BTE Adds Six New Ensemble Members

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional Equity company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, is pleased to announce six new ensemble members.

"As Buffalo Theatre Ensemble prepares for our upcoming season and the future, we're thrilled to add these six extraordinary theater artists to our ensemble, bringing the total number of our ensemble up to 19, nearly double the size of just a year ago. We are growing, and this enables us to set our sights on even greater artistic goals and do even more educational outreach, both to students and the community at large," says BTE Artistic Director Connie Canaday Howard.

The six new ensemble members are

• COD alum Robyn Coffin, seen as Cindy Herrmann on "Chicago Fire," and director of the Factory Theatre's spring 2018 production of "The Next Big Thing;"
• Rebecca Cox, a Shattered Globe Artistic Associate and most recently seen at BTE in the fall 2017 production of "The 39 Steps;"
• Lisa Dawn, seen in BTE's critically acclaimed winter 2018 production of "Time Stands Still;"
• Nick DuFloth and Laura Leonardo Ownby, both seen in BTE's fall 2016 Jeff Recommended production of "Don't Dress for Dinner;"
• Norm Woodel, popular Chicago voice-over actor and most recently seen at BTE in this spring's 2018 Jeff Recommended production of "Outside Mullingar."

They will be joining the BTE ensemble members Aly Amidei, Robert Jordan Bailey, BTE Associate Artistic Director Amelia Barrett, Bryan Burke, BTE Artistic Director Connie Canaday Howard, Jon Gantt, Christopher Kriz, Loretta Hauser, Michael W. Moon, Kurt Naebig, Galen G. Ramsey, William "Sandy" Smillie and Kelli Walker.

BTE's 2018-2019 three-play season will include "The Dingdong, or How the French Kiss," a new adaptation by Mark Shanahan from "Le Dindon" by Georges Feydeau, directed by BTE Artistic Director, Connie Canaday Howard (Sept. 6-Oct. 7); "Defiance" by John Patrick Shanley, directed by BTE Ensemble Member, Kurt Naebig (Jan. 31-March 3) and "Miracle on South Division Street," by Tom Dudzick, directed by Steve Scott (May 2-June 2).

Tickets for Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's 2018-2019 season are currently on sale by subscription only. Tickets for individual performances go on sale in person at the Box Office, Saturday Aug. 4 at 10 a.m.; online Sunday, Aug. 5 at noon; and by phone on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at noon. For more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. All BTE 2018-2019 season performances contain adult themes and language. Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

The mission of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is to provide a forum in which artists, scholars, writers, students and community members explore new ideas and provocative issues through the production of high quality theater for the enjoyment of its audiences. Since 1986 BTE has staged more than 114 productions. For more information about BTE visit btechicago.com.

BTE thanks the DuPage Foundation for their generous support in the reinstatement and continued operation of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. BTE also thanks the Norm Woodel Inspiration Fund for its assistance in the rebirth and further development of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble.