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We're just beginning to collect bios and photos from people who have graced our stage and our lives here at the Playhouse. If you would like to be added please contact us at Playhouse Alumni. |
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mountains above Vegas |
Rob Bernaldo
At the Playhouse: (1986-1989) Rob was involved in the Actor's Workshop and appeared in Little Red as a noble, if somewhat bumbling huntsman. According to Rob, the Playhouse "taught me to be a mench." Today: Rob resides in Jefferson City, MO, from whence he travels across the nation as a Computer Applications instructor. Although the travel is sometimes hectic, he enjoys the work, as he still gets to 'perform' as an instructor. "It's like I'm still on stage, just a different kind of audience." Rob and his wife recently had a son, Cole Alexander Bernaldo. To date, Rob has been married for over two years and his son will be two years old this March. Rob offers this quote from "The Messiah's Handbook": "Your measure of your true family is not one of blood, but of the respect and joy you share in each others lives...Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof" Contact:
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Chris Beyries At the Playhouse: (1997-1999) Chris first came to the Playhouse with the production of Tracers in The Other Space followed up by 10am in Pittsburgh. Among his most memorable productions were backstreet and Canteen. Chris was the original director of the Behind-the-Scenes Workshop. Today: Chris now lives in South Carolina not far from Savannah Georgia and works on Hilton Head Island. He is now the Technical Director at the Self Family Arts Center. The arts center hosts all kinds of performances including theatre productions, art shows and performing artists like Jim Messina and Ramsey Lewis. "I am enjoying a slower life here in the southeast US." Contact:
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At the Playhouse: The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Santa Knows Best, Career, etc. Today: Andy is married with two children (Danielle age 7 and Isabella age 3). He lives in Newhall and works in the entertainment lending division of City National Bank in Beverly Hills.
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and ready for work. |
Alex Cohen
At the Playhouse: (1985-1998) Numerous productions, including Fair Trade, Dear Gabby, Author! Author!, The Fools, Cinderella, Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party, The In 'n' Out Cafe, Dorothy's Adventures in Oz, Mezzanine, Mary-Mary, Alias Santa Claus, All About Santa, 1994, Barnyard Madness with the Three Little Pigs, Cap'n Jack and the Beanstalk, Brand New Opry, You Can't Change Horses in Midsummer NIght's Dream, And Then There Were None, Simpletown, Aleichem Sholom Today: After leaving the Playhouse, Alex spent several years teaching: she helped out teaching drama at Palisades High School, then worked for two years as a full-time English teacher at Audubon Middle School. She then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to be with her new husband, Matt. She just completed two great years teaching English and American History at a Quaker School in Detroit. Next, Alex will be attending University of Michigan to obtain her Master's Degree in Education. Contact:
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At the Playhouse:
(1993-present): Aaron first came to the Playhouse as one amongst the many
eager and bright-faced kids in the Summer Theater Workshop, and immediately
fell in love with the program, shows, and theatre itself. Since that
workshop (Where Do We Go From Here? 1993), he has performed in
numerous productions such as the original 1995 dreamward, Computer's
Don't Cry (1994), Moonlight Madness (US 1996 and UK 1999),
The Friendship (1997), Mary-Mary Quite Contrary (1996-97?), Little
Red Riding Hood (1998-99?), and Author! Author!--an Evening with
Sholom Aleichem (1999?). He performed in two of the Cabaret series.
His most memorable role was that of Prunella in Cinderella, yet he
finds it much easier to act without the pound of eyeshadow and the
long, revealing (in all the wrong places) gowns. His most recent
"role" required his technical skills, which he has developed
through a few years of stage management and technical operation at the
Playhouse.
Today : Aaron
just graduated from Culver City High School where he led the Blurred Vision
Theatre Company as President for the latter two years. With that theatre
company he played in such shows as Cabaret, The Taming of the
Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Neil Simon's Brighton
Beach Memoirs, The Crucible, and Little Shop of Horrors
as Seymour. He earned the 2000-2001 Student of the Year and Performer of the
Year Plaques for the high school's Academy of Visual and Perfoming Arts,
among numerous other acclaims and accomplishments.
