Faculty | Theater | SIU

Professor Bogumil teaches modern British and American literature, with a particular interest in British, Irish, Scottish, Australian and American drama, and often works with student playwrights in the Theater Program.

Tom Fagerholm's career in theater started with a Bachelor of Arts in creative drama and theater education from the University of Northern Iowa. After graduating, he toured as an actor-educator, worked as a freelance technical director and co-founded two theater companies including Intergenerational Theatre Productions in Eagan, Minn., still in operation today.

Jacob Juntunen is a playwright and theatre scholar whose work focuses on theatre’s role in forming national imagined communities, paying particular attention to marginality.

His first book, Mainstream AIDS Theatre, the Media, and Gay Civil Rights: Making the Radical Palatable, was published by Routledge (2016). It shows ideological change over time by examining receptions of plays with an AIDS focus from 1985-2000. It intervenes in the notion that mainstream theatre, because it relies on capitalism, must be inherently conservative. He published related research in three different McFarland anthologies, two articles on HowlRound.com, and an article in the journal Peace and Change. He also gave invited talks on the subject at Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznań, Poland), Ohio University, and SIU. Based on this work, he was named the 2016 James Fisher Fellow in the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS).

Gennie Neuman Lambert is a set designer that works in both professional and academic organizations. She often designs for new plays and musically driven performances, including the world premiere of Repairing A Nation by Nicole Salter at Crossroads Theatre Company, filmed by PBS's Theater Close Up's series, and The Rape of Lucretia at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts conducted by Julie Jordan Gunn, directed by Kirsten Pullen.

Jaemin Park, a native of South Korea, began his career as a lighting designer in 2005 by designing the opera "La Traviata" in South Korea. He has designed more than 100 productions in various genres such as plays, musicals, operas, and dances.

While he was in South Korea, he worked as a full-time lighting supervisor and resident designer in the national theatre with about 1,200 seats in Daegu, South Korea. His unique background in studying vocal music during his undergraduate courses has given him a keen ear for analyzing and expressing music. He has directed opera and loves musical works.

Susan Patrick Benson recently made her stage debut at Play2C Theater in Berlin. Her NYC resume includes Ensemble Studio Theatre, Currican Theatre, HB Playwright's Foundation, La MaMa ETC as well as annual appearances in the legendary Rev. Al Carmines' Christmas Rappings.

Jane Pivovarnik is the costume shop manager for SIU’s Theater Program.

Originally from Springfield, IL, Jane was previously the assistant costume shop manager at PCPA. She has also worked as a draper for Portland Opera, Portland Center Stage, Northwest Children’s Theater, Western Oregon University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Mcleod Summer Playhouse. She has also worked on costumes for Glimmerglass Opera and Signature Theater, DC. She has designed costumes for PCPA and Allan Hancock Community College. She has a BS in Fashion Design and Merchandising and an MFA in Costume Design from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Eleanor Russell is a writer and performance theorist. She earned her doctorate from the Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama at Northwestern University. Her current book project explores the relationship between stand-up comedy, sound studies, and the avant-garde.

Matthew C. Williams choreographed Will Ferrell’s Broadway debut, You’re Welcome America. Off-Broadway credits include Rooms and the revival of Carrie, the musical. Matthew went on to direct Carrie, the musical at Montclair State University. Matthew was the assistant director to Casey Nicholaw on the Broadway production All About Me.

Wendi R. Zea is an associate professor in costume design, teaching design, period styles, costumes construction, play reading and a variety of costume crafts classes, including dyeing, fabric modification, wigs and millinery.