BBT Staff

Jeffrey Bouthiette (Artistic Director, Co-founder) is an actor, composer/lyricist,
musical director, and cabaret artist. He is a member of the Writers' Workshop at the
Theatre Building Chicago, and his original musical Whirlybirds was recently presented in
Stage Left's Leapfest. His original music and lyrics appeared at many venues across the
country, including the Metropolis Centre for the Performing Arts. His original musical
fantasia Dammit! I'm an Artist! was produced at Donny's Skybox. He has acted with many
theatres in Chicago, and recently appeared as Montel and Jesus in the critically acclaimed
U.S. premiere of Jerry Springer The Opera at the Bailiwick.

Rebekah Walendzak (Artistic Director, Co-founder; The Ville: Artistic Director)
served
as director for the first five episodes of The Ville's inaugural season. Outside of The Ville,
Rebekah has directed sketch comedy in Chicago along with Shakespeare with East Los
Angeles Repertory Theatre. A graduate of San Jose State University, Rebekah has studied
classical theatre performance with the California Shakespeare Festival along with
improvisation and comedic writing with Chicago's Second City. As an actor, Rebekah has
performed with such notable western theatres as San Francisco Shakespeare Festival,
CalShakes, Shakespeare Sedona along with many others. Favorite roles include Josie in A
Moon for the Misbegotten, Medea in Euripides' Medea and Gayle in Sunday on the Rocks
this past winter at Bailiwick Rep. A founding member of Jazz Hands Across America,
Rebekah has performed musical improvisation with JHAA along with other forms of improv
with the Playground's International Stinger and the two-person improv team, Medicinal
Smoothie. To her writing credit, Rebekah co-wrote/starred in Husband & Life, a
two-person one-act play, which performed to critical acclaim at Live Bait Theatre. Rebekah
currently teaches comedic writing at the Second City Training Center.

Jason J. Adams (Graphic Design)

Katie Canavan (Costume Director, Assistant Director, Director; S.3.Ep.4, Dance
Choreographer)

Daniel Ryan Johnston (SM, BBT Development, Props Design) is excited for the opportunity to step out from behind his
desk to work with such a welcoming and hilarious staff and cast. Originally from the great state of Delaware, he made his way
to Chicago to pursue a degree in Performing Arts Management from Columbia College. As a recent graduate, Daniel is grateful
for the opportunities that have presented themselves in the past year. Daniel would like to thank Rebekah, Jeffrey and Steven
for the opportunity to get his feet wet and his friends for their support.

Stephanie Neilitz (Production/Stage Manager) This is Stephanie’s first year working with Bare Boned Theatre. She has
worked with numerous organizations in Stage Management, Assistant Stage Management, Hair and Makeup Crew, and Shift
Crew in many shows including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Respect: A Musical Journey of Women,
Evita, Commedia Delight, West Side Story, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Next, Joseph…Dreamcoat, The King & I, Angels in
America: Millennium Approaches, Grapes of Wrath, Lend Me A Tenor, Guys & Dolls, and Go-Go Beach. She holds a B.A. in
Philosophy and French with a minor in theatre from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Emily Nelson (The Ville; Costume Designer) Emily Nelson is pleased to be working with BBT on The Ville for Season 3.
She has costumed for opera and dance around the Chicago area, working along side award winning designers and directors
at Chamber Opera Chicago, Northeastern University, DePaul University, Haycyon theater and more. Emily is happy for the
opportunity to costume actors that are not singing and dancing J. She would like to thank Jeff and Rebekah and all of the
actors of BBT for making her first season a memorable one.

Amanda R. Presz (Company Manager, Webmaster) is so thrilled to be joining the Bare Boned Theatre Staff. She's so
glad to be stretching her designing skills working on www.barebonedtheatre.org, and thanks Becks and Jeff for giving her the
opportunity to help be a part of their company. In Season 2 she was seen as Lainey's Mom Linda, Emily, and various others in
The Ville, and could not be happier to be offstage! She's in the middle of receiving her Masters in Criminal Justice... but God
only knows what she's going to do with that. She's thankful for her job at DePaul University that allows her the time to work on
BBT madness. Much love to her friends, family, and most of all, her angel.

Christopher Plummer (Literary Manager) is pleased to join the Bare Boned Theatre staff as Literary Manager.
Christopher recent credits inlcude directing Episodes 2 and 6 for Season Two of The Ville. He received his MFA in Directing
from University of Idaho, and his undergrad degree from Eastern Oregon University. He is currently working on dramaturgical
projects for both The Ville and The Hecubae. As a playwright, his children's play "The Toymaker" was produced by Idaho
Repertory Theatre. His directing credits include Sea Girl with Idaho Repertory Theatre, Stephen Belber's Tape with Echo Road
Productions, A Flea in Her Ear, Ghosts, The Laramie Project, True West, among others. He gives thanks to Jeff and Rebekah
for allowing him the opportunity to develop new works with BBT.

Benjamin Haile (Carpenter, Fight Choreographer) is honored to be a part of this season's Ville cast and can't wait to
accept the challenges and life before him. A graduate of Western Illinois' theatre program some of his favorite roles include:
Stendahl (Martian Chronicles), Bernardo (Zastrozzi), The Headless Horseman (Legend of Sleepy Hallow), Judas Ischariot (Jesus
Christ Superstar), Prince Escalus (Romeo & Juliet) and Flute / Thisby (Midsummer Night's Dream).