Lisa Kron grew up in Lansing, Michigan and like many artists, moved to New York after college. As a teenager and young woman in Michigan and in New York, she pursued acting in straight plays, increasingly dissatisfied with the roles for women, and especially LGBTQ women. Seeing the work of the  pioneering group Split Britches had a profound impact. Lisa writes, “it was so beautiful and complete and so utterly unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was strange yet totally familiar. Funny and heartbreaking and so sexy.  It was non linear – that blew my Midwestern MIND. And – they made it themselves. To me this was a revelation.”

Through Split Brithes, Lisa found her way to the WOW Cafe, a hot-bed for experimental lesbian-centered work in the New York’s East Village, the city’s bohemian heart. At WOW’s tiny storefront theatre she found a like-minded tribe of theatre-makers devising their own work, writing their own plays,  sometimes in a few months, sometimes in a few days, with sets and costumes made from found materials. It was here that she started doing her own solo work. And it was here that she, her girlfriend Peg Healy, and friends Maureen Angelos, Babs Davy, Dominique Dibbell, formed the Five Lesbian Brothers. Throughout the ‘90s, both Lisa’s solo work and the plays created with the Brothers gained increasing prominence, and were produced throughout New York at PS 122, The Kitchen, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center and eventually at large off-Broadway venues like New York Theatre Workshop and in 1997 The Public Theater, where 2.5 Minute Ride opened to rave reviews, winning OBIE, Drama-logue and GLAAD Awards.

The Public Theater became an artistic home for Lisa, developing and producing her plays Well, which transferred to Broadway, earning Tony nominations for Lisa and co-star Jayne Houdyshell; In The Wake, Lisa’s most traditionally well-made play; and Fun Home, her musical written with Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tessori, which also transferred to Broadway, winning 5 of its 12 Tony nominations, including Best Musical of 2015.

Throughout it all, what makes Lisa’s writing indelibly Lisa’s is her interest in the mix of theatrical forms — from the straight play to solo story-telling to ensemble-generated work, sometimes co-existing in the same piece — her commitment to politically-engaged work, and her conviction that laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, can inhabit the same moment. You’re in for a wildly funny and deeply moving ride.

-Josh Hecht, Artistic Director

Allison Mickelson

Lisa

Allison Mickelson is honored to debut at Profile Theatre with the brilliant writing of Lisa Kron. Favorite roles include Alison in Fun Home (Portland Center Stage, OR), 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 NYC, MA, PA, SD and OR. She teaches music and yoga, conducts choirs, and works with art and worship at Middle Collegiate Church, a progressive worshiping community in the East Village. Special thanks to Jane Unger, Josh Hecht, the creative team and the crew. Profile Theatre’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative warrants high praise and Mickelson thanks patrons for supporting live theater and the highlighting of these voices.

Jane Unger

Director

As the founding Artistic Director of Profile Theatre Project, Jane is delighted to return to Profile and usher in this extraordinary season featuring Anna Deveare Smith and Lisa Kron with Kron’s 2.5 Minute Ride. During her fifteen years at the Profile helm she had the pleasure of producing and directing seasons by playwrights Arthur Kopit (inaugural season), Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Constance Congdon, Romulus Linney, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, Terrence McNally, Lanford Wilson, Wendy Wasserstein, John Guare, Neil Simon, Horton Foote, Lee Blessing and Athol Fugard, working directly with many of these writers on new play development. Recently in Portland at Artists Repertory Theatre, Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally and the world premiere of The Talented Ones by Yussef El Guindi. Other directorial work: Triad Stage, The Inge Festival, Creede Repertory Theatre, Idaho Theatre for Youth, Great Plains Theatre Conference and in Portland Storefront Theatre, Miracle Theatre, CoHo Productions, JAW at Portland Center Stage and New Rose Theatre. She adapted and directed Carver Country for Literary Arts, based on Raymond Carver short stories and worked as a consultant with Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle on The Financial Lives of the Poets and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. As an actress, Jane worked in the New York area at theatres including Manhattan Theatre Club, Manhattan Punch Line and Hartford Stage. Among the awards Jane has received, she is especially proud of her Drammy Award for Best Director for Wings and the Drammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Peter Ksander, Scenic Design

