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Meet The Creative Team of

GUYS AND DOLLS

DAN KNECHTGES

ROBERTA DUCHAK

CHRIS SARGENT

ANGIE WEBER MILLER

LEON DOBKOWSKI

LEE FISKNESS

RAY NARDELLI

CASSY SCHILLO

EMILY SANTIAGO

ANSLEY HUGHES

FELICIA FINLEY

LARRY BAKER

CASIE MORELL

BIOGRAPHY

DAN KNECHTGES  (Director) is a Tony-nominated director and choreographer who is the Artistic Director at Theatre Under The Stars since 2017.  TUTS is where most recently directed the 2023 production of Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece, Sweeney Todd and wrote and directed the world premiere of The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical. Over the course of 6 years, Dan has won several Houston Press Awards for Best Season, Best Musical and Best Choreography.

Dan’s many credits include Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Direction & Choreography), Xanadu (directed by Chris Ashley, Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), Sondheim on Sondheim (directed by James Lapine), 110 in The Shade (starring Audra McDonald) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee(directed by James Lapine). Dan also choreographed the Off-Broadway incarnation of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Second Stage, which earned him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination. Off Broadway: Tail! Spin! (starring Rachel Dratch), Clinton the musical (starring Kerry Butler & Judy Gold), Merrily We Roll Along for Encores! at City Center (directed by James Lapine), Vanities at Second Stage and Directing and Choreographing Lysistrata Jones for the Transport Group. He has many regional credits, and you can also see his Disney Jr. Dance Party show at both Disney’s California Adventure and Disney World.

Dan holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH and hails from Cleveland, OH. Dan Serves as the Treasurer of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He is a member of Lincoln Center Director’s Lab.

BIOGRAPHY

ROBERTA DUCHAK (Co-Music Directors)

COMING SOON!!

BIOGRAPHY

CHRIS SARGENT (Co-Music Directors) is thrilled to be reunited with Roberta Duchak and Dan Knechtges on “Guys and Dolls”. He has been an active member of the Chicago theater scene for the past 20 years. Most recently he was the Music Director for “Fiddler On The Roof” at Drury Lane. Prior to that, he conducted “Beautiful” at the Marriott Lincolnshire, and “Grease” and “A Chorus Line” at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Other credits include “The Book of Mormon” (2nd National Tour), “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (National Tour), and “Mamma Mia!” (2nd National Tour).”

BIOGRAPHY

ANGIE WEBER MILLER (Scenic Design) 

COMING SOON!!

BIOGRAPHY

LEON DOBKOWSKI (Costume Design) Off Broadway:  Rock and Roll Man (New World Stages).  Additional design credits include The Muny (St. Louis Theatre Circle Award Seussical and The Wiz), Paper Mill Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Weston Playhouse, Irish Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, , Yale Repertory Theater, Pittsburgh CLO, Music Theater of Wichita, Engeman Theater, Feld Entertainment’s Disney Live, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Penguin Repertory, Westchester Broadway, NYMF (Outstanding Costume Design, Claudio Quest), TheatreWorks Hartford (CT Critics Choice Award nomination, The Legend of Georgia McBride).  MFA Yale School of Drama.  www.LeonDobkowski.com  @MrLeonD

BIOGRAPHY

 LEE FISKNESS (Lighting Design) returns to Drury Lane for his 14th show: recently Ring of Fire, 39 Steps.  Chicago: Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Victory Gardens, The Marriott Theatre, The Court Theatre, Writers Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Lightscape (Chicago Botanical Garden). Regionally: The Old Globe, Kennedy Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, Mark Taper Forum, Cincinnati Playhouse, Emerson Colonial Theatre, Merrimack Theatre, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Two River Theatre, Arsht Center, Milwaukee Repertory. Opera: Chicago Lyric, San Jose, Dallas, Portland, Kentucky, Colorado, Florentine. International: Jurassic World Exhibition  (China), Marriage of Figaro (Japan), Movement Stories (Abu Dhabi). He has worked on the lighting teams for TV shows including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rosie Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Fox Sports, Chicago Bears Network. Lee was the Lighting Director at The Santa Fe Opera where he has worked for 18 seasons. www.leefiskness.com.

