Lauren Bauer (BFA 2005) Lauren worked as an acting apprentice at Actors Theatre of Louisville the year after she graduated from Ohio and then moved straight to NYC, where she is currently living. Since in NY, she has appeared in a NY Fringe Festival show, and many other small off off Broadway shows and readings. She landed her first professional gig this fall, appearing in Dracula at Premiere Stages in NJ. Now she's got that golden Equity card and this April she will be sing'n some country and playing Audrey Williams in Hank Williams:Lost Highway at Virginia Stage Company. She misses Athens and thinks NYC just can't compare.
Merri Biechler (MFA 2007) lives in Ohio. Her plays include Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver (2007 Jane Chambers Student Playwriting Award winner, 2007 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition finalist; 2007 Princess Grace Award finalist, 2007 WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory participant; and the recepient of over $30,000 in grant awards for developing the play as a teaching tool for medical students); Real Girls Can't Win! (nominated by Victory Gardens Theater for the 2007 Stavis Playwriting Award; scheduled for workshop at VG in December); Dolley and the Secret History Club (2007 Kennedy Center/White House Historical Association commission); Bombs, Babes and Bingo (Clubbed Thumb Biennial Commission finalist, 2007); The Bathtub Play (2005 Jane Chambers Student Playwriting Award); Brace for Impact (Cleveland Public Theatre); The Celery Conspiracy (Foundry TheatreWorks, Los Angeles); and her one-woman show Ain't I A White Woman (Foundry TheatreWorks, Los Angeles). A monologue from The Celery Conspiracy appears in "Audition Arsenal for Women in Their 30's" by Smith and Kraus Publishers, Inc. She is the recipient of the 2005 Scott McPherson Award for Playwriting. As a professional actor, Merri studied acting with Stanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC and at his home on the island of Bequia, West Indies. She was a founding member the Edge Theater with fellow North Carolina School of the Arts classmates Peter Hedges, Mary-Louise Parker and Joe Mantello, and acted in more than a dozen new plays with the company. She appeared Off-Broadway in Tony 'n Tina's Wedding, has been seen in the films He Said, She Said, Man of the Year and The Thing Called Love, and in guest starring parts on TV in E.R., Judging Amy, Murphy Brown and Love and War. She worked at ABC Television for three years writing scripts and treatments for its Movie-of-the-Week division. Merri is a member of the Writers Guild of America, Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and a member of the once glorious, and now defunct, Circle Rep Lab.
Aaron Carter (MFA 2005) is a Chicago playwright, and as of September 2007, the new literary manager of the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens theater there. His paternal grandfather was a black Baptist preacher, his maternal grandparents were white vaudeville performers. The influence of his ancestors is seen Aaron's work which focuses on race, faith, and obscure performance skills... His play Panther Burn was produced in October 2006 by MPAACT at Victory Gardens Greenhouse, and was nominated for the Black Theater Alliance's "Best Writing of a Play" Award. His Raw Material will be produced by EP Theater in September 2007. His latest play, Iowa Akhbar, will be presented in a workshop as part of the KNF Series in New York; the play was originally read at Chicago Dramatists, and further developed at Grinnell College. Recently, his short play Kegger was part of Collaboraction's Sketchbook 2006; First Words was presented at Around the Coyote reading series; Swamp Baby was read in the Side Project's Harvest Series in Chicago, as well as the Soho Think Tank Sixth Floor Reading Series in New York; and his play If Condition was produced as part of Manhattan Rep's Winterfest, also in New York. Aaron's work has also been read at Victory Garden's Theater and Chicago Dramatists, where he is a resident playwright... Aaron was a Minority Scholar in Residence at Grinnell College in the Spring of 2007, and his teaching work includes theater and writing courses at Grinnell College, Roosevelt University, and Indiana University NW, as well as outreach work with Steppenwolf Theater, Congo Square, American Theater Company and After School Matters. Aaron is also the creator of the blog New Terminology For Dramaturgy (NTFD) at http://ntfd.blogspot.com/ .
