Ab Rieve (they/them) is originally from Maryland and graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a double major in Illustration and Theater Design and Technology. Recent props design credits include: TL;DR, Urinetown, and The Drowsy Chaperone at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre; Veal and Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin at A Red Orchid Theatre; A Tale of Two Cities at Shattered Globe Theatre; and Fiddler on the Roof, Legally Blonde, and Carousel at Music Theater Works. They were seen most recently at Avalanche as a co-scenic designer and fabricator for Time is a Color And the Color is Blue. Their hot take is that actually, they don't care if they are the only person in the world who liked the television adaptation of the Stephen King short story 'The Mist', it was actually a really interesting show even if whenever they bring it up everyone just asks if they are talking about the movie version. Which has a terrible ending by the way. And not nearly enough bugs.

Alexander is the Artistic Director of Avalanche Theatre and the Creative Director of the Fine Arts Building & Studebaker Theater. Onstage, he was most recently seen as Wolf in THE PETS (Bramble Theatre). His playwriting work includes GOING FOR A WALK WITH THE BOYS (New Arab American Theatre Works), SOCKS & CO (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre), GRAPE LEAVES (O'Neill Semi-Finalist, Silk Road Cultural Center, Bramble Theatre), ARABIA, ARABIA! (The Plagiarists), and others. In his free time, you can catch him playing music with the band Flip Phone or drawing.

Hot take? There are no good Buffalo wings in Chicago. If you think there are, you don’t know what a good Buffalo wing is.

Alishiana Uyao (she/her) is excited to officially work with Avalanche Theatre for the first time! Ali is an all around Chicago-based, Filipino theater artist. She’s the co-founder and logistical director of The Riveter as well as a Resident Artist at Backyard Theatre Company. She’s also currently the TD for The Village’s production of Boy My Greatness. Aside from being a TD, Ali works as a stage manager a lot, having worked with several other theatres such as Bramble, Backyard, and GreatWorks. When not working, Ali loves gaming and tries to bring her steam deck to every function she can (perhaps her cringe hot take is that we should bring our gaming consoles outside much more often) Much love to her loved ones who have supported her in her artistic journey! @alishiana.uyao

Becca G Anderson is a Black, queer artist based in Chicago, and a BFA Acting graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. They were recently seen as Jacqueline in All Nighter (The Village Theater). Previous understudy credits include Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (Oak Park Festival Theatre) and Ida Jackson & others in The Amen Corner (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company). Favorite educational credits include Nell in John Proctor is the Villain and #00 in The Wolves. Becca is also passionate about directing, math, and their 13-year-old tortoise. beccaganderson.com

Becca is extremely adamant about the difference between turtles and tortoises. Yes, all tortoises are technically turtles, but ALL TURTLES ARE NOT TORTOISES. Therefore, if Becca tells you they have a TORTOISE, do not tell people they have a TURTLE. They will correct you. Or they'll silently hold a grudge that simmers until you incorrectly identify their son for a third time. Then they'll correct you.

Curen is thrilled to be making his Avalanche Theatre debut. Some of his past credits include Eelpout (SGT), The Huns and Wayfinding (Here's The Exit), Love That Dog (Montana Rep), and Guys and Dolls (Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre). Curen wants to thank the rest of the HTE team and his family back in Montana for the constant love and support. Hot take, Nickelback isn't actually that bad.

Eel is a Chicago based costume designer and this is their first show with Avalanche Theatre company. Their recent work has been shown at The Red Orchid Theatre as a props designer in their production of “Heroes of the Fourth Turning”, and at Music Theatre works as a crew member for their production of “West Side Story”.

They are thrilled to be apart of this team, and their cringe hot take is that fedoras are about to come back into style in a big way.

Emma is thrilled to join Avalanche Theatre as the Stage Manager for They Broke Up. Recent credits include Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody (Stage Manager) and Evil Perfect (Assistant Stage Manager). She has been engaged in new-works theatres around the city since 2018 and in her free time she paints, explores fiber arts, and makes music with her band Fangled.