Tomorrow : The
next step on his "spiral staircase" is to attend the Tisch School
at New York University, where he will be studying theatre with the
Playwrights Horizons Theatre Studio. Though the Winds of Opportunity have
blown him toward a completely different coast, he knows the Playhouse's
lasting impression will remind him where he started.
"Live,
laugh, and love. Then live some more."
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At the Playhouse: (1985-1996) Numerous productions including Where Do We Go From Here, Happily Ever After, Computers Don't Cry, The Friendship, Dear Gabby, Alias Santa Claus, Santa Knows Best, Cinderella, Mezzanine, Barnyard Madness with the Three Little Pigs, 1994, Simpletown USA. Today: (2000) Liz has recently moved into the casting profession and recently finished work on "the Beach Boys" miniseries for ABC with Stacey Rosen and will probably be working with her on her next project in January which Liz is really excited about. In the meantime Liz is going back to Paramount to work with Sheila Guthrie in episodic television. She has also been teaching a comedy class at a networking studio and loves it. She is working with 13 actors on improv, character development and dealing with text. Her first class was last week and she had "soooooo much fun". Liz may also start working with her sketch comedy troupe on a new show. So that's her professional life in a nutshell. Liz sends her love to everyone. Contact: email: LzDean@aol.com
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Gadi Dechter At the Playhouse: (1985/6-199?) Many shows including Computers Don't Cry, The Friendship, Dear Gabby, Alias Santa Claus, Santa Knows Best, Cinderella, Mezzanine, Barnyard Madness with the Three Little Pigs, Simpletown USA and an unforgettable trip to Japan. Today: (2007) Gadi went off to Yale in 1993, then dabbled in various things, none of them particularly well. In 2002, he did a Masters in writing at Johns Hopkins and has been in Baltimore since. After two years as a staff writer at the Baltimore City Paper, he moved in 2006 to the Baltimore Sun, where he covers higher education. Gadi is famously bad at K.I.T. but hopes it's not too late to redeem himself. He would love to hear from anyone at gdechter@gmail.com |
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Brad
Durschlag At the Playhouse: I am not exactly sure when I started at the Playhouse, but I do know my first role was George Rositer, one of the Nerds. I guess they're right when they say you never forget your first time. After that memorable role I stuck around for 7 more summers acting in the next three summer workshops and then on staff. Today: I remember when I first heard the words energy and enthusiasm and I thought, "there is no way I am going to jump up and shout that." But now that I am older, I hesitate to use the word mature, I feel as though I now know what Evelyn, Chris, Cheryl and John were showing us. If you can't show the world two simple things as energy and enthusiasm for what you are doing then you should not be doing it. It was this lesson that took me out of the accounting world and brought me to my passion of coaching basketball. Contact: bdurchslag@hotmail.com Thanks again for all that you have done for me, I can't begin to tell you how much of an impact you all have had on my life.
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At the Playhouse: Like No Other Love, Garden of Emotions Today:
(2005) From the day I joined the Playhouse till
the day I graduated and went off to college, I always felt a sense of
family, care, honesty, confidentiality (like could open my heart to these
people) from the Playhouse. This is a great place to make friends for life.
To this day the Playhouse still has a place in my heart. Currently I’m a
former music major at Broward College and I'm working on get certified in TV
production at McFatter Tech in Davie, Florida. My goal is to use my
knowledge of music and recording engineering to one day go into music
production and talent scouting. My dream is to maybe one day produce my own
album and try acting again. But whatever I do, I will always remember the
Santa Monica Playhouse.
