Company

Laura Oleska (Company Member) attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where she received her BA in Music and discovered her love for theatre from an orchestra pit. Shortly after graduating, she ventured to Chicago to explore the artistic scene. Along with designing sound for 20%, she has worked behind the scenes with TimeLine Theatre, Adventure Stage Chicago at Vittum Theater, and The Lakeshore Theater. Laura is gleeful to be working closer with such a wonderful company like 20%.

Melissa is delighted to be a part of 20% and their exciting work. She directs, writes and teaches with a passion for collaborative methodologies, devising and verbatim theatre. A Deerfield native, Melissa received her MFA in Directing from the University of Essex in London and her BA in Theatre from Southern Illinois University. She also trained at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in Moscow. Melissa has directed professionally throughout the Chicagoland area as well as in the UK. Melissa is also the founding artistic director of Focal Point Theatre Company and looks forward to future collaborations between her two artistic homes.

Melissa Albertario (Literary Manager, Resident Director)

Liz is very excited to be a part of 20% Theatre Company. Her previous credits with 20% include assistant lighting design for Snapshots 2007, lighting design for Top Girls, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, and Snapshots 2008 - 2010. When not working on shows, Liz busies herself with several part time jobs and by sitting in traffic. Liz often finds herself wishing for a pony.

Liz Cooper (Business Manager)

Mel is proud the work the women of 20% do, and is very pleased to find an artistic home with them. Previous directing credits with 20% include assistant directing New Anatomies 2008, assistant The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, and directing for 2009 Snapshots Festival. Sound design credits include the 2009, 2010 & 2011 Snapshots Festivals, and Electra & Orestes. When not working with 20%, Mel is found sound coordinating various projects and is a part-time DJ and Catharsis Junkie.

Members Emeritus

Lindsay is the Artistic Director to 20% Theatre Company and while she is in charge of steering this ship she has also acted in Snapshots 2009 and Snapshots 2010 (and wrote Vampire Weekend) and will be appearing in the 20% Spring Production of Electra & Orestes. Lindsay has also had the pleasure of Dialect Coaching New Anatomies and Trestle at Pope Lick Creek with 20% Theatre. As a Dialect Coach her other Chicago theater credits include History Boys (Timeline Theatre), The Real Thing (Saint Sebastian Players), The Man Who Was Thursday (New Leaf Theatre), Leetice & Lovage (Redtwist Theatre), Becoming Ingrid (Rubicon Theatre), The Hiding Place (Provisions Theatre) and Departure Lounge (Bailiwick Chicago Theatre) among others. Lindsay is also an actor in Chicago and has worked with N.U.F.A.N Ensemble, Corn Productions, WNEP, Village Players Theatre, and HOBO Junction. She has a BA degree in Theater from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Lindsay A. Bartlett (Artistic Director)

The Company

Laura Oleska

Mel Ruder

Jackelyn received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Since moving to Chicago in 2005, she has worked in theaters around Chicago acting, production managing, and stage managing. She is proud to be part of the 20% family and has appeared in their 2009 and 2010 Snapshots Festivals, 2009’s Darkroom Series and will be in the upcoming spring production, Electra & Orestes. Jackelyn is an Artistic Associate with Collaboraction Theater Company and Synapse Art Collective.

Stephanie is thrilled to be a company member of 20% Theatre. Her Stage Management credits with 20% include Snapshots 2010, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, and Electra & Orestes. Her other Chicago credits include State of the Union (Strawdog Theatre), Body Awareness (Profiles Theatre), and Production Stage Manager for the original serial play “the Ville” (Bare Boned Theatre). She has also worked with Music Theatre (De Pere, Wisconsin), Evergreen Theatre (Green Bay, Wisconsin), Bay Port High School Theatre (Howard-Suamico, Wisconsin) and Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota). She holds a B.A. in Philosophy and French with a minor in theatre from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.