KWT CAST & CREW
Meet the Cast and Crew
Kohl’s Wild Theater is a professional theater company and a primary program of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s Conservation Education Department. All members of KWT are professional actors, designers, and theater workers united by our passion of earth and animal conservation. Their unique talents help spread the word about animals and our environment in a fun and relatable way. Actors engage with audiences throughout the year teaching them important messages about animals and conservation through drama, songs, and puppetry. Our work flow is designed to accommodate the lifestyle of a working actor. Everyone learns numerous roles so that actors can easily cover each other’s shifts when opportunities arise. KWT company members have performed and worked for Next Act Theatre, In Tandem Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, First Stage Children’s Theater and many other companies in the Greater Milwaukee Area.
Joshua Barclay
Aidan Black
Michael Cienfuegos-Baca
Alexa Farrell
Morgan Gates
Nat Goeller
Shelby Kaishian
Paulina Lule
Nicole Corinne McCarty
Emily Mertens
Christopher Orth
Ky Peters
Anne Van Deusen
Jesse Weinberg
The Acting Company
Joshua Barclay
JOSHUA BARCLAY is from Saint Peters, Missouri, and is beyond excited to perform with Kohl’s Wild Theater! He is going to be a senior at Concordia University Wisconsin this fall. There, Joshua is pursuing: an Individualized Theatre major, minors in Educational Studies, Social Studies, and Theology, as well as a Compassion Care Certificate. Recent acting credits include Caleb/Brother’s dance captain in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Father in “The Swiss Family Robinson,” and Sebastian in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Joshua would like to give special thanks to his family and friends.
The Acting Company
Aidan Black
AIDAN BLACK (Carl Leopold/Great Horned Owl) is super excited for this opportunity with KWT! Currently a Junior pursuing his BFA in Musical Theatre at UW-Milwaukee, Aidan hopes to continue to create, perform, and direct theatre after graduation. He also has a passion for teaching and works with First Stage in Milwaukee. Prior credits include “Into the Woods” (Jack) and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Jasper), both at UWM, as well as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” (u/s Santa, Donner) at First Stage.
Creative and Production Team
Michael Cienfuegos-Baca
MICHAEL CIENFUEGOS-BACA (Technical Supervisor) holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Public Relations from Marquette University. Michael is trained in performance as well as production with Acting credits at Marquette, Windfall Theatre, and Voices Found Repertory in productions such as “Macbeth,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “You Can’t Take it With You.” He is a Theatre designer with training in stage carpentry along with costuming & tailoring techniques. He is the Former Technical Director for both Wauwatosa East High School and Voices Found Repertory. His Design Credits include “Macbeth,” “Titus Andronicus,” “Medea,” “Hand to God,” “Henry V,” “The Elephant Man,” and “Ivy + Bean the Musical.”
The Acting Company
Alexa Farrell
ALEXA FARRELL is a 2020 University of Wisconsin Whitewater Graduate with a degree in Theatre Performance. Previous credits include “Cinderella” (Marie), “The Music Man” (Zaneeta), “Sister Act” (Sr. Mary Robert), “Miss Holmes” (Sherlock Holmes) and “The Addams Family” (Alice).
The Acting Company
Morgan Gates
MORGAN GATES is a theater actor and teacher in the Milwaukee and Lake Country area. He has previously worked with Lake Country Playhouse, Waukesha Civic Theatre, Sunset Playhouse, and First Stage Children’s Theatre Academy. Besides working for KWT, his other favorite job he has is as a live game show host! Recent credits include “Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County” (Carl), “The Play that Goes Wrong” (Max) and “Peter and the Starcatcher” (Smee).
Stage Managers
Nat Goeller
NAT GOELLER (Stage Manager) graduated from Carroll University in 2018, and has been a member of Kohl’s Wild Theatre for a little more than a year. They also work as the Deck Chief for Renaissance Theaterworks and the ASM for Next Act Theatre. When not backstage, Nat can be found running amok on mountainsides with their friends.
