Mary
Lechter
AFYP
was founded by professional actress and teacher Mary Lechter. She received
her B.A. in Theater from
U.
of
MD
, and has taught at the
Kennedy
Center
, The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, and is on the faculty of the
Theater and Music Departments at
George
Mason
University
. A member of Actors’ Equity
Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists, Mary has performed regularly on local
professional stages (Studio, Arena Stage, Source Theatre Company, among
others), and in television (ABC’s All My Children) film (Avalon)
and radio (NPR’s Morning Edition). She most recently portrayed the title role in Dracula’s
Mother with Deisel Films, and will be seen in the upcoming MGM/Lionsgate
thriller Bumper. In Summer 2008, Mary will appear with Theater of the First
Amendment in The Warrior, performing
in DC’s Capital Fringe Festival and the New York International Fringe
Festival. In Fall 2008, she will direct Shakespeare
in Hollywood for the GMU Players.
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2007 AFYP Faculty/Staff
|
Faculty
|
| Rachel Beauregard is
an actress and singer. She is an original cast member of AFYP Stages’ Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly Pedestrian (title role). Credits with
the GMU Players include Reckless
and The Dead. |
|
| Elana Boulos
has been with AFYP Camp for three years. She is a rising Senior at the
University of the Arts in
Philadelphia
where she is studying Theatre Management and Production with an emphasis
in Musical Theatre Direction. She has been teaching theatre to children in
Virginia
and
Philadelphia
for 5 years now and is currently working at the Walnut Street Theatre's
Education Department in
Philadelphia
. At UArts, she has directed such shows as "The Cradle Will
Rock", "The Dinner Party" and in the 2009 Studio Series she
will be directing "It's Only Life", a John Bucchino Revue. |
|
| Blair Bowers is
a rising Junior at
James
Madison
University
where she was most recently seen as Viola in their production of
Shakespeare's Twelfth
Night. She is also very excited to start her second summer working
with AFYP. |
|
| Cameron Brenke is
a graduate of the AFYP program and has
been on the faculty since Summer 2006, teaching Improv and acting in our
afterschool programs and weekend classes. He is a Sophomore at GMU,
majoring in Film and Visual Studies.
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| David Burns is
a former actor and acting teacher for AFYP, and is now the company's
videographer and editor. A graduate of George Mason and former
conservatory actor at
DePaul
University
, David made the switch to videography two years ago
and has since studied with the NYFA@Harvard and has become an Apple
Certified video editor. Though his long-term goal is to produce
documentaries, David now freelances around the DC area and is proud
to have been with the company for the last six years.
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| Candice
Carter recently moved to the DC area from
Norfolk
,
VA
where she was employed for four years with Virginia
Stage Company (VSC), LORT, as the Education Associate and Tour Manager.
Currently, Candice is a member of the faculty for Imagination Stage and
Educational Theatre Company; and recently directed Oliver Twist for Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre.
In the past, she served on the faculty at the Virginia Governor’s
School for the Arts and worked at several professional theatres up and
down the east coast from her hometown of
Alabama
to
New York
as a director, stage manager and educator.
Candice holds a BA in Theatre from
Jacksonville
State
University
. She is Director of Touring Programs and Outreach for
AFYP Stages. |
|
| Kimberley Cetron worked
for over 15 years as an actor, singer, director, and producer in NYC,
Washington
DC
,
Boston
, and
Chicago
. She has a master’s degree in early
childhood/elementary education (Fordham) and is a doctoral candidate in
education at GMU. She taught general music and musical theater in the
New York
metro area before re-locating to
Northern Virginia
, where she worked for the Fairfax County Public
Schools (elementary/secondary). She is a published writer, and
serves as board chair for Theater of the First Amendment.
She teaches in the theater and education departments for GMU. |
|
| Philip
Dallmann
is a junior theatre major at GMU. He has participated in several shows for
the GMU Players, most recently as assistant director for Measure
for
Measure. This fall he will direct The
Pillowman. Phil is also a playwright, and teaches in AFYP’s
afterschool programs. |
|
| Courtney Fonnesbeck is
a 2008 graduate from
George
Mason
University
with a BA in Theatre. Shows she has been involved in
the past year include A Taste of
Broadway and Measure
for Measure. Courtney looks
forward to a future career in teaching. This is her first summer joining
the AFYP faculty. |
|
| Katy Ford has
been working with AFYP for four years now and enjoys teaching her students
the love she has for acting. She has most recently performed in West
Side Story, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, and Quilters.
