Changing Channels
written by John Reeger
directed by Kevin Theis
February 27 - April 12, 2026
Based on actual events, Changing Channels is set backstage at the DuMont Television Network in New York City in 1952. It is the peak of the “Red Scare” and 151 actors, authors, and journalists are put on the Red Channels list, with alleged ties to communism. As Cold War hysteria sweeps the nation, actress Maggie Carlin finds herself accused just as her hit comedy show is taking off.
Chicago Premiere
Playwright
John Reeger (Playwright)
John as been an actor and playwright for five decades. John and his long-time collaborator, the late composer/lyricist Julie Shannon, received the After Dark Award for ※Outstanding New Work§ when their musical The Christmas Schooner premiered at Bailiwick Theatre. The Christmas Schooner is licensed by MTI and has received more than 200 productions. Their most recent collaboration The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (music and lyrics co-authored by Michael Mahler) premiered at Mercury Theatre and received the 2016 Jeff Award for ※New Work.§ John and his wife actress Paula Scrofano received a Career Achievement Jeff Award for their contribution to Chicago theatre.
Cast
Kat Evans* (Maggie Carlin): Kat fiercely loves theatre and being an artistic associate at City Lit, her home. She is thrilled to act, sing, write, teach, direct, and collaborate with the folks at Whiskey Radio Hour, Chicago Writers Bloc, the Illinois Institute of Technology, D&D teams The Lovely Ladies and The Answer, and Naked Angels Tuesdays at 9. You can hear her audio comedy writing on podcast Starlight Radio Dreams and her voice in arcade games Fast & Furious and Godzilla VR. You can keep up with all her projects at www.katevansllc.com
ORION Lay-Sleeper (Eddie Gillroy) : Orion is over the moon to be part of bringing this all too relevant work to the stage. Originally from Vermont, he has now spent over a decade performing in Chicago theatre, film, and television. He is an ensemble member with Idle Muse Theatre, where he worked on Last Queen of Camelot (u/s), What The Weird Sisters Saw (Malcolm), and The Tempest (Antonio). He also appeared in Cat＊s Cradle (Lifeline Theatre), The Tempest (Oak Park Festival Theatre), and A Dickens Carol (Oak Park/Madison Street theater). Orion has worked as a circus artist, clown, and Shakespeare director and educator in Chicago and Vermont, and has appeared on Chicago PD (NBC) and Easy (Netflix). He would like to thank his partner Paula for her constant support and patience ※Baby, you’re the greatest!
Johnny Moran (Bullets) : Johnny is an actor and a Jeff Award-nominated fight choreographer from Chicago. He has worked with companies such as A Red Orchid, The Gift, Writer＊s Theatre, The Griffin, The Hypocrites, Black Ensemble, Strawdog Theater, and is an emeritus member of the Factory Theater. He is represented by Big Mouth Talent
Skyler Tipton (Peter Bell): Skyler is excited to be working with City Lit for the first time! Previous credits include: Bernhardt/Hamlet, It Is So, Light Up The Sky. (Edge of the Wood Theatre) Farwell, Mr. Poe, The Grimmest of Tales, Anne of Green Gables (Inkwell Arts & Learning). Hatfields & McCoys, Footloose (Theatre West Virginia). Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus (The Upstate Shakespeare Festival). Skyler holds his MFA in Acting from Purdue University, and his B.A. in Performing Arts from Clemson University. Skyler would like to thank his wife, Yentl, for all her love and support. Insta: @skylertipton
Andrew Pappas (Kenny): Andrew is a Chicago-based actor and photographer. Favorite stage credits include Roger, Rent and Gabe, Next to Normal. When he＊s not onstage you can catch him with a camera in his hand. Special thanks to his family and friends; your support means everything. Insta: @andrewpapppas @pappasvisuals
Crew
Directed by Kevin Theis
Kevin returns to City Lit for his seventh show as a director, having previously staged Jeeves and the Mating Season, The Importance of Being Earnest, Tartuffe, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Kevin has directed for Lifeline Theatre, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Timber Lake Playhouse, Michigan Shakespeare, CT20 Ensemble, and Farmers Alley Theatre (among others) and has received three Jeff nominations for his directing work. Also a performer, Kevin has worked at the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Next, Seanachai, Lifeline, Peninsula Players and Oak Park Festival as well as appearances on Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Empire.
