Ken Ludwig(Playwright) Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on Broadway, in London's West End and throughout the world have made his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has won the Laurence Olivier Award, England's highest theatre honor, as well as three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed in at least thirty countries in over twenty languages. His musical Crazy For You ran for over four years on Broadway and in London. Lend Me A Tenor, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and recently revived on Broadway, was called "one of the two great farces by a living writer" by The New York Times. Other plays and musicals include Moon Over Buffalo (Broadway & London's Old Vic, starring Carol Burnett, Lynn Redgrave, Joan Collins & Frank Langella); Twentieth Century (Broadway, starring Alec Baldwin & Anne Heche); The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Broadway); Treasure Island (London, Theatre Royal, Haymarket; 2009 AATE Distinguished Play Award for Best Adaptation); Shakespeare in Hollywood (commissioned by The Royal Shakespeare Company, Helen Hayes Award as Best Play); Leading Ladies; Be My Baby (starring Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter); The Beaux' Stratagem (adaptation with Thornton Wilder at the request of the Wilder Estate); The Three Musketeers (Bristol Old Vic); An American in Paris; Sullivan & Gilbert; The Fox on the Fairway; The Game's Afoot. His children's play 'Twas the Night Before Christmas will premiere this November at The Adventure Theatre. His work has appeared in The Yale Review, and he is writing a book for Crown Publishing entitled How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare. He studied music at Harvard with Leonard Bernstein and theatre history at Cambridge University in England. For more information, please visit www.kenludwig.com.

 

Matthew Wiener (Director) Matthew is thrilled to return to NCRT after directing SHIPWRECKED! two seasons ago. This is Matthew's sixteenth season as Producing Artistic Director of Actors Theatre. Since 1993 he has directed over 30 productions for Actors Theatre including: Secret Order, Shipwrecked!, Doubt, a Parable,The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Pillowman, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, Benefactors, Blue/Orange, Sight Unseen, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Angels in America, Spinning Into Butter, Something in the Air, The Archbishop's Ceiling, Hedda Gabler, The Essential Henry V, Below The Belt, and of course, A Christmas Carol. This season he will be helming the swan song of his co-authored adaptation of A Christmas Carol. During his tenure, Actors Theatre has received numerous local awards including Outstanding Arts Organization from Business Volunteers for the Arts, and Outstanding Producing Theatre from the Arizona Theatre Alliance. This year, Matthew received the AriZoni Award for Outstanding Contribution. He has also directed and worked at: Phoenix Theatre, Childsplay, Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, North Coast Repertory, The Children's Theatre Company, The Cleveland Playhouse, American Conservatory Theatre, The Whole Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Cider Mill Playhouse, and Yale Repertory Theatre. He has served on the Maricopa Regional Arts and Culture Task Force. He was a founding board member of Arizona Theatre Alliance. He has been a guest lecturer at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Pima Community College, and Scottsdale Community College. Matthew holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where he was the Artistic Director of the Yale Cabaret.

Ted Barton* (Saunders) Ted Barton is pleased to make his North Coast debut. Immediately prior to Lend Me a Tenor he appeared at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum as both Orgon in Tartuffe and Master Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Earlier this year he was an Equity Guest Artist at the University of Alabama, playing Ahab in a new adaptation of Moby Dick. He has also worked at Mark Taper Forum, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Sedona, Foothill Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, Sierra Repertory Theatre, International City Theatre, Warehouse Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, and on a national tour of On Golden Pond.

