Meet the Cast & Crew
Check out our video to learn more about Kohl’s Wild Theater.
THE ACTING COMPANY:
Gabriella Ashlin joined KWT as a company member in summer 2018. She is a graduate of UW-Parkside. Her most recent work was at Renaissance Theatre Works as an acting intern for “Top Girls” (Dull Gret, Jeanine U/S). She was the Director for a staged reading of “Other Desert Cities” at UW-Parkside. Her acting credits include “Angels in America” (Harper, Martin Heller), “A Streetcar Named Desire” (Eunice Hubbell), “A Christmas Carol: On the Air” (Belle, Ensemble), “The Government Inspector” (Judge), and “Almost, Maine” (U/S, Ensemble).
MAURA ATWOOD joined KWT as a company member in 2017. Maura graduated from Carthage College in 2016 with a BA in Theater Performance and Music, and has performed in the Milwaukee area with Off the Wall, Milwaukee Metro Voices, Acacia Theater, First Stage, and Quasimondo. She is currently a teaching artist for Spotlight Youth Theater and the Milwaukee Rep.
ROC BAUMAN joined KWT as a company member in 2016. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a BFA in acting. He co-founded two comedy groups that performed around Milwaukee, Running With… and Cool Story Bros. His other acting credits include “The Crucible,” “The Producers,” “Laughing Stock,” “Italian-American Reconciliation” and more. He has always loved animals and going to the Zoo, and he is ecstatic to be able to perform here!
BRITTANY CURRAN joined KWT as a company member in 2016. She holds a BFA degree in acting and a minor in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Brittany also works as a teaching artist, director, and educational outreach coordinator with Milwaukee Youth Theatre, and is a Teaching Assistant for the Theatre Department at UW-Milwaukee. Brittany has worked with several local theatre companies including Pink Banana, Renaissance Theaterworks, The World’s Stage, Milwaukee Metropolitan Voices, First Stage Children’s Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Bard and Bourbon, Optimist Theatre, and Milwaukee Entertainment Group.
Kimberly Giddens joined KWT as a company member in summer 2018. Originally from Connecticut, she holds an MFA in Theater from Savannah College of Art and Design and a BM in musical theater from the University of Southern Maine. Kim spent the 2017-18 season as an Emerging Professional Resident at Milwaukee Repertory Theater where she appeared in “Guys & Dolls,” “A Christmas Carol,” and “Our Town.” In addition to performing, Kim has worked as a wig designer, costume designer, and stage manager for theaters in Oregon, Utah, New York, and Connecticut.
EMMITT MORGANS has been a company member with KWT since 2012. Emmitt is a 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Acting BFA program and has called Milwaukee home ever since. Other theatre credits include Optimist Theatre ("The Winter’s Tale", "As You Like It", "Macbeth") Skylight Music Theatre ("The Producers", "Barber of Seville"), Bunny Gumbo ("Combat Theatres 19-23"), and Goats & Monkeys ("Othello", "Hamlet", "Taming of the Shrew"). Allons-y!
Gage Patterson joined KWT as a company member in summer 2018. He is a graduate of Carthage College, where he earned his BA in Music Theatre. He has been seen in “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” at Three Brothers Theatre, “Liberators: An American Musical” at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival 2018, “Survivor Story” with Transcendent Ensemble Theatre Company, and worked on “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” with First Stage Children's Theatre in Milwaukee.
Robert Torres joined KWT as a company member in summer 2018. He moved to Wisconsin from Virginia in August 2017 to take part in a fellowship at First Stage where he stage managed for the Young Company and understudied “Antarctica, WI.” He received his BA from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise where he stage managed for “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” and performed in many other productions including: “Angels in America,” “Cloud 9,” and “Eurydice.”
Jordyn Stewart joined KWT as a company member in 2017. Jordyn holds a BA in theatre with a minor in Film Studies from Knox College. She is currently performing as Goldie in bug in a rug Children’s Theater’s production of “Hansel and Goldie” and as Jo March in SummerStage’s production of “Little Women.” Other favorite acting credits include “Almost, Maine” and “For Purely Elfish Reasons" at Waukesha Civic Theater. She teaches drama classes at Sunset Playhouse, coaches Forensics and Drama Club at Kettle Moraine High School, and instructs private acting lessons.
