NEXT!

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Janus Theatre Company continues its 28th season featuring Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People adapted and directed by Artistic Director Sean Hargadon.

This production will be in the New Elgin Art Showcase, located at 220 Dupage Street in downtown Elgin, May 8-24, 2026.

Purchase Tix: HERE

When a proud small-town doctor discovers a catastrophe that risks the lives of everyone in town, he raises the alarm. It is the story of one brave man's struggle to do the right thing when those in power, including his own brother, try not only to silence him, but to destroy him.

This production is part of this year’s Greed is Good: A Season of Corruption and features classic stories from the past brought to life for today’s audience. The production is sponsored in part by the City of Elgin and Elgin Cultural Arts Commission.

An Enemy of the People is produced and directed by Sean Hargadon, stage-managed by Elizabeth Dawson with costumes by Tiffany Jasinski.

The Company

Dr. Thomas Stockmann...……Dustin Ayers

Peter Stockmann………...….Herb Metzler

Katherine Stockmann…….Jennifer Reeves Wilson

Petra Stockmann……………Elyna Mellen

Hovstad……………………..Matt Johnson

Billing……………………..Dan Stromquist

Aslaksen……………………..…Ken Kaden

Captain Horster……………Sean Unverzagt

Morten Kiil…………………..R. Scott Purdy

Also featuring understudies Lauren Sullivan, Sarafina Monteleone, David Korzatkowski, and Steve Connell.

Running Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm, May 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 along with a Saturday understudy performance on May 23 at 2pm. Performances take place at the New Elgin Art Showcase, 220 Dupage Street, downtown Elgin, IL. Tickets are $25.

***Special Pricing*** for Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10 and Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, May 24. Tickets only $15! ‍*

ACTOR BIOS

Dustin Ayers (Dr. Thomas Stockmann) previously play Surly in The Alchemist and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice with Janus Theatre. He recently worked with Yellow Rose Theater in The Seven Year Glitch. He has also worked with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble as an understudy in The Outsider, The Outgoing Tide, Andy Warhol’s Tomato and Clybourne Park. Dustin studied Performance Theater at the Conservatory at Roosevelt University.

Herb Metzler (Mayor Peter Stockmann) is delighted to make his debut with the talented crew at Janus, and to be reunited once again with this play, previously playing the Mayor in Saint Sebastian Players’ production, and an “ordinary citizen” on the Goodman mainstage back in 2018. Recently he directed Much Ado About Nothing for Edge of the Wood Theatre, where as a Resident Artist he has performed in The Book of Will, Light Up the Sky, The Minutes, It is So (If You Think So), and Bernhardt/Hamlet. Last fall he appeared in Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter at City Lit. Herb is a co-founder and active member of The Sturdy Beggars, performing The Mud Show© at Renaissance Faires around the country for over 46 years. Favorite role: being father to his two sons, now grown into fine young men.

Elyna Mellen (Petra) is a Chicago-based actor, thrilled to be working with Janus Theatre for the first time on this iconic play. She most recently played Stella in Madkap Productions’ A Streetcar Named Desire, and prior to that may have been seen as Jean Fordham in August: Osage County at Wheaton Drama and in A Winter’s Tale with the Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Elyna has a BFA in Acting from BYU, where she played Dona Leonor in A house of Desires, Lydia in Pride & Prejudice, the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, and more. Other credits include three seasons as an educator and understudy at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She sends love to her family, partner, and peers for their enduring support!

Jennifer Reeves Wilson (Katherine Stockmann) studied at Missouri State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. She has appeared in several productions with Janus Theatre and is a core company member. You may have seen her work in School for Lies (Arsinoe), The Revolutionists (Olympe DeGouge), The Maids (Solange), Beowulf (Beowulf) and the one-woman show On the Exhale. Her choreography was featured in Janus’ productions of Men on Boats and School for Lies. Other theatre credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (Siobhan) at Wheaton Drama, The Moors (Marjory/Mallory) at Riverfront Playhouse, Agnes of God (Dr. Livingston) at Steel Beam Theatre, Cabaret (Sally Bowles) and Miss Saigon (Ellen) at NightBlue Performing Arts Company, as well as The Tempest, MacBeth, Henry V and Julius Caesar with Elgin Shakespeare Project.

R. Scott Purdy (Morten Kiil) is excited to work with Janus and Sean Hargadon again, and with this marvelous cast. Prior productions with Sean include The Moors, The Importance of Being Earnest, Random Theft and Other Acts, and a variety of staged readings. Scott has been in hundreds of stage plays, dozens of films and many commercials. More info on his website: www.rscottpurdy.com

Matt Johnson (Hovstad) returns to Janus. Creating this art feels more important with every passing moment, and he is grateful to do so with such a giving and talented crew. Recent Janus credits include Kastril in The Alchemist, Lancelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice, and Oronte in The School for Lies. None of this would be possible without the love and support of his dad. Thanks, pops!

Dan Stromquist (Billing) is grateful to be returning to Janus Theatre Dapper in The Alchemist and Salarino in The Merchant of Venice. He previously appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night Unrehearsed. Dan has also worked with Riverfront Playhouse (Da), Shakespeare at the Centre (Love's Labour's Lost), and has been an understudy for Buffalo Theatre Ensemble.