Lindsay Cummings (MA/BA '00) is starting her second season as the Education Manager of Portland Stage Company (PSC) in Portland, Maine. Prior to joining the staff at Portland Stage Company, Lindsay served as a Directing and Dramaturgy Intern for PSC and a Literary Intern for the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Lindsay has presented papers at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Theatre Symposium and the Women of Appalachia Conference. (7/02)
Christopher De Paola (MFA '06) is a Cuban playwright originally from Hollywood, Florida. He is currently a head writer on WCIU-TV's Green Screen Adventures. His two plays Morning Traffic and DreamWater were commissioned and published by Pearson Education/Scott Foresman. His plays Streets Come Knocking and Recovered were finalists in Chicago Dramatists' '06 and '07 Many Voices Project. Productions include: What I Knew Then (Doppelgang Productions, NYC); The Dialogue Between Men and Women (Intar Theater & The Theater Studio, NYC). Workshop Productions include: Streets Come Knocking (Ohio University); Watchdog (Otterbein College, OH). Readings include: Streets Come Knocking (Victory Gardens); Elements of Form (Seabury Quinn Jr. Playwrights' Festival, OH); The In-Betweener (Manhattan Theater Club, NYC). Christopher is an Emmy Award nominated actor for his role on the television show Green Screen Adventures. Acting Credits include: Eye of the Storm (Vittum Theater); Autobiography (Collaboraction: Sketchbook 7); Cynical Weathers (Victory Gardens); Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams (Victory Gardens); NYC premiere of A.R. Gurney's The Guest Lecturer; Butterflies Are Free; King John; Don Juan In Hell; A Chorus Line; Charley's Aunt; A Few Good Men; Ten Little Indians with Gordon Jump; Once Upon a Mattress; Wait Until Dark; Harvey; Romeo and Juliet; and the world premiere of Kia Corthron's Catnap Allegiance. Chris is a founding member of the NYC improv troupe Devil's Dancebelt. Christopher also produces a monthly evening of new work called Instant Theatre at Chicago Dramatists. He has a BFA in Acting from Otterbein College, and an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.
Dan Deming (BA '03) Originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Dan is an Artistic Associate for Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. He has appeared in the Vampire Cowboy productions of A Beginner's Guide to Deicide and Vampire Cowboy Trilogy. Dan holds two bachelor degrees in Classics and Theatre from Ohio University's Honors Tutorial College.
Caitlin Dick (BFA '03) Caitlin made her New York theater debut with the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. She has worked previously with the Cowboys on the original production of A Beginner's Guide to Deicide playing the role of Skeeter. Caitlin holds a BFA from Ohio University and has also completed the LaMama Program through Trinity College. Currently, she is a student at Circle in the Square Theatre School.
Christopher M. Domanski (MFA '02) Chris is currently a design professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, as well as a resident designer for The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. He has received the Award for recognition of design excellence at the USITT Young Designers Forum 2003. In honor of this award, his work was presented at The Prague Quadrennial 2003 Exhibit and is now currently touring Europe.
Nick Francone (MFA '02) Design credits include Vampire Cowboy Trilogy (Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company)several productions for the AADA; F*cking Love for Wej Productions; The Barn Series 2002 for the LAByrinth Theatre; Touch the Names for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Hot and Sweet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Rivals, and A Winter's Tale for The Hartt School; Oliver, Pride's Crossing and All My Sons for the Monomoy Theatre in Cape Cod as well as numerous productions for Ohio University where he earned his MFA. Recent Assisting: Broadway & SF Productions of Wicked; Valhalla at NY Theatre Workshop.
Margie Freeswick (BA '02) Margie made her NYC debut in Vampire Cowboy Trilogy. Other credits include the touring production of Babes in Toyland with American Family Theatre. Currently, she works for Disney in New York.
Matthew Given (MFA '03) Credits: Vampire Cowboy Trilogy, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company; Tiny Tiny White Short and other dreams a work in progress, The Siti Company Studio; The Long Christmas Ride Home (Assistant Designer), Long Wharf Theatre; The Secret Garden, SUNY New Paltz; The Cherry Orchard, Columbia University; Eccentricities of a Nightingale, New Harmony Theatre; The Foreigner, New Harmony Theatre; A Day in Hollywood/ A Night in the Ukraine, New Harmony Theatre. Matthew holds an M.F.A. in Sound Design from Ohio University.