Emma’s CRINGE but FREE hot take is that books are so much more fun when you don’t read the last 5% so you can daydream to yourself about how it should end, or never end, just the way you like.

Gabriela Diaz is over the moon to be a part of this unbelievable crew. Gaby started her year assistant directing Dizzy Turek's The Pets! She then spent her spring and summer playing Hotspur in Olde School Shakes' Henry IV, understudying The Targeted with Red Orchid, directing Snakes in Bramble's FOUW, and producing The Grown Ups with The Tramps where she played Maeve and Becca. Closing out the year with this team and this script is a dream. When Gaby isn't memorizing, she is Managing Programs with Teatro Vista.

Alrighty, that's done. It's time for me to hop on my cringey little soap box.
I tried to write about my fellow cringe queen, Jennifer Lopez, but my blood pressure can't handle that so I'm gonna keep this tame.

My hot take is: If you were born between 1985 and 1995, and hating Nickelback was like...part of your personality....you are a cute little hypocrite with a selective memory.

In 2011 it was brought to my attention that, apparently, everyone hated Nickelback. Like overnight. Clutching my Spiderman VHS and "NOW" cds, I couldn't understand how this had happened? It was like an entire generation fell victim to collective amnesia. This disdain became a generation-defining-quirk at best, and a music-snob-meter at worst. To this day, '85-'95ers groan and laugh and boo when "How You Remind Me" queues up at karaoke.

Now, what really grinds my gears is that these specific haters frame themselves as music connoisseurs rising above the masses, when the numbers tell a different story. Nickelback hate is simply one of the earliest examples of viral internet-fueled bandwagoning. A dramatic "shift in taste" that didn't happen organically, but was actually a prime example of an adolescent need to conform.

Baa-baa, little sheep. It's time for your shearing.

Jack Disselhorst's hot take is no one past the age of 10 should have a 'favorite color.' Credits include Olde School Shakespeare Collective (Twelfth Night, Malvolio; Measure for Measure, Pompey; Taming of the Shrew, Kate), Sandbox Theatre Collective (Stupid Fucking Bird, Dev), Redtwist Theatre (Isaac's Eye, Isaac u/s). Jack teaches Meisner technique at Green Shirt Studio.

Jo is ecstatic to be returning to Avalanche with this wacky ass world premiere! CHICAGO: The Pilon (Red Theatre - Jeff Nominated for Best Ensemble); Eurydice (Snails on a Bike); The Band’s Visit (Writers Theatre); World premiere of Mesmerized (Chicago Children’s Theatre); Festival of Unfinished Work (Bramble Theatre Company); Developmental workshops through Pocket Theatrics, Avalanche Theatre and Theatre L'Acadie. REGIONAL: West Side Story (AD Players); The Hard Problem (Main Street Theatre); Panto Hansel and Gretel (Stages); Aida (Houston Grand Opera). Endless love to family and friends for their endless support! Love ya, mean it<3 Education: BFA Baylor University. @babyjo.tannous

If you don't like cats that probably means cats don't like YOU which means you lack the whimsy and joie de vivre in your deepest core that cats respond to and to change that would require examining the worst parts of yourself and you're too scared to do that. Or maybe you're allergic, weakling.

Katie Bevil is delighted to join the Avalanche community. Katie's hottest take is that people who take up two parallel parking spots or who don't return their shopping carts to the corral should be exiled to a remote island. Recent work includes Kubrickian with Factory Theatre, The Singularity Play with Jackalope Theatre, Coronation with Refracted Theatre, and When You Awake You Will Remember Everything with the Plagiarists. Katie works around the city in Audience Services, is pursuing a Master's in Social Work, and lives in Little Italy with three cryptozoological cats named Jelly, Toast, and Schnitzel. You can find more about Katie’s acting and arts admin experience at katiebevil.com. Katie is not currently represented, so if you’re an agent, consider reaching out. 🙂

