Presented with the cooperation of the Heirs of Bertolt Brecht.
We are on sacred ground. Northwestern University is on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa—as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk nations. Before it was stolen from them through colonization and forced removal, this land was a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for more than a dozen other native tribes. The state of Illinois is still home to more than 100,000 tribal members. In the spirit of healing and making amends for the harm that was done, we acknowledge the native and indigenous peoples who called this land home. We pledge ourselves as members of the Northwestern School of Communication to turn our statements into action and build better relationships with native and indigenous communities in Evanston, in Chicago, and throughout the region.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle was written in 1944 by Bertolt Brecht while he was living in exile in the United States. He’d fled Hitler’s Germany in 1933 after his works were burned in a series of Nazi-sponsored book burnings, eventually landing in the U.S. in 1941. But his time in our country was cut short when, in 1947, he was brought in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, accused of having written “a number of very revolutionary poems, plays, and other writings.” He returned to Europe the next day.
Adapted from a Chinese play and transplanted to the Caucus region of Eastern Europe, the story also has echoes of the biblical story of King Solomon’s judgement in Old Testament’s book of Kings. In Brecht’s version, Grusha, our protagonist, is a young kitchen maid who is caught up in a civil war. Through a series of mishaps she is left alone with Michael, the abandoned child of wealthy rulers who have been deposed in an uprising. The question of rightful motherhood — a motherhood that in this case is not linked to biology but rather to labor and care — ultimately extends beyond the question of one child’s parentage and asks us to consider who has the right to steward the land and its resources: those who seize it through might or inherit it through lineage, or those who labor to care for and sustain it?
A little over a year ago, when I was weighing what plays to program for this academic year, this play rose to the top because it spoke to questions circulating in our current polarized political moment, such as: who has a right to claim they speak for the interests of the nation? And what do we owe our fellow citizens? I was inspired by my conversations with director Hamid Dehgani, who was initially scheduled to helm this production. While he ultimately had to step away because of family obligations, Hamid’s vision, in which he imagined a group of students coming together to create an essential piece of theatre, drawn from what they could find and fueled by a need to reimagine a more just and humane world, has shaped what you will see on the Louis Stage. I’m also deeply grateful to director Kathryn Walsh, who stepped in and built on Hamid’s initial conception, and to all the talented, tenacious designers, performers, technicians and artisans whose belief in the power of storytelling and imagination continue to give me hope for the future.
Lucy Honor Lewis, Oscar Yum — Singers
Molly Coogan — Grusha
Kate McCracken — Governor’s Wife/Aniko/Ludovica
Finn Callander — Simon
Lucy Honor Lewis — Azdak
Henry Carson — Fat Prince/Innkeeper/Bridge Man
Paddy May — Lavrenti/Adjutant/Nephew
Henry Jones — Governor/Farmer/Irakli
Alex Arinkin — Sergeant/Jussup/Soldier
Hannah Gill — Cook/First Doctor/Older Lady
Elia Silbey — Farmer’s Wife/Stableboy/Shauva
Teri Sun — Old Man/Soldier
Bela Castilho — Younger Lady/Second Doctor/Young Woman
Willa O’Donnell, Laura Fajardo-Riascos — Puppeteers
Grace Morley — Musician
Catalina Zelles, Ilya Solovjov, Beatrice Biello, Mason Wang, Katarina Andrade — Understudies
Arjun Shah — Asst. Director
Justin Cavazos — Music Director/Composer/Sound Designer
Daniel McGrath — Asst. Sound Designer
Madeline Barr — A1/Sound Engineer
A Inn Doo — Scenic Designer
Rembrandt Pieplenbosch — Lighting Designer
Mackenzie Mitchell — Costume Designer
Willa O’Donnell, Sydney Dufka Forchielli — Asst. Costume Designers
Liam Jeninga — Puppet Designer
Kira Nutter — Fight/Intimacy Director
Noah Marcus — Dramaturg
Maame Adwoa Amissah Quayson — Assoc. Dramaturg
AJ Dickerson — Production Stage Manager
Alvin Wang — Asst. Stage Manager
Sofia Ubilla — Run Crew Head
Colin Moore, Dahlia Saffouri, Lexi Lang, Mira Silverman, Sachin Jain, Sam Geiger, Simon Friedman, Thomas Bastardo, Veronika Goddard, Aaron Butikofer, Caroline Place — Run Crew
Beatrice Biello (Understudy, she/her) is a first-year theatre major thrilled to be performing at the Wirtz Center for the first time, after making her Northwestern theatrical debut in VC2’s The Moors (Moorhen). Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, her prior credits include Spring Awakening (Wendla), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Pippin (Catherine) and Peter and the Starcatcher (Molly).
