MCL Chicago Welcomes New Artistic Director, Development & Outreach Director

MCL Chicago's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of two new managers to its creative team, Artistic Director Matthew Van Colton and Development & Outreach Director Cat McDonnell.

Both Mr. Van Colton and Ms. McDonnell bring a wealth of ideas and potential to the organization as MCL Chicago continues to grow in the Chicago theater community pursuing its mission to foster and develop exceptional live music comedy. Founding Artistic Director Alex Garday will be transitioning to the role of Executive Producer for all in-house MCL ChicaGo Productions.

Van Colton joins the MCL creative team having an extensive background in the Chicago and New York improv, sketch, and musical improv communities. He has a bachelor's degree in Communications, with a focus on vocal performance, from the University of Missouri, has written for The Second City Network, and is a faculty member in The Second City Training Center (Music Improv Conservatory, Advanced Improv, and Youth & Teen). He is a member of Actors' Equity and performance cr edits include BLANK! The Musical (Off Broadway, New World Stages in New York), Second City Theatricals, UP Comedy Club, iO, various Musical Improv House Ensembles at Second City, Porchlight, ImprovAc adia, Victory Gardens, Best Musical, Royal George, One Night Only, Citizen's Re lief, Northlight, Musical! the Musical, Chicago Dramatists, TUTA. He is a founding member of The Improvised Sondheim Project and Mansical.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of the MCL Chicago theatre family," Van Colton said. "MCL has emerged as an artistic home to members of Chicago's comedy, music improv and theatre worlds and I'm looking forward to continuing and enhancing that tradition."

McDonnell's role as Development & Outreach Director is to broaden the scope of the theater throughout the greater Chicago community. One of her first initiatives that align with MCL's mission statement has been coordinating volunteers from MCL's performer community and leading improv workshops with Triple Threat Mentoring , a non-profit organization that uses people's passions to fight the cycle of poverty. She has also worked with youth in programs across Boston, Providence, as well as in Chicago's Englewood community with the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program. She holds a bachelor's degree in Theater and Music Performance from Providence College, has performed with Second City Theatricals aboard the Norwegian Gem and can be seen playing regularly at the iO, Annoyance and MCL theaters, as well as in music venues around town as half of the acoustic music duo Side Pocket.

"I look forward to bringing these experiences and more to MCL Chicago as an advocate for outreach and development within the management team," McDonnell said.

MCL Chicago, formerly known as Studio BE, NFP, creates and fosters exceptional live music comedy. MCL Chicago expands the power of comedy, of theatre, and of the Chicago community at large through music, performance, workshops and community outreach. Operating since 2009, MCL Chicago, situated in the heart of Lakeview's Belmont Theatre District, is a venue for comedians, performers and improvisers of all trades, offering a variety of self-produced work and that of visiting companies.

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