OUR PEOPLE

Rozan has spent much of her professional life in the fields of software development and nonprofit administration. She has served both as executive director and president of Temple Beth El, Madison’s Reform Jewish congregation, as well as administrator for Lake Edge United Church of Christ and database manager for the Jewish Federation of Madison and the University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation.

Rozan has a degree in Economics from Brown University. She currently serves on the international board of Women of Reform Judaism, and is the president of WRJ’s 14-state Heartland District. She is President-Elect of the Madison Symphony Orchestra League.

Rozan enjoys a very semi-professional career as a bassoonist and plays tennis whenever she can. She and her husband Brian are subscribers and avid audience members of Forward Theater, as well as American Players Theater and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. They are also members of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and love to support arts organizations in our community!

Kelsey is a researcher at UW-Madison.

Kelsey used to purchase rush tickets as an undergraduate and grad student, but now subscribes to Forward and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Favorite Forward show (so far): Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play.

When not at Overture Center, Kelsey spends her time volunteering with her neighborhood’s food pantry, Underdog Pet Rescue, West High School Speech Team, and the Bartell Theatre. Kelsey loves playing in theatrical pit orchestras and is an active member of the Verona Area Concert Band and Isthmus Vocal Ensemble. She holds master’s degrees in both environmental sciences and public health.

Erin is an English and Creative Writing instructor with UW-Madison’s Odyssey Project and runs Odyssey Beyond Wars for military veterans. She is the author of the novels Miracle Beach and Learning to Stay (Penguin/NAL), the latter adapted for Forward Theater by James DeVita. Her work also includes essays in various publications and a monologue for Forward Theater.

A born-and-raised Yooper, Erin has lived in the Madison area since 2005. She and her husband, Aaron Olver (known as A&E to their families) are longtime Forward patrons and are thrilled to be able to now share their love of theater and the arts with their two sons, ages 11 and 12.

Dave Chaimson is the President of Full Compass Systems in Madison, Wisconsin. He joined the company in January 2020. Before this position, he was the Vice President of Business Development, Marketing, and Membership at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh.

While in the Fox Valley, Dave served as secretary on the Executive Committee of The Grand Oshkosh, one of the oldest opera houses in the state. Before his involvement with EAA, Dave spent nearly 35 years in Madison, including a 15-year engagement with local start-up Sonic Foundry and SONY, who purchased the business’s music and video software assets in 2003.

While in the Madison area previously, Dave was on the board of the Madison Repertory Theater. He’s worked at other companies in the area that have been incredibly supportive of the arts, including American Girl and Conney Safety Products. He has also volunteered with the United Way as the Vice-Chair of the Retail and Services group, working with companies to help structure corporate financial support within Dane County.

Dave has been a board member of Forward Theater since 2020. He and his family actively support many other performing arts associations in the Greater Madison area. 

Mark’s career arc has spanned radio, television, Web software and politics. The common threads are innovation, challenge, and a desire to serve. A native and life-long resident of Madison, Mark previously served 11 years on the Madison City Council and was the founder of three tech startups.

He is currently Development Director at Isthmus.

Steve DiTullio has been practicing law in Madison at the DeWitt, LLP law firm since 1994 and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School (JD1992), as well as Northeastern University (BA 1985) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University (MA 1987).  His law practice focuses on representing businesses on employment law issues and is most proud of the fact that he has continuously represented many business for more than 25 years, and others for more than 30 years. 

Steve lives in the Madison area with his wife and dog, and makes frequent visits to Brooklyn, Anchorage and Los Angeles to visit their three children.  Steve has served on and currently serves on numerous community non-profit Boards including Agrace Hospicecare, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Foundation, WayForward Resources, the American Red Cross, Gio’s Garden, and the Dane County Humane Society.

Adam has lived in Dane County for 17 years and worked with the nonprofit community in many capacities focused primarily around fundraising.

In undergrad, he majored in Arts Administration with a Theater minor, and loved being a stage manager for many college productions.

In his free time, when he’s not taking in a show, Adam also loves to garden, cook, and get himself in over his head with DIY projects.

Adam recently launched a new small business, Renovation Sells Madison, focused on quick, expertly designed pre-sale cosmetic home updates.

