Cliff Chamberlain (Tin Woodsman) has a heart full of love for The House and for Oz. He has worked previously with The House in Hatfield & McCoy and The Sparrow.  Around town he has worked with Goodman, Steppenwolf, Writers', Chicago Shakespeare, Remy Bumppo, and Uma.  He is also a proud founding member of the Galenda Day Players as well as Sandbox Theatre Project, where he co-wrote and performed in their site specific plays Where We Live (apartment), Bottle Can Draft (bar) and Can You Spot Me? (gym).  Play Well. 

Erin Lee Damron (Hiccough, Ensemble) received her BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University in 2002.  She promptly moved to Chicago where she has enjoyed a string of character building jobs and some of the best theatre she's ever seen.  She's had the pleasure to work with Emerald City Theatre, the Neo-Futurists and The House. 

Carolyn Defrin (Glinda) is a founding company member of The House where she has performed in several shows, most recently as Emily Book in The Sparrow, which will be remounted at The Steppenwolf Theatre Garage this Spring. Other shows with The House include: Valentine Victorious (Jeff Nomination: supporting actress), Curse of The Crying Heart, San Valentino and The Melancholy Kid, Ellen Under Glass, Rocket Man, and The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan.  Outside of The House, Carolyn most recently performed in Bob Falls' production of King Lear at The Goodman.  She has also worked as a performer, choreographer and/or teaching artist with Redmoon, Lookingglass, Strawdog and Remy Bumppo.  Outside of Chicago, Carolyn performed and choreographed a piece as part of the St. Ann's Warehouse Puppetry Lab in Brooklyn, NY.  Big love to Sydney and Thema Friedner, former Northlight subscribers and beloved grandparents. 

Paige Hoffman (Dorothy) began her adventures in the great city of Chicago five years ago.  In that time, she has had the pleasure of working with such fine theatres as The House, The Neo-Futurists, in the spring Steppenwolf, and today Northlight.  She very much loves the cultural riches of Chicago, and wouldn't trade it for any other city in the country. 

Chris Mathews (Stanislaw, Ensemble) Chris has been a company member with The House since The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan in 2002.  He's acted, written, designed props, and technically directed for the company lots.  Chris was also seen in Hillbilly Antigone with Lookingglass and running on a treadmill with a mustache in Can You Spot Me? with Sandbox Theatre Project.  Love to Susan. 

Jake Minton (Lion) is thrilled to be back in Oz for the month of March...it's like a magical vacation!  A member of The House since 2002, Jake has played a cowboy preacher, a noir detective, an evil scientist, a talking caveman and more.  Most often cast for his ability to grow a righteous beard, Jake is delighted that lions are furry.  Recent accomplishments include co-writing The Sparrow with Monkey King Chris Mathews, Nathan Allen, and The House team, and marrying the prettiest lady in the world.  She gives him courage every day. 

Michael E. Smith (Krumholtz, Ensemble) is a Company Member of The House Theatre of Chicago and has appeared in their productions of The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, San Valentino and the Melancholy Kid, The Rocket Man, Cave With Man, Curse of the Crying Heart (Jeff Nom. Best Supporting Actor), Valentine Victorious, The Boy Detective Fails, Hatfield and McCoy and The Sparrow.  Other Chicago credits include Miss Julie, The Quare Fellow, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Much Ado About Nothing.  He is a graduate of Skidmore College and has studied in London through the Shakespeare Programme and at the British American Drama Academy where he was seen on stage as Malvolio in Twelfth Night.  Michael is also the Theatre Arts teacher at North Lawndale College Prep Charter High School.  He would like to thank his family, friends and Housemates for all their love and support. 

Joey Steakley (Toto) is thrilled to be reunited with his canine pal Toto.  Before they met, Joey's acting credits included a telekinetic prom queen, an evil wizard, a trans-gendered rock diva, and even an adult film star.  Toto, having no previous experience, has gone on to do television and radio spots.  Joey is not jealous... well yes he is.  He is jealous. 

