2017 Acting and Directing Troupe - The Brass Tacks Ensemble

Meet the 2017 season Brass Tacks Ensemble Acting and Assistant Directing Troupe!

: Brittany Batell (Actor – Hero/Seacoal in Much Ado About Nothing, Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice, and Lucio in Measure for Measure) is all atingle over this opportunity to get involved with the Brass Tacks ensemble! She is a big Bard groupie, having performed in the past eight Shakespeare in the Arb shows, and she can’t wait to delve deeper into his works with these like minded hooligans. Her major life roles include: recent MSW/MPH graduate, Program Manager with the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH), educational improv enthusiast, brunch connoisseur, hopeless romantic, and unabashed goof.

: Amy Bogetto-Weinraub (Actor – Benedick in Much Ado and Escalus in Measure for Measure) is delighted to be making her debut with The Brass Tacks Ensemble. Recent/Favorite credits include Company, Old Times, Chess, Sweeney Todd, Action, Nine, and Bat Boy with Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. She also recently worked with the improvisational troupe, Gorillas in Human Suits. She has a Bachelor Of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Master’s Degree in Music Therapy from Western Michigan University. She is a music therapist at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor working with adolescent and adults with mental health diagnoses.

: Mary Conley (Actor – Don John in Much Ado, Antonio in Merchant of Venice, Pompey in Measure for Measure) is a new Brass Tacks Ensemble member and also helps out with lots of things as the Coordinator of Online Presence for the company. She’s been in the theatre community for years, but started working with BTE in 2014. She loves the ensemble-building that is going on this year and is so very excited to have found like-minded theatre people in the community! Lately she’s been delving into Improv as well, mostly with the Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck. Thanks to James and Isaac for being far awesome-er than they themselves realize.

: Isaac Ellis (Assistant Director and Actor – Don Pedro in Much Ado, Solanio/Duke in Merchant of Venice, Angelo in Measure for Measure) is not only excited that the idea of a BTE year-long troupe is off the ground, but also that he gets to be a part of it! He was last seen in BTE’s All In The Timing and Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Isaac is also the Executive Director of The Brass Tacks Ensemble.

: Craig Ester (Actor – Leonato in Much Ado, Abhorson/Froth/1st Gentleman in Measure for Measure) is honored to make his Brass Tacks Ensemble debut! He is an alumnus of Cass Technical High School where he studied with Tony Award winning educator Marilyn McCormick. He is an alumnus of the Acting Program at Ball State University, and the Mosaic Youth Theater. He has studied Shakespearean performance with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Stratford Festival. Craig is also currently touring with the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. He wants to thank his family and friends for their undying love and support. Past Roles include: Peter/Lord Montague (Romeo and Juliet), Seyton/Macduff (Macbeth), Orsino (Twelfth Night).

: Ethan Gibney (Assistant Director, Actor – Friar/Messenger/Balthasar/Watchman/Boy in Much Ado, Shylock in Merchant of Venice, Elbow/Barnardine/2nd Gentleman in Measure for Measure) is excited to return to the Brass Tacks, after appearing last year in All in the Timing and The Importance of Being Earnest, as Lady Bracknell. He studied theatre at Eastern Michigan University, where he appeared as Gilmer (you know, the other lawyer) in To Kill a Mockingbird, and as Joseph Frankenstein in Frankenstein in Love, among others. This year, he’s playing a handful of characters across the season, including Balthasar in Much Ado About Nothing, Shylock in Merchant of Venice, and Elbow in Measure for Measure.

: Sara Long (Actor – Margaret/Verges in Much Ado, Bassanio in Merchant of Venice) is excited to make her debut with the Brass Tacks Ensemble. She graduated from Eastern Michigan in 2016 with a double major in theatre and psychology, and plans on going to graduate school in the fall for social work. Sara has been in several plays by Shakespeare including Romeo and Juliet (Juliet) and the Taming of the Shrew (Katherina), and is currently in the Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s touring company.

: Veronica Long (Actor – Dogberry/Ursula in Much Ado, Nerissa in Merchant of Venice, Claudio in Measure for Measure) is pumped and honored to join The Brass Tacks Ensemble for its 2017 season. After a brief hiatus from theater, she has made up for lost time by performing in nine different shows over the past two years. While not on stage, Veronica likes to travel, play trivia, and work as a realtor for Keller Williams. Veronica would like to thank the whole BTE Acting and Directing Troupe for a year of fun and learning, as well as everyone who gives their support to this fantastic company.

