Stephanie M. Acosta
Director, Artistic Director
Stephanie M. Acosta is a theatre director, a visual artist, and a founding member of the Anatomy Collective. A Cuban-American born and raised in Miami, Florida, Stephanie received her Bachelors in Directing from the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. Stephanie was the only Directing Major in the class of 2004 and spent six months studying abroad in London at Regent's College in Regent's Park; she also minored in Religious Studies and Social Philosophy, assisting faculty with academic texts on "International Views of Death and Dieing" and "Homosexuality and Christianity." Stephanie's strong interest in translation and adaptation of found texts was the driving force behind many of her projects at Webster University including her adaptation and direction of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, her translation of Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding, and her direction of a new compiled version of Georg Büchner's Woyzeck . Stephanie worked at the Goodman Theatre as the Assistant Director on the world premier of Mariela in the Dessert, where she was able to work closely with playwright Karen Zuacarias. Stephanie is overjoyed to be creating metalwork installation art and directing three of the five scripts in the show. She currently works with World Relief as a Refugee Bilingual Intake Coordinator.
Brian Adoff
Brian is the youngest of seven children, 10 years younger than his next oldest sibling. The "Happy Accident" they call him. Growing up on a small farm in Southern New Jersey, Brian eventually parted ways with his family and found himself in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. However, Love was not the first thing he received from his new hometown. Taking to the streets, Brian performed his repertoire of magic tricks and dance numbers he learned on the farm making only dollars a day. Somedays he would make nothing, just scorns and laughs from the passers by. Discouraged and downtrodden, Brian saw himself slowly slipping into obscurity. One night, while unable to sleep, Brian started to walk. He walked and walked without really knowing where he was headed. He suddenly stopped on the cobblestone street and looked up. Before him stood Constitution Hall, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. "Great things have happened here," he thought to himself. Brian suddenly turned around, raised his finger in the air, and proclaimed for all to hear: "I am going to do great things! That's when he knew it. He knew he had a destiny, and nothing was going to stop him from getting it. Then, as if the founding fathers heard his cries, Brian got his lucky break - his first job! Not quite the most glamorous job, but it was a start and he knew he could make something of it. Brian was the newest deckhand on the Liberty Spirit cruise ship that made tours up and down the Delaware River. Between cleaning the heads and swabbing the decks, Brian would sneak up to the lounge after hours and sit in with the band and sing a few numbers. Brian was an instant hit! The ship patrons thought the deckhand waering his pressed white shirt with the epilets on the sleeves was all a part of the act. They would crack up when Brian would say he had to take a break to go tie the boat up and then disappear for ten minutes. Well, word quickly spread around the city that some deckhand was tearing up the Liberty Spirit with a new sound that nobody in that city had ever heard before. Brian was soon headlining at supper clubs and Polish bars all over town. Even though Brian was enjoying his newly found celebrity, something just didn't feel right. Something was missing. He didn't know exactly what it was, but that something told him he needed to be on a train. Brian hopped on the first Amtrak out of 30th Street Station heading westbound, and 16 hours later stepped off the platform into his new home. Which brings us to the present, where Brian is currently working the Chicago circuit exploring new and exciting ways to bring joy and happiness to his adoring fans.
Kiki Bowman
Originally from Houston, Kiki graduated from Macalester College in 2004 and (somewhat) promptly moved to Edinburgh to fold flat front khakis at H&M. Before that she studied at the Moscow Art Theater where she accidentally landed a plate full of greasy rice in a Russian pop star's lap. Luckily, she didn't understand what he was saying. She is now rediscovering long and short vowels as a kindergarden assistant in Lincoln Park and very excited about this opportunity.
Poppy Coleman
Costume Assistant
Poppy Coleman specializes in construction and reconstruction of fabric. Hands never still, heart always open.
Christine Ferriter
Lighting Designer, Company Member
N/A - coming soon.
Amanda Link
Amanda Link is very excited to be working with the Anatomy Collective. She first met some of these folks while earning her BFA in acting at Webster University and is delighted to continue exploring with them. Amanda most recently appeared in Maui at Donny's Skybox and Big Love with Experimental Theatre Chicago. Amanda is currently performing in the Sandbox Theatre Project's site specific show Bottle Can Draft at Matilda's on Monday nights.
