What's Next Lab

Justin D.M. Palmer (Playwright)

Returns to Next Theatre where he co-wrote War With The Newts with Jason Loewith in 2010, and has been an Artistic Associate since 2002. His plays have been presented at American Theatre Company, Theatre Seven, and with his own theatre company, Sandbox Theatre Project. Justin is the Head Writer/Creator for the television comedy series Bad Sides and the web comedy Lemons. His co-written feature film debut Nate & Margaret shoots in Chicago this May. He has a MFA from The School of the Art Institute Chicago and a dog named Chuck.

Krissy Vanderwarker (Director )

Is proud to make her Next Theatre debut directing As Fat As You Can.  She is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Dog & Pony Theatre. Directing credits include: Bethany (First Look Festival/Steppenwolf) CLEAR (About Face), What Once We Felt (About Face) and As Much As You Can (Hendel Productions West at LA's Celebration Theater).  For D&P: God’s Ear, As Told by the Vivian Girls, Mr. Marmalade, Ape, Osama the Hero, Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake) and As Much As You Can. Currently, she is in the process of procuring her MFA at DePaul University.

THE CAST:

 Derek Gaspar (Franklin Jefferson)

Makes his Next Theatre debut. Some other Chicago theatres that he has had the pleasure to work with include: Timeline, Trap Door, Greasy Joan & Co. and Uma. He is currently an MFA acting candidate at The Theatre School, DePaul University and will graduate this spring!

Andy Hager (George Worth)

Is glad to be making his Next Theatre debut.  He has performed with City Lit, ATC, Goodman, Famous Door, Piven, side project, Thunder & Lightning (After Dark for Performance in Red Light Winter), New Leaf, European Rep, Trap Door, Mary-Arrchie, and Theo Ubique.  Andy is also a company member of TUTA Theatre and has appeared in several of their productions including Uncle Vanya and The Wedding.

Teeny Lamothe, (Martha Wells)

Originally from Littleton, Colorado, is elated to be part of this Next adventure.  As Fat as You Can is in fact, her Next debut.  Other Chicago credits include Dog and Pony's As Told by the Vivian Girls, God’s Ear, and The Twins Would Like to Say.  She is also an active participant in the Northlight Interplay Reading Series, most likely because she’s great at reading out loud. Other theatres she's been seen around include Northlight, Collaboraction, and the Underground.

Andy Luther (Boss/Senator)

Marks Andy’s debut performance with NEXT. He is currently playing the role of Cubby in Heddatron at the Steppenwolf Garage Rep series .  Has worked previously in Theories of the Sun for Side-show Theatre Co. Provision Theatre’s production of The Hiding Place, Rhymes With Evil for InFusion Theatre Company, Lt. of Inishmore for Northlight Theatre, and EP Theater’s production of Mr. Paradise. Andy received a Certificate of acting in the Meisner Technique from the The Acting Studio, Inc. New York City. He also holds a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University and an M.F.A. in Acting from Illinois State University.

Shawn Pfautsch (Benjamin Thomas)

Is making his Next Theater debut. He is an actor, playwright and musician and a graduate of Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts. Shawn is a company member of The House Theatre of Chicago where he has performed in over a dozen plays during its ten year history (most recently as Chicamaw in Thieves Like Us) and written two: Hatfield & McCoy and The Attempters. His other stage credits include: Steppenwolf (Theatrical Essays), Dallas Theater Center (South Pacific), The Hypocrites (Pirates of Penzance), and Lakeside Shakespeare (Henry V, Loves Labors Lost, As You Like It, and King Lear).

Rawson Vint (Security Guard, Ensemble)-

Is a graduate in acting at The Theatre School of DePaul University.  He was last seen in the Neo-Futurist’s production of ‘Fear’, also appeared as ‘Buddy’ in Provision Theatre’s adaptation of Truman Capote’s ‘A Christmas Memory’ and has been touring with the Griffin Theatre Company’s production of ‘The Stinky Cheese Man’.