Stage Managers
Shelby Kaishian
SHELBY KAISHIAN (Stage Manager) has been hiding brightly colored hair under a beanie to run around backstage since 2013. They’ve worked with Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight Music Theater, and In Tandem. They’d like to thank their dad, HP, for sparking an interest in theater, helping get her foot in the door, and being a behind the scenes inspiration.
The Acting Company
Paulina Lule
PAULINA LULE (Actor-Educator) (“Pow-lee-nah Loo-lay”) is an American actor and filmmaker. They were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and their acting training began at the Joanne Baron/DW Brown Studio in Santa Monica, CA where they completed a 2-year Meisner Technique Conservatory program. They then auditioned for and were accepted into the inaugural class of the Los Angeles branch of the award-winning Identity School of Acting. Since then, they have appeared in several television shows including recurring roles on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and ABC’s “General Hospital”. Paulina is an avid hiker, equestrian and gardener and they are thrilled to be bringing their talents to Kohl’s Wild Theater.
The Acting Company
Nicole Corinne McCarty
NICOLE CORINNE MCCARTY (Actor-Educator) has a B.M. in music education from the UW-Whitewater and a M.M. in vocal performance from UW-Milwaukee. Her most recent performances have been as Martha in “Heathers the Musical”, as a soloist in “The Darkside of Theatre Cabaret”, as Fride in “The Moment”, and as Apollo in “L’Orfeo”. Recently, she was the assistant music director for “The Lightning Thief” at Milwaukee Lutheran High School. When she’s not performing, she teaches private piano and voice lessons, sings with the Master Singers of Milwaukee, and is the female vocalist for the funk band Montage.
The Acting Company
Emily Mertens
EMILY MERTENS graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Theatre. She has worked with children in theater since she was a teenager and has loved animals and the Zoo for as long as she can remember. She is excited to bring her passion and talents to Kohl’s Wild Theater. Recent acting credits include “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (Sibella Hallward), “Suessical the Musical” (Mayzie La Bird), and “Spring Awakening” (Thea).
Creative and Production Team
Christopher Orth
CHRISTOPHER ORTH (Company Supervisor) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University Wisconsin, focusing specifically on theater education. He has worked as a director, theater teacher and ballroom dance instructor for several local schools and fine arts companies including Sunstone Studios MKE, SummerStage of Delafield, Waukesha Civic Theater, Falls Patio Players, Martin Luther High School, To the Pointe Fine Arts, and Above the Clouds Milwaukee in such productions as “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Leading Ladies,” “Miss Holmes,” “Deathtrap,” “Sister Act the Musical,” “Mamma Mia!,” “The Music Man,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “The Wedding Song,” and “Cinderella.”
Stage Managers
Ky Peters
KY PETERS (Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be with with Kohl’s Wild Theater once again. A recent graduate of Carroll University, Ky received their Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre, Music, and Arts Management May 2021. From actor to set construction, director to props designer, and marketing/public relations to stage manager, Ky loves every aspect of theatre and has previously served in many roles for many different productions. Recent SM credits include “Babel” (The Constructivists), the “Ballet Beat” series (Milwaukee Ballet), and “The Play that Goes Wrong” (Waukesha Civic Theatre). ASM credits include “The Cake” (Renaissance Theaterworks). They are honored to be a part of “Leona Lionheart Saves the World.” They would like to thank their family for their love and all who give their support to the arts in Milwaukee.
Creative and Production Team
Anne Van Deusen
ANNE VAN DEUSEN (Music Director) loves everything to do with musical theatre, education, and caring for others, making Kohl’s Wild Theater the perfect place for her to create. Anne has been an active music director, vocal coach and pianist in the Milwaukee area for many years — working with performers from age 4 and up — at schools, community theatres, and at the professional level. Her greatest joy is the process of self-discovery. During the day and on weekends, Anne is the Director of Music Ministries at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Milwaukee.
