Original Practice Shakespeare Festival
Core Members
2011 - 2012
Brian Allard
is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival. Brian has come to Portland via Minneapolis, London and New York, but is now very happy to call Oregon home. His Shakespeare training has taken many courses, from London’s Globe to the New England Shakespeare Festival. During his time in New York, Brian appeared off-Broadway as Caliban in The Tempest and Romney Leigh in Aurora Leigh. Since coming to PDX, he played in the US Premeire of Tales of Ordinary Madness in the lead role of Peter, clucked around as Allen in bobrauschenbergamerica at Portland Playhouse, and proudly appeared as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice with Quintessence. This is his fifth “Original Practice” style Shakespeare production, most notably having played Bottome in A Midsommer Nights Dreame, and Benedicke in last years Much Adoe About Nothing.
| Hailey Bachrach
is thrilled to be a member of the OPS main cast after working with them as an intern last summer. She has recently returned from a semester largely spent rolling around on the floor at the Accademia dell'Arte physical theatre school in Tuscany, and in the fall will begin her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College. Favorite roles include Margaret, Conrade, and Balthasar in last year's Much Adoe About Nothing, Annabel in Lucky Stiff (UCL Musical Theatre), Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Camillo in The Winter's Tale (Sarah Lawrence College).
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Andrew Bray
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 third 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
| Joel Patrick Durham
is the Assistant Artistic Director for OPS, as well as a Core member. He is thrilled to return to performing OPS this summer in one of his favorite Shakespeare shows. Previous OPS roles include Don John and Borachio in Much Adoe About Nothing,as well as Puck and Demetrius in A Midsommer Nights Dreame. Other productions in Portland Joel has been seen in include CoHo's Dog Sees God as Beethoven, Anonymous Theatre's Lend Me a Tenor as The Bellhop, and most recently on board The Portland Spirit in The Awesome 80's Prom as Louis Fensterspock
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Noah Goldenberg
is entering his third year with Original Practice Shakespeare and could not be more excited about it. He is Portland raised but studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Previous roles include The Baker in Into the Woods Macbeth in Macbeth, and CB in Dog Sees God.
| Clara 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. Recent roles in Portland include Mrs. One in The Adding Machine (Theatre Vertigo), Maria in Lend Me a Tenor (Anonymous Theatre), the Fool in King Lear (PAE), Trek in the Park, Flora in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (Reed), The Intoxicator in Spirits to Enforce (Blue Stockings), Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor (PAE), and Dancer in Mutt (Many Hats). In 2009 she directed On the Razzle at her alma mater Wilson High School, and most recently choreographed UrineTown for Wilson High School and Rocky Horror for Mt. Hood Community College. This summer she can also be seen as Stepano in PAE's production of The Tempest. This is her third season with OPS, and she can't wait for another summer of Shakespeare in the sun!
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Kaia Hillier
is in her second season with the main cast of OPS, and she is grateful to be a current Core Member. Kaia attends Portland State University where she will be majoring in Art History. She served on the Pulp Diction II Production Committee and was a Blue Monkey Intern (2008-9). Past credits include: Little Nun in The House of Blue Leaves (PSU), Suzette in Don’t Dress for Dinner (Nutz-n-Boltz), CB’s sister in Dog Sees God (CoHo), Gremlin in Holidazed, (Artists Repertory), Hero/Margaret/Verges in Much Adoe About Nothing (OPS), Rory/US Nadia in Bare: The Pop Opera (Tin Pan Alley), Rebel in Columbinus (Blue Monkey Theater), Marie in On the Razzle (Wilson High-Clara Hillier), and Olive in The Odd Couple (Wilson High-Matt Zrebski). Kaia would like to recognize her sister Clara for her talent filled contribution to OPS, Brian Allard for his theatrical direction, her mother Lena-Liis Kiesel for creating beautiful OPS photos, her love Nathan, and the energy and hard work of the OPS Company.
