Halle Berghoff  Maid

Halle was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BFA in Acting in 2023. She’s super excited to be joining BrightSide Theatre for this production as both a lover of theatre and a huge horror buff.

Adam Boczar  Seward

returns to the stage after a long odyssey through corporate America and is thrilled to be in his first production with BrightSide Theater. Favorite credits include Macbeth (Macbeth), Laramie Project (ensemble), and Titus Andronicus (Demetrius). He is also portraying Captain Pym in the upcoming feature film, The Black Cat: The Nevermore Chronicles. He has studied at Second City, iO Theater, and Acting Studio Chicago.

Mike Boyna  Van Helsing

BrightSide debut.  Mike is a long-time actor, singer, director, designer, and producer.  Select favorite roles: Inspector Kemp (Young Frankenstein); Hysterium (…Forum); Atticus Finch (…Mockingbird); Salieri (Amadeus); Condon (Hauptmann); Frederick (…Night Music); Ernst (Cabaret).  Select Directing/Design credits in Cabaret; A Piece of My Heart; Shrek the Musical. Broadway World Chicago Best Set Design Award (Sweeny Todd) and Lou Award nominations for Best Director and Musical (A Gentleman’s Guide…). 

Julia Hope Budd  Lucy

Julia is a Chicago based actress and graduate from Millikin University. She was last seen in BrightSide’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar (Tormentor). Recent credits include The Conspirator’s Commedia Divina (Covidia) and AlphaBet Soup Productions’ James and the Giant Peach (Ladybug). Additionally, Julia Hope was a featured performer at Six Flags St. Louis for five seasons. You can find Julia Hope on Instagram @juliahopebudd and at www.JuliaHopeBudd.com.

Kyle Drexler  Attendant US Seward

Kyle is excited to make their BrightSide debut! Having just graduated from Columbia College Chicago, their recent credits include Polonius U/S in Hamlet (CCC), Jason in Medea (CCC) and Meechee in Duffy Doo Doo (Clash on Clark). Two of the plays they’ve written, Kingly Duties and The Place Between, have been staged at CCC. When not onstage, Kyle can be found interning at Chicago Dramatists, writing new works, or discovering local coffee shops.

Ercia Harrington  Vixen

Erica is thrilled to be returning to BrightSide after making her debut in Jesus Christ Superstar. Erica’s Chicago area credits include productions with: Porchlight, Edge of the Wood Theatre, Second City, Highland Park Players, and Up and Coming Theatre.

Austin Jordan  Attendant US Harker

Austin has been honing his improv skills for the past nine years and acting for seventeen. He began his improv journey with Comic Frenzy at university. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory, he has performed and written for All Part of the Show at Newport Theater and appeared in Here 4 a Bit at Second City and The Gist at iO. 

Greg Kolack  Renfield

returns to BrightSide after directing Moonlight and Magnolias and Bleacher Bums 10 years ago. In 40 years as a professional actor, he’s appeared in dozens of stage productions in the Chicago area, as well as film and TV. He is also a 3-time Jeff Award Recipient for Directing. This is his second go round as Renfield, having played the role in 1980!

Daria Koon  Vixen US Lucy

Daria is excited to be making their BrightSide debut in Dracula!  Recent performances include The Secret Garden (JPAC), A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Sound of Music (Big Noise Theatre) and Turn of the Screw (Rochester Repertory Theatre). A graduate of Millikin University, she can often be found reading, crafting, obsessing over something new, or practicing stage combat in her ‘free time.’

Brady McNeil  Harker

Brady is making his professional play debut, having performed exclusively in musicals since high school. Brady was first seen in BrightSide’s concert production of City of Angels (Stine). Other local credits include Titanic the Musical (Harold Bride; Wheaton Drama), Spring Awakening (Music Director; Home Creative Co.), and Ragtime in Concert (Ensemble; Highland Park Players). Outside of theatre, Brady is the Coordinator of Music Education and Symphonic Band Conductor at Wheaton College.

Kirstin Palatinus  Vixen

Kirstin is absolutely thrilled to be a part of the cast of Dracula at BrightSide Theatre!  This is her first time performing in a full-length play.  Her most recent role was Melissa in Immersion Therapy with GreenMan Theatre Troupe.  Previous credits include Normal Activity and The Kids Table, both part of 10-minute play festivals hosted by Green Shirt Studio in Chicago.

