Responsible for artistic oversight of Forward Theater Company.
Colleen Burns is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the UW-Madison with a degree in Acting. A professional actress for more than thirty years, she has worked extensively in regional theater. Wisconsin credits include roles at Milwaukee Rep, First Stage Milwaukee and New Court Theatre. In Chicago her work includes roles at both Drury Lane Theatres. Her first performance at Madison Rep was in 1974 and over the years she performed in many plays and musicals there including the record breaking A...My Name is Alice. Consumer Affairs, a show she co-authored with Jack Forbes Wilson, premiered at Madison Rep and went on to win the Dale Wasserman Award for Drama from the Wisconsin Council of Writers. The two were then commissioned by Madison Rep to write the critically acclaimed, ‘tis the season. Colleen has been a guest artist at colleges and universities throughout Wisconsin including UW-Madison, UW- Whitewater and Beloit College. She was most recently the Artistic Director of New Court Theatre on the campus of Beloit College. Colleen was nominated for “Best Local Actor” by Madison Magazine’s “Best of Madison” poll and she was listed in “The Madison 100, The Best and Brightest in Madison” by Madison Magazine. Colleen is a member of Actor’s Equity.
Jim Buske has acted in or directed more than 110 plays in Off-Broadway, regional, summer stock, dinner and community theatre. He was an original member of the Madison Repertory Theatre’s Acting Company and appeared in eleven productions there. Jim’s most recent role with The Rep was as Marshall in the world premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s What Corbin Knew. Favorite roles include Ken Talley in The 5th of July, Joseph Surface in School for Scandal, Elwood in Harvey, George in Moon Over Buffalo, Rev. David Lee in The Foreigner and Sergius in Arms and the Man. He also directed Beyond Therapy for The Rep. Jim works at the University of Wisconsin in the financial aid office as the Scholarship Administrator. In his spare time he serves on the Board of Directors of Rock For Reading, a Chicago-based non-profit that fights illiteracy. Rock For Reading, which was founded by singer/songwriter Alice Peacock, has distributed more than $2 million in books and monetary grants in the last five years.
Sarah Day is a Madison native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She began her professional acting career at Wilson Street East Dinner Playhouse while a student at the UW thirty years ago. She performed with both Madison Civic Repertory and Madison Repertory Theatre. Other Wisconsin theatre credits include: The Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre and First Stage Children's Theater. She has been a guest artist at the UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee and taught at UW-Richland. She has been a member of the acting company at American Players Theatre in Spring Green since 1986 and is a member of Actors' Equity Association.
John G. Frautschy is a freelance lighting designer and production manager based in Madison, WI. Local designs include: Dames at Sea , University Theater, Romeo et Juliette, Il Travatore and Don Giovanni; Madison Opera, Fully Committed, Proof and Dirty Blonde, Madison Repertory Theater. He is also the resident designer for Jazzworks. Other design credits include: Children of War; Ping Chong & Co., The Marvelous Wonderettes; Milwaukee Repertory Theater, HMS Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance; Skylight Opera Theater. John is an associate designer with Hase & Associate. Their most recent collaborations included Pelleas et Melisande at Canadian Opera Company, and the co-production of The Blonde, The Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead at both Cincinnati Playhouse and Dallas Theater Center. John has also traveled as production coordinator with Ping Chong & Co. including the regional and international tours of Deshima, After Sorrow, Undesirable Elements, and SlutForArt, a co-production with Ping and Muna Tseng Dance Projects.
Richard Ganoung has appeared regionally with the Folger Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C., Madison Repertory Theater, First Stage Children's Theater in Milwaukee and Milwaukee Shakespeare Theater. Film Credits include starring roles in the independent films Parting Glances and Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss. He is also the voice of Astro Boy's father in the popular Japanese cartoon series. Richard holds an undergraduate acting degree from UW-Madison and attended New York's Circle in the Square Professional Training Program. He is a proud member of both the Screen Actors Guild Of America & Actor's Equity, the union of professional stage actors and stage managers. Richard makes his home in Madison.