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Stacy Endman
At the Playhouse: (1992-1996) Campaign 92; two summer stock shows--Simpletown USA and Computers Don't Cry; Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party; Beauty and the Beast; Dorothy's Adventures in Oz; Dear Gabby; Brown Paper Lunch Bags (Tour); 1994 (Kenilworth, England tour). Today: (2000) "I took up Speech and Debate in high school. I tied for first place in the nation in Duo Interp. Did some more theater in high school. I got into NYU's TISCH School of the arts summer program for high school students, and found my calling for college. I now attend NYU. I am studying theatre at the Lee Strasberg Institute. I'm also the assitant speech coach for Stuyvesant High School's Speech/Debate team in NYC." A favorite quote: "I don't believe in hell. I DO believe in unemployment, but I don't believe in hell." --Dustin Hoffman, in Tootsie.
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Leigh
Eskovitz
At the Playhouse: 1993 to 1997, in Dear Gabby (LIZ), dreamward, Where Do We Go From Here? (Aurora and Sunflower), How I Spent My 13th Birthday (Star), and in the Young Professionals' Company. Today: I am now 21 years old, a college junior and heading to a summer camp in Napa Valley to be the drama director! I am a theatre and English major getting my teaching credential in theatre and English. I was just the lead in Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along at school. A favorite quote: "Everything happens for a reason." Contact: sparkleigh82@aol.com
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Andrea
Friedman
At the Playhouse: Andrea performed in the musical Marmalade Gumdrops. She also toured with us on the 1991 England Summer Theatre Adventure. Today: Television and film appearances include: Walker, Texas Ranger, 7th Heaven, Touched by an Angel, Smudge, Chicago hope, The Division, Law And Order, SVU, Baywatch, Life Goes On. At the moment she is busy doing a lot of traveling. A favorite quote: "Reach for the stars and never give up."
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Tal Goldin At the Playhouse: Playhouse productions include the Summer Stock production of The Friendship. Today: While in hiding in NYC I've been busy. Before finishing a BFA in Scenic Design at SUNY Purchase in 03', I returned to LA to work on a couple of shows at the Music Center (James Joyce's The Dead and Expecting Isabel). Since then I've joined the Union (United Scenic Artists-829) and have been designing scenery on and off Broadway (currently running: with Scott Pask- La Cage Aux Folles and Sweet Charity). Most recently, I production designed a few Indie films and have been spending most of my time at MTV Networks where I design and Art Direct TV and Events for the various MTV Channels ( if you can admit to watching Spike TV- you'll see my set for Casino Cinema ) I've spent some time traveling Europe and Mexico and just returned from work in Puerto Rico a few weeks ago. While I'm not yet married (surprise,surprise?), I live in Brooklyn with my social worker girlfriend Traci (at least someone’s helping the world) and my 95 lb, 6 month old St. Bernard- Moses. I hope all is well, and look forward to reconnecting with some of you soon. I'll be in LA for the Kids Choice Awards in April and would love to catch up. Contact: You can email at blur85@aol.com
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Ashley Griffin
At the
Playhouse:
(1989-2002) Ashley began her illustrious career at the playhouse at the ripe
old age of 5. She was the youngest member ever to tour England with the
Playhouse, and of the Young Professional's Company. Among her most memorable
productions were: Mary-Mary Quite Contrary (Mary) (L.A/UK),
Cinderella (Cinderella), Simpletown U.S.A (Little Adrian),
Beauty and the Beast (Beauty), 1994, How I Spent My 13th Birthday,
Moonlight Madness, Computers Don't Cry, The Friendship,
Happily Ever After, Look Before You Leap, Campaign '92 &'93,
and was in the original cast of Dreamward (LA/UK). Ashley was a
teacher with the Children's Theater Workshop for many years, and had her
first play Subtext produced at the Playhouse in 2002. "Fake it till you make it." - Chris DeCarlo