Ken Kaden (Aslaksen) is honored to be collaborating with Janus Theatre and esteemed director, Sean Hargadon again after The Tin Woman (Lou Award – Best Play, Nominee-Best Supporting Actor), Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Filumena, and Life Sucks! Ken has twice been the grateful recipient of the Lou Award, most recently for Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors at Summer Place Theatre and previously for playing Gomez in The Addams Family at Wheaton Drama. Other favorite roles include Max Bialystock (The Producers), Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls), Fagin (Oliver!), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Kenneth (Birthday Candles), and Chalie Aiken (August: Osage County) (Lou Award – Best Play). He’s also directed The 39 Steps and Hauptmann at Wheaton Drama, Art for Mad Props Productions, co-directed As You Like It for Bard in the Burbs and adapted and directed Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down to benefit the National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide. He will be directing again at the Moonlight Theatre in October and Wheaton Drama in the Spring of 2027.

Sean Unverzagt (Captain Horster) returns to Janus after understudying for The Alchemist. He has recently appeared in The Tempest (Caliban) at the Elgin Theatre Company, Bit o the Bard: Something Wicked (Richard III) for Theatre 121 in Woodstock, and A Cripple Creek Christmas (Fergus/Stratton) at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake. Sean would like to thank his wife Naomi and his family for their endless love and support.

Lauren Sullivan (Petra u/s) is honored to be joining this brilliant cast for her first Janus show (and her first show at all in over 12 years). These days, she is a librarian at Elgin Community College, but once upon a time, you may have seen her perform with Elgin Summer Theatre in RENT, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, or Annie. She is a proud alum of Millikin University's School of Theatre and Dance, as well as the University of Washington's Information School. She would like to thank Sean for taking a chance on her, Elizabeth for convincing her to audition, and her wonderful husband Preston for continuing to encourage her every day.

Sarafina Monteleone (Katherne) is excited to be back with Janus Theatre. Previous credits with the company include Men on Boats (William Dunn). Prior to returning to Illinois, she was on a 4.5 year adventure in LA where she was seen on the season 19 finale of Grey’s Anatomy, Pam and Tommy, and on the Justice Network’s We The People: with Judge Lauren Lake. Some of her favorite theatre credits include Jane Austen’s Persuasion (Anne Elliot) , The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive Ostrovsky), The Secret Garden (Mary Lennox) , Oklahoma! (Ado Annie) , Singin’ in The Rain (Lina Lamont) , and originating the role of Ester in Gary Mcgowan’s Scatter The Pigeons. She would like to thank her friends and loved ones for their support always. Enjoy the show!

‍Steve Connell (Morten Kiil u/s) returns to Janus after playing Sir Epicure Mammon in The Alchemist and previously, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. Over the past 24 years, he has performed many times as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights. He has also played the same role at the Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles and at the Woodstock Opera House. Other favorite roles have included Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha and Alan Swann in My Favorite Year. Steve retired in 2012 from teaching physics at Larkin High School and now hails from Crystal Lake, along with his (loving and supportive) wife, Amy!

David Korzatkowski (Aslaksen U/S) received his BA in Theatre from Wagner College and has served as the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Theatre at Forevermore Dance & Theatre Arts, Director of Theatre at Rootz, and Artistic Associate/Actor with Face to Face Productions. He has performed and directed with many local theatres including Wheaton Drama, St. James, Williams Street Rep, Mad Props, The Riverfront Playhouse, the Kaneland Arts Initiative, and is very grateful to work with Janus Theatre Company again, having previously performed in The Ibsen Project: Hedda (Lovborg).

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AUDITIONS!

An Iliad by Lisa Perterson and Denis O’Hare

WHO: Janus Theatre Company is seeking actors for a newly added production of An Iliad by Lisa Perterson and Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles and directed by Sean Hargadon. For more information about the play, go HERE.

The production runs at the New Elgin Art Showcase, 220 Dupage Street, downtown Elgin, IL, 60120. The production runs September 4– 20.

‍There is a stipend: $200 for regular cast roles. $100 for understudy roles.

‍WHEN: Tuesday and Wednesday, May 19 and 20 at 7pm. Actors attend one day. Callbacks as needed.

‍WHERE: New Elgin Art Showcase, 220 Dupage Street, downtown Elgin, 60120. Park on the street.

‍WHAT: Open Call. No appointment is necessary. Actors will be seen in order of arrival. All ethnicities and genders welcome. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Headshot optional, resume requested.

‍Seeking the following roles for the regular cast and understudies:

‍THE POET – Any gender, ethnicity. Any age between 20s-60s. ‍‍ ‍

Also seeking understudies to cover the role of The Poet.

Special Note: This will be an ensemble of Poets telling the story.

‍Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will be conducted primarily in Elgin. Rehearsals will begin in the middle of July, running three nights a week and one weekend day/night. Performance dates: September 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20: Friday and Saturday evenings with Saturday and Sunday matinees. And a guaranteed understudy performance. Performances will take place at the New Elgin Art Showcase.

‍Questions: 
For further information or questions, please email janus.auditions@gmail.com or go to the website at www.janusplays.com. ‍ ‍

ABOUT JANUS THEATRE COMPANY
Janus Theatre Company has produced more than 115 productions and is an award-winning 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization of trained theatre professionals, who strive to present work that is classic and contemporary, bringing the actor and audience closer together. Our work is fun, challenging and raises questions. Janus is about developing people. Since we started, we’ve always been interested in helping our artists grow while sharing the gift of performance with our audiences. We explore, create, question, and pursue new forms of theater and found spaces for all audiences. Learn more: https://janusplays.com/.

To learn more about what we’ve been up to, please visit our latest BLOG post below or just click here.

To make a regular donation not related to the show, please click on the DONATE button below.

Finding a Shared Space

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