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"Fun Home" Cast and Creative Team

L-R: Medium Alison (Sara Masterson), Alison (Allison Mickelson), and Small Alison (Aida Valentine) in Fun Home at The Armory. Photo by Kate Szrom. 
L-R: Medium Alison (Sara Masterson), Alison (Allison Mickelson), and Small Alison (Aida Valentine) in Fun Home at The Armory. Photo by Kate Szrom. 

FUN HOME
Music by Jeanine Tesori 
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron 
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel 
Directed by Chris Coleman

THE CAST

Alison....................................................Allison Mickelson*
Small Alison........................................Aida Valentine
Bruce Bechdel....................................Robert Mammana*
Medium Alison...................................Sara Masterson *
Helen Bechdel.....................................Faith Sandberg*
Christian Bechdel..............................Karsten George
John Bechdel......................................Theo Curl
Joan.......................................................Kristen DiMercurio*
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy...Joe Knispel*
Small Alison Understudy⁺..............Alexa Shaheen


THE ORCHESTRA

Conductor/Pianist............................Eric Little
Guitar....................................................Eric Toner
Bass.......................................................Will Amend
Reeds....................................................Mieke Bruggeman-Smith 
Cello......................................................Dale Tolliver
Drums/Percussion............................Mitch Wilson
Violin/Viola.........................................Tylor Neist


THE CREATIVE TEAM

Director...............................................Chris Coleman
Music Director...................................Rick Lewis 
Scenic Designer................................William Bloodgood 
Costume Designer...........................Alison Heryer
Lighting Designer.............................William C. Kirkham 
Sound Designer................................Alex Hawthorn 
Consulting Dramaturg....................Barbara Hort, Ph.D.
Stage Manager..................................Mark Tynan* 
Assistant Stage Manager..............Kristen Mun* 
Dance Captain..................................Sara Masterson
Production Assistant.....................Jordan Affeldt 
Production Assistant......................Katie Nguyen 
New York Casting............................Harriet Bass 
Local Casting.....................................Brandon Woolley

CAST BIOS

 Theo Curl
John Bechdel                                                 
Theo Curl, lover of musicals, amusement parks and cats, is a fifth-grader at Ridgewood Elementary School. He adores music, singing, dancing, math and writing, and has been enjoying a life in the arts since his first ballet class at the age of 3. A dedicated member of Ridgewood’s performing arts club, Theo was last seen there as Rafiki in The Lion King. One of Theo’s favorite roles so far is that of James in James and the Giant Peach at Oregon Children’s Theatre. Fun Home is Theo’s first show at The Armory, and he is incredibly grateful for the experience. Theo would like to thank Rick Lewis for his genius, time and energy. (And if he wasn’t such a tween, he’d also thank his mom and dad for driving him places.)

Kristen DiMercurio
Joan
Kristen is delighted to be making her debut at The Armory. Her recent theater credits include: Murder Ballad (Studio Theatre), Grease (Totem Pole Playhouse) and As You Like It (Camden Shakespeare Festival). A firm believer in theater for social change, her activism/educational credits include: Speak About It (Portland, ME) and the Village Playback Theatre (NYC). She received her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Offstage, Kristen is a voice actor whose non-commercial work can be heard in podcasts such as Ars PARADOXICA, Golden Age, Studio 360 and The Far Meridian amongst others. Fun Home has been Kristen's dream show since she first saw it on Broadway, so she's absolutely thrilled to be a part of this production. All of the love and thanks to her amazing family — especially Jean Bean. kristendimercurio.com

Karsten George
Christian Bechdel
Karsten is excited to be making his debut at The Armory in Fun Home. Most recently, he performed the role of Pugsley in The Addams Family at Broadway Rose Theatre Company. Local audiences may have also seen him as Young Guido in Nine or Mergatroid the Elf in The Peppermint Bear Show at Lakewood Theatre Company, or singing in La Bohème with Portland Opera. When Karsten's not on stage, he spends his time tormenting his older sister, playing basketball and soccer, singing with the Portland Boychoir, and making stupid stunt videos with his GoPro. Thanks to Chris and Rick for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime with this role and to the awesome cast and crew for making Fun Home such a fun and memorable show. Love to my family, who gives the Bechdel family a serious run for their money.

