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Core Cast


Brian Allard

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  • Hometown: Bloomington, MN
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Benedicke
  • Favorite OPS Show: Much Adoe About Nothing
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Peter in "Tales of Ordinary Madness"
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: "Tales of Ordinary Madness"
  • "Trained" at: Viterbo College, La Crosse, WI
  • "Teams" Played For: Portland Center Stage, Portland Playhouse, Quintessence, Bad Badger Productions, Manhattan Repertory, The Portland Spirit
  • Favorite Quote: "Find your mark, look the other fellow in the eye, and tell the truth." - James Cagney
  • "Positions" playing this year: Touchstone, Jacques, Duke Frederick, Oliver, Capulet, Tybalt, Benvolio

Noah Goldenberg

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  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Orlando
  • Favorite OPS Show: A Midsommer Nights Dreame
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Macbeth
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: Love Labors Lost
  • "Trained" at: University of British Columbia
  • "Teams" Played For: Coho, UBCImprov, Northwest Children's Theater
  • Favorite Quote: "Ich Bin Ein Berliner!" - John F. Kennedy
  • "Positions" playing this year: Orlando, Silvius, Romeo, Mercutio, Paris, Prompter

Kaia Hillier

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  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 3
  • Favorite OPS Role: Helena
  • Favorite OPS Show: A Midsommer Nights Dreame / Romeo & Juliet
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: C.B.'s Sister "in "Dog Sees God"
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: The Odd Couple
  • "Trained" at: Portland State University
  • "Teams" Played For: Blue Monkey, Tin Pan Alley, Nutz n' Boltz, Artists Repertory, Mt. Hood Reader's Theater, CoHo 24 hr Theater, Northwest Classical Theater
  • "Positions" playing this year: Rosalind, Pheobe, Adam, Juliet, Nurse, Benvolio, Prompter

Kerry Leek

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  • Hometown: Davis, California
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Snug!
  • Trained at: PSU and University of Washington
  • "Teams" Played for: Founding Member of the Brody Theater
  • "Positions" playing: Touchstone, Duke Senior, Adam, Prompter

Shawna Nordman

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  • Hometown: Spokane, WA
  • # of Years with OPS: 2
  • Favorite OPS Role: Feste
  • Favorite OPS Show: As You Like It
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Editor Daily in "The Cradle Will Rock"
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: Anything by Brecht
  • "Trained" at: Whitworth University
  • "Teams" Played For: Fuse Theatre Ensemble, The San Francisco Mime Troupe, Spokane Civic Theatre
  • Favorite Quote: "The theatre is an empty box and it is our job to fill it with fury and ecstasy and revolution."
  • "Positions" playing this year:  Rosalind, Phoebe, Audrey, Juliet, Nurse, Benvolio, Prompter


Jamie M. Rea

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  • Hometown: San Fransisco, CA
  • # of Years with OPS: First Year
  • Favorite OPS Role: Soon to be Discovered
  • Favorite OPS Show: Jury waits in anticipation
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Beatrice
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot
  • "Trained" at: Westwood Elementary
  • "Teams" Played For: SF Shakes, Tygres Heart, Miracle Theatre, JTC, Staged! (the exclamation point is part of their name), Cygnet, BaseRoots, San Jose Civic Light Opera
  • Favorite Quote: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams
  • "Positions" playing this year: Celia, Jacques, Lady Capulet, Benvolio, Prompter

Gary Strong

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  • Hometown: Hubbard, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 2
  • Favorite OPS Role: Dogberry
  • Favorite OPS Show: A Midsommer Nights Dreame
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Sir Toby Belch
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: "As Bees in Honey Drown"
  • "Trained" at: Western Oregon University
  • "Teams" Played For:  Bag and Baggage Productions
  • Favorite Quote: "An Idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." - Oscar Wilde
  • "Positions" playing this year: Touchstone, Duke Senior, Nurse, Frier,

Beth Thompson

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  • Hometown: Chatham, IL
  • # of Years with OPS: First Year
  • Favorite OPS Role: Ask me in August!
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Jack the Pumpkin King
  • Favorite Non OPS Show: Elsewhere: Short Explorations of In Between, Afterwards and Not Here
  • "Trained" at: llinois State University
  • "Teams" Played For: Action/Adventure Theatre, Many Hats Collaborations, Twilight Rep, Working Theatre Co., Dance Naked Productions, Forgery Theatre Co.
  • "Positions" playing this year: Celia, Jacques, Phoebe, Tybalt, Prince, Prompter


Guest Artists


Hailey Bachrach

  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 3
  • Favorite OPS Role: Hermia
  • "Trained" at: Sarah Lawrence College, Accademia dell'Arte
  • Favorite Quote: "By and by is easily said."
  • "Positions" playing: Rosalind, Jacques, Juliet, Mercutio

Thomas Maier

  • Hometown: Seattle, WA
  • # of Years with OPS: 3
  • Favorite OPS Role: Anthonio in Twelfe Night
  • "Trained" at: Central Washington University
  • Favorite Quote: "Call me but love, and I shall be new baptized."
  • "Positions" Playing: Oliver, Frederick, Silvius

Elizabeth Yocam

  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • # of years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Dogberry
  • Favorite OPS Show: Much Adoe About Nothing
  • "Trained" at: Connecticut College
  • "Positions" playing: Duke Senior, Phebe, Benvolio, Prince

Journeymen


Phillip J. Berns

  • Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
  • # of Years with OPS: 2
  • Favorite OPS Role: Aguecheek or the really old priest
  • Favorite OPS Show: Playing in the rain at the end of last year
  • "Trained" at: Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI
  • "Positions" playing: Silvius, Adam, Lysander, Prompter

