Tracy Whiteside
Education Manager, Teaching Artist
Performing Arts Academy at Noble Fool Theatricals
Tracy has been in the entertainment industry and fashion business for over 20 years. Tracy opened Glow Talent, a Modeling and Acting School and Agency in New Jersey. During this time, Tracy was a licensed talent agent and taught workshops for ages 4 to 64 in modeling, acting, singing, make-up, fashion, image and self-improvement. Her actors and singers have been on Broadway, in films, on TV and in commercials. Her students have appeared on MTV, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and The O.C., among others. The countless TV commercial credits include Tide, Coke and Chucky Cheese. Her students have been seen in the films "The Stepford Wives", "The Interpreter", "Loverboy", and "Hitch." In addition to actors, Tracy has trained Elite, Wilhelmina and Ford models. Print model students have been seen in Seventeen, Fitness, Teen Vogue, People, TV Guide and Cosmopolitan. Her models have walked on the runways in New York, Paris, and Milan.  In the Chicago area, Tracy served on the Board of Directors for First Street Playhouse and teaches performing arts classes at Elgin Community College.  At Noble Fool Theatricals, Tracy teaches theatre classes to all ages as well as manages the Education Department.  She has directed "Oliver!" and "Godspell" for the NFT Youth Ensemble.  Tracy is also a freelance photographer http://tracywhiteside.zenfolio.com | www.TracyWhiteside.net.
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Ken Jones
Music Director, Pianist, Teaching Artist for Voice, Director
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Ken has traveled the country and has worked throughout the Chicago area as a Music Director, Accompanist, Vocal Coach, and Instructor with such companies as Holland America Cruise Lines (AK,) Janesville Armory Theatre (WI,) Virginia Musical Theatre (VA,) Cortland Repertory Theatre (NY,) The Old Schoolhouse Theatre (FL,) and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble (IL) to name a few.  When not performing in a main stage production, Ken is a Director and Musical Director for Noble Fool Theatricals’ Youth Ensemble, and he is a Vocal Teaching Artist with Noble Fool Theatricals’ Performing Arts Academy.  In his second year at Roosevelt University (CCPA,) he works as an Accompanist for Musical Theatre ensemble classes.  Some favorite past NFT productions include: Once Upon A Mattress, Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical, Flanagan's Wake, and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.  Past NFT productions include Sleeping Beauty and Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings.  Ken maintains a local music studio of voice and piano students, as well as developing a website dedicated to the auditioning public, www.e-musac.com | www.ken-jones.com.

Tom Clear
Teaching Artist, Music Director, Pianist, Show Choir Director
Tom Clear has been involved as a performer, pianist, or musical director in over 260 musicals and variety shows, including Musical of Musicals, the Musical! And Some Enchanted Evening at Noble Fool Theatricals.  An experienced instructor, he has taught music from Pre-K through university level, including Ball State University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.  Tom has performed with both the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the Oregon Symphony.

For five years, he directed his own award-winning SHOW CHOIR group at the French American International School in Portland, Oregon.  Tom was also music director and accompanist of The MUNY Singers, the performing vocal group of the St. Louis Municipal Opera.    

Also a composer and arranger, Tom's works have been performed in St. Louis, Chicago and London. Additionally, Tom served as Assistant Director and Accompanist for the national award-winning SHOW CHOIR at Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School in St. Louis for five years.  

Currently, Tom is the  music director for ComedySportz Chicago and performed with the Porchlight Theater in the Fantastiks (pianist). Tom is the director of the SHOW CHOIR for the Music Institute of Chicago.  Operating through the Institute of Therapy through the Arts, this innovative program will be comprised of young people with physical and mental disabilities.

Charles Stransky
Teaching Artist
On Broadway, Mr. Stransky was in the original production of Glengarry Glen Ross and the National Tour. He was in the Lincoln Center Theater’s production of The Front Page at The Vivian Beaumont playing Wilson, one of the reporters. Off-Broadway Mr. Stransky played entirely in French the role of La Poubelle in The Primary English Class. He understudied and played several roles in Death Defying Acts. With The Manhattan Theatre Club, he understudied in Psychopathia and Sarah, Sarah.