Joe Knispel
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy 
Joe Knispel is a NYC-based actor/singer/writer who is thrilled to be making his debut at The Armory. Joe recently graduated with his M.F.A. in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Regional: All The Way, Ah, Wilderness!, Living on Love (u/s) and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (u/s) at Asolo Repertory Theater; Oklahoma!, Footloose and Shrek The Musical at Crane River Theater. Joe would like to thank his family for their never-ending support, Actors’ Equity Association, Judy Boals Inc., Florida State University, and all of his teachers who have shaped him into the artist he is today. joeknispel.com


Robert Mammana
Bruce Bechdel                                               
Broadway: Les Misérables. National Tours: The Sound of Music, Show Boat, Les Misérables. Regional: The Armory (Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and Father in Ragtime), South Coast Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Reprise Theatre Company. TV: The Office (as Sweeney Todd), CSI, The Good Wife, Elementary, CSI:NY, Dexter, Prison Break, Heroes, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise. Film: Just Say Love, Flightplan, Menace. Awards: LA Drama Critics Circle Award (one win and two nominations), LA Weekly Award, Helen Hayes Award nomination, three LA Ovation Award nominations, two Joseph Jefferson Award nominations. robertmammana.com

Sara Masterson
Medium Alison
Sara is overjoyed to be debuting at The Armory with such a beautiful piece of theater. Previous credits include: The Secret Garden (Martha) at Idaho Shakespeare Festival/Great Lakes Theater, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Ensemble and Rosemary u/s) at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Love Story (Jenny) at Playhouse Square, A Little Night Music (Anne) at New London Barn Playhouse, A Christmas Carol (Belle/Catherine Margaret) at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She is a proud graduate of the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. Gratitude to the wonderful people at Carlton, Goddard and Freer Talent. Love to her incredible family. For Mama P. saramastersonactor.com

Allison Mickelson
Alison                                                               
Allison Mickelson is honored to debut at The Armory with this important and revolutionary show. Favorite roles include Mother in Ragtime (Surflight Theater, NJ), Lola in Damn Yankees (Allenberry Playhouse, PA), Emily in Elf The Musical (National Tour), and Mame in Mame (Allenberry Playhouse and Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, VA). Allison has written and performed numerous solo cabarets in New York City and Provincetown, MA. She teaches music and yoga, conducts choirs, and works as the art and worship liaison at Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village. Deep gratitude to the womyn who wrote, scored, adapted, and live this piece. Her upcoming cabaret It Takes a Village to Raise an Allison rings true here. Special thanks to the amazing cast, crew and creative team, and all who traveled to support. 

Faith Sandberg
Helen Bechdel                                                              
Faith Sandberg is happy to be making her debut at The Armory. Off-Broadway/New York credits include originating Myra in The Fourth Messenger (New York Musical Festival) and Terri in The Good Girl (BMI/Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab). Favorite roles include Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher (Arkansas Repertory Theatre) and Sophia in Tom Jones (Florida Studio Theatre, world premiere). Regional: Cape Playhouse, Pioneer Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and The Muny. TV/Film: Boardwalk Empire, Quantico, Mysteries of Laura, Blue Bloods and Price Check (Sundance, 2012). A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, when not telling stories, Faith is an (exceptionally) amateur Instagram photographer and an (exceptionally) enthusiastic dog mom to her little Shorkie puppy, Baxter. 

Alexa Shaheen
Small Alison Understudy
Alexa is a 13-year-old eighth grader at Lakeridge Junior High. Her credits include Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, a Harpy in Portland Opera’s The Magic Flute, starring as Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical for Stumptown Stages, and several roles at Lakewood Theatre Company. She also performed in Portland Opera’s Tosca and two productions at London's The Leatherhead Theatre: West Side Story and Seussical the Musical. She is thrilled to make her debut at The Armory! 