Liz Cooper (Lighting Design)*
Liz is excited to be designing at City Lit again! Some of her favorite designs here include Strange Cargo, Glassheart, Night of the Hunter, and Thirteen Days. Other favorite design credits include A Shadow Bright and Burning, Mary Rose, The Authorized Fan Production of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, Ghost Quartet, and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes), I Promised Myself to Live Faster, The Golden Girls Lost Episodes at Golden Con 2022, The Drag Seed (The Chopin, Chicago and La Mama, NYC) and Christmas Dearest (Hell in a Handbag), and The Winter’s Tale (Oak Park Festival Theatre). She is an Artistic Associate at City Lit. Her light plot for Christmas Dearest was included in Live Design＊s 31 Days of Plots in 2021.
CJ Day (Dramaturg)
CJ is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing. She has dramaturged for workshops at City Lit in the past, and most recently served as Assistant Director and Dramaturg for Bo List＊s adaptation of R.U.R. CJ is grateful to be a part of City Lit and Changing Channels.
Joe Larkin (Scenic Design)
Joe studied technical theater and theater design at the University of Connecticut.\ He has been involved in dozens of productions, primarily as technical director, set designer and/or lighting designer. Changing Channels is Joe’s first production with City Lit.
Emily McConnell (Costume Design)
Emily is excited to be designing for City Lit for the first time. She serves as the Resident Costume Designer and Program Director for Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at Roosevelt University＊s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she has designed over 80 productions. As a freelance designer, she has worked at Lifeline (Rabbits in Their Pockets, Miss Holmes Returns), Steep Theatre (Happy Days are Here Again, Mosquitoes, Birdland), Michigan Shakespeare Festival, House Theatre and others. She is an Ensemble Member of Steep Theatre, a member of USA 829, and has her MFA in Costume and Set Design from Northwestern University.
Meg X. McGrath (Props Design)
Meg worked with Wildclaw Theatre for many years, directing/ADing (Future Echoes/Hell Followed With Her, The Woman In Black), stage managing (The Revenants, Motel 666), curating salons (The Brood, Deathscribe at City Winery) and designing the blood cannons and special effects. Meg has worked with City Lit since 2007, stage managing and as the production assistant for the yearly Adaptation Festival of New Plays. Since 2015 they＊ve helped adapt and perform scripts for Books on the Chopping Block. Recently Meg has done props for CityLit, Writers Theatre, The Factory Theater, and Babes With Blades.
Tseela Sokolin-Maimon (Stage Manager)
Tseela is a graduate from UIC with a BA in Design, Production, and Technology with a focus in Stage Management and Technical Direction. Stage management credits include Poor Queenie (Subtext Studio Theatre Company), Constellations (Athenaeum Theatre), and The Neighbors, the Asshole, and the Celebration,\Not About Nightingales, Marat/Sade, Smart People (UIC). Technical Direction credits include Throbbin’ Wood (Pride Arts), Judy’s Life’s Work (Definition Theatre), and Blues for an Alabama Sky, Fefu and her Friends (UIC).
Petter WAHLBÄCK (Sound Design)
Petter is an award-winning Swedish composer/sound designer mainly for media and the performing arts. Over the years, he has written music for numerous films, dance performances, and theater productions. He also teaches music theory and composition at Columbia College, Chicago. Among his sound design credits are Superior Donuts, Hedda Gabler, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Witch, Dying for It (Jeff Nominated), The Pavillion (Jeff Award Nominated), Eurydice, Requiem for a Heavyweight (Jeff Winner), By the Bog of Cats, Ada and the Engine, and Vanya on the Plains, (Artistic Home), Glassheart, House of Ideas, The Night of the Hunter, Innocence of Seduction, The Mark of Kane (CityLit), Angels in America, The Winter’s Tale,Macbeth (all three Jeff Nominated), Network, Three Sisters, Topdog/Underdog, The Crucible, Julius Caesar (Invictus).
