Photos by
Megan Crosby Photography

Jeff Casey - Managing Director
Jeff believes he began making an impact in the region when he created the Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation 17 years ago. This organization serves as a conduit between community theatres throughout Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties and continues to thrive today even without his direct involvement. Ten years ago, Jeff accepted a newly created position with South Shore Arts (then Northern Indiana Arts Association) as Director of Regional Services. In this position Jeff was charged with providing services to arts providers all over the region as 1 of 12 partners with the Indiana Arts Commission. During this time he also served as a panelist for Indiana's Individual Artist grant process and presented at State-wide arts conferences. In 2003, Jeff served as a consultant/advisor for the New Jersey State Arts Council in a 3 county region that borders New York City, making it geographically similar to NW Indiana in relation to Chicago.

Jeff proudly serves as Managing Director for the Towle Theater in downtown Hammond. Taking nothing but a beautiful facility and a great deal of support, Jeff and his team have built the Towle into a leader in the arts community. The Towle has become synonymous with professional quality theatre and mutually beneficial partnerships throughout NW Indiana and Chicagoland.

In addition to his duties at the Towle, Jeff has served as a building/program consultant for the new Carnegie Arts Center project in East Chicago and sat on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Hammond Council and the Board of Governors for the NW Indiana Society of Innovators.

Kevin Bellamy - Director of Administration
Kevin has been employed as Director of Administration since October of 2006. He has a degree from Indiana State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing, Management & Insurance. Immediately out of college, Kevin took a job as a claims adjustor for State Farm Insurance. After three years at State Farm, Kevin was offered a job entertaining on a cruise ship and that started his professional entertaining career which lasted seven years. Kevin decided to work locally and took a job at Master Tile Carpet One. He was employed there for eight years prior to the Towle Theater position. The position at the Towle Theater is a dream job. It combines all aspects of theater that Kevin loves.

Shawn A. Smith - Project Manager
Shawn is a recent transplant to NWI, having moved here from his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA in the fall of 2009. After graduating high school in 2001, he attended Point Park University and majored in Musical Theater and Stage Management with the belief that being well rounded in all aspects of the theater helps not only to make a stronger actor, but to make a stronger theatrical community as well. Since beginning his career in 1997, he has worked as an actor, director, stage manager, designer, prop master, writer and producer for over fifty professional and community productions in both Pittsburgh and Chicago and has even appeared in several major motion pictures, TV series, and short films and has been seen by audiences internationally. While attending college, he was interned as a mentor for the COPC Project, a not for profit organization that was sponsored by Point Park University and Focus On Renewal, a community service program in McKees Rocks, PA, to bring theater to an at risk school district. He was soon hired as a theatrical consultant to the program which led to the development of the Father Ryan Arts Center which brought virtually every aspect of the arts to the community. He was employed with Pittsburgh Musical Theater as an actor which led to various jobs with the company including working in the scenic and prop shops, director of the STARS youth theater program, working under the managing and artistic directors, and teacher of musical theater workshops. He also taught classes with John Robert Powers Modeling in Pittsburgh. When not working in a production, he worked as brand ambassador for several advertising companies, waiter, bartender and even a telemarketer for the Pittsburgh Symphony. Shawn is excited to join the staff by bringing his diverse experience to the table and to help to further the Towle’s reputation as the premiere theatrical destination in NWI and the greater Chicago area.