| Tom Mounsey
graduated in 2008 from the Portland Actors Conservatory. Since then, he has acted in Portland with companies such as The ReTheatre Instrument, Quintessence Language and Imagination Theatre, Montgomery Street, defunkt theatre, and Theatre Vertigo. Tom has had a wonderful time playing with the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival. He finds the OPS process terrifying, challenging, invigorating, and freeing. All at once. He looks forward to taking part in future OPS productions
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Shawna Nordman
recently graduated from Whitworth University with a BA in Theatre Performance. Since then, she has worked with The San Francisco Mime Troupe and Spokane Civic Theatre and has just recently moved to Portland from Spokane, WA. She is so excited to be here and to be working with OPS Festival this summer! Previous credits include: Suzette in Don't Dress for Dinner, Callie in Stop Kiss, Editor Daily in The Cradle Will Rock, and a protean in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
| Megan Murphy Ruckman
Megan Murphy Ruckman is a director, singer, actor, dancer, stage manager, bookkeeper, and soon to be mother! She is very passionate about Shakespeare and musicals, and most of her favorite theatre stories and roles involve at least one of those. Megan obtained a degree in theatre arts from Whittier College in Southern California. She has lived in Oregon for the past 9 years and has worked with other local theatre companies including OPS Fest, The Pulp Stage, CoHo Productions, Public House Theater Company, Gresham Readers Theatre, Mt Hood Repertory Theatre, Willamette Radio Workshop, Lakewood Theatre, Sandy Actors Theatre, Murder Served Hot, Eddie May Mysteries, and Speak-the-Speech. In addition to performing, Megan is a board member and managing director of the OPS Fest. She also provides input on the Advisory Council of CompassWorks. She is very thankful for the continuing support of her husband, her family, and is looking forward to being a new mom.
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Rusty Tennant
is Co-Artistic Director of Fuse Theatre Ensemble. He received an MFA in Performance and Directing from the University of New Orleans and is a certified Advanced Actor/Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. A director/actor/designer/choreographer/writer, he often has his fingerprints smudged all over productions you never see him in. This past year saw him working as a guest artist at Pacific University and Lewis & Clark College and well as developing three new shows with Fuse (#smarter_than_phones, Suburban Tribe, and MySp_ace). He also served as props designer for Artists Rep's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Jack Goes Boating and director for Same Time, Next Year with The Pub.
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Guest Artists
Jennifer Gartner
is a guest artist from New York City. She is a graduate of Circle in the Square's Professional Workshop. Recent credits include The Game (Life), Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice) and The Comedy of Errors (Adrianna). This is Jennifer's third summer of unrehearsed Shakespeare at the Ops Fest and is thrilled to be back! Jennifer also performs unrehearsed in NYC with the Wild Bard (R&J) and Spontaneous Shakespeare (Midsommer), as well as the New England Shakespeare Festival (Much Adoe). Thanks to Brian and the company for the opportunity to play again!
| Beth Yocam
is a guest artist from LA, though very excited to be performing in and around her hometown of Portland. She recently moved to LA from NYC where she spent five yeares performing in numerous off-off-Broadway and regional theatre productions. Favorite shows inlcude The House of Blue Leaves (Bunny) at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in NYC and A Midsommer Nights Dream (Pucke) with New England Shakespeare Festival, where she met Brian. Thanks to Brian for including me in the OPS Fest fun and Evan and my family and friends for their love and support.
www.elizabethyocam.com |
Company Members
David Bellis-Squires
is once again thrilled to be working hard for the Bard. David has been involved with OpsFest since its inception, and is very pleased to be working with such a wonderful bunch of folks. When not on stage here, David can be found at defunkt theatre as one of its company members, at PSU diligently working, or at home, diligently working at nothing.
| Phillip Berns
is tickled to be a part of OpsFest this summer. He hails from Milwaukee WI where he studied Theatre Arts at Marquette University before calling Portland home. Phillip acts around the city as often as he can, you should keep your eye out for him. Many thanks to Brian and Joel for this awesome opportunity, his wonderful cast mates, and especially his friends and family who have never been anything but supportive.
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Elizabeth Daniels
is delighted and honored to be returning to the wild world of OPS Fest this summer. She previously held several diverse roles in the acting program at Otterbein College, including Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, Elmire in Tartuffe, and Iriana in the Workshop Production of Swamp Baby, as well as working with the Coaster Theater in Cannon Beach in Almost, Maine. Look for Elizabeth in upcoming productions at Portland State University, where she is currently completing her Theater degree. She extends boundless thanks to those who've reminded her that "life Offstage can be just as magical as the moments On."
| Nathan Daniels
is excited to be a part of this (relatively) new style, and hopes that all the goats he sacrificed to Dionysus pay off. Favorite prior roles include (but are not limited to) Loner/Dylan Klebold in Columbinus, Harold Hill in The Music Man, John Proctor in The Crucible, and the Nurse (among many others) in Romeo and Juliet. Nathan would like to thank the beautiful Kaia, his sister, and Brian for letting him play a man this time.
