Staff Directory

Professional Staff

Heidi Coleman, Director

Director of Undergraduate Studies for TAPS
Senior Lecturer, HCD
Location: Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th Street
Email: coleman@uchicago.edu
Phone: (312) 607.7487

Heidi Coleman, Director of University Theater, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Theater and Performance Studies has worked professionally as a director and dramaturg in New York City, San Francisco as well as Chicago. She has collaborated with Anne Bogart, Andrei Serban, Tina Landau, Frank Galati, and Tony Kushner; taught within Columbia University’s Theater MFA and English departments, and has most recently participated in Steppenwolf’s First Look Series. She has curated UT’s New Work Week, co-curated The University of Chicago Presidential Fellows in the Arts Program, and initiated UT’s summer arts residency program, Summer Inc, as well as the TAPS Commissioning Project. Her work focuses on the integration of theory and practice, in both artistic and programmatic arenas.

Jessica Kuehnau Wardell, Director of Design

Lecturer, HCD
Location: Room 224 Logan Center, 915 East 60th Street
Email: jkwardell@uchicago.edu
Phone: (312) 607-7382

Jessica Kuehnau Wardell is a freelance Scenic and Costume Designer in Chicago. Her Chicago credits include Rivendell Theatre (Jeff recommended These Shining Lives), Griffin Theate (Jeff recommended Company, Journey’s End), Steep Theatre, A Red Orchid, The Building Stage, Pegasus Players, Lifeline Theatre, Circle Theatre and Metropolis Performing Arts Center. Jessica is a founding ensemble member of Adventure Stage Chicago and Backstage Theatre Company and artistic associate with MPAACT. She earned her MFA from Northwestern University in 2007, and is currently the Director of Design at University of Chicago. Her online portfolio is at jesskdesign.com.

Corrie Besse, Managing Director/Academic Coordinator

Location: Room 219 Logan Center, 915 East 60th St
Email: cbesse@uchicago.edu
Telephone: (773) 702-9315
Hours: M-F 10-6p

Corrie Besse originates from Nebraska and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts and Communication Studies from Central College, Pella, IA. She has been working in the Production and Arts Administration fields in Chicago for the last 10 years. Most recently she was the Finance Director and Production Manager at Redmoon Theater. She has been fortunate to work with Roosevelt University, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Hypocrites, Shattered Globe, Seananchai, Chicago Dance Crash, Mary –Arrchie, Famous Door, Chicago Humanities Festival, Barrel of Monkeys, PineBox, and the Gate Theatre, London.

Laura Ashlock-Production Manager

Location: Room 223 Logan Center, 915 East 60th St
Email: lashlock@uchicago.edu
Telephone: (773) 612.2617

Laura has been professionally Stage Managing and Production Managing for the past 10 years. She comes to University Theatre from Emerald City Theatre Company where she served as the Production Manager overseeing all of the mainstage and touring productions. Laura has also worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company as the Production Management Apprentice and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre as the Production Management Intern. Her Stage Management Highlights include being the Resident Stage Manager at the Dorset Theater Festival in Vermont, Stage Manager for the Human Festival in Chicago as well as numerous New Plays and World Premieres. Laura holds a BFA in Stage Management from The Theatre School-De Paul University.

Ben Caracello- Technical Director

Location: Scene Shop, Logan Center, 915 East 60th St
Email: benc@uchicago.edu
Telephone: (773) 612-2619

Ben Carcello worked for two years as Technical Director at Presbyterian College. He has also worked as a carpenter for Lookingglass Theatre Company and Chicago Shakepeare Theater. He has a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Design and Production from Illinois State University.

Nathan R. Rohrer- Costume Shop Manager

Location: Room 032, Logan Center, 915 E 60th St
Email: nrohrer@uchicago.edu
Shop hours: M 2-5 * T 2-5 * Th 1-6:60 * F 1-6:30 * CLSD: W, Sa, Su

With over 100 productions to his name, Nathan R. Rohrer has been a successful theatrical costume designer in Chicago since 2007, where his costume designs have been seen in theatre and dance productions citywide. He has worked with numerous Chicago dance companies, having designed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Chicago Dance, Thodos Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Productions, and many others. Nathan has also designed for such theatre companies as Lifeline Theatre, Griffin Theatre, City Lit Theatre, and Emerald City Theatre, and has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Marriott-Lincolnshire Theatre, Northwestern University, and countless other performing arts entities nationwide. His picturesque costume renderings have been exhibited and sold in art galleries, and have been featured in Time Out Chicago. In addition to working as a Freelance costume designer, Nathan is currently costume designer-in-residence at both Thodos Dance Chicago and Chicago Repertory Ballet, where he is a founding member. Nathan received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

Jenny Pinson- Properties Manager

Location: Room 064, Logan Center, 915 E 60th St
Email: jpinson@uchicago.edu
Hours: MTRF 11-4p

Jenny Pinson has been a freelance Properties Designer in Chicago since her graduation in 2006 from The Theatre School of DePaul University where she received her BFA in Theatre Technology. She's had the opportunity to work with a variety of theatre companies in the Chicagoland area including, Theater Wit, Redtwist Theatre, Oakton Community College, Route 66 Theatre Company, TUTA, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Emerald City Theatre Company to name a few.

Matthew Gawryk- Electrics Supervisor

Location: Logan Center Room 218
Email: mgawryk@uchicago.edu
Hours: by appointment

Matthew Gawryk works primarily as a lighting designer here in Chicago, but has worn many hats while producing theater, dance, and music. The Theater School at DePaul University graduated him in 2004 with a BFA in Lighting Design. His work has been seen at A Red Orchid, Mary-Arrchie, Piven, Second City, Lookingglass, and many other theaters. He has toured domestically and internationally with Hubbard Street Dance and hit the road for a while with the gypsy/punk/marching band Mucca Pazza. A variety of theatrical outreach programs and summer camps have given him children to instruct in stage design, including the Chicago High School for the Arts during the 2010-2011 school year. He is a co-recipient of an After Dark Award, and a Jeff Award Nominee.

Nicholas J. Carroll -TAPS North Theater Manager

Locations: Room 216 Logan Center, 915 E 60th St and FXK Theater, Reynolds Club, 5706 S University Ave
Email: carrolln@uchicago.edu
Telephone: (773) 251-9788
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2-4PM & by appointment, Room 216 Logan Center

Nicholas J. Carroll has been a filmmaker and theater artist for over 15 years. As Director of Films at The New Colony (TNC), Nick has directed two short films: So Many Days and the documentary Script Comes Last, an examination of The New Colony Process for creating new works of film, theater, music, and more. As a lighting designer, his highlights include TNC's 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse, Troupe and Tempest with Actor's Gymnasium, and Hank Williams: Lost Highway with Filament Theatre Ensemble. He has had the pleasure of working with Bailiwick Chicago, Mercury Theater, Writers' Theatre, Blue Man Group Chicago, Lookingglass Theatre, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Dunkirk Studios, and Refractory Films in a variety of roles.

Student staff are paid positions assisting UT/TAPS Pro-staff in running our programs. They will work closely with you on your productions and should be your first resource for many of your needs.

2012-2013 Student Staff

Student staff are paid positions assisting UT/TAPS Pro-staff in running our programs. They will work closely with you on your productions and should be your first resource for many of your needs.