ANDREA J. DYMOND (DIRECTOR)
Andrea J. Dymond is ecstatic to be returning for her third Fringe Festival! Her first Fringe was in 2017, directing Joe Janes’ satire, Our Christian Nation. Her second was in 2019, directing The Best Theatrical Event…EVER!, which was written by Joe, Ric and Lori, three of the cast members of this show. A Chicago-based freelance director, specializing in developing and directing new work; Andrea was Resident Director at Victory Gardens Theater, where she directed 11 productions, including 7 world premieres, and helped to develop and launch The Ignition Festival of New Plays. She also does research and production dramaturgy, directs at new works festivals; and has served as thesis play advisor for MFA playwrights at Carnegie Mellon University; and, as a director at NNPN’s MFA Playwrights Workshops, at the Kennedy Center. Andrea teaches at Columbia College Chicago, where her courses have included directing, collaboration, text analysis, acting and new play development. Her dog, Zephyr, is one of her favorite people. Unfortunately, his passport never arrived, so he got written out of the show.
Joe Janes (playwright, Porter, hector, banquo, Masseur, jc)
Joe Janes is a Chicago playwright, actor, and teacher. He teaches in the comedy program at Columbia College Chicago and in the writing and the improv programs at The Second City Training Center. Joe is best known for his projects 365 Sketches, 50 Plays, and Seven Deadly Plays as well as his full-length works, Our Christian Nation, Metaluna & The Amazing Science of the Mind Revue, and The Greatest Theatrical Event…EVER! He writes a weekly satirical column for LiterateApe.com called The Minutes of Our Last Meeting. You can find out more about him at www.joejanes.net.
Website: www.joejanes.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MinutesOfOurLastMeeting
Instagram: joejanes1065
Twitter: @joejanes1065
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/mt5xn6x2
Other: https://newplayexchange.org/users/6051/joe-janes
LORI MCCLAIN (Banquo, Witch, Lieutenant, Beauty, Tami)
Lori McClain has been an actor, singer, improviser, voice-over narrator, and teacher in Chicago for the past 30+ years.
As an actor for The Second City, she toured the world performing sketch comedy and improv including a USO Tour to Iraq and Kuwait in 2004, and she starred in Second City Theatricals productions, “Rod Blagojevich, Superstar!” (Patty Blagojevich) and “The Real-ish Housewives” (Baroness Ravonka).
For 16 years, she was the drama and improv artist-in-residence for the University of Chicago Lab School’s, “Summer Lab on Stage” program, and has educated, directed, and coached both children and adults for several decades. She is a professional jazz vocalist as well, with “The Lori McClain Trio.”
She co-created a musical improvisation curriculum that was a featured master class for the Chicago Improv Festival, and she can be heard narrating several audiobooks for Audible.com and ShortForm. She has appeared in countless stage productions, dozens of television commercials (Lyrica, KFC), and in TV dramas, Chicago Med, and 61st Street.
Through her work with The Riot-Act, On-Cue, Business Improv, The Revival, Human Edge Resources and most notably, Second City Works, she has facilitated hundreds of workshops, utilizing the fundamentals of theatrical improvisation to help clients enhance workplace communication, team building, leadership, and presentation skills.
She is a proud member of SAG-Aftra, Actor's Equity, and Sirens, the longest-running all-female improv troupe in the US.
RIC WALKER (MACBETH)
Performer | Director | Teacher | Writer
With great excitement, Ric returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for a second time, ready to immerse himself in the festival's vibrant atmosphere and seek new wellsprings of inspiration.
With an impressive career spanning both stage and camera, Ric has left his mark on renowned venues such as The Goodman in Chicago, the Alliance in Atlanta, and The Second City Chicago, to name just a few. His international experience includes captivating audiences as an emcee and corporate spokesman for Fortune 500 companies. On the small screen, viewers have enjoyed his appearances on popular shows like Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, as well as his notable season on Fox TV's APB. Furthermore, Ric proudly serves as an ensemble member and director of the award-winning Improvised Shakespeare Company in Chicago.
In addition to his performance work, Ric Walker holds the esteemed position of Professor in the Comedy Writing and Performance department at Columbia College Chicago, where he contributes to shaping the next generation of comedic talent. He is deeply connected to Chicago's storytelling community, actively participating and engaging in its rich creative tapestry.
Prepare to be captivated by Ric Walker's undeniable talent and infectious energy as he brings his unique blend of artistry to the stage. Join him at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for an unforgettable experience that will leave you inspired and entertained.
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WENDI WEBER (LADY MACBETH, WITCHES 2 & 3, KING DUNCAN)
Wendi is a Chicago based actor, director and teacher.
World premieres: Brett Neveu’s 4 Murders (A Red Orchid), Lisa Dillman’s My Yeti Dreams (Collaboraction), Tina Fey’s 15 Minutes in the Age of Reason (Chicago Dramatists), James Sherman’s Relatively Close (Victory Gardens), Keith Huff’s Prosperity (Riverside), Improvanov (Free Associates) and Naomi Wallace & Bruce McLeod’s The Girl Who Fell Through A Hole In Her Sweater (University of Iowa). Other US productions include: The Audience (Timeline), Ten Chimneys (Milwaukee Rep), YeastNation (American Theatre Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Court), Macbeth (Footsteps), Measure for Measure (Riverside Shakespeare Festival), and Stars in the Morning Sky (European Rep).
On-Camera credits include Captive State (Participant Media), Sirens (USA), Utopia (Amazon Studios), Chicago Med (NBC), The Big Leap (FOX/20th Century), The Shining Girls (Apple+), 61st ST (AMC/BBC).
A proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA, she is represented by Grossman Jack Talent. She is equally proud to teach in the theatre department at Columbia College Chicago where she has twice received the Excellence in Teaching Award. She is ecstatic to be joining this group of exceptional human beings and creatives.
DAVID WOOLLEY (FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER, RAPSCALLION)
David Woolley, AEA, SDC, SAG/AFTRA, SAFD, is a free-lance fight director with over 400 productions staged over the past 40 years in Chicago with side trips to New York, LA, London and Dublin. He is a Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors; a Professor of Instruction at Columbia College of Chicago teaching stage combat and overseeing the violence in the theater department as well as the stage combat minor; and, performs as Guido Crescendo in Dirk and Guido: the Swordsmen! – a Swashbuckling Comedy/Swordfighting duo - now in their 32nd season at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha,Wisconsin!
Award winning fights include: Playboy of the Western World, Raven Theater (Jeff Award for Best Fight Direction, 2014); Superior Donuts, Mary Arrchie Theatre Company (Joseph Jefferson nomination for best fight direction 2012); the Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Teatro Vista at Victory Gardens (Jeff Award for Best Fight Direction, 2010); Norma and Wanda, the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Mich, (Oakland Press Award for Best Choreography 2005); Les Liasons Dangereuse, Interplay Theatre, (Off-Loop Theatre Award for Best Fight Direction 1991). For his body of work in 1988, he was awarded a Special Joseph Jefferson Award for Consistent Excellence in Stage Combat Choreography, (14 productions including all the nominated best productions). Favorite past staging includes: the world premiere of Edmond, Goodman Theater and Provincetown Playhouse, NYC; Pyrates!, Defiant Theatre; Three Musketeers, Emanon Theater company; ten years as resident fight director for the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and three years of Dungeonmaster: the Ultimate Role-Playing Fantasy Trip for Moose Productions- a LARP before its time!