Southern Rapture Program

Jason Palmer

Director

[he/him] Jason is humbled to be working with such an enthusiastic and talented group of people directing the Chicago premiere of Southern Rapture. He happens to have degrees in both theatre arts and psychology, so this play very much feels like home turf to him. Hailing from the scenic coal region of north central Pennsylvania, Jason has pursued the theatrical spotlight from coast to coast. Taking a jack-of-all-trades approach to theatre, he’s done everything from acting to directing to stage management, lighting, and set construction. Jason also has numerous film and several TV credits to his name – again, both on-camera and off. Theatre has been a love that has stayed with him across several career changes and several long-distance moves. He is excited to be back in Chicago, his favourite city with his partner Josh, playing loving dog dad to Bryn, and doing what he has always loved doing best. By day, Jason dabbles in Operations Management; he is honoured to be a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of Tin Drum Theatre Company. Most recently, he directed last season’s Chicago debut of Incognito for Tin Drum and TD’s inaugural production of Winter Garden by Steve Needham.

Steve Needham

Producer

[he/him] Steve is the Co-Artistic Director of Tin Drum Theatre Company. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Steve is also a founding member of Convergence-Continuum, a company that is still pushing boundaries and producing provocative black box theatre 25 years later. After settling in Chicago, Steve worked in various capacities with About Face Theatre, The Bailiwick Repertory, and Pride Films and Plays. 

After a hiatus from theater work, Steve found his passion for the art form again while completing graduate studies at the University of Chicago – a journey which culminated in writing his original play Winter Garden about Edwin and John Wilkes Booth – and laid the groundwork for the formation of Tin Drum Theatre Company.

Steve is thrilled to once again be part of Chicago’s theater scene and excited to contribute to the tradition of intimate stage performances that have long inspired and engaged the artists and audiences of our great city. He most recently directed Tin Drum’s production of The Unseen last season, and will be directing A Dark Wood in October 2026.

Outside of his artistic pursuits, Steve works as an attorney at a law firm in the River North neighborhood.

Emily Nicholas

Stage Manager

Emily Nicholas (she/her) is a non-Equity stage manager based in Chicago. Recent credits include: The Unseen (Tin Drum Theatre Company); Morning, Noon, and Night, Ugly Lies the Bone, A Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Globe Theatre); The Stranger, Million Dollar Quartet, I Ought To Be In Pictures (Peninsula Players Theatre); Macbeth (Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre). She holds a BFA in Stage Management and Arts Administration from Millikin University in Decatur, IL. She would like to thank her partner, friends, and family for their love and support!

Sil Rivera

Assistant Stage Manager/Scenic Assistant

Sil Rivera (they/them) received their BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch. They work as a teaching artist with the Chicago Children’s theater. As well as a theater artist focused on design and performance. They strike to cultivate work and spaces that center laughter and empathy at their core.  If you can’t find them, they are probably helping kids make puppets, teaching dogs how to swim or constructing something strange out of cardboard.

Kaitlyn Hettinger

Technical Director & Scenic Designer

Kaitlyn (she/her) is an artist, Scenic Designer, and fabricator originally from Wyoming. She has worked on a large variety of theatrical productions and cultural events across the United States in addition to work in the nonprofit field and as a co-founder and editor of “The Deserted Zine”. Her theatrical credits across various roles include Charges, WITCH, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, and Noises Off! among others.

https://khhoneyfawnart.weebly.com/about.html

Kasey Wolfgang

Costume Designer

Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kasey (she/her) is a costume designer based in the Chicagoland Area and an Artistic Associate of Tin Drum. She holds an undergraduate degree in Costume Design from Western Michigan University and a Masters in Costume Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her first show with Tin Drum Theatre (and her Chicago Debut) was Incognito in July of 2025. In Chicago she has also worked on The Unseen (Tin Drum Theatre), Company (Madkap Productions), The Mark (Babes with Blades) and The 8th Dwarf (Ghostlight Theater Ensemble). Before moving back to the Midwest, Kasey worked in DC assisting and designing shows, including The Snow Maiden (Synetic Theater), Senior Class (Olney Theater Company), Disney’sFrozen (Olney Theater Company), and the Helen Hayes award winning The Nance (1st Stage). When not designing, she works as the costume crafts artisan for First Stage Children’s Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

https://kccostumedesign.com/about-me

Ellie Fey

Lighting Designer & Master Electrician

Ellie Fey (she/her) is a 24 year old Chicago based Lighting Designer and Electrician. She graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2023 with a BFA in lighting design. Some of her design credits include Lobby Hero (Shattered Globe Theater), The Drowsy Chaperone; Urinetown; TL,DR; Tell Me on a Sunday (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater), Turn of the Screw (The Music School at DePaul University), The Sugar Wife; Superior Donuts; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Witch (The Artistic Home), The Unknown Variable (Momentary Theatre), Side by Side by Sondheim; The Lifespan of a Fact (Oil Lamp Theater), Here be Sirens; Fizz and Ginger (Chicago Fringe Opera), MedeaMedeaMedea (Theatre Evolve), The Cottage (Citadel Theatre). Ellie has received two Jeff Award nominations for outstanding lighting design for her work on Lobby Hero and Witch.

You can check out her portfolio at www.elliemfeydesigns.com.

Leah Donovan

Lighting Assistant / Projection Coordinator

Leah Donovan is a Chicago-based lighting designer and technician from New England. She holds a BFA in Lighting Design from DePaul University. She recently served as the Lighting Director for Toad the Wet Sprocket on their Good Intentions tour and as the Lighting Director for Peter White on his A Peter White Christmas tour.

leahdonovan.com

Zach Stinnett

Sound & Projection Designer

Zach (he/him) is Chicago-based Sound Designer for theatre and film who previously designed The Unseen for Tin Drum. He is the former Technical Director of MCL Chicago where he designed Sound and Lighting for the original run of Yippie Ki Yay Merry Christmas a Die Hard Musical. In his spare time he ruins countless movies for non sound people by explaining what is and is not the sound of a shammy.

stinnettaudio.com

Erin Alys

Director of Intimacy and Movement

Erin Alys (she/they) is an actor, intimacy director, fight director, stunt performer, and educator. This is their second production with Tin Drum, previously appearing on stage in Incognito. She has trained extensively with Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE) and presented research at their most recent Symposium. Chicago intimacy directing credits include The School for Scandal, Blood Countess, The Three Musketeers (Idle Muse); Days of Rage (Ego Death); Tender Napalm (Backyard Theatre Co.). As a stunt person, Erin has performed alongside dinosaurs in the national tour of Jurassic World Live, produced by NBC Universal and Feld Entertainment. They are a Playmakers Laboratory company member and has taught acting and movement at the Chicago Actor Studio and various universities across the country. Erin holds an MFA in Acting and New Work from The Ohio State University. They are a proud SITI Company Conservatory Alumni. 

erinalys.com