Sarah Gahagan, Costume Designer

Miranda k Hardy, Lighting Designer

Casi Pacilio, Sound Design

Jana Crenshaw, Composer

Kyra Bishop, Props Master

Carol Ann Wohlmut, Stage Manager

Rory Breshears, Production Manager

Charlie Capps, Production Assistant

Profile doubles the impact

Richly rewarding productions of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ “Water by the Spoonful” and “The Happiest Song Plays Last” open in rep

NOVEMBER 6, 2017 // CULTURE, THEATER // DEANN WELKER

Read it here: OREGON ARTSWATCH

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Stage and Studio Interview

With Dmae Roberts on KBOO

November 7th, 2017

Director Josh Hecht and actor Anthony Lam were guests on the show.  They shared insights into working on Water by the Spoonful and The Happiest Song Plays Last.  Anthony plays the leading character of Elliot in both productions and opened the season in the title role in Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue.

Listen to the full interview HERE

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Pulitzer winner Quiara Alegria Hudes expands the idea of family in ‘Elliot Trilogy’

 

In October Quiara Alegría Hudes was interviewed by Lee Williams for The Oregonian/Oregon Live!  We are thrilled that The Oregonian recognized the significance of presenting the work of a Pulitzer Prize winning writer – and her upcoming visit to Portland.

She spoke of her gratitude for people’s response to the devastation of hurricane Irma, saying “It’s really profoundly moving how much the nation has just come out with deep love for Puerto Rico.”

She also praised Profile saying that we’ve impressed her with our “Level of thoughtfulness and creativity and care toward the work they do.” Thanks Quiara!

The full article was published in print on Friday, Oct 27th and is available online!

In order of appearance

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony Lam

Elliot Water/Happiest  

Anthony is returning to Profile Theatre to continue his work as Elliot Ortiz, seen in the season opener Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue. His past theatre credits include: Michael in the stage reading of Washer/Dryer with Theatre Diaspora and Atómiko in Miracle Theatre’s production of Into The Beautiful North. He spent the summer filming Translated, a feature film in Eugene, OR as well as working on commercials throughout the Northwest.

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Ann Muñoz

Yaz Water/Happiest

Crystal is honored to be working with this earnest, fearless group of artists. Profile audiences may have seen her previously in Eyes for Consuela (Sam Shepard season) or the Drammy Award winning Orlando (Sarah Ruhl season). Other Portland credits include The Importance of Being Ernest; Civil War Christmas (Artists Repertory Theatre), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Portland Shakespeare Project), The Hunstmen (Portland Playhouse), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Triangle Productions) and In The Heights (Stumptown Stages), another work by our playwright, Quiara Alegría Hudes. Thank you for joining us. “Somos Americanos. Punto.”

 

 

 

 

 

Wasim No’Mani

Ghost/Ali Water/Happiest

Wasim is an actor. Meaning, he tries to tell the truth whilst lying. Indeed, he is as confused as that sounds. Wasim THANKS every one of his stupendously talented cast-mates. Watching their work is both a jubilant joy and frantically frightful. Wasim deeply THANKS director, Josh Hecht, for including him in this creative process. An emphatic extension of GRATITUDE to Quiara Alegria Hudes whose words we are all trying our damndest to live up to. Wasim eternally THANKS his family for their insistent support, despite the questionable nature of the undertaking  Finally, Wasim THANKS YOU, audience member. Without you, there’s no point in this.

