DUNCAN MACMILLAN (Playwright)’s plays include: People, Places and Things (2015-2017, National Theatre / Wyndham’s Theatre, West End); 1984, adapted from George Orwell (2013-2017, Headlong / Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, West End, Broadway, international tours, co-adapted/co-directed with Rob Icke); Every Brilliant Thing (2013-2017, Paines Plough / Pentabus Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, UK and international tours, HBO); City Of Glass, adapted from Paul Auster (2017, 59 Productions, HOME, and Lyric Hammersmith); 2071, co-written with Chris Rapley (2014-2015, The Royal Court / Hamburg Schauspielhaus); The Forbidden Zone (2014-2016, Salzburg Festival and Schaubühne Berlin); Wunschloses Unglück, adapted from Peter Handke (2014, Burgtheater Vienna); Reise Durch Die Nacht, adapted from Friederike Mayröcker (2012-2014, Schauspiel Köln, Festival d’Avignon, Theatertreffen); Lungs (2011-2016, Paines Plough and Sheffield Theatres / Studio Theatre, Washington, DC); and Monster (2006, Royal Exchange Theatre).

KIMBERLY SENIOR (Director) is a freelance director whose award winning work has been seen in 15 states in over 200 productions. She directed the Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize, Tony nominated Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar. Kimberly directed the HBO special Chris Gethard: Career Suicide and her work in audio has ranged from Marvel’s The Wastelanders to C13’s Ghostwriter. She is a member of the Goodman Theatre’s Artistic Collective and has taught at a number of universities. She is a proud union member of SDC and even prouder mother of Noah (18) and Delaney (16). She is the author of What Would a Person Do?: Thoughts on Directing and Living, available on Amazon.

IZUMI INABA (Scenic and Costume Designer) is thrilled to be working with Writers Theatre again, and so grateful for this opportunity to design both scenic and costume. Previously at Writers, Izumi designed costumes for Smart People, A Doll's House, Dishwasher Dreams, and A Distinct Society. Recent credits include Full Monty (Paramount Theatre), Noises Off (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Denver Center for Performing Arts), Milo Imagines the World (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Upcoming projects include The Comedians (Ravens Theatre), Empty Ride (The Old Globe), The Play That Goes Wrong (Indiana Repartory Theatre), and Cats (Paramount Theatre). Izumi is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 and represented by Gersh.

JASON LYNCH (Lighting Designer) is a Chicago-based lighting designer for live performance and returns to Writers Theatre, where previous design credits include The Hot Wing King. Additional Chicago credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Congo Square Theatre Company, Court Theatre, Definition Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, TimeLine Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, among others. Regional credits include Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, City Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center Theatre Company, George Street Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center, Goodspeed Musicals, Huntington Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe, and Trinity Repertory Company. Jason was also the recipient of the 2022 Equity Jeff Award for his work on Choir Boy at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the 2019 Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award, which recognizes emerging theatrical designers within the Chicago area. He is represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE and The Gersh Agency. www.jasondlynch.com, @jasonlynch.design on Instagram.

ANGELA JOY BALDASARE (Co-Sound Designer) is an Ohio University Graduate with a BFA in interdisciplinary arts. Chicago Sound Design Credits: Little Bear Ridge Road, Steppenwolf Theatre (assistant sound designer), Bottle Fly, Redtwist Theatre (sound designer), Wolves, Redtwist Theatre (sound designer), I, Custer, The Den Theatre (sound designer). COCK, Open Space Arts (sound designer). College Sound Design Credits: ..."Iron" Mike Malloy, Ohio University (sound designer), Alice in Slasherland, Ohio University (sound designer), The Martha Mitchell Effect, Ohio University (co-sound designer), Stupid Fucking Bird, Theatre Columbus State (sound designer). 

MIKHAIL FIKSEL (Co-Sound Designer) 

JULIE JACHYM (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at Writers Theatre. Select Chicago credits include The Hot Wing King, Wife of a Salesman, Dishwasher Dreams (Writers Theatre), La Havana Madrid, ¡Bernarda!, The Dream King (Teatro Vista), Another Marriage, Bald Sisters, ....Miz Martha Washington, Choir Boy (Steppenwolf Theatre), Henry V, The Lord of the Rings (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), An Educated Guess, Judy's Life's Work, Fairview, Alaiyo (Definition Theatre), 4 Hands 2 Pianos, Selling Kabul, Dial M For Murder (Northlight Theatre), How I Learned What I Learned, Welcome to Matteson (Congo Square Theatre). In her spare time, Julie likes taking care of her plants, reading books, and hanging out with her cat, Marinara. Julie is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.

ERIN SHEA BRADY (Dramaturg) is a writer, director and dramaturg based in Chicago, IL. Directing credits include: Grace, or the Art of Climbing and Everybody (BPBCo.); Cabaret and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (No Stakes Theater Project). Playwriting credits include: You're a Weirdo, Annie Best (developed at SheATL and Fresh Fruit Festival, NY.) Erin has assistant directed and/or dramaturged productions at the Goodman, Jackalope, TimeLine, Remy Bumppo and A Red Orchid Theatre, as well as interning in the casting department at Steppenwolf. They are currently pursuing a Masters in Extension Studies (Creative Writing & Literature) at Harvard University. In addition to their work in theater, Erin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker focusing on trauma recovery work with LGBTQ+ folks.

