Meet the Cupid Players!
Brian Peterlin (Tech), a graduate of Devry, has been technical director for productions all around Chicago for the last 11 years. Brian is a self-taught genius in the booth. You can see him in a variety of theaters hanging from ladders or air guitaring his beer to Dr. Feelgood. You can also see Brian in the silent sketch comedy group Bri-Ko, which is quietly kicking ass. Brian has been the technical director of Chicago SketchFest for ten years - where he has teched over 1000 shows. He is also the Director of Facilities at Stage 773. He would like to thank his wife Jill and partner-in-crime Posen. It’s all about mathematics people!
♥ Ensemble Cast ♥
Carisa Barreca is a Chicago native and is just pleased as punch to be performing with the most badass musical sketch comedy group around. After graduating with degrees in Theatre and Dance from Marquette University, she performed with theatre companies throughout Chicago and Milwaukee and graduated from The Second City Conservatory. When Carisa is not performing with The Cupid Players she can be found sailing the seven sea’s with The Second City’s Boat Co., donning fishnets and corsets while singing hilariously dirty songs with Off Off Broadzway, or choreographing for Matter Dance Company (MatterDance.com). She would like to send big THANK YOUS to the Cupid Players, The Broadz, Kevin, her family, and everyone who keeps seeing this amazing show.
Ashley Bush is a proud ensemble member of the Cupid Players for 4 years. She couldn't ask for more talented and generous perfomers to work with with every week and counts her lucky stars that she was welcomed into this hilarious family. She has been working in the Chicago world of Film, Sketch Comedy and Musical Theatre for 7 years. Some of her favorite roles include, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Shelby in Steel Magnolias, Rhoda in A New Brain and Lucy in Lesbian in the Pantry. Ashley is also the executive director of La Costa Theatre Company. She thanks her family and Jon for their love and support. Especially to her dad who has always supported her singing about her lady parts.
Andrew Graves hails from Lawrence, KS where he attended the University of Kansas and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal performance. After singing with the Grammy-Winning Kansas City Chorale, and co-founding/performing in an eight-person choral group in Kansas City called Octarium, Mr. Graves moved to New York City to pursue a career in the field of opera. In the summer of 2007 he moved to Chicago to pursue acting in the form of sketch, and improvisation. He is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, and the iO Training Center. He can be seen performing The Harold at iO, and in various venues in Chicago, with his improv team, Inkling. Andrew is also a member of the Reader Recommended ResetList: The Improvised Rock Experience. He feels like a real boy, now that he's an ensemble member with The Cupid Players. Thanks need to go out to his family and friends for their constant support. Oh, and look how much bigger my bio is than Israel's.
Ever since Sam Lewis was a little boychik, he's been expressing himself through comedy, dance and song. After earning a liberal arts & sciences degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, he moved out to Los Angeles to live out his rock & roll fantasies. Shortly after forming the cubicle rock band Feathergun, his songs were being featured in TV & film. Shows like MTV's Pimp My Ride, Date My Mom or VH1's Bands Reunited still often feature his songwriting. Sam currently resides in Chicago, enjoying writing & performing musical sketch comedy with the Cupid Players, who just completed a successful run of the rock band musical "Plugged" at Stage773. Sam is also the resident sound designer at the Trap Door Theatre, recent credits include Trap Door Theatre's productions of "The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant", "Eva Peron", "the Beastly Bombing", "No Darkness Round My Stone", "Horses at the Window", "Me Too, Catherine Deneuve" and EP Theater's "By Obit".
Israel Pederson is now exponentially cooler since he has become a part of the Cupid Players. After graduating from Purdue University in 2007, he came to Chicago to pursue funny things - upon moving he lived in his best friend's closet for three months, but eventually got out to train with Comedysportz, the Second City Music Conservatory, and the iO Theater. He can be seen around the city performing with Comedysportz, Infinite Sundaes, Reset List - the Improvised Rock Experience, and in Schaumburg with the Laugh Out Loud Theater. All of this fun could not be had without his number one fan, Sarah.
Ranjit Souri is a contributing essayist to Chicago Public Radio, and a columnist for India Currents magazine. His essay "Fireworks and Beethoven" was named a Notable Essay in the book The Best American Essays 2007. He teaches at The Second City Training Center (improvisation and comedy writing), StoryStudio Chicago (creative non-fiction writing), and Aardvark Prep (test preparation). Ranjit is a member of the comedy groups Cupid Players, Stir-Friday Night!, and Siblings of Doctors. A native of Barnesville, Ohio, Ranjit has an MBA from Columbia University and a B.S. in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University.
