Director: Maureen Payne-Hahner
Maureen Payne-Hahner is very pleased to create this unique production of Peter Parnell's "QED" at Northwestern University. This is Maureen's second directing collaboration with ETOPiA after directing "Copenhagen" in 2008. Other direction credits include: "Talk Radio" (The Gift Theatre Company, 2009), "The Countess" (The Gift Theatre Company at Victory Gardens Theatre), assistant director, "Kids These Days" (Summer Cabaret at Yale 2008), "Sweet Phoebe" (Munich), "Copenhagen" (Munich, Vienna, and Zagreb), "Two Conversations," "Dark Pony," "Litko," and "Epilogue" by David Mamet (Munich). She attended The School at Steppenwolf Theatre and is a proud ensemble member of The Gift Theatre Company, both in Chicago. New York credits include Naked Angels and The Ensemble Studio Theatre. Upcoming directing assignments include Caryl Churchill's "A Number" in New York City (2011). Maureen holds a BA in psychology with distinction.
Rob Riley
Rob Riley recently appeared in the new play "Ground" at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Chicago credits include "The Crowd You're In With," "Moonlight and Magnolias," and "A Touch of the Poet" at the Goodman Theatre; "I Sailed with Magellan," "The End of the Tour," "Before My Eyes," and Remy Bumppo's production of "Heartbreak House" at Victory Gardens. At Chicago Shakespeare he appeared in "The Merry Wives of Windsor"; at Steppenwolf, "The Weir" and "Playboy of the Western World"; and at Chicago Dramatists, "Cadillac," for which he received a Jeff Award nomination. Rob appeared in several revues on the main stage at The Second City, in Paul Sills’ "Sills and Company" at New York's Actors' Playhouse, and co-wrote, directed, and performed in the musical "Wild Men!" at Body Politic in Chicago and The Westside Theatre in New York. He has appeared in numerous commercials and several films, most recently the remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street." In the 1980s, Rob was a writer for the television show "Saturday Night Live."
Jillian Burfete
Jillian Burfete is humbled and grateful to be involved in this ETOPiA production at Northwestern. Originally from North Carolina, Jillian moved to the city after mentoring under the late, great Collin Wilcox, original member of the Compass Players, and is pleased to be regularly involved with The Gift Theatre in Chicago. She has most recently graduated from the School at Steppenwolf and has trained with ImprovOlympic (iO) and the Second City Conservatory. She belongs to two beloved teams, “The Bird and the Bison” at iO and her independent team, “The Album.” She is grateful grateful for this scientific experience and would like to retake her eleventh grade Physics final now, Mr. Owsley!