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Anna Gettles
hails from North Carolina, where she graduated from Appalachian State University with a BA in Theatre Performance and a BS in Psychology. Since living in Portland Anna has performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Willamette Shakespeare) and The Shadow Testament (Portland World Theatre). Previous Shakespeare roles include: Tamora (Titus Andronicus), Queen (Cymbeline), Pistol (Henry V) and Launce (The Two Gentlemen of Verona). Anna was also a company member (1999-2008) of Nickel Shakespeare Girls, an all female acrobatic Shakespearean performance troupe. She is super pumped to be apart of Ops Fest this year and can’t wait to play!
| Michael Godsey
Michael Godsey comes to OPS via Portland Actor’s Ensemble where he has played Lysimachus (Pericles, 2010), appeared as Brutus in Julius Caesar in 2008 and Lucentio in Taming of the Shrew before that. In the early-mid 90’s he was regular onstage with Miracle Theatre Company. He spent 3 years exploring the Chicago theatre world before returning to Portland a few years ago. During the academic year, Dr. Godsey teaches biochemistry at Concordia University, but he has much more fun during the summer. This summer he has been performing a different type of role, doing biochemical research at Yale University.
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Amy Hakanson
is a graduate of Wilson High School here in Portland. Her life partner, a banjo named Eccleston, is one of many instruments that have gradually taken over her life. She is first and foremost a musician; she is new to the theatre world. Her most notable foray into the realm of acting was playing Little Sally in her high school's production of Urinetown, choreographed by our own Clara Hillier and music directed by the wonderful Andrew Bray. She sees Shakespeare as a staple of our culture, and adores the approach that OPS brings to the works of the Bard. She'd like to thank Matt Zrebski and Andrew Bray for instilling a love of theatre in her, Brian for giving her this wonderful opportunity with OPS, and the Doctor for saving the Universe a countless number of times.
| Devin Harkness
is in his third season with OPS. His past roles have included Demetrius and Wall in A Midsommer Nights Dreame, and Dogberry in Much Adoe About Nothing. When not strutting around with scrolls,
Devin is performing improvisational theater at The Brody, and helping young people feel heard as a school counselor. |
Natalie Heikkinen
is a Portland-born theatre artist and Wilson Alum, studied Theatre and English Literature at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wa. She has spent time directing at Wilson High School, writing publicity for the second annual Pulp Diction festival, and stage managing for Staged! Portland’s Musical Theatre Series and Lunacy Stageworks. She strives to be a Jane-of-all-trades, but her main passions lies in directing and writing for the stage. Some of her favorite directing experiences include: Urinetown the Musical at Wilson High School, Life Force (an original musical revue), and For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls by Christopher Durang as part of a one act festival in Washington. The members of OPS have been incredibly inspirational to her and continue to reignite her love Shakespeare. For that she is very grateful.
| Nikolas Hoback
is a core member of OPS Fest, a member of the Fuse Theatre Ensemble, and the Events Intern at Artists Repertory Theatre. Fuse is currently working on Sonnetscape, a highly physicalized, soundscape production that utilizes all 154 of Shakespeare's Sonnets, coming in Feb 2012. Returning to OPS for his third year, Nikolas is ready once again to play the Foole or Lover on your lawns and in your laps. He has previously been seene on the OPS stage as Pucke, Lysander, Demetrius, Flute, Philostrate Dogberry, Claudio, Balthasar and George Seacole. Nikolas has had the privilege of working with several other theatre companies in town, including Action/Adventure, Bag & Baggage, Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon, The Pulp Stage, and others.
It has been a pleasure to play with you today, and I'm always willing to chat afterwards. Enjoy the show. |
Kerry Leek
is a founding member of the Brody Theater, and has spent the 15 years deeply immersed in improvisational theater - teaching, directing and traveling abroad to participate in festivals Amsterdam, Slovenia, Vancouver and Edmonton. She estimates she has performed in over 600 shows over the years, none of them scripted. She recently participated in Pulp Diction's production of Noir(ish) as Lauren Stanwyck. This is her third season with Ops fest, and she is very excited to return to the parks and Shakespeare once again.
| Lissie Lewis
has been involved in Portland Theatre since 2007, where she premiered in an award winning student production of Les Miserables. She's played everything from a Peanut, to a prostitute, to a child zombie, and even dabbles in improv. Lissie is so pleased to continue working with Original Practice Shakespeare with all of these incredibly talented people!
