Shows category: Main Stage

Denise is very excited to return to Amphibian Stage to tell this story. As a Dallas based actress for a little over 30 years, she is proud to say she has performed on almost every theater stage in the metroplex, She is the CEO of Denise Lee Onstage and founder of the Dallas Cabaret Festival and the DLO Cabaret series.. For her one-woman shows ‘Divas of American Music’ and ‘Too Old, Too Fat, Too Black – Songs I’ll Never Sing On Broadway” she was awarded Broadway World Awards for Best Cabaret Performer. She is also the recipient of the Sammons Center for the Arts Cabaret Artist of the Year and multiple Dallas Theater Critic Forum and Dallas Readers Voice Awards.

Lee has also added ‘playwright’ to her list of accomplishments. Her first play ‘Funny, You Don’t Act Like A Negro’ had its World Premiere at the historic Theatre Three in February 2020.

In addition to her career as an Artist, Denise Lee is a fierce Social Justice activist. She established ‘Community Conversation’ through her non-profit organization Visions For Change, Inc. Since 2016, these monthly gatherings have brought people together for respectful, open, honest dialogue in order to heal racial and community tension. VFC also hosts and sponsors Anti-Racist and Diversity Workshops for Arts Organizations, Schools and Corporations. For these efforts, she has received several awards including the Black Tie Dinner’s 2022 Dale Hansen Ally of the Year Award, the 2019 Cathedral of Hope’s Hero of Hope Award. She also serves as the Social Justice Strategist for the Dallas Children’s Theater and is a on the Board of Directors for the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Denise Jackson is a talented performer from Chicago, IL, with a strong background in Music, Music Theater, and Acting. Four-time contestant on American Idol with successful appearances in the Hollywood rounds. Recipient of the 2018 Irma P Hall Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Nominated for a Regional Broadway Dallas Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and currently nominated for Best Actress in Musical for her role as Celie in the musical The Color Purple for The 2023 Irma P Hall Awards and The 2023 Wilmington Theater Guild Awards.

George Brant’s plays include Grounded, Marie and Rosetta, Into the Breeches!, Elephant’s Graveyard, The Prince of Providence, Tender Age, The Land of Oz, Dark Room, Grizzly Mama, Good on Paper, The Mourners’ Bench, Salvage, Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile, Any Other Name, Defiant, Miracle: A Tragedy,  Ashes, NOK, The Lonesome Hoboes, All Talk, One Hand Clapping, The Royal Historian of Oz, Lovely Letters, Three Men in a Boat, Borglum! The Mount Rushmore Musical, Tights on a Wire and Night of the Mime. 

Brant’s work has been produced internationally by such companies as the Public Theater, The Atlantic Theater Company, Trinity Repertory Company, Cleveland Play House, The Alley Theatre, Studio Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, City Theatre, Gate Theatre of London, Page 73, Traverse Theatre, Dobama Theatre, and the Disney Channel, among others. 

His plays have been generously developed by the Metropolitan Opera, The Playwrights’ Center, Asolo Rep, McCarter Theatre Center, New Harmony Project, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, WordBRIDGE Playwright’s Lab, InterAct Theatre, Theatre @ Boston Court, Playwright and Director Center of Moscow, Florida Studio Theatre, Contemporary Drama Festival of Hungary, the Hangar Theatre, and Equity Library Theatre, among others.

His scripts have been awarded a Lucille Lortel Award, an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, a Scotsman Fringe First Award, an Off-West End Theatre Award for Best Production, an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, the Smith Prize, the Keene Prize for Literature, a Theatre Netto Festival Prize, a Creative Workforce Fellowship, the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center and three Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards.  He has received writing fellowships from the James A. Michener Center for Writers, the McCarter Theatre Sallie B. Goodman Artist’s Retreat, the MacDowell Colony, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Hermitage Artists’ Retreat and the Blue Mountain Center as well as commissions from the Metropolitan Opera, Trinity Repertory Company, Dobama Theatre and Theatre 4, and Cleveland Play House .

George received his MFA in Writing from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.  He is published by Samuel French, Oberon Books, Fisher Verlage and Smith & Kraus.

Egla Birmingham Hassan is an accomplished director and professor of theatre whose 32-year career at Western Illinois University includes heading the MFA program in directing and helping young theatre artists find their own voice.

Since retiring from her academic endeavors, Egla Hassan has maintained an active theatrical life as a freelance director. Some of her recent productions include The Mountaintop, Sweat, Sweeney Todd, Steel Magnolias, and The Marvelous Wonderettes.

As a director, Egla sees herself as a storyteller whose primary responsibility is to work, in partnership with a design team and the actors, to introduce audiences to characters and ideas that illuminate the human condition.

Hassan is currently a member of the Joseph Jefferson Award Committee in the city of Chicago, where she gets the opportunity to see and comment on a variety of professional theatre productions. She is honored to be a part of Amphibian Stage’s production of Marie and Rosetta.

Steven A. Taylor is a music composer, music director and songwriter who has been recognized for the diversity of his work. His extensive music background enables him to incorporate a wealth of musical genres; jazz, gospel, r&b, classical and modern styles into a theatrical setting: Steven has the gift to bring musical illumination to any theatrical script. Within the DFW metroplex Steven has been the Music Director and Composer for several Theatre productions: “The Color Purple”,“Dreamgirls”,“Southern Boys”,“It Ain’t Nothing But The Blues” and the “Last Stop On Market Street” just to name a few. Some of his most recent film work include Composer for: the Lifetime TV film “A Mother’s Intuition’, two episodes of BET’s “Kingdom Business” Season 2 and the theatrical spectacular, “The Passion Play” which can be seen on several television platforms presently. The gospel classic: ‘‘Hallelujah You’re Worthy” which has been featured on Pharrell’s “Voices of Fire” Netflix Series, is only one of his many noted songs. Steven gives all the honor and praise to God for the masterful script and score that He wrote for him! He is forever grateful to use his gifting, education and experience to educate, entertain and engage all people he is privileged to come in contact with.

Victoria received her Masters in Music in Vocal Performance in 2019 from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music where she received two awards for distinction in her degree and exceptional female recitals. She took a short break from Theatre to welcome her son Peter into the world, and has since Stage Managed Hello, Dolly! and Anne of Green Gables at the Granbury Theatre Company.

Victoria is also a founding member of the organization Opera Nova- a company focused on providing equal main stage performance opportunities to Opera Singers with disabilities.

Victoria would like to thank Amphibian Stage for welcoming her so warmly into their community and would also love to thank her Husband John for always loving and supporting her.

Jasmine is an award-winning designer and interdisciplinary artist based in Dallas, TX. She holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Howard University.

Previous design credits with Amphibian Stage include Egress in 2021. Other design credits include Bread N Gravy (Jubilee Theater), What Fits Inside a Human Heart (Soul Rep Theater), Cadillac Crew (Echo and Soul Rep Theater), I and U (Echo Theater), Natural Shocks (Echo Theater), Is Edward Snowden Single (Second Thought Theater), Moon Man Walk (Jubilee Theater), Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (Lyric Stage), Travisville (Soul Rep Theater) Winner of the Irma P. Hall Black Theater Award for best costume design.

Professor Trout has been a faculty member at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL since 1990. He is the 2024 recipient of the Kemp Award for Teaching Excellence, IWU’s highest teaching honor. He has accomplished over 110 designs in scenery, lighting, costumes and sound for the University and more than 30 designs for professional venues since his appointment. He is a scene design member of United Scenic Artists, the union representing professional theatrical designers, since 1989. His academic designs for The Triumph of Love and an original play, Front, were recognized by Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, Region III, The Triumph of Love for Meritorious Achievement.

Some professional designs include: Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast for the Augusta Ballet in Augusta, GA; Die Fledermaus for the Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY; Christmas Carol and The Hardy Boys and many recent mainstage and touring shows for the Lexington Children’s Theatre in Lexington, KY; Stella Lou and Floyd Collins for Heartland Theatre, Normal, IL; and residencies at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL; University of Wisconsin, Green Bay; and at Dartmouth College, in Hanover NH.

As an architectural designer with The Edwards Design Group he created a new interior for St. Patrick Catholic Church in Decatur, IL. His $1.3m design for the large, 1908 neo-Gothic church, which included furniture, architectural detail, paint scheme, and an architectural lighting design, was one of two chosen for the highest level of award at the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Biennial Design Awards and was recognized by the City of Decatur Historical and Sites Commission with an Award for Excellence in Architectural Restoration.

Curtis’s proudest achievement is that IWU design and technical graduates move fluidly into internship and staff positions with professional organizations such as: Santa Fe Opera, The Seattle Rep, Utah Music Theatre, Center Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, PCPA, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Glimmerglass Opera and the Goodman Theatre to name a few.

