Dreamwell Theatre Board of Directors

Dreamwell Founders

Matthew Falduto – Matt hails from the Chicago suburbs but fell in love with Iowa City upon his arrival in 1992. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in English, he decided to fulfill his dream of starting a theatre company. Many years later, he found himself at Iowa State, where he received a Master’s in Education. His acting credits include “Paul” in Barefoot in the Park, “George” in Of Mice and Men, “Edward” in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, “King Philip” in The Lion in Winter, “Andrew” in Love Letters, and “Philip” in Corpus Christi. Directing credits include The Hobbit, Wait Until Dark, How To Sell a Chair, Intellectual Orgasms, and That Day in September, which he adapted for eight actors. In 2009 and 2010, he won Best Play in the All in a Day Play Festival, a co-production between Dreamwell and City Circle. He has written a number of plays that have been produced locally, including Soldier’s Daughter, which was co-written with members of the Black Doggers playwriting group, Ozma of Oz, an adaptation of two of the Oz books, and Guinevere and Arthur, a new take on the Arthurian legend.Matt and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Rachel, Samantha, and Piper.

Ali Zimmerman – Ali arrived in Iowa City in 1994 from Vermillion, South Dakota. She has appeared in several shows, such as Hello, Dolly!, Guys & Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz, Personals, and Once Upon a Mattress. Her only Dreamwell performances were as the victim in Cruise to Murder, and as “Cynthia” in Baby With the Bathwater. Ali graduated with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Iowa in December 1998. She has since worked with several theatre companies in both Denver, CO, and Indianapolis, IN where she currently works as a web applications developer. We are incredibly grateful to Ali for her continued web support.

Sharon Werch Falduto – Sharon is a native of Dallas Center, Iowa. She came to Iowa City for the University in 1991 and hasn’t left since. She enjoys theatre tremendously, and has appeared as “Daisy” in Biloxi Blues, “The Marquis de Sade” in Robert Anton Wilson’s Wilhelm Reich in Hell, “Corrie” in Barefoot in the Park, “Bianca” in Dreamwell’s production of Desdemona, A Play About a Handkerchief, and “Myra” in Hay Fever. She directed Woody Allen’s God with another theatre troupe, and was the director of Dreamwell’s first full-length production, Of Mice and Men. More recently, she was in a post-apocalyptic Stonehenge play. She lives in Coralville with her husband and co-founder, Matt, their daughters, Rachel, Samantha, and Piper, and four stuffed pigs. Sharon resigned from the board at the end of 2002.

Paul Chakrin – Originally from Chicago, Paul has been involved in theatre for over 20 years. As an actor, some of his favorite roles have included “Mr. Hollander” in Don’t Drink the Water, “Dr Einstein” in Arsenic and Old Lace, “Sam” in Crossing Delancy, and “Dr Boyle” in Prelude to a Kiss. Among his directing credits are Barefoot in the Park, Baby With the Bathwater, Moon Over Buffalo, and I Hate Hamlet. Paul currently resides in the Chicago area, where he has acted with such companies as DreamLogic Theatreworks and Prologue Theatre Company. He left the board in 2001.