Next year she will be a senior at Georgetown Visitation. |
|
| Matthew
Friedman is
a rising Senior Theater major at GMU. This past year he performed in
productions of Measure
for Measure (Angelo), After
Ashley (David Gavin) and The
Boys Next Door (Arnold). He teaches afterschool programs for
AFYP and spent the last 3 years teaching at a camp for high school
Forensics students. |
|
| Kelly Hennessy is
a rising Senior Theater major at George Mason, and teaches in AFYP’s
afterschool programs. She recently appeared in the GMU Players’
productions of Measure
for Measure and Peace
Be the Journey for the Ten Minute Play festival. |
|
| Mimsi
Janis holds
a BA in theater from
Principia
College
and an M.Ed from
George
Mason
University
. She is a theatre teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. Mimsi
performs improv comedy with the Screaming Puppets and has appeared with
them at the Baltimore Imporv festival, Jammin' Java and the Tally Ho
theatre. Her recent acting credits include CATS,
Much
Ado About Nothing, Julius
Caesar and A
My Name is
Alice. She has been with AFYP for four years and
teaches in our afterschool, weekend and Scout Badge Workshop programs. |
|
| Elliott
Kashner
is a recent graduate of George Mason, with his B.S. in Economics. He has
had many acting classes at Mason. He is also a recent addition to
AFYP, teaching Acting and Musical Theatre. He was a member of the
GMU Players performed for both the Studio, Mainstage, and in the AFYP
Stages reading of Doister
2000. He wrote for Mason’s Ten Minute Play Festival, and will also
be working in film this summer. |
|
| Daniel
Lagdameo
joined the AFYP staff in Summer 2007. He is a Sophomore at George
Mason, and is double majoring in Theater and Film and Video Studies.
At GMU, he recently performed in After
Ashley and the Ten-Minute Play Festival. |
|
| Lisette LeCompte studied acting at
Carnegie-Mellon
University
and GMU. She is currently pursuing advanced degrees in
Special Education. A veteran actor in the DC theater community, she has
performed at The Source Theatre and Toby’s Dinner Theatre, among others.
In addition to teaching for the past 7 years with AFYP, Lisette is a
member of the faculty at Imagination Stage. She has appeared in their
productions of The BFG, Trickman: A Spell of Cold Weather,
and Aladdin and the Cave of Dreams. |
|
| Ahmad
Maaty is
a student at GMU. He is a Theater Major, Dance Minor. Ahmad has
participated in many GMU Players' productions including As
Bees in Honey Drown and most recently Measure
for Measure. He has also participates in many dance showcases in the
DC area. His passion for all the arts specifically theater, dance,
and music drove him to produce, direct, choreograph, and participate in "A
Taste of Broadway," GMU's first Musical Revue. Ahmad is
currently a member of a new dance company, Mayzsoul, and works as a
Jazz/Hip-Hop teacher at the
Academy
of
Russian Ballet
in
Manassas
,
VA.
He is also an art and play gym teacher at Gymboree Play and Music |
|
| Patrick
Magill
is currently a senior Theater major at GMU. He has taught with AFYP since
Spring 2007, teaching several after school classes and musical theater for
our weekend classes. At GMU, he is the current GMU Players President and
has worked on over 15 productions as actor, stage manager, and director
(including Humble
Boy, The
Boys Next Door, and The
Dead). He has also worked professionally with Theater of the First
Amendment as stage manager, assistant director, and assistant production
manager. |
|
| Jim
Maiwurm returns
to AFYP for his fifth year this summer. In previous years, he has taught
improvisation, acting, writing, and sketch comedy for AFYP and other youth
programs in the D.C. and
New York
metro areas. Jim returned to George Mason in 2006 as Festival Manager for
Theater of the First Amendment after graduate work in
New York
. |
|
| Charles
Mann is
a Junior Theater major at
George
Mason
University
and has recently appeared as Lucio (Measure
for Measure), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney
Todd), and Mr. Klemper (The
Boys Next Door). Charles teaches in AFYP’s afterschool
programs, and is an original cast member of AFYP Stages’ Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly Pedestrian. |
|
| Jimmy
Marks is
a performer and public speaker, and has been trained in vocal techniques,
acting and singing by a wide array of teachers. He has performed in
several plays, been an acting/ vocal coach for young performers, and has
competed in public speaking competitions on various levels with
great success. For three years, he was lucky enough to work with ESL
children in the MEP Summer School in
Colonial Beach
,
VA.
