Creative Team

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OLIVIA POPP (Book, Music and Lyrics/Producer) is a writer and artist based in the Bay Area and a student at Stanford University. Olivia studies with Straight White Men playwright Young Jean Lee and her work has previously been performed at The Kennedy Center in DC. Beyond theater, she works as a filmmaker and freelance writer/critic. Olivia is eternally grateful to everyone who has helped her through the many, many iterations of Double Vision. Next up, she’s planning on writing a cult TV musical, but she won’t tell you which one just yet. itsoliviapopp.com

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ZACH BARR (Director) is a freelance director and critic working in the Chicagoland area. They serve as the Literary Associate at Sideshow Theatre Company. Zach recently directed Littlebrain Theatre’s Bicycle Thieves, part of RhinoFest 2019. Other projects include work with Otherworld Theatre Company, The Agency Theatre Collective, Kokandy Productions and Studio East (Kirkland, Washington). Zach is a graduate of Northwestern University.

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JUSTIN CAVAZOS (Music Director/Arrangements/Recordings) is a Chicago-based singer, actor and guitarist. He served as Music Director and Arranger for Stanford Mixed Company. He has performed in Chicago with Pride Films and Plays, Music Theater Works, Transgressive Theatre-Opera and Porchlight Music Theatre. Justin continues to write and arrange music for a cappella voices, rock band, synthesized instruments and more.

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ERIN COLLINS (Stage Manager) is a proud graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she received her BFA in Stage Management. Erin spent her first six months post-grad as part of the production management team for the shows on Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, the Celebrity Edge. Most recently, she stage managed Vision Productions’s benefit performance of The Trial of Faith and NoMads Art Collective's production of Mr. Kotomoto Is Definitely Not White. Some of Erin's favorite stage management credits include Growing Up Blue; Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play; Michael Jordan in Lilliput and We Are Proud to Present (The Theatre School).

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RYAN JONES (Technical Director/Scenic Designer) (Notre Dame ’17) is thrilled to bring Double Vision to life onstage for CMTF 2020! Recent credits: Elf: The Musical for PCHS (Technical Director/Scenic Designer), TRU (Best Scenic Design Nominee, CMTF 2018), Into the Woods (Rapunzel's Prince/Scenic Designer, Notre Dame’s PEMco) at Notre Dame and Merrily We Roll Along (Producer/Scenic Designer, PEMCo). When he’s not managing software projects at Jellyvision, he enjoys singing with the company’s rock band and doing freelance scenic design and DIY projects. He thanks his friends, family and the Double Vision team for their encouragement. He'd like to give a special shout-out to the folks at Jellyvision and Michael Burns for their support!

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JOY AHN (Properties Designer) is a scenic designer and artist in Chicago. Joy is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Prior credits include Sugar in Our Wounds and I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard (First Floor Theater), The Death of Gaia Divine (Greenhouse Theater), Native Son and Eurydice (DePaul University).

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JAZMIN AURORA MEDINA (Costume Designer/Makeup Designer) is a professional costume designer throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. She has a BA in Costume Design and Wardrobe from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Jazmin was recently selected as one of 34 US young emerging designers for the 2019 Prague Quadrennial for her costume design of Eurydice at UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha. Previous credits: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage Children’s Theater and more. Her portfolio of previous work and upcoming projects can be seen at jazminaurora.com or on Instagram: @jazminnauroraa.

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OLIVIA SY (Graphic Designer) is a designer and illustrator in Los Angeles who strives to communicate purpose beyond craft. Liv aims to thread social impact and human narrative in all projects, working with past clients such as the Downtown Women's Center, PeaceJam, AIDS Life/Cycle and her mom. She's often taking nature photos, over-analyzing films with strangers, selling zines and sipping coffee with her plants. Branding, poster and program design by Olivia Sy. Visit oliviasy.design & on Instagram: @artreleaf.

 

CAST

RYAN FRENK (Luke Sheridan) is a Malaysian American performer by way of Houston, Texas. Most recently, he debuted as a soloist and ensemble member of The Marion Consort in the Early Music Now series in Milwaukee. Some favorite past performances: The Magician (Menotti's The Consul, Transgressive Theatre-Opera and Acting Out!), Utkarsh Trujillo/Raj Chadha (Schwartz’s Working, Main Street Theater) and Peter (Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, Bayou City Theatrics). "If you want it, you already got it.”

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STEPHANIE FONGHEISER (Sam Connor) is thrilled to be a part of Double Vision and the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival this year. Chicago credits include Kiss Me, Kate (Big Noise Theatre), Game of Tiaras and This is America: A Musical Theatre Concert (Surging Films & Theatrics). Other credits: Christmas Eve in Avenue Q, Babette in Beauty and the Beast and Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible.

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NINA JAYASHANKAR (Vanessa Connor) is so excited to be back at Underscore after featuring in their Tiny Storefront Concert Series: We Can Do It. She is a Chicago-based actor and a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned her BA in Theatre with the Music Theatre Certificate as well as another major in Mathematics. Originally from San Jose, California, Nina began her career in Chicago with Music Theater Works' production of Peter Pan. Other favorite credits: Lions and Tigers (TimeLine Theatre), Anything Goes (Metropolis) and 9 to 5 (Big Noise Theatre). She can be seen next as Hannah in Freaky Friday at Porchlight Music Theatre. Nina is proud to be represented by Gray Talent Group. ninajayashankar.com

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GINA MARTIN (Sierra Scott) is a Chicago-based actor originally from Country Club Hills, Illinois. She is currently a senior at Columbia College Chicago pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. Chicago credits: A Man of No Importance, Allegro and High Fidelity (Columbia College Chicago). Other credits: Beehive: The 60s Musical (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre) and Spring Awakening (Three Brothers Theatre).

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BRIAN PEMBER (Marty Manning) comes from the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where he studied with Charles Walker. With a passion for new works, he is very excited to work on Double Vision. Chicago credits: premieres of Iolanta and Moby Dick (Chicago Opera Theater) and Trial by Jury, Masque at Kenilworth and Le Comte Ory (Transgressive Theatre-Opera). Brian has also been a member of the Princeton Festival opera chorus (Peter Grimes, Fidelio and Nixon in China).

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ETHAN CARLSON (Kirk River/Dave Connor) is a Chicago-based actor, singer, and stage combatant thrilled to be returning to Underscore Theatre! He last appeared in Underscore’s workshop production of The Ballad of Lefty and Crabbe. Other Chicago credits: Reutan Collective (Wasteland Hero), and MadKap Productions (1776) and abroad with Prague Shakespeare Company (Love’s Labour’s Lost). When not performing, he enjoys catching up on his comic books, cooking and practicing his swordplay.