When the final curtain fell on the long-running scene of U-High’s theater directors in June, it marked the end of an era. Yet, a new act has already begun with the refreshing arrival of two new directors of U-High’s theater department.
Matt Boresi will assume Liucija Ambrosini’s former role as director, and Ryan Wantland takes on Allen Ambrosini’s former role of technical director. Although they’ve only been at U-High for a few weeks, they are eager to continue where the Ambrosinis left off yet incorporate a more contemporary perspective in their work.
Raised in an artistic household, with his mother, a dance teacher, and his grandfather, a photographer, Mr. Boresi has been performing, directing, and teaching theater ever since. He’s taught at Lake Forest Academy, Carthage College and North Central College.
Mr. Wantland has had a particularly unique journey before arriving at U-High. He went to college for architecture, changed his mind, sought a bachelor’s degree in business marketing, realized that wasn’t fulfilling either, and after taking some time to reflect, decided to pursue technical theater professionally.
Mr. Boresi recognizes that with the rise of technology, more people choose to stay home and watch TV or a movie rather than engaging with art in person. He wants to direct shows that encourage the community to step away from their screens and see the arts in real life.
“Theater is something that can happen anywhere there is an empty space and an audience and some performers,” Mr. Boresi said, “so we want to tell stories in whatever space is right.”
They plan on exploring this, whether through taking their performances out of the Sherry Lansing Theater and into nontraditional spaces, interacting with the audience, moving the audience around, implementing new technology in lighting and set design, or collaborating with the university, Lab and Chicago communities. Above all, though, they’re eager to collaborate with the students.
“The students that I’ve met at Lab have all been so enthusiastic and hungry to learn new things and try new things,” Mr. Wantland said, “They’re just hungry to learn in general in a way that students at other schools and institutions that I’ve worked at and toured through just didn’t have.”
In addition to supervising the theatrical productions, they will be teaching their respective classes, Mr. Wantland in Technical Theater Production and Mr. Boresi in Directing and Acting Studio.
“I’m excited about the newness,” Mr. Boresi said. “Mr. Wantland’s new, and I’m new. This is a new space for us. We are new to the students. They’re new to us. All students, no matter how long they’ve been doing it, are somewhat new to the art and the craft, so I want all of us to have this exciting, fun, scary experience together.”