He will soon receive his diploma in Communication, with a focus in Public
Relations. |
|
| James Martin is
an alumnus of George Mason University.He has studied at the Studio Theatre
Acting conservatory, Woolly Mammoth Theatre and the
Comedy
Sportz
Improv
Academy
. As an Equity Membership Candidate and SAG eligible actor, James'
professional credits include The
History Boys at the Studio Theatre, "Step
Up 2: The Streets" and the upcoming film "Toe
to Toe" directed by Emily Abt. |
|
| Jack
Miggins is a Junior Theater Major at GMU. He has worked on eight
productions at Mason (including Measure
for Measure,
The
Boys Next Door, and Reckless)
and teaches afterschool classes with AFYP. Jack wrote Peace
Be the Journey which was presented in Mason’s Ten Minute Play
Festival. Jack is a cast member in AFYP Stages’ Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly
Pedestrian. |
|
| Kevin Murray is
Managing Director of Theater of the First Amendment at GMU. He teaches
audition techniques for stage and camera for GMU's Theater Department, and
works frequently as a freelance actor, having appeared in TFA's
productions of The Memorandum and
Three Hotels,
Paramount
's Runaway Bride, several episodes of NBC's Homicide,
HBO’s The Wire, and two TNT Original Movies, The Day Lincoln Was Shot
and The Hunley. |
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| Lara Murray
graduated from the AFYP program and has been a staff member since 2002. A
singer and actress, Lara will attend
Northern
Virginia
Community
College
this fall. |
|
| Lisa Nanni-Messegee is a freelance theatre artist and teaches at GMU, NOVA
Manassas
and AFYP. Her production company is Lucy 8
Productions, L.L.C. Lisa also
worked in
Los Angeles
primarily as a Television Producer (Smart Solutions
- HGTV, Good Day Live - syndicated), and Voice-Over artist (Main
Floor - syndicated.) Lisa has produced plays throughout the country,
including Radio Vega which
premiered in
Minnesota
and was recently produced by AFYP for the Mason
Festival of the Arts. Lisa also wrote Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly Pedestrian, a play about traffic safety
which is scheduled to tour elementary schools this Fall in
Fairfax
County
. Recent
directing credits include The Shape
of Things, The Dining Room and
Violets. Lisa is Resident
Playwright & Director for our company’s newest branch, AFYP Stages. |
|
| Jesse
Nepivoda
joined our faculty last summer and also teaches in our afterschool
programs. A recent graduate of GMU, he was honored with the Chris Parsons
Acting Award and an award for Excellence in Performance by the Theater
Department. His appearances with the GMU Players include After
Ashley, The
Cripple of Innishmann, and Mephisto. |
|
| Collin
Peterson has been active in
Centreville
High School
’s drama program and has also studied with AFYP. He joined our staff in
Summer 2007 |
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| Frank Robinson, Jr.
most recently performed as Manny Steen in Ellis
Island: The Dream of America with the Fairfax Symphony and Theater of
the First Amendment in the Mason Festival of the Arts.
His plays have been produced at
Source Theatre
,
Washington
, DC and The Birmingham Children’s Theatre,
Birmingham
,
Alabama
. He also
appeared in the recent HBO mini-series, John
Adams. He has performed
throughout the
United
States
and
Canada
and in
Washington
,
DC
at
Church Street
, Ford’s, and Source Theatres, and with Interact at
Folger Theatre and Arena Stage. He has also performed many times with
Theater of the First Amendment’s First Light Festival.
Favorite roles include: James Wilson in 1776 at Ford’s Theatre, Uncle Pumblechook in Great Expectations: The Musical at Folger, Noel Coward in Queen
of Clubs at
Church Street
, and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol for Nebraska Theatre Caravan. Frank teaches
AFYP’s acting/playwriting after school classes at
Hunters
Woods
Elementary
School
. |
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| Maureen Rohn
just graduated from
Northwestern
University
with a degree in Theatre, Business Institutions and a certificate in
Musical Theatre. She is also a graduate of the
British
American
Drama
Academy
(2006) and the Virginia Governor's School Theatre program (2003). Favorite
shows include Children
of Eden, A
Funny Thing Happened..., Julius
Caesar, All's
Well That Ends
Well, My
Fair Lady and the Northwestern University Waa-Mu Show (the nation's
largest student-written musical) which she also produced this past year.
Maureen is delighted to return to camp for her third summer. |
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| Jay Saunders is
a recent graduate of George Mason's Theater program and has completed
classes in acting, movement, stage combat, and Linklater voice techniques.
