Jennifer Cudahy* (Mayor) is excited to be back at Edge after previously appearing in Meet Me in St. Louis, Holiday, The Fantasticks, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. TV credits include: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, 4400 (CW), Somebody Somewhere (HBO) and 61^st Street (AMC).  Jen is so thankful to her family & friends, who continue to support her through this journey of life and art. She is represented by DDO Artists Agency for TV/Film/Theatre and Stewart Talent for Voiceover.

Tony DiPisa (Signor Sirelli) is thrilled to be making his Edge of the Wood debut! In Chicago, he has worked with The Artistic Home, Circle Theatre, City Lit, Prop Thtr, Subtext Theater, PrideArts, First Folio, Theatre at the Center, Waltzing Mechanics, and Blackbird Theatre Company, among others. He also originated the role of Toby in The Main Street Kids Club: A MathStart Musical, licensed by MTI. Big thanks to Greg, Colls, Ashley, TEA, and his family.

Brian A. Hill (Councilman Agazzi) is thrilled to be back at Edge of the Wood after performing in last year’s production of The Minutes. Most recently, Brian was an associate casting director with Zane/Pillsbury Casting in LA, and prior to that, he was the founder/artistic director of Visions & Voices Theatre, a Chicago based theatre company. Mr. Hill wishes to thank his partner, Camille, for her continued encouragement and love.

Paige Lang (Dina Agazzi) couldn’t be more grateful to make her Chicago debut with Edge of the Wood! Recent credits include The Fox on the Fairway and Bye Bye Birdie at Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, Michigan. Paige recently earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado. Love to the Lang Gang! paigelang.com

Herb Metzler* (Laudisi) is delighted to be working with Edge of the Wood again after appearing in The Minutes, Light Up the Sky, The Book of Will, and The Beautiful People. He has performed at the Goodman, Theatre Above the Law,
Prop Thtr, and The Practical Theatre Co. Herb is a co-founder and active member of The Sturdy Beggars, who have been entertaining audiences with The Mud Show© at Renaissance faires around the country for over 44 years. His favorite role is being father to his two sons, Max and Will.

Jeanann Power* (Signora Frola) holds an MFA from the Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. She has appeared in a number of Edge productions, including The Minutes, The Crucible, The Book of Will, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Seagull, She Loves Me, Our Town, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and The Secret Garden. She also portrayed Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst at Edge, and the show then transferred to open the South Haven Theatre Series.

Keely Smith, she/her (Signora Nenni; S. Cini u/s) holds a BFA in Acting from NIU, and was most recently seen in Beggars & Bums (Raven Theatre), and as Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest (Kirkwood Players). You can also find her on stage regularly at the Otherworld Theatre in Starship Edsel, a recurring Star Trek improv satire show. When not on stage, Keely can be most often found in her recording booth doing voiceover!

Lisa Stran (Signora Cini) is delighted to return to Edge where she last appeared as Frances Black in Light Up the Sky. Lisa has most recently worked with Invictus Theatre, the Cornservatory, Prologue, Waltzing Mechanics, and Broken Nose, to name a few. Lisa graduated from Northwestern University in 1996 and has been making Chicago storefront theater ever since.

Skyler Tipton (Signor Ponza) is delighted to be returning to Edge after appearing in last spring’s production of Light Up the Sky as Peter Sloan. Originally from Tamarac, FL, Skyler moved to Chicago after graduating with his MFA in Acting from Purdue University. He has worked with Inkwell Arts & Learning, Theatre West Virginia, and The Upstate Shakespeare Festival. Skyler would like to thank his beautiful wife, Yentl, for her love and support.

Bethany Weise (Amalia Agazzi) is thrilled to be back at Edge after previously appearing in Pride and Prejudice and the ill-fated Middletown. Bethany has worked with Asolo Rep, South Brooklyn Shakes, Banyan Theatre and Akvavit Theatre to name a few. She has trained in London and with the Barrow Group in New York. She proudly holds an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. bethanyweise.com

James Wheeler (Inspector Centuri; Sirelli u/s) is a new actor to the Chicago theatre scene. Most recently James performed in Augustana College’s production of Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy as an alumni performer. Prior to that he spent the last two years in North Carolina teaching theatre to K-8 students and taking on such roles as Leaf Coneybear (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Dr. Watson (Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles), and Al Peterson (Bye Bye Birdie).

