Drink the Past Dry
Cast
Alex Albrech
Alex Albrecht (The Regular) is an Alaskan born actor and photographer in Chicago. His Chicago credits include working with City Lit Theatre, The Athenaeum Center, Blank Theatre and The Shakespeare Project of Chicago. He is happy to be making his Ghostlight Ensemble debut with Drink the Past Dry. His favorite 70’s musical artists include David Bowie, The Stooges, The Talking Heads, Sparks and Funkadelic. That'll make sense once the play begins! Enjoy!
Dani Brady
Dani Brady [All Pronouns] (u/s Mica & Chris) is excited to be making their Chicago debut in this heartfelt production. Notable roles pre-move include: Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! at the Camelot Theatre and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at Southern Utah University (where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre performance with a minor in Film & Screen Studies). She sends all her love home to Tony and MoJo.
Abbie Brenner
Abbie Brenner (Bethany) is very excited to be working with Ghostlight Ensemble! Abbie is a graduate of Illinois State University’s School of Theatre and Dance with a dual degree in acting and theatre management. Since graduating in 2019, Abbie has worked at various Chicago theaters in administrative roles, including the Goodman Theatre, Mercury Theater Chicago, Theatre Wit and Lookingglass Theatre Company. As an actor, Abbie has been lucky enough to work with Shattered Globe Theatre, Young People’s Theatre of Chicago and Trapdoor Theatre. She was most recently seen in Strawdog Theatre’s production of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. Abbie grew up in the Chicago area and couldn’t be prouder to be pursuing a theater career in this vibrant city. Thank you for supporting the arts!
Valerie Cambron
Valerie Cambron [she/her] (Chris) is excited to join Ghostlight in her first new work project! Originally from Bardstown, Kentucky, she is a proud alumnus of Western Illinois University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre with a minor in dance. Favorite theatre credits include Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Otherworld Theatre), Ilse in Spring Awakening (The Home Creative Co.), Lulu in Cabaret (Western Illinois University) and Marianne in Constellations (Western Illinois University). She’s currently represented by Chicago Talent Network. She loves to create new things through costume design, crochet, choreographing dances, writing music…so this opportunity to collaborate on an original theatrical work is so fulfilling! Special thanks to her grandmother Millie, for always supporting her (and for passing on her famous country green bean recipe!).
Catherine Councell
Catherine Councell [she/they] (Jamie/70s Bartender) is an actor and theatre teaching artist originally from Asheville, NC. CHI Theatre: Together We Rise (Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble), Red Kite Friendship Tour (Chicago Children's Theatre), Sleepy Hollow (Greatworks Theatre Co), Macbeth (Three Crows Theatre), Bandera, TX (Wayward Sisters Theatre). TV/Film: Errands (Streaming on Amazon), and Itchy Fingers (Niles & Jake). Teaching Artist: Chicago Children's Theatre, Raven Theatre, Writers Theatre, The Viola Project. Catherine is a company member with Greatworks Theatre Co, an Artistic Associate with CPTE, and is on staff with Chicago Children's Theatre in curriculum development. She holds her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. www.catherinecouncell.com
Stephen Dunn
Stephen Dunn (Dad) is very excited to be making his Ghostlight Ensemble debut in this production. He has been appearing in Chicago theatre for many years since earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from Millikin University. He is currently a member of Three Crows Theatre, and has worked with other companies like Strawdog Theatre, Backstage Theatre and was a company member of Infamous Commonwealth Theatre for nine years during which he received a Jeff nomination for best supporting actor for his performance in Cloud 9. Enjoy the show!
Katharine Jordan
Katharine Jordan [she, her] (Mica) is thrilled to be working with Ghostlight again after participating in a couple of their live movie readings and the first edition of Happy Hour. She is a Massachusetts-born performer and creative who transplanted to Chicago in 2017. Katharine is a member of Red Theater’s Artistic Cohort and understudied in their production of Vinegar Tom. She has also performed with The Plagiarists, Corn Production, a theatre in the dark and a handful of independent productions throughout Chicago. Her one-woman show, Yiayia Knows Best, is available to stream on YouTube. Katharine holds a Bachelor of Arts in theatre, musical theatre emphasis, from the University of New Hampshire. Thanks to her family and her husband Kurt for their support, and to Maria for this opportunity. @katharinejordan613 on Instagram, www.katharinejordan.com
Khnemu Menu-Ra
Khnemu Menu-Ra (The Bartender) is back again with Ghostlight! Last seen in Holiday Spirits at the Driehaus Museum, Khnemu was also a part of last fall’s production of Alabama Story. Other favorite credits include: A Chorus Line (Madkap Productions, Skokie) Hair (Barn Theatre, Michigan) Pirates! (The Muny, St. Louis) plus Fugitive Songs, Six Degrees of Separation. TV: Chicago Med (NBC). Khnemu also produced the original cabaret series 3 Stages of Love that premiered at the St. Louis Fringe Festival in 2022. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Oklahoma. RIP Papa.