Jaclyn Gleisinger (BFA '01) Jaclyn is the Fundraising & Merchandising Coordinator for Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. As an actor, Jaclyn has been seen on the television programs, Law & Order and The Street. Also, she currently works as an Editorial Associate for Maxim Magazine, as well as a Contributing Editor for Rated Rookie. Most recently, Jaclyn was the Assistant Director for the New York premier of Dan Shea's Garbagemen of the Old West at the Producers Club. Most recently Jaclyn was the leading role in Elf Abuse which was featured in Maxim Goes to the Movies: Issue 2 and on their corresponding website.
Amy Lynn Hess (MFA '01) Since leaving OU Amy Lynn started her own publishing company, wrote and published her own book, Is There Room in the Alley for Another Poet? as well as a few dramaturgical things in Atlanta. She is writing a dramaturgy column for Downstage.com. Check out her website, The Poetry Workshop Pages. Click on "How to Publish Your Poetry" if you are interested in a copy of her book.(8/02)
Greg Hubbard (MFA '00) is currently doing an internship in the casting department at Theatre Works which he loves.(1/00)
Paul Jacobson (BA 2000) Paul is living in L.A., he is a member of the Stage Combat Team at Sword Fights Inc.www.swordfightsinc.com His latest project is an eight episode series titled "Battles B.C.", which will premiere in March 2009. He has just filmed a national PSA as the devil.
Laura Jacqmin (MFA 2007) is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, the co-founder of the Yale Playwrights Festival, and was nominated for the inaugural Wasserstein Prize. Her plays have been staged and developed at Victory Gardens Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company (THE REVISIONISTS), Perishable Theatre (GOTHAM IS SAFE AGAIN!), Collaboraction (UN ROBOT, POOL OF), the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (LUCKY, YANG REN [FOREIGNER]), Kitchen Dog Theater, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, Clubbed Thumb (OHIO), Guerilla Cabaret at Collective: Unconscious (ADVISOR) and the inaugural NNPN/University Playwrights Workshop at the National Center for New Plays at Stanford University (BUTT NEKKID). Her play HAPPYSLAP was a winner of Aurora Theatre Company's 2007 Global Age Project and was produced by the Ohio University School of Theater in their 2006-2007 season. She is the recipient of a 2006 Ohio University SEA research and development grant for 10 VIRGINS, which will receive its world premiere in Chicago Dramatists' 2007-2008 season. Also premiering in Chicago this season is Jacqmin's BUTT NEKKID, which will be produced by the side project theatre company. She was recently commissioned by Collaboraction to write OM in THE SIDDHARTHA PROJECT: A DOWN-HOME, APOCALYPTIC, AVALANCHE OF BEAUTY, which will premiere in Chicago this fall. LUCKY will be published in a forthcoming volume by Smith & Kraus, and several of Jacqmin's monologues will be published in S & K's 221 ONE-MINUTE MONOLOGUES FROM LITERATURE. Jacqmin was one of six writers selected to take part in The 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic/New Voices at the Atlantic Theater in New York City, where her play THIS IS HOW premiered this past July. She is currently a semifinalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship. Jacqmin currently teaches playwriting at Chicago Dramatists.
Dana LaRue (MFA '03) Dana recently relocated to Los Angeles after spending 3 years working in her hometown of Chicago, where her performance as Marjorie in Extremities with Actors Revolution Theatre was heralded as #1 in the "Top 5 Shows by a Small Company in 2006" by NewCity Chicago. Additionally, she has performed with such theatres as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis, Next Theatre and others. Watch for her appearance in the film "Good Dick" starring Jason Ritter, later this year. She can also be seen in a nationally broadcast Diurex commercial.
