Nick Ahlstrand is a third-generation performer with the Kirk Players. His great-aunt Bobbi was an original member, and his mother Kari was a player-at-large. He first began acting at age ten for the ‘94 production, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, along with his brother and sister. Nick then took theatre more seriously in high school and then in college where he received an Associate degree in dramatic arts. He rejoined the Kirk Player in 2015 and became an official member in 2017. Some of his more memorable performances include Charlotte’s Web, Sounds & Sweet Airs, and It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Show. Nick also enjoys helping with set construction and ticket sales.
Nat Brautigam * made his debut on our mainstage playing Templeton, the Rat in the children’s show, “Charlotte’s Web”.  Since then he has gone on to appear in a number of our productions playing a variety of roles. Nat is an avid White Sox fan and enjoys being in the spotlight!
Chris Brouton has been doing theater in the norther Illinois / southern Wisconsin area since about 1992. Over 100 shows! He loves and has been involved in all aspects of theater, but prefers on stage. He's been involved in three Kirk Players shows including acting in The Diary of Anne Frank and Chasing Charming, running lights for Mornings at Seven, and Stage Manager for ​Murdered to Death. He would like to thank his awesome wife Julie for her tremendous support! 
Julie Dietrich Brouton is a new member of Kirk Players. Julie has been involved with theatre since her freshman year of high school, when her school choir director suggested that since she loved singing so much, she should audition for the spring musical. She later earned her BA in theatre from The University of Indianapolis and has been involved in numerous community theatre performances in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. While she prefers acting, Julie has volunteered in just about every aspect of theatre production, both technically and administratively. She  has co-directed several plays with her husband, Chris, and has even written a few short scripts! Julie's Kirk Players credit include Edith Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, ​Mama Bear in Chasing Charming, and Ida Swanson in Morning's at Seven. She most recently appeared in the Kirk Players and Mundelein Arts Commission collaboration of Sounds and Sweet Aires and volunteered with the Kirk Players Children's Summer Workshop. 
Jamie Lee Cortese’s performed with Second City, Corn Productions, iO, Theatre 121, PM&L Theatre, Six Flags, and more. She hosts “Jammin’ with Jamie” Saturdays at 6am CT on 89.3 WNUR FM. With Kirk Players, she’s been Nina in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” and Cookson in “Peter Pan and Wendy,” where she also understudied Peter Pan and Wendy. You can follow her on Twitter @JackalopeJamie, visit her website http://jamieleecortese.com/, or read her writing on sites such as Horror Obsessive (https://horrorobsessive.com/author/jackalopejamie/).
Fran Hansen's  (A.C.T.) only line in high school was "Duh, what's up doc?", her love for the theatre developed in college. Her first Kirk Players' Summer Workshop in 1999, and in 2000 won the "Mary Pearson" award; in 2002 and 2004 she earned the O.D. Award for directing in Workshops.  Her favorite technical assignment developed in props. She earned our "Carter" Golden Hammer award for her work as Property Mistress for Blithe Spirit. She has artfully provided props for many of our productions. She also appeared on main stage as Ida in The Cemetery Club for which she received a "Leslie" Best Actress nomination, and as Elizabeth in Angel Street earning her a "Leslie" Best supporting actress nomination. She earned her status of A.C.T. in 2011.
Vicki Herrick has been passionate about theatre ever since sixth grade when she played Fern in Charlotte’s Web.  During her teaching career, she has directed high school, middle school and elementary students in a variety of plays.  She loves co-teaching the youngest actors each summer at the Kirk Players children’s workshop. Over the years, she’s acted in a wide range of comedic productions.  Her acting debut with the Kirk Players was in the role of Philippa in the Zoom production of A Murder is Announced.  She particularly enjoys writing and adapting skits for many different situations.   
Martin Hill * dabbled in many aspects of theatre throughout high school and college, including pit orchestra, lights, sound and set construction. He began his association with Kirk Players on lights crew during The Mousetrap and is looking forward to many great shows in the future.