The Acting Company
Jesse Weinberg
JESSE WEINBERG is excited to be joining the Kohl’s Wild Theater! A graduate of Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music, he has been performing and teaching in Southeastern Wisconsin for the last 15 years. A singer of both Classical and Pop music, he’s performed with the Skylight Theater, Milwaukee Opera Theater, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as well as performing at Summerfest, the House of Blues and Jazz in the Park. He performs with the bands Velocity and Platinum. Past roles include Papageno in “The Magic Flute,” Javert in “Les Miserables,” Jesus in “Godspell,” Jailer in “Tosca,” Ben in “The Telephone.” Jesse and his wife live in Wauwatosa with their two kids and cat.
Playwrights and Composers
Playwright
Tom Bebeau
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“All Feelings Great and Small”
Playwright
Chris Beimborn
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”
Playwright
Erica Berman
Erica Berman is thrilled to be joining the Kohl’s Wild Theater team! Erica’s plays have been selected for the Protostar Development Series (Children’s Theater of Madison), Wisconsin Wrights Festival (Forward Theater), Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (Milwaukee Chamber Theater), Words and Music Series (Four Seasons Theater) and finalists for the Br!NK Residency Award (Renaissance Theaterworks) and New Plays for Young Audiences (NYU). Her play No Wake will receive its world premiere in February 2020 at Milwaukee Chamber Theater and was recorded for the upcoming podcast “The American Playbook.” Erica produces the Young Playwrights Festival at Children’s Theater of Madison in her role as Director of Education. BA: Mount Holyoke College, MA: Emerson College.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
Playwright
Brittany Curran
Brittany Curran holds a BFA degree in Acting and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She joined KWT in the summer of 2016 as an actor, and has been working on KWT’s at-exhibit writing team since 2017. 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, Milwaukee Entertainment Group, and Summit Players. In addition to her work as a writer and actor, Brittany is also a teaching artist, director, and 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
“The KWT Trash Bash
Playwright
Kelly Doherty
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:
“Bruno and Juno”
“Captain Compost”
“Rear Hippo”
“The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ”
Playwright
Jonathan Ellers
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 Clicker Game”
“A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme”
“Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?”
“Ice is Nice (or don’t dunk the polar bear)”
“The Reach of the Rain Forest”
“The Spot of the Jaguar”
“What I Eat”
Composer
Paula Foley Tillen
Paula Foley Tillen has been a professional musician in the Milwaukee area for more years than she cares to think about. She has served as music director for hundreds of productions from the junior high to professional levels, and has been active at Milwaukee ComedySportz since 1985. She has served as a lead teacher at First Stage Theatre Academy, Brookfield Center for the Arts, and director of music at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Waukesha; in addition, she remains much in demand as a musical director, pianist, vocal coach and accompanist. Paula’s arrangements and compositions are found in the catalogues of several national publishing houses, as well as online at sheetmusicplus.com and pftillenmusic.com. Her music has been performed by community, high school, university and all-state choirs around the USA and Canada, as well as locally, by the East Side Chamber Players, UWM choirs, Master Singers of Milwaukee and Skylight Music Theatre’s KidsWrites. Paula is certified as a yoga and meditation instructor, and as a Reiki master practitioner. She teaches yoga and meditation at the Wisconsin Athletic Club (Brookfield) and YogaOne studio in Fox Point.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“#Pets!”
Composer
Jonathon Gideon
Jonathon holds a BA in music with a theatre minor from Concordia University Wisconsin. He joined KWT as a company member in the summer of 2019. In addition to his work as an actor and composer, Jonathon has also worked with KWT as a music director. As an actor and singer, Jonathon has worked with Renaissance Theatreworks, First Stage, Milwaukee Entertainment Group, Outskirts Theatre Company, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Jonathon serves as the music director at Kingo Lutheran Church in Shorewood. He is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work as a composer with KWT.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Rear Hippo”
Playwright
Nicole Greevy
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:
“Lights, Camera, Arctic!”