He has previously taught acting, movement and Stage Combat for AFYP and
this will be his third year with the AFYP team. He is currently
pursuing a career in both Stage and Film in the DC area, and is a member
of the cast of AFYP Stages’ Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly Pedestrian. |
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| Arielle
Seidman is a rising Junior at
Bryn
Mawr
College
in
Philadelphia
,
PA
, where she studies English and Education. She spends a great deal of her
time working in the Bryn Mawr theater program and Shakespeare Troupe, and
recently wrapped up acting in a production of Merchant
of Venice, and directing a production of Twelfth
Nigh. She’s very glad to be back for her second year with AFYP. |
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| Dane Styler is a
journalist and actor. He teaches afterschool classes for AFYP and has also
taught martial arts. He recently appeared in Measure for Measure with the GMU Players and will take part in the
Kennedy
Center
’s program for new playwrights this summer. He is
pursuing degrees in English and Theater. |
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| Conor Tarpy has
performed such roles such as Thernardier in Les Miserables and
Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. He attended the United States
Performing Arts camp at
American
University
|
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| Kelly Thomas was
born and raised in
Washington
DC
, and is a graduate of GMU, where she earned her degree
in Theater. She is currently Director of Theater at
Stafford
High
School
.
Past performances include Look Homeward Angel and Lion in the
Streets, for which she was commended in the Washington Post. Kelly has
studied dance, drama, and music up and down the east coast. She wishes to
share her love for the arts by teaching children of all ages about the
performing arts. |
 |
| Megan Thrift is
a Senior Theater Major, Education/Dance Minor at GMU and with her degree
she hopes to become a High School Theater teacher while pursuing
professional work. She is a company member of the Keegan Theatre Co in
Washington
,
DC
and has also performed locally and regionally at
Gunston
Arts
Center
, Folger Theater and the
Kennedy
Center
. She has worked with AFYP since October of 2005 teaching acting and
movement in AFYP’s camp, afterschool and weekend programs. |
|
| Emily
Wilkins is an actress, dancer and playwright. She has studied with
AFYP for the past several years and will appear in the upcoming production
of Radio
Vega as part of the Mason Festival of the Arts. She also wrote a play
for Theater of the First Amendment’s Generations
Project. |
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Staff
Assistants
| Andria Bacus is
a rising Senior at
Fairfax
High
School
.
Also a dancer,
Andria
was among the first of AFYP’s students, and has
worked on staff for our weekend and summer camp programs. |
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| Molly Jacobson is
a recent graduate of GMU where she studied psychology and theater. She has
been seen in Providence Players’ production of The Women, and
also appeared as Jenny the maid in The Man Who Came to Dinner. |
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| Mark
Ormesher, celebrating his fourth year working with AFYP, is a student
of the performing arts at
Northern
Virginia
Community College
. Having moved to
America
in 2000 he has been lucky to experience the many aspects of the film and
theater worlds. Though he can claim acting, directing and technical credits, his
passion is writing for the screen. His most recent work is the short film
entitled "A Fine Mess," written for Northwind Films as part of
the Washington D.C. 48 Hour Film Project.
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| Jessy Timmins
received her B.S. in Stage Management from
Radford
University
and recently completed her Master of Arts in Arts
Management from GMU. In addition to AFYP, Jessy works with Theater of the
First Amendment and has worked with MetroStage and Keegan Theatre. |
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Additional
Faculty & Staff
| Brittany
Bosak
joined the AFYP faculty in Summer 2007, and is a Theater major at GMU. She
is involved in many different aspects of the theatre; she has assistant
stage managed, performed (Laramie Project, In The Dead of Summer), and designed props. Hailing from New York City, Brittany
made her local professional debut in Theater of the First Amendment’s
2007 First Light Festival. She successfully completed NYU's CAP21 Summer
Musical Theatre Program, and graduated from a Performing Arts High School
on Long
Island, where she went on a full scholarship
given by the state of New York. Prior to GMU, Brittany spent 7 years performing at various regional
theaters throughout
Long
Island
with leading roles in Wonderful Town and Anything Goes (for which she received the BACCA award for Best Actress for
her portrayal of Reno Sweeney). |
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| Taylor
Coffman has appeared in film, TV and stage productions around the DC area. A
graduate of GMU, Taylor has been honored with a Theater Department Award for
Outstanding Performance, a fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library, a
Virginia Arts Council Award, and an opportunity to sing the Rutter Magnificat at
Carnegie Hall. She has also performed her own work at the Kennedy Center Page to
Stage Festival.
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| Connor
Dale has worked with
Round House
Education
Center
in
Silver Spring, teaching acting for their Summer Destinations Theatre Camp. His lighting
designs have also been seen in local theatres. A recent graduate of George
Mason's Theatre Department, Connor studied acting, directing, and design.