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM:
ZACH THOMAS WOODS (Manager of Artistic Direction) holds a BFA in acting from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. In addition to the 4 years he spent as a KWT company member, Woods has performed with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage Children’s Theater, Skylight Music Theatre, and In Tandem Theater in such productions as Great Expectations, Ernest in Love, Holes, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, Big Fish, Urintetown, Les Miserables and Hair! Local directing credits include Evita, The Miss Firecracker Contest, Death by Design, Moon Over Buffalo, and Arsenic and Old Lace. As a playwright, Woods has been formally recognized by the Hawai‘i State Theater Council for his annual work on Hawaiian Mission Houses’ living history program, Cemetery Pupu Theatre, in Honolulu.
REVA FOX (Theater Production Supervisor) is a director, actor, and educator in Milwaukee. She holds an MFA in Directing from Indiana University. Directing credits include: “Merry Wives of Windsor” for Bard & Bourbon, “Lion King Kids” for Summit View Elementary, “Working” for First Stage Summer Company Class, “The Trial of FDR” for the Holocaust Education Center, “Top Secret”, for Soul Food at Madison’s Forward Theatre, “The Smell of the Kill” for Renaissance Theatreworks and “Combat Theatre” for The Bunny Gumbo Theatre. Recent acting credits include Ellen in the “Endurance of Light” for RTW’s Brink Series, Magistress in “Wayward Women” for Theatre Red, Peter Quince in “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Lady Capulet/Watch in “Romeo and Juliet,” Beatrice in “Much Ado about Nothing,” Polonius/Horation in “Hamlet,” all for Bard and Bourbon; Linda in “Death of a Salesman” for Imagination Theatre; Banquo in “Macbeth” for Soulstice; Risa in “Any Given Monday” for Pink Banana; Gladys in “Parts of Speech” for RTW’s Brink Series; Penelope in “The Penelopiad” for Luminous Theatre; and Lane in “Bullet Proof Heart” at the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts. Thanks always to A and N for their support, humor and love of animals!
CHRIS ORTH (Theater Planning Assistant) Christopher Orth is new to KWT, joining in December 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University Wisconsin, focusing specifically on theater education. He has worked as a director and theater teacher for several local schools and fine arts companies including Martin Luther High School, To the Pointe Fine Arts, and Above the Clouds Milwaukee. Chris has also served as a manager with Barnes & Noble Booksellers for the last seven years, working with in-store events and serving the community through the store’s business development program. While not having appeared on stage since college, Chris looks forward to getting back on the stage as well as continuing his directing, teaching and backstage work.
STAGE MANAGERS:
TERESA MCCARTHY started working with KWT in October 2015 after graduating from Carthage College with a degree in theater and a minor in business, Teresa also works in the Milwaukee area as a stage manager and sound designer. Her most recent companies include Skylight Music Theatre where she is the production coordinator and assistant stage manager, Shawnee Summer Theatre, Bard and Bourbon, In Tandem, and Next Act.
JENA TOLKSDORF holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, majoring in Theatre with a Design & Technical emphasis. While in school she was a part of many university productions and has been a stage manager for the past three summers with Music Theatre at St Norbert College. Upon moving to Milwaukee, Jena has worked as a stage management intern for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.” Jena is excited to be working with KWT and to be starting her professional career in the Milwaukee area.
Playwrights and Composers
Click on the names below to learn more about the playwrights and composers.
Designers
Click on the names below to learn more about the designers.

