David
Skidmore, Board President and Founding Member
A member of Actors’ Equity Association, David grew up in Madison,
Wisconsin; received his BA from Brandeis University in Boston and MFA
in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, and studied acting
and improvisation for five years at the Piven Theatre Workshop. He has
appeared professionally in such diverse roles as Hally in MASTER
HAROLD…and the boys, C.K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story, and
Jesus in The Medieval Mystery Cycle,
and Philoctetes in Seamus Heaney’s The
Cure at Troy at the
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. A Shakespeare
Project veteran, the many roles he has played include Iago, Troilus,
Dogberry, Hotspur, Henry VI, Romeo and Hamlet, which he recreated for
TSP’s premier full theatrical production . In addition to his
professional acting and directing pursuits, David has recorded drama
for Wisconsin Public Radio and has been hired to read testimony in
federal court trials. David is currently manager of client services for
Interbrand Wood Healthcare, a branding consultancy for the healthcare
industry.
Allen
Arnett, Board Vice President
Allen Arnett is a director in the National Valuation Practice of Huron
Consulting Group, located in Chicago. He has been actively involved in
valuation and advising companies on finance related issues for over 10
years and has considerable experience in manufacturing, energy, health
care, technology, financial services, publishing, distribution, and
retail industries. He has advised many multinational corporations
and middle market companies on a wide range of value related
issues. Allen’s engagements include: Advising governments on the
privatization of strategic assets; Raising capital for private
companies; Valuations for international tax restructuring; Allocations
of purchase price for financial statement and tax reporting purposes;
Valuation and financial analysis for bankruptcy engagements;
Development of intellectual property licensing policy and royalty
rates; Fairness opinions; and Financial analysis to assist in
business planning and shareholder value measurement, acquisitions,
divestitures, reorganizations, joint venture formation, and merger
integration. Prior to joining Huron, Allen was a Senior Manager
in PricewaterhouseCooper's Corporate Value Consulting practice, where
he spent several years overseas, including tours in Kazakhstan and the
Czech Republic, where he headed up the firm’s energy practice, and was
the Chief Financial Officer of a multi-national start-up venture in
Central Europe.
Allen holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue
University and a Masters of Business Administration and Finance from
Indiana University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst
Designation and is a member of the following organizations: Association
for Investment Management and Research; The Investment Analysts Society
of Chicago; Business Valuation Association; and the Association for
Corporate Growth. Allen is a Candidate Member of the American Society
of Appraisers and has completed all course work for the Accredited
Senior Appraiser designation. In addition to serving on the Board of
The Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Allen is also proud to serve on the
Board of The Remy Bumppo Theatre Company.
Mara
Polster, Founder, Board Treasurer
Received her artistic training from The Webster Conservatory of Theatre
Arts and Dance in St. Louis, where she majored in acting and music,
minored in dance and dabbled in directing. Here in Chicago, she
emphasized her study of Shakespeare with Peter Forster and Barbara
Gaines. She served as the interim Executive Director of SEASON OF
CONCERN from October 1994 – April 1995. From 1987 – 1990, Mara
was the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Data
Processing and Office Manager for the EDP Department at the Chas. Levy
Circulating Company. Since May of 1995, Mara has led The Shakespeare
Project of Chicago through over 50 productions and the entirety of
William Shakespeare's dramatic works. In 1996 she adapted and
directed excerpts from Richard III which were performed for the Chicago
premier of Al Pacino’s Looking for Richard; from Twelfth Night which
were performed at the Chicago premier of Fineline Feature’s Twelfth
Night; and from her old professor, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for
World AIDS Day at the Chicago Cultural Center. For TSP, she has
directed Titus Andronicus, Henry VIII, Comedy of Errors (twice), Two
Noble Kinsmen, Julius Caesar, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Othello, Loves
Labours Lost, King Lear, Macbeth (three times, once adapting the script
for a Halloween radio performance for CRIS Radio), A Midsummer Nights
Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Coriolanus, Edward II, Henry V, Richard
III, King Lear, As You Like It, Hamlet - which was mounted as TSP’s
premier production in March/April of 1999, Romeo and Juliet, and The
Merchant of Venice. Mara has acted on many of the stages here in
Chicago and many others across the country. Favorite roles include Lady
Macduff in Macbeth, Miranda in The Tempest, Emily in Our Town, Angie in
Top Girls, Edna the Terrorist in Top 40 Terror and many musicals. On
the TSP Stage, Mara has played many of the great Shakespearean women
including Emilia in Othello, Tamora in Titus Andronicus,Margaret in
3-Henry VI, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, Isabella in Measure for
Measure, Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, Charmian in Antony and
Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth and also Chorus in Henry V and has provided
similar opportunities to other actors in Chicago.
Mary
Ringstad, Board Secretary and Founding Member
Mary’s work with TSP Chicago began as an actor in 1997. Since
2000, Mary has served as Board Secretary. A member of Actors’
Equity Association, Mary has worked in theatres across the
country. Mary has a BA in Communication, Theatre Arts, and
Spanish from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point and an MFA in
Acting from Ohio University. In addition to teaching speech and
drama courses at Wilbur Wright City College and Oakton Community
College, Mary has facilitated communication seminars for many
telecommunication corporations throughout the United States. Mary
utilizes her talents for the United Methodist Church, assisting a
number of congregations in the development of “Drama in Worship”
programs. She has developed and taught seminars and a graduate
level course on this subject for Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary.
Ron
Weiner, Member at Large
Ron started his television career at WGN-TV in 1956 as a "prop gopher"
and eventually climbed the creative ladder to floor manager, director,
and then producer-director. He departed WGN in 1982 to go freelance
with DONAHUE (which he
directed from 1974-1984), when it moved to WBBM-TV. He has won 3
National Emmy Awards (7 nominations) for "Direction of a daytime Talk
or Variety Show" and, in addition to DONAHUE
has directed talk shows for Jim Conway, Bob Cromie,
Geraldo, Dr. Ruth, Joan Rivers, Jenny Jones and Aaron Freeman.
Ron, a freelance TV director and producer, is President of Rowe
Productions, Inc., and is in the midst of developing a second career as
a voice-over talent and actor.
Since 1988 Ron has been a Board Member of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter
of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and in 2003
was honored by admission to the Chapter's Silver Circle, an award given
for more than 25 years of distinguished service to Chicago
Television. He also serves as a member of the Chicago
Coordinating Committee of the Directors Guild of America, on the
Advisory Committee of Bailiwick Repertory Theatre and is a member of
the Board of Directors of the North Shore Chamber Orchestra. Ron
and his wife Phyllis have been married for 49 years and are the parents
of four: a History PhD, a Freelance Writer, an Historic Preservationist
and a TV network executive.
Having served more than 40 years in the Naval Reserve, he now holds the
rank of Captain, USNR (Retired)
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