FOUND OBJECTS THEATRE GROUP
Started in 2007, Found Objects Theatre Grp. has been responsible for some of the Chicago fringe's biggest dark horse success stories, including Teatime at Golgotha, Histories Minor, Birthday Boy, Promises to Keep, Torvald and I, An Increasingly Uncordial Invitation and Mascot. Led by artistic director Kevlyn Hayes, Found Objects Theatre Grp. is a collective of fringe theatre artists dedicated to creating new work that uses the absurdities of language, literature, and history in the name of humor and pathos. In the tradition of such Fringe stalwarts as Theatre Oobleck and The Curious Theatre Branch, FOTG strives to produce affordable, experimental, and wildly entertaining material. We have produced plays at and for The New York International Fringe Festival, The Prop Thtr, Acme Arts, The Side Project, The Rhinoceros Theatre Festival, The Den and New Orleans’ Voodoo Mystere Theatre.
Who are we?
Kevlyn Hayes graduated from NIU in 2006 with a BFA in acting. She also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia and the Actor's Movement Studio in New York City. She lives in Chicago, where she serves as the artistic director of Found Object's Theatre Group. Since helping to found the company in 2007 she has directed many of FOTG's productions, including Teatime at Golgotha, Torvald and I, An Increasingly Uncordial Invitation, Histories Minor,Shuttlecock'd, Imposters, and Mascot. She was a member of the 2012 Director's Lab Chicago, a symposium of local and international directors. Most recently she assistant directed Theatre Y’s The Binding.
Chris Bower’s plays have been produced at Rhino Fest, The Prop Thtr, The Den and The Side Project in Chicago. His work includes The Family Dogs, Promises to Keep: The Poems of Robert F. Kennedy, Santa IBS, Siberian Mouth, and Mascot. His novella The Family Dogs is forthcoming in October with Rose Metal Press and his debut book of short stories Little Boy Needs Ride will be published by Curbside Splendor in 2015. Bower also hosts and curates the long time Chicago literary art show, The Ray’s Tap Reading Series.
Mark Chrisler’s plays have been presented or developed at such places as The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, The Stella Adler Studio, The San Francisco Playhouse, Ilkhom Theatre, Four Humours Theatre, The Side Project, Springboard Theatre, The New York International Fringe Festival, Curious Theatre Branch and many more. His work includes Teatime at Golgotha, Histories Minor, Chinese Whispers, Worse Than Tigers, On Loss, Torvald and I, An Increasingly Uncordial Invitation and Phonies, Frauds and Fakes. He received his MFA in dramatic writing from Ohio University and his BA in theater arts from Northern Illinois University. He is the recipient of many awards and honors, including a Newberry Library Fellowship, a special Orgie Award, a NAPAT New Play Award and the Best Emerging Playwright of 2009 award from The Chicago Reader. His playsTeatime at Golgotha and The Art of Painting are available through Broadway Play Publishing.
Matt Test is a playwright, actor, performer, musician and general all-round swell guy who, in addition to his work with Found Objects, is a company member at Curious Theatre Branch. His plays include Rung, ElvisBride, I am in a Small Place for Reasons I Don't Understand and many others. Unlike the other people in Found Objects, he did not write this bio himself. Isn't that a fascinating piece of trivia? Test would likely agree that it is not.
Brian Nemtusak graduated from McHenry Illinois' East High School in 1988.