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Mikki Lipsey
is in her third
glorious summer with OPSfest. She has played Hecuba in Lunacy Stageworks’ Women
of Troy, appeared in Fertile Ground’s reading of ShaSha Sassone’s Fort
Vancouver, appeared as Bella in PAC’s
Big Love, and is touring as Tim Stapleton’s mother, Stella, in his
autobiographical masterpiece, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. She is
also a board member of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance. While living in the Boston area Mikki
performed with numerous local theatre companies, and the American Repertory
Theatre, touring with A.R.T. to the Edinburgh Festival. She received her
training at Emerson College and with Shakespeare and Co in Lenox MA.
| Tom Maier
Thomas is pleased to return to Ops Fest this year after a great time in Much Ado last summer. He has worked locally with OPS Fest, the Nameless Playwrights, and Profile Theatre, and loves a good show in the park. Regionally he has worked with Seattle's Greenstage, and Balagan Theaters. Thomas sends his love to his wife Michelle, and thanks to Brian, Meghan and all the Ops Fest gang for such a challenging opportunity, and learning experience.
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Kate Mura
loves jumping in and out with OPS, having first been exposed to this process in NYC. Last summer played in Much Adoe and this spring in the first ever Portland Mini Fringe Festival with Much Adoe, Midsommer, and various scenes. Around town she's the co-artistic director of Fuse Theatre Ensemble, and has performed with Jewish Theatre Collaborative (Kindertransport, Charlotte Salomon: Life or Theatre), Publichouse Theatre (Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol) and of course Fuse Theatre Ensemble (Paradise Park, #smarter_than_phones) and her solo mask show, Suburban Tribe, which is ready to tour. She invites you to check out her website, www.katemura.com
| Amanda Naylor
is a graduate of Whitman College with a degree in Theater and a focus on acting and costume design. She is excited to once again be performing with OPS Fest for the summer and is looking forward to many wonderful outdoor productions. Favorite experiences include: Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Little Sally in Urinetown: the Musical, and award-winning costume design for Apparition: An Uneasy Play of the Underknown.
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Jacob Orr
Jacob Orr is a 16 Junior at Wilson school, and he couldn't be more excited to be part of OPSFest. He's most recently been seen as Stanley in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Bobby Strong in Urintown: the musical, and John in Dark of the Moon. He'd like to thank his incredibly supportive family, his friends for being the tops, the ever inspirational Matt Zrebski for being the genius he is, and Andrew, Clara, and Natalie for helping him get involved in this wonderful menagerie of theater dorks.
| Matthew Sunderland
is a recent graduate of Linfield College's Theatre Arts Program, and will be continuing his actor training at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts in the fall. While at Linfield he played C.B. in, "Dog Sees God," Boyd in, "Book of Days," directed by Ellyn Gersh Lerner, and Douglas Schmidt in, "Execution of Justice." He also recently played Kevin in HART's production of, "Bad Wolf," directed by OPS Main Cast member Joel Patrick Durham, and Dr. Einstein in Gallery Theatre's production of, "Arsenic and Old Lace." He would like to thank his parents, Brian, fellow OPS members and especially Joel for introducing him to this amazing way to play Shakespeare.
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Behind the Scenes
Corinne Lowenthal - Stage Manager
Corinne Gayle Lowenthal is a Stage and Production Manager happily settled in Portland, Oregon and is excited to be returning to OPS as a Core Member. She has had the deep honor and joy of working with many of the city’s theatres and favorites include; Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Lakewood Theatre, Miracle Theatre Group, Profile Theatre Project, Compass Repertory Theatre, Live on Stage Productions, Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon, CoHo Productions, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Jewish Theatre Collaborative, Staged!, and many, many more. Previously she has been thrilled to work in New York with The Geva Theatre Center, in Washington with On The Boards and in Virginia with The Virginia Stage Company, Chrysler Hall, Scope Arena and The Attucks Theatre among others. She also adjudicates Stage Management for the Oregon State Thespian Conference and mentors Stage Management students at Northwest Academy where she Production Stage Manages their yearly Student Showcase (Esprit). She holds degrees in Psychology and is a scenic artist, author and certified Paramedic.
