10/11 Season

Tom Dudzick (Playwright)

Tom Dudzick is one of the few playwrights who makes a living at it.

His first New York venture took place at the John Houseman Theatre with his Christmas play, Greetings! which starred Greg Edelman and the late stage and screen veteran, Darren McGavin.  Clive Barnes called it “a comic jewel of a play” and it is fast becoming a happy alternative to A Christmas Carol, appearing annuallyin theatres all over the country. 

Dudzick went on to create what Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune called, “one of the biggest grass-roots successes in American regional theatre of the last few years.”  Jones was referring to Dudzick’s Over the Tavern Trilogy, a semi-fictional trio of comediesbased on his early family years in Buffalo, NY.  The first of the trilogy, Over the Tavern, has broken box office records all over the country, ran for over a year in Chicago and garnered critical praise such as: “Utterly charming!” from Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times, and “Absolutely enchanting...a little bit of heaven!” from Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune.

“Hail Mary!” was Dudzick’s next play, about a 21st century parochial school novice who jeopardizes her future as a nun  by daring to take religion into her own hands and teach the children her personal, unorthodox views of God.  It premiered at Buffalo’s Studio Arena Theatre and is currently being produced at several regional theatres.

His next play, a backstage comedy called, “Don’t Talk to the Actors,” has received both East and West Coast premieres and garnered such accolades as “drop-dead, scream-out-loud, tear-wrenchingly funny,” (Buffalo News) ...“unstoppable laughter,” (Cypress Chronicle) and “hilarious show-biz farce.” (Event News, Cal.)

Tom’s most recent play, “Miracle on South Division Street” premiered at Upstate New York’s Penguin Repertory Theatre in 2009 and, once more, broke a box office record.  Peter Kramer of the Journal News called it, “A rollicking comedy where one revelation builds on another to an unexpected and thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Best to order tickets before it sells out."

TAVERN GOES INTERNATIONAL:  “Over the Tavern” was recently given the Irish treatment, being adapted for Irish audiences.  It premiered at Cork Arts Theatre in 2009 and has been remounted twice since, being the largest box office draw in that theatre’s history.

HONORS:  A memorial plaque has been imbedded in front of Dudzick’s boyhood home in Buffalo, commemorating his father’s tavern and the play it inspired.  An even greater honor -- Tom Dudzick was once a question on Jeopardy!

Tom Dudzick lives in Nyack, NY with his wife and two children, and can be reached through his agent Jack Tantleff at the Paradigm Talent Agency (JTantleff@paradigmagency.com).

Kandis Chappell* (Ellen) Kandis Chappell was last seen at North Coast Rep in Donald Margulies’ Collected Stories. She is an Associate Artist of the Old Globe, where she has appeared in more than 30 productions. Ms. Chappell has worked extensively at South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, and performed at theatres across the country, including Lincoln Center, Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and on Broadway.

 

Julian Conrad (Georgie) Julian's most recent theatre credits include Carbon Black (Native Voices at the Autry), A Midsummer Nights Dream, Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare by the Sea), As You Like It (director), The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare at UCLA) and 12 Angry Men (Starving Artists Productions). He also stars in the upcoming Bros: A Webseries and was featured on the BBC's documentary series Our World: Hollywood or Bust. Julian recently graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in History and a minor in English.

 

Kevin Koppman-Gue (Rudy) Kevin Koppman-Gue is excited to return to North Coast Repertory Theatre. CREDITS: The Drawer Boy; Mistletoe, Music and Mayhem; Becky's New Car (North Coast Rep), Deathtrap (Scripps Ranch Theatre), Speech and Debate, Moscow (Diversionary Theatre), Into the Woods (SDSU Theatre), Romeo, Romeo & Juliet (Vox Nova Theatre Company), The History Boys (Cygnet Theatre, Patté Award), How I Learned to Drive, Everything Will Be Different (Lynx Performance) and The Winslow Boy (Lamb's Players Theatre, Craig Noel and Patté Award). STAGED READINGS: Relatively Speaking, Time of My Life (Cygnet Theatre), Rebels (Old Globe), Spring's Awakening (AASD). Kevin has also performed with ion theatre company, 6th @ Penn, Fritz Theatre, Starlight Musical Theatre, and Sledgehammer: Currently an Undergraduate in Theatre Arts at SDSU and will be studying abroad this summer with the British American Drama Academy at Oxford. He wishes to dedicate this performance to the memory of his Grandfather Galen Gue.