Shantelle Rose Robbel
Shantelle Rose Robbel [she/her] [u/s Regular and Bethany] is thrilled to return to the Chicago theatre community with Drink the Past Dry. Selected theatre credits include: Salome (The Right Brain Project), Private Eyes (Piccolo Theatre) and Blacula (Pegasus Players). Rose holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree specializing in theatre performance as well as a Master of Science in nursing from Depaul University. Rose has spent the last 5 years working in the healthcare and research fields. Gratitude to her friends and family for their continued support, and to Nathan - until the stars go out.
Sandra Samargis
Sandra Samargis (u/s Mom/Memaw)) is making her debut with Ghostlight Ensemble as the understudy for the roles of Mom and Memaw. She has performed onstage at The Second City Theater in Chicago in The Best of the Best and in Cittiville: The Death of Public Access TV. Most recently, Sandra played the roles of Gertrude in Hamlet, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew in Flash in the Park Shakespeare performances held in public parks throughout Chicago. She also enjoyed performing with BYOT Productions in Chicago.
Olivia Sieck
Olivia Sieck [she/her] (u/s Bartender/Jamie) is ecstatic to be performing with Ghoslight again. She is a writer and performer located in Chicago. Olivia got a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Kansas State University. She fell in love with writing as a way to relive stories she read as a child. You can see some of her recent work with Ghostlight Ensemble, Corn Productions and microChicago. Olivia is currently studing at Annoyance Theater and CIC Theatre.
Dianne Wawrzyniak
This is Dianne Wawrzyniak (Meemaw) first production with Ghostlight. She has performed with Albright Theatre, Habakkuk Theater, Elgin Theater Company, Village Theater Guild and Janus Theater. Favorite roles include Madame Arcadi in Blithe Spirit, Mrs. Osgood in Suite Surrender, Sister Aloysius Beauvoir in Doubt, and Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Enjoy your skybox, Mom and Dad.
Production Crew
Maria Burnham
Maria Burnham [she/her] (Playwright, Director) is a Greek-American writer, director, sometimes actor and stage manager and a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble. Though a voracious consumer of science fiction she never intended to write a story about time travel. But then her future self came back to tell her she had to, so what could she do? If you like genre fiction on the stage, you should also check out her short play The Paper Girl as part of Renaissance Theaterworks’ Br!NK New Play Festival in May and Holiday Spirits coming again this winter. Find out more about her playwrighting at NPX. Special thanks to her husband, Chad, who has always been her biggest fan.
Shreya Khanna
Shreya Khanna (Stage Manager) is making her debut with Ghostlight Ensemble as the stage manager for Drink the Past Dry. She is currently earning her BFA in Stage Management at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where her credits include Little Women (Production Stage Manager), Lottery Day, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Killing of a Gentleman Defender. In addition to her work in the rehearsal room and backstage, she works in the Costume Shop, helping catalog period garments and support wardrobe operations. Shreya is excited to bring this story to life and is honored to be part of the Ghostlight Ensemble team.
Rin Menge
Rin Menge [they, them] (Costume Designer) is excited to be working with Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre for the first time. Rin studied sustainable fashion and costuming at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN. Design credits include: Romeo and Juliet, Assistant Costume Designer (Shakespeare & Company); The Seafarer, Costume Designer (Saint Mary's College Program in Theatre) and The Bleeding Class, Costume Designer (Chautauqua Theatre Company). They would like to thank their girlfriend, Newt, for the drink she'll buy them after the show.
Chad Wise
Chad Wise [he/him] (Production Manager) is the managing director and a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble. Chad recently directed Ghostlight’s entry in Fight Night: Origins and was recently be seen in City Lit Theatre’s House of Ideas. He has also worked with Public House Theatre and Terra Mysterium. He founded New Millennium Theatre Company in 1998 and served as its artistic director for many years, bringing experiences like The Texas Chainsaw Musical, Miyagi! A Karate Kid Musical and Silent Night of the Living Dead to Chicago stages. For Ghostlight he has also directed The Thirteenth Chair and Gingerbread Grindhouse, as well as numerous movie readings. He also spent quite a bit of time dressed as Santa either getting drunk or fighting Krampus!