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| Christy Denny is a Senior Theater major at GMU, focusing in the areas of directing, stage managing and acting. In addition to teaching several of our after school classes, she is recently directed Reckless for the GMU Players. Christy has worked professionally in New York with The Irish Rep and New York Theater Workshop, and locally with Theater of the First Amendment. |
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| Jessie
Duncanson Crain has been working in the Washington, DC area as a
theatrical technician since receiving her B.A. from GMU. She has designed
lights, props and puppets for many local professional theater companies. She is
currently the Master Electrician for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, while
working with Atmosphere Inc.
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| Jennifer Harris is a
graduate of GMU with a BA in Theater, where she appeared in The GMU
Players’ productions as Moo and Betty’s Summer Vacation
(as Betty), directed Women in Black, and was assistant director for
Theater of the First Amendment’s Three Hotels. She has appeared
in several musicals, including
BigRiver, Grease, West Side Story, and Guys and Dolls. Jenn also
teaches our after-school programs and summer camp.
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| Kathryn
Kelley is delighted to return to AFYP
this summer. A professional actor who performs frequently in the DC area, her
credits include roles in Heartbreak House,
The Cherry Orchard, Uncle
Vanya, Our Town, Look
Back in Anger (Theatre Lobby Award), The
Glass Menagerie (Helen Hayes nomination), A
Doll’s House, Grimm Tales, Sing
Down the Moon, and many others. She is an Artistic Associate with Round
House Theatre and holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. |
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| Lisa
Lias is a local actor who received her training at
Northwestern
University
and the Goodman School of Drama. She has appeared at Source, Everyman,
Horizons, Olney and Imagination Stage among others as well as productions
for the New York International Fringe Festival and the first ever Capital
Fringe Festival here in
Washington. She is a former company member of The Stanislavsky Theatre Studio and a
long-time member of
Chicago's T.U.T.A. Theatre Company.
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| Madeleine Mager
has worked
extensively in the Washington, D.C. market, as well as Chicago and New York
City. Credits cover all aspects of performance, but include feature
films such as “For Richer or Poorer” and “Riding in Cars
with Boys” and television appearances on “Early Edition” and “K Street.” She has also taught drama for Fairfax County Public
Schools' summer program. Madeleine holds a B.A. in Theater from George Mason
University and has studied at H.B. Studios in New York. |
|
| Jacquie Militano is an
actress and singer with a Theater BA from
George
Mason
University, where she received the honor of the Female Actress Excellence in
Performance award for her graduating class. At Mason she performed
in The Dead, Trojan Women, The Trial, Abstract
Expression, The Heiress, The Measures Taken, and Marat/Sade.
She also performed in Grease, Into the Woods, The
Odd Couple: Female Version, and A Chorus Line in various
studios throughout
New Jersey. She works as a seasonal Character Performer for the Walt Disney
companies. |
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| Ryan
Mulkay graduated from GMU in 2004 cum laude and performed in many GMU
Players productions. Ryan had leading roles in two recently released independent
films, and is currently working on the independent feature film “11”.
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| Rebecca Pepper
is an honors graduate
of GMU where she studied Theater and Music Education (Voice). She has an active
freelance career as professional actor, singer and costume designer, most
recently appearing in Broadway Musicals: 1938 and The Robber Bridegroom at
American Century Theatre.
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| Arthur Rowan is an
experienced fight director (having choreographed fights for the Folger
Theater, the Washington Shakespeare Company, and the Virginia Shakespeare
Festival) and a recognized Actor/Combatant with the Society for American
Fight Directors. He has worked with several weapon styles, including
broadsword, quarterstaff, knife, unarmed, rapier, twin rapiers, and
lightsaber.
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| Jesse Schwartzman currently attends
George Mason University. A regular member of AFYP’s school year and summer
camp faculty, Jesse spent several summers teaching at Camp Hazen in Chester,
CT, where he collaborated on the creation of their popular drama program. Jesse
has also taught for The Rainbow Company and coached the Improv team for Fairfax
High School.
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| Bryant
Sullivan studied acting at Indiana University. After spending a year
abroad teaching English in Japan, he currently appears in film and theatre
productions around the Washington D.C. area. Recently he has worked on
Theater of the First Amendment's production of Lift: Icarus & Me,
and an independent horror film called The 8th Plague.
|
 |
| Ryan Wright is a senior
Theater major at GMU, and has performed in An Ideal Husband, Betty’s
Summer Vacation, Mephisto, The Eccentricities of a
Nightingale, and Trojan Women. Ryan has also performed
professionally with Theater of the First Amendment, and will appear in the
upcoming feature film The Visiting.
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