 

Ross Hellwig* (Eddie) NORTH COAST: Debut.  SAN DIEGO: Vincent in Brixton, Macbeth, Don Juan, Antony & Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It (Old Globe).  EUROPE: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Vienna’s English Theatre).  NATIONAL TOUR: RFK: The Journey to Justice (LA Theatre Works).  LOS ANGELES: The Comedy of Errors, The Winter’s Tale, All’s Well That Ends Well, Macbeth(Kingsmen Shakespeare); The Tempest, Crimes of the Heart (Rubicon Theatre); Photograph 51 (Fountain Theatre); The Rainmaker (A Noise Within); Troilus & Cressida, The Rover (Antaeus).  ELSEWHERE: Pittsburgh Public, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Mill Mountain, Theatreworks/USA.  TELEVISION: Numb3rs, Law & Order: SVU, Guiding Light.  EDUCATION: MFA – Old Globe; BFA – University of Arizona.

 

John Herzog* (Walter) NCRT: Manders in Ghosts, Stephano in The Tempest, Kelekian in Wit, Duncan in Leading Ladies. BROADWAY and NATIONAL TOURS: Hair, Crimes of the Heart. REGIONAL: Laguna Playhouse, Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Portland Stage Co., Indiana Repertory Theatre, Delaware Theatre Co., Arizona Theatre Co., Mark Taper Forum-New Works, Los Angeles Repertory Co. and more. Roles: Prospero in The Tempest, Petruchio in 'Shrew, Malter in The Chosen, Marc in Art, Macheath in Threepenny Opera, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Ben Stark in Rocket to the Moon and dozens more.Visit his website for a full resume at www.johnherzog.com. Actors' Equity since 1969 also serving on its National Council. By far his most proud production is his daughter Molly.

 

Sunny Smith (Maureen) is excited to be back at NCRT. Theatre credits: Wit, Dracula, Hansel & Gretel, Julius Caesar (NCRT), Heidi Chronicles and Into the Woods (NVA), Not Now Darling (SRT), Miss Electricity (La Jolla Playhouse), Frozen (Ion Theatre), HMS Pinafore and Daughter of the Regiment (SD Lyric Opera), The Triangle Tragedy (Compass Theatre). Other credits:  Short History of Dating, SUDS, Smokey Joe’s Café, Enigma Variations, Opera of the Oasis, Blithe Spirit, Curious Savage, Jesus Christ Superstar, Absence of a Cello. She is currently attending SDSU for a Theatre Performance Degree with Anthropology Minor, is co-owner of Jabronie Pictures and is a teacher/actor mentor at NCRT’s Theatre School.

 

Kyrsten Hafso (Annie) Kyrsten is excited to be making her North Coast Repertory Theatre debut! San Diego credits: Rebels (Old Globe), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Welk Resort Theatre), A Class Act (SDSU Theatre), Into the Woods (SDSU Theatre), Birds of Paradise (SDSU Theatre). Kyrsten has her MFA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University and a BA in Music from Whitworth University.

 

 

