BIOS
Director
Ron Mediatore
Ron has directed Angels in America; For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls; Desire, Desire, Desire!, Death Comes to Us All Mary Agnes, and Golf Season. He is thrilled to work with such a talented and fearless cast. He is especially grateful to Susan and Darren for this amazing opportunity and for all their expertise and advice. Ron will be one of eight featured playwrights in this season’s MileHi24 at The Edge Theater in June, 2016.
Cast
Albert Banker (Dov)
Albert is excited to join And Toto too for this thrilling production. He was last featured as Henry in The Fantasticks with Parker Arts/Inspire Creative, having also performed at PACE as Doc in West Side Story ('Best Dramatic Musical of the Year'/BroadwayWorld). Albert was recently featured performing multi-roles in the critically acclaimed My Name is Asher Lev. Some regional credits: Narrator in Into the Woods, Bishop in Les Misérables, Reb Saunders in The Chosen, Reuven in Apples from the Desert, Victor Velasco in Barefoot in the Park, Cousin Brandon in The Long Christmas Dinner, Mr. Fisher in The Show Off, Gregory Solomon in The Price, Juror #11 in 12 Angry Men, Sam Greenblatt in Dinah Was, Frank in Private Eyes, Dr. Abraham in I Never Promised you a Rose Garden, Fagin in Oliver!, Pierre in The Baker's Wife. Select additional favorites: 42nd Street, Annie, The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fortune's Fool, The Praying Mantis, High Society, High Crimes and Misdemeanors, A Fiddler on the Roof, - and so much more. Albert wishes to thank Ron and Susan for the privilege of working with Theresa and Michael and our wonderful team, and sharing this incredible story with our audiences.
Theresa dwyer reid (eileen finney)
Theresa Dwyer Reid received her Masters in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has had the honor of working with many of Colorado's most innovative theatre companies including Curious Theatre, DCPA Off-Center @ The Jones, Boulder Ensemble, The Aurora Fox, Miner's Alley Playhouse, Town Hall Arts Center, Vintage Theatre and others. Most recently she appeared as Evelyn in Theatre Or's acclaimed production of Kindertransport. Prior to that, she appeared as Nora in A Doll's House, for which she received a Marlowe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and a True West nomination in the same category. She was also nominated for a CTG Henry Award for her performance as Olga Prozorov in Three Sisters. Notable overseas work include the title roles in Clara, directed by the late Emmy-award winning screenwriter Frank Deasy, and Postcards from Shannon, a BBC docudrama garnering nominations for the Prix Italia and Prix Europa Broadcasting Awards.
michael gurshtein (ali Said)
Michael Gurshtein began attending the theatre as a small child while growing up in Moscow, Russia. Upon moving to Grand Junction, CO, he took part in high school productions as a stagehand with occasional appearances on the boards. After a nine-year hiatus, Michael returned to the theatre in 2011, and has been working around Denver nonstop ever since. He was most recently seen as Bill in Foothills Theatre's All in the Timing and as Spike in Moon Theatre's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Other favorite roles include Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace and Bo Decker in Bus Stop (Boulder's Upstart Crow Theatre), Dr. Rufus Griswold in Evermore (Byers-Evans Theatre Company), and Tim Cleary in Santa Comes to the King David (Creative Revolution Theatre Company). When not acting, Michael makes laser optics in Boulder.
DESIGNERS
dARREN SMITH (SET/SOUND DESIGN)
Darren Smith has been design sets and sound for And Toto too since 2005, and is the resident Tech Director. In 2008 he received an Ovation Award Nomination from the Denver Post for his sound design of The Glider. Select Set/Sound Designs: The Glider (2008), Heads (2009), Car Talk (2011), The Playground (2014) and Smoke (2015). His daytime alter ego is co-founder of the software company Point of Reference.
SUSAN LYLES (cOSTUME DESIGN)
Susan has been designing costumes for over a decade. Some select designs: The Lion in Winter (Denver Victorian Playhouse), Greater Tuna (Denver Victorian Playhouse and Town Hall Arts Center), Tuna Christmas, True West, Other People's Money, The Field, Woman and Scarecrow, The Fantasticks, 12th Night, Out of Order (Denver Victorian Playhouse), The Playground, Car Talk, Heads, Who Will Sing for Lena, The Glider, Applaince (And Toto too). Susan is also the founder and Producing Artistic Director for And Toto too.
EmilyArnett(Light Design)
Emily Arnett is a junior at Denver School of the Arts in the Stagecraft and Design Program. DSA credits: The Dining Room (lighting designer), Oliver! (light board operator), Macbeth (sound board operator), Hairspray (props manager), Beauty and the Beast (props runner), Tales from the Twilight Zone (shift crew), Grammys Through the Ages Pops Show (co-lighting designer/deck electrician), Horizons Spring Dance Show (deck electrician), Tarzan (spotlight operator), 42nd Street (shift crew), Pirates of Penzance (spotlight operator).
Maggie Albanese (STAGE MANAGER/LIGHT OPERATOR)
Maggie Albanese is currently a junior in the Stagecraft and Design program at Denver School of the Arts. DSA credits include: Tarzan (Projections Operator and Stagehand), Beauty and the Beast (Assistant Projections and Rose Operator), Pops Show (Projections Designer and Operator), Macbeth (Projections Operator), On The Verge (Projections Designer and Operator), The Laramie Project (Stage Manager), Tales from The Twilight Zone (Shift Crew), Spring Dance Show '15 (Assistant Stage Manager) Oliver! (Assistant Stage Manager), The Dining Room (Stage Manager) and Baba Yaga (Stage Manager.) She would like to thank her family at home and her family in the theatre for their endless support.