James Woods and Sundance Film Festival Winner, Smoke Signals.
MIKE CAPLAN
Viking Class of '75
The Devil and Daniel Webster, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Mike Caplan, WLS TV in Chicago with Viking Founding Director, Mr. Neal,
Viking Alums Annie Calhoun and Emily Schultz along with the WLS News team.
Mike Caplan is the weather anchor for ABC 7 News each weekday at 4 p.m., the #1 rated newscast in its time period. He joined ABC 7 as a morning weather forecaster in 1994, and served as ABC 7's weekend weather anchor from 1995 to 2003. He also hosts ABC 7's "Perfect Pets" segment each Saturday at 6 a.m.
Previously, Caplan was the principal weathercaster at WTVD-TV, the ABC owned station in Raleigh/Durham, N.C., where he anchored the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. weathercasts as well as the 5:30 p.m. weather and news (1987-93).
Earlier in his career, Caplan was a weekend and midday weather anchor, a general assignment reporter and an evening magazine co-host for WCIA-TV in Champaign, Ill. (1984-87). While at WCIA-TV, he was one of the first reporters to be granted an individual interview with President Ronald Reagan.
Caplan gained his first broadcasting experience as a weekday and evening disc jockey at WKZN Radio in Zion, Ill. (1981).
Caplan serves on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago. He is a member of the Dodge Viper Club and enjoys photography, travel, movies and trivia.
A Chicago native, he earned a B.S. degree in Mass Communications from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. in 1984. Caplan is a native of Gurnee, Ill. and resides in the northern suburbs with his wife and son.
BRENDAN MCNAB
Viking Class of '86
Sleeping Beauty, Androcles and the Lion
A member of the Drama Club, he performed in Sleeping Beauty (The King) and Androcles and the Lion (Androcles) under the direction of James Neal, as well as other Drama club productions.
Brendan attended Warren High School and participated in Band (French Horn), Jazz Band, Choir, Folksingers, and Speech Team. Graduating in 1990, he immediately went to Millikin University, where he played Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate, Joe in Time of Your Life, The Soldier in Sunday in the Park With George, Big Daddy in Sweet Charity, Macbeth in Macbeth and Sgt. Toomey in Biloxi Blues (for which he received the Decatur Herald's Best Supporting Actor award in 1993), as well as numerous student produced shows.
After earning his Bachelors degree in Musical Theater in 1994, he then moved to Chicago where he joined the American Eagle productions touring children's theater company. They performed in Chicago area schools ranging from Kindergarten through high school. Their productions included Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Anne Frank, Godspell, 1776, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Alice in Wonderland which were done in rep.
Other productions he was involved with in Chicago include The Cradle Will Rock (Gus/doctor) and The Human Comedy (Marcus) with the Splinter Group Theater under the direction of Matt O'Brien, Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (Herr Von Gleck), Ten Minute Tuners (Ensemble) and Camilla (Ladislao) with the New Tuners theater company, Pope Joan (ensemble) which was produced by Michael Butler at the Mercury Theater and Sweeny Todd (ensemble) at the Athenaeum.
While in Myrtle Beach he performed with Steve Gatlin of the Grammy Award winning Gatlin Brothers inBig Band Swing and Celebrate America, and was a singing Herald Trumpeter in 20th Century Fox'sBlack Knight starring Martin Lawrence. Brendan moved to Boston in 2003 to pursue his Masters of Music at the Boston Conservatory. While attending he performed in The Crucible (Judge Danforth) Assassins (Proprietor), Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party (Black) and City of Angels (Stone) as well as getting the privilege to perform as a featured soloist with The Boston Pops in Bright Lights, Broadway! and Red White and Blue Pops.