Danny Parrott  Dracula

Danny is thrilled to make his debut at BrightSide Theatre! Danny’s recent performances include Henry Higgins in Pygmalion, Wadsworth in Clue, Uncle Peck in How I Learned to Drive (Theatre of Western Springs) Lancelot in Spamalot and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (North Riverside Players). Danny began his professional career with Ballet Omaha and has performed professionally worldwide.

Caitlin Wolfe  Mina

Caitlin is so excited to be making her BrightSide Theatre debut! She is a Chicago based actress, singer, dancer, musician, and EMC member of the Actor’s Equity Association. Her recent credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Surging Films), The Mama and the Papa Goose (Inkwell Arts), It’s A Wonderful Life (Oil Lamp Theater), The Last Lifeboat (Towle Theater), Shout! The Mod Musical (Metropolis), and When There Are Nine (PrideArts). Caitlin is represented by Talent X Alexander. 

Steve Dietz Playwright

Mr. Dietz’s thirty-plus plays have been produced at regional theaters across the United States, as well as Off-Broadway. International productions of his work have been seen in England, Japan, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Russia, Slovenia, Argentina, Peru, Greece, Singapore, and South Africa. Recent plays include the widely-produced thriller, Yankee Tavern; the Steinberg Award finalist, Becky’s New Car; the Pulitzer-nominated Last of the Boys (produced by Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago); and the Edgar Award-winning Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (from William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle). Other plays include Fiction (produced Off-Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company), Shooting Star, Inventing van Gogh, The Nina Variations, Private Eyes, Halcyon Days, God’s Country, and Lonely Planet (PEN-USA Award for Drama). Mr. Dietz’s work as a director has been seen at many of America’s leading regional theaters. He divides his time between Seattle and Austin, where he is a professor at the University of Texas.

JAY FONTANETTA Director

Jay holds a B.A. in Directing, Columbia College, an M.A. in Theatre Education, Roosevelt University and an M.A. in Fine Arts Administration, Olivet-Nazarene University. He has directed high school, college, community, and professional productions over the last 25 years. Favorites include the Midwest premiere of Aven’U Boys at Circle Theatre, CLUE at the Theatre of Western Springs and Hair for EPCT. Jay has won Outstanding Performance at the Illinois Community Theatre Festival for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Crucible with the North Riverside Players.

CHERYL NEWMAN Costume Designer

Cheryl has been a theater kid her whole life. She recently quit her day job in special education to do theater stuff and is thrilled to join Brightside for the upcoming season. She also costumes the award-winning BAM children’s theater in Hinsdale, and directs and costumes for Wheaton North High school, the Westmont Park District and Westview Hills Middle School.

KURT OTTINGER  Lighting & Sound Designer

Kurt is happy to be working for BrightSide Theatre again. He retired a few years ago after 31 years as theatre technical supervisor/resident lighting and sound designer for the Northbrook Park District.  Kurt has designed lighting for Northbrook on Ice, York High School, St. Patrick’s High School, Loyola Academy, Big Noise Theatre, Highland Park Players and many other groups over the years. 

PAUL SCHERER (Original Music)

Paul is a Chicago-based composer. Having written many works for the voice, he infuses his music with unique and occasionally surprising harmonic and melodic elements, all the while keeping it accessible to the listener and well-trained performer. A consummate melodist, he has composed four operas, two musicals and a host of works for chorus and orchestra, as well as chamber works for mixed instruments. He holds as MA in music technology from Indiana University.

JEFF SAND (Technical Director)

works in IT at Villa Park Public Library and as a technician at COD’s McAninch Arts Center. Excited for another BST season!  BrightSide: She Loves Me, Gypsy (TD).  Summer Place Theatre: The Secret Garden (sound design), Don’t Dress For Dinner (TD), Joseph…Dreamcoat (co-TD, sound), and Mamma Mia! (producer/sound design). Natural Talent Productions: Urinetown (co-producer, sound), Disney’s Hunchback… (sound – regional premiere).  Riverfront Playhouse: Between Riverside and Crazy, Lady Day at Emerson’s… (lighting).