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Meet The Creative Team of

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

JOHANNA MCKENZIE MILLER

ANGELA WEBER MILLER

JESSICA PABST

LINDSAY LYDDAN

SARAH RAMOS

CASSY SCHILLO

EMILY YOUNG

SAMMI GRANT

JULI HROVAT-WALKER

LARRY BAKER

MATTHEW D. CARNEY

WENDY STARK PREY

BIOGRAPHY

JOHANNA MCKENZIE MILLER (Director) is making her Drury Lane directing debut with Steel Magnolias. Ms. McKenzie Miller most recently directed the 91st Annual Waa-Mu show at Northwestern University A Peculiar Inheritance. Previous directing credits include world premier musical Sherw’d (First Folio Theatre), New Faces Sing Broadway, Now! (Porchlight Music Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Marriot Theatre), Junie B Jones & Madagascar, A Musical Adventure (Marriot Theatre for Young Audiences) where she will be directing The Wizard of Oz this summer. Armed with a Bachelors of Music from NIU she has appeared onstage at Drury Lane as Elizabeth in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Hodel in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and Katie Nana in MARY POPPINS.

BIOGRAPHY

ANGELA WEBER MILLER (Scenic Design) is a Chicago area designer who enjoys working in venues large and small. Her set for Steel Magnolias at Drury Lane last season was nominated for a Jeff Award and she looks forward to working on Ring of Fire immediately following The 39 Steps. Angie was an Artistic Associate at First Folio Theatre for sixteen years, where she designed dozens of productions and earned another nine Jeff nominations. She has also designed at Paramount, Porchlight Music Theatre, Peninsula Players, Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Mercury, Black Ensemble, Theater Wit, among others. She has been a guest artist at several colleges and universities. Angie began her career in design for corporate theatre with a range of “household name” clients. She has an MFA from Northwestern University and is a proud member of USA829

BIOGRAPHY

MICHAEL BAXTER (Associate Director/Choreographer)

Bio Coming Soon!!!

BIOGRAPHY

LINDSEY LYDDAN (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be back working at Drury Lane. She has worked with theatres all over Chicago including Haymarket Opera Company, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Roosevelt University’s Opera Program, Wheaton College Opera Program, Chicago Dramatists, also the Phoenix Theatre and Summit Performance of Indianapolis. She received her MFA in lighting and scenic design from Northwestern University.

Lindseylyddandesign.com

BIOGRAPHY

SARAH RAMOS (Sound Designer) Previous Drury Lane credits: King and I, James and the Giant Peach, Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Chicago sound credits with Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, American Blues Theatre, Griffin Theatre, About Face Theatre, Gift Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Bailiwick Chicago, Teatro Luna, Prop Thtr, Firebrand Theatre, and Livewire Chicago. Regional credits with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (WI), First Stage Children’s Theatre (WI), Renaissance Theatreworks (WI), Indiana Repertory Theatre (IN), AndHow Theater Company (NY), Gateway Playhouse (NY), and Piedmont Opera (NC). She worked as the Resident Audio and Video Supervisor at Court Theatre for nine years and is an alumnus of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

BIOGRAPHY

CASSY SCHILLO (Props Design Supervisor and Warehouse Manager) is thrilled to be with the Drury Lane family.You may have recently seen her work on DL’s An American in Paris, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s 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, Hazel, or her Jeff Nominations on DL’sDeathtrap,or First Folio’sSalvage.Designs in the Midwest include theaters: Marriott in Lincolnshire, Theatre Wit, Theatre at the Center, Light Opera Works, Theo Ubique,Griffin, BoHo, Stage Left, Porchlight, Northwestern Opera, Piccolo, Sideshow, Black Ensemble, Mammals.BFA from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater & training at Tisch School of theArts.Founding member of To the Point, a theatrical combat troupe that specializes in sword fighting & storytelling.

EMILY YOUNG (Wig & Hair Design) is thrilled to be working with Drury Lane Theatre for the first time with An American In Paris. Although she is a native Texan, she has made Chicago home for the past three years where she has been working as a wig and makeup artist and designer for the Chicago’s local theatres, operas, and films as well as making medical wigs for cancer and alopecia patients. You can see her work currently onstage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Madame Butterfly and Queen of Spades.

BIOGRAPHY

SAMMI GRANT (Dialect Coach) returns to Drury Lane where she previously coached Little shop of Horrors, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, South Pacific, Chicago, and Saturday Night Fever. Other Chicagoland theatres she has worked iwth include: Goodman Theatre, timeline Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Gift Theatre, Windy City Playhouse, First Folio Theatre, Rivendell Theatre,  and many more. Film/TV Credits: RESCUED BY RUBY (Netflix); PATRIOT(Amazon Prime; THE EXORSIST (Fox). Sammi is a voice/speech teacher for The Theatre School at DePaul University and Access Acting Academy. She holds an MFA with Distinction in Voice Studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Sammi is on the Board of Directors of the Voice and Speech Traners Association.

BIOGRAPHY

JULI HROVAT-WALKER (Production Stage Manager) began her life in the theatre at 14 years old in a community theatre in her hometown. This year marks 50 years of work in this profession. An AEA member for 40 years, she has spent almost half of that time here as a Production Stage Manager or Production Manager. This is home and the people here are my family. Other credits include stage manager roles at Court Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Opera, Evanston Dance Ensemble, and Hamilton in Chicago. So much gratitude to you, our audience, for waiting patiently for us to return. Even greater gratitude to the DeSantis family for all that they do and for keeping the ghost light on.

BIOGRAPHY

LARRY BAKER (Production Stage Manager) Thanks to all my Singular Sensations: Mom, Dad, Fred, Sheldon, Travis, Chuck, Tom, Sandy, Richard, Troy, BJ, Kile, Bob, Nancy, Rick, Bill, Barry, Jeff, Wendy, Matt, Sam, Sharon, Elaine, Dan, Hillary, Joan, Jim, Dennis, Terry, Lili-Anne, Craig, Catherine, Dick & Rose, Susan, Lindsay, Hugh, Adam, Peter, Marc, Paula & John, Brett, Brendan, Leonard, Kevin, Laurel, Ron, Jane, Ronald & Jasper. This performance is dedicated to the memory of the inimitable veteran Chicago actor, Larry McCauley.

BIOGRAPHY

MATTHEW D. CARNEY (Associate Artistic Director) is the recently appointed Associate Artistic Director and resident Casting Director for Drury Lane Theatre where he previously served as Company Manager for the past six seasons. Casting credits at Drury Lane include: An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, And Then There Were None, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, South Pacific, Seussical, Joseph…Dreamcoat, 42nd Street, A Christmas Carol, Rock of Ages, The Gin Game, Saturday Night Fever, Crazy for You, and Deathtrap. He previously designed the costumes for Drury Lane’s production of The Gin Game. BFA in costume design from Wright State University. Much love and gratitude to Ryan, mom, and dad.

BIOGRAPHY

WENDY STARK PREY (Managing Director) management background is rooted in the multifaceted experience of producing theatre-both onstage and off.  During her years with Drury Lane Productions, she has guided many productions from the inception of an idea to a visually stunning and heart pounding theatrical experience.   As a theatre artist, her journey began in costume design, technology and management working for Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington National Opera, Yale Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Sarasota Opera, Black Hills Playhouse, St. Michael’s Playhouse, and Montana Repertory Theatre.  As an educator, she has taught design and technology courses at the University of Montana, The University of South Dakota, and Creighton University.  Wendy is proud to work with the amazing team of  artists, technicians and professionals at Drury Lane.