10/26/2026
Meet the Directors! 🗣️🎭📣
Every production has people behind the scenes helping bring its story to life, and our upcoming production of "It's a Wonderful Life - The Radio Play," adapted by Philip Grecian, is no exception!
Meet our Production Team, the creative minds guiding our cast through this beloved holiday story!
Director - Melonie Johnson
Melonie Johnson is a professional storyteller who applies her skills to both the stage and the page. An award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, in addition to teaching acting and creative writing classes for the Gurnee Park District, Melonie narrates audiobooks under a pseudonym and provides coaching services to aspiring authors.
A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, she began her career right here in Gurnee as an English and Theatre teacher at Warren Township High School where she directed multiple productions a year and coached for the WTHS speech team. Her teaching and directing experience spans decades, working with children from 8 months to 18 years encompassing everything from instructing gymnastics to leading full-scale theatre productions for companies including Little Gym, DramaKids Inc., and Lake Forest Children’s Theatre Company. Acting credits include roles in productions with StageTwo, CenterStage Lake Forest, Devonshire Playhouse, and the short-lived Gurnee Theatre Company (yes, the one that was in the mall).
Assistant Director - Annika Churchill
This is Annika Churchill’s 3rd year as a staff member for the GPD Cultural Arts program. She has mostly spent her time in the dance studio but is excited to be a part of this team bringing back theatre productions to GPD! Annika has plenty of time on stage as she has been performing since she was 4 years old and in her more than 20 years of experience, she has been involved with well over 300 productions. Since graduating from Long Island University, she has spent her time as a performer at Six Flags Great America as a singer/dancer. She has also been on the production team for several productions in the area with The Rhode, PM&L, and Special Gifts Theatre. When she’s not involved in her many theatrical escapades, she enjoys spending her time with her family and dogs, building art Lego sets, crafting, and watching sitcoms. She can’t wait to see how this wonderful production takes shape!
Producer - Amanda Kochenash
Amanda Kochenash is Gurnee Park District’s Cultural Arts Supervisor and is thrilled to be producing the park district’s first full-length play in eight years. A native of Gurnee, Amanda spent her teenage years as a lifeguard and swim instructor for the park district, before turning to a decade-long career in marketing. In 2022, Amanda came back to GPD as the Aquatics Supervisor, before following her passions into the Cultural Arts Supervisor role to lead dance, theatre, and arts programs in late 2024.
Amanda has spent many years involved in several aspects of theatre since she was bit by the theatre bug in high school, having acted, directed, and costumed many shows. She is excited to bring theatre back to Gurnee Park District with this wonderful, classic holiday story, and looks forward to many more theatrical opportunities in the future!
Make sure to mark your calendar to see their creativity and passion in person!
Friday, December 11 | 7:00pm
Saturday, December 12 | 7:00pm
Sunday, December 13 | 2:00pm
Tickets are on sale now | $15 https://ow.ly/zJZ45100AQ0
About the play:
"It's a Wonderful Life - The Radio Play" is based on the story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. This production is presented with the permission of The Greatest Gift Corporation.