Finn Callander (Simon, he/him) is a second year Theatre Major at Northwestern University. Recent stage credits include “If the Earth Were Flat” (Vertigo Productions), “Julius Caesar” (Wirtz SPP), and “Antigone” (u/s, Wirtz Center). Recent screen credits include “Trapped in a Room With My Ex During the Zombie Apocalypse,” and “The Closed Door.”
Henry Carson (Fat Prince/Innkeeper/Bridge Man, he/him) is delighted to be making theatre with the Northwestern community. Recent credits include Wirtz SPP’s “JULIUS CAESAR”, Los Angeles Theater Initiative’s “MISSED CONNECTIONS”, and STUCO’s “CAMP GOES ON”. He enjoys playing and composing for the piano and bass, dabbles as a playwright/screenwriter, and will jump on any opportunity to scenic paint wood to look like wood.
Bela Castilho (Younger Lady/Second Doctor/Young Woman, she/her) is a multi-media actor in her 3rd year at Northwestern University. She was born in São Paulo, Brazil and moved to New York when she was 9 years old as her passion for acting followed her across the world. Her recent credits are Museum with Wirtz and La Ventanita with VC^2 as well as Compatible(a film) with Awestruck pictures.
Justin Cavazos (Music Director/Composer/Sound Designer, he/him) is a composer and songwriter from Harlingen, Texas. As a co-founder of Spit It Out! Audio, he primarily focuses on sound design, music composition, and audio programming for theatre, podcasts, and video games. Recent theatrical credits include: “Book Up!” (Goodman Theatre), “Dr. De Soto”, “A Tale of Peter Rabbit”, “The Wong Kids In The Secret of the Space Chupacabra, Go!”, “The Oregon Trail”, “The Tempest” (Northwestern University Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts).
Molly Coogan (Grusha, she/her) Molly is a freshman Theatre major originally from Brooklyn, New York. This is her first show at Northwestern and she is thrilled to join such a talented team. She has appeared in many shows, including “Into the Woods”, “The Old Man and The Old Moon”, and, most recently, two MTI Pilots: “Come From Away” and “Suffs”. Molly extends so much love to the cast and team, her parents, and of course her two younger sisters.
A Inn Doo (Scenic Designer, she/her) is a scenic designer from Seoul, now based in Chicago. Her credits include Caucasian Chalk Circle, Man of La Mancha, February House, and Hand to God at the Northwestern Wirtz Center, as well as numerous musical productions in Seoul, including Achilles and Musical The Pirates. She is a recipient of the Norenbrock Design Award and is in a final year as an MFA candidate in Stage Design at Northwestern University.
Laura Fajardo-Riascos (Puppeteer, she/her) is a senior Theatre & Spanish double major in the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) module. She has previously worked on other Wirtz productions including “Doctor DeSoto” (Assistant Director), “Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake” (Splash), and “The Clean House” (Swing/Understudy). She is also proudly the 25-26 Seesaw Theatre Artistic Director. While Laura primarily works on TYA, she is thrilled to be working outside of her comfort zone with this Brechtian masterpiece!
Hannah Gill (Cook/First Doctor/Older Lady, she/her) Hannah’s heart is full to be a part of Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Wirtz Center! Raised down the lake in Chicago, Hannah is a junior pursuing theatre, international studies, and a music theatre certificate at Northwestern. Recent credits include Mrs. De Soto in Imagine U’s Doctor De Soto, Mallory in The Waa-Mu Show, Barbara Grant in Perfect Arrangement, and The Pilot in The Little Prince: A New Musical. Thank you for being here!