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Kylie Anderson aka Ky Rambo (she/they) is an EMC and SAG actor specializing in physical theatre, represented by Stewart Talent. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Ky received a BFA in Drama with an emphasis in Acting from the University of Oklahoma. They have also trained at Stella Adler’s in New York for physical theatre, and was in the last class of The School at Steppenwolf in Chicago. Ky has gone through Actor's Gymnasium's Professional Training Program (2 years, both as a Clown). Ky is an ensemble member here at Avalanche Theatre and Bramble Theatre Company. Ky has worked with a medley of theaters in Chicago including The Goodman, Lookingglass, Remy Bumppo, The Actor's Gym, and Redtwist. You can catch Ky on tv in an episode of Station 11 and Chicago Fire, and in several commercials. Ky would like to thank their mother Carol and their husband Austin for all his love and support.

Crocs are the best shoe to ever exist. Created in 2002 to be a perfect boat shoe. Which it is. Lightweight shoes that grip and float. They dry your feet fast and the spongy material is comfortable enough to stand in all day. They don't get squished or ruined during travel, there are many fun colors and designs, and they clean up like a dream! I have 3 pairs. While working on the 2006 satirical sci-fi comedy Idiocracy, costume designer Debra McGuire wanted a cheap and ridiculous-looking shoe that nobody would ever actually wear in real life. The director of the film Mike Judge was worried that the shoes might become popular after the movie, thus ruining the impact of the costuming, but Debra assured him that nobody would EVER wear them. Jokes on her cause these shoes rock. Crocs is now a multi-billion-dollar industry cause the people LOVE the croc. BUT ON TOP OF ALL THAT, Crocs are huge shoe brand changing the conversation around eco friendly and sustainable shoe-wear!!!! If its the holes you're worried about shut up! They make some without holes! They make styles of Crocs you wouldn't even KNOW are Crocs. Go look at their website and get you some.

Lily Lourigan is very excited to be working with Avalanche Theatre for this production. Previous credits include Bramble Theatre, Young People’s Theatre of Chicago, Drunk Shakespeare, and Acacia Theatre (MKE). She thinks dogs are better than cats.

Matt Schutz is an actor and playwright currently based in Chicago. Most recently, his play "windows" was selected as the winner of PrideArts! Queery Workshop and received its world premiere in August. He has developed plays with the University of Iowa, Intrinsic Theatre, the Pride Arts Center, and Inkwell Theater. As an actor, he was most recently in the Show and Tell Showcase reading series at Avalanche, playing Horatio in Flower Girl, the Man in Suit in Prosperity, and Henri in A Fundamental Oddness. He also happens to find talent a highly attractive quality in a person, and will stand by the fact that Ben Platt of Pitch Perfect fame is very talented.

Maya McEntyre is so excited to be working with Avalanche and their amazing team! Her recent performances include Chicago Med, and A Christmas Carol. She has a BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan and is proudly represented by DDO. She hopes you survive the apocalypse. If you don’t, don’t worry! Believers will ascend to the Moon Palace!

It’s okay to face palm in earnest, okay? I do it all the time and most of the time I don’t even think about how cringy it may be to the general public (including me if I was an outsider watching someone else face palm in earnest). It’s such a merp thing to do and yet it expresses exasperation in a way so incredibly unique to itself. Do it, I dare you. Next time you’re telling a story about something that frustrates you, do an emphatic face palm at the end of the story. It’s an exclamation point, a gesture that transcends language. Less powerful than a guttural scream and more powerful than a measly eye-roll.

They Broke Up is Mitch's first fully-staged production in Chicago! He serves on the board of Avalanche Theatre and has participated in past readings and 24-hour play festivals. Previous credits include Mr. Bingley (Pride and Prejudice) and the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland). By day he's a software engineer at Sittercity and by night he builds cocktail apps and half-finished JRPGs. His favorite color is green.

Hot take: Bring back MySpace Top 8! Lists are fun and it's nice to know where you stand!