Courtney Corey* (Maggie) Ms. Corey is delighted to be back at NCRT, having performed in Over the Tavern and Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris. She was an original company member of both the Los Angeles and Chicago companies of Wicked, in which she understudied and performed the role of "Elphaba." During her stint with L.A.'s Wicked, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was featured as "the green girl" throughout the city in a Metro/Wicked Ad Campaign. She has played the role of "Maureen" in both the 1st and 2nd National Broadway tours of Rent. Other credits include: Limelight, Bonnie and Clyde, The Wiz, (La Jolla Playhouse), Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, (The Old Globe), Suds, The Pajama Game (Starlight Musical Theatre), and Shear Madness (MTP at The Theatre In Old Town). Also a director and theatre arts teacher, Courtney recently directed/choreographed Year With Frog And Toad (San Diego Junior Theatre) and Evita (Victoria Gardens Cultural Center/Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga.) Audiences can see her this winter at The San Diego Rep in The Great American Trailer Park Musical. She dedicates this and every performance to her wonderful husband, Matthew, and son, Jack. 

Jill Drexler (Julia) Jill is pleased to be working at North Coast once again. Her credits there include: Buried Child, What's Wrong with This Picture, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Sisters Rosensweig. Other stage credits include: Foxfire, Ring Around the Moon, Moon Over Buffalo, and You Never Can Tell - Moonlight at the Avo; Torch Song Trilogy, Fit to be Tied (Patté award, Critic's Circle Award), The Minneola Twins, and Girl Bar - Diversionary; Private Fittings (u.s.) - La Jolla Playhouse; Painting Churches, Not Now Darling, The Last Night at Ballyhoo, and The Lion in Winter - Scripps Ranch Theatre; Hysterical Blindness – Backyard at Cygnet; and The Gingerbread Lady – Renaissance at Cygnet. Film credits include: Chapters, Table for Three, The Married Men's Club, Michael Landon, The Father I Knew, The Big Fix (with Richard Dreyfuss), and Dogs (with David McCallum.) Ms. Drexler is the Artistic Director of Scripps Ranch Theatre.

Jessica John (Maria) Jessica is happy to return to North Coast Repertory Theatre where she was last seen as Lucia in
A Shayna Maidel.  Other select San Diego productions include Cygnet Theatre (Resident Artist): Private Lives, Noises Off (SD Critic's Circle Award Best Ensemble), Mauritius, Love Song, Desire Under the Elms, Communicating Doors (Patté Award Best Production), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (SD Playbill Award Best Actress), Burn This (SD Critic's Circle Award Best Actress); Moonlight @ the Avo: Barefoot in the Park, Ring Round the Moon; Moxie Theatre:  Pulp!;  New Village Arts:  The Playboy of the Western World (Patté Award Best Actress); Backyard Productions:  An Experiment with an Airpump and Renaissance Theatre:  A View from the Bridge (SD Critic's Circle Award Best Actress).  She was named one of the top 50 People to Watch by San Diego Magazine and was featured on screen in such films as Fairplay Pictures' A Plumm Summer and NBC's Homeland Security.  She will next be appearing in Ion's Angels in America at the Lyceum Theatre.

Bernard X. Kopsho (Tito) Bernie makes his North Coast Rep debut after over 30 years of performing in Southern California theatres. Recent productions include She Loves Me, The 1940's Radio Hour, Heartland and Our Town (Mira Costa College), Cabaret (Temecula Performing Arts), and Rumors (Pacific Coast Players). Favorite productions include the title roles in Sweeney Todd and The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue. Bernie made his feature film debut in last year's critically-acclaimed urFRENZ. A San Diego native, Bernie acts for love alone, and has an interesting life outside the theatre as a professional chauffeur and used-book dealer.

Albert Park (Bellhop) Albert Park is excited to be in his first production at North Coast Repertory Theatre. The native San Diegan has portrayed Steve Song in the one-man show GAM3RS at 10th Avenue Theatre, Émile Schuffenecker in The Musical Paul Gauguin at Asian Story Theater, Wang Chi-Yang in SDAART's production of Flower Drum Song at La Jolla Playhouse, Rabbit in Year of the Rabbit at Asian Story Theater, HYH in Yellow Face at Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, and Lefty in SDAART's production of BFE at La Jolla Playhouse. He can also be seen in a number of short films and has had two of his animated films screened at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Albert is a graduate of UC Berkeley and lives with his wonderful wife, Jenny, in North Park, where he mildly tolerates their two cats. Mildly. He wishes to thank Matthew Wiener, the cast and crew, David Ellenstein and North Coast Rep for a truly memorable experience.