On film, he can be seen in The Spanish Prisoner, Homicide, Things Change, all written and directed by David Mamet. Other films include: Dad, Stone Cold, Ghost in the Machine, Anger Management, Caleb‘s Door, Pastime. 

Mr. Stransky's numerous appearances on TV include Ed, Third Watch, Newhart, Murphy Brown, Frank’s Place, My Sister Sam; several episodes of Law and Order and recently recurring as  Dr. Delano in All My Children. 

He has narrated numerous audio books, and has created an assortment of characters from narrator to varied characters (male and female) using practically every dialect imaginable. His most recent is Red Moon Rising, a history recounting the launching of sputnik. 

Mr. Stransky’s distinct facility for language and dialects has served him well. Besides having performed a great many roles from Shakespeare, Moliere, and Marlowe, he has performed entirely in French (The Primary English Class) in Chicago & Off-Broadway; various Eastern European dialects including Russian (Andrey Botvinnik, the Russian Ambassador in A Walk in the Woods.); Polish (Sarah, Sarah) besides various others. Charles has performed in Irish (Galway); Scottish and various British dialects  from Bristol to Oxford to Cockney. 

He is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists for over thirty years.

Vickie Wagner
Teaching Artist, Music Director
Vickie Wagner holds a degree in Music Education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota where she sang in the famed Concordia Choir. Her diverse musical endeavors include public school music education, full-time church music, and leadership of children's choirs and musicals of over one hundred children. She was a founding conductor of the Phoenix (Arizona) Girls Choir.   Vickie has taught national workshops on children's choir leadership and organization.

A versatile vocalist, Vickie has performed as soloist on Minnesota Public Radio, with professional choirs, for the American Choral Directors Association and in national church gatherings. She has performed  in community theater in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Denver, including the roles of Maria (Sound of Music) and Hodel (Fiddler on the Roof).

As a contemporary singer/songwriter she has recorded commercial jingles and written and recorded several albums. She has sung in churches across the U. S., including the Crystal Cathedral. Vickie is currently the worship leader and soloist for the Saturday evening "Circle" service at Grace United Methodist Church in Naperville where she is an active member and leader in the music department.

Vickie Wagner lives in Winfield with her husband, conductor/musician Dan Wagner.  They have two children; son John - a junior in college and daughter Natalie in seventh grade. 

Debra Stombres
Music Director, Teaching Artist for Voice and Piano
Debra is a bronze tablet scholar graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Music in Applied Flute, with minors in piano and voice, after having been chosen for a full scholarship entitled, “Outstanding Young Women in Music.” She was Miss Illinois in 1978 and received a talent award in the Miss America pageant. She has been teaching private piano and flute instruction for almost 30 years. Her varied experience includes conducting several church choirs, leading worship times at conferences, traveling as a keyboard player in a band, and directing vocals for numerous musicals. She is a six-time winner of a seat in the National Flute Association’s annual flute choir, including this past summer where she performed with them in New York City.

Jacque Lueken
Teaching Artist, Director
Jacque is excited to return to Noble Fool Theatricals Performing Arts Academy after directing this season's It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Jacque received her BFA in Acting from Syracuse University and, upon graduation moved to Chicago to work with Steppenwolf Theatre Co as the Asst Coordinator for their summer acting intensive 'The School at Steppenwolf.' Since being in the city Jacque has worked as a teaching artist with numerous companies in the Chicagoland Area including Emerald City Theatre Co, The Eileen Boever's Performing Arts Workshop at Apple Tree Theatre, the American Mosaic Project with American Theatre Co, After School Matters and a mentor with Redmoon's Dramagirls Program. She has also served as the Education Coordinator at Emerald City Theatre, Education Asst for Victory Gardens Theatre and is currently Education Director for Village Players Theatre (Oak Park) and Three Cat Productions (Skokie Theatre). Favorite directing credits with/for youth include The Giver (TYA at Apple tree Theatre) and Jungle Tales (Eileen Boevers Performing Arts workshop), which she is looking to direct again this spring with the Village Players Youth Training Center in Oak Park.

