Our Super Staff

Tom Arvetis, Producing Artistic Director

Tom is responsible for the creative vision of Adventure Stage Chicago, the implementation of all programming, and the supervision of the theater staff. Tom recently returned from The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where he directed a reading of Jason Tremblay’s new play Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back as part of the 2008 New Visions/New Voices festival. Tom will also direct the world premiere production of Katrina for Adventure Stage Chicago in April, 2009. Tom previously directed ASC’s world premiere production of The Blue House by José Cruz Gonzalez and wrote and directed I Dream in Blues. Next summer, he will direct a new play by Elizabeth Wong for the Silk Road Theatre Project.  Tom is an Emeritus Company Member with Barrel of Monkeys, has acted in award-winning productions with the Neo-Futurists, Bailiwick Repertory Company and Pyewacket Theatre, and is a veteran sound designer. He received a Bachelor of Speech degree from Northwestern University.


Scott Letscher, Managing Director

Scott joined the theater staff in June 2005 after spending 14 years with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in marketing and ticketing. He was also a company member of Terrapin Theatre for over 10 years where he held various positions, including Artistic Director and Literary Manager. He also acted in and directed many Terrapin productions, including the After Dark Award-winning Aunt Dan and Lemon. Scott has a Theatre Arts degree from Marquette University and lives in the Ravenswood neighborhood with his family.

Merissa Shunk, Director of Education

Merissa joined Adventure Stage Chicago in the fall of 2007.  From 2005-2007 she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she promoted student-centered learning methodologies, designed teacher trainings, coordinated English camps for Thai students, organized after-school drama programs, and facilitated a nation-wide Theater festival for Thai youth. Prior to that she worked for ArtsBridge America, a non-profit outreach program affiliated with UCLA where she mentored teaching artists. She was an instructor for UCLA High School Acting and Performance Institute, teaching movement, scene study, and directing student-created, original performance pieces for three years. She has freelanced as a curriculum writer and teaching artist for the Silk Road Theater Project, is the Fine Arts Curriculum Advisor at Rowe Elementary School, and has been as a mentor (Drama Mama) in Redmoon Theater’s Mentoring program, Drama Girls.  In fall of 2008 she co-founded the Chicago Arts Educator Forum which provides networking and professional development opportunities to Arts Educators, Teaching Artists and Arts Education Administrators. Merissa serves on the board of the Illinois Theatre Association as the Children's Theatre representative. Merissa has a BA in Theater and an MA in Theater Education from UCLA and K-12 Teaching Credentials from Santa Clara University.  

Jana Liles, Audience Development Coordinator

Jana came to Chicago after receiving her B.F.A. in Theatre from Emporia State University in her home state of Kansas. Continuing to pursue her education, she completed her M.F.A. in Theatre from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Since then she has been working as a professional actress and performing with such theatre companies as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Quest Theatre Ensemble, The GreyZelda Theatre Group, 13Carat Productions, Chemically Imbalanced Comedy and The Vittum Theater, while also appearing in numerous films, local television programs and commercials and working as the Casting Director for BackStage Theatre Company. Remembering the first theatre productions she saw as a child and the impact it had on her life, Jana couldn't be more proud of her position here at Adventure Stage Chicago and her role in bringing the arts to so many young people in Chicago.

Jennifer Mathews, Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Jennifer has been a proud staff member of Adventure Stage Chicago since 2005 and has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University. Her previous marketing and public relations experience include stints at Edward Jones, Black Box Network Services, and two years as a Marketing Specialist at Carol Fox & Associates, where she worked on such clients as Centre East; Dance Chicago; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change; Art Chicago; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Performance Series. In addition to her position at ASC, she is a company member and Director of Press Relations with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, where she has appeared in their productions of Betty's Summer Vacation (Jeff Citation nominee - Supporting Actress), My Thing of Love (2006 Chicago Reader Critics' Pick - Performance) and The Kentucky Cycle (Jeff Citation, After Dark Award - Ensemble). She is also an artistic associate with Cheryl's Dreaming Big, a non-profit organization that sheds light on mental illness through theatre.

Brandon Campbell, Production Manager

Brandon Campbell has worked for Adventure Stage Chicago and the Vittum Theater as a teaching artist, stage manager, and production manager, since moving to Chicago in 2001.  Hailing from Portland, OR, he is also an Associate of Collaboraction, serving as production manager for Sketchbook 5, 6, 7, 8, and Carnaval. Other production credits include the world premier of Jose Rivera’s Massacre at Goodman Theater (with Teatro Vista), Chicago Sketchfest, and several shows with the Neo-Futurist’s. In his creative time he has worked as a writer/performer (Dark Eyed Strangers), a puppeteer and designer, (Laika’s Coffin, The Cay, Joe’s Garage), and a sax player (Jenn Rhoads Project, 2nd Story, The Denizens).