Meet the 2017 Directors and Producer |
Hal Harmon "Birds of a Feather" & "Distress Sale"
Hal Harmon is the Co-Artistic director for Emerald Theatre Company. He has directed over 60 productions for ETC during their 20 years of residency at THEATREWORKS. Some of his favorite directing credits include Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf, Sordid Lives, Die, Mommmy Die, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. and recently Dupont, Mississippi. Mostly in the directors chair, he includes his roles in Survival, Boys In The Band, A Queer Carol, Jeffrey and Lonely Planet and last years play-fest entry Cohn Crosses Over as his fondest acting opportunities. He is fortunate to have shared this wonderful opportunity with his dearest and best friend, Den and hopes for many many more years together! Thank you all for continuing to support us! Here is to our 21st season!!!
Den-Nickolas Schaeffer-Smith "The Fool"
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Den-Nickolas Schaeffer-Smith is the founder of EMERALD THEATRE COMPANY. Den has been involved in theatre in the Mid-South since discovering his love of the stage in high school. He is excited to begin ETC’s 21st Season with the 2nd Annual 10 Minute Play Fest! It is wonderful to be working with Jessie and Sam once again, as well as all the other talent that has joined ETC for “That’s So Gay”. Den would like to thank Caroline for developing the concept and all the hard work, time and energy she has devoted to the production. Hal for being an amazing Co-Artistic Director and best friend! Don for taking on the technical aspects of the show. Michael, who recently became Den’s husband in July, for his Love and support! And as always, you the audience for your continued patronage!
TeKay (aka Thomas King) "Connection Not Available"
Thomas is a native of Kannapolis, NC -- the place where all of your textiles were made in the '70s and '80s if you bought anything from Cannon Mills label. Thomas lived his adult life in the Chapel Hill/Durham, NC area having gone to college there (Go Heels!) and finding the place that he liked to call home. Divine intervention and a sense of adventure made him leave his job at UNC and try a new life in TN. He moved to Downtown Memphis to work at ALSAC/St. Jude during 2008’s Memphis in May celebration which was a hearty (and hot) welcome to Grizztown. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. In Memphis, he’s directed “The Trial of One Shorted Black Woman…” and assistant director of “Dreamgirls” and “Of Mice and Men”. TeKay has performed in Memphis and around the world since 2008 with the award-winning DeltaCappella. He has also appeared in Opera Memphis, Hattiloo Theatre, POTS, Emerald Theatre Company, Stage Door Productions, Southwest TN Community College and Theatre Memphis productions. Shows include the a cappella opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (world premiere/cast recording), “Ragtime,” "Dreamgirls," "Gospel at Colonus," “The Wiz” and “8: The Play.” With an MA in performance/directing from UNC, TeKay was awarded a 2008 IndyWeek best director award for “The America Play". Broadway performances include staged concerts of "Children of Eden," & “Pippin” with Stephen Schwartz and the one-night performance of “Oliver!” for the Irish Rep produced at the Schubert Theatre (where "Memphis" was house during its run on Broadway). You can find out more about his writing at rarb.org; his international volunteering at www.casa.org or just his own musings at facebook.com/ tekayinternational.
Daniel Pound "Spin Zone"
Daniel Pound is very happy to be directing this show. He has directed, acted, designed, and crude show in Memphis, Arlington, Chattanooga, and Cedar City, Utah for over half his life. He is the current Artisitic Director for Arlington Community Theatre. (Find us on Facebook!) he would like to thank his wife and two boys for their undying love and support.
Jen Wood-Bowien "The Assessment"
Jen Wood-Bowien is a native Memphian and has worked with a variety of local theatres as an actor, director, and educator over the past 20 years. Beginning at the old Memphis Childrens' Theatre, she went on to earn a BS in Theatre with an emphasis on directing from MTSU. She has directed productions for Playwrights' Forum (Headset, Caged Vixens, The Swan Queen and the Radical Faerie), appeared onstage at Theatre Memphis (Talk Radio, The Old Neighborhood) and Christian Brothers University (The Turn of the Screw, Almost, Maine), and has worked with Playhouse on the Square's Theatre Education Program (Theatre School, After School Acting Program, Summer Conservatory). Jen started working with young actors when she led the Crittenden Arts Council's theatre program for three years. This experience led her into the high school classroom. She has since completed an MA in Secondary Ed, has almost completed an EdS in Curriculum, has taught in five local high schools and has directed over fifteen productions with her students in Memphis. She currently teaches an amazing and diverse group of students at Central High School. Favorite recent productions here include Xanadu, The Importance of Being Earnest, RENT, and an ongoing collaboration with Rhodes College that is focused on theatre for social justice. Jen is also very involved with and plays the role of Queen Elizabeth the first for the the Mid South Renaissance Faire.
Damian Stuchko "Bathroom Talk"
Damian Stuchko is a professional circus performer and teaching artist with Weightless Aerial Company, the only circus-theatre company in Memphis, TN. Damian is fresh off creating and playing the role of Jerry in an aerial adaptation of Edward Albee's American classic "The Zoo Story" a co-production between Rhodes College and Weightless. Up next he is directing the regional premiere of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist "Marjorie Prime" by Jordan Harrison with Cloud9 Memphis in November, then co-directing/co-choreographing the regional premiere of Mark Ravenhill's "Pool (no water)" in a collaboration with Rhodes Theatre Guild and Weightless in February.
Marcus Santi "Makes Scents, Inc."
Marcus Santi is coming from the world of on screen productions. He has experienced local film success as director, writer, actor where his team (Big Chief Productions) has produced two top 10 qualifiers for the Memphis Film Prize. One being in 2016, "Journey of the Son", and in 2017 Big Chief Productions went into the world of comedy with "You Don't Know Jack Squat".
Marcus has appeared as a guest co star on the USA Network Summer hit "Queen of the South" (Season 1 Ep 4). Marcus has been an avid student with learning the craft of acting. This is his debut as a stage director.
Marcus has appeared as a guest co star on the USA Network Summer hit "Queen of the South" (Season 1 Ep 4). Marcus has been an avid student with learning the craft of acting. This is his debut as a stage director.
Joy Brooke Fairfield "Roky and Gabriel in the Desert"
Joy Brooke Fairfield is a director of new performance that centers perspectives marginalized by society. Joy has directed traditional plays, original works, and ensemble-generated theatre in Boston, Seattle, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. She's also directed queer/environmental site-specific performance art in festivals in the U.S, Austria, Germany and Mexico. Joy has a PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies from Stanford University and is a professor at Rhodes College, where she recently directed the new play "The Unencumbered."
Don Lee - Technical Director
Don is happy to be working with Emerald Theatre Company and Caroline once again for the festival. His directing was seen last year with Madame Russos Psychic Parlor, as well as his lighting and technical direction for the festival. He lends his tech talents to ETC on a regular basis and couldn't be happier working with such a great group of people. Don is also the upcoming Artistic Director for the 2018-19 season and the scenic designer at Playhouse 51 in Millington. Thank you to Allen, and my Yankee family for letting me have the time to "play"! Much luv and huge hugs! Enjoy the show and come see the rest of the ETC season!
Caroline Zarlengo Sposto - Producer/emcee, director "A Christmas Visit from Nicholas"
Caroline is a writer and actor with a passion for storytelling -- particularly literature, stage and film. To learn more about her, please visit her website. www.whycaroline.com