Michael is a co-founding member of Raven Theatre, where he has directed and designed many of the productions. Some of his favorite shows include: A TEXAS TRILOGY, THE CRUCIBLE, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (Jeff Nomination, Outstanding Production), MARVIN’S ROOM, TALKIN’ BASEBALL, GOLDEN BOY (Jeff Nomination, Outstanding Production), A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (Jeff-Award, Outstanding Production), A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (Jeff-Award, Outstanding Production), DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Jeff Nomination, Outstanding Production), and most recently, THE SEA GULL, THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA (Jeff Award, Scenic Design), LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, and JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A’ TRAIN. He has earned multiple Joseph Jefferson and After Dark awards for direction, and design. Along with his directing and design credits, he has, on occasion, performed on stage. Along with JoAnn Montemurro, Mr. Menendian received a 2007/2008 Jeff Award for Outstanding Contribution to Chicago Theatre.
Staff
Current Staff
Michael Menendian
Producing Artistic Director
JoAnn Montemurro
Co-Artistic Director
JoAnn co-founded the Raven Theatre with Michael Menendian in 1983. JoAnn has been acting with the company from the beginning. She has enjoyed playing such major roles as Martha in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and Amanda in THE GLASS MENAGERIE. She has done costumes for several productions including GOLDEN BOY, A FEW GOOD MEN, THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, and HEDDA GABLER. This season, JoAnn will appear in Raven’s season opener THE BIG KNIFE, directed by Michael Menendian and BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS directed by Cody Estle. She is also designing costumes for THE BIG KNIFE and A SOLDIER'S STORY. JoAnn is a graduate of the Goodman School of Drama.
Teri McCaskill
Managing Director
After several months as Events Coordinator, Teri is thrilled to be on board full time as Raven’s Managing Director. Her involvement with Raven began in 1995 when she performed in Raven’s first production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. She has been happily involved with Raven ever since, providing box office support, assisting with fundraising events, performing (YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, and LORD BYRON’S LOVE LETTER) and directing (A PAIR OF PINTERS, A CLEAN, WELL-LIGHTED PLACE, TALK TO ME LIKE THE RAIN). She is grateful for this opportunity to combine her theater and corporate experience (project administration, meeting/event planning and coordination; presentation/communication preparation) to help Raven’s continuing efforts to establish itself as an important voice in regional theatre.
Kelli Strickland
Director of Education and Outreach
Kelli Strickland is an actress, educator, writer and a member of Raven Theatre's ensemble. Most recently, she performed her one-woman show We've Got A Badge For That as the inaugural event of Raven's EVERMORE! series, which she went on to perform nationally. In addition to her work as an actress, Kelli is very proud of the five years she has served as the Director of Education and Outreach for Raven Theatre's Take Flight program, committed to providing theatre arts training to the underserved and at risk youth of Chicago's far north side. This season Kelli is in Washington, D.C. as a Kennedy Center fellow in the prestigious Devos Institute of Arts Management. Her credits include work with the Guthrie Theater, Missouri Repertory, Bailiwick Repertory, 20% Theatre, Mary Arrchie Theatre, Lifeline, Rivendell, Zebra Crossing and others. Film work includes Hannah Free appearing in over 50 film festivals internationally. She has been a Lecturer in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago for over a decade, where she is also an alumni. Windy City Media named Ms. Strickland a rising star in their ”30 Under 30,” she has presented multiple times before the Mid-America Theater Conference and her writing has appeared in American Theatre Magazine and the The David Mamet Review.
Christa van Baale
Publicist
Christa van Baale has handled media relations for several theatre and dance companies in Chicago including Raven Theatre, The Neo-Futurists, Walkabout Theatre and Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. Also a member of Actors' Equity Association, Christa has stage managed productions with companies including A Red Orchid Theatre, Chicago Children's Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Defiant Theatre (RIP), Illinois Shakespeare Festival, The Artistic Home, and Blindfaith Theatre. Christa holds an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.
John Weagly
Operations Manager
John has been rattling around Chicago theater box offices for the last fifteen years. Besides being the former Operations Manager for Organic Theater, he's also helped out at Mary-Arrchie, Bailiwick, Goodman and several small companies that have come and gone. As a playwright, he's had plays produced by Strawdog Theatre, Second City, Circle Theater, Artistic Home, Bailiwick, CollaborAction and numerous other companies around the world. As a fiction writer he's been published in multiple languages and won multiple awards.
Susan Lieberman
Literary Manager
Susan Lieberman has been involved in theatre for many years as a playwright, journalist, marketer and script consultant. She began her career as a production assistant for experimental director Charles Marowitz at London's Open Space Theatre and later worked for producer Thelma Holt at The Round House. In New York, she spent five years as Associate Editor of Theatre Crafts magazine before returning to Chicago. A Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, Susan won a Jeff Citation for New Work, as well as nominations for regional Emmy and Jeff Awards. Her plays have been produced by Chicago Dramatists, Stage Left, Theatre Building Chicago, Visions & Voices Theatre Company, 20% Company, American Theatre Company's Bridge Outreach Program and elsewhere throughout the U.S. and in Israel.
