Michael Rogerson (Artistic Director)
Michael is a Chicago based director and sound designer. For Silencio, he has directed the Chicago premiere of Marius von Mayenburg’s The Dog, the Night, and the Knife and Enda Walsh’s Disco Pigs. At Northwestern University he directed site-specific productions of Jean Genet’s The Maids and Phillip Ridley’s Mercury Fur, as well as Kori Alston’s Pledge of Allegiance (The History of America), which was part of the Agnes Nixon Playwrighting Festival. Assistant directing credits include Lela & Co. (Steep Theatre) and American Dead (S.I.T.E. Festival). He was a production assistant for Albany Park Theatre Project and Third Rail Projects’ acclaimed immersive show Learning Curve. As a sound designer he has assisted projects at Victory Gardens and Timeline Theatre. He is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where he received a dual degree in Theatre and English Literature.
Sean Gundersen (Designer)
Sean is a Chicago actor, director and designer. He designed space & lights for Silencio’s productions of The Dog, the Night, and the Knife and Disco Pigs. At Northwestern University he directed world-premiere productions of peers' productions of Moon & Back, Concentric, and Next Level--which he took to the Georgetown Theatre Festival in Penang, Malaysia--and performed as the title role in Simon Scardifield's premiere adaptation of Agamemnon, among other performances. As a lighting designer he has done work with Chicago Academy for the Arts, Metro Concert Hall and countless cherished productions in college. He is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where he got a double major in Theatre and History.
Sophie Neff (Actor)
Sophie is a Chicago based actor and artist. Born and raised in Durham, NC, she studied acting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before relocating to the Midwest to attend Northwestern University. It was there she first collaborated with Michael, performing in his site specific production of Jean Genet's The Maids. Classically trained in London and informally trained at open-mics and showcases around Chicago, Sophie performs Shakespeare, stand-up comedy, and everything in between.
Tom DeFrancisco (Actor)
Tom is a Chicago actor and musician. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Northwestern University with a focus in Acting and Theatre. He performed in various productions during his career there, notable credits including The Boy in The Boy at the Edge of Everything, Eliot in Mercury Fur (directed by Michael Rogerson), and Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Professional credits include Understudy (Calvin O'Keefe and Ensemble) in A Wrinkle in Time (Lifeline Theatre), as well as Pig in Disco Pigs (Silencio) and Shapeshifting Man in The Dog, the Night, and the Knife (Silencio). Outside of the theater, Tom maintains active interests in music, tabletop role-playing games, and Astronomy.
Collin Quinn Rice (Marketing & Communications Director)
Collin is mostly known for their work on stage, but also moonlights as a multimedia designer and photographer. You may have seen them in The Harvest (Griffin Theatre Co.), Hatfield & McCoy (The House Theatre), or Le Switch (About Face Theatre). Off the stage, Collin is devoted to taking ordinary things making them more beautiful using the witchcraft of the digital world. More at www.collinquinnrice.com!