 

 

 

 

 

Julana Torres

Odessa Water

Julana is a Portland local with an extensive career in dance, music, and theatre. She has recently returned to the stage after a long hiatus to teach with Portland Public Schools and establish the full time dance program for Franklin High School. She is beyond ecstatic to return to Profile after performing last spring as Beatriz in 26 Miles. Other credits include Óye Oyá (Milagro Theatre), Cuba Libre (ART), West Side Story (Musical Theatre Company), Peter Pan (Civic Theatre). Upcoming works include feature film Losing Addison, and Between Riverside and Crazy this spring with Artists Rep. She also performs as the lead singer for popular latin jazz orchestra The Bobby Torres Ensemble.

Member Actors Equity Association

 

 

 

 

 

 

Akari Anderson

Orangutan Water

Akari is thrilled to be making her Portland debut at Profile. Theatrical credits include Anna in The Baltimore Waltz (Powerhouse Theatre), Ophelia in Hamlet (Martel Theatre), Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth (Vassar College), Susan in The Secretaries (Idlewild Ensemble), and Ensemble Member in On The Table (Sojourn Theatre Company). Film: Frances Ha (dir. Noah Baumbach). Holds a BA in Drama from Vassar College. Special thanks to Tomiko, Reed and Hiroko.

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Bermea

Chutes & Ladders Water

Bobby is thrilled to be returning to Profile where he last appeared on stage during the Athol Fugard season in “Master Harold” …and the Boys and My Children! My Africa! He also directed last season’s Blue Door. Bermea is co-artistic director of The Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project and a member of both Sojourn Theatre and Badass Theatre Company. He is a playwright, director, contributor to Oregon ArtsWatch and three-time Drammy award winning actor. Bermea has worked in theaters literally from New York, NY to Honolulu, HI. Coming up, look for Bermea in Between Riverside and Crazy at Artists Rep, Fences at Portland Playhouse and The Librarians on TNT.

Member Actors Equity Association

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duffy Epstein

Fountainhead/Lefty Water/Happiest

Duffy is really happy to be working at Profile Theater again, having appeared as Saul in True West.  Recent appearances include Slank in Peter and the Starcatcher; Ian in The Other Place (Portland Playhouse), Duane/db in db (Coho), Harold in I Want To Destroy You (Theater Vertigo), Cash in The Pain and the Itch (Third Rail). For Judy!

 

 

 

 

 

Dre Slaman

Shar Happiest

Dré earned her MFA in Acting at Northern Illinois University where she studied the Meisner Technique under master teacher Kathryn Gately. She has also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre, the William Esper Acting Studio (NYC) and received her BA in Theatre Arts at University of Pacific. Theatre Credits include: Jaffa’s Gate, The Stinky Cheese Man, Nine Parts of Desire, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, Albee’s Everything in The Garden, Edgar’s Pentecost, and Hair. Dré’s on-camera credits include GRIMM, MEDIUM, and others. She owns and operates local company Farm to Fit and is on the Board of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance.

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Garcia

Agustín Happiest

After studying at Southern Oregon University and performing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Jimmy is happy to be back in Portland where he began his acting career years ago on the stages of Milagro Theater, Stark Raving Theater and Portland Center Stage.  In Southern Oregon, he performed a variety of roles working with such esteemed directors as Bill Rauch, Libby Appel and Pat Patton to name a few. He has most recently performed in Milagro’s world premiere Óye Oyá, ART’s A Civil War Christmas, Profile Theater’s Elliot: A Soldier’s Fugue, and ART’s An Octoroon.

Member Actors Equity Association

Josh Hecht

Director

Josh Hecht (Artistic Director) is a Drama Desk Award-winning director whose productions have been seen in New York at MCC Theater, The Cherry Lane, The Duke on 42nd Street, New World Stages, Culture Project, regionally at The Guthrie Theater, the Berkshire Theatre Group, the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Signature Theatre (DC) and internationally at the Dublin Arts Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and elsewhere. His collaboration with Ping Chong and Company was commissioned by and premiered at The Kennedy Center before touring the northeast. His writing has received the support of the Jerome Foundation. He is formerly the Director of Playwright Development at MCC Theater and the Director of New Play Development at WET. He’s served on the faculty of the New School for Drama MFA Directing program, the Fordham University MFA Playwriting program, Purchase College SUNY’s BFA Dramatic Writing program and has been a guest artist at The Juilliard School, NYU’s Dramatic Writing MFA, Carnegie Mellon’s MFA Playwriting, University of Minnesota’s BFA Acting program and others.

