* Member of Actor's Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Aliemah Bradley (Ensemble Girl/ Understudy Esther Jane & Helen)
Aliemah is 11 yrs old. She attends SEI Academy and is in the 6th grade. Aliemah enjoys singing, acting, golf and swim team. She is bilingual; speaks, reads and writes in Spanish. Aliemah participates in Self Enhancementís performing arts programs, where she first realized her love and talents for the arts. She is proud to be a member of the SEI master drama and choir programs. Aliemah has attended Young Musicians and Artist camps for the past two summers. She has performed countless roles as a participant in the SEI drama program. She is grateful to Ms. Cinda Jackson and Ms. LaVerne Green of Self Enhancement Inc. who have encouraged her to be a well-rounded person. Most importantly, they have taught Aliemah that she is good enough to do anything she puts her mind to and that even when she makes mistakes, she can get up and continue to succeed.
Michael Cline (Ralphie)
Michael is thrilled to be appearing in his debut with Portland Center Stage. He is 12 years old and attends 6th grade in Southwest Portland. Previously, he has appeared as Ralphiein the Public Playhouse version of A Christmas Story,Jamesin Oregon Childrenís Theaterís James and the Giant Peach, an Oompa-Loompa in OCTís Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Tiny Tim in the Oregon Symphonyís Yuletide Spectacular. Offstage he can be found reading, listening to music, telling funny stories and watching James Bond movies. Michael would like to thank Rose Riordan for casting him as his favorite character, and the entire cast for a great experience. He also thanks his family and Stan for their support and encouragement.
Dylan Earhart (Flick)
Dylan is very excited to be appearing in his first production at Portland Center Stage. He is a 5th grader who enjoys acting, writing, comedy and sports. He was recently seen as a newsboy in Gypsy (Lakewood Theatre), and as Gavroche in Les Miserables at both Jesuit and Clackamas High Schools. Other credits include Oompa Loompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Oregon Childrenís Theatre) and ensemble in Oliver! and Charlie in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (both Lakewood Theatre). Dylan would like to thank his family for their patience, encouragement and support.
Harrison Goyette (Randy)
Harrison Michael Goyetteis pleased to be making his Portland Center Stage debut in tonightís production. This is Harrisonís first professional performance. He has appeared in church and school plays as well as several movie shorts portraying the characters of: Kirk in Trespassing Across Time, Dr. Jones in The Tablet of Nosirrah and Luke in The Return Of Darkness. Harrison is 9 years old and is currently a 4th grader at Middleton Elementary in Sherwood, Oregon. In his spare time he enjoys playing basketball, baseball, piano and guitar. Harrison would like to thank his family and friends for their love and support.
Aimee Martin (Helen)
Aimee is thrilled to be returning to Portland Center Stage this Christmas with familiar faces and dear friends! She previously appeared in PCS' A Christmas Carol with Darius, Ebbe, Laura Faye and her brother, Henry. This year, getting to perform with one of her best friends, Hannah, makes the season super special. Aimee's other productions include Suessical, Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, Peter Pan and Annie, all through CYT Vancouver-Portland. She is an 8th grader at Alki Middle School and loves creating music lyrics for unique musicals. Aimee wishes you love and joy- and from Helen, "Have a Merry Christmas or I'll come and beat you up."
Henry Martin (Ensemble Boy/ Understudy Randy & Schwartz)
Henry is a 10-year-old 5th grader at Salmon Creek Elementary. Last season he played Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol and is excited to return to Portland Center Stage for A Christmas Story! Henry was most recently seen in NWCTS's production of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and CYT's Suessical. Other favorite shows include The Jungle Book, The Music Man and Peter Pan with CYT Vancouver-Portland. Henry's interests include Air-Soft, Legos, classic movies and the long-range goal of finishing Star Wars the Musical with his great friend Calvin! He would like to wish you a very merry Christmas.
Ethan Reed McKay (Schwartz)
Ethan is thrilled to make his Portland Center Stage debut in the role of Schwartz. Previously, Ethan has played roles in Oliver!, Carousel, and Willy Wonka in his hometown of McMinnville. Ethan is passionate about many types of performance. He studies hip-hop, tap, ballet, jazz, and musical theater with Chehalem Valley Dance Academy, studies guitar with Gina Edge, and studies voice and piano with David Hastings. Ethan is an enthusiastic team member of The Evergreen
Aces ñ an award winning lego robotics team. Ethan is homeschooled and spends his free time playing basketball, skateboarding and fantasizing about Star Wars. A true intellectual, Ethan is devoting his current study time to the physics involved in attaching oneís tongue to a frozen flagpole...Jeepers...it really works!