Susie Hill * was born and raised in central Pennsylvania. During her high school years she worked backstage and in the house for several shows. She continued her work in the theatre at Susquehanna University where she studied voice, movement and diction with Pamela Chabora.  While living in a small Illinois town she found herself cast in The Sound of Music with Forreston High School. Susie found Kirk Players during the Mundelein Arts Festival in 2012 and since then she has worked stage crew for Mousetrap and as the female understudy and Production Assistant for Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Henry Hogan * (they/her) first appeared onstage as a Wickersham Brother in Suessical Jr. The Musical and as John in Peter Pan and Wendy. Henry has worked backstage for several productions including light crew for Postmortem, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Red Herring, and has been active in Summer Workshop. Henry is excited to be back onstage as Czar Albert and as a Wild Duck in Fairy Tales and Fables.
Bev Karns * came to the Kirk Players in 2011 through Adult Summer Workshop. Her on stage credits include Widow Douglas in Tom Sawyer, Tilly in It’s a Wonderful Life, Nurse Bev in I Remember Mama, and Parsons in 1984. She has worked numerous productions backstage running props, assisting with costumes, helping run lights. Bev also worked as one of the writers for the KP adaptation of 1984 for Reader’s Theatre. Bev has been a continual fixture for the Adult Summer Workshop and is an enthusiastic assistant for the Children’s Summer Workshop.
Natalie La Voie would've never fathomed that an extemporaneous speech junior year in high school (with Jon Lynn Jr, no less!!) would have been the spark to her eternal passion of theatre flame!  Some of her most memorable roles have included Anna Maurant in "Street Scenes", Sally in “Drinking Habits”, Detective Tupolski in “The Pillowman”, Ynez in “Oscar & Felix”, Emily Brent in “And Then There Were None”, and Lois in “Wonder of the World”.

She's also been involved in improv for the last few years (currently a member of the Anti-Depressants), as well as participating in murder mysteries & live radio shows with the Brown-Ullstrup Performing Arts Foundation.  Other passions include the endless pursuits of knowledge & adventures, along with an unremitting love of animals (especially to that of her furry baby, Punky)
Anna Lieberman (A.C.T.) and her husband have had the pleasure of being Kirk Players since 2006. She has been
an Assistant Director for the Kirk Player productions of; The Hollow, Christmas Belles, 37 Postcards, and
The Ladie’s Man. Also, has directed a One-Act Play, “Tete-a-Tetes”, “Carbon-based Life Form Seeks
Similar”. Anna was also Assistant Director for Kirk Player’s first Virtual/Zoom production of “An Evening
of Mystery”. Anna has appeared on stage in “Philadelphia Story”, “The Glass Slipper” and as an Italian-
speaking Costanza in “Enchanted April” for which she won a “Leslie” for Best Supporting Actress”. Anna
has also held various tech positions as Props Mistress, Costume Mistress. Most recent as Costume
Mistress for “The Diary of Anne Frank”. She is also, a huge Agatha Christie fan and wrote the script for a
fictional Agatha Christie interview that was performed by the Kirk Players at the Fremont Public Library.
Anna is delighted to kick off the season directing “Murdered to Death” – An Agatha Christie spoof. She
is honored and excited to be a member of this great theater group. 
Mike Lieberman (A.C.T.) and his wife Anna have been Kirk Players since 2006. Mike has appeared in numerous shows including: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, I Remember Mama, It's a Wonderful Life Radio Show, The Ladies Man, and Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Jersey Lily, for which he won a “Leslie” for Best Supporting Actor. Backstage, Mike has served as Tech Director, Stage Manager and co-Prop Master and worked light crew. Mike has served as Financial Director on The Kirk Players Board of Directors since 2011.
​ Jon Leslie Lynn (A.C.T.), the eldest son of our Founder, was first a member of our Acting Company in 1969-72. His enthusiasm and hard work caused his fellow Players to name their annual performance awards after him. As an Honorary Player, he earned an “O.D.” award as Best Director. Les has served 13 years on our Board of Directors, won Best Actor “Leslies” for the title roles in Death Takes a Holiday and Liliom, and a Best Actor “O.D.” for The Lark. He has been on our stage in I Hate Hamlet, Rumors, It Runs In The Family, The Foreigner, You Can’t Take It With You, Jake’s Women and Harvey, four of which won him Best Actor “Leslie” awards. He has directed Romantic Comedy, Death of a Salesman, The Odd Couple (Female Version), Dracula, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Noises Off, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Up The Down Staircase.
