Meet Our Faculty
Christine Cummings
(Citadel Director of Education)

Christine has been a professional theatre artist for over 10 years, performing, directing and teaching in Chicago and Central Illinois, since graduating with her BA in Acting from CSU, Fullerton and an MFA in Acting from Illinois State University. Originally from sunny Southern California, Christine has performed in and directed over 50 plays. Most recently she performed the role of Claire in Proof at Heartland Theatre, directed Crimes of the Heart, Once Upon A Mattress & Hello Dolly!, and does voice over work for Great Plains Media radio group. Chicago credits include performing at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Blue Heron Theatre, The Athenaeum, Viaduct Theatre and Theatre Building Chicago. Christine teaches Acting & Dramatic Literature at Illinois Wesleyan University and begins teaching Voice & Diction at Dominican University and College of Dupage this fall. Since teaching and assistant directing for the Into The Woods Jr. Summer Camp in 2008, she knew The Academy at Citadel Theatre was something special for the residents of Lake County and jumped at the opportunity to be involved once again.


Mark Adamczyk

Mark has a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Illinois and has been actively involved with young people and music since receiving certification from the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ, in 1999. Mark is a composer of stage musicals at the nationally famous Theatre Building Chicago Writers Workshop and leads family music and movement classes in a half-dozen different northshore communities. As a faulty member of The Music Institute of Chicago, Mark teaches guitar to just about any kid who will sit still and strum for more than five minutes. He gigs around the Chicago area performing original jazz compositions with his guitar and his laptop at just about any venue where someone will sit still and listen for more than five minutes. Late at night, Mark is developing performance pieces that combines live music with computer generated visuals.
Genesee Spridco

Genesee is a professional mask maker, director, designer and performer recently transplanted to the Chicago scene. She has an MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International School for Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, California and undergrad degrees in BS: Theatre Education and BFA: Directing. In addition to co-founding Suitcase Shakespeare, she has also worked with Fifth House Ensemble, Chicago Opera Theatre, Six Flags Great America, CLIMB Theatre and other more independent projects across the country and around the world.
Jessica Lauren Fisher

Jessica has been teaching and directing since graduating from Barat college of Depaul University in 2004. She has taught at Dancenter North, Improv Playhouse, and the Northbrook Theatre. She is also an accomplished actor and has performed with Citadel Theatre, Chamber Opera Chicago, City Lit, Theatre at the Center, Illinois Theatre Center, The Bailiwick, Theatre Building Chicago, and Light Opera Works.

Kelly Marino

Kelli Marino has lived in Chicago for just over two years and has worked as a Dramaturg and Education/Outreach Coordinator and Consultant. This season, Kelli is the dramaturg for A Red Orchid Theatre’s The Iliad, and Remy Bumppo’s productions of Night and Day, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia. Kelli was last year’s “Fugard Fest 2010” Staff Writer and Dramaturg for Timeline, Remy Bumppo, and Court Theatre’s productions of “Master Harold”…and the boys, The Island, and Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Kelli has also worked with American Blues Theatre, Collaboraction, American Theater Company, and Northlight Theatre. Kelli holds a M.A. in Theatre Studies from the University of Arizona and a B.A. in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and is the proud Coordinator of Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Artistic and Technical Team and Co-Regional Vice-President of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of America – Chicago! .
Andrew J. Pond

Andrew is originally from just outside of Milwaukee, WI, but came to Chicago via Miami, FL, where he studied at the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre Training, spent 7 years performing professionally, and taught at several theatre camps. Since moving to Chicago from Miami in 2002 (for the weather!) Andrew has performed at various theatres around the Chicagoland area and continued his love of both performing for, and teaching children. Recent acting credits: Hugh (That Face, Redtwist Theatre) Harry (Jeff Award-winning Man From Nebraska. Redtwist Theatre) Colonel Gillweather (Something’s Afoot, Citadel Theatre) Arnold Wiggins (The Boys Next Door, Metropolis Theatre) Justice Tappercoom (The Lady’s Not for Burning, Theo Ubique) He has worked extensively as an actor, director, and playwright with several children’s theatres, including Boom Troupe, AlphaBet Soup, GreatWorks, Child’s Play Touring Theatre, and Caton Enterprises. In what passes for spare time, Andrew is an Elvis impersonator, juggler, balloon artist, does various impersonations of both Muppets and non-Muppets, and has a degree in philosophy.
Erik Wagner

Erik has been working primarily with youth theater for the last six years since moving to Chicago from Nashville, TN. He is an ensemble member with two companies, American Eagle Productions and Von Orthal Puppets. With American Eagle, he currently performs in ten of their touring shows including as John Adams in 1776 and the Boy in Where the Sidewalk Ends. He directed their production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and wrote the new show being added this year, The Civil War: History and Harmony. With Von Orthal, he does everything from building and performing with puppets to teaching classes in both areas. He currently performs in two of their touring productions, Acuba’s Dream and Tara’s Story. He has directed numerous productions around the city including The Little Mermaid and Pinocchio with Steel Beam Theater. While in Nashville, where he earned his BA in Theatre from Belmont University, he was a member of John Holleman’s Mask Ensemble. One of his favorite experiences of all was as a puppeteer and lead character in Tapestry of Dreams at Epcot in Walt Disney World.
David Robert Weber

David is a proud member of the first Atlanta Shakespeare Apprentice Company studying under the direction of artistic director Jeffrey Watkins. He became part of their company as an Artistic Associate from 2002 until 2007 where he played many roles, including Orlando in As You Like It, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, and Posthumus in Cymbeline. David was also a Senior Education Artist helping direct full term residencies along with Shakespeare for Teen workshops for literally thousands of high school students thanks to the NEA Grant, Shakespeare for a new Generation, at Georgia Public and Private High Schools. He has worked professional in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. He is on the teaching staff with Emerald City Theater in Chicago since 2010 and currently is finishing his pre-graduate credentials under the direction of Yasen Peyankov at UIC.
Scott Phelps (Citadel Artistic Director)

Scott is in his 9th year as the Artistic Director at Citadel, where he directed “The Boarding House”, “And Neither Have I Wings To Fly”, “A Nervous Smile”, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”, “All in the Timing”, and the inaugural Citadel production of “3 Scoops” in 2002. He has directed in NYC, and in his home state of California. Trained as an actor, Scott, did a 2 year internship at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California, received his BFA from the University of Utah and met his wife, Ellen at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. After 2 years in New York, where he got his Equity card working with Circle Repertory Theatre (and having his first of 4 children) he returned to continue working in the Chicago theater arena. For 18 years Scott worked for a Promotional company in Racine WI, paying the mortgage and raising his family in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. In 2002 he got this crazy idea to bring “Chicago Style” theatre to Lake Forest.
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