Elizabeth Daniels

  • Hometown: Hillsboro, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Any role in which I get to make overblown statements with fabulous wordistry, flounce about a bit, and/or dress like a man (i.e. all of them).
  • "Positions" playing: Rosalind, Celia, Duke Senior

Natalie Heikkinen

  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 3
  • Favorite OPS Show: Twelfe Night
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Sheila in "A Chorus Line"
  • "Trained" at: Pacific Lutheran University
  • "Positions" playing: Celia and Pheobe

Clara Hillier

  • Hometown: Brighton, UK
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Beatrice
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit"
  • "Trained" at: Reed College
  • "Positions" playing: Rosalind, Jacques, Lady Capulet

Nik Hoback

  • Hometown: Orlando, FL
  • # of years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Pucke
  • Favorite OPS Show: Midsummer Midsommer
  • "Trained" at: Whitworth University
  • "Positions" playing: Silvius, Orlando, Romeo, Mercutio

Tom Mounsey

  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of Years with OPS: 3
  • Favorite OPS Role: Benedicke
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Dave Moss
  • "Trained" at: Portland Actors Conservatory
  • "Positions" playing: Frederick , Oliver, Bottome

Sarah Peters

  • Hometown: Westerville, OH
  • # of Years with OPS: First Year
  • "Trained" at: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music & Dell'Arte International MFA
  • "Teams" played for: Miracle Theatre, Post5 Theatre, Tightrope Theatre, Living Stages, The Dell'Arte Company
  • "Positions" playing: Celia, Phoebe, Lady Capulet

Megan Murphy Ruckam

  • Hometown: Los Altos, CA
  • # of Years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Nick Bottome
  • Favorite OPS Show: Nehalem Bay Shows
  • "Trained" at: Whittier College, Homestead High School
  • "Positions" playing: Duke Senior, Celia, Lady Capulet

David Bellis Squires

  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • # of years with OPS: 4
  • Favorite OPS Role: Benedicke
  • Favorite OPS Show: Twelfe Night
  • Favorite Role Played: Daniel in "Wish"
  • "Positions" playing: Oliver, Duke Frederick

Winston

  • Hometown: Bischof
  • # of years with OPS: First Year
  • Favorite OPS Role: Silvius
  • Favorite OPS Show: Midsummer Midsommer
  • Favorite Non OPS Role: Jerry - The Zoo Story
  • "Positions" playing:  Silvius, Snout

2012 Apprentices





Alwynn Accuardi

Jacquelle Davis

Kenneth Sergienko

Tom Young

James Swinford


Behind the Scenes


Andrew Bray - Composer/Music Director

has been acting and teaching in Portland for 5 years, and having worked with many companies in town, he can safely say that Opsfest is easily the most unique acting experience he has had. May all actors get a chance to work this way. This is his fourth year with Opsfest, you may have seen him last year in Much Adoe as Don Pedro or Balthazar. When not on the stage (or in the park), Andrew spends much of his time inspiring kids to feel comfortable making fools of themselves. Perhaps after our show you can convince him to a game of frisbee. Yes? Frisbee? Follow his blog: amichaelbray.wordpress.com

Clara Hillier - Choreographer

Clara-Liis Hillier is a graduate of Reed College where she studied Ancient Greek, Attic Tragedy and Classical Literature. She currently works as the Business Manager and Camp Director for MetroArts Inc, a local arts education non-profit and as a Drama, Dance,and Musical Theatre teacher in the Portland and Beaverton areas. Favorite roles include Margaret/Connie in Much Ado About Nothing (NW Classical Theatre Co.), Tree/Winkie/Ensemble in Wizard of Oz (Pixie Dust Productions), Stephano in The Tempest (PAE), Mrs. One in The Adding Machine (Theatre Vertigo), Maria in Lend Me a Tenor (Anonymous Theatre), the Fool in King Lear (PAE),  Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor (PAE), and Dancer in Mutt (Many Hats). She has directed On the Razzle and choreographed Urinetown for Wilson High School and Rocky Horror and Snoopy! for Mt. Hood Community College, and most recently South Pacific for the Portland Waldorf High School. Currently she is working as a mask consultant and choreographer for Wilson High School's production of The Tempest,  and can be seen in other Shakespearean summer productions as Mistress Overdone/Mariana in Measure for Measure with NW Classical Theatre Co. and Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing with Willamette Shakespeare.

Lissie Lewis - Stage Manager

Lewis has been working in Portland Theatre for almost five years. She spends most of her time acting, but has recently decided to try her hand at Stage Managing too. Lissie has acted in OPS since the beginning, and occasionally does scripted shows, improv, and film. When not managing, acting in, or baking concessions for OPS, Lissie is a full time psychology student at PSU.

Kendall Wells - Fight Director

Kendall's martial art training began at age 8 when he joined a Wado-Ryu Karate school. At 14, when he joined the Iowa Performing Arts Conservatory, he began a new chapter in his training. and started studying Tae Kwon Do. His Obsession with acting and martial art action led him to Abe Peterka, his first stage combat mentor, whom he studied with for years. At 17, he became the protege of Hollywood actor and fight mast Anthony DeLongis, studying many types of weapons, empty-hand fighting and horse-riding skills. He continues to train with Anthony to thisday as one of his top students and one of the only certified instructors of DeLongis Performance & Combat Arts in the world.
kendallwells.com
 OPS Fest is a 501(c)(3) Non profit organization.