Lucy Honor Lewis (Azdak/Singer, she/her) is honored to wrap up her time on the Northwestern stage with “Chalk Circle.” Favorite NU credits include “Lobster” (Gwen), “Sweeney Todd” (Mrs. Lovett), and “Falsettos” (Trina). Lucy is excited to move home to New York City to pursue acting post-grad! Big huge amounts of gratitude to her miraculous friends and endlessly supportive parents. More at www.lucyhonorlewis.com <3
Noah Marcus (Dramaturg, he/him) is an actor, dramaturg, and PhD Candidate in Northwestern’s Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama program where he studies Jewish theatre and performance. He earned his BA in Theatre and his MA in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy from the University of Ottawa. Previous dramaturgy for the Wirtz: “Museum” (2025), “Dracula” (2024), and “Indecent” (2023). Selected acting credits: “Permissible” (Fresh Meat, 2020), “Oxygen” (Drama Guild, 2019), and “ByProducts/Ottawa Dérivé” (Drama Guild, 2018).
Kate McCracken (Governor’s Wife/Aniko/Ludovica, she/her) is a current senior studying Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Musical Theatre. She is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and is thrilled to be working with the awesome team of The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Some of her favorite roles at Northwestern include Mary in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Olga in “The Three Sisters,” and Tess in “Waa-Mu: Arch Madness.” She would like to thank her friends, professors, and family for making the last four years so special! @kategmcc
Willa Marie O’Donnell (Puppeteer, she/her) is a junior at Northwestern University studying Theatre and Psychology. She previously performed in Imagine U’s “Peter Rabbit” and assisted with costumes on multiple productions, including “Dr. De Soto.” She enjoys working across performance and design and values collaborative creative processes.
Arjun Shah (Asst. Director, he/him) is a sophomore theatre and psychology major at Northwestern from the Chicago Suburbs. On campus, Arjun produces the Blackout, does concert booking for A&O, and is on the Waa-Mu student board. He is so excited to continue his journey at this school as a writer, director, and actor after a very fulfilling process with this amazing team. He wants to especially thank his family for always being there for him.
Elia Silbey (Farmer’s Wife/Stableboy/Shauva, they/he/she) is a sophomore theatre major in their first Wirtz production. Previous Northwestern credits include the Wirtz Student Performance Project “Amicus” and the Purple Crayon Players’ “Seussical”. As always, thanks to their parents, for everything.
Ilya Solovjov (Understudy, he/him) is a third year theatre and computer science student. He loves acting and is thankful to have had the opportunity to be part of this wonderful process and meet the many incredible people working on it with him.
Yeqi (Teri) Sun (Old Man/Soldier, he/him) is excited to be part of Northwestern University’s “The Caucasian Chalk Circle.” Recent credits include “Amicus” (Wirtz Center Student Performance Project) “Much Ado About Nothing” (EighthDay Theatre), “Red” (EighthDay Theatre). Prior to transferring to Northwestern University, they performed in “Eurydice” and “Titanic Orchestra” with Macalester Mainstage Theatre.
Kathryn Walsh (Director, she/her) is delighted to return to Wirtz to join this fearless company of artists. An alum of the MFA in Directing Program, her work at Northwestern includes last season’s Museum, Jane Eyre, and several productions for Imagine U. This fall, she directed Importance of Being Earnest for Theatreworks Colorado Springs (also: Emperor of the Moon, Little Women, Twelfth Night, and Measure for Measure). Upcoming projects include further development of a three-person Winter’s Tale, with artistic partner Liz Hayes. A frequent director of classical work, Kathryn has coached or taught Shakespeare’s text at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Two Pence Theatre Co and more. She is a proud Associate Artist of Flint Repertory Theatre in Michigan and teaches at the University of Chicago. Photos and information about upcoming work can be found at kathrynwalshdirector.com.
Alvin Wang (Asst. Stage Manager, he/him) is a freshman undergraduate student majoring in Theatre and Computer Science from Shanghai, China. This is his first Wirtz production and felt that he grew a lot throughout the process. He loves everyone that he worked with and are especially appreciative to every important person who supported him throughout the process.
