In a dystopian future, Channel One employee Warren struggles to finish editing a war documentary shot by his partner, who disappeared while filming in the battle zone.

As he digs deeper into his partner’s footage, Warren and his wife Anna, a military officer suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, struggle to find physical and psychological shelter from constant corporate and government surveillance.

Under this increasing pressure, Warren might be cracking up.

Or is he coming to see the truth of his world?

Omniscience was first produced by Theatre Conspiracy
in Vancouver, Canada.  The Theatre Conspiracy production was nominated for six Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in Vancouver (2005), including Best Production.

A German translation was presented at Maxim Gorki Theatre, Berlin, in 2006, and produced at Theatre Magdeburg in 2007.

A Japanese translation has recently been completed, and a Portuguese translation will be produced by Novo Grupo de Teatro in Lisbon next season.

Tim Carlson - Playwright

Tim Carlson is artistic producer at Theatre Conspiracy in Vancouver. In 2008, he is co-creating Live From the Bush of Ghosts with Theatre Conspiracy and developing the newsroom comedy Liar’s Guide to Non-fiction as an artist-in-residence at the Vancouver Playhouse. The Conspiracy production of Omniscience was nominated for six Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in Vancouver (2005), including best production. A German translation was produced by Theater Magdeburg in 2007. A Portuguese-language translation will be produced by Novo Grupo de Teatro in Lisbon, fall 2008. The play is published by Talonbooks. Carlson’s other plays include Diplomacy (2006), Night Desk (2001) and The Chronicle has Hart (2000). His short comedy The Reinvention of Minister Thorne is included in the Brave New Play Rites anthology (Anvil Press, 2006). Carlson is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. He holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and earned a journalism degree at University of King’s College, Halifax. He can be contacted at www.conspiracy.ca.  

Kevin Heckman - Director

Kevin Heckman returns to the director's chair after appearing in Mia McCullough's Spare Change earlier this season. Omniscience will be the eighth production Heckman has directed for Stage Left. Previous projects include Chagrin Falls (Jeff Nominated-Best Production; Jeff Citation - Best New Work), Burying the Bones (Jeff Nominated - Best New Work), Echoes of Another Man, The Vow and last season's Live Girls. He has worked around Chicago as an actor, director, lighting designer and fight choreographer with such companies as Chicago Shakespeare, Apple Tree, Chicago Dramatists (where he is an associate artist), Bailiwick Repertory and Babes with Blades. He has also served in Stage Left's artistic leadership since 2000. Heckman graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, majoring in theatre and mathematics. He particularly wants his beautiful wife who makes even the hard journeys together better than the easy days solo.

Cat Dean - Anna

Cat Dean is totally psyched to play a combat veteran in this super cool play. Past Jeff Recommended Stage Left credits include: Claire in Spare Change, Katie in Echoes of Another Man, Maria in Fellow Travelers (Jeff-New Work) and Maria in The Memorandum. Other favorite credits: Water at Chicago Dramatists, Golf at Circle and Red Herring (U-S) at Northlight. Cat has developed a taste for new play development, and regularly appears in readings and workshops all over town: through Chicago Dramatists, Stage Left's LeapFest (Day of Knowledge, A Fair Hope Memorial), DownStage Left, Chicago Cultural Center, Women's Theatre Alliance and Around the Coyote among others. Although acting is her primary vocation, Cat is also an aerialist, stilter, burlesque acrobat, clown and dancer, who performs all over Chicagoland. She is a core member/instructor with AMEBA Acrobatic & Aerial Dance. Cat is immensely grateful to her family for their unwavering love and support; but especially to brother Phil for serving so capably as her personal military/tactical/weaponry consultant. His technical assistance was critical to her research/preparation for this role.  

Christine Gatto - Beth

Christine Gatto is very excited to be a part of Stage Left’s production of Omniscience. She was last seen at Stage Left during LeapFest 4 in spring 2007. Christine also had the distinct honor of appearing in Wilhelm Ferguson, Nationally Renowned Playwright, in the Midst of the Production of his Holocaust Play The Holocaust, Falls in Love with a Wheelchair-Bound Vietnam Veteran with AIDS, Whose Name Remains Unknown, Like So Many Others Like Him by Rob Kozlowski, which won the distinction of Best Worst Play during the first annual DrekFest, Stage Left’s national contest for the worst ten minute play. A Stage Left ensemble member, Chris has worked with many theatre companies throughout Chicago including First Folio Theatre, Bailiwick, Talisman Theatre, Irish Rep, Trapdoor, Candlelight Theatre, and Chicago Jewish Theatre, among others. Christine is a graduate of Northern Illinois University’s undergraduate acting program and received her MFA from Pennsylvania State University. She currently teaches theatre and speech at Dominican University. Love to Kevin and thanks to God for small miracles.

Cory Krebsbach - Warren

Cory A. Krebsbach was last seen in Stockyards Theatre Project's production of Blindside at the Raven Theatre.  Previously he has been working almost exclusively with Stage Left and was seen in The Play About a Squirrel at this season's Rhino Festival at Prop Theatre.  A 7-year ensemble member of SLT, Cory has been involved with number of Stage Left productions including the Jeff Award winning Chagrin Falls and Fellow Travellers, as well as Echoes of Another Man, The Vow, and The Secret of the Old Queen.  Thanks to Kevin and the cast for constant support, unmovable devotion and inspiration beyond scope.  Omniscience is dedicated to my dad for continuing to prove, "It ain't over till it's over!”

Brian Plocharczyk - George

Brian Plocharczyk is happy to be acting in his third Stage Left production and first as an ensemble member. His previous Stage Left appearances were in LeapFest 1 as Dirk Swanson in Somebody Foreign, and LeapFest 3 as Fenstermacher and Franz in The Human Capacity.   Some of Brian's more recent roles in Chicago area theatre include Tom in The Glass Menagerie at Oak Park Village Players, Edward Hyde in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at City Lit, First Murderer and Ensemble in Short Shakes Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare, and Ensemble in Next Theatre's week of the 365 Plays 365 Days Festival.  Brian works as a commercial and voiceover actor in Chicago.  This winter you may have heard him advertising board games or selling lattes in several commercials, or being mean and nasty in the radio drama Unshackled.  Brian is an apprentice member of the United Stuntmen's Association, and an instructor of Shotokan Karate. He also serves as a board member for the Gumball Players, a community theatre serving the southwest side and dedicated to the raising of scholarship funds for college-bound theatre artists. Brian wishes to extend his sincerest thanks to all of his loved ones for their constant support.

Understudy - Justine Serino

Stage Manager Ashley Nelson
Scenic Designer Adam Parboosingh
Lighting Desinger John Kohn III
Costume Designer Julie Aubry
Original Music/Sound Designer Christopher Fuller
Properties Designer Lori Mages
Video Designer Victor Holstein
Fight Choreographers Brian Plocharczyk & Toby Minor
Assistant Scenic Designer AnneMarie Brinton
Graphic Designer Amy Jahnke
Web Designer John Sanders
Producers Kevin Heckman & John Sanders