Cynthia Von Orthal is an actress, writer, director and puppet designer. She has performed at many theaters across the country and in Europe, including the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Blue Rider, The Actor’s Gang in Los Angeles and Trejnar Studios in Prague. While at Hystopolis Puppet Theatre, Ms. Von Orthal co-created an all puppet version of The Adding Machine, which won an International UNIMA Award for Excellence in Puppetry. Her own company, Von Orthal Puppets, has designed puppets and masks for several productions for Chicago’s theatre and ballet scene including Joffrey Ballet and Goodman Theatre. Ms. Von Orthal has produced an original all puppet musical, Akuba’s Dream, which she wrote with her husband, composer Paul Mertens of Poi Dog Pondering. She has appeared on Roseanne and in the film A League of Their Own, and is a graduate of the Goodman School of Drama.