Aida Valentine
Small Alison
Aida is thrilled to be performing a role she's been captivated by since the 2015 Tony Awards. Alison’s story is an important one to tell, and she's so grateful to be a part of it. Aida made her debut at The Armory in Our Town. Her favorite roles include Gretl in The Sound of Music at Broadway Rose Theatre Company, and James in James and the Giant Peach and Flora in Flora and Ulysses at Oregon Children's Theatre. When not performing, Aida enjoys training her now giant mini-pig, Flora Belle. Special thanks to Rick for helping me find Small Alison's voice, and to Chris, Rose and Brandon for the opportunity of a lifetime. To mom, dad, Elijah, Tre and Kailey: I love you so much.


ORCHESTRA BIOS

Will Amend       
Bass      
Will is delighted to be back at The Armory for Fun Home. He has been a member of the pit orchestra for The Fantasticks, West Side Story, Cabaret, Ain't Misbehavin' and Little Shop of Horrors here at The Armory, as well as Les Misérables and Gypsy at Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Mars On Life at Artists Repertory Theatre, The Full Monty at Pixie Dust, and others. He has also toured the U.S. and Britain as a member of eight different bands from Portland and beyond. When not playing music, Will teaches upright and electric bass and cello and works as a product stylist for Straub Collaborative. He would like to thank his wife, Nicole, who is probably putting their 2-year-old to bed right about now.

Mieke Bruggeman-Smith
Reeds   
Mieke Bruggeman-Smith is a performer, educator and composer/arranger, as well as the education and community coordinator for Portland Jazz Composers’ Ensemble. She performs in a wide variety of groups, including the all-female sax quartet The Quadraphonnes; the Afro-Cuban band Melao de Cuba; the 12-piece jazz chamber orchestra PJCE; Mystery Seed; Ezra Weiss Big Band; as well as playing classical alto when she can and performing in musicals. Recent productions at The Armory include: DreamgirlsFiddler on the Roof and Somewhere in Time. Mieke also enjoys teaching private lessons at her home studio and co-teaching at Roosevelt High School, Beaumont Middle School and with the Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra. She is heavily involved in promoting music education and loves collaborating with her music community. Music is the one outlet that (as author Tom Robbins might say) keeps the oxygen from leaking out of her life!

Eric Little
Conductor/Pianist
Eric is a musician and actor from Portland, Oregon. Credits at The Armory: The Last Five Years (pianist), Sweeney Todd (Tobias). Other credits include Urinetown (Hot Blades Harry) with Anonymous Theatre Company, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (music director) with Enlightened Theatrics, A Christmas Carol (music director) with Portland Playhouse, Showboat (pianist) with Portland Opera, A Year with Frog and Toad (Snail) with Oregon Children's Theatre, Les Misérables (music director) with Spokane Civic Theatre, and Cats (music director) with Broadway Rose Theatre Company. 

Tylor Neist
Violin/Viola       
Tylor earned his masters of music from Manhattan School of Music and his bachelors of music from Boston University. He studied violin with Midori; Mitchell Stern, a former first violinist for the American Quartet; and Bayla Keyes, a founding member of The Muir String Quartet. He was also fortunate to study chamber music with members of The Muir, Juilliard, Emerson and American String Quartets. Tylor has played with the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Eugene Symphony, Spokane Symphony, NW New Music, Filmusik and Opera Theater Oregon. He is a member of the piano trio ThreePlay and the artistic director of Bridgetown Orchestra. As a composer, his most recent projects include commissions for the theater scores for Lear (a violin looping score) and Kabuki Titus (a kabuki adaptation of Titus Andronicus). His Overview Effect, an immersive musical and theatrical journey through the cosmos, premiered in April of 2016.

Dale Tolliver
Cello     
Dale Tolliver has been a symphonic and freelance cellist since 1969. He is a veteran of theater pit orchestras (also since 1969, but who’s counting?). He also enjoys making “purty noise” as the continuo cellist with Portland’s Bach Cantata Choir, and as a founding member of both Trio Adrato and Threeplay. His work in symphony orchestras and freelance engagements has found him onstage in such diverse municipalities as Vienna, Austria, Knoxville, Tennessee and DeWitt, Iowa, and with such diverse performers as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Marilyn Horne, Susannah Mars, Dionne Warwick, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, André Watts, Rick Lewis, Henry Mancini, Liberace and Lambchop.