Jeni Mahoney (MFA 1991) Jeni is a playwright, teacher, producer and the founding Artistic Director of Seven Devils Playwrights Conference which has developed more than 50 new plays since its inception in 2001 and is featured in Michael Wright's 2005 book "Playwriting: At Work and Play." Jeni's plays including The Feast of the Flying Cow… and Other Stories of War, The Martyrdom of Washington Booth, Mercy Fall and Light have been presented at the National Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill Center, InterAct Theater (Philadelphia), L.A. Theater Center, MidWest New Play Festival (Chicago), Lark Theater's Playwrights Week, Rattlestick Productions, NYU's hotINK Festival, Village Rep and Chicago Womens Theater Alliance among others. Her one-acts Throw of the Moon and American Eyes were commissioned and produced by Gorilla Rep and can be found in "Plays and Playwrights 2001" edited by Martin Denton. She was commissioned by the OBIE-Award winning Mint Theater to adapt Margaret Ayer Barnes' dramatization of The Age of Innocence. Jeni is the recipient of an Independent Artists Challenge Grant from Field and a Woolrich Postgraduate Fellowship from Columbia University. Excerpts from her plays can be found in numerous monologue and scene books. Jeni teaches playwriting in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts BFA program through Playwrights Horizons Theater School. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Michael McAleer (MFA '00) lives and works in New York City. He has assisted Emmy and Tony-Award Winning Designers on a Variety of Projects, including legit theatrical, opera, television movies, and commerc ials. Shows include Troilus and Cressida, Cellini (Written and Directed by John Patrick Shanley), Kiss Me Kate (Broadway), Me and Mrs Jones, Hair ( City Center) and The Ring Cycle (Seattle Opera). Most recent work includes assisting on the 2001 Tony Award Winner for Best Costume Design and Best Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and the World Premiere of Harlem Song at The Apollo Theatre. (7/02)
Robert W. McMaster (MFA '01) recently returned to Brooklyn after touring as the Sponsorship & Promotions Manager of Dora the Explorer LIVE! Other New York work has included several chances to work for Harold Prince on readings of works in development and on the Broadway production of Hollywood Arms. (5/04)
Qui Nguyen (MFA'02) Originating from Southern Arkansas, Qui Nguyen is founder and Artistic Director of the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. As a playwright, his plays have been produced on the stages of Center Stage NYC, Noho Studios of Los Angeles, The Wing & Groove Theatre of Chicago, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Louisiana Tech University, and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. As well, his work has also been presented in staged reading series at The Goodman, Pan Asian Rep, Queen's Theatre in the Park, and DueEast Theatre. Qui is a Recognized Advanced Actor/Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. As a Professional Choreographer, his fights have been seen at Madlabs, St. Marks Theatre, People's Light and Theatre Company, Ohio University, and Out of the Blue Productions. Qui Nguyen is a recipient of the OU Scott McPherson Playwriting Award and The New Dramatists Playwriting Fellowship. As well, his writing has been published in the pages of Rated Rookie Magazine and The Chicago Report. Currently, Qui works as a Marketing Associate for Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and is a playwright with the Ma-Yi Theater Company's Writers' Unit. Upcoming, his play Trial by Water: A Gook Story Part One is scheduled for workshop production at Queen's Theatre in the Park. Qui holds an MFA in playwriting.
Melissa Paladino (BFA '02) Melissa is a 2002 Ohio University graduate. Currently, she is starring in Vampire Cowboy Trilogy in New York City, reprising the roles she originated from the Premiere production at OU. Melissa was most recently seen in LAByrinth Theatre Company's Barn Series, in the new play, Sailor Song, with Stanley Tucci and written and directed by John Patrick Shanley at the Public Theatre. She has been priveledged to act in LAByrinth's Summer Intensive and produce their 2002 Barn Series. She also appeared in Fort Doom (Sultan Films) as Agnes, which will be out in mid 2004.
Robert Ross Parker (MFA '02) Originating from Canada, Robert Ross Parker is a founder and Artistic Director of the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. Robert's other Vampire Cowboy credits include Stained Glass Ugly (Midtown International Theatre Festival) and the original productions of A Beginner's Guide to Deicide and Vampire Cowboy Trilogy, both at Ohio University. New York directing credits include F*cking Love (Wej Productions) and readings for LAByrinth Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and Queens Theatre in the Park (Qui Nguyen's Trial by Water). Robert was the assistant director on Roulette for EST (where he is also a young director in residence) and the associate director for Silent Laughter at the Lamb's Theatre. Regional credits include Pseudolus and A Midsummer's Night's Dream Project (Toronto Fringe Festival), The Miracle Worker (Ohio Valley Summer Theatre), and an ongoing workshop of Raoul Bhaneja's solo Manet Hamlet (Hope and Hell). He has assisted at Soulpepper and People's Light and Theatre Company. As an actor, Robert has toured extensively with his solo show, Confessions of an Undead Actor. Upcoming, Robert will be directing Qui Nguyen's Trial by Water: A Gook Story Part One in fall 2004 at Queen's Theatre in the Park. Robert holds an MFA in directing.
