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
Christy Arington, Jack Blakey, Mac Brandt, Janet A. Carr, Jeff Christian,
John Dunleavy, Jacquelyn Flaherty, Barbara Figgins, Coburn Goss, Michael Grant,
Robert Kauzlaric, Thomas Vincent Kelly, Dan Michel, Ann Noble, Catherine O'Connor,
Anne Sunseri, Kevin Theis, Andrew Turner, Dan Waller, Sarah Wellington
Originally from Arkansas - where she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock - Christy relocated to Athens, Georgia and earned her M.F.A. in Performance from the University of Georgia. In Chicago, she has performed in Freedomland for TriArts, My Sister in This House with Wing & Groove, and in Seanachaí's production of Dylan. Favorite roles include Bunny Flingus in The House of Blue Leaves, Gertrude in Hamlet, Marlene in Top Girls, Elsa in The Bridegroom of Blowing Rock, Lena in Misalliance, and Captain Ahab in Moby Dick Rehearsed. In 2001, Christy was awarded with the Mark Twain Comedy Award at the Kennedy Center through the American College Theatre Festival.
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Jack has been involved in acting for many years, and he was honored to take a behind-the-scenes role with Seanachaí in 1996. He now serves on Seanachaí’s Board of Directors. Jack received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, where he met Michael Grant. Then a year later, Jack met Andrew Turner when they both graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After earning his J.D. from the Notre Dame Law School, Jack served a two-year term as a judicial law clerk for a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida, and practiced law as a litigation associate with Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz in Chicago. At present, Jack is a criminal prosecutor in the Felony Review Unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He lives his wife, Christina, and two sons, Joseph and Charles. Jack made his Seanachaí stage debut as a replacement in Chekhov in Yalta.
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.
Janet is a Chicago native. With Seanachaí, she served as Assistant Director for Marked Tree and appeared as as Aunt Frances in The Pagans, Maire in Translations, as Moira in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, performed Killaine as an understudy in The Clearing and as Olga in the final three weeks of Chekhov in Yalta. She was an ensemble member of the Body Politic and her performances there included Irene in The Dresser, Lucy in Ladies in Retirement, Gwen in The Royal Family, and Carol in The Hitch-Hikers. Other performances include Much Ado About Nothing, The Philanthropist, and Private Lives at Court Theatre; How The Other Half Loves, Porno Stars at Home, and Standing in The Fast Lane at Stage Left. She spent a year studying theatre and music in England on a Rotary Foundation scholarship. Janet completed her Masters in Education at Northwestern University.
An ensemble member since 2003, Jeff directed A Whistle in the Dark, adapted and directed the holiday reading of Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth, and appeared in 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, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Two Gentlemen of Verona for Lakeside Shakespeare, the national tour of the interactive comedy, Sister Bernie's Bingo Bash, 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, Syracuse Stage, Indiana Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Madison Rep, The Artistic Home, Artists’ Ensemble, Illinois Theatre Center, Chicago Dramatists and New American Theater. He writes and directs animated and live action sequences for the Emmy Award-winning Digital Kitchen and serves as a creative consultant to Tessera Publishing. Recent film credits include Batman Begins, Witches’ Night, The Express and The Poker House.
After bringing Bertie Gillespie to life in this year’s U.S. premiere of Roddy Doyle’s War, John is ready for something new. He created the roles of Peter Donnelly in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, IE Tillman in Marked Tree and Oatmeal in Calamity Meat - All World Premieres for Seanachaí. John has also been seen in other Seanachái shows: Drink Me, Translations, Chekhov in Yalta, and The Clearing. He was nominated for a Jeff Citation and received an After Dark Award for his portrayal of Kenneth Norman MacAllistar in Marie Jones's A Night in November. Other local roles include Aunt Augusta in Travels with my Aunt at Illinois Theatre Center, Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank and Ben Weatherstaff in The Secret Garden both at Apple Tree Theatre. Since 1983, he has acted or directed over 130 productions, working with such talents as Joshua Logan and Edward Albee. In the Chicago area, he has also worked at Famous Door, Apple Tree, Candlelight/Forum, Chicago Actors Ensemble, National Jewish Theater, Next Theatre, and Steppenwolf. Regionally, John has worked with Tampa Players, Orlando Shakespeare, Players TheatreColumbus, Contemporary American Theatre, Lexington Shakespeare Festival, Actors Summer Theatre and the Ohio Arts Council. Mr. Dunleavy has a Master of Fine Arts from Florida Atlantic University and a BA from University of Kentucky.
Barbara has been a company member since 2005 and has performed in War and Bold Girls. Currently she is understudy for the world premiere of Four Places at Victory Gardens Theatre. 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, A Bee in Her Sonnet (Baliwick Repertory). She has also worked with 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. She also enjoys a career in voice over.
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 When the Messenger Is Hot for Steppenwolf's First Look Repertory, also at 59E59 Street Theatre in New York. Other credits include The Royal Family and Absolution (Steppenwolf); Vigils (Goodman Theatre); Seagull (Writers' Theatre); A Whistle in the Dark, Journey's End, The Pagans, The Clearing, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly (Seanachaí Theatre, founding member); The Last True Believer (Seattle Repertory Theatre); Irish Crazy Jane and The Good Times Are Killing Me (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); as well as shows with Next Theatre, About Face, Famous Door, Rivendell, Roadworks, Walk About, and Chicago Dramatists. He is the author of Calamity Meat and Marked Tree (winner of 2000 Osborn Award from the Amercian Theatre Critics' Association and After Dark Award for Best New Work). Film/Television credits include: Prison Break, Joshua, What Women Want, Shelter and the forthcoming Neil Burger film The Lucky Ones. He will appear in Dead Man's Cell Phone at Steppenwolf this spring.
