Classes

Andy Robinson has worked with Ben Dicke on the Wagon Wheel Theatre Youth Programs since 2005. He holds a Masters from NYU in Educational Theatre and has taught theatre to grades 1-12 for over fifteen years in both New York City and Chicago. He is currently Chair of the Department of Musical Theatre at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. A long time Wagon Wheel actor, his favorite roles include the 2nd Gangster in Kiss Me, Kate, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, and the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Along with Ben Dicke, he directed Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Importance of Being Earnest, Blithe Spirit, The Crucible, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the Wagon Wheel main-stage. He loves collaborating with Ben and Emily on making theatre with young actors!

Ben Dicke began working at the Wagon Wheel in 2004. Favorite roles on that stage include Henry Higgins in last summer’s My Fair Lady, Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes, Applegate in Damn Yankees, and Cliff in Cabaret, among many others. Ben helped develop the Wagon Wheel’s Summer Youth Programming alongside Andy Robinson in the summer of 2005. In addition to their directing work with the students of Warsaw and the surrounding areas, Ben and Andy have collaborated as directors for the professional company on a number of projects including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Blithe Spirit, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. Ben is excited to, once again, collaborate with Andy Robinson as co-directors for Peter and the Starcatcher. Ben is currently the Chair of the Theatre Department at The Chicago Academy for the Arts.

Emily Ann Luhrs is a Chicago theatre artist whose exploits include writing, performing, directing, and puppetry. Favorite roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia (Arvada Center Theatre), Lizzie in Baby (Cherry Creek Theatre), and Emily in A Christmas Carol with Richard White (Arvada Center) among others. Recent directing credits include The Wolves and Seussical at the Chicago Academy for the Arts She also designed a five-headed dragon puppet for the Theatre department’s play: She Kills Monsters. Emily also worked for five years as a teaching artist at the Denver Center Theatre Academy. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Oklahoma.

Prior to Scott’s 11 years as the Wagon Wheel’s Artistic Director, he spent 12 seasons as resident Choreographer/Director on nearly 100 productions. During that time, he spent 4 years as the resident Director/Choreographer at the Armory Theatre in Janesville, Wisconsin. In his free time, he continues to work with high schools and colleges all over the Midwest directing, choreographing, and running countless workshops and master classes. Scott’s work on Cats at Arrowhead H.S. in Hartland, Wisconsin won USA Today’s award for Best High School Musical in the country for 2008. Scott spent 2 years as an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL as the Musical Theatre Dance Teacher. He has over 25 years of performing experience from Chicago to Regional theatre. Scott has performed all over the country and Japan and enjoyed a 2 year tour as a back-up singer for Perry Como.