Eric Toner
Guitar
Having over thirty years with his hands at the acoustic, electric and classical guitars, Eric plays a broad cross-section of musical genres. A Canadian recording artist, he toured North America for two years and recorded multiple albums. Also a singer and sound engineer, much of his time is spent recording, arranging, sound designing, mixing and producing. But his passion is live performance. These days he can be found playing musical theater in the greater Portland region. Favorite local shows include Dreamgirls, Fiddler on the Roof, Next to Normal, Hairspray, Annie, The Kiss, Matthew McConaughey vs. The Devil and Little Shop of Horrors.

Mitch Wilson 
Drums/Percussion 
Though born and raised in Portland, Mitch Wilson has had the opportunity to perform across the country and around the world. He traveled to Taiwan to perform in their tremendous New Year’s Eve celebration, Festival of Lights. In 2010, Mitch received a B.F.A. from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. While there, he toured with rock band The Pretty Reckless, featuring Taylor Momsen. He also gained a unique insight into the contemporary music industry by working at the prestigious Virgin Records/EMI. Past musicals include: One Night with Janis Joplin (The Armory); GreaseAnnie (Northwest Children’s Theater); Footloose (Artists Repertory Theatre); and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Broadway Rose Theatre Company).

 

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS

Jeanine Tesori
Music
Jeanine Tesori won the Tony Award for Best Original Score with Lisa Kron for the musical Fun Home. She has also written Tony-nominated scores for Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center; Thoroughly Modern Millie (lyrics, Dick Scanlan); Caroline, or Change (lyrics, Tony Kushner); and Shrek The Musical (lyrics, David Lindsay-Abaire). The production of Caroline, or Change at the National Theatre in London received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Her 1997 Off-Broadway musical Violet (lyrics, Brian Crawley) opened on Broadway in 2014 and garnered four Tony nominations, including Best Musical Revival. Opera: A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (libretto, Tony Kushner; The Glimmerglass Festival) and The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me (libretto, J. D. McClatchy; The Kennedy Center). Music for plays: Mother Courage (The Public Theater, dir. George C. Wolfe, with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline), John Guare’s A Free Man of Color (Lincoln Center Theater, dir. George C. Wolfe), and Romeo and Juliet (Delacorte Gala). Film scores: Nights in Rodanthe, Every Day and You’re Not You. Tesori is a member of the Dramatists Guild and was cited by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers as the first female composer to have “two new musicals running concurrently on Broadway.” She is the founding artistic director of Encores! Off-Center at New York City Center and a lecturer in music at Yale University. Most of all, she is the proud parent of Siena Rafter, a recent graduate of LaGuardia High School’s drama program.

Lisa Kron
Book and Lyrics
Lisa Kron is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), which won five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Musical. With Fun Home, Lisa and Jeanine became the first all-women team to receive a Tony Award for Best Original Score. As an actor, Lisa was most recently seen as Mrs. Mi Tzu and Mrs. Yang in the Foundry Theatre’s acclaimed production of Good Person of Szechwan (Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actress). Honors include a Guggenheim fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, and a CalArts Alpert Award. She is a proud founding member of the OBIE and Bessie award-winning collaborative theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers. Lisa currently serves as secretary of the Dramatists Guild Council and on the boards of The MacDowell Colony and The Lilly Awards.

Alison Bechdel
Author of the Graphic Novel
Alison Bechdel created the countercultural comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, which ran in lesbian and gay publications from 1983 to 2008. In 2006, Bechdel began to gain a wider readership with the publication of Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, named Best Book of the Year by TIME Magazine. She followed this with a memoir about her mother, Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama. Bechdel has drawn comics for lots of places, including The New Yorker, Slate, McSweeney’s, The New York Times Book Review and Granta. She is currently at work on another graphic memoir called The Secret to Superhuman Strength.