Anne Cofell Saunders (MFA 2000) wrote and sold a spec script to the TV series, 24, and later worked as assistant to the producer on several more episodes of that show before joining Battlestar Gallactica in 2005. In an interview in May 2006, Saunders expressed admiration for her fellow BSG writers, Mark Verheiden, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson, Jeff Vlaming, and Carla Robinson, calling them "some of the strongest writers Hollywood can offer" and said that Executive Producer Ron Moore continues to surprise and challenge the writers to take risks, such as with the Season 2 finale's (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II) shocking one-year leap forward in time, an episode Saunders is proud she wrote. Either by luck or design, Saunders has created or written some of the strongest women characters on BSG, including Admiral Cain, Starbuck and Laura Roslin. "I feel a strong affinity with Starbuck's character," Saunders said in the interview. "As a woman, wouldn't it be great to be a fighter pilot? To be that outrageously tough chick?" Having the chance to write for Laura Roslin, the teacher who becomes the colonies' president, is something Saunders said she really looked forward to because of her own background in teaching. "I taught at the university level, and I taught high school in Japan, and the one thing a teacher has to do is set parameters and have a strong presence," Saunders said. "You have to love Roslin when she said (to Adama), 'You have to kill her (Cain).' To me, she was drawing her line in the sand."Saunders and her husband are major science fiction fans, with the rooms in their house lined with books from authors like Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card. She believes revealing how much of a sci-fi fan she is to Ron Moore is one the reasons she got hired. "It's not every day that he meets women who are nuts for sci-fi," she said. (The above bio comes from the Battlestar Gallactica Wiki. The original can be found at: http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Anne_Cofell_Saunders .)
Ed Sellick (MFA '00) After a year at the Long Wharf Theatre Ed headed for the Big Apple. He freelanced for a while and then things slowed down somewhat, until he applied for a job at The Dance Theatre Workshop. They are building a new theater and he is their ne w TD.(7/02)
Benjamin Shuman (MA '00) Ben worked the last two years at the Asolo Theater in Sarasota, Florida, first as an intern and ultimately as PSM for the Asolo Conservatory. Currently, he is part of the Stage Management Staff in the Maine State Music Theater's 2002 Season, and looking toward a possible move to NYC. (7/02)
Lauren B. Smith (BFA '03) is living in Cleveland. She works as an Actor/Teacher for the Great Lakes Theater Festival's School Residency Program and is loving it! (10/04)
Andrea Marie Smith (BFA 02) Originally from Tennessee, Andrea is an Artistic Associate for Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. For VCTC, Andrea has performed in the New York premiere and 2004 New York International Fringe Festival productions of Vampire Cowboy Trilogy. She has also been recently seen in Qui Nguyen’s Slicing Andre at Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Octoberfest as well as the workshop of Fever Pitch’s St. Hollywood at PS122. As a resident artist in the Monomoy Theatre Company for two years, Andrea has performed in various roles including Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal, Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, Phoebe in As You Like It, as well as many others. Her film credits include A Letter From the Past and Wunderwrap. At Ohio University, Andrea portrayed characters ranging from Desdemona in Goodnight, Desdemona (Good Morning, Juliet) to Patty in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Andrea will be playing the lead in Vampire Cowboys' upcoming production, A Beginner's Guide to Deicide.
Temar Underwood Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Temar trained in acting in the Ohio University B.F.A. Theater Performance Program. He has appeared in various roles including Belize/Mr. Lies in Angels in America, Dumas Pere in Les Trois Dumas, and Jesus in Godspell. Currently, Temar is part of the acting ensemble for The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. As a singer, his album, tentatively titled "Bringing Out the Dead" is scheduled to premier this fall.