Nathan Keiller is a multidisciplinary theatre artist living in the sunny Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. He wants to thank you sincerely for coming out to see theatre. As a reminder, if you are driving through an alley you do NOT honk when you are exiting said alley. It’s actually kind of cringe if you do tbh. Because you can literally just drive slow. Then you’ll be able to stop if a car, person with a dog, a person with a stroller or a person with a dog in the stroller suddenly appears. It blows my mind that people honk as a warning that they’re coming out when it’s not even their turn to go. You’re just being loud. Ok well enjoy the show. Byeeeeeeee.

Noella Bonsol (she/they) is constantly hunting for any theater role that will quench her obsession with the art form - select credits include: Moses Moses - Director - Riveter Theater, King Lear - Director - Essential Invisible/Circa Pintig, Pericles - Set Designer - Forest Theater , and so on/so forth. Their work is based in the belief that music and theater are intrinsically intertwined, and theater cannot exist in excellence without intersectionality. They invite you to check out their theater company, The Riveter Theater.

Hot Take: Paprika is a criminally underrated spice and should be added to every dish, much like MSG.

Reagan’s hot take is that no one should be allowed to film themselves in a gym without the written consent of every person in that gym. Favorite credits include Debbie in Let’s Summon A Demon At Debbie’s (Twin Cities Horror Fest,) Cass in Plaid As Hell (Babes With Blades Theatre Company,) and Shelby Boden in You Are The Blood (Midnight Summit Ensemble.) Upcoming short film Moron (Quick Dash Films) coming soon!

Skyler Tarnas is a Michigan-born, Chicago-based writer with a growing collection of fancy hats. His work has been developed and showcased through Theatre Nova, Murmuration Theatre, Bramble Theatre, The LocalLab Co., and Avalanche Theatre, where he is an ensemble member. Most recently, he was part of the 2025 GPTC New Play Festival and PrideArts Chicago's Queery Writers Group with his plays NOBODY DIES IN THIS PLAY and GAZSCHEBET, and his short play PRIDE OF PLACE was commissioned for Black Cat Theatre's Crossing Paths Festival. He has his MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University. THEY BROKE UP is his Chicago premiere. Much, much love and gratitude to his family, his people, and Owen.

Okay, we have to do something about Kenneth Branagh's Poirot movies. It wasn't enough to cast himself as Hamlet in a self-directed Hamlet production (a venial sin at BEST), now he wants to put his thematically-incoherent fingers all over some of the most rich and troubling Agatha Christie books?? At least everyone seemed to see Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile for the uninspired remakes they were, but all he has to do is create a halfway-decent vibe in A Haunting in Venice and now everyone's willing to let him keep making more movies?? I refuse to have his charmless performance, complete inability to plot a mystery, and hideous mustache become a cultural icon. Stop enabling the Ryan Murphy of Britain!! He has nothing to say!!

Tristin Hall (they/them) is honored face the end of the world with this team at Avalanche! Tristin is Chicago born and raised actor, Intimacy and Fight Choreographer trained with IDC, SAFD, and BASSC. They have choreographed at Northlight, Steep, Strawdog, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers, Bramble Theater, Jackalope, Theater Evolve, and Babes with Blades to name a few. Tristin is a proud founding member of Point Theatre Project and of Gladiator Fight Night! If you want to see them fight, check out their work at pointtheatreproject.com. All the love to their family for their constant support!

Cringe take:
The Descendants movies (first three) actually go pretty hard AND so do a lot of the early Disney movie sequels even with the low budget animation.

Hi, I'm Yukta, and I'm thrilled to be joining the team as assistant stage manager for They Broke Up! I first fell for theatre while studying philosophy at college and have been finding my way back to it ever since. When I'm not in the rehearsal room, you can usually find me at the Logan Square Farmers Market, watching movies, or dabbling in screenwriting.

Pop culture tarot readings are actually fun. Pull the Tower card and tell me which Taylor Swift era I'm entering, and I will take it very seriously.

Zoe Sjogerman is proud to be the Executive Director of Avalanche Theatre and to be a member of the Chicago theater community. And you can pry her skinny jeans out of her cold, dead, millennial hands.