Brendan remained in Boston after completing his thesis and receiving his MM in Musical Theater. He has since performed in A Grand Night for Singing (the Martin role) at the Gloucester Stage, Pal Joey(the Commissioner) at the Stoneham Theater, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Valentin) at the Speakeasy Stage in Boston, Songs for a New World - a one night benefit featuring composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown as guest conductor, Steve Martin's The Underpants (Versati) at Worcester Foothills,and 1776 (Dr. Lyman Hall) at the Lyric Stage Company in Boston. He is currently performing at the Lyric Stage Company in the New England premiere of See What I Wanna See by Michael John LaChiusa as the Janitor/Priest, and will be returning to the Speakeasy Stage to play the prosecuting attorney Dorsey in Jason Robert Brown's Parade in the spring of '07. Brendan is still happily married with a dog, living just outside of Boston in Braintree, MA.
KIM FERRY
Viking Class of '86
Emmy nominated Hair Stylist
Hollywood Guild Award Nomination
Kim's extensive television credits include Andy Barker, PI,Veronica Mars, Press Junkets, Huff, Fox Sports Updates, Cold Case, Howie Mandel Show, Last Comic Standing, The O´Keefes, ER, Star Trek Enterprise, Even Stevens, FAIL SAFE, Academy Awards, If These Walls Could Talk 2, The X-Files,Crusade, Babylon 5, 1998 EMMY NOMINATION for ACHIEVEMENT IN HAIRSTYLING FOR A SERIES,Pacific Blue, The Coming Plague.
Film Credits include, Wedding Crashers, Cruel Intentions 3, Cellular, The Cat in the Hat (HOLLYWOOD MAKEUP ARTIST AND HAIRSTYLIST GUILD AWARD NOMINATION), Bruce Almighty, The Country Bears, Bubble Boy, Rush Hour 2, Reaching Normal, The Best Man, Gods and Monsters,Last Exit to Earth,
Kim can boast to have worked with a host of the most famous Hollywood TALENT including: Gillian Anderson, Lewis Arquette, Sharif Atkins, Hank Azaria, Alec Baldwin, Adrienne Barbeau, Michael Beck, Kristen Bell, Theodore Bikel, Danny Bonaduce, Bruce Boxleitner, Bo Bridges, Brian Brown, Mindy Burbano, Steve Carell, Don Cheadle, Claudia Christian, George Clooney, Enrico Colantoni, Gary Cole, Jeff Conaway, Dan Cortese, Joshua Cox, James Cromwell, Ted Danson, Ellen DeGeneres, Dana Delaney, Brian Dennehy, Andy Dick, Brad Dourif, Richard Dreyfuss, David Duchovny, Patrick Duffy, Olympia Dukakis, Anthony Edwards, Sam Elliott, Robert England, Miguel Ferrer, Jenna Fischer, Steven Ford, Mira Furlan, Stephen Furst, Marsha Mitzman-Gavin, Melissa Gilbert, Joel Grey, Mary Gross, Michael Gross, Mark Hamill, Harry Hamlin, Alyson Hannigan, Anne Heche, Paris Hilton, Rance Howard, Laura Innes, Peter Jurasik, Andreas Katsulas, Harvey Keitel, Alex Kingston, Walter Koenig, John Krasinski, Mila Kunis, David Landers, June Lockhart, Andie MacDowell, William H. Macy, Gary Marshall, Costas Mandylor, Paul McCrane, Mary McDonnell, Ian McShane, Michael Michele, Ming-Na, Helen Mirren, Mathew Modine, Jay Mohr, Bill Mumy, Lochlyn Munro, B.J. Novak, Stuart Pankin, Mandy Patinkin, Elizabeth Pena, Lori Petty, Penn & Teller, Martha Plimpton, Victoria Principal, Lisa Rinna, Gina Rowlings, Sam Rubin, Paul Rudd, William Sanderson, Dwight Schultz, Tracy Scoggins, Ashley Scott, Kyra Sedgewick, Helen Shaver, Charlie Sheen, W. Morgan Sheppard, William Smitrovich, Douglas Spain, Jason Statham, Eric Stoltz, Sherry Stringfield, Rider Strong, Don Stroud, Russ Tamblyn, Andrea Thompson, Maura Tierney, Paula Trickey, Wilmer Valderrama, Goran Visnjic, David Warner, Rainn Wilson, James Woods, Edward Woodward, Noah Wyle, Michael York, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
KARYN BOSNAK
Viking Class of '86
Androcles and the Lion,
Karyn lives in NYC and continues her celebrity following her now famous "getting out of debt (savekaryn.com)" and her recent first novel, 20 Times a Lady.