FAITH HART (Assistant Director) is thrilled to be back at Writers Theatre, where she recently assistant directed The Band’s Visit. She is overjoyed to work alongside Kimberly Senior, who she assisted on ‘ART’ at the Guthrie Theater. Most recently, she co-directed Eurydice on the Chicago River with site-specific theatre collective Snails on a Bike and Krapp’s Last Tape, as a member of Director’s Haven at Haven Chicago. She is a 2024-2025 Education Apprentice at Northlight Theatre and upcoming credits include assistant directing P*ssy Sludge at Facility Theater and serving as the dramaturg on ‘ART’ at Remy Bumppo. | faithhart.com

KATE NAGORSKI (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to Writers Theatre! ASM credits include Eurydice, Pearl’s Rollin’ with the Blues (Writers Theatre); Carmela Full of Wishes (Chicago Children’s Theatre); Sundown Yellow Moon (Raven Theatre). Other Chicago backstage credits include Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Antigone, The Gospel at Colonus, Fen (Court Theatre); Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight Theatre); The Hot Wing King, A Distinct Society, Tiger Style!, Wife of a Salesman (Writers Theatre); and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Beehive: The 60’s Musical, Kiss Me Kate (Marriott Theatre).

BRADEN ABRAHAM (Artistic Director) joined Writers Theatre as Artistic Director in 2023. He comes to Writers from Seattle Rep, the largest resident theatre in the Pacific Northwest, where he advanced the organization as a director and producer, including the development and premiere of many new plays. He directed six world premieres for Seattle Rep and over 20 productions including: True West, Clybourne Park, Photograph 51, Ibsen in Chicago, Betrayal, Luna Gale, A View from the Bridge, A Great Wilderness, Breakin’ Hearts and Takin’ Names, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Among his initiatives as Artistic Director, Braden committed Seattle Rep as one of the first partner theaters to bring the Public Theater’s model for the Public Works program across the country. Seattle Rep’s Public Works strengthens community connection through making ambitious productions of participatory theater. Braden also re-envisioned the New Play Program, commissioning and premiering plays by Anna Zeigler, Samuel D. Hunter, David Grimm, Justin Huertas, Samantha Silva, Cheryl L. West, and Karen Hartman, and supported the work of dozens of playwrights and directors through premieres and the Other Season development lab. Many projects developed through this program went on to acclaimed runs at Seattle Rep and around the country including Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s Come From Away, Cheryl L. West’s Shout Sister Shout!, Erica Schmidt’s Mac Beth, and Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice.  Under his leadership, Seattle Rep was the only theater outside New York and London to present David Byrne’s Here Lies Love. Most recently, Braden initiated 20x30: Reimagine the Anthropocene, to commission twenty new plays by the year 2030, and New Directions, a unique commissioning program designed to support generative work from directors. Around the country, Braden has developed new work at Ojai, O’Neill, Denver Center, and Perseverance Theatre. He has been a guest artist at Stanford, Gonzaga, Seattle University, and the University of Idaho. He conceived and developed Way Stations, a series of interactive walking tours in Seattle for the Northwest New Works Festival at On the Boards and is the co-creator of Gordon Hempton: Let it Happen, an audio installation about the life and work of Emmy-Award winning sound ecologist Gordon Hempton. He is married to Cheyenne Casebier and the proud papa of Phoenix Faye Abraham.

KATHRYN M. LIPUMA (Executive Director) joined Writers Theatre as Executive Director in 2007, where she serves as lead producer, overseeing all management, administration, and operations for the company. She led the fundraising, planning and construction of Writers Theatre's new $34 million performing arts center, designed by internationally renowned architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects.  Prior to Writers, Kate spent nine seasons as Executive Director at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre Company in New York. At Signature, she worked with and produced plays and programs from such acclaimed writers as Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornés, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Romulus Linney, Arthur Miller, Paula Vogel, August Wilson and Lanford Wilson. During her tenure, she helped create and launch Signature’s groundbreaking $15 Ticket Program. Prior to her time at Signature, she spent six years with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Kate currently is the President of the Producers’ Association of Chicago Area Theatres (PACT), an association of Chicago area theatres operating under the Chicago Area Theatre contract; is on the Board of Directors for Arts Alliance Illinois, the statewide advocacy coalition; and the Board of Directors and Past Chair of the League of Chicago Theatres, an alliance representing more than 200 Chicago-area theater companies and producers. She is also the Past Chair of the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.  She is also the co-creator of DoNorth, an umbrella organization joining four cultural neighbors—Chicago Botanic Garden, Kohl Children’s Museum, Ravinia Festival and Writers Theatre—to attract new audiences to the cultural, environmental and community activities of Chicago’s North Shore. She was born and raised in the West Suburbs of Chicago and is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.