Todd Henry Faulstich

Todd traces his love for theatre back to a Glee-like high school moment when, on a dare, he auditioned for the musical GREASE by singing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and dancing with the show’s director. He didn’t get that part, but it inspired him to spread his wings in acting and supporting the arts.

Mr. Faulstich is a multi-disciplined finance professional who spent the majority of his 30-year career in commercial and investment banking, helping businesses and high net worth individuals create and retain wealth.

Todd began his career at Bank of America after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with degrees in Accounting and Finance. In 2021, he left corporate America to pursue his passion for the arts. Prior to retirement, Todd led mergers and acquisitions for a leading national automobile dealer group, helped start a private bank for the owners of Toyota and Lexus automobile dealership franchises, and was a founding member of U.S. Bank’s Entertainment Industries Group.

Todd resides in Chicago and loves to spend time with friends and family exploring the city. He is also an avid cook and entertainer who loves to travel and check countries off his adventure wishlist.

It is his sincere pleasure to help provide a platform for artists to passionately share their art with the world.

Celise Kalke

Celise Kalke will share with us her expertise on helping actors explore text and dialogue, using Paula Vogel's play, And Baby Makes Seven.

Celise joined Synchronicity Theatre as Managing Director in October, 2018. From 2005 to 2018, Celise led the Alliance Theatre’s New Work programs, notably the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwright Competition and the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. She served as Dramaturg for many Alliance productions and world premieres.

Before moving to Atlanta Celise served as the Director of the Literary Department for New York’s Public Theatre producing the New Work Now! reading festival while working as a Dramaturg for Shakespeare’s work.

Her career began at Chicago’s Court Theatre and the Juilliard School. Her administrative skills have been displayed as a new work producer, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) conference planner, LMDA Administrator, and administrator in the Brooklyn Academy of Music Education Department.

She has been an Artistic Associate at NEXT Theatre in Chicago, an Affiliated Artist with Independent Art HERE in New York, an Advisory Council Member, instructor, and Dramaturg for Working Title Playwrights, and frequent teacher at Actor’s Express. She began her career in Prague, the Czech Republic, working with Misery Loves Company, the Narodni Divadlo, and Divadlo Pod Palmovko.

Celise was named a 2009 Theatre Artist of the Future by American Theatre Magazine.

Rooney G

Saturday, November 11, we were pleased to welcome Gabby Rooney (Rooney G) to our lab! We had a great conversation and learned so much about the life of a Stage Manager. 
 

Rooney G was the stage manager for The Crucible at Invictus Theatre in Chicago, and is a top flight stage manager and all around great theatre person. Rooney G just returned from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of "MacBeth by the Sea."
 

Rooney G discussed their performance report; the role of the stage manager during production; and lots of other topics we had tons of questions about.