Randy Margison * made his Kirk Players debut in 2017 as Lars “Papa” Hansen in I Remember Mama, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. He has appeared as Winston Smith in the Kirk Players Special Event Staged Reading of 1984 and as Major Hartwell in Red Herring. Outside of Kirk Players, Randy has been privileged to play some of the great roles in American theater including: The Stage Manager in Our Town, Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came To Dinner, Weller Martin in The Gin Game, and John Barrymore in the one-man play Barrymore’s Ghost. Randy looks forward to entertaining Kirk Players audiences for many years
to come.
Jon Matousek (A.C.T.) has been a member of Kirk Players since 1992.  Through the years he has been active as a Board member, actor, stage manager and children's show director. His most notable recent roles have been as Frank Keller in The Red Herring, King Richard in The Trials of Robin Hood, Theodore Roosevelt in Votes for Women and Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. Presently he is serving the organization as manager of Community Outreach. He credits the steadfast patience of his wife, Sue, for his continuing active membership with Kirk Players.
Jessica Motyka * graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. She joined up with Kirk Players in 2010 and is thrilled to have found such a welcoming and talented group to continue exploring her passion. Jess has had many memorable onstage roles that will always be a part of her heart. Despite acting being her first predilection, she revels in the offstage skills as well, particularly stage managing. Jess is excited to see what the future holds with Kirk Players and she feels proud of the community work they do to keep the arts alive.
Ron Otrembiak * began his involvement with the Kirk Players during the 51st Season, portraying various supporting characters in all three shows. In the fall of 2017, he was awarded the honor of Player at Large. In addition to his on stage work, Ron has also worked the sound board. Ron is particularly proud that his daughter Gina has worked backstage with make-up, his wife has run the sound board, and his son Ed is a fixture at set build and strike.
Franny Pollack * has been interested in theatre since she was a young girl after seeing a number of movie stars on a visit to California! She has fond memories of singing and dancing with her Dad. She came to the Kirk Players after working with the Vernon Hills Park District and appearing in the female version of the Odd Couple in the 1990's. She has worked on props and has been involved in our summer workshops appearing in Who's the Tomato in 2012. Franny thanks her husband Michael, her daughter Julie and her son Scott for their support.
Jessica Rattanasena has been a resident of Mundelein since 2014. Her experiences in acting have been in films, television shows and commercials. She discovered Kirk Players in 2018 through the casting call for Red Herring. Since then, she has volunteered as costume crew for Red Herring, Prop Master for Fairy Tales and Fables, Assistant Stage Manager for Black Comedy and Video Tech Director for Clue: The Stay-at-home Version. Her continued commitment and her work as Prop Master have earned her a Golden Hammer Award nomination for technical excellence. She has also participated in the adult summer workshop and hosted our annual summer picnic. She is honored to be welcomed as a Board member of Kirk Players and is excited to see what’s in store for her both off and on the stage.
Randy Rice (A.C.T.) is excited to re-join Kirk Players after a brief hiatus. He originally became a member in 2004 and has appeared on or backstage in over 30 productions. Too many favorite roles to list here, but you may recognize Randy from roles in Dracula, The Mousetrap, Leading Ladies, Dial M for Murder, and Deathtrap. He's also appeared in numerous kids' shows like Peter & Wendy, The Wizard of Oz, and The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe. He also enjoys doing a little extra work on TV in various shows such as Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Next, Night Skies, and The Bear. Randy also served on our Board of Directors for eight years.
