Seanachaí is the Gaelic word for Storyteller.
The people's stories were at the very core of ancient Irish culture. It was the duty of the Seanachaí to keep these stories alive. The mission of Seanachaí Theatre Company is to return theatre to this origin - by creating compelling productions and programs that focus the energy of artists towards the common goal of exceptional storytelling. To achieve this end, Seanachaí Theatre Company strives to provide an atmosphere where all theatre artists - actors, playwrights, directors and designers - have the support and assurance to collaborate openly. That is at the heart of all ensemble companies, and Seanachaí has proven itself a major player in Chicago’s ensemble-driven theatrical community.
The Seanachaí Ensemble
Jeff Christian, Jacquelyn Flaherty, Barbara Figgins, Coburn Goss, Michael Grant,
Robert Kauzlaric, Carolyn Klein , Dan Michel, Anne Sunseri, Kevin Theis,
Dan Waller, Sarah Wellington
Click here for Seanachaí West.
An ensemble member since 2003, Jeff directed Mojo Mickybo, Our Father and A Whistle in the Dark for the company, and appeared in Our Father, Scenes From The Big Picture, War and David Cromer's After Dark Award-winning and Jeff-nominated production of Journey's End. As an actor and co-director, he shared in three Jeff Awards and an After Dark Award for The Journeymen's Angels in America, and directed Proof and Driving Miss Daisy for New American Theater; Love’s Labours Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Two Gentlemen of Verona for Lakeside Shakespeare; and James Krag's one man show According to Mark. He is the Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago and has directed his adaptations of Dickens, Moliere, Ibsen, Euripides, Shakespeare, Marlowe and Goethe. His stage credits include Writers’ Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, The Women’s Project of New York, The Tennessee Williams Festival, Syracuse Stage, Indiana Rep, Chicago Dramatists, Milwaukee Rep, Madison Rep, The Artistic Home, Artists’ Ensemble, Illinois Theatre Center and New American Theatre. He writes and directs animated and live action sequences for the Emmy Award-winning Digital Kitchen, co-fronts the band Ingenious Whittler, serves as a creative consultant to Tessera Publishing and is currently in rehearsal for The Skin of Our Teeth, which he is directing for The Artistic Home. Film credits include Batman Begins, Witches’ Night, The Express, The Poker House, Helix, Pickman’s Muse, Cyrus, and Good People.
Barbara has been a company member with Seanachaí since 2005 and has performed in Our Father, Scenes From The Big Picture, War and Bold Girls. Other Chicago credits include Twelfth Night (City Lit); Othello, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar (Crew of Patches); What’s Wrong With Angry, Nine (Circle Theatre); Sin: A Cardinal Deposed, Southern Baptist Sissies, and A Bee in Her Sonnet (Baliwick Repertory). She has also worked with Victory Gardens Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Next Theatre, Collaboraction, Backstage Theatre, Chicago Jewish Theatre, and Infamous Commonwealth. Regionally, Barbara has worked with Kenley Players in Ohio, The MUNY in St. Louis and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.
Jacquelyn joined the company in May of 2001 after appearing as Danaan in their Jeff award winning production of Ann Noble's The Pagans. Jacquelyn also appeared in Seanachaí's productions of Dylan, Drink Me, and Bold Girls, and served as Seanachaí’s Artistic Director from 2003-2008. Other Chicago credits include House of Blue Leaves (Shattered Globe Theatre), Angel City (American Theatre Company), Eloise and Ray (Roadworks Productions), and Brutality of Fact (Eclipse Theatre Company). She participated in the Steppenwolf Ensemble Training Project where she appeared as Loretta in Featuring Loretta, and has also worked with Northlight Theatre and Circle Theatre. She received an MFA in Acting from Indiana University.
Coburn Goss recently appeared in Fake at Steppenwolf, The Crowd You’re In With at the Goodman Theatre, and Dying City with Next Theatre. Other credits include: Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Royal Family, Absolution (Steppenwolf); When the Messenger Is Hot (Steppenwolf, also Off-Broadway at 59E59 Street); Vigils (Goodman); Seagull (Writers’ Theatre); and The Last True Believer (Seattle Rep). He is a founding member of Seanachaí, appearing in Whistle In the Dark, Journey’s End, The Pagans, Translations, Marked Tree, The Clearing, and And Neither Have I Wings to Fly. He is the author of Marked Tree (Osborn Award from the American Theatre Critics’ Assocation for Best Emerging Playwright and After Dark Award for Best New Work) and Calamity Meat, both first produced by Seanachaí. Film: The Lucky Ones, Shelter, Joshua, What Women Want. Television: E/R, The Beast, Prison Break.