Jacque Wilke (Diana) Jacque is thrilled to be back on stage at North Coast Rep! Local theater credits include: Mistletoe, Music, and Mayhem and Suzette in Don't Dress for Dinner (North Coast Repertory Theater) Madi in Fair Use, Barbara Ellen in The New Century and Anita Bryant in Anita Bryant Died for your Sins (Diversionary Theater), Nell Gwynne, Lady D, and Maria in Or, (MOXIE), The Girl in The Seven Year Itch and Susan in The Heidi Chronicles (New Village Arts), Patsy in Side Man (Bang Productions), Cecily in The Break-up Breakdown (Circle Circle Dot Dot), Helen/Terri/Hilda in He Said, She Said (Laterthanever). She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she was the recipient of the Academy's Charles Jelinger Award for Best Actress.

Christopher M. Williams (Max) Christopher has performed in several shows for NCRT including: The Chosen (Danny); Don't Dress for Dinner (Robert); The Nerd (Axel); Dracula (Siward); The Uneasy Chair (Darlington); A Shayna Maidel (Duvid); The Tempest (Ariel). He has stage managed and co-directed for NCRT, as well: The Smell of the Kill (SM); Tuesday's with Morrie (SM); King of the Moon (SM); Glorious! (CD); My Name is Asher Lev (CD). Other theatres Christopher has worked with include: Arizona Theatre Company, Phoenix Theatre, Actor's Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare, AZ Jewish Theatre, New Village Arts. He will be directing Visiting Mr. Green this season for NCRT. He is also Artistic Director of the newly formed Oceanside Theatre Company.

Marty Burnett (Scenic Design) Designs for North Coast Rep are the last 134 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 Five Course Love, My Name is Asher Lev, King O' the Moon, 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.

Chris Luessmann (Sound Design) Chris' favorite NCR designs include: Dracula and A Christmas Carol, for which he won Patté Awards, King O' the Moon, Gee's Bend, Over the Tavern, Jaques Brel..., The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Baby, 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 Marvelous Wonderettes, The Magic Fire, Moon Over Buffalo. La Jolla Playhouse: Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. 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.

Sonia Elizabeth Lerner (Costume Design) This is Sonia's second show at NCR, and she's pleased to be back! Sonia just entered her final year of graduate school at SDSU where she will graduate with her MFA in Costume Design in May. Her thesis show, The Boyfriend, opens in October at SDSU's Don Powell Theatre. This summer she worked at the Old Globe Theatre as the Assistant Costume Designer for The Tempest during the Shakespeare Festival. She comes to California from Houston, where she was the Resident Costume Designer for Texas Repertory Theatre. Some of her favorite shows there were Thoroughly Modern Millie, Always... Patsy Cline, You Can't Take It With You, and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Sonia has also designed for Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Main Street Youth Theatre, The Next Stage Ensemble at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and the Stone Soup Theatre Company. She would like to thank her four excellent brothers, and parents for all their love and support throughout the years.

Peter Herman (Hair/Wig Designer) Peter Herman has previously designed wigs for over 30 NCR productions including Honky Tonk Angels, Travesties, I Love You Because, Little Women, My Name is Asher Lev and recently Five Course Love. He has also designed costumes for past NCR productions of Putnam County Spelling Bee,The Big Bang, Madagascar, and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Peter teaches wig and makeup design at San Diego State University. He is glad to be part of the creative team on this show.

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

Aaron Rumley* (Stage Manager) North Coast Repertory Theatre: My Name is Asher Lev, The Drawer Boy, Becky's New Car, 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, and is the production manager at the North Coast Repertory Theatre. Aaron is a Member of Actors' Equity.

Crew
Natty Zwail

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