 

Peter Ksander

Scenic  Design

Peter is a scenographer and media artist whose stage design work has been presented both nationally and internationally. In 2006 he joined the curatorial board of the Ontological-Hysteric Incubator. In 2008 he won an Obie award for the scenic design of Untitled Mars (this title may change), and In 2014 he won a Bessie award for the visual design of This Was the End. He holds a MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, is an Associate Professor at Reed College and is an associate company member with the Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble. This is his second design with Profile having designed Bright Half Life last season.

 

Brynne Oster-Bainnson

Costume Design

Brynne received her BA from Drew University in 2013. She works as the wardrobe supervisor for Broadway Rose Theatre Company and is also the costumer for David Douglas High School and St. Mary’s Academy where she enjoys spreading the love of costumes to the next generations. Brynne has worked as a costume designer for Broadway Rose, Third Rail, and CoHo. Highlights of her recent shows Fly By Night (BRTC), The Nether (TR), Angry Brigade (TR),  and db (CoHo). She is very excited to work with Profile for the first time on these two incredible shows with this outstanding creative team.

 

Carl Faber

Lighting Design 

In three seasons with Profile Carl has designed: Orlando, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Eyes for Consuela.  Recent designs with Artists Rep (Grand Concourse, Broomstick), Third Rail (The Angry Brigade), Broadway Rose (Trails, Beehive – Drammy Best Lighting), Theatre Vertigo (Carnivora), NWCT (Mary Poppins).  Regional: Arena Stage, Boston ICA, Williamstown Theatre Festival.  Touring Production/IT: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.  Touring Associate Lighting/Video: Bon Iver, The National.  Lighting Artist: Eaux Claires Music Festival.  Founding Member: Woodshed Collective NYC.  Staff Assistant Lighting Designer: Portland Opera.  Broadway Assistant Designer: The Book of Mormon.  Education: Catlin Gabel, Vassar College.  Member: United Scenic Artists Local USA-829.  www.carlfaber.com

Represented by United Scenic Artists

 

Matt Wiens

Sound Design

Matt is excited to be a part of Profile’s Quiara Alegria Hudes season. Recent work includes Pen/Man/Ship, How I learned What I Learned, and You For Me For You, at Portland Playhouse. Matt would like to thank his family for their support and encouragement!

 

Kyra Bishop Sanford

Props Master

Kyra is excited to be part of this production! Local credits include scenic and props designer and TD for You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Enlightened Theatrics) and Troilus and Cressida (Portland Actors Ensemble), scenic and props designer for The Pillowman (Life in Arts), production designer and TD for Men Run Amok (part of Fertile Ground 2017), props master for The Events (Third Rail Rep), Plaid Tidings (Enlightened Theatrics) and Reborning (Beirut Wedding), as well as carpentry and paint work at various theatres in the area. She received her BFA in Scenic Design from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. www.sanfordscenic.com

 

Jamie Rea

Production Manager

From Berlin’s aerialist street ensemble, Grotest Maru to Wellington’s all female dance ensemble JAVA, Jamie has been exploring this powerful tool of connection and change for over 2 decades. Serving as an award winning director, designer, and performer, she has worked up and down both coasts and as far away as Australia. She does however also love to plant roots, building a human-resource-focused way of working, as a foundation for extraordinary art. To that end, it has been her pleasure to serve as Production Manager for Jewish Theatre Collaborative for 9 years, for Enlightened Theatrics for the past 3 years, and by project for many others including Sojourn Theatre and The Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project.