Chris Coleman
Director
Chris joined Portland Center Stage at The Armory as artistic director in 2000. Before coming to Portland, Chris was the artistic director at Actor’s Express in Atlanta, a company he co-founded in the basement of an old church in 1988. Chris returned to Atlanta in 2015 to direct the world premiere of Edward Foote at Alliance Theatre (Suzi Bass Award for Best Direction, Best Production and Best World Premiere). Other recent directing credits include the Off-Broadway debut of Threesome at 59E59 Theaters; a production that had its world premiere at The Armory. Favorite directing assignments for The Armory include Constellations, Astoria: Part One (which he also adapted), A Streetcar Named Desire, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Three Days of Rain, Threesome, Fiddler on the Roof, Clybourne Park, Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline (which he also adapted), Anna Karenina, Oklahoma!, Snow Falling on Cedars, Crazy Enough, King Lear, Outrage and The Devils. Chris has directed at theaters across the country, including Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, ACT Theatre (Seattle), The Alliance, Dallas Theatre Center, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop and Center Stage (Baltimore). A native Atlantan, Chris holds a B.F.A. from Baylor University and an M.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon. He is currently the board president for the Cultural Advocacy Coalition. Chris and his husband, Rodney Hicks – who recently appeared on Broadway in the new musical Come From Away – are the proud parents of an 18-lb Jack Russell/Lab mix and a 110-lb English Blockhead Yellow Lab. For the past three years, Chris has had the honor of serving as the director for the Oregon Leadership Summit.

Rick Lewis
Music Director
Portland Center Stage at The Armory: Drammy Awards for Ain't Misbehavin', Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Guys and Dolls and West Side Story; Astoria: Part One, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Dreamgirls, The Last Five Years, Twist Your Dickens, Fiddler on the Roof, Somewhere in Time, Black Pearl Sings!, Oklahoma!, The Huntsmen (JAW), The Imaginary Invalid, Sunset Boulevard, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Grey Gardens, A Christmas Carol (composer), Cabaret, The Fantasticks and Bat Boy. Creator of the hit Off-Broadway musicals The Taffetas and The Cardigans (NYC Bistro Award for Outstanding Musical Revue); music supervisor for the West Coast regional premiere of Next to Normal (Artists Repertory Theatre); assistant conductor/vocal director for the pre-Broadway workshop of Cy Coleman's The Life; music director/arranger for BelloVoci; writer/arranger for Disney Live Family Entertainment, American Hawaii Cruises and American Classic Voyages; and developer of The Cinnamon Bear Cruise. Rick is the founder/artistic director of Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre. rlewismusic.com

William Bloodgood
Scenic Designer
William Bloodgood returns to The Armory for his 22nd production and his ninth collaboration with Chris Coleman. Past productions include Sweeney Todd (2012), Oklahoma! (2011), Snow Falling on Cedars (2010), Misalliance (2007), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2004) and, most recently, Other Desert Cities. He has designed for many regional theaters in the U.S. and abroad, including Arena Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Children's Theatre Company, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Guthrie Theater, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Seven Ages Productions in Beijing, Syracuse Stage and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where he was responsible for the scenic design of 140 productions. For the 2011 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in the Czech Republic he designed the United States national exhibit. He was honored with an Oregon Governor’s Arts Award in 2000. At present, he is a senior lecturer in scene design at the University of Texas at Austin.

Alison Heryer
Costume Designer
Alison Heryer is a costume designer for theater, film and print. She is thrilled to be returning to The Armory after designing costumes for Lauren Weedman Doesn’t Live Here AnymoreWild and RecklessHis Eye is on the SparrowThe Oregon Trail, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Our Town, Three Days of Rain and Threesome. Other design credits include productions with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 59E59 Theaters, La MaMa, The New Victory Theater, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Opera, Artists Repertory Theatre and The Hypocrites. Her work has been exhibited at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, World Stage Design and The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. Recent awards include the ArtsKC Inspiration Grant, the Austin Critics Table Award and a 2016 Drammy. Alison is a faculty member in the School of Art + Design at Portland State University and a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. alisonheryerdesign.com