“The Penguinlympics”
“A Tale of Two Hemispheres”
“The Treasure of the Sea”
Playwright
Neil Haven
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:
“Bullies and Bonobos”
“The Time Traveler’s Chicken”
Playwright
Doug Jarecki
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”
“Outdoor Adventure Organization”
Playwright
Dave McLellan
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 Choice”
“Frozen Seasons: A Musical Review”
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
Composer
Brian Myers
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:
“Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum”
“Finding Harmony”
“The Time Traveler’s Chicken”
Playwright
Ernie Nolan
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:
“The Congo Code”
“Dr. McGhee Learns about the Sea”
“Hey There, Neighbor”
Composer
Arne Parrot
Arne Parrot has been writing music since the moment he realized he wasn’t meant for sports, and he is proud to say that his work is featured on the (very cool Chicago based) podcasts Hey Riddle Riddle, Campaign Skyjacks and Starlight Radio Dreams. He is a Music Director at The Second City and iO Chicago, and on weekends he brings his particularly unsuccessful brand of nerd music to Renaissance Festivals around the country. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2010 with a degree in theatre, he moved to Chicago, where he spends most of his time looking out the window with his hands on his hips wondering if he made the right call.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
Playwright
Alvaro Saar Rios
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”
Composer & Lyricist
Brett Ryback
Brett Ryback is an actor, composer/lyricist, and writer. He is the recipient of the ASCAP Foundation’s Cole Porter Award. His works include: In Strange Woods (Apple Podcasts); Free Speech Zone (Austin Film Festival Semifinalist); Passing Through (Goodspeed); Nate the Great (Licensed by TRW); Joe Schmoe Saves the World (NAMT, ASCAP/Dreamworks Workshop); and The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter (“Best Musical,” Pasadena Weekly). His award-winning plays Weïrd and A Roz By Any Other Name are both published in “The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008.” As an actor he originated the role of Marcus Off-Broadway in Murder for Two, and he has performed at numerous regional theaters. Film/TV appearances include Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and Hail, Caesar! He created the online accompanist site PlayThisForMe.com, and he teaches musical theater at USC. Please visit www.brettryback.com.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“All Feelings Great and Small”
Playwright
Liz Shipe
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Finding Harmony”
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
Composer/Sound Designer
John Tanner
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 “The Biodiversity Pep Rally”
“The Choice”
“City Bee”
“A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme”
“Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea”
“A Game of Seasons”
“The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl”
“Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?”
“Journey to the Rich Coast”
“The KWT Trash Bash”
“The Legend of Hibernacula”
“Me and My Tree”
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
“Trash or Tunes”
“The Treasure of the Sea”
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
“What I Eat”
“The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ”
Sound Designer “The Bachelor-Pette”
“Bullies and Bonobos”
“The iRiver Cleanify App”
“The KWT Trash Bash”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees”
“Rear Hippo”
“The Spot of the Jaguar”
“The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion”
Playwright
Melanie Wehrmacher
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:
“The Bachelor-Pette”
“City Bee”
“The Great Wisconsin Zoo-Per Bowl”
“The iRiver Cleanify App”
“King Minas”
“The Legend of Hibernacula”
“Me and My Tree”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees”
“The Ornate Box Turtle Puppet Show”
“The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion”
“The Trash Monster”
“Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature”
“Wild Wisconsin!”
Playwright
Zach Thomas Woods
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”
“A Game of Seasons”
“The KWT Trash Bash
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bee”
“Leona Lionheart Saves the World”
“#Pets!”
Composer
Matt Zembrowski
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:
“Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County”
“Leona Lionheart Saves the World”
“A Winter’s Tail”
Designers
Set Designer
Gabriella Ashlin
Gabriella Ashlin studied acting and theatre technology at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she was the assistant scenic designer for Eurydice. She previously worked as a scenic painter at Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, Tennessee and Silver Maple Studios in Milwaukee. She was scenic designer and director for Nonsense Theatre Company’s inaugural show “Reasons to be Pretty.” Gabriella looks forward to continuing her work in paint and design in Chicago.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Game of Seasons”
“The Legend of the Trash Monster and Other Silly Scary Stories”
Set/Props Designer
Steve Barnes
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:
“Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County”
“The Bachelor-Pette”
“Bullies and Bonobos”
“Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum”
“A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme”
“Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea”
“The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl”
“The Healthy Habits Hullabaloo”
“Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?”