Darius Pierce (Ralph)
Darius Pierce is happy to be back for his third Christmas at PCS! Past shows at PCS include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The 39 Steps, A Christmas Carol, Beard of Avon (Drammy Award for Outstanding Actor), Twelfth Night, How to Disappear..., Frost/Nixon, and Misalliance. A co-founder of Anonymous Theatre Company, Darius has performed at many theaters throughout the area including Theatre Vertigo, Seattle Children's Theatre, Brown/Trinity Repertory, Broadway Rose, Profile Theater, and Northwest Children's Theater. For the record, Darius actually would like a Red Ryder BB Gun, but since he celebrates Hanukkah, he would like eight of them.

Laura Faye Smith (Miss Shields)
Laura Faye Smith has previously appeared at PCS in Pride and Prejudice, The Thugs, How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, Frost/Nixon, A Christmas Carol, The Receptionist and JAW in 2008-2010. Other productions in the Portland area include Mr. Marmalade at Artists Repertory Theatre, The Receptionist, Boy Gets Girl and Spinning Into Butter at Coho, The Heiress and Bash at Triangle! Productions; Charlotteís Web, The BFG, and Cyrano at Oregon Childrenís Theatre; King Lear at Tygres Heart; and The Trip to Bountiful and Uncommon Women at Profile Theatre. She won a 2005 Drammy for her work in The Heiress, and a 2010 Drammy for The Trip to Bountiful. Her television credits include TNTís Leverage, and her voice over work includes voices for the video game This Is Vegas, Dungeon Siege 2, and the animated series Ruby Rocket.
Ebbe Roe Smith (The Old Man)
Ebbe Roe Smith appeared in Sam Shepardís Action, Angel City and Suicide in B Flat, directed by the author at the Magic Theatre, San Francisco, and in the American premiere of Curse of the Starving Class at the New York Public Theatre. In Los Angeles he was in Marlene Meyerís Etta Jenks and Len Jenkinís Gogol at L.A.T.C., Steven Berkoffís Metamorphosis at the Mark Taper Forum, and Methusalem, with the Actorís Gang. In Portland, he has appeared at Portland Center Stage in the world premieres of Glen Bergerís O Lovely Glowworm and Itamar Mosesí Celebrity Row, for which he received a Drammy Award, Jordan Harrisonís Act A Lady, for which he received a second Drammy and Fin Kennedyís How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, for which he received a third. Last season, he appeared as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Clown 2 in The 39 Steps.
Valerie Stevens (Mother)
Valerie Stevens was last seen at Portland Center Stage in The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and JAW/Playwrights Festival. Additional Portland credits include: Telethon (Portland Playhouse); The Gray Sisters, Fabuloso, Nobody Here But Us Chickens, The Pavilion, Dirty Story and Recent Tragic Event (Third Rail Repertory Theatre); Uncle Vanya, Bug, Humble Boy, Laramie Project, Keely and Du (Artists Repertory Theatre ); Frankie and Jonny and the Clair de Lune, Hamlet (CoHo Productions); and Three Tall Women (Profile Theatre Project). Regional credits include: The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (San Jose Rep); The Magnificent Yankee (Fordís Theatre); Sweet Bird of Youth, Counselor at Law, Madwoman of Chaillot, Cowboy Mouth, and The Bacchae (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Valerie is a Founding Member of Third Rail, where she joins the collective in defining the creative and administrative voice that is uniquely Third Rail.
Calvin Whitney (Scut Farkus/Understudy Ralphie)
Calvin is 12 years old and lives in Battle Ground, WA where he is a 6th grade student at CAM Jr. High School. This is Calvinís first production with Portland Center Stage. He has previously been involved with Christian Youth Theater in Vancouver, WA and has been a part of eight musicals such as Oliver, The Music Man, and Les Miserables where he played the role of Gavroche. Calvin enjoys hanging out with his sister Veronica, his friends, swimming, singing, and playing piano. Calvin is a huge sci-fi nerd and is planning on writing Star Wars the Musical with his friend, Henry Martin. Calvin is very thankful for this opportunity and has worked very hard on being a bully for the first time! He would like to thank his mom, dad, and family members for their support with special mention of his Uncle Brent, who taught him to love A Christmas Story. Merry Christmas!