 

Baleigh Isaacs

Stage Manager

Baleigh is delighted to be working with Profile Theatre for the first time, marking her Portland debut after spending a dozen years in Chicago. Her Chicago credits include productions at Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, American Blues, Remy Bumppo, and Drury Lane as well as Million Dollar Quartet, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Old Jews Telling Jokes, and Motherhood the Musical.  Baleigh has also worked with the Alliance Theatre and Georgia Shakespeare in her hometown of Atlanta.  Her NYC credits include Les Miserables, The Rhythm Club, and Summer of ’42.

Member of Actor’s Equity Association

 

Breydon Little

Assistant Stage Manager

Breydon is ecstatic to be working with in rep with Profile this fall! He is a stage manager with credits at Portland Playhouse, and independent projects with Michael Streeter, Beth Thompson, and Elizabeth Huffman. He is a proud member of Theatre Vertigo and a production manager at Clackamas High School.

 

Ashlin Hatch

Assistant Director

Ashlin is thrilled to be collaborating on her first project with Profile. Other recent directorial credits include Nice Town, Normal People (Rhizome Theater Co.) and This Must Be the Place (Reed College)—both devised, interview-based performances aiming to sow seeds of social cohesion, compassion, and kindness.

On Monday, September 18, 2017 we gathered in celebration of Profile’s 20th Anniversary!

The evening began with a concert of songs from the musicals of Quiara Alegría Hudes.  A full band led by musical director Freddy Vilches backed three talented vocalists, Alex Ramirez de Cruz (26 Miles), Julana Torres (26 Miles and Water by the Spoonful) and Feliciano Tencos-Garcia.  They performed songs from Miss You Like Hell, Barrio ABC’s and In The Heights.

A catered reception followed.  20 years of Profile patrons and artists mingled while enjoying eats from Pambiche and wine from Wildwood/Mahonia.

We celebrated 20 years of putting the playwright at the center of the season.  Hosted by Chris Murray, a seated program looking at our past and future shined a light on the core of what makes Profile an essential part of Portland’s creative community.  Guest artists from Profile’s history gave tribute to the theater and their experiences working within our unique mission.  We thank Tim Stapleton, Tobias Anderson, Jane Fellows, Kristeen Crosser, Bobby Bermea and Jimmy Garcia for their moving tributes.

The evening was completed by a special presentation to Jane Unger, the Founding Artistic Directory.  Jane shared words about the founding years and reflected on the many successes and varied challenges of fostering a theater from inception to the landmark event of its 20th anniversary.  Jane will be returning for the 2018-19 season as the director of our opening show 2.5 Minute Ride by Lisa Kron.

Cheers to Profile Theatre’s future and another 20 years!

 

THANK YOU to the evening’s sponsors:

RAFFLE SPONSORS: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Peerlis Hotel Ashland Oregon, Ashland Creek Inn, MJ Daspit, Laurel Bustamante, Gracie’s, Gilda’s Italian Restaurant, Por Qué No?, Luce, Navarre, Davenport, Cheese Bar, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Daniel Skach-Mills, Canoe, Oblation.

 

 

Alex Ramirez de Cruz
Olivia
Alex is a Portland area actor, deviser and theatre-maker. Some of her favorite credits include: Tomás and the Library Lady (Oregon Children’s Theatre), DB (COHO Theatre), The Oregon Trail (Portland Center Stage), TeatroSOLO: Deseo (Boom Arts Theatre), Passion Play (Shaking The Tree & Profile Theatre), Dance For a Dollar, (Miracle Theatre) and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Portland Playhouse). She is dedicated to creating original devised theatre and is a proud member of String House, an independent producing title and new works laboratory, nominated for two Drammy Awards for “Best Devised Production.”

Julana Torres
Beatriz
Julana is a Portland local with an extensive career in music, dance, and theatre. She is ecstatic to be performing for the first time with Profile Theatre. Most recently Julana originated the role of Doña Teresa in Óye Oyá at Milagro Theatre  and Grandma in Artists Repertory’s world premiere musical Cuba Libre. Other musical theater credits include Fame (Carmen), West Side Story (Carmelita), Peter Pan (Tiger Lily 2), and South Pacific (Ensemble). Julana also established the full time dance program for Franklin High School, and was the creator of successful arts showcase for youth Arts Alive. She can also be seen performing as the lead singer for popular latin jazz orchestra The Bobby Torres Ensemble.