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Mandy Kahn
At the Playhouse: Playhouse productions include: Numerous productions, including 1994--a telling of tomorrow, Dorothy's Adventures in Oz, Adults, Keep Out! (U.K. Tour), Mezzanine. Today: Mandy graduated from berkeley in 2000 with a degree in english, and went on to work (briefly) in magazine publishing, with stints at Ocean Drive in Miami and The New Yorker in NYC... now I'm getting my MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in fiction and working on the novel that will constitute my thesis. I also teach english 101 at the university. since leaving LA, I've lived in Berkeley, New York, Amherst, Miami, Missoula, and Tucson, and I plan to resettle in LA in 2003." Contact: mandykahn@yahoo.com
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Elynmarie Kazle
At the Playhouse: (1988-1993) Productions: Japan 89 Tour, Rage, Voices in the Dark, The Pet Show, No Place Like Home, Life After Time and of course the rep. First PH Grant from City of Santa Monica, First Grant from LA, City Council, getting local business involved in supporting the Playhouse, etc., and so much more. Today: After leaving the Playhouse, Ms. Kazle worked as Associate Managing Director for Actors Alley at the El Portal for three years -- their theatre was destroyed in the 1993 earthquake so a season was produced in a tent after which sufficient repairs had been done on the theatre building to allow them to move back into a small space in the main building. After AAAP, Elynmarie was hired to be the Executive Director for the Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio (Ohio is where she began her professional career) so Elynmarie picked up all her things and her then 2+year old son, Banno and moved to Akron, OH. In ten years with Weathervane, she raised almost 2 Million dollars for the Playhouse operating fund, built the endowment to over 1 million dollars and built a costume shop, added a fly system, a new scene shop, an elevator and established a national guest artist program and a popular readers theatre (known as the "Salon Series") and developed a number of partnerships in the community. Two of Elynmarie’s fondest memories of her time at the WCP were inviting Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie (co-artistic directores of Santa Monica Playhouse) to be guest artists for a professional workshop series and for the Ohio Premiere of "Dear Gabby", and opening a second stage at the Playhouse named for John L. Dietz with a production of Angels in America. Elynmarie was named a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology in March 2007 and an honorary Thespian by the FHS students in May 2007. Currently in 2007-08: She is producing a play for the Jewish Theatre Project, Brooklyn Boy, and raising dollars for the local professional ballet company, Ballet Theatre of Ohio. She finds time to volunteer with local organizations including BSA and Hattle Larlam and spends lots of time with Banno and MAZ.
Elynmarie Kazle
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Ben Levine
At the Playhouse: (1995 -1999) Ben performed in many shows including The Fools (LA & UK), Aleichem Sholom, Mary-Mary Quite Contrary (LA & UK), Dorothy's Adventures in Oz (Ireland), Adults Keep Out, & Dear Gabby. Today: Ben is currently studying English Literature and Language at Wadham college, Oxford University, and will (hopefully) be graduating next year. Since being in Oxford, Ben has produced a world-premiere play, directed a sold out run of Wilde's An Ideal Husband, and is currently Production Manager for The Vagina Monologues. He has become a cult icon to science-fiction fans in Oxford for his portrayal of Sam Vimes in the Terry Pratchett play Men At Arms, and recently performed in Sondheim's Company. Last year he was able to follow in Chris's footsteps by playing the title role in The Boor. His next project will be co-directing and playing Picasso in the Steve Martin play Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Ben would especially love to hear from any Playhouse alums who find themselves in Oxford, or other parts of England.
