MFA in Acting, First Year

Adam is originally from the Upper Peninsula, with a BFA in Theater Performance from Western Michigan University with a minor in Dance. Previously he worked with Great Lakes Theater as an actor teacher performing Shakespeare and American classics in Northeast Ohio. Previous credits include Curtis in The Taming of the Shrew at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and John in Anything Goes at Porthouse Theater.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Alexis Primus is excited to make her Theatre and Dance at Wayne debut. Her favorite credits include Marie Antoinette in Marie Antoinette and Vera in She Kills Monsters. She is a first-year Graduate Acting student.

Faculty

Cheryl Turski is an Associate Professor, specializing in Movement and Acting. She has performed with regional theatres such as Meadow Brook Theatre, Purple Rose Theatre, and American Repertory Theater. In addition, she has choreographed at the New Victory Theatre (off-Broadway), Actors Theatre Louisville, and the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival.

MFA in Stage Management, First Year

Devon Currie is thrilled to be at Wayne State University and in Detroit. Devon has been a freelance Stage Manager for ten years in North Carolina and has worked with community, regional, and puppet theatres in her home state. Devon is a first-year MFA candidate in Stage Management.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Geoffrey Besser is a first-year MFA Acting candidate from New York City. After earning his BA in History from Brown University, Geoffrey has spent most of his professional career in Providence and Boston acting in regional theatres such as Spectrum Theatre Ensemble, Central Square Theatre, and the Wilburry Theatre. Geoffrey hopes to continue honing his craft as well as expanding his skills in voiceover work and stage combat during his time at WSU.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Jessica Annunziata is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Recent acting credits include Brigid in The Humans, Hecuba in Trojan Women, and the Angel in both parts of Angels in America; directing credits include The Flick, and a staged reading of Clybourne Park. She is a first-year MFA acting student at Wayne State University.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Katy Tye is a first-year acting graduate from Dallas, Texas. After receiving her BFA from Southern Methodist University, Katy performed, choreographed, and directed in the Dallas area. She co-founded a nonprofit movement theater company and ran a Dallas based group called Shakespeare in the Bar.

MFA in Acting, First Year

LaRaisha DiEvelyn Dionne is thrilled to be making her Theatre and Dance at Wayne debut. Favorite credits include Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Cathy in The Last Five Years, Fastrada in Pippin, and Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown. LaRaisha is a first year MFA student in Acting at Wayne State University.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Marcela has been in the industry for more than ten years, working both in Toronto, Canada and Dublin, Ireland. She graduated from the University of Windsor with her BFA in Acting in 2011, just across from Detroit! Selected credits include, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Antonia in The Man of La Mancha (Theatre By the Bay), Ana Sofia for USA Network's Covert Affairs, Airleas in Castles Made of Sand and The Fox in The Sea Brothers (Brinkmanship Theatre Co.) Working with this company of theatre makers has been a privilege and such a fun process. Thank you for your support. Enjoy!

MFA in Lighting Design, Third Year

Megan O'Brien is a third-year lighting and sound graduate student here at Wayne State University. She is originally from Connecticut and earned her B.A. in theatre at Eastern Connecticut State University. Her favorite designs while attending WSU are Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Blithe Spirit.

Faculty

Michael J. Barnes, Associate Professor is also the voice & speech specialist for the graduate and undergraduate acting program. He previously served as the Artistic Director of the department and is now the Information Privacy Officer for the university. In addition, he served on the faculty of the Broadway Theatre Project--with Artistic Director, Ben Vereen, and has served on the faculties of the University of Miami and Temple University, and taught at UC-Irvine, the University of Delaware, and the University of Central Oklahoma. Regionally, he has served as a voice, speech, dialect, & text coach for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Arena Stage, Wilma Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Studio Theatre (DC), Rep Stage Company, the Pearl Theatre, People's Light and Theatre, Venture Theatre, Everyman Theatre, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He has dialect coached the films The Witch (Sundance Film Festival Award Winner), Master Class (Faye Dunaway), Convicted (Aidan Quinn, Kelly Preston, Connie Nielson, Tim Daly; directed by Academy Award winner Bille August) and Broken Bridges (Kelly Preston, Toby Keith, Burt Reynolds, Tess Harper; directed by Steven Goldman). He recently decided to start performing again and has acted at the Richmond Shakespeare Festival and Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. He is the President of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA).