Hannah Wilson (Esther Jane)
Hannah is thrilled to be back at PCS this season. She last appeared at PCS as the understudy for Little Girl in Ragtime in 2009. Her 2010 performances include Pinocchio (NWCT), Seussical (Christian Youth Theater), and Pagliacci/Carmina Burana (Portland Opera). Her television credits include TNTís Leverage. Hannah is a homeschooled 7th grader who loves to sing and dance. She has been acting since the age of 8. This production is very special to Hannah because she and her best friend Aimee Martin (Helen Weathers) get to play best friends in the show! Hannah thanks God for her gifts, her family, friends and teachers for their support, CYT Vancouver/Portland for encouraging her love of acting, and Portland Center Stage for this opportunity. Merry Christmas!
Creative Team Biographies:
Philip Grecian (Adaptor)
Philip Grecian began his show business career by hiring out as a ventriloquist and magician at the age of four. By 15 he had written a three-act comedy which was produced at a local theater. At the age of 16 he was founding director for a city-funded community theater. Two years later he was asked, without audition, to be a part of the Creede Colorado Repertory Theatre, where he spent a season acting and writing. He continues to maintain a connection with Creede Repertory, where his plays have been produced and where he has returned as a guest performer. After touring the Midwest as Androcles in Androcles and the Lion, he returned to the community theater he had founded, remaining there as artistic/managing director and resident playwright for six years; he resigned in 1976 in order to create a professional dinner theater where he served as producer and artistic director. After establishing a strong financial base for the new theater, he left to work as a writer/director in film, video and audio production. In 1994, Grecian became the founding director/playwright for a theater company which mounts an annual production of his adaptation of In His Steps. His adaptation of A Christmas Carol has become an annual tradition in many communities around the United States, and his radio dramatization of Dracula!, based on his stage play, is now a staged radio production. Other plays include The Velveteen Rabbit, The Dragon of Nitt, Lion and the Lyre and the official stage adaptation of the film A Christmas Story.
Jean Shepherd (Co-Author)
Jean Shepherd originally worked as a radio personality throughout the 1950s by telling stories of his youth, commenting on current topics and performing silly songs. While at WOR-AM in New York, he also broadcast live night club acts from the Limelight in Greenwich Village. He also wrote for Playboy and other magazines. His articles were published in a series of books including ìThe America of George Ade,î ìIn God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash,î ìWanda Hickeyís Night of Golden Memories, and Other Disasters,î ìA Fistful of Fig Newtonsî and ìThe Ferrari in the Bedroom.î During the 1970s, he did two series of humorous programs as well as several American Playhouse episodes for PBS. In 1983, he wrote his first feature film, A Christmas Story, putting together many tales of his semi-autobiographical character Ralphie. A sequel, My Summer Story (aka It Runs in the Family), was made in 1994.
Bob Clark (Co-Author)
Bob Clark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. After studying at the University of Miami, he got his start as a director with The Emperorís New Clothes (1966), starring John Carradine. Next up was the low-budget She-Man (1967 and Children Shouldnít Play with Dead Things (1972). The seventies saw Clark directing a series of thrillers, including Deathdream (1974), Black Christmas (1974), Breaking Point (1976) and Murder by Decree (1979). Murder by Decree won numerous Genies (Canadian Oscars), including Best Director for Clark and Best Performance awards for the two stars. Tribute (1980), starring Jack Lemmon, was another success, with Lemmon receiving a Genie award as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. But it was Clarkís next film, Porkyís (1982), that became his biggest financial success, earning a phenomenal $160 million worldwide, and becoming the catalyst for a whole new genre of teenage gross-out movies. After shooting the sequel Porkyís II: The Next Day (1983), Clark directed the holiday cult classic, A Christmas Story (1983), which was nominated for nine Genie and garnered wins for Best Achievement in Direction and for Best Screenplay, shared with two other writers. He also earned a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Adapted from another Media. Subsequent films included Rhinestone (1984), Turk 182! (1985), From the Hip (1987) Baby Geniuses (1999) and its sequel Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004).
