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​Our mission is to produce classic plays with unconventional casts and staging that raises up the voices of those normally outside the mainstream of theater culture, as well as to bring a love of Shakespeare to the next generation through workshops and free school performances.

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Bodkins

Miranda Bishop has been an ensemble member of Odd's Bodkins since the autumn of 2016, and serves as the Business Manager. Notable performances with the company include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia), Macbeth (Malcolm), and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet). As a Director, Miranda has led the charge on the company's Second Annual Macbeth, and the world premiere of The Tragedy of Tom Riddle.

Nora Manca Wickman is the founder and Artistic Director.

Rebecca Lewis performs and works behind the scenes with Odd's Bodkins during our regular reason, heads the company's Renaissance season, as well as coordinating the company's educational troupe as Education Manager.

Reilly Downes moved to Chicago in June 2018 from Amarillo, TX where she received a B.A. in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance. Reilly made her Bodkins debut as The Featured Fighter in their 2018 production of “Macbeth”. This fueled a passion in her for this company and she was next seen in their production of “The Comedy Of Errors” as Angela. Reilly currently serves as the company’s Communications Manager, but you can also find her working with pups all over Chicago.

Austin Halter is Odd’s Bodkins’ Resident Movement Director. It is his job to ensure a safe and consensual environment when working with staged violence or any physical choreography that happens onstage.

Rebecca Janvrin is an actor, director, founding ensemble member, and serves as Odd's Bodkins' Music Director. She holds a Masters in Music, and she is responsible for choosing, arranging, teaching and polishing the music performed by the actors in any given production. Rebecca has performed many roles for Odd's Bodkins since its inception in October of 2015, and is excited to continue doing so!

As one of the Bodkins who joined with the least Shakespeare experience, Angela jokes that she bribed her way into the company with brownies. Because she bakes a lot of them. Her favorite roles with Odd’s Bodkins include Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2017), Bellatrix (The Tragedy of Tom Riddle, 2018) and Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet, 2018). She is one of the HR team and works to help everyone feel supported and happy. Again with the brownies.

Katherine serves as the Dramaturg and Literary Manager for Odd's Bodkins, and is also known as the "dog whisperer" and "herder of cats." She is proud of both titles though she wishes that if she can't get all the Bodkins in a row, at very least they could all stay in the same pond. In her opinion the best days are filled with David Bowie and pit bulls.

Though Aly only recently became an official Odd’s Bodkins member, she has been proud to support and assist them unofficially in the past. A jack-of-all-trades, if you will, Aly is excited to design, photograph, film, and all around do artsy things for this wonderful group! Her time outside of Odd’s Bodkins is spent being equally artistic: she enjoys painting, making dragon eggs, and taking photos of her corgi, Loki!

Eric has been performing with Odd's Bodkins since the fall of 2016, and has been a company member since July 2017. He has mostly found himself onstage, but has also acted as Assistant Dramaturg for The Winter's Tale and Assistant Director for the company's Second Annual Macbeth, and can usually be heard providing musical accompaniment on his guitar or mandolin.

Chris George (CG) is our Public Affairs Director; in this seat, he prepares press materials (e.g. press releases) and coordinates with members of the press to attend shows and publish pieces on the productions that Odd's Bodkins is undertaking. He also does outreach to potential sponsors or other official entities that want to get involved in our shows.

Board Members