Tim Soszko is thrilled to be a part of The Cupid Players! He also writes and performs with Briko, and The Tim and Micah Project. Tim directs a whole mess of improv and sketch comedy groups and teaches all sorts of theatre classes with Second City, Barrel Of Monkeys, IO Chicago, Emerald City Theatre Co., Elmhurst Children's Theater, After School Matters, and Columbia College to name a few. And he is attempting to make millions as a voiceover artist. He has yet to reach his goal. www.timsoszko.com
Billy Sullivan, a Cupid Players ensemble member since 2001, was recently featured in CUPID PLUGGED! and currently appears with the cast of the long running hit "CUPID HAS A HEART ON" as he's done since it's debut in 2003. He (with Cupid) has also perfromed at the Chicago Sketch Comdey Festival (2002-Present), TBS Just For Laughs Festival, and others from Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland (OR) as well as throughout Chicago. Other credits include Harry Cooper in MUISCAL OF THE LIVING DEAD (COWARDLY SCARECROW, Premiere Cast), BABY (Actors Theatre Co.), OKIBONO (founding member), OLD and toured with the NATIONAL THEATRE FOR CHILDREN (Minneapolis, MN). He trained with IO Chicago, Second City Training Center Conservatory and Annoyance Theatre. Love and thanks to Mr. Brian Posen (teacher first, friend always) and his entire family back east in his home state Massachusetts.
Jill Valentine is a South Side Chicago native that has worked with The Cupid Players since the beginning. You may have also seen Jill with The Deltones IO’s musical improv group or with her burlesque inspired sketch comedy group Off Off Broadzway. Some other recent credits are Barbara in Musical of the Living Dead and Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors. Jill is the Executive Director of The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival and was also recently named Director of Operations at Stage 773 formerly Theatre Building Chicago. When Jill is not onstage she is either chillin’ at 773 (www.stage773.com) or at a bar…check both. Jill would like to send a shout out to her insanely supportive family and of course love to her favorite tech guy!
Mandy Whitenack has been a part of Cupid ever since its first show! She is a massage therapist farm girl from Portland, IN but has lived in Chicago for 15 years. Her most current projects include Helen in Musical of the Living Dead, Salazar/Oatsie in Vampire Lesbions of Sodom and her new hot sketch burlesque show Off Off Broadzway. When Mandy is not on stage you can find her sashaying in many local karaoke bars. She would like to thank her family and friends! Rock on!!
♥ Featured Cast ♥
Niki Aquino is a born and raised California girl who has fallen in love with Chicago. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, she can be found performing in various places around the city with favorite roles including Rosalia in West Side Story and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance. She has also studied with Second City Chicago and The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. All the thanks in the world go to the Cupid Players for this amazing opportunity. Much love to her mom and sis for all their support and of course her Chicago family for making her feel at home.
Nate Baumgart is super psyched to be creating with such skilled and wholistically good human beings. Nate does voiceover and on-camera work and is writing a book on Chicago improv. He would like to thank his mother and his father who have always insisted he be self-expressed, honest and happy. Their devotion to his flourishing is the root of all his accomplishments.
John Craig (Tech) has been helping out various sketch comedy groups for a few years, in a variety of locations around the North Side. When not behind a light board, John can be found at either one of several comic book shops or in the audience of one of the various comedy shows in the area. John would like to thank Sausage Comedy for getting him involved in this to start, and Posen, Peterlin, and Jill for thinking of him when they needed some help.
Emily FitzPatrick is thrilled for the opportunity to play with The Cupid Players. She received her BFA in Acting for Millikin University, after which she headed straight for Chicago. A graduate of The Annoyance training program and The Second City Conservatory, Emily sure does love it when people laugh at things she says. You can see her playing around town on imporv teams TrampStamp and RECESS. Big thanks to family and friends for their love and support.
Reeny Hofrichter is a B.A. (badass) Acting graduate of Columbia College's Theatre department, where she did a bunch of shows and got a degree in playing pretend. Her Chicago credits include Joe Janes’ 365 Sketches, Creepy That Way (Abbie Hoffman Fest), Skirmishes (Stage773), and 21st Century Sideshow (Process Theatre Group). Reeny is also a solo performer and writer, having written or performed for past Sketchfest's, 14@Stage773, and The Chicago One Minute Play Fest, along with her work for Process Theatre Group, where she is an ensemble member. She has so much love, for oh so many people, who know who they are. xoxo.
Katie Johnston-Smith, a Pittsburgh native, is ecstatic to be part of The Cupid Players! After graduating from Belmont University (Nashville) with a degree in Musical Theatre Performance she moved to Chicago to further study improv and sketch comedy. She now counts herself a proud grad of Second City's Conservatory and Musical Conservatory programs. You may recognize Katie from The Dude Abides: The Musical (Waitress/Pingirl), her appearances in Sarah Palin Explains America At You (Christina Aguilara, Leah Michelle), or from her various romps around town with her improv/ sketch troupe The SufferJets. 5 million kisses to her wonderful family and handsome husband, Justin!
Michael Tatar is honored to perform with The Cupid Players. A native of Chicago, he is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, iO, SITIGroup of NY and The Annoyance. He is an instructor and ensemble memberof Improv Playhouse and Chicago’s own *Creepy Hug. Recently, he workedwith Eric Whitacre in Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings. Past shows include OKLAHOMA!, The Grapes of Wrath, MAME and Disney’s The Lion King (Cheetah National Tour). Film credits include Segway, the music video Don’t Hassle the Hoff, The Night of Guido’s Revenge and True Denials. His bio may not be bigger than Andrew’s but he is bigger than anyone in the cast, so there. You can have “One Night Love” anytime by going to www.michaeltatar.com.