ABOUT
We make theatre outside of institutions and smuggle it around the world.
Bootleggers for Hath Taken Away: Carbondale, IL Nov 16 - 20, 2016
Greg Aldrich, Director
Greg Aldrich is a philosophical, poetic playwright and director whose spirit emerged from the icy, winter dark-nights-of-the-soul found in the Alaskan desert. Award-winning plays include The Blue Hotel(Winner, City Lit Theater Company’s Second Annual Art of Adaptation Festival) and In the Octopus’s Garden (Audience Choice Award, Rhythm Section’s MixTape 2010). His full-length play Epulosia was a semi-finalist for the Princess Grace in 2010. Other produced and developed plays include Beheading Vampire Puppies, Schrödinger’s Brother, The Attack of the Ladybugs,Typing Lear, The Body Snatcher, Looking Long Into the Abyss, and The Principle of the Thing. Greg received his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University.
Jacob Juntunen, Playwright
Jacob heads the Playwriting MFA at SIU (Southern Illinois University). His play Hath Taken Away (O’Neill Conference Semi-Finalist; Source Festival Finalist) was read at the Last Frontier Conference, Chicago Dramatists, and Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum. His play In the Shadow of his Language (Kendeda Finalist; O’Neill Conference Semi-Finalist; Princess Grace Semi-Finalist) was read at Chicago Dramatists, the Alliance Theatre, and Playwrights Horizons. Other plays include Joan’s Laughter, Under America, and Saddam’s Lions (published in Plays for Two). Jacob’s play See Him? was in the Belarusian Dream Theater: eighteen theaters in thirteen countries producing plays to raise awareness about human rights violations in Belarus.
Kristin Doty, Actor
Kristin Doty is a junior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Her favorite roles include Morticia in SIU’s The Addams Family, Bev and Kathy in SIU’s Clybourne Park, Jane in Tarzan, and The Witch in Into the Woods. Professional credits include Little Sally in Urinetown at Red Barn Summer Theatre and Gabriella inBoeing Boeing at Pioneer Playhouse. Kristin would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support.
Mike Terrana, Actor
Mike Terrana is a full-time junior BFA at SIUC. His most recent stage credits include Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show by Skyline Creek Productions, Storyteller in FIERCE Musical Theatre's Once on This Island, and Robert in SIU's Beyond the Horizon. When not on stage, Mike devotes his time to reading poetry, studying, and attempting to cook with his girlfriend, Sarafina.
Abigail Warhus, Actor
Abigail Warhus is an actor, director, and activist studying at Southern Illinois University. Favorite roles include: Desdemona (Othello), Violinist (Lively Stones), and Ensemble Member in The Romeo and Juliet Project at Northwestern University. Directorial credits include: Caridad Svich’s After as part of After Orlando, an international theatre action, and Valerie Smith’s Breaking the Chain. Abigail lives in Carbondale, where she hikes and plays Shostakovich on the violin.
M.K. Hughes, Set Designor
Is currently living and working in Pittsburgh at Point Park University as a Scenic Artist. She has previously worked at the Black Hills Playhouse in South Dakota as Scenic Charge and as a Set Designer for two productions for Kansas State University earlier this spring (The Consul & As You like It). She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Master’s in Theater (Set Design). Her work may be found on her website: www.mkhughes.com.
Da'Veon Burtin, Costumes
Da'Veon Cori'A Burtin is a senior at SIU. He worked as a Stitcher wardrobe runner for McLeod Summer Playhouse and as a wardrobe runner for the national tours of Anything Goes and Bullets Over Broadway. He designed "GodSpell" and "Once on this Island" for Fierce: Musical Theater. He thanks his friends, family, and professors for the constant support! He wants to thank Jacob Juntunen and Greg Aldrich for having constant belief in his skills and for believing he can help them create a beautiful story!
Patrick Burke,
Stage Manager
Patrick Burke is pursuing a BA in theatre at Southern Illinois University and is a transfer theater student from Rend Lake College where he worked on five productions during his time there. He would like to thank all his family and friends for the support.
Brooke Oheme, Dramaturg
Brooke Oehme is a third-year doctoral student studying Dramaturgy at SIU, and she specializes in explaining the term “dramaturgy” to people. She has her MFA in Theology and most of her plays deal with issues of religion, spirituality, and feminism. For the past couple years, she has worked with numerous playwrights on developing new plays. This has provided a great opportunity to find a thousand ways to ask playwrights, production teams, and actors the question “why?”
Rita Medina, Marketing Director
Rita Medina has played many parts in the theatre world, but mostly she likes to make things pretty. Rita has her BA in Theatre and MBA in Business Management. She's performed professionally in the Twin Cities and New Jersey, but has dabbled in stage management and even directing.
Chloee Leos, Box Office
Chloee is a third year undergrad in the Department of Theater at SIU. With her focus in acting, she loves being a part of theatre in any and all capacities. She is more than happy to be managing the box office for Contraband Theatre's 1st production of all time: Hath Taken Away! Chloee is super grateful to be part of such a wonderful group of people, doing wonderful theatre!