Cast and Crew – Holidays Chicago
The Second City Cast & Crew of Today’s Performance
Please silence all devices and refrain from taking photos during the performance.
Second City is a professional production employing members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers.
GEMMA CLARKE
GEMMA CLARKE (she/her) is a Chicago based performer recently seen here at Second City in No Grown Up’s Allowed. Her short film premiered at the 2024 Seattle Queer Film Festival after winning Best Comedy Short at Phoenix Indie Fest. Gemma is an alumni of the DePaul Theatre School and has also performed as a comic at iO Chicago and Annoyance Theatre. Gemma is currently in preproduction for a film recently accepted by the board of Chicago Filmmakers. More info can be found on their website! She is thrilled to be a part of the Second City family and hopes you enjoy the heck out of this show, or else…
Gemma is proudly represented by Big Mouth Talent!
AVERY FORD
AVERY FORD (he/him) is an actor, writer, comedian originally from Houston, Texas. Avery attended Howard University and graduated from Colby College with a BA in Acting Techniques and a Bachelors of Education. He moved to Chicago in early 2023 and has since studied improv at iO Theater, Logan Square Improv, The Annoyance, CIC, and The Home Theater. He can be seen performing on the iO House Team Megalodonna, and is the Co-Creator of the monthly all black sketch show The Spades Table. Avery is grateful to The Second City for this opportunity, to his fabulous cast mates, and to his loving family. You can find Avery on all social media platforms at @Averyford200.
CHRISTINA HILLIARD
CHRISTINA HILLIARD (she/her) is an actress, improviser, clown, and sketch comedian, originally from Southern California. Currently producing her solo show Magic Boy as well as performing with her ensembles Stir Friday Night and Creamboy, Christina is beyond thrilled to be performing at The Second City for the holidays! As a proud mixed-Filipina, she was an honored recipient of The Second City’s 2023 Victor Wong Fellowship, which she still says was the best time of her life. She is repped by DDO Artists Agency.
BRYSON HOWARD
BRYSON HOWARD is a Chicago transplant from South Carolina by way of Nashville, TN, and Paris, France. After four and a half years of performing improv and scripted comedy around Chicago, the city thankfully has not yet rejected the transplant. He has been fortunate enough to perform in several shows at The Annoyance Theatre; he was part of the cast of The Queer Eye: The Musical Parody at the Playground Theater; he is an ensemble member of Baby Wants Candy, and he can be found performing improv at various venues in Chicago with his comedy partner Cassidy Russell. Bryson loves to run, watch 30 Rock, eat cheese, wear sweaters, and experience generalized anxiety. Twitter: @BrysonHoward. Instagram: @BrysonDallasHoward.
TRAVIS STUEBING
TRAVIS STUEBING (he/him) is an actor, writer and comedian originally hailing from Texas. While having performed with many regional theaters, locally he is a graduate of iO and The Annoyance’s Improv programs, Second City’s Conservatory, and is also an alum of Second City’s Severn Darden Graduate Program. He’s also contributed voice work to the anime One Piece and The Onion’s podcast The Topical. . He’d like to thank his family for all of their support, and Katie, for being the best partner to run lines with. You can find him on Twitter: travis_stuebing & Instagram: travis.stuebing
FAITH VALERIE
FAITH VALERIE (she/her) is an actress, writer, dancer, singer, and model from Plainfield, IL. Her Second City career began while she was taking improv classes last year, during which she became an understudy for Dance Like There Are Black People Watching. She attended the University of Notre Dame, with a focus in Musical Theatre, as well as studied dance at Illinois Dance Academy and Revolution Dance Studio. She has school ties to two people in the show, guess who?! She is an accomplished model having photographed campaigns for Nike and walking runway shows for many designers in Chicago and New York. She loves her 7 siblings who are funnier than her, her parents, and nieces and nephews very much. She is also a House music head and you can find her following her DJ friends around the city. You can also find her playing with improv groups Crop-Top Comedy and Hot Girl Comedy and on Instagram @faithvaleriee. She is represented by 10MGMT with a partnership from Grossman & Jack Talent.
DARWIN NOGUERA (Music Director, he/him) is a pianist and composer hailing from Managua, Nicaragua. He is currently a musical director at The Second City of Chicago, as well as a teaching artist with the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. In 2017, the artist made his Carnegie Hall debut, along with contemporary Latin jazz icon Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Bigband, and garnering a Grammy Award Nomination for their acclaimed recording, West Side Story: Reimagined live at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Darwin is also a furious bandleader, who fuses his native Nicaraguan folk music, Afro Cuban Jazz and hip hop. The artist is swiftly becoming an emerging voice in the Latin Jazz scene, with commissioned works, performances and masterclasses worldwide.
CHARLETTE SAN JUAN (Stage Manager, she/her) is a Theatre Artist based in Chicago, Illinois, born and raised in Manila, Philippines. She has recently worked on Death Becomes Her (2024), MJ The Musical (2023), as well as Second City revues: Eat, Pray, Bigfoot in Love (2022-2023), Don’t Quit Your Daydream (2023-2024). She produces the All-Asian showcase at Laugh Factory, “Model Majority”. Currently, she is working on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and is an understudy for the Second City Touring Co. & “Devil’s in the Detours” at the Mainstage of Second City.
CARISA BARRECA (Director, she/her) is the Director of the current the 48th etc revue, Best Kept Secret: Tell Everyone! Carisa is a Chicago native who has been performing with Second City for over 15 years. Carisa had the privilege of performing on the e.t.c stage for three revues. During her time at Second City she has performed at Lyric Opera of Chicago with Sir Patrick Stewart and Reneé Fleming in The Second City’s Guide to the Opera, at Goodman Theatre and at The Kennedy Center with Twist Your Dickens; and she wrote and performed in Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Second City’s collaboration The Art of Falling. She was also a writer, cast member, and director of the long-running and award-winning show, She The People. Other directing credits include Don’t Quit Your Daydream on Second City’s Mainstage, Second City’s National Touring Company, Second City’s SING OUT, and Deck The Hallmark. Carisa is also a proud founder and Director of Matter Dance Company. Carisa is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. She hopes you enjoy the show ! Follow her adventures in directing/acting/dogs/baking @Cinderisa.