Samara Frame has served the arts as a theater-maker and arts administrator for more than two decades. As an AEA and SAG/AFTRA actor, she’s worked professionally in Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver and Madison, in theater, film, and television. Currently the Advancement Manager for UW-Madison’s Division of the Arts, Samara works to engage arts stakeholders on campus and in the community, raise funds for interdisciplinary arts initiatives, and connect the arts across UW. She previously worked as Director of Audience Engagement for Forward Theater Company, deepening relationships with audiences, leading fundraising events, developing partnerships, and increasing accessibility.

In other nonprofit areas, she worked for United Way of Dane County and Madison Reading Project. Samara launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Dane County, served on grant review panels for Wisconsin Arts Board and Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, and was appointed to the board of trustees for Verona’s Library Board. She has led youth empowerment programs and worked in advocacy for violence prevention and education.

She currently serves on the Executive and Development Committees of Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, is a member of AFP Madison, OPEN, LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and is an active volunteer in the community. She holds a degree in Theater from Northwestern University and a certificate in fundraising from UCLA.

Amie is a senior health care executive with over 25 years of experience in the delivery of health, advanced illness and long-term care supports and services. She is an effective leader with a track record of building positive and collaborative relationships with staff, board of directors, and other stakeholders. Amie also serves on the boards of National Guardian Life Insurance, Temple Beth El and the Vilas Neighborhood Association.

When not working, Amie and her husband David enjoy sharing their love of theater with friends and family, travelling internationally, and playing in Wisconsin’s northwoods.  Amie is a graduate of Northwestern University and earned a master’s degree in Social Service Administration and a certificate in Healthcare Administration and Policy from the University of Chicago. 

Hallie is currently a Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at WPS Health Solutions. Her responsibilities include management reporting, variance analysis, business case support, budgeting/forecasting, and other ad-hoc analysis to support executive decision making. Prior to joining WPS, Hallie held multiple finance roles in the manufacturing and telecommunications industries. Hallie earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Investment, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Hallie spent some time in Chicago after graduation before moving back to Madison with her husband and Siberian Husky.

In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, travelling, cooking, and spending time on the many lakes of Wisconsin.

Linda Baldwin O’Hern is a lifelong arts volunteer.  She is an Overture Center Founder and a former board member of  the Madison Contemporary Art Museum and the Madison Repertory Theater in its very early days.  She was a founder of the ill-fated Festival of the Lakes and a long-time Rotarian. 

Linda is the retired Associate Publisher of Isthmus Publishing.  She came to Madison in 1979 as Executive Producer for Cultural Programming at WHA-TV and then VP Marketing for CUNA Service Group. 

Linda and her husband, Vince, live in Madison.  A native of Mitchell, SD, she received a B.A. in journalism/political science from the University of Nebraska.  Linda loves her terriers, a little golf and travel.  Oh, and her husband. 

Orange and her husband Dean have been co-owners of Orange Tree Imports since 1975. In addition to running the store, Orange does translating from Danish to English and freelance writing in the fields of medical terminology, Danish cuisine, and retailing.

Orange founded the Monroe Street Merchants Association and the Monroe Street Library League, and continues to serve as chair of both organizations. Orange has served two terms on the Madison CitiArts Commission, served on the board of Bach Dancing & Dynamite, and has been involved with American Players Theatre for many years. She has also served on the boards of the Madison Youth Choirs, Madison Children’s Museum, Friends of WHA-TV, and Susan G Komen for the Cure, as well as volunteering for United Way of Dane County as a member of its board and marketing committee.

Orange’s son Erik grew up in a theater-loving household in Madison (obviously!), and he is now the managing director of The Acting Company in New York.

Jason is a radiologist working with Radsource, and was formerly the Associate Dean of Multicultural affairs for Health Professions Learners at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where he was also an Associate Professor of Radiology.

Jason has been a proud Madison resident since 2012, when he relocated with his family. He and his wife, Dr. Laura Stephenson, were introduced to Madison theater via the theatrical pursuits of their twins, Hunter (daughter) and Walker (son). Walker’s role in Forward Theater’s 2018 production of Fun Home introduced the family to Forward Theater and they have been enthusiastic and faithful patrons ever since.

Jason is an especially dedicated fan of the Theater Forward podcast, as well as the general practice of talkbacks after performances!