Stephen Taylor (Scarecrow) has appeared in The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, San Valentino and the Melancholy Kid, The Rocket Man, Curse of The Crying Heart, Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe, The Boy Detective Fails, Hatfield & McCoy and The Sparrow.  Stephen was also the linguistic genius who wrote The House’s Cave With Man.      

Lauren Vitz (Gethsemane, Ensemble) is proud to be a founding member of The House.  She graduated from The University of Southern California and quickly joined this great group of people.  She is also a performer with Cougars at IOChicago, formerly ImprovOlympic, and is a teacher at the Actor's Gym.  Come take a class.  

Dennis Watkins (The Wizard, Ensemble/Magic Effects) After graduating from Southern Methodist University and studying at the British American Drama Academy in London, Dennis moved to Chicago as a founding member of The House.  Dennis has performed with The House in both runs of Death and Harry Houdini, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, Cave with Man, Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe, The Boy Detective Fails, Hatfield & McCoy and The Sparrow.  Dennis also directed The Valentine Trilogy for The House.  Dennis has provided consultation on magic and illusions for many Chicago theatre companies including The House, Steppenwolf, Uma Productions, American Theater Company and Next.  As a magician, Dennis has received awards and honors from the Texas Association of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Desert Magic Seminar. 

Tommy Rapley (Director/Choreographer) received his BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University in 2001.  He has danced professionally with Ballet Memphis and The Joffrey Ballet, and now serves as Director of Movement and Choreographer for The House.  He made his directorial debut in 2005 with The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, and has since directed Ellen Under Glass for The House, and the critically acclaimed Dorian for the Bailiwick (which he also co-wrote).  Choreography credits for The House include Cave With Man (Jeff Citation), The Rocket Man (Jeff Nomination), The Valentine Trilogy, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, and most recently The Sparrow.   Tommy very much looks forward to directing his third House play, Hope Springs Infernal, written by fellow company member Ben Lobpries, which opens in May of 2007.  Much Love to Scott, Mom, and Jane. 

Kevin O’Donnell (Composer) is pleased to be back at Northlight after working on Inherit the Wind earlier this season.  With The House, Kevin has also composed music for The Sparrow, The Boy Detective Fails, Valentine Victorious, Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe, Cave With Man, and The Rocket Man.  His work in Chicago theatre has earned him 6 Jeff nominations, 2 Jeff Citations, an After Dark Award (Outstanding Season, 2006), and 2 nominations for Outstanding Achievement by the Chicago Music and Dance Alliance.  He has also worked with Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, ATC, The Mirror Rep., TimeLine, The Building Stage, The Hypocrites, and Redmoon Theater, amongst others.  He is a House company member. 

Collette Pollard  (Scenic Designer) also designed the sets for The Rocket Man, Cave With Man, Curse of the Crying Heart, Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe, Valentine Victorious, The Boy Detective Fails, and The Sparrow.  She became a House Company Member in 2006 and will complete her MFA in design at Northwestern later this year.  Love to Mark. 

Ben Wilhelm (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be making his Northlight debut with The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz.  He designs regularly for The House and for 500 Clown, as well as several other companies in and around Chicago.  He also works as a draftsman and media designer for the Oprah Winfrey Show. 

Michael Griggs (Sound Designer) is currently the Resident Sound Designer and Operations Manager for The House where he has designed or acted in the last eleven productions!  Favorite designs for The House include the Jeff-nominated productions Valentine Victorious and Dave DaVinci Saves The Universe.  Michael is also an Artistic Associate with The Hypocrites for whom he has most recently designed Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the Jeff Award Winning Angels in America.  Michael's sound designs have been heard around Chicago with Defiant Theatre, 500 Clown, Lookingglass and Steppenwolf.  Thank you very much to Northlight Theatre for hosting this magical play and all my love to Lisa and Soyasprosen! 