Michael Herold came to Madison in 1986 and was cast in The Foreigner, the first of more than sixteen plays with the Madison Rep, including The Norman Conquests, Consumer Affairs, The Immigrant and Love is the Weirdest of All. He has performed in over twelve productions at the Milwaukee Rep, as well as acting with Milwaukee Chamber Theater, Next Act and Milwaukee Shakespeare. He appeared in Laughter on the 23rd Floor at the Briar Street Theater in Chicago, and has been featured in productions for New American Theater and Artists’ Ensemble in Rockford, and New Court Theater in Beloit. Michael has toured nationally and regionally, and has performed at the Music Box Theater in Minneapolis and the Horton Grand Theatre in San Diego, as well as several Shakespeare festivals around the country. He has appeared in several regional and national television commercials, and in the recent film Baraboo. Originally from Ohio, he holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Akron. Michael lives in Sun Prairie with his wife Tracy and their children, Olivia and Gabriel. Michael is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Celia A. Klehr started her professional life as a non-Equity actor in 1976. Because of her belief that theater is most relevant when it is for, by, and of a community, Celia has made Madison her home both professionally and personally. She was a founding member of the Madison Repertory Theatre Acting Company. During her 14 years with the Rep she appeared in over 20 productions, served as company manager for 3 years and earned her Equity status. She has played leading roles in 3 feature-length films and several documentaries and has served on the Madison Arts Commission, Madison Sesquicentennial Committee and the State Street Committee. Celia is dedicated to creating work for theater professionals in Madison and strongly believes that theater is a vital part of Madison’s culture.
Frank Schneeberger is currently a Theatre Technician for the Overture Center for the Performing Arts. From 1978-2002, he was the Resident Designer/Technical Director for Madison Repertory Theatre, helping it to grow from a small community theater to a nationally-recognized, professional regional company. During this time, Frank designed and built over 140 sets. Between 1974-1978, he was the Resident Designer/Technical Director for CTM Madison Family Theatre Company, and has continued his association with CTM as a guest designer. In addition, Frank’s designs have been seen at American Players Theatre, Cider Mill Playhouse (Binghamton, NY), Theatre X (Milwaukee), Racine Theatre, Rockford Theatre, University of Wisconsin Opera-Madison, Strollers Theatre, Mercury Players Theatre, Madison Theatre Guild, Madison Savoyards, Edgewood College and Wisconsin Youth Theatre.
Sam White has worked in professional, academic and community theater for more than 35 years. He studied theater at Edgewood College and cut his stage chops at the old Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival. His professional Madison credits include working with the Madison Rep (he was the first addition to the Rep’s “Original Acting Company” in 1983), TAPIT/new works and the UW’s University Summer Theatre. His professional Milwaukee credits include work with In Tandem Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, and the former Theatre Tesseract. Sam has worked with almost every theater group in Madison as an actor, director and playwright. He is a former artistic director of Madison Theatre Guild. He was also a founding member and former president of Madison’s Playwright’s Ink. In addition to more than 150 theater productions, he has worked as professional on-camera talent in more than 120 commercials and industrial training films. He is a true homegrown product of the local theater scene. “Madison is an amazing theater town! More than capable of developing and supporting a community of professional theater artists who will have incredible impact in the cultural and economic life of our great city.”
Jack Forbes Wilson received a Master of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied piano with Howard Karp. He has worked as a classical musician and theater artist in Wisconsin for thirty years. As an actor, he has performed at Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, New Court Theatre in Beloit, Next Act Theatre and Skylight Opera Theatre. Jack had a twenty-year relationship with Madison Repertory Theatre, as both a performer and Musical Director. In addition to writing three shows for the Rep with Colleen Burns, the two have also written, produced, and performed in three successful and money-making productions in Madison. Jack has composed incidental music and done sound design for a number of regional theaters. He is the Musical Director for Marquette University’s theater department, and is on the faculty of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, where he has taught a variety of Musical Theatre classes. Jack has been named as one of the “Top Madisonians” by Madison Magazine.
Kimberly Megna Yarnall most recently worked as dramaturg with the Madison Repertory Theatre on the 2007 New Play Festival’s The Journey to Sakhalin, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Kimberly was the literary assistant for the Blue Heron Theatre in New York City (2001-2004) where she worked with many playwrights including New York Times Notable Author, John Dufresne on his first play, Trailerville. She curated the Juggernaut Theatre's First 100 Years reading series. Kimberly was also an assistant writer on Broadway’s Tony nominated A Class Act. A published and produced playwright, Kimberly holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Theater from the University of Notre Dame and was a member of the Actors Theatre of Louisville apprentice company.