Rose Riordan (Director)
Rose is in her 15th season at Portland Center Stage, where she serves as associate artistic director. Previously at PCS she has directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Receptionist, A Christmas Carol, Frost/Nixon, How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, Doubt, The Underpants, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh and The Thugs by Adam Bock, which won four Drammy Awards, including Best Ensemble and Best Director. Last fall, she directed The Receptionist at CoHo Productions, for which Sharonlee McLean won a Drammy for Best Actress. Born and raised in Alaska, Rose began her career in theater before she had acquired a lexicon for describing the work. Prior to the age of 10, she wrote, directed and produced plays, most of them backyard productions for family, friends and neighbors. Her first ìprofessionalî full-length play, an intense examination of six stewardesses and their ìman troubles,î was presented at Eagle River Elementary School. A defining moment for her, it solidified Roseís commitment to a pursuit of theater with the sole desire to illuminate and be illuminated. In 1999 she founded Portland Center Stageís annual JAW: A Playwrights Festival. JAW has been instrumental in developing new work for the PCS repertory: Outrage, Flesh and Blood, Another Fine Mess, O Lovely Glowworm, Celebrity Row, Act a Lady, The Thugs and A Feminine Ending. She directed staged readings for plays at four of the JAW festivalsóThe Thugs (2005), Telethon (2006), A Story About a Girl (2007) and 99 Ways to F*** a Swan (2009) and The North Plan. She enjoys being part of a company committed to new work and having a beautiful building in which to work.
Tony Cisek (Scenic Designer)
Tony designed scenery for previous PCS productions of Frost/Nixon, A Feminine Ending and Sometimes a Great Notion. Other favorite productions include Gem of the Ocean and the upcoming premiere of The Night Is a Child at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, A Lesson Before Dying at Round House Theatre, Blue/Orange at Shakespeare & Company, Insurrection with Theatre Alliance, Intimate Apparel at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Anna in the Tropics at Portland Center Stage, The Crucible at Syracuse Stage, Fences at Actors Theatre of Louisville and Arden Theatre Company, In the Blood at the Guthrie Theater, A Raisin in the Sun at City Theatre, Blues for an Alabama Sky at Berkshire Theatre Festival and the premiere of The Last Orbit of Billy Mars with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. His work has also been seen at Roundabout Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Delaware Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Opera and Signature Theatre, among others. Tony holds an M.F.A. in design from New York University and is a four-time recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design.
Nancy Schertler (Lighting Designer)
Nancy Schertler is happy to be back at Portland Center Stage where she has designed The Beard of Avon, and Twelfth Night in rep, as well as The Importance of Being Earnest. Broadway productions include Bill Irwinís Fool Moon and Largely New York for which she earned a Tony nomination. Off Broadway: Hilda (dir. Carey Perloff), Texts for Nothing, A Flea in Her Ear, The Regard Evening, (dir. Bill Irwin) and Falsettoland (dir.James Lapine). Regional theater credits include the American Conservatory Theatre productions of Boleros for the Disenchanted, After the War, The Gamester, Levee James, and artistic director Carey Perloffís The Colossus of Rhodes.; The Three Musketeers and The Sisters Matsumoto at Seattle Repertory Theatre; and A Christmas Carol, among others, at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Nancy enjoys a decades long association with the Arena Stage in Washington, DC, where she has collaborated with directors Zelda Fichandler, Douglas C. Wager, Kyle Donnelly, Liviu Ciulei, and most recently with Amanda Dehnart on last seasonís much acclaimed production of The Fantasticks. This season she worked once again with director/writer/actor Bill Irwin on his adaptation of Moliereís Scapin for A.C.T. Opera credits include the world premieres of Shadowboxer, Clara, and Later the Same Evening, an opera inspired by the work of Edward Hopper, all commissioned by the University of Maryland Opera Studio, under the direction of Leon Major.
Jeff Cone (Costume Designer)
Jeff, costume shop manager for Portland Center Stage, has designed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Mikeís Incredible Indian Adventure, The 39 Steps, Snow Falling on Cedars, Grey Gardens, Guys and Dolls, Doubt, The Little Dog Laughed, Sometimes a Great Notion, The Underpants, Cabaret, Bad Dates, The Pillowman, Act a Lady, Misalliance, This Wonderful Life, I Am My Own Wife and West Side Story since PCS opened the Gerding Theater at the Armory. Other PCS credits include the world premieres of Celebrity Row and Another Fine Mess, as well as Underneath the Lintel, Things of Dry Hours, Anna in the Tropics, King Lear, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Whoís Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, True West, Flesh and Blood, A New Brain, Closer, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Bus Stop and Dirty Blonde. Jeff received Drammy Awards for Best Costume Design for both Act a Lady and Dirty Blonde. Highlights of his 20-year career include the world premiere of Pearl Cleageís Flyiní West at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, with subsequent productions at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Long Wharf Theatre; an expressionistic Charlotteís Web and 10 annual productions of A Christmas Carol at the Alliance; and the coordination of costumes for Seattle Operaís productions of Andrea ChËnier and La Traviata.
