Guardian of the House (Τόπακας)
Guardian of the House (Τόπακας) tells the story of a young Greek girl who, tired of all the new chores she has to do since her little sister arrived, learns the value of family and sticking together from the genii of her house. Steeped in Greek folklore, Guardian of the House will feature traditional Hellenic storytelling and puppetry..
Guardian of the House (Τόπακας) is written by playwright Maria Burnham, directed by Whitney Minarik and stars Rose Leisner and Gina Sanfillipo.
Biographies
Maria Burnham
Maria Burnham [she, her] (Playwright) is is a Greek-American writer, director, sometimes actor and stage manager and a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble. Her plays, short and full-length, have been produced across Chicago and the region. Maria is excited to return to Nightlight as a playwright having previously written (and directed) The Princess Without Pots and The Selfish Giant. She’s also thrilled to bring audiences a small, lesser known piece of her culture’s folklore (we’re more than Olympian gods, gyros and breaking plates!) Special thanks to her husband, Chad, who is her best editor and her biggest fan and to her dogs, Argos and Belle, and cats, Bailey and Carlos, who aren’t the BEST muses a girl could have…but they come close.
Whitney minarik
Whitney Minarik [she, her] (Director) is an actor, director and theatre educator. Originally from Detroit, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts from The Catholic University of America. She has also studied and performed abroad in Russia and in Greece. This past winter, Whitney acted in Almost, Maine at Oil Lamp Theater and directed Never the Bridesmaid in spring 2022. Other Chicago theatre credits include work with: The Artistic Home, Chicago Dramatists, Red Tape Theatre, Moving Dock, and Strawdog. Whitney is thrilled to work with Ghostlight and share this story with young people - especially her own daughters, Mariana & Magalena! www.whitneyminarik.com
Rose Leisner
Rose Leisner (Topakas) is thrilled to be working with Ghostlight Ensemble for the first time. She recently moved back to Glenview after living in Los Angeles for 12 years where she worked as an actor, producer and singer. Previous Chicago stage credits include It’s A Wonderful Life- A Live Radio Play (Oil Lamp Theater). Never The Bridesmaid (Oil Lamp Theater), French Waitress & Poland (Lakeflower Productions). Favorite West Coast credits include Rosalynde & The Falcon (Culver City Public Theatre), Comedy of Errors (ASC Shakespeare) and Merely Players: The Musical (Color & Light Theatre).
Gina Sanfilippo
Gina Sanfilippo [she, her, hers] (Katarina) is delighted to be making her Ghostlight Ensemble debut in the short play, Guardian of the House. She is also currently playing the role of Jess in the absurdist comedy, The Creators, with Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan. Her favorite credits include: Never the Bridesmaid with Oil Lamp Theater and A Lie of the Mind (Beth; Irene Ryan nominated) with Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance. You may have seen her on Chicago Fire (Alexis) and NBC’s Crisis (Emma Vries). She has a Bachelor’s in Theatre/Acting from Illinois State University. She is represented by Lily’s Talent Agency and is a member of SAG/AFTRA. She is excited to tell this story and wants to thank her Mom, for always being her number one fan and all her loved ones for their constant support. She hopes you enjoy the show as much as she loves to perform it.