Directed by Matt Thompson. At North Coast Rep: Mistletoe, Music & Mayhem!, A Christmas Carol, The Hobbit, Hansel & Gretel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and My Big Fat Greek Divorce. Elsewhere: If the Shoe Fits, A Roman Holiday (Coronado Playhouse); My Life as a Geek, Opera of the Oasis, The Triangle Tragedy (Compass Theatre); Sylvia, The Odd Couple, Situation Comedy, Beau Jest, Fully Committed, Blind Date, All in the Timing, Bedroom Suite, A Short History of Dating, Maybe Baby It’s You (Tennessee Actor’s Theatre), Hamlet (Ocean View Shakespeare Festival), West Bend, Oleanna, Chesa and Lessa (Stepping Stone Theatre), Apemantus, The Intermission (The Road Theatre). His published plays include : If the Shoe Fits, The Audition (Dramatic Publishing), Beatrice the Butterfly, Nobody’s Perfect, Taking Flight, Don’t Play Games With Me, The High School Drama, Who’s on Alpha?, The Smell of Success, My Big Fat Greek Divorce, Return to Sender, Tough as Nails, The Holiday Icon Monologues, The Smell of Success (Heuer Publishing), A Roman Holiday (Norman Maine Publishing). Underwritten by The San Diego Hall of Champions Museum and commissioned by David Ellenstein, Matt’s newest one-person play Ted Williams: A Tip of the Cap will be presented as part of NCR’s New Works Program June 20-21, 2011. Don’t miss it!  Also an actor, he has performed at North Coast Rep in Don’t Dress for Dinner, Over the Tavern, Dracula, Leading Ladies, A Thousand Clowns, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors. Elsewhere: Cold Comfort Farm (Lamb’s Players), Shear Madness (Miracle Productions), Terra Nova (Inukshuk Productions), Angel City (Sledgehammer Theatre), Rapunzal (Falcon Theatre), Moonlight and Magnolias (Sierra Rep), The Tempest (Kingsmen Shakespeare), Hitler’s Head (The Road Theatre). He has his Master’s degree in Theatre from San Diego State University. Currently Matt serves as the artistic associate and theatre school director here at North Coast Rep.

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Tina Polzin (Assistant Director) Tina Polzin has been a director for almost twenty years, starting her own summer theater workshop for teens when in college. After UC Irvine, she directed and designed lights in Paris at the Divan du Monde and the MC93 International Theater. In New York, she worked with LAByrinth Theater Company and Manhattan Theater Source. She produced Fusion Film Festival at NYU and The Estrogenius Theater Festival at MTS. Last summer she directed Androcles and The Lion at the Palo Alto Children's Theater and attended the Director's Lab West. Last winter, Run For Your Wife, which she directed at the Morgan Wixson, received outstanding reviews and had a sold out run (www.johnsmithcheats.com for reviews, photos and trailers). She is currently directing the sequel, Caught in the Net, which runs this January and February at the Morgan Wixson Theater. She instructs theater at South Coast Repertory, playwriting with Playwrights Project and works with North Coast Repertory in the casting and literary departments. Tina is a member of Moving Arts Theater Company and has done improv with The Upright Citizen's Brigade. She writes sketch comedy as well plays for children, which have been performed in NYC, Colorado and LA and Orange County. She recently moved to San Diego and feels blessed to have found a place in the amazing ensemble that is North Coast Rep.

 

Marty Burnett (Scenic Design) Designs for North Coast Rep are the last 131 shows. Mr. Burnett has designed sets for the Union Plaza, Sahara, and Hacienda Hotels and Casinos in Las Vegas; Harrahs Lake Tahoe; The Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ; The Grand Hotel in Anaheim; and The Drury Lane in Chicago. Mr. Burnett is the resident designer and technical director at North Coast Rep.

 

Matt Novotny (Light Design) Matthew recently designed the lighting for Ghosts, Glorious, I Love You Because, Old Wicked Songs, Rabbit Hole, Shipwrecked!, The Dresser, Don't Dress for Dinner, Mornings at Seven, Baby and Rashomon at North Coast Rep. He's currently the Director of Production for Lyric Opera San Diego. Lighting designs include: Iolanthe, The Merry Widow, The King and I, Countess Maritza, and The Mikado. San Diego: Das Barbecu, The Wiz, West Side Story and Rumors. Regional: Yankee Doodle Dandy (Seattle), Noises Off! (Boston), The Game, (Washington DC) and Primal Twang, a guitar concert featuring six Grammy-winning artists. Matthew holds a BA in Technical Theatre from San Diego State University, and an MFA from Boston University.

 

Valerie Henderson (Costume Design) has designed several plays in San Diego County including: Drawer Boy, Mistletoe, Music and Mayhem and Gee's Bend at North Coast Repertory Theatre, Or at Moxie Theatre and Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins at Diversionary Theatre. Some of her other favorite designs include: Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (2010) and Hotel Cassiopeia by Charles Mee (2008) at San Diego State University. Valerie has also designed several modern dance pieces in San Diego with such companies as Joe Alter Dance Group, Malashock Dance Co. and Little Known Dance Company. In 2009 she was the costume designer for the American Dance Festival in North Carolina. She has recently finished her M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology at San Diego State University and received her B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in 2007.

