Theatre Staff

Maddie Martorana

Director of Theatre
Director - Fall Play, Winter Play, Spring Musical

Born and raised in Mundelein, IL, Ms. Martorana returned to her alma mater to pursue her passion of being an English and Theatre teacher and to direct her own Theatre program. Ms. Martorana graduated from Mundelein High School in 2018, and she was a large part of Mundelein Theatre as a student. She performed in some of Mundelein Theatre’s milestone productions, like TRUST, and she was present during a large phase of growth in the program (New Faces, Understies/Double Casts, Shakespeare Slam, and Group Interpretation). She even held the title of President of Mundelein Theatre during her senior year.

After graduating from MHS, Ms. Martorana studied Theatre Teacher Education and English at Illinois State University. She directed and worked alongside many creative artists during her time at Illinois State University. Ms. Martorana tackled her student teaching at Libertyville High School, where she directed alongside her cooperating teacher. Prior to teaching at Mundelein, Ms. Martorana taught at Grove Junior High, Fusion Academy, and CCSD 62.

Ms. Martorana is delighted to be navigating this new role. It is her goal to be able to maintain the excellence of Mundelein Theatre, uphold it’s core values and traditions, while also putting a new signature stamp on the program.

Mark Landuyt

Director - Group Interpretation

Mr. Landuyt has been an English teacher at Mundelein High School since 2012. Additionally, he began in 2014 directing Group Interpretation, an IHSA performing arts event, for Mundelein Theatre. In 2016, Mark began co-directing the Battle of the Bard (now the Shakespeare Slam), a Shakespeare “poetry-slam-style” event coordinated by Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He also serves as an advisor during the Student Directed One Act Plays.

In high school, Mark was very involved in not only Group Interp but Speech team and theatre as well. He attended college at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and received a B.A in Secondary Education-English. More recently, Mark has earned a Masters in Reading Education through Olivet Nazarene University. As an undergraduate, he regularly coached for the Alan B. Shepard Speech team and assisted with their performing arts productions. While student teaching and working as a tutor at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, he was an assistant coach for the Speech team. During his collegiate years, Mark also wrote and acted with a sketch comedy troupe, Girls Field Hockey, performing with other sketch comedy groups throughout the Chicago South Suburbs.

Working with the students of Mundelein Theatre has been such a rewarding experience. Being a witness to the hard work and commitment synonymous with Mundelein Theatre is nothing short of inspiring. He cannot wait to see what the future will bring to Mundelein. Mark lives in Vernon Hills with his wife Jenny and their wonderful children, Madelyn and Hudson.

Jeff Harding

Director - New Faces Production
Technical Director - Selected shows

Mr. Harding has had the privilege of spending his entire professional life teaching high school mathematics. He started in 1988 and joined the MHS staff in the fall of 1999. Mr. Harding lives in Wauconda with his wife Monica and is the proud father of four daughters.

He grew up in Roscoe, Illinois and then attended Illinois State University. He has taught at Boylan Catholic High School, Hononegah High School, and Round Lake High School before coming aboard at MHS. During his time teaching, he has obtained his Masters Degree in Education from National Louis University. He is an avid reader who reads in excess of one hundred books each year.

Mr. Harding is a member of two local community theatre groups, the Kirk Players here in Mundelein and PM&L Theatre in Antioch. He has had the thrill of performing on the stage a number of times with his most notable roles being Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men, Bill Sykes in Oliver, and Henry Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor.

While being an avid follower of the theatre at MHS his entire career, he became actively involved in the winter of 2015 when he was the Associate Director of The Odd Couple. He has also directed the first ever New Faces Production, The Election, and worked with the understudy cast of Picnic.

Hayley Johnson

Associate Director - Group Interpretation

Mrs. Johnson grew up in Mundelein and joined the Mundelein High School staff in 2017. She is a 2011 graduate of Mundelein High School and Mundelein Theatre. In her time at MHS, Hayley performed in several roles in musicals including The Pajama Game, Fiddler on the Roof, Footloose, and Once on this Island. She also served in technical roles such as set crew, assistant director, sound, and choreography. She is excited to work with the current MHS students and give back to a program that meant so much to her.

Besides math and theatre, Mrs. Johnson loves singing, puzzles, and escape rooms. Hayley lives in Lake Villa with her husband Henry and son Westley.

Mundelein Theatre Consultants

Jonathan Meier & Jill Reznick Meier

Musical Staff

Cory Thompson

Vocal Director

Mrs. Thompson is a 2002 and 2005 graduate of Northwestern University with an undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance and a Masters in Music Education. Since the age of 10, Mrs. Thompson has been singing, dancing, and performing on stage in over 40 productions, first in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and later with Northwestern’s premiere a capella group, Melodious Thunk. She’s sung the National Anthem at Wrigley Field since 2006, as well as at several American Cancer Society National Medal of Honor Ceremonies across the country. At these events, she has had the opportunity to sing for former President George H.W. Bush, Duke basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and other leading political and scientific figures.

Mrs. Thompson’s has been at Mundelein High School since fall of 2006, where she is the director of Honors Master Singers, Honors Master Singers, Bella Voce, Sound, and Reverb. She also teaches AP Music Theory when the course runs, and does vocal direction for the Spring Musical. Mrs. Thompson is also the Executive Artistic Director of Red Rose Children’s Choir of Lake County, where she is directs their Master Singers and Bella Rosa choirs. In addition to her singing and teaching engagements, Mrs. Thompson and her husband have run thirteen marathons for the American Cancer Society, raising over $100,000 in the process. Mrs. Thompson lives in the northern suburbs with her husband and three children: Emma, Ava, and Jack.

Jerald Shelato

Pit Orchestra Director

Mr. Shelato is one of the Directors of Bands at Mundelein High School, where he directs the Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Orchestra and teaches Beginning and Intermediate Guitar classes. He also co-directs the Marching Mustangs and the MHS Pep Band

Before coming to Mundelein High School, Mr. Shelato taught in the Champaign and Urbana school districts in Illinois. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has performed as a conductor, tuba player, or guitarist with numerous ensembles and artists, including Wayne Shorter, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, the Illinois Jazz Orchestra, the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company, the Danville Symphony Orchestra, and the avant-jazz group Ear Doctor. He is a proud resident of Mundelein.

Annie Snow

Choreographer

Annie Snow is a Chicago based teaching artist and choreographer and is honored to be a part of the Mundelein Theatre Family. Annie received her BA in dance from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and holds a Master’s Degree in dance/movement therapy and counseling from Columbia College Chicago. Annie enjoys her time both on the stage and off with career highlights including concert dance, musical theatre, and improv. Her work off stage includes choreography for both adult and youth performers with various companies including Big Noise Theatre, Citadel, Highland Park Players and most recently, Little Noise Theatre. She has choreographed for the Studio 83 Dance Company since 2014, where her routines have earned both Regional and National accolades.