New Suit Theatre Co.

In 2007, Dustin Meghan, a self-absorbed college journalist is busy working away on his latest article in a coffee shop when he is interrupted by a person he will never forget. The innocent looking woman tells him of her plan to travel to war-torn Iraq and write him back letters about the things he learns there. When asked why she would ever consider doing something so dangerous, she gives him the only reply she knows, "Because I can't stand doing nothing."

What follows is a journey of understanding and risk that forces open Dustin's mind while simultaneously tying him in knots. As his articles are swept up in unexpected fame, he is left battling his own feelings of helplessness and compassion for strangers; a battle that pushes him to a decision that will ultimately determine how he lives the rest of his life.

Take a closer look at Jediraq

We are currently working on our Third staged production, Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy which will be performed this Fall of 2011

For more details please visit our website
Past productions include:
JedIraq: Meghan's First War and
Trans Form

Upcoming Events:
New Suit Theatre Presents: Hot Comedy Night

Jason Burkett - Artistic Director. Jason has spent a lifetime trying to see all sides of every argument and to fully understand each possible point of view. He often feels that he is sorely under informed, and will sometimes write a play about a subject in order to learn more about that subject. He graduated from Catawba College in 2003 with a BA Theatre Arts. Many years in the making, New Suit Theatre represents a belief of Jason's that we learn best when important information surrounds and creates the world in which an engaging dramatic story takes place.

Martin Finnie - Executive Director. Martin earned a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management from the University of North Carolina. In late 2004, he moved to Chicago and began working for Lookingglass Theatre Company as their master carpenter, and continued to work with other local theatre companies for the next few years. Currently he works at Harpo Studios as a production crew leader. Martin is a founding member of New Suit Theater and has discovered that working with this company is a fulfilling and gratifying way to give back to society.

Kathleen Petroziello - Assoicate Executive Director. Kathleen is excited to be a part of New Suit Theatre Company and its inaugural production. Kathleen is a freelance stage manager in Chicago and is a proud member of Actor's Equity. She has worked with the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Provision Theater Company, and the Weston Playhouse, as well as the Chicago productions of Altar Boyz and Million Dollar Quartet. In her free time, Kathleen enjoys marathon training and baking cookies.

Sara Gmitter - Ombudsperson. Sara has been a professional stage manager in the city of Chicago for 15 years. Eleven of those years have been spent as the primary production stage manager for the Lookingglass Theatre Company where she has stage managed 37 productions. She taught stage management for 3 years at Northwestern University as an Adjunct Lecturer. She is also a writer whose work has been heard on WBEZ's Stories on Stage. Her play, A Long Fatal Love Chase, was performed by the Powerhouse Theatre Company in 2007. She graduated cum laude from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Theatre and will be pursuing a Masters in Peace Education in the fall..

Niq Tognoni - Marketing Director. Niq Tognoni is a Chicago business man (not a businessman), working with various theater, film, and television producers in the midwest and on the westcoast. Graduating with a BFA in theater from Wesleyan University in 2004, he has been paying back student loans by constructing sets, running publicity campaigns, and performing onstage with theaters across the country (including Chicago's quarterly political comedy show, "Democracy Burlesque"). His most recent performance was his vocal talent showcase in Opera Theatre Oregon's "The Medium" where he played the lead character, a mute who gets his tounge cut out.

Sally Wiess - Design Consultant. Sally has been designing scenery and rearranging furniture for as long as she can recall, and received her BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2005. Currently Sally resides in Chicago and is about to finish the MFA Stage Design Program at Northwestern University studying scenic and lighting design. Previous designs include The Boys from Syracuseat Drury Lane Oakbrook, A Very Neo- Futurist Christmas Carol with The Neo-Futurists, The Illusion, Twice Told, and many others at Northwestern University. Examples of her work can be seen at www.sallyweissdesign.com

Jeanette Klemeyer - Stage Management Consultant. Jeanette left her foggy home in San Francisco to brave four winters at Northwestern. She graduated in 2009 with a BA in Theatre and History and, in the dark and snow-swept midst of her fifth Chicago winter, New Suit found her. With eleven productions at Northwestern, a small show in London, and a Goodman internship under her belt, Jeanette was excited to stage manage Jediraq. Since then, she has worked with the Piccolo and Steep, and is looking forward to a second stint in London as well as a Lookingglass production next year.

Lauren Lassus Stage Management Consultant. Lauren L. or LL joined New Suit after Stage managing Trans Form, New Suits second production in Oct/Nov of 2010. Lauren hails from the city of Temple in the Great State of Texas! Previous Chicago credits include: Icarus and Trust at Lookingglass (SM intern), Hunting and Gathering with Theatre Seven of Chicago, and A Streetcar Named Desire at Writers. She has also worked the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival at the University of Notre Dame. When she's not doing theatre she can be found selling high end chocolate. Yum!

Hilary Murray - Artistic Associate. Hilary grew up in Chicago Theatre, and through the years has tried her hand at many different theatrical roles to find the right fit including actor, costumer, sound engineer, stage manager, lighting crew member, and even projection operator. She currently thinks the perfect role for her is New Suit Theatre company member. Hilary is a founding member of the Lookingglass Young Ensemble and has worked with Next Theatre, Democracy Burlesque, Vitalist Theatre, Actor's Gymnasium, and the School of Cinema and Performing Arts. Hilary graduated from Barrington High School in 2008 and is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education while playing, learning, and apprenticing at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Jabin Chartrand - Lighting Consultant. Jabin lives in Chicago with his amazing wife Tate. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater from the University of Northern Colorado. He is the Master Electrician at the Lookingglass Theatre Company where he has worked since 2004.

Tate Steele-Street Chartrand - Artistic Associate. Tate grew up in Colorado and now lives in Chicago with her incredible husband Jabin. She has a bachelor's degree in Visual Arts from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters Degree in Child Development from Erikson Institute. She is currently a preschool teacher at a Chicago Public School.

Lauren Hirte - Artistic Associate - Lauren is an actor and acrobat with Chicago companies Lookingglass Theatre and The Actor's Gymnasium. She enjoys working with New Suit, and contribuing in a positive way to Chicago's vibrant Theatre community.

Megan McClain - Dramaturg. Megan became a dramaturg for New Suit after meeting Jason Burkett on the 147 north bound bus via one Marc Halsey. She couldn't be happier about that fortuitous event. Around Chicago, she has worked with Remy Bumppo, Goodman Theatre, New Leaf Theatre, and American Players Theatre in WI. She also co-founded Ground to Plate, an exploration in culinary theatre. Megan is heading east this fall to be part of the M.F.A Dramaturgy program at The University of Massachusetts Amherst, but she will continue to support her fellow suitors from afar.