CHRIS BEIMBORN (Playwright)
Chris Beimborn has been enthusiastic about conservation for as long as she can remember and is excited to be a part of Kohl's Wild Theater. She is a Milwaukee-based science and environmental education consultant who designs and carries out programs to help the public, students of all ages, teachers and others build skills of inquiry and learn about science and the environment. She is surprised at how often her work consists of writing dialogue for things that don't actually speak.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Biodiversity Pep Rally"
KELLY DOHERTY (Playwright)
Kelly Doherty was a founding member of the Kohl's Wild Theatre acting company. Kelly is thrilled to return as a writer for such a wonderful company. After receiving a BFA in Theatre Performance from UW-Whitewater, she moved to Milwaukee and has been here ever since. As an actor, she has appeared with numerous companies in the area including Skylight Music Theatre, Bunny Gumbo, Uprooted Theatre, Optimist Theatre, Pub Theatre, and Fools for Tragedy. Some of her favorite roles include Witch 3 in Macbeth and most recently Sister Berthe in The Sound of Music.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ"
- "Captain Compost"
JONATHAN ELLERS (Playwright)
Jonathan Ellers has worked in the field of theater for young audiences for 25 years as a director, manager, playwright, and deviser of unique, live interpretive experiences for museum and zoo visitors. After learning his craft from "the father of participation-theater in the U.S."--Moses Goldberg--Jonathan spent nine years running Wildlife Theater in New York City, at the time the largest zoo-theater company in the country. Since then he has worked as a playwright/director and/or interpretation programmer for such organizations as Conservation International, General Electric, The Bronx Botanical Garden, The New York Transit Museum, the New York Historical Society, and Historic Hudson Valley. Jonathan lives at the very northern tip of Manhattan with his wife Jacki and two young daughters, BettyAnn and Ruby.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Reach of the Rain Forest"
- "A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme"
- "The Spot of the Jaguar"
- "Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?"
- "What I Eat"
- "Ice is Nice (or don't dunk the polar bear)"
- "The Clicker Game"
NICOLE GREEVY (Playwright)
Nicole Greevy is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor. She wrote and directed dozens of plays, songs and videos for Central Park Zoo's Wildlife Theater, using drama, music and puppetry in order to make conservation and natural-science themes accessible to the average visitor. Other conservation-themed work includes the short teleplay "Thundering Plains, Or, How the Wildlife Conservation Society Saved the American Bison (as interpreted by sock puppets)" and "The Jersey Emerald." She is co-creator of "Living in Captivity", an independent comedic pilot about zookeepers. Other work includes the comedic webseries "Exorcists Local 667" and you can hear her voice narrating many fantasy and supernatural crime novels on Audible.com. Upcoming work includes "Uncanny County", a new podcast beginning this Halloween.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "A Tale of Two Hemispheres"
- "Lights, Camera, Arctic!"
- "The Treasure of the Sea"
- "The Penguinlympics"
NEIL HAVEN (Playwright)
Neil Haven is the author of "Who Killed Santa", "Come Back", "Stuck", "The Playdaters", "Neil's Dirty Shorts", and "Get a Life", among others. Haven's work has been seen at various theatres around the country including UPROOTED Theatre, Kohl's Wild Theatre, Milwaukee Public Theatre, Pink Banana, Lake Country Playhouse, Bay Players, Memories Dinner Theatre (Greater Milwaukee), The Secret Theatre (NYC), The Chicago Fringe and ATC (Chicago), Bluebarn Theatre (Omaha), Matchbox Theatre and Plays and Players (Philadelphia), Freshwater Theatre (Minneapolis), Little Fish Theatre (San Pedro, Calif.), MadLab Theatre (Columbus, Ohio), The Last Frontier Theatre Conference (Valdez, Alaska), Nevada Conservatory Theatre (Las Vegas) and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In addition to writing, Haven occasionally acts, and works full-time as a dueling piano player. He performs every weekend at Lucille's Piano bar in downtown Milwaukee.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Time Traveler's Chicken"
- "Bullies and Bonobos"
DOUG JARECKI (Playwright)
Doug Jarecki is a local actor and playwright who has appeared in numerous plays and commercials in the Milwaukee area. He has recently performed with Next Act, In Tandem, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and Theater Red. He is the Education and Outreach Administrator at the Waukesha Civic Theatre, where he coordinates their year round education program and extensive school outreaches. He is also co-founder of Kidsplay, a children's theater company that tours southeastern Wisconsin with original and interactive shows. He is also Batman......ok, that's a lie, but all the other stuff is true.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum"
DAVE MCLELLAN (Theater Coordinator/Playwright)