JASON RIBANDO
Viking Class of '87,
Androcles and the Lion, Wanna Play?!
Jason has been involved in entertainment his entire life with much of the influence coming from Grease Paint and Spotlights as a youngster, and Viking Drama and Choir as a teenager. He participated in both theatre and drama at Warren and CLC during high school and went on to attend Milliken University and Northern Illinois University as a Design and Technical Theatre Major.
Jason's professional career started in 1991 at Six Flags where he began his career in Technical Direction and Special Effects. These skills have taken Jason to many locations in the US, as well as overseas working on film, television, corporate entertainment, music and theatre. Along the way he has worked for Walt Disney Entertainment and Creative Services & Jam Productions. He has been a Technical Director for a Super Bowl Halftime Show, for the Salt Lake Olympic Games and numerous special events. Jason has also taken a First National Broadway Tour across the country playing venues like the Wang Center and Radio City Music Hall. He is also a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
Currently Jason is working out of an office in the Chicago area as a Producer and Technical Director doing Corporate Events for such clients as Nintendo, Sports Authority and Under Armour. He has had the opportunity to do everything that he has wanted to professionally, with very few exceptions. He misses the daily experience in a theatre and the artistic license that often accompanies it, but is never too far away. His wife (Leah) is on staff in the wardrobe department at the Lyric Opera, so he gets to live a little through her experiences.
Jason's one comment regarding Viking Drama has always been similar. "If I could afford not to work I would teach Jr. High School students theatre. I don't know that there is any more worthwhile set of skills, principals or vision for children that can be taught through any one medium as it can be through Theatre. This age group of children can and will take away life skills from the arts. Whether they pursue them down the road in life or not, the skills and experiences will prove invaluable. Because of my experiences, much of which came through Viking Drama, I am very much looking forward to the day that I can give back a bit of what was given to me."
JEANNETTE UGOLINI
Viking Class of '87,
Androcles and the Lion, Wanna Play?!After Viking, Jeannette continued with drama at Warren...playing roles in the theatre productions and acting on the Speech Team. She then attended Millikin University for one semester where she was active in the theatre program. She then transferred second semester of my Freshman year to Northern Illinois University. Sound familiar? She always teases Jason Ribando. He basically followed in my footsteps. What can she say...she's a trend setter!
At Northern Illinois, she majored in Communications and minored in Theatre. She spent most of my time behind the scenes...costumes, crew, etc. She was pretty consumed with travelling to other Universities and performing Humorous Duet Acting and Dramatic Duet Acting through the NIU Speech Team. She was there on scholarship. She did other speaking events through her Speech Team experience but the acting events were always her passion. In fact, she went to Nationals each year...placing in the top 12.
After graduation, Jeannette worked for Dekalb High School and then Warren High School part-time as an Assistant Coach for their Speech Teams. She loved it...staying in touch with the kids and her hobby even though it was a side gig. She's been working for Hewitt Associates the last 11 years as an HR Generalist managing employee relations.
Jeanette has often thought about what her life would have been like without Viking Drama. Really the paths she chose had everything to do with the friends she made and the confidence she built during those years at Viking.
TONY CROWLEY
Viking Class of '88
Gaslight GirlTony continues teaching high school English and Theatre in Chicago.
ERICA BANICK
Viking Class of '89
Snow WhiteErica graduated from ISU with honors in the Theatre Department, married Tony ( above ) and also teaches high school English in Chicago.