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Chrissy Lowe
At the Playhouse: (1989 -1996) Chrissy participated in many productions including Santa Knows Best, Dear Gabby, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Adults, Keep Out!, Brown Paper Lunch Bags, the London Tour in 1993 which included a performance of Adults, Keep Out! She loved directing the Summer Workshops which she was involved with every summer since first coming to the Playhouse. Her favorite experiences at the Playhouse were the cultural exchanges and school tours in the L.A.U.S.D. "Meeting people from all over the place broadened my horizons and taught me to think beyond the small world I live in." Today: Chrissy graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in History and American Studies. She is currently applying to graduate school at a small liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon called Lewis and Clark where she wants to get her master's in Education and become a high school American History teacher. "I'm interested in teaching history from the bottom up...the people's side of history, rather than the hero's side of history." She's currently working at the West Seattle Family YMCA where she's been directing their day camp program for the past few years. "I love being in the outdoors all summer...especially here in the Northwest. It's the best time of the year. My supervisor here at the YMCA went to Crossroads School and is very well acquainted with the Santa Monica Playhouse. It's a small world." When she thinks of the Playhouse, one piece of Chris's stage advice always comes back to her. "He told us that when it comes to making choices, you have three, (come to think of it I'm not sure I'm getting this right...so ask him) Fright, Fight, Flight. Well, he always wanted us to fight and I always do because of him." Contact:
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Ilyse Mimoun
At the Playhouse:(1987-1992) Campaign 87, Good Things Come in Small Packages, The Friendship, 1994 (original workshop production), Alice & the Wonderful Tea Party, Charlie's Place, Dear Gabby, and 1994 (evening show production). Today: Ilyse considers her time at the Playhouse one of the most wonderful and formative experiences of her childhood. Many of the lessons she learned stay with her, most notably an attitude which prohibits her from even thinking of getting on a stage if she's not going to put all of her heart and soul into it.
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Rina Mimoun
At the Playhouse: 1986-1996 Plays and other events you were involved in during your time at the Playhouse: Happily Ever After, Campaign '87, Good Things Come in Small Packages, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Dear Gabby, Mezzanine, 1994 -a telling of tomorrow, Simpletown USA, and the numerous co-directing productions I did with MRS. Alex Cohen!! Oh, and did I mention the singing in front of the Heritage museum and inside the Santa Monica Mall? Today: Today: Writing, writing, writing... The WB's one-hour romantic comedy, "Jack & Jill." , "Dawson's Creek." Currently writing and producing "Everwood". Basically, I'm a WB writing whore. (And loving it!) A quote: "If we weren't so afraid to let go, we wouldn't feel so free when we finally did." Interesting little SMP tid-bit: Almost all of
my best friends that I have today are the ones I made at the Playhouse. I
guess it was something in the punch.
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At the
playhouse: Mary - Mary, Quite Contrary (U.S.
and England premiere), The
Friendship, Moonlight Madness, The Silver Key, dreamward (U.S. and
England premiere), Cinderella, Mirage a Trois, Little
Red Riding Hood, Charlie's
Place, Author! Author!,
Backstreet, The Boor, numerous others.
Today: Well, since I left the playhouse I have received my International Baccalaureate degree in Theater with a minor in music history from George Mason. I also received my diploma in Acting from The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in DC and am currently enrolled in their advanced resident graduate program which I will complete in May. Shows I have been in recently include The World We Live In by Carl Kapek as Clythia/the strange beetle, Neoptolemus as Agamemnon (strange production), The Miser by Moliere as Frosine, A Midsummer Nights Dream as Hyppolita/Titania, An Enemy of the People by Ibsen as Peerja, Book of Days by Lanford Wilson as Reverend/Sherriff, The Waiting Room by Lisa Loomer as Victoria in wh ich I also doubled as set and costume designer, Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand as Dr. Kirkland/Jane Chandler/Roberta von Rensselear. Currently I am working on the world premiere of a new play (its still being written actually) called Finding Tony. In my spare time (ha ha ha) I manage a three level clothing boutique in downtown DC and try to travel as much as I can. A quote: My favorite quote of the moment is "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" -the Killers Contact: Sure you can include my email address, but you might need to put the disclaimer that I am too busy to write back to people very promptly. |
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Christine