 

Chris Luessmann (Sound Design) Chris' favorite NCR designs include: Dracula and A Christmas Carol, for which he won Patté Awards, Over the Tavern, Jacques Brel..., The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Voice of the Prairie. Off-Broadway: The Third Story. Miracle Theatre Productions: Das Barbecu, Too Old for the Chorus, and Forbidden Broadway SVU. Moonlight Stage Productions: Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, The Magic Fire, Moon Over Buffalo. La Jolla Playhouse: Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays. Scripps Ranch Theatre: Red Herring. UCSD: Angels in America, Full Circle, Eurydice, Labyrinth of Desire, Cabaret, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, and The Skin of Our Teeth. Chris holds a BA in Theatre from UCLA, and an MFA in Theatre from UC San Diego.

 

Annie Bornhurst (Props and Set Dressing) North Coast Repertory Theatre: King O' the Moon, The Drawer Boy, Gee's Bend, Becky's New Car, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Voice of the Prairie, Ghosts, Little Women, Glorious!, A Christmas Carol, Talley's Folley, I Love You Because, Don't Dress for Dinner, Over the Tavern, Old Wicked Songs, Rabbit Hole. Actors Circle Theatre: The View from Here. The Sanford Meisner Center: Frankie and Johnny, Babes and Brides.

 

Christopher M. Williams* (Stage Manager) NCRT credits: Stage Manager: The Smell of the Kill, Tuesdays with Morrie, Dinah Washington. Assistant Director: Talley's Folly; Co-Director: Glorious; and upcoming My Name is Asher Lev. Actor: The Chosen (Danny), The Tempest (Ariel), Don't Dress for Dinner (Robert), A Shayna Maidel (Duvid), Dracula (Seward), The Nerd (Axel), The Uneasy Chair (Darlington).
Other theatres: Arizona Theatre Company, Actor's Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare Company, AZ Jewish Theatre, New Village Arts, Theatre League. Next Season: Directing Visiting Mr. Green for NCRT.

 

John Finkbiner (Scenic Artist) John has been a member of the NCR staff for nearly two years. His favorite shows are Halpern and Johnson, SHIPWRECKED!, The Dresser and Jacques Brel. John received his BA degree at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television in 1991. John is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and performs with his band, The Stereotypes. His music has been featured on Showtime's Californication, Fox's Bones and NBC's Knight Rider, among others. John lives with his wife Judi and his son John Gibson in Leucadia, plus Ilene and Jerry (the NCR mascots). www.johnfinkbiner.com

Cindy Khoury (Production Assistant) Credits: Snapshots (Pico Playhouse), Bye Bye Birdie (San Diego Musical Theater) A Streetcar Named Desire, Wole Soyinka's Samarkand, Conference of the Birds (Moscow Art Theater), Damn Yankees (Reprise), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Cry Havoc. UC Irvine Credits: Cyrano deBergerac, The Laramie Project, Into the Woods, Physical Graffiti, Dance Escape, Trial By Jury. Cindy holds a B.A. in Theater from Loyola Marymount University and an M.F.A from UC Irvine.

Aaron Rumley (Production Manager) North Coast Repertory Theatre: The Drawer Boy, Gee's Bend, Becky's New Car, The Voice of the Prairie, Ghosts, Glorious!, Talley's Folly, Over the Tavern, Rabbit Hole, The Dresser, Don't Dress for Dinner, Madagascar, Mornings at Seven, String of Pearls, Dracula, Rashomon, Wit, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Leading Ladies, Collected Stories, Halpern & Johnson, Romeo and Juliet, The Bungler, The Chosen, A Life in the Theatre and The Rainmaker. North Carolina Theatre: Talley's Folly, Picnic, The Miser and On Golden Pond. Aaron received a B.A. in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Aaron is a Member of Actors' Equity

 

Coming soon!