Dave McLellan joined the Zoological Society in 2010 to begin development of Kohl's Wild Theater, which has grown to be the largest zoo-based theater program in the country. Under Dave's direction, Kohl's Wild Theater has developed 21 original plays and musicals that focus on a wide variety of topics in conservation education. Prior to moving to Milwaukee, Dave was a company member and assistant director with the Wildlife Theater in New York City, performing regularly at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and Queens Zoo. Dave has worked as an educator for the Walt Disney Company, Orlando Repertory Theatre and Imagination Stage. Other selected theater performance credits include the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ford Theater, Round House Theater, Imagination Stage, Surflight Theater, Capital Repertory Theatre, Cape Rep Theatre and Universal Studios Florida. Dave currently serves as a member-at-large for the International Museum Theatre Alliance in the capacity of liaison to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Dave holds a BA in musical theater and psychology from American University in Washington, D.C. and is working toward an MBA at Marquette University.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Monarch: A Space Adventure"
- "The Choice"
- "Frozen Seasons: A Musical Review"
BRIAN MYERS (Composer)
Brian Myers is a versatile writer and performer who works on Milwaukee's stages as an actor, singer, pianist, music director and composer. "The Time Traveler's Chicken" marks Brian's first songwriting engagement with KWT; he has also served as a music director in this and previous seasons. His original works have been presented by Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Present Music, Soulstice Theatre, Bunny Gumbo, Milwaukee Entertainment Group, and the Strawberry One Act Festival (NYC). Myers wrote book, music, and lyrics for "The Frog Pal", an adaptation of the Grimm fairy tale for young audiences that will tour the greater Milwaukee area this past summer 2017.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Time Traveler's Chicken"
- "Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum"
- "Finding Harmony"
ERNIE NOLAN (Playwright)
Ernie Nolan is a writer and director based in Chicago. As a theater-for-young-audiences playwright, his work has been featured both nationally and internationally. Several of his works including A Fairy Tale Life, Snow White as Performed by TJ Barker and his Troupe of Theatricals, and Beasts are published and licensed by Dramatic Publishing. His adaptation of Eileen Christelow's Five Little Monkeys, which originally premiered at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, MD, will tour the country next year. His commission for La Jolla Playhouse, A Lonely Boy's Guide to Survival (And Werewolves) was workshopped at the Kennedy Center's New Visions New Voices symposium and opened this spring. He is on faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University and serves as Producing Artistic Director for Emerald City Theatre in Chicago, IL. Ernie is a graduate of both the University of Michigan (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing).
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "Dr. McGhee Learns about the Sea"
- "The Congo Code"
- "Hey There, Neighbor"
ALVARO SAAR RIOS (Playwright)
Alvaro Saar Rios holds an MFA in Writing for the Stage & Screen from Northwestern University and is the co-founder of the national touring performance troupe—The Royal Mexican Players. He has commissions from various theaters including Houston Grand Opera, First Stage, and The Alley Theatre (Texas). His work has been performed in New York City, Hawaii, California, Chicago, Milwaukee, and all over Texas! Mr. Rios is an Assistant Professor in the Theatre Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "Journey to the Rich Coast"
- "Trash or Tunes"
JOHN TANNER (Composer/Sound Designer)
John Tanner is one of the principals of Tanner-Monagle, with years of experience in scoring, arranging and music composition for television, radio, industrial video and theatre. His commercial music has won numerous awards, including Golden Reel Awards; Telly Awards; national, regional and local American Advertising Federation "Addys", Silver Microphone awards and RAC awards for retail advertising. John has also garnered both Gold and Platinum sales certification for his album engineering work. His national television projects include scoring the PBS documentary and soundtrack CD, "The Gold Rush." He has written original scores and designed sound for theatrical productions at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, American Player's Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, First Stage Milwaukee and many others.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
Composer/Lyricist
- "A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme"
- "The Treasure of the Sea"
- "The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl"
- "Journey to the Rich Coast"
- "The Legend of Hibernacula"
- "Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea"
- "The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ"
- "The Biodiversity Pep Rally"
- "Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?"
