Caroline, or Change

MELANIE BREZILL (Emmie Thibodeaux) is thrilled to be making her Court Theatre debut. A graduate of Northwestern University, she recently portrayed Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other credits include Missie May in Spunk (Northwestern), New York Showcase (Second Stage Theater, NYC), Bird Girl in Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), and Sparrow in Brundibar (Chicago Opera Theater). She would like to thank her family, friends, and teachers for their love and support.

STARR BUSBY (Radio 3) is extremely honored and excited to make her Court Theatre debut in Caroline, or Change. She hails from Houston, TX and is currently a senior studying Music and Theatre at Northwestern University. She most recently performed the role of Thelma in the world-premiere production of Knute Rockne: All-American at Theatre at the Center. Starr thanks God, her mentors, friends, and family for their unending love and support.

E. FAYE BUTLER Court Theatre: Caroline, or Change, The Little Foxes, La Bête, Once in a Lifetime. Chicago: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Purlie, A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Ella, Dinah Was (Northlight); Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare); Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Steppenwolf); Millie (Marriott Lincolnshire); Could It Be Magic? (Mercury); Hello Dolly, Hot Mikado (Drury Lane). Off-Broadway: Nunsense. National and regional tours: Ella, Mamma Mia, Dinah Was, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Nunsense, Nunsense 2, Cope. Regional credits: Trouble in Mind (Yale Repertory/Centerstage), Saving Amy (Signature Theatre), Polk County (Arena Stage), The Wiz (La Jolla Playhouse), Dance with the Holy Ghost (NY Stage and Film). Awards: 5 Equity Jeff Awards, 2 BTAA Awards, Helen Hayes Award, John Barrymore Award, RAMI Award, Excellence in the Arts, Ovation Nomination. Proud AEA member.

REBECCA LYNN DAVIS (Radio 2) is proud to be making her professional debut at Court Theatre with this amazing cast and crew. A recent graduate of Northwestern University, some past roles she has enjoyed include Blues Speak Woman in Spunk! and a Quartet Singer in The Boys From Syracuse. Thanks to all who have come to see the show – she hopes you will see her around Chicago in the near future.

MALCOLM DURNING (Noah Gellman) is a sixth-grader at Skokie School in Winnetka, Illinois. His recent roles include Oliver in Oliver, Michael in Peter Pan and Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors. He sang as a featured soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and is a member of the Giordano Junior Dance Company in Evanston and the youth choir at Kenilworth Union Church. Many people have been exceptionally generous in helping Malcolm learn and grow in the arts and he is grateful to all of them.

DONOVAN EPISON (Jackie Thibodeaux; Joe Thibodeaux) is excited to be a part of this great production. He debuted as Isaiah in Sunday Afternoon, enrolled in the 2006 “Chicago on the Nile” theater program for children, and was in eta Creative Arts’ What Shall I Tell My Children? He would love to thank the Creator for blessings, his mom for unconditional love, his dad for his presence, and his step-sis Lani and step-dad Harlan for their acceptance and love.

GREGORY FRANKLIN (Jackie Thibodeaux) is a Chicago native and 10 years old. He’s trained with the Lil Buds Theater Company in Chicago and Tada Theater Company in NY. His previous works include AppleTree Theatre’s production of Let The Circle Be Unbroken as Little Man, Lil Bud’s The Enchanted Attic as Lance and Tada’s The Unexpected Fame of Two Couch Potatoes as The Director. Gregory enjoys playing sports and piano. He is honored to be performing at Court.

KATE FRY (Rose Stopnick Gellman) returns to Court Theatre, where she has performed in Arcadia, The Romance Cycle, My Fair Lady, Piano, The Cherry Orchard, Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards, The Learned Ladies, An Ideal Husband, Tartuffe, The Barber of Seville, and The Philadelphia Story. Other credits include productions at Northlight Theatre (The Miser), and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Henry IV, The Merchant of Venice, The Moliere Comedies, The Taming of the Shrew, Love’s Labour’s Lost, As You Like It, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona). She has also worked with Apple Tree Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Peninsula Players, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. She is a recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award, the After Dark Award, and the Sarah Siddons Chicago’s Leading Lady award. Kate is married to actor Timothy Edward Kane.