Patricia Hales - Musical Director (A Star in the Works)
Trisha was born and raised in Gary, Indiana and grew up in a musical household. Upon graduation from Calumet High School in 1973 she auditioned for and was accepted to Indiana University School of Music where she studied with the late opera star Eileen Farrell. While at I.U., she had the privilege of appearing in the world premier performance of John Eaton’s opera Danton and Robespierre as well as premiering the song cycle Songs for Patricia written by Alec Wilder. She graduated with High Honors in 1977 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance and received her Masters in 1978 in Vocal Pedagogy. Since returning to Northwest Indiana she has been a substitute teacher and accompanist for Merrillville Schools, taught for 15 years at IUN and, after serving 3 years as an adjunct faculty member in music, is now a continuing lecturer at Purdue Calumet. She is a member of the South Shore Arts Regional Arts Council and has served as a grant review panelist for the Indiana Arts Commission/ South Shore Arts. In her spare time, she teachers voice privately. Trisha is also very active in community work especially in the area of theatre. She has appeared numerous times on stage. Much in demand as a vocal coach and music director for regional theatre, she was chosen to serve as music director for the gala theatrical opening of the Center for Visual and Performing Arts production of Sweeney Todd.

She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is a voting member of the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (Grammy Awards). She has been listed in the Who’s Who of American Women and Women in Education and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award and several other awards and nominations for “Outstanding Vocal/ Music Direction” from the Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation.

Anthony F. Jurich - Musical Director (Towle Youth Theater Ensemble)
Tony is pleased to be making his debut at The Towle Theater as music director for 13 The Musical. He was last heard playing piano for Crown Point Community Theatre's spring production of Schoolhouse Rock. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and numerous music conventions. Tony has sung in Munster High School's Mixed Ensemble for the past three years. He is also pianist for Amor Musica Trio, a chamber group that performs at many local chamber music festivals. Tony can be seen most Sundays at St. Thomas More Church in Munster, where he serves as accompanist. He'd like to thank everyone at The Towle for their support and guidance, and he gives a big thank you to his parents for making all of this possible.

Steven P. Spanopoulos - Chorepgrapher (Towle Youth Theater Ensemble/A Star in the Works)
Steven is “Happy Tappy”, portraying his role as choreographer for the Towle Youth Theatre Ensemble productions and workshop dance mentor. Residing in Illinois, Steven teaches tap for the Roosevelt University Theatre Department at Joffrey Chicago as well as tap and musical theatre styles at Dance Images, Tinley Park. Steven provides his best remarks while adjudicating/master class instructing for CELEBRATION Talent Competition, having judged Nationals in Gatlinburg TN this past Summer. As a performer, his past credits include: Jeff Nominated Thoroughly Modern Millie at Drury Lane Oak Brook, Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, State Fair and 42nd Street at Theatre at the Center and CHICAGO at Pheasant Run. Steven was also an ABSOLUT Tapper through Up-Shot Marketing Agency, Chicago. Here at the Towle, you may have caught Steven in past productions of Floyd Collins, Jeffery and Sweeney Todd in concert. In NW Indiana, including Valparaiso University, he has choreographed over 30 shows and performed in several in addition to our stage, earning him seven NW Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation Awards for acting, directing and choreography. His work has also won him and the Mirror Image Competition Team of Valparaiso several nods on the competition circuit.

Judy Rossignuolo-Rice - Director (Summer Youth Shakespeare Program)
Judy has a B.F.A. in Theatre, and an M.A. in Speech and the Performing Arts, and has acted and directed professionally for over 30 years. She has taught and coached theatre for many years, and has conducted several workshops on acting and auditioning both in the States as well as in Europe as part of the United States Military's Department of Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR). While in Europe she directed several award-winning productions among which were Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and The Graduate. Judy was the recipient of Chicago's coveted Artisan Award for her hilarious portrayal of Mama Ferrante in Two Many Bosses. Other favorite roles are Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, Beatrice in A View From The Bridge, and Belinda in Noises Off. Chicago area directing credits include Over the River and through the Woods, Crossing Delancey, and Schmulnick's Waltz. She has directed at the University level, and has appeared as a Guest Artist in Indiana University's production of A…My Name is Alice as well as directing their production of Medea. Judy has been a high school Head Speech Coach for over 15 years with students qualifying for State Championship competitions. She can currently be seen in the Steak n' Shake commercial as "The Happy Hour Lady" and will soon be appearing as "Satisfied Customer" in a national spot for AT&T U-verse. She is pleased to be returning to Indiana to direct for Towle Theater. Judy is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.