BIOGRAPHY

RAY NARDELLI (Sound Design) Previous Drury Lane credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, Ring of Fire, The 39 Steps, Grease, A Chorus Line, Elf the Musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, The Color Purple, And Then There Were None, Matilda The Musical, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, South Pacific, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, The Gin Game, Chicago, Saturday Night Fever, Crazy for You, Hazel, Bye Bye Birdie, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Peter and the Starcatcher, West Side Story, Les Miserables, Young Frankenstein, Hello Dolly, Next to Normal, Sunset Boulevard, Hairspray, Spamalot, Funny Girl, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Miss Saigon (Jeff Award) Buddy, and The Full Monty.

BIOGRAPHY

CASSY SCHILLO (Props Design Supervisor and Warehouse Manager) is thrilled to be with the Drury Lane family and honored to be a recipient of the 2019 Jeff award in Artistic Specialization for Properties design.  Drury Lane credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, Ring of Fire, The 39 Steps, Grease, A Chorus Line, Elf the Musical, Murder on the Orient Express, Steel Magnolias, R&H The King and I, Evita, Holiday Inn, Forever Plaid, An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, The Color Purple, And Then There Were None, Matilda, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, South Pacific, Joseph…, 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, The Gin Game, Chicago, Saturday Night Fever, Crazy for You, & Smokey Joe’s Cafe.  Jeff Nominated for DL’s Deathtrap as well as First Folio’s Salvage and All Childish Things. Designs in the Midwest include: productions for Marriott Lincolnshire, Theatre Wit, Theatre at the Center, Music Theater Works, Theo Ubique, Griffin, BoHo, Stage Left, Porchlight, Northwestern Opera, Piccolo, Sideshow, Black Ensemble, and Mammals. BFA from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and training at Tisch School of the Arts.  Founding member of To the Point, a theatrical combat troupe that specializes in sword fighting & storytelling. Gratitude and love to Rodion and my family for their eternal support.

BIOGRAPHY

EMILY SANTIAGO (Co-Wig/Hair Designer) is excited to be working with Drury Lane for the second time. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, she now lives in the city and has worked the past 4 seasons at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as a principal wig and makeup artist. Previously she has designed for the Ohio Light Opera and worked at Des Moines Metropolitan Opera, and the Goodman Theatre. When she’s not working on wigs, Emily enjoys traveling and has recently returned from Japan.

BIOGRAPHY

ANSLEY HUGHES (Co-Wig/Hair Designer) is thrilled to take on her second Drury Lane Theater production. With two seasons at the Des Moines Metro Opera and three seasons at the Lyric Opera of Chicago under her belt, she is honing her craft in the theater world. Ansley’s journey began after graduating from the Academy of Makeup Arts in Nashville, Tennessee, where she studied the art of wig making and special effects. Her resume reflects a passion for storytelling through wigs and makeup and her unique ability to transform characters on stage. She is grateful to be part of bringing the classic story of Guys and Dolls to life.”

BIOGRAPHY

FELICIA FINLEY (Assistant Choreographer) So grateful to be back at Drury Lane making magic!  Broadway: Tanya in Mamma Mia!, The Wedding Singer*, Aida (Amneris), Smokey Joe’s Cafe*, The Life*. Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway* (SVU and 2001 Space Odyssey); Manhattan Theatre Club’s The Wild Party*; Playwrights Horizons Bubbly Black Girl*, Disaster! Personal favorites: Patsy A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, Forever Plaid Drury Lane, Songbird* Two River, Evita (Evita) Ogunquit, headlining Caesars Palace – Atlantic City Nights On Broadway. Awards: Most Distinguished Performance (Drama Desk), NYC’s Best Cabaret (Bistro Award), Best Actress (Andes Award) for Patsy Cline. *denotes original company and cast album. feliciafinley.com

BIOGRAPHY

LARRY BAKER (Production Stage Manager) This is Larry’s 3rd association with Dan Knechtges. Previously they worked on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Drury Lane Water Tower and South Pacific at Theatre Under The Stars in Houston.

Larry previously stage-managed Guys And Dolls at Harrah’s in Atlantic City and at the Desert Inn Las Vegas, starring: Maureen McGovern, Frank Gorshin & Jack Jones. Thank you for supporting live theatre. This ones for the Diva McGovern.

BIOGRAPHY

CASIE MORELL (Assistant Stage Manager)

COMING SOON!!