Laurie Lamere Klapperich (Costume Designer) has been a professional costume designer for over twenty years.  Her work was has been seen in just about every theatre in and around Denver, where she currently works as the head of the costume shop for The University of Denver.  She’s done the costumes for several House shows including Death and Harry Houdini, The Valentine Trilogy and all three of the plays written by her son.  She’s been nominated for 3 Jeff Citations, winning one for her work on Curse of the Crying Heart.  She also won an After Dark award for the costumes you see here tonight. 

G. Warren Stiles (Props Designer) is proud to be working with The House again. He received his bachelors degree in Scenic and Lighting Design from Middle Tennessee State University. He spent eight years working in Nashville at such theatres as Mockingbird Theatre, Peoples Branch, Actors Bridge Ensemble, Tennessee Dance Theatre and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival before moving to Chicago four years ago. In that time he has worked with Vittum, The House, Defiant, Collaboraction, Infamous Commonwealth, Redmoon Theatre, Uma Productions, Sanscoulettes, Chicago Children's Theatre, Arial Aloft Dance Company/Strange Tree Group and Apple Tree Theatre. 

Matt Hawkins  (Fight Choreographer) is a founding member of The House.  He has been seen in Death and Harry Houdini, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, The Valentine Trilogy, The Rocket Man and Cave With Man.  His fight choreography has earned him multiple Jeff nominations including a Citation for his aerial combat work in Curse of the Crying Heart.  His directorial debut came with The House’s critically acclaimed production of Hatfield & McCoy last fall.  He is currently hard at work learning how to be a Blue Man.  Matt loves Stacy. 

Dixie Uffelman (Production Manager) is proud to be a company member of The House.  She has been the production manager of all of their shows since 2004's The Rocket Man.  Dixie is also a company member and the Program Director of Barrel of Monkeys.  Occasionally she appears in BOM's long running public show, That's Weird Grandma.  Come see it, you will like it.  Dixie graduated from Northwestern University in 2003 and has been putting her history degree to good use ever since. 

Erin Carlson (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with The House again, especially as it means being reunited with her favorite munchkins!  Erin is a proud ensemble member at Strawdog Theatre Company where she is the resident Stage Manager.  She has just finished Search for Odysseus at the Vittum Theatre, and is just beginning Ash Girl, also with the Vittum.  Other recent projects include Marathon 33, A Tooth of Crime, and The True Ballad of Fall's Blessing (Strawdog); Valentine Victorious and The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz (The House).  Love and thanks to Adam, her family and her friends for all of their love and support. 

Anna Wiencrot  (Assistant Costume Designer) has been the Assistant Costume Designer for numerous productions at The House, including Curse of the Crying Heart, Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe and Valentine Victorious.  She received her B.A. in Costume Design from Vassar College. 

Nathan Allen (Artistic Director) graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2000 with a BFA in Acting.  He shrugged the idea of grad school and moved to Chicago to found The House Theatre of Chicago with some friends.  By 2002 The House was being hailed as “The Next Big Thing” in the major papers and began to grow a coveted younger audience base.  By 2003 Nathan quit his day job to work full time as Artistic Director of The House and has been living the dream ever since.  Directing credits include Death and Harry Houdini, which he also wrote; The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan; The Rocket Man; Cave With Man; Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe and The Sparrow.  Nathan also wrote and starred in The House’s critically acclaimed The Valentine Trilogy. 

Phillip C. Klapperich (Playwright/Executive Director) moved to Chicago in the summer of 2000 to help start The House.  Since that time he has written three stage plays, including the Jeff-nominated The Rocket Man and The House’s breakthrough hit, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan.  As Executive Director, he has overseen the production of over a dozen world premiere works.  Thanks to The House, Dad, Mom, Jeff, Rae, Alex, JoJo, and especially to Mr. Baum.  Pass The Pearl.