Theater artists look back on their suburban starts

As suburban theater artists continue to make their presence known on Chicago stages, we caught up with several.

Kelli Harrington

When Kelli Harrington heard that Porchlight Music Theatre intended to revive “Sweeney Todd,” she had to audition. And not just because of the quality of Stephen Sondheim's score.

“You can't be involved in Chicago theater and not know about (Porchlight),” said the Downers Grove native who plays the Beggar Woman in Porchlight's revival. “They're a well-respected company.”

“It's been a great experience,” said the thirty-something Harrington, a classically trained singer with bachelor and masters degrees from Northwestern University.

“The score is as challenging as any 20th century classical score,” she said. “It's really exacting. But we have an exacting music director (Jeff Award winner Doug Peck) and the people in the cast are up to the challenge.”

In just a few years, Harrington has made an impression, winning back-to-back non-equity Jeff Awards for principle actress in a musical for “The Light in the Piazza” (2012) and “Aspects of Love” (2013), both at Theo Ubique. She was also nominated this year for her performance as Maria Callas in “Master Class.”

Harrington has performed with Chicago Opera Theater, Light Opera Works, Marriott, Court and Chicago Shakespeare theaters. At the larger houses, “you get treated like a pretty princess,” said Harrington, who teaches voice at the Chicago Academy for the Arts.

“In a storefront you take care of your own stuff ... but you're working on really juicy material so you don't mind.”

“It's all about the project,” said Harrington.

• “Sweeney Todd” runs through Nov. 9 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 777-9884 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.

Nick Graffagna

For Lisle native Nick Graffagna, the professional die was cast long ago.

“I've always had (theater) in my blood,” said the 23-year-old, whose preschool teacher wrote in his report card, “we're going to see Nick onstage one day.”

From the first time he stepped onstage as a third grader at St. Joan of Arc School, Graffagna knew what he wanted to do.

“As soon as I started, I couldn't stop,” he said.

In fact, the Benet Academy graduate performed with Naperville Park District's Magical Starlight Theatre and with North Central College's summer musical theater program from 4th grade through high school.

During summer breaks from Western Michigan University, where he majored in theater, Graffagna worked professionally at Marriott Theatre. After college he headed to New York City, but returned earlier this year to understudy two roles in Marriott's “Godspell.” He's had the good fortune to work steadily ever since.

“I've never once taken for granted these opportunities I've gotten,” Graffagna said.

He currently appears in Griffin Theatre's chamber production of the musical “Titanic,” which — for the record — is not a stage adaptation of the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

“It's not the Jack and Rose love story,” he laughed. “There's no 'heart of the ocean.'”

• “Titanic” runs Oct. 18-Dec. 7 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or griffintheatre.com.

Brynne Barnard

When it came to parents, Brynne Barnard lucked out.

“My parents were understanding and open to everything we kids were interested in,” said the 26-year-old Carol Stream native who appears in Interrobang Theatre Project's “Owners.”

Still, Barnard, as an Illinois State University undergraduate, was terrified to tell them she switched her major from theater education to acting.

“Both of them laughed,” Barnard said. “They said they'd been waiting for this phone call.”

From age 10, when she auditioned for a summer theater program sponsored by her church, she was hooked. She took every opportunity to perform and, after graduation, headed to Chicago.

“The phrase 'being thrown into the deep end' comes to mind. You are in the middle of everything,” she said, but “it's all on you and, man, is it tough those first few years.”

Barnard works behind the scenes with the Chicago Shakespeare Project but performs with storefront theaters, including 20% Theatre Company, where she is an artistic associate. She enjoys the solidarity and sense of adventure that underscores the storefront scene, which she describes as “standing together, hands clasped and ready to jump.”

“When you do a bigger production, there's an expectation that you have to sell tickets,” said Barnard. “Here it's about the art itself ... and hoping you can break through like Steppenwolf.”

While she'd like to take on classic Edward Albee and Tennessee Williams characters, she's very happy with the roles she's been offered so far.

“I've been blessed to play some strong and interesting female characters,” she said. “I can't wait to see where the future takes me.”

• “Owners” runs through Nov. 2 at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6875 or interrobangtheatreproject.org.

Kirby O'Connell

Now starring in Gift Theatre's “Bethany,” Elgin native Kirby O'Connell has been hamming it up since she was 2 years old.

She took dance lessons; as a teen, she was a member of the inaugural class of Larkin High School's Visual and Performing Arts Academy and spent a summer as a theater cherub at Northwestern University. As a young adult, she majored in theater at Indiana University. Expectations were high, until O'Connell became fearful of auditions. That was when she discovered sketch comedy.

“Some of the theater kids were intense,” she said. “The comedy kids were really laid back.”

Returning to Chicago, she landed a job hosting an Internet show and took classes at The Second City where she met Gift Theatre co-founder Mike Thornton. He invited her and her fellow Second City alums to perform there, and Natural Gas, the Gift's weekly improv set, was born.

“I never thought of myself as an improviser. I always thought of myself as an actor first,” said O'Connell, who considers improv as another tool in her belt. “My goal was never to be on ‘Saturday Night Live.' I love gritty, sad, dramatic roles ... those are my favorite roles to play.”

Overcoming her fear, O'Connell landed some commercials and the Patrick Swayze show “The Beast.” She had a few callbacks at the Gift and was cast in a March 2013 Circle Theatre production that was postponed when the rights were pulled. After completing a training program at The Artistic Home, she said to herself, “OK, this is the year.” She won the role of Shannon in Gift's production of “Bethany.”

It's been a departure from one-and-done commercials and improv, but O'Connell says she's adjusting.

“I want to have my best night every night,” she said, “but with theater you have good, bad and in-between nights. Learning to be patient with myself is pretty difficult.”

• “Bethany” runs through Nov. 23, at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.