Ian Pepple
Visual Artist
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from NIU with a Bachelor's in Fine Art with a concentration in Illustration. From there I co-owned a studio/gallery in Hinkley, Illinois for a year and curated a few shows in the gallery space. Currently, I'm attempting to recieve my Master's degree in Fine Art from California State University at Long Beach.
Heather Riordan
Accordianist
Heather Riordan has been a Neo-Futurist since 1990, writing and performing Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind more weekends than not for the last decade and a half. Other shows with the Neo-Futurists include directing Zontar, The Thing From Venus and Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, performing in H2O, Jokes And Their Relation To The Unconscious, K., Alice, The Unfinished Works Of Sir Linear Scribble, and most recently as the HR1 Orchestra for the Dean Evans Show. She plays accordion at various bars/cafes/restaurants on the north side of Chicago, and sometimes for theatrical productions, most recently The Anatomy Collective's Many Things Are Destroying Me. Heather can occasionally be seen on the cable channel IFC starring in Todd Alcott's short film The Grasshopper. Heather will perform as the Queen in Theater Oobleck's Letter Purloined at Live Bait Theater, opening in January. In her non-performance life, Heather is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. Visit her vanity website at http://www.heatherriordan.com.
Lara Shortridge
Lara Shortridge is an actor/writer/singer/director/experientalist with a BFA in Theatre from Millikin University. She enjoys art that is dangerous, confusing, enlightening, interactive, masturbatory, silly, beautiful, or just really really entertaining. You can see her around the city working with her little zygote of a theatre company, the Lucid Theatre Project. She believes in positive energy and also really likes cheese.
Andy Sloey
Case History: Graduated Webster University Conservatory with a BFA in Regional Theater. Completed IO Theater Training Center. Completed Second City Conservatory. Improvises with teams Let Them Ho's Fight, Quincy, and Cool Kids Leave the Party. Resides with his three roomates in a beautiful four bedroom second floor apartment.
Taavo Smith
Playwright, Collective Member
Taavo Smith is a passionate, reckless amateur with a fetish for language and an inappropriate faith in the truth of intuition. His work as an actor, director and playwright has been seen in disreputable venues across Boston, Minneapolis and Chicago, and he is excited to add Melbourne to the list. While studying for his B.A. at Macalester College he founded Bad Comedy, an experimental comedy troupe which produced ten shows under his leadership culminating with the controversial 2003 Minnesota Fringe hit Seven Sketches About Love. He has had several plays produced by Boston's New Theatre, and under the moniker Atavistic Productions he has directed and produced a number of his own works to varying success. As an actor, some of his favorite roles include Robert in One Good Beating (Macalester College), Horatio in Kung Fu Hamlet (No Refunds Theatre Co.), Mr. Smith in The Bald Soprano (Experimental Theatre Chicago) and Nikos in Big Love (Experimental Theatre Chicago). Taavo is honored to be working with The Anatomy Collective and Concrete Cloud on this ambitious project.
Ben Stuber
Ben is an actor-dancer-puppeteer-artist-type person who likes nothing better than rolling around on a dirty rehearsal floor while nattering on like a poetically-challenged baboon. After receiving his B.A. in Theatre and Dance from Oberlin College, Ben moved to Chicago to continue poking at performative questions in collaboration with other inquisitive artists. He has worked with various Chicago theatre companies including Tangerine Arts Group, Wing and Groove Theatre and Tantalus Theatre, and has performed in many plays, including How To Explain The History of Communism To Mental Patients, The Merchant of Venice, Angels In America, and Venus. He has also danced in pieces by choreographers such as Nicholas Leichter, Nina Watt, and Aiko and Koma. On occasion he also carves puppets – in fact he'll be making some for the Anatomy Collective's next show. Ben works days at the Art Institute of Chicago ("the 'toot") and spends his nights crafting marionettes, practicing tai chi, devouring plays, or bounding heedlessly about on the stage. He also has a tasteless little website at http://www.benstuber.com
Alex Miles Younger
Director, Collective Member
Alex Miles Younger is an actor, director, and a performance studies enthusiast. He’s chalks up his experience to performing with Sprung movement theatre, Experimental Theatre Chicago, Sandbox Theatre Project, and workshops with Plasticene and The Building Stage; as well as his B.F.A. from the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts. He’s honored to be directing two of the five scripts in the show.