ABIGAIL ADJEI-PERBERG
Viking Class of '90
AnnieAbbi has always had a love for theatre, but the "obsession" began at Viking back in 1990 with Mr.Neal in her first ever show, "Annie." She continued doing shows throughout high school at Carmel, and became very serious about the art in college at University of Illinois @ Chicago, where she also dabbled in directing, and acted in a show with Redmoon Theatre.
Since then, Abbi has been seen in numerous shows in Lake County. She is an active member of the Waukegan Community Players, and serves as the group's Membership Chair and Corresponding Secretary. She has also been in a couple of College of Lake County productions like Jesus Christ Superstar and A Raisin in the Sun.
JENNIFER ROBERTS
Viking Class of '90
AnnieJennifer spent time as the costume shop foreman at Steppenwolf and has designed costumes for four productions there. They include Fahrenheit 451, Taking Care, A Tale of Two Cities, and a mainstage production, The Cherry Orchard.
DAVID MICHAEL FRIEND
Viking Class of '90
Annie
Besides illustrating, directing, designing characters and storyboarding for television, film and print, David creates theater pieces with puppets for the older "children" of New York City. Taking the stories from conception to curtain, his puppets have seen more of the world than he has himself. Currently, David is directing and designing a puppet/animation film "Moonfishing" with Heather Henson, as well as developing two new pieces for stage.
KATIE JEEP
Viking Class of '92
The Wizard of Oz, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
Nominated for a "Jeff Award" in Chicago.
She most recently played Belle in A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre.
Other Chicago credits include: Lady Madeline with Steppenwolf Theatre, Ruthless! The Musical with Noble Fool Theatricals, Queen Lucia with Lifeline Theatre (Jeff Award nomination), the National Endowment for the Arts touring production of Romeo and Juliet with Chicago Shakespeare, Psyche andCitrus with New Theater Collective, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging with the Griffin Theatre (Jeff Award, Best Ensemble), To Kill A Mockingbird and South Pacific at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and work with Victory Gardens Theater, Emerald City Theatre, Healthworks Theatre, and New Tuners Theatre.
Look to see her play Laurie in Oklahoma! this February at American Theater Company. She also plays Robin in the upcoming independent film 5-25-77 directed by fellow Warren High School graduate, Patrick Read Johnson.
STACEY MATULIS
Viking Class of '92
The Wizard of Oz
Stacey was last seen in an episode of America's Most Wanted playing the part of a victim. She continues her acting career with enthusiasm.
SOPHIA (Petropoulos) DHALIWAL
Viking Class of '92
Annie, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Sophia acts and directs professionally in the Milwaukee area. She holds a BA in Acting and Directing from Carroll College and a theatre education teaching license from UW-Milwaukee.
Mrs. Dhaliwal also serves as the founder and Artistic Director for her company Kineta Productions, which teaches life skills to students through the exploration of process drama. In 2007 she and husband Jesse welcomed their first child! Mrs. And Mr. Dhaliwal reside in Mequon, WI.
DIANA SKVARCE
Viking Class of '92
The Wizard of Oz, Free to Be, You and Me
In our most recent contact with Diana, she continues a life in the theatre in Chicago.
ANNE TOBIN
Viking Class of '92
The Wizard of Oz, Free to Be, You and Me
Anne Tobin has been working in Hollywood since 2002. Her credits include the hit TV shows "that's SO raven", "Ghost Whisperer" and "Hannah Montana". Anne has worked as an art department assistant on the films "Lucky You", "Norbit", and "Vacancy", all to be released in 2007. Currently she is working on an Eddie Murphy comedy called "Starship Dave."
KATIE WALKER
Viking Class of '92
The Wizard of OzMs. Walker is going back to school to become a teacher. Ideally, she wants to teach English and Theatre at the high school or middle school level. She realized that her passion for theatre only existed in the educational setting. She always thrived at classtime and rehearsal. Performance was fun, but only that. She's only three classes into her teacher certification so she does have a way to go. She's attaching the first paper she had to write for class and she hopes you enjoy it.