- "The Monarch: A Space Adventure"
- "Trash or Tunes"
- "The Choice"
- "City Bee"
- "What I Eat"
- "Me and My Tree"
Sound Designer
- "Bullies and Bonobos"
- "The Spot of the Jaguar"
- "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees"
- "The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion"
- "The iRiver Cleanify App"
- "The Bachelor-Pette"
MELANIE WEHRMACHER (Playwright)
Productions include Reminiscences (Jackson Rep), The Mail Play (Looking Glass), The New York Times (Baobab Groove), Experiment (Secret Theatre), and her solo shows Trip (Provincetown Playhouse), and Hopish with a Hot Dish (Creative Center.) Awards include the Jig Cook Playwriting Award, Sam French Festival semi-finalist, a FieldWork residency, and Best New Play (KC/ACTF). She has written a significant body of work for museum theatre as a writer for the Minnesota Historical Society, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, and the NY Hall of Science. Ms. Wehrmacher is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "Wild Wisconsin!"
- "Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature"
- "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees"
- "The Great Wisconsin Zoo-Per Bowl"
- "The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion"
- "The Legend of Hibernacula"
- "The iRiver Cleanify App"
- "The Bachelor-Pette"
- "The Trash Monster"
- "The Ornate Box Turtle Puppet Show"
- "Me and My Tree"
- "City Bee"
ZACH THOMAS WOODS (Playwright)
Zach Thomas Woods holds a BFA in acting from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Recent Milwaukee credits include "Great Expectations" with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, "Holiday Hell: The Curse of Perry Williams" and "Ernest in Love" with In Tandem Theatre, "Bonny Anne Bonny" with Theatre Red, "Holes," "Spookley the Square Pumpkin," "Big Fish," and "Anatole" with First Stage Children's Theatre, and "Les Miserables" and "Hair!" with the Skylight Music Theatre. When not on stage, Woods works behind the scenes as a director and writer. He is annually commissioned to write for Hawaiian Mission Houses' living history program, Cemetery Pupu Theatre, in Honolulu. Recent directing credits include "Evita," "The Miss Firecracker Contest," "Death by Design," "Moon Over Buffalo" and "Footloose."
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "A Winter's Tail"
- "Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County"
MATT ZEMBROWSKI (Composer)
Matt Zembrowski began composing and writing songs as a student at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay. While still a student, he was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to write a piece that was performed for Archbishop Weakland. In 2008, he wrote a number of original songs for "Sunsets and S'Mores," produced by American Folklore (now Northern Sky) Theater, with Lee Becker and Doc Heide. He and his brother, Zach, are the co-creators of the popular Zombie Jamboree series, produced by Storyteller Theater of Milwaukee and the UWM Players Guild, and feature a number of Matt's original songs. He has written original incidental music for many productions in Milwaukee, including "Dearly Departed" (Sunset Playhouse), "Our Town" (Shorewood Players) and "The Crucible" (Pius XI High School). From 2007-2013, he composed a collection of more than 60 liturgical hymns and Psalm settings, which have been used at churches all over Milwaukee. As an actor, Matt has performed with In Tandem Theater, Next Act Theater, Sunset Playhouse and many others. He also serves as director of the Theater program at St. Thomas More High School.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "A Winter's Tail"
- "Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County"
STEVE BARNES (Set/Props Designer)
Steve Barnes is a Racine based set designer and is very happy for the opportunity to work with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee and Kohl's Wild Theatre. Over the past few years, he has designed for the Milwaukee Rep, First Stage Children's Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, In Tandem Theatre, as well as Lawrence University and the Racine Theatre Guild. Steve holds an MFA in Scenic Design from Purdue University.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Reach of the Rain Forest"
- "A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme"
- "The Spot of the Jaguar"
- "A Tale of Two Hemispheres"
- "Lights, Camera, Arctic!"
