Sandy Elias (Outreach Associate)
A graduate of Northwestern University, Sandy has recently performed with Piccolo Theater, Adventure Stage Chicago, Chicago Fusion Theatre and Stage Left Theatre. While an associate artist with the Southwest Shakespeare Company in Arizona, Sandy performed in over half the works of Shakespeare.

 

CoCo Ree Lemery (Technical Associate)
Is a product of Columbia College Chicago and has worked at numerous theaters around the Chicago area, including: Black Ensemble, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Chicago Tap Theatre, Mary Arrchie Theatre Company, Redmoon Theatre, Red Tape Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, The Lyric Opera Chicago, MPAACT Theatre, Pegasus Players and TimeLine Theatre Company.  CoCo has also worked as a Certified Dog Trainer for three years, giving up her real job for a happy tech filled life. And yes, that is her real name. To check out some of her doodles, go to www.doodoodles.tumblr.com!

Laura Lodewyck (Education Associate)
Is an Equity Membership Candidate whose theatrical work includes productions with Illinois Theatre Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Court Theatre, as well as the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and Hothouse Theatre (now HotCity) in St. Louis.  She holds an M.F.A. in Performance from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts and a B.A. from University of Notre Dame, and is currently a graduate student at Northwestern in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama program.

Bridget Marcotte (Technical Associate)
Last joined CFT as their assistant stage manager for their production of J.B. Since 2003, Bridget has worked on 21 productions. Some of her favorites include Moraine Valley Community College’s productions of Dracula sound board op) and Tartuffe (assistant stage manager), Steep Theatre’s production of Bang the Drum Slowly (sound board op), Purple Bench Productions production of The Big Funk (sound board op) and Chicago Fusion Theatre’s production of Bobrauschenbergamerica (stage manager). Bridget has recently packed up her bags and has left the small town of Tinley Park, Illinois to take on the city of New Orleans, Louisianna for a self exploration if you will. She now works in one of New Orleans greatest haunted, historical shops known as Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, where she is constantly amazed at what she can make people believe just because you’re an employee at a Voodoo Shop.

Emma Peterson (Education Associate)
Is a recent transplant from St. Louis, MO where she directed, taught and acted. She attended Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville where she studied directing and performance. Some of her favorite pieces included Assistant Directing THE PROBE which was a crowd favorite at the 2008 Prauge Fringe Festival and directing for Teens Make History with the Missouri History Museum. Since moving to Chicago, she has directed Chicago Fusion Theatre’s 2010 production of JB and recently Assistant Directed Right Brain Project’s HESPERIA. She will be returning to direct at the Right Brain Project for their 2011 Season. She looks forward to helping CFT develop their educational outreach program!

Noël Dominique Straley (Technical Associate)
Originally from Prospect, Kentucky, Noël moved to Chicago four years ago to start a new adventure. Noel studied Architecture at the University of Kentucky and now plans to go back to school to pursue a degree in Theatre. Favorite Chicago credits include Chicago Fusion Theatre’s J.B. (Production Stage Manager), Urban Theater’s Cuba and His Teddy Bear (Props Designer), Halcyon Theatre’s Lorca in a Green Dress, Cloud Tectonics (Stage Manager) and Bounty of Lace (Assistant Director).

Natalie Turner-Jones (Outreach Associate)
Is an actress, movement director/choreographer, director and Assistant Professor of Movement in The Theatre School at DePaul. Natalie moved to Chicago in 2008 from London, England where she was classically trained as an actor at LAMDA. She later studied movement with Trish Arnold and Monika Pagneux, and apprenticed with Di Trevis for 7 years as a director. Natalie has provided movement direction (including choreography) for more than 40 productions in London, Vienna, and most recently, Chicago. In addition to joining CFT as an Artistic Associate, Natalie has provided movement for Mami, Where’d My O Go? with T&T Productions at the Lifeline Theatre, and is a movement consultant and teacher for the Spoken Word Artists at Chicago Young Authors. At DePaul, Natalie has directed The Cherry Orchard and Brecht’s Antigone, and provided movement direction for Cabaret, Iphigenia 2.0, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the Three Musketeers. In London she taught movement and physical theatre at LAMDA, Rose Bruford College, Florida State University (BFA Study Abroad Center), The London Center for Theatre Studies and The Drama Center. Career highlights before moving to Chicago include: (UK/ London) Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC Radio and TV, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, the Old Vic, and the National Theatre Studio; (in Vienna) Burg Theatre im Kino, Stuthe Theatre, and Wiener Kinder Theatre.