Stop Kiss Biographies

CAST

	Brian Bradshaw (George) is a senior majoring in Theatre and Drama and Telecommunications. Brian previously appeared in An American Ma(u)l (Thomas Jefferson) at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center. He was also seen in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (independent student production),  Booty Candy (Ensemble) for IU’s Black Curtain, and Amadeus (Valet) at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. Brian’s hometown is Carmel, Indiana.
	Kate Catherall (Sara) is a senior majoring in Theatre and Drama and Political Science. Previous roles at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center include Juliet in Measure for Measure and Witness in The Crucible. For University Players, she appeared as Lauren in Slip, Stumble, Fall. She last appeared as Lucy in Inpulse Productions' Mr. Marmalade. Kate is from Chicago, Illinois.
	Maddy King (Mrs. Winsley) is a freshman majoring in Theatre and Drama. She was recently seen in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center production of Hamlet (Player Queen). Maddy is from Chicago, Illinois.
	Chris Hatch (Detective Cole) recently completed his comprehensive exams as a Ph.D. Theatre History student. He has appeared at IU in Macbeth as Banquo, in She Stoops to Conquer as Diggory, and in Jimmy Cory as James “Flip” Carrigan. He also appeared in The Boys Next Door and Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr at the Brown County Playhouse. This past October Chris played Macduff in the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of Macbeth. Other regional credits include the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and Missouri Repertory Theatre. Chris received his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Missouri – KC and his B.A. from Penn State. Chris is from State College, Pennsylvania.
	Lilia Vassileva (Callie) is a third-year M.F.A. Acting student with a B.A. in Theatre from Valparaiso University. Norvelle Center credits: Dead Man Walking (Sister Helen Prejean), The Seagull (Masha), The Real Thing (Annie), Twelfth Night (Olivia), and The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor). Brown County Playhouse: How the Other Half Loves (Mary Featherstone). Chicago: Attic Playhouse’s And Then There Were None (Vera), and About Face Youth Theatre’s out/SPOKEN (Elsa). She played Masha in The Seagull forART/Moscow Art Theatre School. Lilia is from Sofia, Bulgaria.
	Bradley A. Wantz (Assistant Director / Nurse) is a senior Lilly Endowment Scholar majoring in Theatre and Drama and African-American and African Diaspora Studies, and a member of the College SAB. At the Norvelle Center Bradley appeared in The Wild Party (Oscar), An American Ma(u)l (John Adams), Seussical the Musical (Mr. Mayor), and The Crucible (Witness); he was in the Independent Project As You Like It (Le Beau/William/Hymen). Managing Director of University Players, Bradley will be directing Fucking A this spring. Bradley is from New Castle, Indiana.
	Harry Watermeier (Peter) is a Hutton Honors College senior majoring in Theatre and Drama. At the Norvelle Center he appeared in Dead Man Walking (Press), An American Ma(u)l (Lincoln), and Measure for Measure (Benedick). He appeared in independent student productions Finer Nobel Gases (Gray) and Corpus Christi (St. Matthew), 1305 Guerilla Theatre Company’s Caffeine/Nicotine (Robin), and Indianapolis Spotlight Players’ Proof (Hal), and is in the sketch comedy troupe All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble. Harry is from Bloomington, Indiana.

PRODUCTION TEAM

 Katie McDermott (Scenic Designer) is a first-year M.F.A. student in Scenic Design who earned a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Western Washington University, where she was Scenic Designer for Convention. At the Norvelle Center Katie was Scenic Artist for Hamlet and will design props for The America Play. Other credits: Assistant Scenic Designer for Art and Scenic Artist for Urinetown (PCPA Theatrefest); Scenic Design/Painting Intern 2007-08 (Santa Maria, California); Northwest Drama Conference Scenic Design Meritorious Award (2007). Katie is from Seattle, Washington.

Jennifer Sheshko (Costume Designer) is a first-year M.F.A. student in Costume Design.  She holds a B.F.A. from Concordia College (Montreal) and a D.E.C. from John Abbott College (Montreal), both in theatre design.  For the Norvelle Center Jennifer served as Stitcher on all the fall season’s shows in addition to being wardrobe supervisor for Dead Man Walking. Elsewhere, she has designed costumes for numerous productions, including Quills, Annie Get Your Gun, Bedtime Stories, Monster, and Guys & Dolls.  Jennifer is from Montreal, Quebec.