- "The Treasure of the Sea"
- "Wild Wisconsin!"
- "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees"
- "The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl"
- "Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature"
- "The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion"
- "The Bachelor-Pette"
- "The Legend of Hibernacula"
- "Bullies and Bonobos"
- "Journey to the Rich Coast"
- "A World of Water"
- "The iRiver Cleanify App"
- "Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea"
- "The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ"
- "Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?"
- "The Healthy Habits Hullabaloo"
- "The Time Traveler's Chicken"
- "A Winter's Tail"
- "Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum"
- "The Monarch: A Space Adventure"
- "Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County"
ANDREA BOUCK (Costume Designer)
Andrea Bouck is an MFA graduate in costume design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has previously managed the costume shop at First Stage Children's Theatre and now works as crafts master for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Before coming to Wisconsin she designed costumes for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV in Richmond, Va. Andrea also works in the Crafts shop at American Players Theatre during the summer months.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Reach of the Rain Forest"
- "A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme"
- "The Spot of the Jaguar"
- "A Tale of Two Hemispheres"
- "Lights, Camera, Arctic!"
- "The Treasure of the Sea"
- "Wild Wisconsin!"
- "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees"
- "The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl"
- "Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature"
- "The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion"
- "The Bachelor-Pette"
- "The Legend of Hibernacula"
- "Bullies and Bonobos"
- "Journey to the Rich Coast"
- "A World of Water"
- "The iRiver Cleanify App"
- "Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea"
- "Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?"
- "The Time Traveler's Chicken"
ELEANOR COTEY (Costume Designer)
Eleanor Cotey received her BFA in costume production from UWM in 2009. Since graduating, Eleanor has designed for Youngblood Theatre Company, The Fireside Theatre, Pink Banana Theatre Company, UWM Dance Department, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Optimist Theatre and In Tandem Theatre. She has spent five seasons with the Utah Shakespeare Festival and has stitched for the American Players Theatre, The Milwaukee Rep and First Stage. Eleanor currently resides in Chicago and works in the costume department for the Joffrey Ballet.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Wonderful Lizard of OOZ"
- "The Congo Code"
CHRIS GUSE (Sound, Set, and Projection Designer)
Chris Guse is a sound and projection designer based in Milwaukee. His designs have been seen at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ("Lysistrata", "Laughing Stock", "Ruined", "Blood Weddings", "Sins of Sor Juana", "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot"), Milwaukee Chamber Theatre ("Lend me a Tenor", "October", "Before I was Born", "Collected Stories", "Heroes", "Jeeves Intervenes", "Duet for One", "Master Class", "The Detective's Wife") Uprooted/Renaissance Theaterworks ("Neat", "Crumbs From the Table of Joy") and Youngblood Theatre Company ("The Flu Season"). He's also composed music in conjunction with sound design for UWM's productions of "Oedipus Rex", "1001", "Mr. Melancholy", "Einstein's Dreams" and "From These Green Heights". Other related work includes assisting R.H. Graham on the scenic designs for Milwaukee Ballet ("La Bohéme" and "Peter Pan") and designing and building the mobile sound systems for the Kohl's Wild Theater. An associate professor at UW-Milwaukee, Chris is a certified online instructor, teaching in the areas of sound design/technology, multimedia arts, computer drafting and technical direction.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Congo Code"
- "Trash or Tunes"
- "The Monarch: A Space Adventure"
SCOTT HITZ (Puppet Designer)
Scott Hitz is a co-founder of Monkey Boys Productions and currently serves as an associate artist and producer. His work with puppets has been seen on television: "TV Funhouse" (Comedy Central), "The Book of Pooh" (The Disney Channel), "Mother Goose Jams" (Sprout), and on stage: "Avenue Q", (Vineyard Theater, NYC), "Bunnicula" (The Arden Theater, Philadelphia)," Little Shop of Horrors" (Ford's Theater, Washington DC), "Animal Farm" (Synapse Theatre, NYC). Directing and writing credits include: "Carnival of the Animals" (Philadelphia Orchestra), "Orchestra 2000" (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), "Little Shop of Horrors" (Associate Director, The Hangar Theatre), and "Spring Interstitial" (Sprout Television). Scott was honored with the position of artist in residence at the Eugene O'Neil Theater Center summer puppetry program, where he began work on his stage adaptation of "The Little Prince," which premiered at Cape May Stage and eventually played at the New Victory Theatre in NYC. His work has taken him to Korea as part of the Chunchon International Festival for Puppetry, and he has also been the recipient of a Henson seed grant for his production "Ursa Major: The Voice of the Bear."
