Lorelei Wernecke - she/her/hers (Theatre Teacher/Director) graduated from Illinois State University with degrees in Theatre Teacher Education and Musical Theatre Performance, minoring in English. She has directed and music directed productions for ages 8-22, including an award-winning run of Fun Home (Director/Music Director), You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Music Director/Snoopy), and Our Town (Assistant Director) here at Niles West! She also has the joy of music directing on and off at Skokie Parks District's Summer on Broadway, and is so happy to see many of her campers make their way to NWTheatre! When she isn't directing, teaching, or performing, you can find Ms. W crocheting and cooking with her friends and sweet kitty, Tallulah. She is so excited and grateful to begin her teaching career at her alma mater and continue working with the passionate young artists at Niles West!

Kate Parker Barrows - she/her/hers (Costume Designer) is a seasoned actor and improviser, having performed in and around Chicagoland since the early aughts. She trained in theater at College of DuPage, Middlesex University in London, The Second City, and ImprovOlympic, now known as iO Theater. A self-taught sewer and crafter, she has been practicing her love of costuming and props for a (ahem) few decades. Kate has worked on stage and behind the scenes on many storefront theater productions, as well as her long-running performance troupe, Improvised Jane Austen. She can be seen in residency at the iO Theater, every Saturday at 7:30 PM. Kate feels honored to work with the students of Niles West Theater; their passions are boundless, and their work ethic is an inspiration.

Rick Sims - he/him/his (Sound Designer) Rick has composed and designed sound for numerous Chicago-area theaters, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Goodman Theatre, American Blues Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, and Northlight Theatre. Regional credits include Arena Stage and Roundhouse Theatre in Washington D.C., Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, South Coast Rep in Southern California, The Getty, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia, Playwrights Horizons in New York City, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Portland Playhouse. Rick won a Jeff Award for sound design for Moby Dick, Frankenstein and Hepheastus (Lookingglass Theatre Company) and BTAA award for Brothers In the Dust (Congo Square), and has received several nominations for both awards. He is an artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre Company and artistic affiliate with American Blues Theatre. Other than theatre, Rick is a podcast editor for Online Course Igniter, a composer and music producer of Siete Foods recipe videos, A gaming composer and music producer for Scopely Inc., and a freelance jingle producer and composer.

NOT PICTURED
Tom McNelis - he/him/his (Technical Director)
Ilija Gravin - he/him/his (Lighting Designer)
Robert Noia - he/him/his (Costume and Props Assistant)
Bailey Lowe - she/her/hers (Choreographer)
Dave Gonzalez - he/him/his (Fight Director)