With Sideshow, Karie performs (The Burden of Not Having a Tail; Tyrant; Idomeneus; Everything Freezes; Ekphrasis), directs (Strangerland), and emcees (Rockke L Squelch, Mistress of Ceremonialisms for the Chicago League of Lady Arm-Wrestlers; Mariafe Ariadne Buckford-Westington-Washington-Taylor-Clais at the yearly Sideshow Gala). Karie is also an artistic associate with The Ruckus, with whom she performed/devised 15 Minutes and directed/devised Common Hatred. She holds an MFA from UVA, a BFA from NKU, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Theatre History, Theory and Performance at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Her research interests include audience, creative placemaking, and performance art.

J.R. holds a BFA in playwriting from SMU and is excited to be working with the Sideshow Theatre Company. His previous casting includes multiple roles in The Laramie Project, Prof. Straight Jacket in Spring Awakening, Hans Blix in Stuff Happens, John in Balm in Gilead, and Max in The Homecoming.

Jae likes art things. He previously played various forms of life, both human and alien, in The Martian Chronicles, and the part of Bone in Julie Jensen's Dust Eaters at Lincoln Square Theatre. Jae was also very proud to be the Scarecrow in Iranian playwright Bahram Beyzaie’s Four Boxes for the Epic Players. He's also directed two plays: The Bicycle Riders by Anna Marie Barlow and Sam Shephard's Geography of a Horse Dreamer. In his spare time, he enjoys art things. Because he likes them, remember?

Mike was born at a young age. Years later he would earn a BFA from Southern Methodist University. While at SMU, Mike was featured in several plays including Twelfth Night, The Overwhelming, Balm in Gilead, The Seagull, Spring Awakening, Urinetown, and The Good Person of Sezuan. Mike has also written and performed two original solo performances titled Drainmares & gREAMSICLES and Deaf Roars Between Our Ears. Most recently, his full-length play, The Constellations Don’t Have Faces , was produced as part of the New Visions New Voices festival in Dallas, TX. Mike enjoys restoring antique typewriters, walking a mile in another person’s pants, and surfing the outer-net. Sometimes, late at night, when the moon is dark and the wind starts to howl, Mike Steele thinks about you and wishes you were near.

Megan A. McGuane

director

Megan is a founding ensemble member for Sideshow Theatre. She served as the company's executive director from 2007 - 2016. She works with Sideshow Theatre directing world or Chicago premieres (Chalk, Tyrant, The Burden of Not Having a Tail, Theories of the Sun, Ekphrasis: Cave Walls to Soup Cans), and with Southern Illinois University (Joan's Laughter). Megan recently directed We Are Very Small, a sketch comedy show written by Tom McGuane at iO Chicago, and the world premiere of Target Behavior by Caity-Shea Violette with 20% Theater Company. Megan wrestles from time to time as The Cutting Edge for the Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLLAW). She is a proud graduate of the Catholic University of America.

Joseph Riley

scenic designer

Joseph has been making scenery for over six years. He worked in New Orleans at Southern Rep Theater and Tulane Summer Lyric Theater before moving to Chicago to attend Columbia College, where he just recently received a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Arts. He is currently a company member and the resident designer for Brain Surgeon Theater. Other local design credits include Love Sauce at Prop Thtr, The Fox at The Artistic Home, The Artistic Home's Juno and the Paycock at Theater on the Lake, and Alice in Wonderland with the Highland Park Players.

Betsey Palmer

costume designer / production manager

Betsey most recently served as Sideshow's production manager. She has applied her OCD to many productions as a stage manager, house manager and wardrobe mistress for companies all over the U.S. and Ireland, and works in both theater and opera. She made her Chicago stage management debut with Sideshow's Everything Freezes, and has since worked with such diverse companies as Collaboraction, Victory Gardens, and Porchlight Music Theatre. She has most recently worked with Collaboraction to stage manage their tenth annual Sketchbook, and she will be co-designing the upcoming workshop production of The Movement: An Evening of Lectures on Better Human Functioning at the University of Chicago's Summer Inc. Program. She also works as a performance artist, deviser and director. She received her BFA in theater studies from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Michael L. Aschenbach

lighting designer

Mike is excited to make his Chicago debut with Sideshow’s production of Ekphrasis: Cave Wall to Soup Cans. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatrical design from the University of Florida. Over the last twelve years he has designed the lighting for many theatre companies including The Sheboygan Theatre Company (WI), Stagedoor Manor NY), The Weathervane Playhouse (OH), St. Croix Valley Summer Theatre (WI), Theatre For Young Audiences (WI), University of Wisconsin Manitowoc (WI), and Dare to Dream Theatre (WI).

Christopher M. LaPorte

sound designer

Christopher's recent design and composition collaborations include Life Sucks, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth (Lookingglass Theatre Company), and Roof of the World (Kansas City Repertory). Chris has collaborated on projects with many local Chicago companies such as Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, 17 productions with Sideshow Theatre Company, Timeline, Porchlight, InFusion, Raven, University Of Illinois Chicago, Interrobang, Emerald City. Regional collaborations include Kansas City Repertory, Dallas Theatre Center, The Old Globe (San Diego), Center Stage (Baltimore), Arena Stage (Washington D.C.), Arsht Theatre Center (Miami), Denver Center for the Performing Arts, NY United Solo Festival.

Carrie Cole

dramaturg

Carrie Cole is excited to be diving back into the world of theatre, and so happy to be working with Sideshow for the first time! Past performing credits include Franka Potente is the Hammer at Indy Fringe Festival (Mary), Sweeney Todd (Johanna), The Crucible (Mary Warren) and Little Women (Jo). She has also served as the dramaturg for Little Women (DePauw University), Top Girls (DePauw University) and Of Mice and Men (Shawnee Theatre). She would like to thank her wonderful husband Andrew, and everyone at Sideshow for giving her the chance to be involved in this project!

Eli Branson

stage manager

Eli is a recent transplant to the Chicagoland area, and is so excited to have kick-started his Chicago theatre life with the Sideshow Theatre Company. As a theatre major at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, Eli spent his time as an actor, techie, and director. His most recent roles include Mr. Sparkish in William Wycherley's The Country Wife and Justin in Alan Ayckbourn's RolePlay. Eli would like to thank his parents, dear, dear friends and the Chicago theatre community for being so amazingly awesome!

Joshua Lansing

technical director

Joshua Lansing is very happy to be working with Sideshow Theatre Company again, and is excited for his first design opportunity with the company. Recent theatrical credits includes Ekphrasis: Cave Walls to Soup Cans (Sideshow); Fedra: Queen of Haiti, Arabian Nights, Our Town, The Brothers Karamazov, Lookingglass Alice, Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day, Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass); A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas, Cinderella, Dr. Dolittle, Hansel & Gretel, If You Take a Mouse to School, Aladdin, A Fairy Tail Life, Frosty (Emerald City); Carters Way (Steppenwolf); Gees Bend (Northlight). Recently performed in Dance Chicago and with Innervation Dance Cooperative in Our Own Devices. Joshua has a degree in theatre production/design from Illinois State University.