Michael is a founding ensemble member of Seanachaí Theatre Company and served as its Artistic Director from 1995 to 2003. As an actor, Michael has appeared in nine of Seanachaí’s productions, including Our Father, War, Drink Me and The Clearing as well as the world premieres of Marked Tree, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly and The Pagans. Favorite roles include Sherlock Holmes (The Sign of the Four at Apple Tree Theatre), the Invisible Man (Scientific Romances at Next Theatre), Arthur Miller (Are You Now or Have You Ever Been... at Next Theatre) and Hugo (God’s Man in Texas at Northlight Theatre). Other Chicago credits include work with Fox Theatricals, Interplay, Center Theater, European Repertory and other shows at Next Theatre. Michael is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and lives in Chicago with his wife, Erin, and sons, Liam and Dermot.
Robert has appeared with Seanachaí as Mush in A Whistle in the Dark, Denis in War, Oscar in Our Father, and Mojo in Mojo Mickybo. Other Chicago credits include: Sueño and The Nose (Greasy Joan & Co.); Radio Theatre 6: A Many-Splendored Thing (Strawdog Theatre); Balm in Gilead (The Hypocrites); Tartuffe (City Lit); Candida (Circle Theatre); A Christmas Carol (New American Theater); Getting Away with Murder, Julius Caesar and Macbeth (Theatre at the Center); Henry IV and Merry Wives of Windsor (Lakeside Shakespeare); Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); and numerous productions with Lifeline Theatre, including Around the World in 80 Days (Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards: Supporting Actor-Play and Ensemble), The Mark of Zorro (After Dark Award: Outstanding Production), A Room with a View, The Killer Angels, The Return of the King, and The Silver Chair. Robert's stage adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau received five Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards, including New Adaptation and Best Production-Play, and his adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray was nominated for New Adaptation; both are published by Playscripts, Inc.
Carolyn is delighted to be a part of the Seanachaí family after appearing as Helen Woods in Scenes from the Big Picture and Urseline Rime in Drink Me. Carolyn will be directing The Artist Needs a Wife at the side project this winter and will play Agnes in Dancing at Lughnasa this spring. Other Chicago credits include Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Next Theatre; Tooth of Crime and Spring Awakening at Strawdog Theatre; The Radiant Abyss at Profiles Theatre; Henry V and Blood Wedding with The Hypocrites; Sexual Perversity in Chicago with Theo Ubique and the dreamer examines his pillow with New Leaf. Carolyn is an Artistic Associate with The Strange Tree Group where she directed Mr. Spacky, The Man Who Was Continuously Followed By Wolves and The Mysterious Elephant and the Terrible Tradgedy of the Unlikely Addington Twins* (*Who Kill Him). She is also the voice of Jenny O’Toole for the XBOX game Dead Man's Hand. Carolyn was raised in the Detroit area, has a BFA from Western Michigan University and an MFA in Acting from Indiana University-Bloomington.
Dan is honored to be part of the Seanachaí ensemble. Recently, he stage managed Oklahoma! at American Theater Company, where he did Heritagae, Kid-Simple and Living Out previously. He is proud of stage managing three productions which were recipients of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble (The Laramie Project, The Incident, and Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...?), all with Next Theatre where he was resident stage manager for three seasons. Other productions include Dylan, Drink Me, and The Pagans with Seanachaí; Nickel and Dimed with Naked Eye at Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theater; Burning Chrome and The Boarding House with Next; Peace4 with HealthWorks Theatre; Waving Goodbye (workshop) with Naked Eye; Some Explicit Polaroids, Sis3ters, Eloise & Ray and The American Plan with Roadworks; and Animal Farm, Hello Again, and The Christmas Schooner with Bailiwick Repertory. Additionly, he recently directed two workshop productions at Chicago Dramatists. Dan holds an MFA in theatre from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. By day, he works for America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network, and you can also find him a couple of nights a week as part of the singing staff at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret.
A company member since 2005, Anne most recently appeared as Maggie Lyttle in the Jeff-nominated production of Scenes From the Big Picture. She has also been seen on the Seanachaí stage as Niamh in War, as well as understudied the role of Deirdre in the company's production of Bold Girls, for which she also served as Assistant Director.