Jimmy Garcia
Manuel
After studying at Southern Oregon University and performing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Jimmy is happy to be back in Portland where he began his acting career years ago on the stages of Milagro Theater, Stark Raving Theater and Portland Center Stage. In Southern Oregon, he performed a variety of roles working with such esteemed directors as Bill Rauch, Libby Appel and Pat Patton to name a few. He has most recently performed in Milagro’s world premiere Òye Oya, ART’s A Civil War Christmas, Profile Theater’s Elliot: A Soldier’s Fugue, and can next be seen in Profile’s The Happiest Song Plays Last.

Chris Harder
Aaron
Chris is honored to work with Profile Theatre. Credits include: Marjorie Prime, The Skin of Our Teeth, We Are Proud…, Intimate Apparel, Ten Chimneys, The History Boys, Chasing Empires Soul (Artists Rep), Cyrano, Othello, The Receptionist, Antigone, JAW (PCS), Head. Hands. Feet. (Shaking The Tree), Mother Teresa is Dead, Angels in America, Twelfth Night (Portland Playhouse), The Turn of the Screw (Portland Shakespeare Project), The Snowstorm (Many Hats/CoHo), The Yellow Wallpaper, Fool For Love (CoHo), Shining City (Third Rail.) Chris was a member of Sowelu Theatre Ensemble for seven seasons, he teaches acting at Portland Actors Conservatory and at Artists Rep.

Rebecca Martinez
Director
Rebecca  is a Brooklyn-based director and choreographer with deep roots in Portland. Rebecca is an ensemble member of Sojourn Theatre, a Co-Curator of Working Theater’s Directors Salon, a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, INTAR’s Unit52, the 2015-16 SDCF Observership Class, the Latinx Theatre Commons Steering Committee, and an Associate Member of SDC. Awards include four Portland Theater Drammy Awards (7 Great Loves and The War Project: 9 Acts of Determination – Sojourn Theatre; The Brother/Sister Plays – Portland Playhouse) and the Lilla Jewel Award for Women Artists. Rebecca is an artist with the Center for Performance and Civic Practice and a 2017 Drama League Directing Fellow.

Daniel Meeker
Scenic Design
tba

Sarah Gahagan
Costume Design
Sarah is a costume and set designer for theatre, dance, festivals and stop-motion animation film as well as being adjunct theatre instructor and resident costume designer at Portland Community College. She has done theatre design and collaboration work with many of Oregon’s beloved arts organizations including: Artist Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Profile Theatre, Miracle Theatre Group, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Michal Curry Design. Sarah has received Drammy Awards for her costume design work on Eurydice, James and The Giant Peach, Trojan Women, El Quijote, and A Year With Frog and Toad.

Kristeen Crosser
Lighting Design
Kristeen is excited to be working with Profile again. Some of her favorite Profile credits include lighting design for Buried Child and Thief River and scenic design for My Children My Africa and Master Harold and the Boys. She received her BA from Centre College in Danville, KY and received her MFA in lighting design from Wayne State University, Hilberry Company in Detroit, MI.  She has designed lighting and/or scenery for several area and regional theatres including Artists Rep’s Eurydice, Foxfinder and The Understudy, Miracle Theatre’s Mariela in the Desert and Oedipus El Rey. Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Goosebumps the Musical and Bad Kitty. Third Rail Repertory Theatre’s The New Electric Ballroom and Northwest Children’s Theatre’s Snow White.