JASON ECONOMUS
Viking Class of '95
Peter Pan, Mirth and Mayhem, Once on This Island
After two successful years directing the Viking Drama program, Jason, resumed his acting career with performances in Door County, WI during the summer of 2005 and this coming season in Milwaukee. It is an honor indeed for Viking Drama to have been graced by this very talented actor, producer and director, who also is a product of the Viking Drama tradition.
His productions of The Ubu Plays, Big, the Musical, Children of Eden and Fools will go down as some of the finest work yet by our adolescent company. Thanks for fine work, and lasting memories. Break a Leg, Mr. E!
Jason continues to thrive as an actor, educator, writer and director. For the past four years Jason has made his mark on the professional theatre scene in Milwaukee working on everything from his one man comedy show to Shakespeare, from children's theatre to theatre of the absurd.
SARAH BRANDT
Viking Class of '96
Once on This Island, Annie Warbucks
Sarah just started her second semester of teaching at Warren High School.- She can't believe it. She teaches English and theatre. It is such a blessing to be able to teach the theatre classes because she knows how rare these positions are. She last directed Warren's production of Once on This Island. Sarah hopes to be taking over the program next Fall and is excited about the prospect of doing some AMAZING theatre in Gurnee :). Her dreams are high! She will be completing her Master's by June (fingers-crossed) in education. She would love to continue her education for a second Master's in theatre direction at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Maybe--one day.
CHRISTINE RYNDAK
Viking Class of '96
Once on this Island, Mirth and Mayhem, Crying Out, Annie Warbucks
Christine Ryndak was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois until moving to Gurnee with her family. After a great start in Viking Drama in 6th, 7th and 8th grades, she went on to receive training from Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Broadway Dance Center and Michael Howard Studios in New York City. In Pittsburgh, she has worked professionally with The Public Theatre, City Theatre, and Quantum Theatre. In New York she has worked with Impact Theatre, Confluence Theatre Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, and as a Guest Artist at the Manhattan Theatre Club. She is a founding member of The Gravity Project, an ensemble-based theatre group that recently created an original company piece, Nine Gates, based on the poetry of Jane Hirshfield. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her sister Sarah and is busy filming the independent feature film Apology. Christine is a member of Actors Equity.
SARAH RYNDAK
Viking Class of '96
Crying Out
Sarah Ryndak graduated Viking Middle School in 1996 and now lives is Brooklyn, New York, where she works in Arts Education at Manhattan Theatre Club, a not-for-profit Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre. Sarah assists in education initiatives that integrate theatre in New York and New Jersey high schools, as well as Island Academy, an alternative high school working in cooperation with the New York City Department of Correction. Sarah is also the coordinator of TheatreLink, a distance-learning project that connects high schools all over the world to create and study theatre together. Sarah attributes her career and her success in New York to the immeasurable education she received during her years with Mr. Neal in the Viking Drama Program and is humbled to extend the life lessons learned under Mr. Neal to others.
JOE GOODMAN
Viking Class of '97
Once on this Island, Mirth and Mayhem, Crying Out, Annie Warbucks, Our Town, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream CoatJoe lives in Los Angeles. His style of rap will catch on any time now.
ANNIE CALHOUN
Viking Class of '97
Annie Warbucks, Our Town, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Annie Calhoun, who was seen on the Viking stage as Mrs. Doyle in ,Annie Warbucks '96, Emily in Our Town '96, and Levi in Joseph '97, graduated in 2005 with a degree in Theatre and English Education from Taylor University.
Favorite roles at Taylor include Aunt Abby in Arsenic and Old Lace, Nora in A Doll's House, Lenya inFools, and Margrethe in Copenhagen.
In spring 2006 she directed her first musical, School House Rock Live! with a great group of 5th and 6th graders who achieved empowerment through the art of theatre (and of course sang Mrs. Walters Viking Musical song at the end of their production).
She was accepted to DePaul University's Theatre School in Chicago for her MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) in Acting and began this exciting new adventure fall 2006!