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 eight of Seanachaí’s productions, including 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 - Jeff nomination for Best Supporting Actor). 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 and Denis in War. Other Chicago credits include: Sueño and The Nose (Greasy Joan & Co.); A Many-Splendored Thing (Strawdog Theatre); Henry IV and Merry Wives of Windsor (Lakeside Shakespeare); 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); Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); and numerous productions with Lifeline Theatre, including Around the World in 80 Days (Joseph Jefferson Citations: Supporting Actor-Play and Ensemble), A Room with a View, The Killer Angels, Return of the King, and The Silver Chair. Robert's adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau premiered at Lifeline in October 2007 and he is currently at work on an adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which will premiere in September 2008, directed by Kevin Theis.
Tom appeared with Seanachaí as the title character in Chekhov in Yalta and as 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 (NextTheatre). Regional credits include: San Jose Rep., Connecticut Rep., Cape Fear, American Players, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Now residing in Los Angeles, stage credits there include The Wind Cries Mary (East West Players); Death of a Salesman (Interact); Mr. Kolpert (Odyssey). Television credits include; 24, JAG, ER, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and numerous other guest star appearances. Tom earned a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois.
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.
Ann played Alice in CityLit's production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her previous acting credits include: Tiny Island at Next Theatre; The Cripple of Inishmaan at Northlight Theatre (for which she received the Jack Springer "Rookie of the Year" Award); Translations, Chekhov in Yalta, and The Way I Wear My Hat for Seanachaí; One Day Only with American Theatre Company; Suicide in B-Flat and Peter Pan with Center Theatre Ensemble; Habeas Corpus with Interplay; and In the Boom Boom Room with ThunderRoad Ensemble. She is a 1993 graduate of Northwestern University where she majored in Theatre. Her playwriting credits begin with And Neither Have I Wings To Fly, Seanachaí's inaugural production (1995), which was nominated for the American Theatre Critics' Association's New Play Award and Osborn Award. Wings received its second production at the California Conservatory Theatre in San Leandro, California. It is also currently optioned for Off-Broadway by Fox Theatricals. Her second play, The Way I Wear My Hat, was co-produced by Martini Productions and Seanachaí LateNight in 1996. Her most recent play, The Boarding House, was produced by Next Theatre this past December, and was Second Runner-Up in the Route 66 National Playwriting Contest. She is currently working on three new plays: Alighting Home, Ariadne's Thread, and a new Irish play for Seanachaí.
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.
With Seanachaí, Anne understudied the role of Deirdre in Bold Girls and also served as Assistant to the Director on the production. A recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Anne focused much of her college theatre career on acting, taking on roles in Overtones, Angst '84, Dianeira, and Jake's Women, among others.
Kevin joined the Seanachaí Ensemble in 2001, but his relationship with the group 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. 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 Silver Chair and The Sirens of Titan for Lifeline, Fair Maid of the West for CT20 Ensemble, Robin Hood for the Oak Park Festival Theatre and is responsible for writing and directing all of the Bumblinni Brothers shows at the Actors Gymnasium. Kevin has received three Jeff nominations for his directing work. 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. This critically acclaimed production featured the work of fellow Seanachaí members Michael Grant and Kate Martin. Kevin is married to actress Sara Nichols and has two daughters, Miranda and Gwendolyn, on whom he dotes.
Andrew appeared with Seanachaí 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 (The Shanghai Gesture and G. Bernard Shaw's St. Joan), Interplay (Shadowlands, A Map of the World and playing the Inca King, Atahuallpa in Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun), Wisdom Bridge (The Great Gatsby opposite Alan Ruck and Harry J. Lennix) and The Organic (Role Play). Regional Theater credits include work with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the New American Theater of Rockford, IL. In southern California, Mr. Turner has worked at Deaf West Theater of Hollywood, in St. Joan. At the Pacific Resident Theater Ensemble, he played Sir Fopling Flutter in Etheredge's The Man of Mode and Orphans of the Storm at Theater 40 in Beverly Hills. 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 and now resides in Los Angeles, California.
Dan most recently appeared onstage in Talking Pictures at the Goodman Theatre, directed by Henry Wishcamper. His Seanachaí credits include Journey’s End, directed by David Cromer, and A Whistle in the Dark, directed by fellow ensemble member Jeff Christian. Other Chicago theatrical credits include 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, Of Boys and Men, Repetition, and Witless Protection. Television credits include TNT’s Leverage and Our Little Science Story for the Starz network.
Sarah first appeared with Seanachaí as Betty in A Whistle in the Dark and is excited to be playing Briget in War this Fall. Previous credits in Chicago include originating the role of Joan in Orson’s Shadow for Steppenwolf with subsequent transfers to Williamstown Theatre Festival and Westport Country Playhouse. Other roles include Gabby in Serenading Louie (Roadworks), Ellen in The Misanthrope (Next), Judy in Be Aggressive (Rivendell), Ruth in Blithe Spirit (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble) and Doris in Miracle on 34th Street (CCPA). In her native England, Sarah has performed as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Kate in Taming of the Shrew, Lady Macduff and Janet in I Have Been Here Before. Film and TV includes Robert Altman’s The Company, Casting About (Barry Hershey), The Bill, London Bridge and Crime Monthly. Sarah works as a voiceover artist in Chicago and trained with the late, great David Bennett in London.
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