Molly Will* (Signora Sirelli) is thrilled to return to Edge of the Wood. She holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Millikin University and has since truly enjoyed finding a theatre home here at Edge. Her favorite roles include: Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Rose (Meet Me in St. Louis), and Irene Livingston (Light Up the Sky). Molly would like to thank her parents for their endless support, as well as the whole Edge team for welcoming her back!

Kati Yau (Signora Ponza; S. Sirelli u/s) is an actor and therapist from Skokie, IL. This is Kati’s first production with Edge of the Wood. Past credits include: Throatpin in Impostors Theatre Company’s The Last Living Gun (2023), Woman and Liz in Parker Players Theater’s love/sick (2023), #46 in The Wolves (2019) and Rosalind in As You Like It (2018) at Cornell College.  

John Chambers* (Mayor/Inspector u/s) is the Artistic Director of the Resident Theatre. He has directed numerous productions including The Secret Garden, Into the Woods, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Light Up the Sky. Onstage, he has been seen most recently at Edge as Mr. Carp in The Minutes and Emilia Bassano Lanier in The Book of Will and in Julius Caesar with Invictus Theatre. He is a proud graduate of Northwestern University.

Megan Donahue (Amalia u/s) is delighted to be making her Edge debut. Favorite past credits include Ginny in Nameless Mountains with Accomplice Theatre, Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and Viola in Twelfth Night with Flint City Theatre, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest with Kearsley Park Players Summer Theatre, and Mole in Wind in the Willows with Theatre-Hikes.

Will Fisher (Laudisi u/s) is honored to make his Edge of The Wood debut. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from this talented cast and crew. Some of his favorite roles were in Something Rotten, The Canterville Ghost, and Equus. Will is grateful for Robert’s encouragement and to his three kids: Tristan, Andy, and Liam! Enjoy the show! 

Janet Rourke* (Signora Nenni u/s) has directed and/or appeared on the stage of the Goodman Theatre, the Marriott, the Barn, CenterStage Theatre, and OOCC, where she worked with Rick Snyder, Steppenwolf ensemble member, and Broadway favorite Karen Mason. At Edge, she has appeared in Into the Woods (Jack’s Mother), Our Town (Mrs. Gibbs), The Seagull (Arkadina/Polina), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (The Princess Puffer), The Beautiful People (Harmony Blueblossom), Pride & Prejudice (Lady Catherine/Mrs. Reynolds), and Light Up the Sky (Stella Livingston–Lou Award nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Female Role), among others. Janet recently directed The Minutes.

Ellen Shaw (Signora Frola u/s) is delighted to be part of It Is So (If You Think So!). Her credits include Carrie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful, Fonsia Dorsey in The Gin Game, Melissa in Love Letters, Lady Bird Johnson in Tea for Three and Martha Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace. Ellen worked in data processing for 35 years before retiring to pursue acting: “It’s time to activate the right brain.”

Anne Shook, they/she (Dina/S. Ponza u/s) is excited to make their Edge of the Wood debut! A recent graduate of the BFA acting program at DePaul University, they were most recently seen in Purgatorio at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Notable credits from The Theatre School include Bernadette in Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons and Catherine in A View From the Bridge.

Chris Toft* (Agazzi u/s) is a Resident Artist with Edge and directed The Crucible and our recent Studio Series production of Betrayal. Favorite roles include The Chairman in Drood, Editor Webb in Our Town, and Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Last summer saw him as philanthropist Joy Morton in A Walk with Joy for the Morton Arboretum’s centennial. He is the Executive Producer of Famous Canadian Actors, a new scripted series currently filming. Chris sends much love to Nicole, Janie and Lucy.

Sam Waddell (Signor Ponza u/s) is thrilled to make his Edge of the Wood debut! A Chicago-based actor, recent credits include Bertram Cates in Inherit the Wind with The Theatre Lab and Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Beverly Arts Center. Sam would like to thank his amazing friends and his wonderful family for all of their love and support.