Jacqui is a Wisconsin native and is retired from Foley & Lardner LLP following a long career as a corporate paralegal. She went to school in Madison, living here for most of her adult life, and first became interested in local theater by attending performances of the Madison Rep, where she also ushered for several years.  She and her husband, Steve, have been enthusiastic members of the Forward Family for over a decade.

Her interests include the arts, design & decor, and fashion.  She enjoys travel, the food scene, entertaining, flower gardening, biking and, of course, family time with her dog, Oliver, and her grandkids.

Ketty was born and raised in New Jersey outside of NYC. She is employed as a clinical associate professor of psychiatry with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and as the Director of the Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service at University Hospital. Ketty’s love of theater began at 7 years old as the “creative director, writer, choreographer, and producer” of home plays and musicals employing her younger siblings! Some of her happiest memories are spending Saturdays at a performing arts school in New Jersey (Performer’s Theater Workshop) in acting, vocal, and dance classes, and she stayed involved in theater productions through high school.

Ketty continues to foster her love of dance and theater by taking various dance classes, teaching choreography, and dance performances with Otimo Brazilian Dance with the Handphibians in addition to serving on the Forward Theater marketing committee.

Casem AbuLughod is a Madison based performer and human. A graduate of University of Wisconsin – Madison, he also holds a Master of Arts in Applied Theatre from the City University of New York.

He is an improv performer and instructor with the Monkey Business Institute, an actor and teaching artist with Whoopensocker, and has performed with several Madison area theaters, including CTM, Are We Delicious?, and Strollers.

Forward audiences may know him from his roles as Egor in Russian Troll Farm and The Legionnaire in What the Constitution Means to Me. His favorite role of all time is AbuMack.

James Carrington is an actor and singer based in Milwaukee and a graduate of UW-Madison’s Acting Specialist B.F.A. Program.

Some favorite roles include Matt in Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play, Man 3 in The Ballad Of Emmett Till, The Lion in The Wiz, William Barfèe in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Jim Fingal in Lifespan of a Fact, Cuddy Banks in Witch, Dun in Pipeline and Golden Thunder in Airness.

James has worked with: Children’s Theater of Madison, Door Shakespeare, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Forward Theater, Northern Sky Theater and more.

When not acting he can be found cooking, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or watching copious amounts of Disney or Marvel. Support the arts! 

Sarah Day is a Madison native, and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been a member of the acting company of American Players Theatre in Spring Green since 1986. She is incredibly proud of the fact that she is one of the founding members of Forward Theater, and was a part of the Advisory Company since its inception.

Some favorite FTC plays of which she has been a part include:  Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Exit Strategy,  Life Sucks, and Russian Troll Farm. Most recently she appeared in Murder Girl.

Sarah has performed with many theaters in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, First Stage, Four Seasons Theatre and Madison Opera. She has also performed at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and the Cleveland Playhouse. In 2018 she was named a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Jono de Leon is a freelance designer and photographer. A returning Madison transplant, Jono graduated from UW Madison with his Master’s Degree in 2012. 

After graduating from UW Madison, Jono worked as the Lighting and Sound Supervisor for UW Madison before taking a more permanent position at the University of California, Davis. He served as the Head Electrician for the Department of Theater and Dance for 4 years. 

Jono returned to Texas in 2018 to work as the Lighting and Projection Supervisor for a local theater in Austin, after working with New York Stage and Film during their 2018 season. 

In the beginning of 2020, Jono moved back to Madison to take his current position as Technical Coordinator for Overture Center. Throughout all of this he has continued to work on photography projects including documenting the amazing artwork that came out of the protests in downtown Madison. 

Jono designed lights for FTC’s productions of The Farnsworth Invention and Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale. 

Elyse is a proud Milwaukee-based actor and theater educator. Some of Elyse’s professional acting credits include productions with Forward Theater Company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, In Tandem Theatre, First Stage, Third Avenue PlayWorks, American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Door Shakespeare, The Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Minnesota Shakespeare Co., People’s Center Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theater, Next Act Theatre, and Riverside Theater, among others. Additionally, she has directed productions with First Stage, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Ruach inc, and will be directing this season at Childrens Theater of Madison.

Elyse’s shows with FTC include Mr. Burns (a post-electric play), Life Sucks, 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies, The Wanderers. She directed Fifty (or so) Steps in the 2023 Monologue Festival.