DENNIS KELLY (Mr. Stopnick) has appeared in many Chicago-area theatres, including Apple Tree Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Marriott Theatre, Auditorium, Theatre at the Center, and Candlelight. Over the past 45 years he’s played Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, and in National Tours as well as on regional stages across the country. TV appearances include When I Grow Up, Conan O’Brien (Sketch Artist), Darrow, Law & Order, Lady Blue, Chicago Story, The Dollmaker, One Life to Live, and Guiding Light.

PETER KEVOIAN (Grandpa Gellman) was most recently seen as Domenico in the world premiere of Dangerous Beauty for the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. He has also appeared as the Wizard in the Chicago company of Wicked. Broadway and National tours include: The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, Cats, Les Misérables, and Zorba. Television credits include: L.A. Law, Cheers, Matlock, Becker, The Guardian and ER.

IRIS LIEBERMAN (Grandma Gellman) is pleased to make her Court Theatre debut. She recently appeared in Free Radicals for Stockyard’s Theatre Project and Triumph of Love at ITC. Other credits include Steppenwolf’s Ballad of Little Jo, Northlight’s Enter the Guardsman and At Wit’s End, and Provision Theatre’s Spitfire Grill. She appeared in Sylvia (Madison Rep), The Foreigner and Cabaret (Barn Theatre), Mama Rose in Gypsy (TATC), and the title role in Evita. She won a Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance in Robert and Elizabeth. Film and TV credits include Hoodlum, The Relic, Groundhog Day, Missing Persons, and Early Edition. Special thanks to Charlie, Doug, and Cree.

ROB LINDLEY has appeared at Court in The Wild Duck, as Stuart in the critically acclaimed Caroline, or Change, and as Enoch Snow in Carousel which earned him a Jeff Award nomination. Rob is an artistic associate with Porchlight Music Theatre, having directed and performed in many shows there including A New Brain (Roger), Children of Eden (Abel), Sweeney Todd, and Closer than Ever. Rob is a graduate of The Second City Training Center Conservatory and now teaches at Second City in the Musical Improv program. Many weekends Rob can be seen improving musicals with Baby Wants Candy at the Apollo Theatre. Rob has also appeared in productions at Long Wharf Theatre, Wayside Theatre, Ravinia Festival, Marriott Lincolnshire, Theatre at the Center, and Light Opera Works. Rob is a member of the After Dark Award-winning cabaret trio Foiled Again.

DONICA LYNN (Radio 1) makes her Court debut. This proud mother of three holds a B.S. in Social Science and an A.A. in Fine Arts. Locally, she’s worked with Congo Square, Goodman, Timeline, Children’s Theater Fantasy Orchard, Chicago Theatre Co, Bailiwick, Noble Fool, Chocolate Chips, Music Theater Workshop, Fleetwood Jourdain, and eta Creative Arts; regionally she’s appeared at the Barn Theater (Michigan), Theatre at the Center (Indiana), and the Kale Theater (Washington D.C.). She is the recipient of a BTAA award, a nominee for two others, as well as an Excellence in Arts Award.

JACK MULOPULOS (Noah Gellman) is honored to make his Court Theatre debut with Caroline, or Change. Past Chicago credits include: Flick in A Christmas Story (Theatre Wit), Young Phantom in Porchlight’s Phantom, Tommy Bailey in A Wonderful Life (Porchlight), Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol (Provision Theater), and Young Roberto in St. Peter’s Umbrella (Theatre Building). In addition to singing, Jack enjoys playing the violin and is a member of DePaul’s Youth Orchestra. Jack attends Frances Xavier Wade School in Chicago.

BARBARA L.W. MYERS (Radio 2) is proud to make her Court debut in the Chicago premiere of Caroline, or Change. Favorite credits include Fiorello! (Mizzie Travers) at Timeline Theatre, the world premiere of Heatwave (Cass) and The Face of Emmett Till (Mamie, BTAA nominee) at Pegasus Players, the Chicago area premiere of Children of Eden (Aphra), and Respect: The Musical Journey of Women at CCPA. Hugs to Paul, Biscuit and Bubba, the Five Winds, friends and family.