“The iRiver Cleanify App”
“Journey to the Rich Coast”
“The Legend of Hibernacula”
“Lights, Camera, Arctic!”
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
“Monkeys in the Middle”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees”
“The Reach of the Rain Forest”
“Rear Hippo”
“The Spot of the Jaguar”
“The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion”
“A Tale of Two Hemispheres”
“The Time Traveler’s Chicken”
“The Treasure of the Sea”
“Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature”
“Wild Wisconsin!”
“A Winter’s Tail”
“The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ”
“A World of Water”
Costume Designer
Andrea Bouck
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 Bachelor-Pette”
“Bullies and Bonobos”
“A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme”
“Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea”
“The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl”
“Hey, Wazza Water Cycle?”
“The iRiver Cleanify App”
“Journey to the Rich Coast”
“The Legend of Hibernacula”
“Lights, Camera, Arctic!”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bees”
“The Reach of the Rain Forest”
“The Spot of the Jaguar”
“The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion”
“A Tale of Two Hemispheres”
“The Time Traveler’s Chicken”
“The Treasure of the Sea”
“Vampires vs. Aliens: A Wisconsin Wildlife Double Feature”
“Wild Wisconsin!”
“A World of Water”
Costume Designer
Eleanor Cotey
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 Congo Code”
“The Wonderful Lizard of OOZ”
Set Designer
Don Ellingsen
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“How Does Your Garden Grow?”
Sound, Set, and Projection Designer
Chris Guse
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”
“The Monarch: A Space Adventure”
“Trash or Tunes”
Puppet Designer
Scott Hitz
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:
“Captain Super Fantastic and the Coltan Conundrum” (colobus monkey)
“The Congo Code” (bonobo)
Penguin Puppets
Costume Designer
Amy Horst
Amy Horst has designed several shows for Kohl’s Wild Theater. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband and son and loves to visit the giraffes any time she comes to the Zoo. Amy has also worked with Skylight Music Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Northern Sky Theater.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County”
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
“A Game of Seasons”
Puppet Designer
Dan Katula
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 Time Traveler’s Chicken”
“The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ”
Puppet Designer
Brandon Kirkham
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:
“Aldo Leopold and the Ghost of Sand County”
“Bullies and Bonobos”
“A Climb Through Time With Clues and Rhyme”
“Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea”
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
“Finding Harmony”
“The iRiver Cleanify App”
“Journey to the Rich Coast”
“Lights, Camera, Arctic!”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bee”
“The Ornate Box Turtle Puppet Show”
“The Reach of the Rain Forest”
“The Spot of the Jaguar”
“The Strange Case of the Alien Invasion”
“A Tale of Two Hemispheres”
“The Treasure of the Sea”
“A World of Water”
Puppet Designer
Alisa Kleckner
Working within both the professional and academic communities, Alisa has designed and built costumes, masks, puppets, and f/x makeup for over 225 theatrical productions in the Northeast. As an educator, she teaches a range of courses in theatre design and technology as well as foundations classes in art, 3D printing and digital fabrication, and entrepreneurship in the arts apprenticeships. Beyond her traditional theatre endeavors, Alisa operates Scared of My Shadow, a leather mask business in which she specializes in creating wearable art pieces.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“#Pets!”