Kevin’s relationship with Seanachaí goes back to 1995 when he directed their second show, Helen Edmundson's The Clearing. In 2000, Kevin returned to Seanachaí to direct Ann Noble's world premiere production of The Pagans at the Theatre Building, which went on to win a Jeff Award for Best New Work, and shortly thereafter joined the ensemble. He also directed Seanachaí’s world premiere of Drink Me, or the Strange Case of Alice Times Three in 2004. An actor/director, Kevin has appeared with or helmed productions for a number of Chicago companies. He has performed at the Goodman Theatre, Next Theatre, Lifeline, City Lit, Buffalo Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Peninsula Players and CT20 Ensemble, where he served as Artistic Director. Directing experience includes six shows with the City Lit Theatre including the Jeff Award winning Jeeves and the Mating Season (Jeff nomination). He directed the long-running production of Here Come the Famous Brothers at the Royal George; The Mandrake for Greasy Joan & Co. (Jeff nomination); The Picture of Dorian Gray (adapted by fellow Seanachaí member Robert Kauzlaric), The Silver Chair and The Sirens of Titan for Lifeline; Fair Maid of the West for CT20 Ensemble (Jeff nomination); Robin Hood and Cyrano de Bergerac for the Oak Park Festival Theatre; and is responsible for writing and directing all of the Bumblinni Brothers shows at the Actors Gymnasium. He is also a founding member of Shanghai Low Theatricals, a not-for-profit adaptation development group whose first production, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four was produced at Apple Tree Theatre in the summer of 2003 and is published by Dramatic Publishing. In addition, Kevin serves as President of the Board of Directors at the Oak Park Festival Theatre. Kevin is married to actress Sara Nichols and has two daughters, Miranda and Gwendolyn, on whom he dotes.
Mojo Mickybo is Dan’s fourth Seanachaí production. Others include Our Father and A Whistle in the Dark, also directed by fellow ensemble member Jeff Christian. His first Seanachaí production was Journey’s End, directed by David Cromer. He most recently appeared onstage in the world premiere of Naomi Iizuka’s Ghostwritten at the Goodman Theatre, directed by Lisa Portes. His other Chicago theatrical credits include: Talking Pictures (Goodman Theatre); As You Like It (Shakespeare Project of Chicago); The Coast of Chicago (Walkabout/Lookingglass); To the Green Fields Beyond and Our Town (Writers' Theatre); MOJO (Mary-Arrchie); Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lakeside Shakespeare); Karen Tarjan's adaptation of The Killer Angels (Lifeline Theatre); The Cider House Rules: Parts I & II (Famous Door Theatre); and Short Eyes and Streamers (Blindfaith). Film credits include: Barefoot to Jerusalem, Repetition, Of Boys and Men, and Witless Protection. Television credits include: Our Little Science Story for the Starz network, TNT’s Leverage, and A&E’s The Beast. He can be seen this Spring in the Midwest premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Good Negro at the Goodman Theatre, directed by Chuck Smith.
Sarah joined the ensemble in 2006 after appearing as Betty in A Whistle in the Dark. She performs the role of Maggie in this spring’s production of Dancing at Lughnasa and has also appeared on the Seanachaí stage as Theresa in Scenes from the Big Picture and Briget in War. Previous credits in Chicago include originating the role of Joan in Steppenwolf Theatre’s Orson’s Shadow, directed by David Cromer, with subsequent transfers to Williamstown Theatre Festival and Westport Country Playhouse. Other roles include Sara in the world premiere of Graceland by Ellen Fairey for Profiles Theatre, Gabby in Serenading Louie (Roadworks), as well as productions with Next Theatre, Rivendell, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and CCPA. Favorite roles in her native England include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Kate in The Taming of the Shrew. Film and TV: The Unborn (David S. Goyer), The Company (Robert Altman), Casting About (Barry Hershey), The Bill, London Bridge, and Crime Monthly. Sarah also works as a voiceover artist in Chicago and trained with the late, great David Bennett in London.
Seanachaí West (L.A.)
Mac Brandt, Thomas Vincent Kelly, Ann Noble, Catherine O'Connor, Andrew Turner
Mac made his Seanachaí debut as Sgr. Major in Journey's End and after joining the company had the opportunity to play the great role of Iggy in A Whistle in the Dark. Mac graduated from Columbia College with a degree in theater and worked extensively in Chicago Theater. He also had a recurring role on Fox's Prison Break. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Tom is a founding ensemble member of Seanachaí Theatre Company, where he most recently appeared as Joe Hynes in Scenes From the Big Picture. Previously, Tom played Anton Chekhov in Chekhov in Yalta and created the role of Charlie in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly. Chicago credits include: Zoot Suit, A Touch of the Poet (Goodman); Look Back in Anger (Writer's Theatre); Henry IV, Parts I and II, and Henry V (Chicago Shakespeare); Cyrano de Bergerac (Rivendell); Love's Labours Lost, The Front Page, Almost Blue (Next Theatre). Regional credits include: San Jose Rep., Connecticut Rep., Cape Fear, American Players, and Shakespearean Festivals in Utah, Florida, Illinois and Idaho. Now residing in Los Angeles, stage credits there include The Wind Cries Mary (East West Players); Death of a Salesman (Interact); Mr. Kolpert (Odyssey); Only Say the Word (EST). Television credits include: Saving Grace, The Closer, 24, JAG, ER, Without a Trace, and numerous other guest star appearances. Tom earned a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois.