MEGAN MCCARTHY
Viking Class of '97
Annie Warbucks, Our Town, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatMegan is a Senior at Marquette University in Milwaukee and will be returning this week from London, after studying a semester of Theatre Studios.
TALI RONEN
Viking Class of '98
School House Rock, Live!Tali appeared in the hit film Mono Lisa Smile featuring Julia Roberts. She has taken a year off from Wellsley.
CHRIS WEIR
Viking Class of '00
Sight Unseen, School House Rock,Live!, The Hobbit, Middle School TheatreFest '99, Godspell, 1940's Radio Hour, Bye, Bye, BirdieChris went to the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where he is studying lighting design and technical direction.Since leaving high school in 2004 Chris' has designed four mainstage shows at Augustana College in Rock Island. Illinois and has worked on three mainstage productions at the University of Cincinnati.
Chris has returned as a Six Flags Great America's master electrician and assistant lighting designer in 2007. Other work includes Frost Lighting in Chicago, Drury Lane Oak Brooke, and side work at Alpine Valley Music Theater in WI. He will be graduating in winter 2008 and has no idea where he will go from there!
DAWN STANKUS
Viking Class of '00
Sight Unseen, School House Rock,Live!, The Hobbit, Godspell, 1940's Radio Hour, Bye, Bye, Birdie
Dawn in front of the Colosseum in Rome.Dawn Stankus is currently a junior at Miami University in Oxford, OH. She is an English Literature major, with minors in both Theatre and Naval Science. Dawn is actively involved with the Navy ROTC program at Miami University and will be commissioned as a Naval Officer in May 2008. She hopes to eventually become a Public Affairs Officer in the Navy.
Despite her aspiring naval career, however long it may be, Dawn continues to sing and act in college. Performance is a huge passion in her life and she refuses to give up something that has thrived within her since her first performance on the Viking Stage in 6th grade Sight Unseen. After the Navy, Dawn hopes to become an English/Theatre teacher, and then possibly a professor.
Even though this is just the beginning of Dawn´s life, she cannot begin to express how thankful she is for what Viking Theatre has done for her. Dawn believes that the teamwork and dedication required of all students involved in a Viking show, exceeds that of any other extracurricular activity offered in middle school. Being introduced to theatre in 6th grade gave Dawn the opportunity to grow, not only in maturity, but in self-confidence as well. The friendships and memories made during her time with Viking Theatre will never be replaced, because there truly is "no greater feeling in the world" than what this organization does for an adolescent's soul.
KELSEY GRIFFIN
Viking Class of '01
1940's Radio Hour, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Pippin
Kelcy Griffin graduated from Viking in 2001. From there she would attend the Chicago Academy for the Arts majoring in Musical Theatre. At the academy she was a part of numerous musicals from A Chorus Line to Little Shop of Horrors. Graduating from the Academy, Kelcy continues her performance career at the University of Michigan majoring in their Musical Theatre Program. She is continuing her dreams as a performer, and plans to let nothing get in her way! She is very grateful to the Viking Drama Program and Mr. Neal for her success!
ASHLEY RODBRO
Viking Class of '01
The Hobbit, Godspell, 1940's Radio Hour, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Christmas Carol, PippinAshley continues her theatre studies at Yale University. She is excited about all the opportunities open to her there.
LINDSAY BINKLEY
Viking Class of '01
PippenLindsay contiues her theatre studies at Millikin University. She has been hired as a backstage worker for the major shows.
MATT KAUFMANN
Viking Class of '02
Bye Bye Birdie, PippenMatt graduated from Warren Township in 2006 and is currently attending Michigan State University with a double major in Advertising and Theatre. In his first semester at school, Matt received the role of Tom Lee in Robert Anderson's Tea and Sympathy which won him an Irene Ryan Acting Nomination from the American College Theatre Festival. Matt is currently working on the mainstage musical She Loves Meand is strategically planning a way to add more sleep into his schedule.