M. Parizo (aka Christi Campbell) At the Playhouse: How I Spent My 13th Birthday, Where Do We Go From Here?, Happily Ever After...?, The Reunion, Brown Paper Lunch Bags (my personal favorite), Motel 5, No Boys Allowed! Today: Let's see... I graduated from Santa Monica High School, went on to Emerson College in Boston to major in print journalism with a minor in advertising, and worked for two years as a technology journalist. However, I decided that law was my true calling, so I started working as a legal assistant (what I do now, for a small office in the suburbs of Boston) and taking paralegal courses at night. I love the challenge of law, where nothing is truly black and white and involves so much research into law that is constantly evolving with each court decision. I recently won the West Group/National Federation of Paralegal Association's first place scholarship to finish my paralegal certificate. I also got married in September 2001. I pretty much permanently reside in Massachusetts now, and unfortunately have begun dropping my "r"s at the end of words. :-) Playhouse memory: The Playhouse gave me a lot of confidence. I gained the confidence to just go on stage and "do it", whether it was applying for a scholarship, changing careers or saying "I do" -- not to mention my required public speaking courses in college! There was something about jumping up and down and shrieking "energy and enthusiasm" at the top of my voice with thirty or so other kids that stuck with me through today, and as a result, I'm not afraid to make a fool out of myself, nor am I inclined to give anything less than 100%. A quote: "Think wrongly, if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself." -- Doris Lessing, writer
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Michele Rothberg
At the Playhouse: The Ghosts of Gastly Gables, The Case of the Disappearing Schoolbus, Our Camp, uhm...I know I played "Alice" and also was in some form of Peter Pan...was it the Mad Hatter? And I am too old to remember the names of the other plays, but I know there were more!!! Today: I went to college at the University of the Pacific (with a Drama scholarship...thanks to the Santa Monica Playhouse!), then got my degree in Communications and Human Services from Southern Vermont College. I spent some time living in Hawaii, Seattle, and am now living in San Diego. I am working for Child Protective Services/ with foster kids. I have recently done some local commercials, student films and some industrial films here in San Diego. And have been studying voice-acting ( I am just starting to market my demo). Playhouse memory: I remember that my first day, I was so shy that my sister had to come up on the stage with me when it was my turn to get up there!!! I must have been 9 or 10 years old. You guys gave me the confidence that I needed...thanks. I would love to hear from my old friends from the playhouse...
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Jennie Taber At the Playhouse: (1993-1997) Workshop plays: Where Do We Go From Here (1993), Motel 5 (1994) Summer Stock: Computers Don't Cry (1994), Young Proffessional's: Dear Gabby (1995), dreamward (1995 & 96) Family Theatre: Dorothy's Adventures in Oz (1994-95), Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party (1995), Barnyard Madness with the Three Little Pigs (1996) Actor's Repertory Theatre: Moliere's The Fools (1996) in England Today: Jennie is a sophomore at Columbia and in a comedy improv troupe called Two Left Feet. She has participated in a wide variety of shows at Columbia and last summer took classes at the famous Groundlings theatre in Los Angeles. Two of Jennie's favorite quotes:
Contact:
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Matt Wrather
At the Playhouse: (1990-present) Numerous, including Mezzanine, Brown Paper Lunch Bags, dreamward, Dear Gabby, 1994, Aleichem Sholom, Backstreet, Cabaret, Revenge of Cabaret, Moonlight Madness, Amazing American Melodrama, Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party, The Silver Key, Our Camp, The Fools, Dorothy's Adventures in Oz, Mary-Mary, Little Red. Today: As a performer, Matt was most recently seen in the Long Wharf Theatre production of Tom Stoppard's Travesties starring Sam Waterston. He is a graduate of Yale University, and currently acts, directs, and produces theater on the East Coast.
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Santa Monica Playhouse, a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 educational corporation founded in 1960, provides exciting and entertaining dramatic and comedic, classic and contemporary live theatrical productions, Family Theatre musicals, birthday and tea parties, year-round and summer theatre workshops and educational programming for young people, teens and adults, create-a-play classes and Mommy and Me events for pre-schoolers, daytime and after school enrichment classes and in-service in public and private schools, cultural exchange, international touring, and community outreach, as well as theatre rental space for productions, seminars, solo shows, concerts, recitals, lectures, meetings and more. |
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