William C. Kirkham
Lighting Designer
William C. Kirkham is an award-winning lighting designer for theater and live events. Credits at The Armory include: Constellations, The Oregon Trail and Little Shop of Horrors. He is spending the year as a visiting professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Regional credits include: Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Arizona Broadway Theatre, ArtsWest Playhouse, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Childsplay Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Contemporary American Theater Festival, The Hypocrites, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Phoenix Theatre, Sideshow Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Utah Shakespeare Festival. William attended Northern Arizona University, Northwestern University and is a proud member of USA Local 829. wckirkham.com

Alex Hawthorn
Sound Designer
Alex is a Brooklyn-based sound designer and composer for theater, film and digital media. His theatrical work has taken him to six continents and he is currently figuring out how to get to the seventh. Off-Broadway/New York City: Playwrights Horizons: Fly By Night; The Civilians and The Public Theater: The Great Immensity; Acorn Theater: Straight; Theater Reconstruction Ensemble: Rhinebecca, NY and You On The Moors Now; The National Asian American Theatre Company: A Dream Play; Theater Mitu: Juárez: A Documentary Mythology, Death of a Salesman, Medea, DR.C (or How I Learned to Act in Eight Steps) and Hair; Target Margin Theater: Old Comedy from Aristophanes’ Frogs. Regional: Baltimore Center Stage: The White Snake; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: A Chorus Line and The Pirates of Penzance; Kansas City Repertory Theatre: Evita, Side by Side by Sondheim; Engeman Theater: Odd Couple; National Tour: Golda’s Balcony. AlexHawthorn.com

Barbara Hort, Ph.D.
Consulting Dramaturg

Barbara Hort, Ph.D., has maintained a private practice in Portland for over 25 years, working primarily from the psychological perspective developed by the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. At the invitation of Chris Coleman, Dr. Hort has served as a dramaturg on The Armory productions of Sweeney Todd, Clybourne Park, the 2013 JAW festival, Fiddler on the Roof, Othello, Dreamgirls, Threesome, Three Days of Rain, Ain’t Misbehavin’, A Streetcar Named Desire, Astoria: Part One, and now, Fun Home, providing material on the psychological dynamics of the play that can be used by the artists who are creating the performance.

Mark Tynan 
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 Mark’s job is like. Special thanks to the phenomenal stage management apprentices, Jordan Affeldt and Katie Nguyen, who help keep the vision attainable. Prior to The Armory, Mark toured nationally and internationally with musicals including Dreamgirls, The King and I with Rudolf Nureyev, How to Succeed …, Grand Hotel, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and Jersey Boys. Other Portland credits include several summers with Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard. Regional credits include Alley Theatre (Houston, TX), La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA) and Casa Mañana Theatre (Fort Worth, TX).

Kristen Mun
Assistant Stage Manager
Kristen is originally from Hawaii and holds a B.F.A. from Southern Oregon University. She is excited to return for her fifth season at The Armory. Previous credits include production assistant on Fiddler on the Roof, LIZZIE, Threesome, Three Days of Rain, Forever, Each and Every Thing, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hold These Truths, His Eye is on the Sparrow and stage manager for Constellations. Outside of Portland she has worked at Idaho Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Kristen is forever grateful to Adam and her family for supporting her dreams. 

Jordan Affeldt
Production Assistant
Jordan is a stage manager from the small mountain town of Julian, CA. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University, majoring in theatre studies and psychology. Her recent work includes a stage management internship at Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), where she assistant stage managed Beauty and the Beast, Lend Me a Tenor and You Can’t Take It With You. Prior to PCPA, she completed stage management internships with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and ion theatre. She spends her free time playing and writing music in the Portland area. 

Katie Nguyen
Production Assistant
Katie Nguyen is a stage manager from Fairfax, Virginia, and a recent graduate of Virginia Tech. While pursuing a degree in business management, she served as a stage manager, festival producer and production manager for Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts. She is humbled to be here as one of two stage management apprentices for The Armory’s 2017-2018 season. Prior to moving to Portland, she co-founded a non-profit theater collective in Washington, D.C. (Who What Where Theater) and worked as a summer camp teaching artist for Acting For Young People in Fairfax, Virginia.

 

 

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