​Luke Rush did a solo song in a church Christmas play called Baa Baa Bethlehem when he was a kid. Then he took a few years off, because all of the adulation during the potluck after the show was slightly disconcerting and caused him to realize that everyone was watching. So, he needed some time to think about it. About a decade later, he did some shows in college, like Pride and Prejudice and Footloose (not the same show, and certainly not separately at the same time, because that's silly), then he needed some more time away, because musicals, right? About 20 years after that, he met some different people who did theater things, and decided, "what the heck, why not?", because making new friends as an adult is complicated. After taking part in a couple of shows, Kirk Players then decided to do a production of one of his favorite entertainments of all time, Arsenic and Old Lace. A longtime family favorite, because his family is totally normal. The rest is history. History that probably hasn't happened yet, depending on when you're reading this. If it was a good show and you saw it, thank you for coming. The nervous energy is real. Though he is and always will be an introvert, so he will need some time to recharge.
Picture
Marilee C.C. Rusiniak (A.C.T.) has appeared on stage in many Kirk Player productions. Her portrayal of Pamela Fitzgerald in The Uninvited earned her the Best Actress “Leslie”. She has been seen on stage as The March Hare in Alice in Wonderland, Mrs. Harper in Tom Sawyer, Velveteen Rabbit in The Velveteen Rabbit, Lady Caroline Bramble in Enchanted April and Fox in The Little Prince. Her performance as Stacy in A Nice Family Gathering earned her The Best Supporting Actress “Leslie”. Best Actress nominations include: Mary Hatch-Baily in It’s A Wonderful Life, Mother in David and Lisa and Honey Raye Futrell in Christmas Belles. Best Supporting Actress Nominations include: Midge in The Hollow and Frances Egan in Up the Down Staircase. Backstage credits include Sound Design, Assistant Stage Manager, and Makeup Design. Marilee Holds a BA in Communications with an emphasis in Professional Writing from Southern New Hampshire University.
Barb Selvaggio * (she/her) was in  Kirk Players casts of Black Comedy, The Trials of Robin Hood, The Enchanted Bookshop and Arsenic and Old Lace. She was in  A Night of Mystery, Sherlock: The Radio Show Version, and three one-act productions , as Anne Boleyn’s Head  in The Real Problem, Rory in Gene-Sisters and Lesly Presley in Genie-Ology She was the on the costume crew for Red Herring, the Assistant Stage Manager for Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and the Stage Manager for Comedy Capers. She will be the set decorator for And Then There Were None.

She also belongs to two improv troupes, Picard Players and The Collective, and has been in productions in the city and suburbs before discovering Kirk Players. She’s so happy she did!
​Betty Slack * is honored to be welcomed as a member of Kirk Players and join this fine company of talented, dedicated, friendly, and generous individuals. She began acting at age seven, did her undergraduate work in Speech and Drama at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, and pursued her master’s degree in Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism at Indiana University in Bloomington. She has appeared with the Kirk Players in The Velveteen Rabbit, I Remember, Mama,Postmortem, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Red Herring. She hopes to act in many more productions—as long as playwrights continue to create roles for women of a certain age.
Lisa Soare * first joined the Kirk Players more than 10 years ago, and is happy to return after a brief time away. Whether behind the scenes with costumes, props, sets or lights, or in front of an audience, Lisa enjoys all aspects of the creative process and bringing plays to life. 
Monica Stark-Brautigam is a lifelong performer and performs all around the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin area. She found the Kirk Players in 2019 taking on the role of the mischievous Clea in Black Comedy. She then appeared onstage in Votes for Women and virtually in An Evening of Mystery and Clue: Stay at Home Version. She joined as a member in 2021 after seeing the hard work the Kirk Players did to try to create a space to create and perform in the uncertainty of the beginnings of the pandemic. After joining she found a love of Sound Designing taking the helm of designing the sound for Diary of Anne Frank. Outside of KP, she and her husband Nat (whom she met through the Kirk Players) have two lovely kitties named Rickon and Ashalnd. 
Rebby VanSickel (he/they) fell in love with the theatre when he was introduced to it at the age of 5 by his amazing grandma, Bobbi. He loved it so much he decided to audition for his first ever play with the Kirk Players, “Charlotte’s Web” at the age of 6 where he played one of the narrators. This kickstarted everything for for him and he went on to continue doing kids shows every year up until he got into high-school where his junior year he had the pleasure of playing Dinah in “A Philadelphia Story” and then right after graduation had the honor of playing Cordy in “The Happiest Millionaire”. Other roles included Cinderella in “The Glass Slipper” and one of his absolute dream roles he had the pleasure of playing- the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” where he also worked on make-up on the show. A few other honorable mentions is he played Barbara in the Lakeside Player's production of “Night of the Living Dead”, then MaryJo in “A Piece of my Heart”. After a ten year hiatus, Rebby is back and ready to make a splash.