Mason Wang (Understudy, he/him) is a freshman theatre major from the Suburbs of Chicago. NU credits: u/s Gomez Addams, u/s Lucas Beineke, “The Addams Family”. Selected credits include: “A Christmas Carol” and “The Music Man in Concert” (Metropolis Performing Arts Center). Outside of theater, Mason is a proud Eagle Scout and avid coffee drinker. He’d like to thank his parents for their endless support and the cast of “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” for their wonderful talents.
Oscar Yum (Singer, he/him) Oscar Yum is a junior at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he is pursuing a degree in Voice and Opera Performance with a Music Theatre Certificate. He currently studies under W. Stephen Smith. Hailing from Altadena, California, Oscar is passionate about exploring the intersection of classical voice and contemporary musical theatre, and is committed to telling stories that resonate with him as a Korean American and reflect the richness of diverse audiences and communities.
Catalina Zelles (Understudy, she/her) is so honored to be in her first Wirtz production! Previous acting credits (San Diego, California) include Eurydice in Hadestown (La Costa Canyon), Cady Heron in Mean Girls (La Costa Canyon), Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (La Costa Canyon), Patsy in Crazy For You (Palomar College), Piper in the World Premiere of Annabella in July (North Coast Repertory Theatre), Estelle in Gabriel (North Coast Repertory Theatre; San Diego Critics Choice Award) @catalinazelles.
We thank our donors who make it possible to develop and sustain the quality of productions at Northwestern University. The following individuals and institutions have made gifts to one or more of the following areas: the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, American Music Theatre Project and the Music Theatre Funds. All gifts were made between September 1, 2025 and January 13, 2026.
Donate online at giving.northwestern.edu.
Thank you for supporting Northwestern University Theatre and Dance!
E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication and Annenberg University Professor
Lori Barcliff Baptista, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising
Roderick Hawkins, Associate Dean of External Affairs and Chief of Staff
Molly Losh, Associate Dean for Research
Bonnie Martin-Harris, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Jeff Brown, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Rayvon Fouche’, Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Tanya Palmer, Assistant Dean & Executive Artistic Director
Bharath Chandrasekaran, Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Jeremy Birnholtz, Communication Studies
Joshua Chambers-Letson, Performance Studies
Jacob Smith, Interim Chair of Radio/Television/Film
Henry Godinez, Theatre
Melissa Blanco Borelli, Director of Dance
Megan Roberts, Associate Chair of Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Courtney Lynam Scherr, Associate Chair of Communication Studies
Erin Courtney, Associate Chair of Radio/Television/Film
Tommy Rappley, Associate Chair of Theatre
Jorge Silva — Director of Business Operations & Managing Director
Michael Constantino — Associate Managing Director
Pete Brace — Marketing & Development Manager
Heather Basarab — Production Manager
Valerie Tu — Production Manager, Chicago
Gianna Carter — Production Coordinator
Aziza Macklin — Audience Experience Manager
Jamie L. Mayhew — Box Office Manager
Lynn Kelso — Imagine U Artistic Mentor
Ryan T. Nelson — Music Supervisor
Dylan Reyno — Technical Coordinator
Shannon Perry — Technical Supervisor
Emily Baker — Assistant Technical Supervisor
Dylan Jost — Scenic Carpenter
Micah Hofferth — Scenic Carpenter
James Weber — Scenic Artist
Eileen Rozycki — Assistant Scenic Artist
Chris Wych — Properties Supervisor
Kathy Beach Parsons — Properties Assistant
Eileen Clancy — Costume Shop Supervisor
Jessica Donaldson — Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor
Kristy White — Cutter/Draper
Renee Werth — Stitcher/Crafts Supervisor
Eli Hunstad — First Hand
Peter Anderson — Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Michael Trudeau — Associate Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Nate Walczyk — Lighting and Sound Technician
Sara Kurensky — Marketing Assistant
Stephen J. Lewis — OGMC Arts and Media Producer
Stephanie Kulke — OGMC Fine Arts Editor
Masi Asare — AMTP Artistic Director
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