Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 2 Trinity Irish Dance Company

BIOGRAPHIES FEBRUARY 2, 2019 | TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY | 7 College and spent three years studying privately with Chicago-based musician Tom Hipskind, who is currently one of the most sought-after drummers in Chicago. Rutledge graduated in 2013 with a BA in drum set and percussion performance and a minor emphasis in music business. Rutledge has worked with several premiere Chicago acts, including Woo Park, Nasty Snacks, North By North, and Hanna Ashbrook, and he is currently the drummer for Chicago acts Luke Henry & Hunnybear and Alpaca Smokes. He recently joined the TIDC band for his first tour of Japan. BRENDAN O’SHEA (Guitar, vocals, and composition) is a singer-songwriter originally from Killarney, Ireland who moved to the United States in the late 90s. Since then, he has become a veteran of New York City’s songwriter scene and has released two albums that have garnered praise from critics and press around the world. Irish music magazine HotPress rated his last release Be Here Still an 8 1/2 out of 10 and XM Radio’s Mike Morrone called it one of his “favorite records of the year.” O’Shea’s songs can also be heard in such films as Ron Howard’s Academy Award-nominated film Backdraft and the wildly successful Karen Gehres documentary Begging Naked. In addition to headlining his own shows in both the United States and Europe, O’Shea has embarked on two tours of Japan in collaboration with the Trinity Irish Dance Company, in addition to sharing stages with his contemporaries The Frames, The Swell Season, Cowboy Junkies, 10,000 Maniacs, Elliott Smith, and Interpol, to name a few. In 2007, O’Shea became a founding member of Fairplay Collective, a unique endeavor in which songwriters come together to support and promote each other’s individual projects as independent artists. In 2008, O’Shea and friends began hosting a successful Sunday night concert series in NYC’s East Village called the Scratcher Sessions, which features musicians from around the world. With or without a guitar in hand, O’Shea excels at drawing people in. O’Shea’s latest album Midatlantic Ghost , a beautiful acoustic record with songs of leaving and song of love, is available on iTunes. Visit BrendanOShea.com for more information. PRODUCTION CREW GARVIN JELLISON (Production Manager) is a designer who has worked with Seanachai Theater, Chicago Flamenco, Pride Films and Plays, Ballet Legere, The Artistic Home, The Joffrey Ballet, Redtwist Theatre, and others. Jellison has also worked with Links Hall, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Jellison was the Production Stage Manager for Hubbard Street 2 in 2013 and was General Manager for Haven Theatre Company until 2015. Jellison holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University. J. ARTHUR FRANJOINE (Stage Manager/Lighting Director) is a lighting artist interested in creating environments that have potential to trigger visceral responses within the subconscious. Franjoine often works at the intersection of gender, identity, and dysphoria, and is invested in working with collaborators who aspire to create visual utopian metamorphoses. Franjoine believes performance should be able to transform into gas, float into the mind, and cause sublimation. Franjoine is a design associate of Al Crawford (Lighting Director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) and works with Arc3design, a cross-genre design group dedicated to merging theatrical aesthetic into all areas of art, architecture, dance, live music, theatre, broadcast, and live event production. View more of Franjoine’s work at JosephFranjoine.com AL CRAWFORD (Lighting Designer) has been the Lighting Director of the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1998. Now in his 20 th season with the famed dance company, he has produced the lighting for Ailey in virtually every major theatre, performing arts center, and opera house on the planet, having toured to 48 states and over 60 countries, including historically significant performances in Russia, China, and South Africa. Crawford has designed 18 new works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and 12 works for Ailey II. Additionally, he has been responsible for maintaining the lighting for the significant Ailey repertory, designed by many of the top lighting designers in the industry. A huge believer in cross-genre design, Crawford founded Arc3design, a lighting design group dedicated to merging his theatrical aesthetic into all areas of art, architecture, dance, live music, theatre, broadcast, and live event production. Arc3design employs a team of talented designers and technical artists who support the creation and implementation of new projects worldwide. JACOB REICH (Sound Engineer) has been involved with live audio for more than 15 years, but it has been a lifelong affair. He has had the honor to work with many talented dance companies, live bands, and other performing artists in a variety of shows and venues. He is inspired by the magic that live shows bring to audiences and performers alike. Reich would like to thank the Trinity Irish Dance Company for this wonderful opportunity and sincerely hopes you are amazed by this show. For more information about Trinity Irish Dance Company, visit TrinityIrishDanceCompany.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.