Meet the Shawnee Annie Team

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  • Annie Director
    Derek Bertelsen (he/him) is a Chicago-based director. He previously directed The Wizard of Oz at Shawnee back in 2015 and he's excited to be back! In Chicago he's directed for many companies including AstonRep Theater Company, Pride Films & Plays, Arc Theater, and BrightSide Theater. He's assistant directed at Goodman and Steppenwolf. Favorite directing credits include Doubt, Buried Child, Spamalot, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Equus, The Laramie Project, Boeing-Boeing, Into the Woods, The Children's Hour and many others. Thank you to Tab and Candice for the opportunity to be back at the Shawnee!

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  • Artistic Director

    Tabitha Burton (Artistic Director) is very excited to be back at Shawnee Theatre in the role of Artistic Director. Tabitha earned her Masters Degree from Indiana University where she studied Arts Administration & Theatre. Tabitha has worked with the Adirondack Theatre Festival, Cardinal Stage Company and The Shawnee Theatre. Tabitha served as the resident Stage Manager with Constellation Stage and Screen focusing on new works. Some of her previous productions included: Mad Gravity, She Kills Monsters, Ugly Lies the Bone, The Bull, The Moon, and The Coronet of Stars, Billy Witch, The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, Thirty Day Mourning Period, Home, Happily After Ever and Beating A Dead Horse to name a few. Tabitha is a local resident of Bloomfield, and currently teaches 6-12 Business at Bloomfield High School. The Shawnee Theatre holds a special place in her heart, and she looks forward to serving the Bloomfield community this summer as Artistic Director.