Sharath Patel
Sound Design
Sharath was raised between Appalachia and India while spending the following years studying across Europe and New England. He spent nearly a decade as a lead sound designer in New York City. Recent design highlights include As You Like It (CalShakes Oakland); The Royale (ACTheatre Seattle); Free Outgoing (East West Players Los Angeles); Grand Concourse (Artists Rep). Regional/International credits include designs in New York City, D.C., Boston, Norfolk, Raleigh, Aspen, India, France, England, Germany, Romania, Yale, Reed, Harvard, Fordham, Columbia, Willamette, Ohio, Portland State, and Butler University. Sharath holds a MFA in Sound Design from the Yale School of Drama and currently is a Resident Artist at Artists Repertory Theatre. www.sharathpatel.com

Sarah Andrews
Props Master
Sarah earned her BFA in Acting in 2014, since this she has worked and lived in Portland. She has worked with many theatre companies including Tears of Joy, Staged!, Post 5 Theatre, Milagro, Lakewood, Oregon Children’s Theatre and defunkt theatre. She also works in community-based projects such as Buskers In The Burg in Ellensburg, WA and the Summer Solstice in Seattle. She also volunteers with theatre projects in Oregon prisons. She wrote, produced and directed an original adaptation of “Life is a Dream” and the children’s show “Pearl and the Five-Headed Dragon.”  She has also taught workshops on puppetry at the Kennedy Center Theatre Festival. Currently, she is producing Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno.

Miranda Russ
Stage Manager
Miranda has a BA in Drama, with Honors in Stage Management, from University of California, Irvine and an MFA in Stage Management from Columbia University in the City of New York. Her professional credits include: Gigi on Broadway; Othello at Classic Stage Company; Birds of Paradise at New York International Fringe Festival; Summer Valley Fair at the New York Musical Theatre Festival; and more. Having recently relocated back to the West Coast, Miranda is enjoying working with the amazing Portland theatre community, with companies such as Profile Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, and Third Rail Repertory Theatre.

Madilynn Garcia
Production Manager
Madilynn is a native Texan and thrilled to be working at Profile this season. Some of her past production management work includes Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue at Profile Theatre, The Nether at Third Rail, as well as work at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The ZACH, and UT Austin. Madilynn also serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) where she coordinates the Gateway Program, which seeks to promote underrepresented, emerging artists in the area of production

Esther McFadden
Production Assistant
Esther is glad to be back with Profile after opening the season with Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue (PA). Recent credits include The Talented Ones (PA), Trevor (PA), and The Skin of Our Teeth (PA) with Artists Repertory Theatre, The Angry Brigade (SM) with Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Upside Down: A Musical Tale After the Christ (SM) with The Upside Down Theater Company, and A Christmas Carol (PA), Julius Caesar, The Heidi Chronicles,To Kill A Mockingbird, and Blues for Mister Charlie (SM Intern) with Trinity Repertory Company. She is a graduate of Emerson College with a BFA in Stage and Production Management and BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing.

 

26 Miles is, in my opinion, one of Quiara Alegria Hudes’ most intimate plays. Far from the psychic landscape of war that Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue presents, 26 Miles is a story about mothers and daughters, about the mistakes we make as parents and as children, about the unique ways that, in the words of Doug Wright, family “both wounds us and applies the salve.”

A couple of months ago, we did a private table read of the play – just director Rebecca Martinez, this cast, a couple board members members and stakeholders, and me. Under fluorescent lights, on thinly-padded folding chairs, the actors read the script cold. We spent the next 80 minutes alternately laughing and crying together. Afterwards we found ourselves sharing our own stories of having – or being – single parents, of navigating more than one culture in a family, of addiction and recovery, of cultural pride and the pressure to conform or assimilate, of the courage it takes to forge one’s own identity and the challenge to claim one’s cultural history.

It never ceases to amaze me the power of actors to make themselves vulnerable, or of good writing to lead us into a more compassionate, more empathic space. We listened to each other’s stories, and to the story Quiara had written, and in so doing, we came to know ourselves better. That’s the power of the theater. For 80 minutes, if we listen and allow ourselves to be moved, we might recognize ourselves in each other and make a less lonesome world.

26 Miles runs June 15-25, 2017.

Get tickets HERE.