Rivendell Welcomes New Ensemble Members

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, welcomes eight new ensemble members. Joining RTE are actor Glenn Dale-Obrero, director, actor Rashada Dawan, artist, actor, and arts educator Andi Muriel, dramaturg, literary manager, and producer Sarah Slight, technical director and production manager Evan Sposato, actress and acting coach Meg Thalken, Cuban-American director Georgette Verdin, and writer, producer, and marketing professional Tanya Ward.

"I am beyond delighted to welcome these generous and gifted actors, directors, designers, writers and producers to the Rivendell family," comments Founding Artistic Director Tara Mallen. "Each of these artists have already brought so much to Rivendell through their past work on various productions. Through contributing fresh perspectives and insights, they have already begun to reinvigorate our artistic core and lift up our mission. We are excited to support their artistic growth and offer them an artistic home in Rivendell."

About the Artists

Glenn Dale-Obrero was last seen at Rivendell in Scientific Method. Select theatre credits include The Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), The Great Leap (Steppenwolf and Asolo Repertory), and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sesa (Lookingglass). Television credits include Somebody Somewhere (HBO MAX), Chicago Fire (NBC), and NEXT (FOX). Glenn is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Acting and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Rashada Dawan made her assistant directorial debut at Rivendell with Spay. Acting Credits include: Disney's The Lion King (Las Vegas & Gazelle Nat.Tour), Madagascar, The Nutcracker (Marriott Lincolnshire), Cinderella (Paramount), Caroline, or Change (Firebrand/Timeline), Djembe (Foresight), Something In The Game (AMTP/ Wirtz), A Red Line Runs Through It (Second City), Aida (MUNY), Dynamite Divas (Black Ensemble Theatre). TV/Film: Chicago PD, Shameless, Hope Springs Eternal, Easy, The Red Line, Proven Innocent, 61st Street and The Chi.

Andi Muriel is a Chicago-based artist, actor, and arts educator who is absolutely over the moon to be joining Rivendell as an ensemble member. Andi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Music, where she received her BFA in acting. Chicago credits include: As You Like It (Forest Park Theatre), Circles (Theatre of the Beyond), and understudying for Rivendell's production of The Tasters and Promethean's Richard III.

Sarah Slight is a Chicago-based dramaturg, literary manager, and producer. At Rivendell, she dramaturged the world premiere of The Tasters by Meghan Brown, dir. Devon de Mayo and the workshop of Tidy by Kirstin Idaszak, dir. Kristen Osborn for the Solo Voices Festival. Other recent dramaturgy credits include The Luckiest by Melissa Ross, dir. Cody Estle (Raven Theatre); The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso, dir. Amelia Acosta Powell (St. Louis Rep); The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon dir. Jessica Thebus (Northlight Theatre); The Burn by Philip Dawkins dir. Devon de Mayo (Steppenwolf Theatre, SYA); and Welcome to Jesus by Janine Nabers dir. Will Davis (American Theater Company). Sarah has also dramaturged new play development workshops at Victory Gardens Ignition Festival, New Harmony Project, Phoenix Theatre, The Playwrights' Center, and American Theater Company. Alongside Jess McLeod, she is the co-adapator of a condensed version of The Project(s) by PJ Paparelli and Joshua Jaeger, which toured through Chicago Public Schools and housing conferences in 2017. Sarah has served as the associate artistic director at American Theater Company, artistic programs manager at Northlight Theatre, literary associate at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and literary manager at Red Eye Theatre. She was recently announced as Interim Artistic Director for Raven Theatre. MFA Columbia University, BS University of Evansville.

Evan Sposato has spent the last two decades in and around the theatre as an actor, director, stage manager, technical director, and production manager. He spent eight years at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, Maine, working both onstage and behind the scenes. During the Opera House's centennial renovation, he was the technical advisor to the building team and wrote grants totaling more than $2 million. While in Maine, Evan also served as the longtime president of Aqua City Actor's Theatre and worked with Bossov Ballet Theatre and Everyman Repertory Theatre. Since moving to Chicago, Evan has worked as the Technical Director and Production Manager at Drury Lane and has built shows for Rivendell, Steep, Jackalope, Interrobang, Theater Wit, New Coordinates, Definition, and many others. When Evan isn't in a theater, he designs and builds scenery for commercials.

Meg Thalken is an actress and acting coach residing in the city of Chicago. Stage work includes shows at Milwaukee Rep, Steep Theatre Company, Peninsula Players, The Den (Jeff nomination for Four Places), Goodman, Steppenwolf, Route 66, Detroit Public Theatre, Actors Theater of Louisville, Victory Gardens, Next, Northlight, Chicago Dramatists, Travel Light, Wisdom Bridge, Pheasant Run, and The Playhouse among others. TV Credits: Chicago Med, Paper Girls, 61st Street, The Haven, Shameless, Empire, Chicago Justice, Chicago Fire, Easy Abby, Detroit 187, ER, The Joan Cusack Show, Turks, Chicago Hope, Early Edition, EZ Streets, The Untouchables, Chicago Story, Jack & Mike, Justice: Greylord Style, The Richard Speck Case and Through Naked Eyes. Film work includes: Christmas Again, This Day Forward, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, Bad Johnson, Hannah Free, Check Please, The Company, US Marshals, Poltergeist III, A Family Thing, The Babe, and Class. Meg has taught in the Opera Division of the School of Music at Northwestern University and in the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Meg is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA since 1980. She is represented by Stewart Talent Management.

Georgette Verdin is a Cuban-American director, the Artistic Director of Interrobang Theatre Project and Goodman Theatre's 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow. Georgette was recently nominated for two Joseph Jefferson Awards for Director of a Play-Midsize for the Chicago premiere of This Wide Night (Shattered Globe/Interrobang Theatre Project) and the world premiere of Spay (Rivendell Theatre). Other recent directing credits include world premieres of Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista/Steppenwolf 1700) and Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company), the U.S. Premiere of Out of Love and Utility (Interrobang Theatre Project). Georgette holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from McNeese State University and a Master in Directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She is an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Tanya Ward has two decades of experience in grassroots and traditional marketing engagement, and 10+ years in social media content marketing. She has supported brands such as McDonald's USA, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Verizon, Procter & Gamble's My Black Is Beautiful, L'oreal, Congo Square Theatre, and Siskel Jacobs Films, among others. She is a writer and a founding member of the Englewood Arts Collective, which was formed to help produce artists, events and interactions that reflect the Englewood community of Chicago in a positive way. She is very proud to be an Associate Producer on the award-winning documentary Being Michelle (Orange Kite Productions). She has served RTE as Marketing Director since 2018 and is thrilled to strengthen her writing and producing muscles as an ensemble member at RTE.

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