Christopher Wood (Lighting Designer), is a first-year M.F.A. Lighting Design student, with a  B.A. from University of the Nebraska-Omaha, where he designed lighting for Birds and won the 2008 KC/AFT Region 5 Barbizon Light Design Award for Our Country’s Good. He was Master Electrician for the 2008 season of the Des Moines Metro Opera. At the Norvelle Center Christopher served as Assistant Lighting Designer (Marisol), Projection Coordinator (Hamlet), Programmer (The Wild Party),and Assistant Master Electrician (Dead Man Walking). He comes from Omaha, Nebraska.

Thomas Oldham (Sound Designer) is a second-year Ph.D. student in Theatre and Drama. He received an M.F.A. in Dramaturgy/Script Development from Columbia University and a B.A. (English and History) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Previously he appeared in the independent project It’s a Wonderful Lie (Henry). Thomas has a variety of credits onstage and off from theatres in Nebraska and New York, including work with the Tony Award-winning Atlantic Theater and classes with Anne Bogart and Arnold Aronson. He is originally from Hastings, Nebraska.

Adam Weil (Technical Director) is a first-year M.F.A. student in Theatre Technology. He received his B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology from ­­­­­­­­­the University at Buffalo, where he was Technical Director for City of Angels.At the Norvelle Center Adam has served as Assistant Technical Director for Hamlet and Prop Master for Dead Man Walking. He was the Audio Engineer for Othello and All’s Well That Ends Well for Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Adam is from Buffalo, New York.

Brad Schiesser (Stage Manager) is a senior majoring in Theatre and Drama. Brad has worked on Metamorphoses, Measure for Measure,and The Birthday Party at the Norvelle Center. He served as assistant stage manager for Same Time, Next Year at the Brown County Playhouse, where he also was Assistant House Manager.Brad has worked as Student Manager for the IU Auditorium. He is from South Bend, Indiana.

Gina Ricci (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore seeking a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the Department of Theatre and Drama. Although this is her first backstage assignment at the Norvelle Center, she previously appeared onstage in The Wild Party (Madelaine), Seussical the Musical (Mayzie La Bird), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Domina). Gina has worked and trained with the American Conservatory Theatre in her native San Francisco, California.

Melissa Rose (Production Assistant) is a sophomore majoring in Arts Administration.  Stop Kiss is her debut production at the Norvelle Center.  She is very active on campus, playing cymbals in the Marching Hundred Drumline, dancing in the Indiana University Dance Marathon, and serving on the Executive Board for Alpha Delta Pi.  Melissa is from Los Altos, California.

Adam Noble (Movement Consultant/Fight Choreographer) is Assistant Professor of Movement/Combat for the Department of Theatre and Drama. He is also a professional actor, with credits including Shakespeare in the Park, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, Julliard, P.S. 122, Seattle Rep, Guild Hall, and On the Boards. Adam’s most recent solo show “QUEST/ions” played in Washington and New York. In addition to his role as a professor, Adam is a dancer, martial artist, traceur, and stuntman, with movement and combat credits in the worlds of film, theatre, and opera. Adam is a member of the Actors Equity Association, the Association of Theatre Movement Educators, and the Society of American Fight Directors. He has taught movement and combat in New York, California, Nebraska, Ohio, and Washington, and choreographed the violence for over 50 stage and film productions.

Nancy Lipschultz (Voice and Speech Coach), Associate Professor of Voice and Speech, has worked as an actress in New York, California, Michigan, Texas and Chicago, including the new play series at Chicago’s Victory Gardens  in High Holidays by Alan Gross, as well as overseas in London and is a veteran of six Fringe festivals in Edinburgh. She has worked on feature films, industrials, commercials, and, network television and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Actors’ Equity, and VASTA. Nancy has been a professor of Acting, Voice and Directing at Cornell University, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wayne State University. Directing credits include: Evita, Much Ado About Nothing, Twilight Los Angeles, and Fires in the Mirror. She recently coached the New York City Opera production of Dead Man Walking, directed by Tony Award winner Leonard Foglia, and the National Tour of Kiss Me Kate. She is the voice for Lexus GPS systems for Inter Group Corporation, Tokyo.

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