Alabama Story

Cast

Haley Basil

Haley Basil [she/her] (Lily Whitfield) is excited to be making her Chicago theatre debut. Recent regional credits include: The Play That Goes Wrong (Constellation Stage & Screen); Natural Affection (American Lives Theatre); Titus Andronicus (Indy Bard Fest); The Winter’s Tale, Gypsy (Scranton Shakespeare Festival). As a writer, Haley’s plays have been performed in New York and Indianapolis, and she has been published in Sinister Wisdom Literary Magazine, the Dillydoun Review, and Sixty Inches from Center. Additionally, Haley works with ACT Out Ensemble, bringing interactive, social-issue theatre into schools and police stations throughout the Midwest.

Justin Broom

Justin Broom [he, him] (Thomas Franklin) is thrilled to make his proper Chicago theatre debut as Co-Artistic Director of Ghostlight Ensemble. He has appeared in the Ghostlight production of The Thirteenth Chair, as well as staged readings of Reality Bites and Warp and Woof. Other favorite productions include: Julius Caesar (Stone Soup Shakespeare), Lively Stones (Running With Scissors Theatre Co.) and Torak the Inadequate (Southern Illinois University). Justin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in both theatre as well as radio, television, and digital media from Southern Illinois University. He would like to thank Chris, Michael, and all of his chosen family for their continued love and support.

Maria Burnham

Maria Burnham [she/her] (Emily Wheelock Reed) is a lover of books, libraries, coffee and cats first, and theatre and acting second. Her husband is much further down the list. Though not from Alabama, she did grow up in neighboring Mississippi across the street from a library where the librarians allowed her to check out Stephen King novels at WAY too young an age and did their best to encourage reading in a state with one of the highest illiteracy rates in the country. She could never thank them enough. Please consider helping the libraries that help kids like us by visiting EveryLibrary.org and making a donation. Maria is a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble and spends most of her time as a playwright. You can see her work in December (Holiday Spirts) and in the spring (Drink the Past Dry). Learn more about her Ghostlight work on The Ensemble page. Special thanks to her husband, Chad, who is her best editor and her biggest fan. 

Tom Goodwin

Tom Goodwin [he/him] (E.W. Higgins) is thrilled to work with Ghostlight on this important and timely production. He last performed on stage in the comedy Pitching Penguins, and he was a member of Frump Tucker Theatre Company. He played Sheriff Miles Parker on NBC's Chicago Med, and he was the voice of Bruce Carter in the audio western, Esperanza. Other film credits include A Compassionate Spy, Silent as the Grave and The Exiles. Tom holds a Master of Arts in communication and a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Alabama. He is a harmonica player and vocalist in The Rosedale Ramblin' Band, and he is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Tom wishes to thank his family, Andrea, Alena, and Luke, for their love and support. Follow @tomgoodwin624

Khnemu Menu-Ra  

Khnemu Menu-Ra (Joshua Moore) is thrilled and humbled to be joining G.E.T. for a full production — no scripts! Previous appearances with Ghostlight include the live screenplay readings Q the Tribbles (two Star Trek episodes), I’m Your Boyfriend Now, Nancy (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Dot Dot Dot (Mamma Mia! The Movie), KHAAAAAAAAAN! (Star Trek II) and dancing about architecture (Playing By Heart). Other stage credits include A Chorus Line (Skokie Theatre), Hair (Barn Theatre), Pirates! (The Muny), Amadeus (St. Louis Repertory Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (St. Louis Black Rep) and Six Degrees of Separation (Carpenter Square Theatre). Film/TV: Chicago Med. Khnemu holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Oklahoma. RIP Papa

Scott Olson

Scott Olson (Garth Williams) is excited to work with Ghostlight Ensemble for the first time. He most recently appeared as John Sr. in Now and Later with Intrinsic Theatre and as Seth in Mic Father Like Son with Subtext Theatre. Scott has worked with Timeline, Red Orchid, City Lit, Remy Bumppo, Aston Rep, and Redtwist among others. Favorite roles at those theatres include Ben in The Normal Heart, Donny in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Dr. Worthing in Porcelain, Bennett in Travesties and Mr. Marsh in The Beautiful Dark. When not on stage, Scott works as a Standardized Patient at the Feinberg School of Medicine and is about to start his 26th year of teaching acting at Columbia College.

Adrian Campbell

Adrian Campbell [he, him] (u/s Joshua Moore) is a multifaceted entertainer from Miami, Florida, excited to expand his repertoire in Chicago’s legendary theater scene. His passion for performance drove him to create Storyteller Sundays, (a fun filled variety show with episodes on Youtube) during the pandemic, when live entertainment became scarce. Adrian would like to give thanks and gratitude to Jesus Christ, Dilaun White and the Dixon family (Drs. Charles & Beryl) for their continued love and support.

Mary jordan

Mary Jordan [she/her] (u/s Lily Whitfield) is in her first play production with Ghostlight after performing in some of their staged readings. She began her career as a stand up and improviser in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. This led to her opening for comics like Maria Bamford and Paul F. Tompkins. She appeared in several plays including the role of Imogene in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. She moved to Chicago in 2009 and completed the Second City sketch writing program as well as co-hosting the Smart Mouth stand up open mic and showcase for several years.

Allison McCorkle

Allison McCorkle (u/s Emily Wheelock Reed), a native Texan, has been in Chicago for more than 15 years and has worked with numerous theatres, including Black Ensemble, Red Tape and Great Works. Besides staged and online readings, she was last seen in Duality Theatre's An Enemy of the People as Mayor Polly Stockman. Last seen with Ghostlight in An Ideal Husband, Allison is thrilled to be treading the boards...(ahem) books again with such a great team. 

Derek Preston Ray

Derek Preston Ray [he/him] (u/s Thomas Franklin, Garth Williams) is thrilled to be making his Ghostlight Ensemble debut! Some of his favorite credits include Right Now (Facility Theatre; Jeff award for Best Ensemble), Light Falls (Steep Theatre) and Sunny Days (Ego Death Theatre Collective). Derek is a proud member of the acting ensemble at Ego Death, as well as the grant writer for the company, and he is ecstatic to be performing in their upcoming production of Treefall this coming February.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Acting from Illinois State University.  Thank you to Mom, Dad and Aviva for your endless love and support.  

Chad Wise

Chad Wise [he/him] (u/s Sen. E.W. Higgins) is the managing director and a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble. Chad can currently be seen in City Lit Theatre’s House of Ideas and he has worked for such companies as Public House Theatre and Terra Mysterium. He founded New Millennium Theatre Company in 1998 and served as its artistic director for many years, bringing experiences like The Texas Chainsaw Musical, Miyagi! A Karate Kid Musical and Silent Night of the Living Dead to Chicago stages. For Ghostlight he has directed The Thirteenth Chair and Gingerbread Grindhouse, as well as numerous movie readings. He also spent quite a bit of time dressed as Santa either getting drunk or fighting Krampus!

Production Crew