Current Season 2011-12

Dana Black (Jess) is thrilled to be working with Kimberly Senior and Next Theatre for the first time. Theatre credits include The Count of Monte Cristo (Lifeline), The Chicago Landmark Project (Theatre Seven), Wreckage (Caffeine Theatre directed by Joanie Schultz), Bordello (Chicago Dramatists), Dental Society Midwinter Meeting (At Play Productions/Chicago Dramatists), Baal (TUTA), Wild Nights with Emily (Caffeine Theatre), Two by Pinter: The Lover and the Collection (Piven Theatre directed by Joyce Piven), Pangs of the Messiah (Silk Road Theatre), The Permanent Way (New Leaf Theatre) and This Happy Breed (Timeline).  Dana has understudied at Steppenwolf, The Goodman and Victory Gardens and is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and an Artistic Associate with Caffeine Theatre.  During the day, Dana proudly works as the Assistant to the Executive Director of the Goodman Theatre.  Love to Baude.

Marvin Quijada (Miguel) is a Chicago native and would like to thank Next Theater for this opportunity. He was last seen in Teatro Vista's production of Mommas Boyz. Marvin has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass, Silent Theater, Urban Theater, Goodman, Silk Road Rising, Steppenwolf, and Teatro Vista, where he is an ensemble member. He is also an ensemble member with Silent Theater and can be seen doing clown/mime work in their monthly variety show, The Wild Party Variety Hour. As an educator, Marvin has assisted in physical theater workshops with Silent Theater all around the country, including: Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Iowa. In Chicago, Marvin has worked all over the city visiting schools with Chicago Dramatists' Young Playwrights Program.

Phil Ridarelli (Leo) is a native of Chicago and attended The Theatre School at DePaul University. He's appeared on many stages in Chicago including American Theatre Company (Yeast Nation), Lookingglass (Philosophy of the World), Collaboraction (The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite), Victory Gardens (Battle of the Bands) and Northlight, where he appeared in the World Premiere of Lonely Planet directed by the playwright Steven Dietz. He has been an ensemble member with The Neo-Futurists since soon after their late-night hit Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind opened in 1989. Regionally, Phil has appeared at Madison Rep (All in the Timing/The Mystery of Irma Vep); Internationally, with Vienna's English Theatre (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?). Feature film and television appearances include The Playboy Club, Contagion, Chicago Code, Detroit 187, Meet the Browns, Mr. 3000 and Road to Perdition (and cut out of just as many). Despite these credits, his proudest accomplishments to date are his two sons. 

Fredric Stone (Morty) is thrilled to make his debut at NextTheatre. He has worked at most of the Chicagoland theatres, including Steppenwolf, the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare (many times), Writer’s Theatre, Northlight, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Silk Road Rising, among others.  Regionally, he has worked at The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Madison Repertory, Arkansas Repertory, New American Theatre, Boarshead, and others. In New York, he appeared on Broadway and toured in All Over Town and toured with Zero Mostel in A Funny Thing Happened….He recently played Pandarus in Troilus and Cressida for The Shakespeare Project of Chicago, for which he performs quite regularly.  In addition, he taught a Performing Shakespeare class for many years at the Victory Gardens Training Center and coaches actors privately in audition preparation.

This marks Christine Stulik's (Emma) debut performance with Next Theatre, and she couldn't be more honored. She was last seen in Sean Graney's adaptation of Pirates of Penzance with the Hypocrites, which will be playing in Boston this summer as part of the Emerging America Festival at ART. Other Chicago credits include Blithe Spirit  with Oak Park Festival, The Dining Room with New Leaf Theatre and Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief with The Mill. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and The School at Steppenwolf, and a recipient of a 2011 Illinois Arts Council Grant and a 2010 and 2011 CAAP Grant for Individual Artists.

Kimberly Senior is pleased to return to Next, where she is an Artistic Associate.  Previous Next credits: Madagascar, The Overwhelming and The Busy World is Hushed.  Chicago credits include: Disgraced (American Theater Company), Want, The North Plan (Steppenwolf), Waiting for Lefty (American Blues), Old Times, The Conquest of the South Pole, Uncle Vanya, Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, Fuddy Meers, and Knives in Hens (Strawdog), Bug and The Pillowman (Redtwist Theatre), Thieves Like Us (The House Theatre), All My Sons and Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre) among others.  Regional: A Few Good Men (Peninsula Players), Mauritius (Theatre Squared, Fayetteville, AR). Upcoming: The Letters (Writers Theatre), Murder on the Nile (Peninsula Players) and Creditors (Remy Bumppo).  Kimberly lives in Evanston with scenic designer Jack Magaw and her children, Noah and Delaney.
 www.kimberlysenior.net

Amy Herzog's (Playwright) plays include After the Revolution (Williamstown, Playwrights Horizons; John Gassner Award Nomination), The Wendy Play (ACT, San Francisco), Hungry (Ensemble Studio Theater) and Belleville (upcoming, Steppenwolf). She has had readings/workshops at Steppenwolf, Manhattan Theater Club, New York Stage and Film, Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and Soho Rep, among others. She holds commissions from the Yale Rep, Steppenwolf, Ars Nova, and Playwrights Horizons and is an alumna of Youngblood, Play Group, and the SoHo Rep Writer/Director Lab.  She is a Helen Merrill Award recipient, a former Playwrights' Realm Fellow, and was the 2010 Playwright in Residence at Ars Nova. She teaches Playwriting at Bryn Mawr. MFA: Yale School of Drama.