Makenna Wald became involved with Kirk Players in their summer theatre program, and is our youngest member!  She has appeared onstage with KP as “Gladys” in “1984”, and as “Zuzu” in “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play”. She received the “Behind the Curtain Award” for her work on lights for ”The Diary of Anne Frank”. Additional backstage credits include Sound Design, Stage Manager, Costume Crew Chief, Props Crew, and Stage Crew. Makenna is active with the MHS Theatre and Band departments and is a member of Thespian Troupe 2531.
Shara Wright * may have been crafting, singing, and wrangling animals and kids during her hiatus, but Shara's back in action, sharing the stage with her talented offspring, Audrey "Rey" and Greyson, in The Enchanted Bookshop. Who knew raising the next generation of thespians could be so...enchanting? By day, Shara keeps things organized as a Client Delivery Lead at Alight. When she's not working or cheering her four kids on in their various activities, she might be getting lost in a good book, creating something beautiful with yarn or embroidery needles or singing with the worship band at Fierce Church in Grayslake. Fun fact: Shara's no stranger to the stage, having been in numerous Kirk Players productions, from "Comedy Tonight" to "Christmas Belles” and many MANY more.  

Honorary Players

An Honorary Player is a special membership status bestowed on Kirk Players who have given outstanding service but are unable to continue active participation. This status is our sincere expression of love and appreciation for their past contributions.
Kari Ahlstrand
Floyd Baker
Dominick Basso, A.C.T.
​Kat Basso, A.C.T.
Max Basso
Rick Bergmann
Emily Blake
Sheila Bourque, A.C.T.
Kendra Bresley
Frank Callahan
Jeanne Callahan
Nancy Callahan
Erick Campos
Hill Carter
Jeff Carter
Phyllis Carter
Patricia Cline
Maureen Cook-Slade
Kristina Edelman
Matt Erickson
Carol Marie Fishchesser
Sir Charles Fitz-Hugh, A.C.T. *
Connie Green
Janis Greene
Gary Gunther, A.C.T.
Sara Gunther, A.C.T.
Michael Gunther
Josef Haas
Jeff Harding *
Vera Hazen
Beverly Johnson
​​Dave Kennebeck
Andi Kichinko
Pat Kichinko
Angela Koch
Thom Koch, Jr.
Amanda Kochenash
Bobbie LaBelle, A.C.T.
​Meghan Lane *
June Larsen
Kyle Larsen
Carol Loucks
Angela Lynn
Donna Lynn
​Jeff Lynn
Jesse Lynn
John W. Lynn, A.C.T.
Melanie Lynn
Veronica Lynn
Paddy Lynn, A.C.T.
Paula Marsh, A.C.T.
Barbara McGreevy
Byron Nilsson
Fred O’Donnell
Donna Rae Pearlman
Holly Perry
Cynthia Petersen
Karen Peterson
Bill Phillips
Mary Jo Pippinger
Wally Rish
Suzanne Rosen
Kathy Russ
Steve Sapp
Terry Sapp
Tom Schrimpf
Tom Schwartz
Janie Ann Slade
R.C. Slade
Royden Slade
Russ Slade
Sarah Slade
​Brenda Sparks, A.C.T.
Mike Stebbins *
Megan Stevenart
Bob Thomas
Jenny Tomlin, A.C.T.
John Tomlin
​James Torbeck *
Fred Vipond, A.C.T.
Janet Walker, A.C.T.
Marjunice Weingandt
Rae West
Lisa Wilson-McIntire
* Denotes Master Player with 5 years of dedication.
A.C.T. after listing denotes Artist in Community Theatre, with 10 years of dedication and 20 acting or crew chief assignments.