HARRIET NZINGA PLUMPP is proud to be home at Court Theatre where she last appeared in Caroline, or Change. Her Chicago theatre credits include: The Absolute Best Friggin' Time... (Second City etc); Rush Limbaugh... (Second City etc); Porgy and Bess (Lyric Opera); Caroline, or Change (Court); Boys Are Coming Home (AMTP); Loving Repeating:A Musical of Getrude Stein (About Face/MCA/Best New Musical-Jeff Award/Original Cast Recording); Man of LaMancha (Court/Best Ensemble & Best Musical-Jeff Award); Bubbly Black Girl (Apple Tree); A Little Night Music, Rogers and Hart Revue (Ravinia); Regional Credit: Bounce (Goodman & J.F.Kennedy Center/Jeff Award/Original Cast Recording). Harriet's best project to date is her family PII & PIII.

MICAH DEJON WILLIAMS (Joe Thibodeaux) began hip-hop lessons five years ago. Last summer, he appeared in a production of Aladdin as Sultan/Narrator. Micah is in the soon-to-be-released Robert Townsend movie Of Boys and Men as an extra. His professional dance debut was Storefront Theater's Creole. This past spring, he played an orphan in Noble Fool Theatricals' Oliver! In his free time, Micah enjoys playing basketball, baseball, football, swimming, and of course, dancing.

JACQUELINE WILLIAMS has appeared at Court in Caroline, or Change, The First Breeze of Summer, her Jeff Award winning role as Rose in Fences, and the title character in Electra. Northlight Theatre: Gee’s Bend, The Miser, Born in the R.S.A. (Market Theatre of Johannesburg tour), From the Mississippi Delta (Jonathan Wilson’s internationally acclaimed production, which she toured regionally for 2 ½ years). Other tours include Regina Taylor’s Crowns. Goodman: over 20 years of shows include The Story, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Amen Corner, Oo-Bla-Dee, Each One As She May, Skin of Our Teeth, Richard II, and many others. Victory Gardens (Shoes, Waiting to be Invited, Colored Museum, North Star), Next (Fabulation, Yellowman), and many other theatres, including Steppenwolf, Congo Square, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Apollo (Vagina Monologues for almost two years), Royal George, Chicago Shakespeare. Regional: La Jolla, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Portland Stage, Berkeley Rep, ACT Seattle, and others. Broadway: Young Man from Atlanta. Off-Broadway: From the Mississippi Delta (co-produced by Oprah Winfrey), The Talented Tenth. TV: cast of Turks for CBS, Prison Break, ER, miniseries A Will of Their Own, Early Edition, One Life to Live, and others. Film: includes The Break Up, The Lake House, Hard Ball, White Boyz, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, and the upcoming Merry Gentleman (with Michael Keaton) and The Cache. Her numerous awards/nominations include Joseph Jefferson, After Dark, Black Theatre Alliance, Sarah Siddons, Theatre School Career Achievement, American Arts Council, Connecticut Outer Critics Circle, Helen Hayes. BFA: Goodman School of Drama/Theatre School. Greatest Blessing: daughter Kara. Next project: Po’ Boy Tango at Northlight.

BYRON GLENN WILLIS is excited to be a part of this amazing production. He was last seen at Court Theatre’s Jeff Award-winning Caroline, or Change. Other credits include Once On This Island, Dreamgirls, Treasure Island (Marriott Theatre), Big River and Civil War (Barn Theatre), The Buddy Holly Story (Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre), Dessa Rose (Apple Tree Theatre), Congo Square’s Black Nativity (Goodman Theatre), Purlie (Goodman Theatre/Pasadena Playhouse), Ragtime (Light Opera Works), My Heart Is Crying, Crying--The Jackie Wilson Story, Sensational Soulful 60’s, and Doo Wop Shoo Bop (Black Ensemble Theatre), Five Guys Named Moe (Drury Lane Evergreen Park), Nefertiti (Deeply Rooted Production), Higher Ground (Human Race Theatre), and the European Tour of Hair (Scala Theatre Company). Film: Barbershop 2, R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet, Detroit 1-8-7, Chicago Code, and a host of commercials. Byron is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. He gives much gratitude for this opportunity and special thanks to Charlie and Doug. "I Thank the Creator of All for All!"