Kimberly G. Morris      
Teaching Artist for Costume, Wigs, Makeup, Props, Puppets and Special Effects Designer
Kimberly has designed for numerous venues around the country such as the Noble Fool Theatricals, Shedd Aquarium, Stage Left Theatre, The Gift, Adler Planetarium, Lifeline Theatre, The Griffin Theater, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, American Shakespeare Center (VA), Heritage Repertory Theatre (VA), Theatre West Virginia (WV), Denison University (OH), Virginia Commonwealth University (VA), and Tecumseh! (OH). Prior teaching includes costume and makeup classes at the University of Virginia, Ball State University, and several high schools in Chicagoland and Charlottesville, VA.  She also runs the prop and costumes shop for Niles West High School theatre department, where she teaches students the basics of costume and prop design, manufacture and management.

Shellee Frazee
Teaching Artist for Acting, Director, Choreographer
Shellee is a freelance director/choreographer and the Managing Director of Redtwist Theatre in Chicago.  Shellee received her BA in theatre from St. Ambrose University.  She owned and was Artistic Director of Center Stage Performing Arts Academy in the Quad Cities, where she taught dance and theatre classes to students ranging in age from 2 through adult.  She served as an adjunct teacher for the theatre department at St. Ambrose University teaching Movement for Actors and dance classes. Shellee had the pleasure of working with an incredible staff at North Scott High School in Iowa for over ten years.  During that time period, the North Scott High School team was honored by the International Thespian Festival, performing three shows on the mainstage.  She received a Kennedy Center Award for her choreography for Urinetown, produced at St. Ambrose University.  She has the pleasure of directing and choreographing the Iowa All-Chapter show, A Chorus Line, in 2006, which received an invitation to perform mainstage at the International Thespian Festival.  Shellee has performed, toured, directed and choreographed professionally for many years.  Some of her favorite shows include Crazy for You, Schoolhouse Rock, Live, Fame, Sweeney Todd, Godspell, Urinetown, and A Chorus Line. 

Patrick Stinson
Director, Choreographer
Since he was eleven years old, Patrick has been on the stage.  He grew up on the south side of Chicago in Burbank and now lives in Plano with his wife Anna, their two dogs, and their cat.  Patrick is currently the producing artistic director for the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre in Clinton, Iowa.  The Showboat is a professional summer-stock theatre that produces upwards of 10-15 shows a year. Patrick has directed and acted in many regional professional productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Singing in the Rain, The Last 5 Years, Beauty and the Beast, Of Mice and Men, Bleacher Bums, and scads more. He has worked with several Broadway and television stars including Jill Paice of Curtains, Lavon Fischer of Chicago and The Color Purple, and Hedy Burress of ER and Southland.  He has a BFA in musical theatre from Millikin University and a BA in English and communications from North Central College.  

John Tovar
Fight Choreographer, Teaching Artist
Vice President and Certified Teacher of the Society of American Fight Directors
John has taught stage combat at DePaul University, Illinois State University, Ball State University, The Actor’s Gymnasium in Evanston, and was a Guest Artist at Roosevelt University. Currently, John is on faculty at Elgin Community College and College of DuPage. He has also taught numerous stage combat workshops across the country including The Winter Wonderland Workshop in Elgin (where he is the coordinator) and The National Stage Combat Workshop-East in North Carolina. Area productions that John has choreographed include Accomplice, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Ruthless: The Musical (Noble Fool Theatricals), Temporary Help, Noises Off!, and Communicating Doors (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Robin Hood and The Glory of Living (College of DuPage), I Hate Hamlet (Wheaton Drama), Corpse! (Steel Beam Theatre), and Cyrano de Bergerac (Independent Players).