Costume Designer
Lyn Kream
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bee
“Rear Hippo”
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
Puppet Designer
Nikki Kulas
Nikki is excited to be working on her first production with Kohl’s Wild Theater. She has spent the last 6 seasons as the Properties Master at First Stage. Before that, she was a Props Artist at Skylight Music Theatre for 3 seasons and a Props Apprentice for one season. For eight summers, she called Winona, MN her home where she served as the Properties Director at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Other Milwaukee prop credits include “Deathtrap,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Dear Elizabeth,” “Boeing Boeing,” “Good Father,” “Lend me a Tenor,” October, Before I Was Born,” “Things Being What They Are,” “Jeeves in Bloom,” “Underneath the Lintel,” “Collected Stories,” “Heroes,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “The Subject Was Roses” at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; “Irma Vep,” “Grace,” “The Clockmaker,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Microcrisis,” “One Time,” “Vigil,” “Sylvia,” “Exonerated,” and “A Sleeping Country” at Next Act Theatre, and “Belle of Amherst,” “The Understudy,” “The Road to Mecca,” “Educating Rita,” and “Enfascada” at Renaissance Theaterworks. She also had the pleasure of designing props for Luminous Theatre’s production of “The Penelopiad” under the Holton Street viaduct. Nikki is a graduate of UW-Parkside where she received her BA with emphasizes in Theatre Design/Tech and Acting.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“All Feelings Great and Small”
“Rear Hippo”
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
Set Designer
Christopher Kurtz
Chris is honored to be designing with Kohl’s Wild Theater. Chris has designed scenery for many theater companies in the Milwaukee area, Summerstage of Delafield, Theater Red, Sunset Playhouse, Acacia Theatre Company; colleges, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Cardinal Stritch University; and, High Schools in the Lake Country area, Oconomowoc, Arrowhead (both with several Jerry Awards), and the University Lake School. He has worked in many aspects of live production all across the country, from technical direction as well as production management. Chris worked at the University of Southern California and was a founding member of The Namaste Theatre Company in Los Angeles, California; and, worked and toured for the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chris received his MFA from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan; and his BA from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. He is a proud IATSE Journeyman, Local #13.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“All Feelings Great and Small”
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
Set Construction
Anthony Lyons
Anthony Lyons has built scenery as part of a small custom carpentry shop since 2006. In the time since, he has served continuously as technical director for Renaissance Theaterworks, building over thirty productions. He has been building for Kohl’s Wild Theater since 2016. Anthony has been technical director for Wild Space Dance Company since 1999. He has been technical director for past productions by Luminous Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Bialystock & Bloom and Danceworks Performance Company.
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“Dr. McGhee Learns About the Sea”
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
“All Feelings Great and Small”
“Finding Harmony”
“Leona Lionheart Saves the World”
“Monkeys in the Middle”
“The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Bee”
“Rear Hippo”
“Welcome to the Zoo!”
Costume Designer
Kathryn Mooers
Kathryn Mooers is a teaching artist from Hartland, Wisconsin. She directs children’s theater at Lake Country Performing Arts Academy and surrounding schools. In 2018 Kathryn designed and built the props and costumes plot for Trash Bash with Kohl’s Wild Theater. She’s excited to continue working with the educational theater community in the greater Milwaukee Area!
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“The KWT Trash Bash”
Costume Designer
Jason Orlenko
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:
“Trash or Tunes”
“A Winter’s Tail”
Scenic Designer
Lisa Schlenker
Lisa Schlenker is happy to be back working with the inspiring artists at KWT. Lisa is a Milwaukee based Scenic Designer who also specializes in Prop Direction for the full spectrum of opera and music theatre works with Skylight Music Theatre, where she is in her 29th season. Avocationally, Lisa can be found giving care to Wisconsin’s native bats at Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Center, where she is an active wildlife rehabilitator. An Augustana College BA alumna, and a 1988 MFA graduate in Theatre Technology at UW-Madison, Ms. Schlenker enjoys an active freelance scenic design career with a variety of Wisconsin based theatres. Lisa’s book with co-author Sandra Strawn “The Properties Director’s Tool Kit” is available on Amazon.com. Upcoming design projects include “Elephants Never Forget” for Kohl’s Wild Theater, “The Children’s Hour” for UWM, “We Like it (W)here?” and “Dad’s Season Tickets” for Northern Sky, and “Fires in the Mirror” for MCT. Thanks for supporting Live Local Theatre!
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“An Elephant Never Forgets”
“Finding Harmony”
Costume Designer
Christy Siebers
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:
“All Feelings Great and Small”
“Finding Harmony”
“The Monarch – A Space Adventure”
Assistant Projections Designer
Kristian Wiborg
Kohl’s Wild Theater credits include:
“The Monarch – A Space Adventure”