Ann is a founding member of Seanachaí, a Chicago native, an NU graduate and a member of The Road Theatre Company in Los Angeles. LA Credits: Brett Neveu’s American Dead with Rogue Machine; Fortinbras with Theatre Neo; Tom Jacobson’s The Friendly Hour, And Neither Have I Wings To Fly, Tom Jacobson’s Bunbury, Shove with the Road; Craig Wright’s Orange Flower Water with The Victory Theatre/Tight&Shiny; Betrayal with Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara; Richard III, Hamlet, As You Like It with Shakespeare At Play; Poe/Gorey with Guild of St. George/Huntington Library. Chicago Credits: As You Like It with First Folio; Syncopation with AppleTree; The Cripple of Inishmaan with Northlight; Translations, Chekhov in Yalta with Seanachaí Theatre Company; The Duchess of Malfi, The White Devil with SMC; Tiny Island with Next; One Day Only with ATC; Suicide in B-Flat with CTE; Habeas Corpus with Interplay. Web-Series Credits: Paranormal, Burbank; The Diary; We Have To Stop Now, Nurses Who Kill.... Awards: Ovation, ADA, Garland, LA Weekly, Jeff, After Dark. Playwriting Credits: And Neither Have I Wings To Fly, The Boarding House, The Pagans, The Way I Wear My Hat, By Moonlight, Alighting Home. Playwriting Awards: Jeff, Stanley Drama, Panowski, Route 66, YES Fest, Susan Smith Blackburn, Garland. Her newest play, Sidhe, will be produced by the Road after workshops with Seanachaí in Chicago and The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Odyssey in Los Angeles. She is also the Creator of the hit Web-Series We Have To Stop Now which can be seen at www.wehavetostopnow.tv and the Co-Creator of the new Web-Series Nurses Who Kill... which can be seen at www.nurseswhokill.com. For more information please visit www.annnoble.net.
Catherine is a proud founding ensemble member of Seanachaí. She originated the roles of Katie in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, Edna in Marked Tree and Anna in The Pagans, and thoroughly enjoyed recreating the roles of Madeleine in The Clearing and Lilina in Chekhov in Yalta. Other favorite roles include Maggie in Lend Me a Tenor (Fox Theatricals), Marilyn Monroe in Son of Celluloid (Next Theatre), Doll Tearsheet in Henry IV, Parts I and II (Chicago Shakespeare Company), Simone in Black Angel (LeTraunik Prod.'s, Jeff nomination.), Orfamay Quest in Raymond Chandler's The Little Sister (Lifeline Theatre) and Viola in Twelfth Night (European Repertory Theatre) where she originally met Michael Grant, Ann Noble and Karen Tarjan. She has also had the pleasure of working with The Goodman Theatre, Shakespeare's Motley Crew, The Cape Fear Regional Playhouse, Shattered Globe, Strawdog and Chicago Dramatist's Workshop. Now a resident of Los Angeles, Cat can be heard on various voice-overs on radio and TV and has worked at the Geffen Theatre, Laguna Playhouse and The Odyssey Theatre. Seanachaí West gathers for readings and libations on a semi-regular basis, in the grand old Seanachaí tradition.
Andrew is a founding member of Seanachaí and appeared most recently as Owen in Translations, as Sturman for a weekend in The Clearing, and originated the role of Freddie Malone in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly. His Chicago theater career has included work with the Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Interplay, Wisdom Bridge, and The Organic Theater. Regional Theater credits include work with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and New American Theater of Rockford, IL. In southern California, Mr. Turner most recently appeared in Eden with Buzzworks Theater Company. He has worked at Deaf West Theater of Hollywood, the Pacific Resident Theater Ensemble, and Theater 40. Television credits include an appearance on The X-Files; and voice over work on Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, and Millenium. Mr. Turner received his Bachelor of Arts, Degree in Philosophy from Boston College and went on to train in classical theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He is an active member of Seanachaí West and now resides in Pasadena, California with his wife and two kids.
|