MFA in Acting, First Year

Michael Underhill is thrilled to be making his Theatre and Dance at Wayne debut. Back in Boston, he worked extensively with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company since 2010 (Othello, Two Gentleman of Verona (u/s), Macbeth, Richard III, Romeo & Juliet and Cymbeline). Michael is a graduate from Northeastern University. Additional favorite roles include the title role in King John (Praxis Stage), Actor #1 in Hotel Nepenthe (Brown Box Theatre) and Joseph Surface in School for Scandal (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Other regional credits include but are not limited to Huntington Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Central Square Theatre and imaginary beasts. Find out more at www.michaeljamesunderhill.com. He is a first-year MFA in Acting student at Wayne State University.

Faculty

Rachael L. Rose is a Voice Practitioner/Music Director and Professional Singer in the metro Detroit area. She was graduated with honors from Baker College with a BBA. With a diverse background, Ms. Rose has a vibrant career including Adjunct Professor, Accompanist, and Music Director at Wayne State University, Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal, and maintains a private studio of voice and piano students. Ms. Rose is also a Founding Director of Thistle Rose Academy of Arts, a Farmington based community organization focused on education and outreach through the Arts. An active member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association) and ACDA (American Choral Directors Association), she is pursuing certifications in Estill Voice Training®.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Ryan is a Flo-grown actor/director who is thrilled to be bringing original work to the virtual stage! His favorite past roles include Dev (Stupid F*king Bird), D'artagnan (The Three Musketeers), and Leaf Coneybear (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Favorite directing credits include Around the World in 80 Days, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and the Florida regional premiere of MMF. He would like to thank his family, friends, and his cat for their undying support.

MFA in Stage Management, Third Year

Sally is excited to join the Hilberry Company for a third and final year. Recent credits include The Winter's Tale (WSU), Heathers the Musical (WSU), and The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Detroit Public Theatre). She would like to thank her family, friends, and Georgia for their constant support and love.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Taurean Hogan is a graduate of Wayne State University with his B.A. in Theater and studied at NIDA in Sydney, Australia. He has been seen on the Bonstelle stage in Hairspray, The Full Monty, Ragtime, To Kill A Mockingbird, Zora Is My Name, Pippin, and Black Nativity just to name a few. He has also performed at Detroit's own Music Hall in Ain’t Misbehavin and has performed with The Milwaukee Repertory Theater in A Christmas Carol and The Color Purple. He was also seen in Mitch Albom’s Hockey: The Musical at the City Theater, Ruined with Plowshares Theater, and was last seen in Dreamgirls and Broke-ology with the DATC.

MFA in Acting, First Year

Tommy Favorite is a first-year MFA Acting student at Wayne State University. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, he spent the next three years trying anything and everything he could find to do in theatre, and is incredibly grateful that it all led him to the eleven other members of the graduate company appearing in this production. Tommy would like to thank each and every one of his classmates for their honesty and their boldness in creating these pieces, and in critiquing his own.

MFA in Acting, First Year

X. Alexander Durden is making his debut with the Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance. Favorite roles include Jones Morgan in Buffalo Soldier (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Spoony in the East Coast premiere of All American Boys (Off the Page Theatre), and Il Cuoco in Madama Butterfly (The Atlanta Opera Company). He is a writer, actor and classical vocalist with collegiate and graduate training at Morehouse College and The Boston Conservatory, respectively. Much love and many thanks to Michael, Schubert and all my biological and acquired family. It matter how slow you go, just don't stop.

www.XAlexanderDurden.com / www.twitter.com/xadurden