As a teaching artist, she has developed curriculum for many professional theaters, schools, and youth correctional facilities. This includes serving as Director of Camp Will, Door Shakespeare’s summer theater program, and on core faculty for First Stage Milwaukee’s Young Company. Training: University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor’s Training Program. London International School of Performing Arts.

Mike is a Milwaukee-based dramaturg. From 2003-2018, he saw over 200 plays each year on behalf of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, covering theater productions throughout Wisconsin as well as northern Illinois while also writing book reviews that appeared in newspapers throughout the United States.

In his post-critic’s life, Mike has served as a dramaturg or written educational materials on behalf of Wisconsin theater productions at Forward as well as the Constructivists, First Stage, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks and Theatre RED. Mike is also a judge for as well as the Vice Chair of the Joseph Jefferson Committee in Chicago and a longtime judge for the Steinberg New Play Award competition.

Mike served as dramaturg for FTC’s production of The Amateurs, and is a co-host of our Theater Forward podcast. In 2023, Mike served as festival journalist for World Premiere Wisconsin.

Mike received his undergraduate degree from Yale and his MA from the University of Michigan (both in English Literature) as well as his JD from Harvard.  He lives in Whitefish Bay with his wife, Elaine.

Emily Glick is a Madison based performer and educator. She is the Chair of the Theatre Department at Madison Country Day School, where she recently won a Jerry Award for directing.

As a performer, she has worked with Forward Theater, Madison Opera, Children’s Theatre of Madison, Capitol City Theatre, and Music Theatre of Madison. Chicago credits include Timeline Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Chicago Children’s Theatre.

Emily holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Michigan. 

Laura is a Milwaukee based actor and director.

For Forward she has directed Heisenberg, Red, and Going to St. Ives, and has acted in Artemisia and Good People. She was recently seen as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; Prospero in The Tempest, Santa Cruz Shakespeare; Winnie in Happy Days, Renaissance Theaterworks.

Directing credits include work at American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

A twenty year member of the Milwaukee Rep’s resident acting company, her credits there include the Stage Manager in Our Town, Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman, Sister Aloysius in Doubt, Queen Elizabeth in Mary Stuart, Maureen in The Beauty Queen of Leenane. A Lunt-Fontanne Fellow, Laura received her MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa and is a member of SDC and Actors Equity Association.

Clare is a Wisconsin native and is Teaching Faculty in the Theatre & Drama Dept at UW-Madison where she earned her MFA in Acting with an emphasis in voice and speech. She teaches a course called Acting Skills for Life, using actor-training techniques for students in any field to build a human-centered approach to communication, confidence, and connection. 

She has worked professionally as an actor, voice and speech coach, and teaching artist for Forward Theater, Children’s Theater of Madison, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, American Players Theatre, Theatre LILA, Whoopensocker, and Four Seasons Theatre to name a few. Wisconsin is home, and that’s where she likes to be.

For FTC, Clare has appeared in Artemisia, Mary Jane, Fun Home, Outside Mullingar, and Silent Sky. She resides in Sun Prairie with her incredible and supportive family and is forever
grateful to be a storyteller and educator. 

Shannon (she/her) is a Wisconsin-born artist and theater advocate with a background in costume design and education. She is dedicated to creating inclusive, equitable, and welcoming spaces for every artist.

Shannon takes great pride in her costume designs for productions such as I & You, Heisenberg, 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies, and Airness, as well as her work as wardrobe supervisor for multiple seasons with Forward Theater Company.

After hanging up her measuring tape and shears, Shannon transitioned to arts administration. In this role, she welcomes touring artists, makes them feel at home, and fosters performing arts spaces that embrace everyone. Forward Theater Company is the perfect place to continue this important work, as it represents a dream home for theater artists. When she’s not advocating for better arts futures, Shannon enjoys life in Stoughton with her partner, Ben, where they fill their days with art and nerdery.

Josh grew up in Milwaukee and now makes him home in Menomonee Falls, WI with his wife, Rachel, son Vincent, and cats. He went to Cardinal Stritch University in Glendale, WI where he received his BA in Theater before going to Indiana University to get his Masters in Acting.

