June Eubanks

Currently, June is rehearsing for the roles of Professor Budlong and Mrs. Seeley, in Paul Edwards’ adaptation of Jack Finney’s 1955 novel: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This world premiere will open on April 6, 2010, at the City Lit Theatre in Chicago, IL. Last December, June had the pleasure of reprising the role of Mrs. Cratchit, in Dickens’ Christmas Carol at the Metropolis Theatre, in Arlington Heights, IL, and enjoyed playing the mother of six adorable children… six times a week! It was exhausting, but rewarding work.  In October of 2009, she had an incredible experience at the Strawdog Theatre Company when she participated in their annual “Direct-Off” competition.  June adapted and directed her own piece, based on the personal ads labeled: “I Saw You,” in the Chicago Reader. Thanks to the talents of Amy Dunlap and Matt Lang, the piece was a great success, winning praise from judges: Ann Filmer, of the 16th Street Theatre in Berwyn, and Ora Jones and Frances Guinan of the Steppenwolf Theatre.

Last summer (2009), June portrayed “Alice” in Emilie Syberg’s original piece entitled: Orphanage Picnic. The one-act was featured as part of an evening of plays in Snapshots 2009 with 20% Theatre Company, again at the Strawdog Theatre space. The show was directed by Amy Dunlap, delightfully fun to perform each night, and ran from August 6th ~9th. Just prior to this experience, she directed William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the Promethean Theatre Ensemble (at the City Lit Theatre space), and opened to lovely reviews on  May 15th, 2009.

In August of 2008, she had the honor of having her one-woman show, entitled The Kiddy Pool, produced by the 20% Theatre Company in their collection of one-acts for Snapshots 2008. In addition to writing the piece, she was also given the privilege to direct. And in the Spring of 2008, she played the roles of Lady Nijo and Win, again with the 20% Theatre Company, in their production of Top Girls. In the spring of 2007, she enjoyed playing the roles of Helena and Rosalind, in selected scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It, with the Promethean Theatre Ensemble. The summer of 2006 was a very busy one, when she wrote and performed in her first one-woman piece, entitled Mr. Better-Than-You with the Lincoln Square Theatre, and directed the second original production of Diamante’s 2006 season, the hysterically funny Cold Cold Feet. Other Chicago directing credits include four original one-act plays for the Martin De Maat Theatre Festival at the Boxer Rebellion Theatre and acting and directing work at the Beverly Arts Center.

Prior to these projects, she directed an original play entitled After the Party, profiling a fictional terrorist in post- 9/11 suburban New York, produced at the Theatre Studio in NYC, and the season-opening production of The Taming of a Shrew in Hollywood, Florida at the Shakespeare/Renaissance Festival. Other favorites include Mud, by Maria Irene Fornes, produced at the Asolo Conservatory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida; and Machinal, by Sophie Treadwell and The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, produced at Illinois State University where Ms. Eubanks earned her Master’s degree in Directing. This education afforded her the opportunity to intern at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival during her summer “breaks” and, aside from assisting fine directors from Penn State and Southern Methodist University, she wrote and directed two thirty-minute “comedic synopsis plays” based on Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor and King John. Her acting credits span Shakespeare, musicals, children’s theatre, original plays, and “fringe” theatre and they have taken her all over the east coast, mid-west and both coast lines of Florida. June now happily resides in Chicago where she has been blessed to continue working with the most talented burgeoning theater artists in the United States.