The Mission Statement
The Olde School Shakespeare Collective is a collective of actors/directors/artists driven to create theatre within a community-oriented aesthetic that emphasizes Shakespeare for the working class. We don't utilize a director; we direct ourselves. We rehearse our work once, and we perform it in a public house where members of our community can come, have a drink, Interact, and leave with a new notion of how theatre can be created and performed. We do this within a non-hierarchical theatre-making structure that places those doing the work at the forefront of our priority list. We are mad scientists experimenting with form using the theatre-making techniques of old to create modern responses.
We believe that what we have to offer is an antidote to the many complaints issued by the theatre community over the course of COVID: Lack of diversity, unequal pay, productions that don’t adjust to fit the times, outdated themes, companies that lack actual connections with the humans and artists within their communities, theatre companies that don’t listen, theatre companies who only listen to the highest paying subscribers, etc... the list could go on forever. We hope that you see these issues and complaints that you may have given voice to yourself and feel seen in some way. That is why we do what we do.
Photo credit: Jeff Kurysz
Our Team
Wyatt McCall
Director of Development
Sophie Murk
Creative Producer of People and Culture
Lauryn Nelson
Director of Marketing
Drew McCall
Technical Director
Wyatt McCall
He/Him
Wyatt McCall is an actor, producer, and chef based in Chicago, IL. He attended the Sargent Conservatory at Webster University, where he majored in musical theatre. While attending Webster, Wyatt worked as an actor at various regional theaters, including Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater, Metro Theater Company St. Louis, Maples Repertory Theatre, and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.
Upon graduating, Wyatt moved to Chicago and worked on the administrative teams of several Chicago theatres, including The Neo-Futurists, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Concurrently, he performed as an actor for multiple companies, including Avalanche Theatre, Inc. Theatre Co, and The Imposters Theatre Co.
Leveraging his knowledge of administration and the Chicago theatre landscape, Wyatt co-founded The Olde School Shakespeare Collective. The collective's mission is to address issues within the theatre community that became apparent in the wake of COVID-19 and to create theatre for the local working class.
When he is not working in theatre, Wyatt channels his love for people, culture, and hospitality into his work as a chef. He currently serves as a chef de partie at Maxwell’s Trading, which was recently named the best restaurant in Chicago by Chicago magazine.
Sophie Murk
She/Her
BFA Webster Conservatory. Born-and-bred Chicagoan, Sophie is a local actor and teaching artist. She recently left her work in ministry as director of an overnight camp to embrace a career path that is more inclusive of the queer community. She is a certified ASTEP fellow and certified in Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™️ work. Recent credits: Titanic, As You Like It, Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Daddy Long Legs (Awaken Theatre), The Hundred Dresses, Say Something Do Something (Metro Theater Co), The Polar Express (Rail Events Productions).
Lauryn Nelson
She/Her
she/her - Lauryn is a co-founder and the Marketing Director of The Olde School Shakespeare Collective, where she oversees the company’s branding, graphic design, social media, and audience engagement. Since the Collective’s founding, she has helped shape its visual identity and build a growing community around its mission of making Shakespeare accessible, immersive, and just a little unruly.
Outside of Olde School, Lauryn is a professional opera singer. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University and has performed with companies including Chicago Opera Theater, The Florentine Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Opera San Antonio.
Lauryn is also the founder of Lauryn Nelson Graphics, a graphic design and creative services business specializing in websites, branding, and marketing materials for performing artists and arts organizations. Her work brings together her backgrounds in performance, design, and arts marketing, with a particular passion for helping artists and small organizations tell their stories in ways that feel authentic, engaging, and distinctly their own.
Drew McCall
He/Him
Drew is excited to be brought on as the Production Manager for the Olde School Shakespeare Collective. Drew has worked in numerous production roles for live theatre, including producing comedy and improv shows at Second City and the Playground Theatre, in addition to his current role as Production Manager for the Playground. He has also served as Production Assistant for film shoots with ESPN, Funny Or Die, and MTV. Drew can’t wait to bring his knowledge of production management to the collective.