: Kathleen E. Marinan (Actor – Launcelot Gobbo in Merchant of Venice, Isabella in Measure for Measure) is thrilled to be making her debut with the Brass Tacks Ensemble this season. Past performances include Rosencrantz et al. in Hamlet at the Carriage House Theatre here in Ann Arbor (2016), actor in THE CROW – a girl’s moonless dream at the University of Pittsburgh (2011), and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Interim Theatre, Midland, MI (2010). She earned her Master of Health Informatics degree in 2016 from the University of Michigan and now works in downtown Ann Arbor.

: Maegan Murphy (Actor – Claudio in Much Ado, Mariana/Justice/Francisca in Measure for Measure) is very excited to be performing this year in Much Ado About Nothing, and Measure for Measure with The Brass Tacks Ensemble. She is also thrilled and grateful to be a part of this year’s acting troupe with BTE. Maegan was recently in productions of In the Next Room or the vibrator play, and Othello with Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. As performing has always been her greatest love, she is always thankful to be a part of a show. In her free time she likes to sing and write. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support.

: Amanda Photenhauer (Actor – Beatrice in Much Ado, Lorenzo/Arragon in Merchant of Venice) is eager to open Much Ado About Nothing with the Brass Tacks Ensemble’s 2017 troupe. Amanda has previously performed with the Brass Tacks Ensemble in The Importance of Being Earnest and School for Scandal and is enthused for this Shakespeare season. Amanda has also performed with Ann Arbor Civic Theatre and Shakespeare in the Arb. When not in the theatre she conducts research in a biomedical research lab and is preparing to embark on a PhD program at the University of Michigan. Amanda is extremely grateful to the ensemble members for their guidance, support, and gaiety.

: Anne S. Rhodes (Actor – Sexton in Much Ado, Old Gobbo in Merchant of Venice, Mistress Overdone in Measure for Measure) is a co-founder of BTE, having acted, written, produced, and “whatevered” with this wonderful company since the beginning. She’s pleased to be in this 2017 Ensemble Season. Her other theatrical endeavors are too numerous to mention. She spent a long time with Performance Network and the Children’s Theatre Network as an actor and producer and all-purpose person. Teaching children’s drama classes via the Ann Arbor Recreation and Education program under Theatre Nova is an ongoing and rewarding experience. The arts are crucial to children’s development and helps make us all human. That and opposable thumbs.

: Russ Schwartz (Actor – Antonio/Hugh Oatcake in Much Ado, Salerno in Merchant of Venice, Duke Vincent in Measure for Measure) is thrilled to join Brass Tacks as a 2017 acting troupe member, appearing in all three shows. Russ studied theatre at Hampshire College and has worked with several companies in Southeast Michigan, including Performance Network Theatre, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, the Penny Seats Theatre Company, and the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. Favorite past shows include Othello, Sonia Flew, What Corbin Knew, The Shape of Things, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Sophocles’ Elektra. Russ wishes to thank this splendid ensemble, the Shakespeare Season troupe, and his fantastic wife Dawn.

: Kate Topham (Actor – Borachio in Much Ado, Jessica/Prine of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice, the Provost in Measure for Measure) Kate is excited to return to the stage after a long hiatus, during which she worked costumes for Shakespeare in the Arb and earned her BA in Classics. Favorite roles include Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods and a paranoid old man in Plautus’ Aulularia. When not plotting evil plots or performing executions, Kate may be found reading dead languages or singing showtunes in her car.

: Aaron C. Wade (Assistant Director) started his foray into theater after directing his first feature film, Possessive. He’s since been heavily involved with Ann Arbor Civic Theatre and neighboring groups. Aaron began taking director workshops with The Brass Tacks Ensemble to help center his ideas and turn his thoughts into a common language. He looks forward to the Shakespeare season and will make his stage directorial debut next year with First Date: The Musical.

: Elizabeth Wagner (Actor – Conrade in Much Ado, Portia in Merchant of Venice, Juliet/Friar in Measure for Measure) has previously appeared with The Brass Tacks Ensemble as John Worthing/Ernest in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Queen of Hearts/President of the Board in Eat Me: Alice’s Adventures in the Working Class. Other recent area roles include Polonius in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Fabian in Twelfth Night with A2CT, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Shakespeare in the Arb, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth with That Theatre Co. Elizabeth has a B.A. in Theater from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and was a Berkshire Theatre Festival Acting Apprentice.