At Tin Drum Theatre, we believe theatre is at its most powerful when it awakens and stirs the soul. With The Unseen by Craig Wright, we’ve assembled a company of artists who are leaning into that challenge—crafting a production that is haunting, hopeful, intimate, and urgent.
From first rehearsal to final light cue, this team is building more than a play; they are shaping an experience that asks what it means to endure, to believe, and to hold onto hope when the world seems bent on erasing it.
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The journey into The Unseen begins here—and we’re grateful to have you alongside us.
Learn more about The Unseen
Read the Broadway World article!
Meet the Cast
Jordan Gleaves – Wallace
[he/him] Jordan is making his Tin Drum Theatre debut! Some Chicago-area credits include Seven Guitars (Jeff Award – Production (Play), City Lit); Ride Or Die and Ezekiel’s Wheel (MPAACT); The Swan (Theatre L’Acadie); Scandalous Boy (Open Space Arts); A Raisin in the Sun (Court Theatre); Blues For An Alabama Sky (Remy Bumppo); Relentless (Goodman & TimeLine). Touring credits with Othello and Loves, Labours, Lost (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks). Other regional credits include Macbeth and Julius Caesar (The Nashville Shakespeare Festival). Jordan is represented by Stewart Talent. He holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BA in Drama from Morehouse College.
Carlos Andrés Mai – Valdez
[he/they] Carlos is delighted make his Tin Drum Theatre Company debut in The Unseen. Previous credits include The Duchess of Malfi (Babes With Blades Theatre Company), The Winter’s Tale (Oak Park Festival Theatre), Desire in a Tinier House (Pride Films and Plays), and The Merchant of Venice (Seattle Shakespeare Company). Carlos studied at Cornish College of the Arts, where he earned his BFA in Original Works. He would like to thank his family, friends, and cat for their constant encouragement and support.
Learn more about Carlos’s work at: https://carlos-andres-mai.com/
Jacob Coggshall – Smash
[he/him] As a Tin Drum Theatre company member, Jacob originated the role of John Wilkes Booth in Winter Garden. He also served as Assistant Director for this summer’s production of Incognito, in addition to being the company’s resident photographer and videographer. Other stage credits include Eris in Indebted (Sub Rosa Theatre Collective) and the Young Playwrights Festival at Pegasus Theatre. He is a proud graduate of the BFA Acting program at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Find out more about Jacob and his adventures here: https://www.jacobcoggshall.com/
Production Team
The creatives helping The Unseen come to life
Steve Needham – Director
[he/him] Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Steve is a founding member of Convergence-Continuum, a theater collective which is still producing provocative black box theatre nearly 25 years since it’s inaugural show. After moving to Chicago, Steve worked in various capacities with About Face Theatre, The Bailiwick Repertory, and Pride Films and Plays.
After a hiatus from the theater, 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 proud to be part of Chicago’s storefront 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.
Emily Nicholas – Stage Manager
Emily Nicholas [she/her] is a non-Equity stage manager based in Chicago, IL. Recent credits include: 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!
Malia Hunter – Scenic Designer & Technical Director
Malia [she/her] is a Chicago-based scenic designer and carpenter with experience in props, puppetry, and wardrobe. Previously, Malia built and rigged the floating neuron sculpture for Tin Drum’s production of Incognito. Other scenic design credits include Hadestown and The Wedding Singer (both with After School Matters). Malia has worked for Northwestern University, BRAVO Performing Arts, the Chicago International Puppet Festival, the Studebaker Theatre, the Chicago Opera Theatre, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Malia is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago.
You can find out more about her and her work at maliahuntertheatre.com.
Jack Goodman – Lighting Designer
Jack [he/him] is a Chicago based Lighting Designer. Select design credits include: Incognito (also with Tin Drum), The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince, Wonderettes, Church Basement Ladies 2 (Timberlake Playhouse), Astronaut Group I, The House Without a Christmas Tree (Griffin Theatre), The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince (Factory Theater), DOGS (Red Theater), Throbbin Wood (PrideArts), Spamalot (ThinAir Theatre), 1776, Spongebob, & Once Upon a One More Time (StageDoor Manor), Pippin, Dance Nation, & Language of Angels (Columbia College Chicago). Dance Credits: To, Too, Two, Unconditional Love, To Understand, Unconditional, and The MT Dance Concert (Dance Center CCC). BA Theatre Design and Technology, Columbia College Chicago.
www.jackgdesigns.com.
Kasey Wolfgang– Costume Designer
Kasey [she/her] is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated with her BFA from Western Michigan University and recently received her Masters in costume design at Virginia Commonwealth University. She new to the Midwest, currently living in Milwaukee, and works in the costume shop at Milwaukee Repertory Theater! Kasey made her Chicago debut with Incognito earlier this summer! Previously she was based out of the DMV area. Her recent design work includes, Peter and The Starcatcher at Firehouse Theatre, Something Rotten! at Dogwood Dell and the world production Snow Maiden at Synetic Theater. She also recently assisted on the world premier musical Senior Class at Olney Theatre.
kccostumedesign.com
Zach Stinnett – Sound Designer
Zach is Chicago based Sound Designer for theatre and film. He is the former Technical Director fo MCL Chicago where he designed Sound and Lighting for the original run of Yippie Ki Yay Merry Christmas a Die Hard Musical. He has also ruined countless movies for non sound people by explaining what is and is not the sound of shammy.