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Congo Code" (bonobo)
- "Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum" (colobus monkey)
- Penguin puppets
DAN KATULA (Puppet Designer)
Dan Katula is a local puppet maker who has designed and built puppets for the Milwaukee Chamber Theater (an elephant), In Tandem Theater, (goats) Acia Theater (a robin and an evil lizard) and Marquette's Helfaer Theater (a mouse). His puppets are also featured in the long-running holiday favorite, Neil Haven's Who Killed Santa. Dan is also an actor who has performed with many Milwaukee theaters and was recently seen as Sheriff Wil in Chamber Theater's production of Bus Stop and as Adolphus in Next Act Theater's production of The Clockmaker. He is very excited and proud to have his work shown at the Milwaukee County Zoo, a place that has been special to him all his life. Dan now shares his visits to the Zoo with his wife Allison and son Jake, too whom he dedicates his work.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ"
- "The Time Traveler's Chicken"
BRANDON KIRKHAM (Puppet Designer)
Brandon Kirkham is pleased to be part of Kohl's Wild Theatre at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Brandon received his MFA in Costume & Scenic Design at Ohio University, and works as a Props/Crafts Artisan at First Stage Children's Theatre in Milwaukee. Brandon's Puppets have been seen in venues across the country, including First Stage, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (Holland, MI), Children's Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN), Enchantment Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA), the Utah Museum of Natural History, the United States Institute of Technical Theatre's (USITT) Foam & Puppet Symposium, and in the Czech Republic at the Prague Quadrennial International Design Exposition.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Reach of the Rain Forest"
- "A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme"
- "The Spot of the Jaguar"
- "A Tale of Two Hemispheres"
- "Lights, Camera, Arctic!"
- "The Treasure of the Sea"
- "The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion"
- "Bullies and Bonobos"
- "Journey to the Rich Coast"
- "A World of Water"
- "The iRiver Cleanify App"
- "Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea"
- "The Ornate Box Turtle Puppet Show"
- "Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County"
JASON ORLENKO (Costume Designer)
Jason Orlenko is a Milwaukee based designer. Favorite shows include "Forever Plaid" at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, "4000 Miles" at the Repertory of St. Louis, "The Snow Dragon" at Skylight Music Theatre, "The Understudy" at Renaissance Theaterworks, "Complete Works…" at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, "The Glass Menagerie" at In Tandem Theatre, "Goldilocks" and "Big Nate" at First Stage Children's Theatre. Other design credits include Indiana Festival Theatre, Children's Theatre of Madison, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University. Other professional credits include American Players Theatre, the Florentine Opera, the Hangar Theatre, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Jason holds a BA in Theatre from UW-Milwaukee and an MFA in Costume Design from Indiana University.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "A Winter's Tail"
- "Trash or Tunes"
CHRISTY SIEBERS (Costume Designer)
Christy Siebers is a Milwaukee-based costume designer. She holds a BFA in Theatre Design Technology in Costume Design from UW Stevens Point. Local costume design credits include "Much Ado About Nothing" (Optimist Theatre), "The Wild Party" (All In Productions), "Ordinary Days" (All In Productions), "Dogfight" (All in Productions), "Little Shop of Horrors" (All in Productions) and "Any Given Monday" (Pink Banana Theatre Co). Christy also has done work for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Florentine Opera, Milwaukee Ballet, and Illinois Shakespeare Festival. She currently works as the wardrobe supervisor for the Milwaukee Ballet.
Kohl's Wild Theater credits include:
- "The Monarch – A Space Adventure"