Josh returned to Wisconsin because his mentor, C. Michael Wright, former artistic director of Milwaukee Chamber, offered him his first professional job, Great Expectations (Pip), and Josh is forever grateful. His love of theater making has led him to perform with many theaters around the area including Milwaukee Chamber Theater, Children’s Theater of Madison, Next Act, American Players Theatre, and Forward Theater.

Josh’s shows with Forward include The Amateurs, Clarkston, Airness, and A Case for the Existence of God.

When not making theater he can be found changing Vinnie’s diaper, watching horror movies with Rachel, playing D&D, and reading Stephen King.

Colleen’s productions with Forward include: What the Constitution Means to Me, Why Torture Is Wrong and the People Who Love Them, Going to St. Ives, Love Stories, Or,, Silent Sky, and Heisenberg.

Colleen is a Core Company Member at American Players Theatre in Spring Green. Regional theater credits include Seattle Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Alliance Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Two Rivers Theater, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater, as well as NYC’s Irish Repertory Theater. She is also a playwright, whose work includes an adaptation of A Christmas Carol that ran for many seasons at Childrens Theater of Madison.

Television: ABC’s All My Children; NBC’s Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. You can see her in the streaming films Brutal Season and Aquarians.

Colleen lives in Spring Green with her husband James Ridge and their sons Guidry and Jameson.

Orion Risk is a director and PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Orion has directed for the monologue festival and Wisconsin Wrights, and assistant directed What the Constitution Means to Me. 

In other work, Orion created TransTheatreFest–Madison, crafted the virtual play GenderTalks from conversations between trans and nonbinary people (Fringe PVD; Free Fringe Philly; Minnesota Fringe), and produced and directed with the Scene D Theatre Project in Iowa’s Cedar Valley.

Orion’s theatrical career started right out of high school with Lampost Theatre Company in Cedar Falls, Iowa; over seven years, he assistant directed original musicals, led acting workshops for high schoolers, and toured nationally. Originally from Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado, Orion now lives in Sun Prairie with their partner and a perfectly fluffy cat.

Noele Stollmack is a Milwaukee-based lighting and scenery designer.

Forward Theater productions include the lighting for Life Sucks, I and You, Every Brilliant Thing, Mary Jane, The Lifespan of a Fact, 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies, Russian Troll Farm, Artemisia, and What the Constitution Means to Me. She designed our sets for I and You and Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale.

Her work has appeared onstage at The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Library of Congress Theatre, as well as the opera companies residing in Ontario, Houston, Portland, Vancouver, New Orleans, Nashville, Madison and Milwaukee.

Regional design for the theatre includes Jeff Daniels Purple Rose Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Houston’s Alley Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight Music Theatre, American Players Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Madison, First Stage Children’s Theatre.

Susan has acted and sung for many years at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cleveland’s Great Lakes Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Theatre, Next Act Theatre, American Players Theatre, InTandem Theatre, Forward Theater Company, and on several tours for U.S.O.  With Forward Theater, she played Dottie in Good People, Vera in 4000 Miles, and Ann in For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday.  For nearly 40 years, she was a Voice, Text and Dialects teacher and coach at universities and professional theaters throughout the country. 

Susan’s recorded voice is heard as the Narrator and all character voices for U.S. national tours of  Philadelphia’s Enchantment Theatre. She is a regular reader on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Chapter a Day”.

Jen is a co-founder of FTC, serving as Artistic Director since 2009.

She has directed 27 mainstage productions for Forward.

Regionally, Jen has directed for Madison Rep and Milwaukee Shakespeare. She has directed national tours (Copenhagen) and was the Associate Director on Broadway of Copenhagen, Cabaret, The Blue Room (starring Nicole Kidman) and The Life.

Jen founded World Premiere Wisconsin, and is now serving as President of WPW’s Board of Directors.

Jen grew up in the Madison area, holds a degree in Dramatic Literature & Stage History from Harvard College, and with her husband Peter has raised their three kids (Jamie, Seeger, and Arden) on Madison’s west side.

Julie Swenson joined Forward as Managing Director after 17 seasons as Producing Director for Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee. Julie received a BA in theater from Illinois Wesleyan University and became a member of Actors’ Equity Association while living in New York City. Julie fell in love with the Forward family when she worked as an actor in Forward’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike in the role of Masha. Outside of theater she served on the Village of Nashotah board serving as President for two terms and was the host of New Home Building Today on WTMJ-4 in Milwaukee. Julie has two grown sons, Johnny and Jarek, and is happily settled on the west side of Madison.

