DR. VAN HELSING… Christopher Leonard

Dan Wirth (Director) has been involved with theatre for more than 30 years. He has an M.F.A. from The University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. from Central Michigan University. As a professional actor, he toured throughout the United States with The Acting Company. While in New York City, he performed at the Public Theatre, the Harold Clurman Theatre, the 18th Street Playhouse, the Lamb’s Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, The American Place Theatre, and the Actor’s and Director’s Lab (later renamed the Samuel Beckett Theatre.) In Europe, he performed at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival and in London’s West End. Regionally, he has appeared at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and the Utah and Oregon Shakespeare Festivals. He has worked with the esteemed directors Alan Schneider, Joseph Papp, Michael Langham, Liviu Ciulei, Garland Wright, Jerry Turner, and Sharon Ott. Dan was a Chicago Cub in the film Rookie of the Year. An award winning playwright, Dan’s plays have been performed in Ohio, California, and Washington, D.C. Dan has directed for six theatre companies in the Chicago area. Also a published poet and a film maker, Dan has taught theatre and communication courses at Dominican University, Wright College, Harper College, Oakton Community College, Daley College, and Lake Forest College. At Northeastern Dan has directed Buried Child, Little Murders, The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It, and The Nerd, and several Children’s Theatre Workshop and Summer Transition Program productions. This is his 10th year at Northeastern, and he appeared on stage here a few seasons back as a very large Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. He is the proud parent of two terrific children, Ian (15) and Kailey (10.)

John Rodriguez (Scenic Design/Lighting Design) joined the theatre faculty at Northeastern last year and has been teaching courses in technical theatre as well as working as a designer on the mainstage shows. Last year he designed the lighting for Little Murders, Lend Me a Tenor, The Game of Love and Chance, and the set and lighting for Ghosts. This past summer John designed the set and lighting for the Stockyard Theatre’s production of Duet for One, directed by Lynn Ann Bernatowicz and produced at the Victory Garden’s Theatre.