Casi Pacilio (Sound Designer)
Casi is thrilled to work at the Gerding Theater at the Armory as the sound supervisor and resident sound designer. Her credits with PCS include Sunset Boulevard, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, JAW, The Chosen, The 39 Steps, Snow Falling on Cedars, Ragtime, Grey Gardens, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Christmas Carol, Guys and Dolls, Doubt, The Little Dog Laughed, Sometimes a Great Notion, The Beard of Avon, Twelfth Night, A Christmas Carol, Cabaret, Bad Dates, The Pillowman, Act a Lady, Misalliance, I Am My Own Wife, West Side Story and Celebrity Row. Other credits include Squonk OperaÌs Bigsmorgasbord-WunderWerk (Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, touring); I Am My Own Wife, I Think I Like Girls, Burning Deck (La Jolla Playhouse); Uncanny Valley (Hand2Mouth); and Playland, 10 Fingers and Lips Together, Teeth Apart (City Theatre). Her film credits include Creation of Destiny, Out of Our Time and Powerful Thang. Her recording credits include Hand 2 Mouthís The Uncanny Valley, Squonk Opera, Abigailís Attic and Jana Losey. She was the event production coordinator for Portlandís Village Building Convergence from 2004 to 2006.
Jamie Hill (Stage Manager)
Jamie is excited to be in her ninth season at Portland Center Stage. Previous PCS shows include unset Boulevard, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Chosen, Mikeís Incredible Indian Adventure, The Receptionist, Ragtime, Grey Gardens, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Christmas Carol (all three seasons), Guys and Dolls, Doubt, A Feminine Ending, Cabaret, The Pillowman, Misalliance, I Am My Own Wife, West Side Story, Celebrity Row, The Fantasticks, Pride and Prejudice, My Fair Lady, King Lear, Fully Committed, 36 Views, Another Fine Mess, Man & Superman, Whoís Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and True West. Other regional credits include Missouri Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and Huron Playhouse. Locally, Jamie has also worked on JAW and with Third Rail Repertory Company. A huge thank you to the always fantastic PCS stage management team, and the always lovely Rose.
Liam Kaas-Lentz (Assistant Stage Manager)
Liam is a native of Bellingham, WA, who has lived in Portland for seven years and is delighted to call the place home. He serves as production manager for and is an ensemble member of Sojourn Theatre and has stage managed for Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Hand2Mouth Theatre, Oregon Childrenís Theatre, Teatro Milago, NaCl, PICA, Pixie Dust Productions, the Geva Theatre Center, Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, National Public Radio, Oregon State University, and BodyVox Dance. Liam received his BFA from Southern Oregon University, his M.Ed from Portland State University and has taught ensemble stage management at Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Portland State University, and Lincoln High School. He lives with his wife and two cats in the southeast
Mark Tynan (Assistant Stage Manager)
Imagine being in a room full of artists, watching the birth of an idea, a movement given purpose, a sentence, phrase, scene, act given life. Then imagine that room translating to the stage with lighting, sound, costumes, scenery and props, then you can imagine what Markís job is like. Special thanks to Markís partner in crime, Jamie Hill (go bucks) and the phenomenal PCS production assistants, Joey Edwards, Aubree Lynn and Lydia Comer who help keep the vision attainable. Prior to PCS, Mark toured nationally and internationally with musicals including Dreamgirls, The King and I with Rudolf Nureyev, How to SucceedÖ, Grand Hotel, The Phantom of the Opera and Rent. Other Portland credits include several summers with The Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard. Other regional credits include The Alley Theatre, Houston, TX, and La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA. Remember, take time to smell the roses.
Joey Edwards (Production Assistant)
This is Joeyís second season with Portland Center Stage. Recently he was the stage manager for Gavin & Susannah: An Intimate Evening of Musical Theater (PCS), and production assistant for í69: A Sexual Revolution Musical (Triangle Productions). Production assistant credits with PCS include: Sunset Boulevard, The Chosen, Snow Falling on Cedars, and Ragtime. Assistant stage manager credits include; The History Boys and The Ghosts of Celilo (Artists Repertory Theatre). Production assistant credits with Artists Rep include: Distracted, String of Pearls, Eurydice, Rabbit Hole, Mars on Life: The Holiday Edition and They Came from Way Out There. He was also stage manager for Who Are We Really? (Young Audiences/Artists Rep) and Lipstick and Other Cosmetics (Theater!/Theatre!).
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