Meet the staff
THE PLAYHOUSE FLOOR STAFF
Katie Klaus
Katie was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and attended Eureka College. Her favorite movie is The Lion King and her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Chicken Coop! In her free time, Katie enjoys playing with her rambunctious son and cats.
Robin Hasty
Robin has a bachelor’s degree in music. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Theater and her favorite movie is Mulan. She loves all things music and art, and animals, too!
Haley Gray
Haley is a studio artist who received her BFA in Painting from Illinois State University. She loves helping kids use their imagination to create projects in Real Tools.
Jody Holtz
Jody graduated from Bradley University in May 2021 with a theatre arts, television arts double major. She loves performing, stand up comedy, and cooking delicious meals. Feel free to talk to her about movies, TV shows, and anything funny.
Taylor Kilgus
Taylor is from Pekin, Illinois and attends St. Ambrose University. Her favorite animal is a kitten and she loves the movie Tangled. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the SciLab!
Taylor Tomlianovich
Taylor grew up in Peoria and is currently a student at Bradley University studying Early Childhood Education. Her favorite movies are Aladdin and The Princess and the Frog. Her favorite exhibits at the Playhouse are Real Tools and Fossils Rock! During her free time, she loves to hike, kayak, and travel.
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE PLAYHOUSE OFFICE STAFF
Rebecca Shulman
Director
309.681.2853
rshulman@peoriaparks.org
Rebecca moved to Peoria in 2013. For nearly 25 years prior to that she lived in New York City, and worked in the Education Departments of art museums, including the Guggenheim Museum and the Noguchi Museum. She is the author of the book Looking at Art in the Classroom and writes the blog Museum Questions.
Jake Guzan
Exhibits Manager
309.323.6895
jguzan@peoriaparks.org
Michelle Kistler
Membership Coordinator
309.323.6892
mkistler@peoriaparks.org
Tessa Martinez
Educator
tmartinez@peoriaparks.org
Jake joined the PlayHouse in November 2018. He is a printmaker, with a BFA degree from Bradley University and an MFA degree from West Virginia University. His favorite movie is The Lego Movie because he always loved playing with Legos when he was young, and because "everything is awesome!".
Michelle is from Hunstville, AL and moved to Peoria in 2019. She graduated from University of Alabama and received her masters degree overseas at University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. Michelle has loved museums since a visit to Washington, D.C. in 5th grade; she is passionate about museum education and enjoys collections and archival work.
Tessa was born and raised in Laredo, TX. She received he master’s degree in ceramics. She loves traveling, dancing, and making cards. She is passionate about having children and their adults learn about new materials, tools, and ways of making.
Tori Hatchell
Educator
309.323.6897
vhatchell@peoriaparks.org
Tori is from Readfield, ME and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in May of 2020. She developed a passion for museums when she was young after visiting them on family vacations and school trips, and was able to spend the summer of 2019 interning at the Maine State Museum, where she gained experience working with collections and conservation staff.
Mary Kate Paetow-Fanning
Marketing Coordinator
mpaetowfanning@peoriaparks.org
Mary Kate is from Homewood, IL and attended Bradley University. She is passionate about social justice and equity work, education, and community development. She spent the 2020-21 school year completing a year of service in Milwaukee Public Schools and she is interested in museums as a child-focused space for continued education outside the classroom.