ERIN SHEA BRADY
(Producing Director)

is thrilled to join the Brown Paper Box Co. team! Erin is a freelance writer, director and is the Artistic Director of No Stakes Theater Project, an organization dedicated to supporting the creative risks of emerging artists, where she has produced several productions, staged readings, and initiatives since 2014. Directing credits include: Kander & Ebb's Cabaret, Sharr White’s Annapurna (staged reading) and Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (No Stakes Theater Project); Stands (Spartan Theater, staged reading) and Anna Schutz's Prodigy: A Modern Family Portrait (staged reading). In assistant direction and dramaturgy roles, Erin has worked on productions at the Goodman, TimeLine, A Red Orchid, Jackalope, Northlight, and Remy Bumppo. A graduate from the directing program at Columbia College Chicago, her training also includes internships at Steppenwolf (Casting Department), American Blues (Performance Intern, Waiting for Lefty), Northlight and A Red Orchid.  Erin is also a contributing critic at Perform.Ink and is hard at work on her new play, Revivial. 

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erin@brownpaperbox.org

 

ZACH DRIES
​(Photographer/Videographer)

began working with Brown Paper Box Co. as a photographer/videographer after moving to the Chicago area from Boston. He began photography work during cabaret performances and soon branched into photo and video work for Now. Here. This. (2016) and The Baltimore Waltz (2017). He began his work in photo/video work in 2011 and has credits in event, commercial, wedding, and performance production. ​​

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zach@brownpaperbox.org

 

SAMANTHA GATWOOD
(DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER)

is elated to join the Brown Paper Box Co. family. Samantha, or Samm as her friends call her, is a freelance actor, director and choreographer who can be found throughout the Chicagoland area with her beloved bulldog Elphaba. She graduated with her degree in Musical Theatre from Drake University where she developed a passion for teaching and choreography. She spends the vast majority time as a teaching artist, but also loves to spend time on and around stage; some of her favorite credits include The Wild Party (Queenie), Rock of Ages (Waitress #1/Assistant Choreographer/Fight Captain) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Choreographer). samanthagatwood.wix.com/sgofficail 

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samm@brownpaperbox.org

 

Kaitlyn Guerrieri
(Guest Services Manager)

is so excited to be back in the Chicago Theatre world, and even more excited to be working with Brown Paper Box Co. She has been a Stage Manger for two Brown Paper Box Co.'s shows and is thrilled to work in a new aspect of the Company. When she is not exploring the Chicago Theatre Scene or working as a Litigation Paralegal, you can find her in a Yoga Studio sweatin' out off those worries! Born and raised in this beautiful city, she is excited to share the Magic that is Chicago Theatre with all of you! ​

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boxoffice@brownpaperbox.org

 

Jeremy Hollis
​(Production Manager)

is a freelance scenic designer based in the Chicago area. He began working with Brown Paper Box on their production of The Baltimore Waltz. He has worked with companies such as Black Button Eyes, Pride Films and Plays, The Factory Theatre, Eclectic, and Metropolis, among others. You can also catch him in his other life as a molecular biology researcher at Northwestern, or hoping Jason Heyward gets another year with the Cubs. He is also a strong contender for Chicago's #1 Stan's Donuts fan. jeremyhollisdesign.com

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M. WILLIAM PANEK 
​(Marketing DIRECTOR/CO-FOUNDER)

is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois' Theatre Department. Production Manager: "Last Midnight" An Adult Homecoming and They're Playing Our Song. Director: Now. Here. This., [title of show] (Jeff Award Nominated), A New Brain, Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, Godspell, To Tree (world premiere), Reefer Madness! The Musical in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Casting Associate: The Baltimore Waltz, Julius Caesar, Spike Heels. Cabaret: "Positively Present," "Mary'z With a Z," "Proud at Mary's" at Mary's Attic, "Spring Forward Fail Back" at Uncommon Ground, and "BPB Yearbook" "Character Breakdown" at Davenport's. He recently collaborated with Zach Zimmerman (Luke Babylon: Christian Magician and Spell) at iO Chicago, iO New York, The Duplex New York, and the Annoyance Theatre, as well as The Artists Lab at Stage 773. William served as an artistic associate with The Orchard Project in Hunter, NY, a production assistant for the 24-Hour Musicals at Joe's Pub, and the business management assistant at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram @mwilliampanek.

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william@brownpaperbox.org

 

Anna Schutz
​(Managing Director/Co-Founder)

is a proud founding member of Brown Paper Box Co. She holds a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has worked in Chicago as an actor, singer, & arts administrator for the last decade. Her backstage work with Brown Paper Box Co. includes: Jeff Recommended - The Baltimore Waltz (Production Manager); Spike Heels (Production Manager); Godspell (Production Manager/Stage Manager); ​To Tree (Production Manager); "The Broad-Way: A Ladies Cabaret" (Creator/Producer/Host); and "Brown Paper Bash: 5 Year Anniversary" (Creator/Producer). She has performed onstage with Brown Paper Box Co. in Now. Here. This. (Woman 2); [title of show] (Heidi); A New Brain (Nancy D./Waitress); Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls (Joy/Billy). She was honored to have performed as Mary Lane in Reefer Madness! the Musical and all of the subsequent 4/20 productions, as well as sing in all of BPBCo.'s cabaret series. As a playwright, Anna's first script, Prodigy, was selected as one of three projects for the League of Chicago Theatres' Bright Angel Creative Retreat in August 2017 and received a staged reading co-sponsored by DePaul University's Women's & Gender Studies Department in November 2017. She's excited to begin work towards her Master's degree in Nonprofit Management at DePaul University this spring. www.annaschutz.com

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anna@brownpaperbox.org

 

Charlie Sheets 
​(Graphic Designer)

is currently residing in (suspiciously) always sunny California. He’s been designing for over a decade—and has the arthritis to prove it! Charlie’s worked in a variety of industries including transportation, retail, automotive, healthcare, and consumer technology/marketing—you might be using something he’s designed! His work with the Brown Paper Box Co. includes designs for productions and events since 2012, as well as website and social media graphics and consultation. To see Charlie's portfolio, visit charliesheets.com.

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Kristi Szczepanek
​(Artistic Director)

joined Brown Paper Box Co. after performing as the understudy in Now. Here. This. She has since been seen with BPBCo. in "The Broad-Way: A Ladies Cabaret" and created and coordinated "Positively Present: An Uplifting Cabaret." She served as the Management and Development Assistant at Off-Off-Broadway's Ensemble Studio Theatre, helping coordinate events like the Sloan Project and their annual Marathon of One Act Plays. Chicago companies she's had the pleasure of working with both onstage and off include Quest Theatre Ensemble, Tympanic Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, and the Something Marvelous Festival. www.kristisz.com

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kristi@brownpaperbox.org