Scott joined Forward’s staff at the beginning of our 5^th season.

He previously served as Managing Director of the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake, CO, and has enjoyed acting at various regional theaters across the country, including American Players Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Theatre at the Center.  For FTC, Scott appeared in the Two Steps Forward Monologue Festival and Russian Troll Farm.

Scott is a proud member of Actors’ Equity, Madison’s Whoopensocker ensemble, and is a founding member of the Wisconsin Story Project, Dolphinback Theatre/Chicago, and the Lovewell Theatre Project. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

Scott lives in Sun Prairie with his wife Clare Arena Haden (who often acts in FTC shows) and their son Ben.

Sarah joined the Forward staff in 2021.

She holds a degree in Art History and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Sarah previously led development, strategic planning and special events for several arts organizations including the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum, American Ballet Theatre, Wisconsin Historical Foundation, and Taliesin Preservation. In addition, she serves on the Board of Visitors of the UW-Madison Art Department and Briarpatch Youth Services.

Sarah grew up on Madison’s west side, and now lives just steps from Overture Center with her sweet pup, Pearl.

Bri Collins manages audience services and donor relations for Forward Theater. She has been born and raised mostly in the Madison area.  

Bri graduated from UW Stevens Point with a BFA in Theater Design and Technology in Stage Management. After graduation she moved to the Twin Cities to work in the Regional Theater scene.  

Bri is excited to experience her second season here at Forward. She is passionate about making theater accessible to everyone with the high quality of work that Forward Theater produces.

Celia co-founded FTC by bringing together professional theater artists around her table when the Madison Repertory Theatre closed in 2009.

Celia (along with her husband Sam White) has hosted most Advisory Company meetings, as well as staff retreats, family picnics, and fundraising events at her home on Madison’s east side.  Celia and Sam have two daughters: Lizzie and Katie.

Celia started her professional life as a non-Equity actor in 1976. Because she believes 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 Madison Rep’s Acting Company. During her 14 years with the Rep she appeared in more than 20 productions, served as company manager for three years, and earned her Equity card.

Celia has served on the Madison Arts Commission, Madison Sesquicentennial Committee, and the State Street Committee.

She has been seen onstage in FTC productions of All About Eve, Moonlight & Magnolias,  Good People, and For Peter Pan on Her 70^th Birthday.

Marcy joined the staff as Artistic Associate in July 2022. 

Marcy is no stranger to Forward, having appeared in our productions of 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Life Sucks, and The Love That Changed My Life. She also performed in Forward’s reading of Lauren Gunderson’s Natural Shocks and served as dramaturg for 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies.

A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, director, and educator, Marcy completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Austria and holds an MFA from the University of South Carolina. 

She resides in Milwaukee and enjoys serving as a bridge between cities! In Milwaukee, she serves on the faculty of First Stage’s Young Company, Marquette University, and UW-Milwaukee. 

Alex has been Forward’s Business Manager since 2012.

He started as a part time employee, then continued to work with Forward through an outside accounting firm, and more recently continued his work with Forward through his own small accounting business, Counting On the Arts, in order to focus on non-profit arts organizations.  Alex is with us one day a week and serves several other arts organizations in the area.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in legal studies (and studied film and television) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After college Alex worked as a production accountant at Warner Bros. Television in Los Angeles.

A native Madisonian, Alex lives on the east side with his wife (a professional chef/baker), and their daughter Olivia.

Joe Cerqua is a freelance composer, producer, vocalist and sound designer. He is thrilled to be Forward Theater’s Resident Composer and Sound designer, where he has composed music and designed sound for over 30 Forward productions. He has composed music and/or designed sound for over 300 productions in Chicago, nationally, and internationally at theaters that include Steppenwolf Theater, The Goodman Theater, Northlight Theater, American Players Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Asolo Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, American Blues Theater, Kansas City Rep, Writer’s Theater, Arizona Theater Company, and First Stage. Joe is also the Composer in residence for the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, a critically acclaimed 13-piece jazz orchestra and 10-member dance company. He is the Creative Director and Producer for the Music Department at Columbia College Chicago.