Recently Curtis proudly celebrated his 8th legal wedding anniversary or his 48th by all the ways that truly count.

Adam Chamberlin (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be returning to Amphibian Stage Productions. He is the managing director of theatre production and associate professor of lighting and sound design for the Department of Dance and Theatre at the University of North Texas. Previously, he has taught as an assistant professor for the dance department at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently serving on the Leadership of the Lighting Commission for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology as awards coordinator and poster session co-coordinator. Previously, he has held the positions of vice-commissioner of special projects and light lab designer. He has designed lighting for companies including The Latin Ballet of Virginia, Shakespeare Dallas, Oklahoma City Rep., One World Theatre, Stage West, K-Dance, Kitchen Dog, and WaterTower Theatre. He was a founding member of Dysfunctional Theatre Company in NYC and Amaranth Contemporary Dance in Richmond, VA. In addition, he is a founding member of the Beyond the Sock Puppetry. He holds an MFA in theatrical design from the University of Texas at Austin.

Darrin Kobetich grew up listening to a lot of music from his Dad’s record collection(Chuck Berry to Bluegrass to Ventures to Zorba The Greek and everything in between). His musical journey started out with four chords he learned from his father at age 12…. Soon he was hooked on The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rush, Hendrix etc. Moving to Weatherford, Texas, in 1980 Darrin formed his first real band, an instrumental power trio, a year later. Inspired by German guitar phenomena Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker, he honed his chops playing covers and experimenting with improvisation. Spent a few years in various metal bands before joining the New Orleans-born thrash metal outfit. Hammer Witch in 1989. They released a cassette (1991) before disbanding in 1994. Darrin then formed experimental metal band, Amillion Pounds, which was fronted by his brother Adam. It was during Amillion Pounds’ run that Darrin composed his first acoustic songs, influenced by Jimmy Page and Leo Kottke. By 2002, he was completely immersed in the acoustic guitar, inspired by the likes of Michael Hedges and John Fahey, as well as Middle Eastern and other world music. Such a foundation has been a resource to draw from when working on theatrical productions for several shows at Hip Pocket Theatre as well one show with Jubilee Theater.

Bentleigh is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington who has served as the Director of Theatre at IM Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA for the last six years. She has served on production teams as stage manager, & props designer for THE MUSIC MAN, MY FAIR LADY, WHITE CHRISTMAS, 9 TO 5, JOSEPH AND THE…, and TREASURE ISLAND at Granbury Theatre Company. She has also directed 9 TO 5, SISTER ACT, WEST SIDE STORY, LEGALLY BLONDE, & GREASE at GTC and will be directing this summer’s production of OKLAHOMA. Her onstage credits include STEEL MAGNOLIAS (M’Lynn), RAGTIME (Emma Goldman), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Frau Blucher), and FOOTLOOSE (Vi Moore). She would like to thank her family, friends, Jarrett, Nolan, Rodney, & her pets.

Jeff Stanfield is a graduate of Texas Christian University. After spending eight and a half seasons with Dallas Children’s Theater, he is pleased to have returned to Fort Worth with Amphibian Stage. You may have seen him on stage under the open Texas sky at the Hip Pocket Theatre in such productions as Love Letters to a Raven, Loop the Loop, In Watermelon Sugar, The Lake Worth Monster and Don Quixote.

Harley Elias is an Indian-Iraqi Arab-Jewish playwright and performer from New York City, who often writes plays about the strangeness of history, the dismantling of power systems, and revolutions. He has been the recipient of residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, with Resonance Ensemble, a Fulbright Grant, the Wild Epiphanies New Play Award, two Samuel French OOB Awards, a Young Playwrights Award, the Hester-Franklin Prize, and his Play #3 is published by Samuel French. Recent plays include Thug Play (Resonance Ensemble), The Pardon (Brown University), and 47 Years of Marriage (Samuel French OOB). For the composer Francisco de Guevara, he wrote the libretto for the opera 11:35, set to premiere in Mexico City in 2023. The documentary he co-wrote and directed, Reconquest of the Useless, was shown at the Havana, Zurich, Woodstock, and Virginia Film Festivals. As an actor his credits include Les Miserables (Broadway and National Tour), A Thousand Clowns (Broadway), A Christmas Carol (Broadway), Ragtime (National Tour). He has worked at the Goodspeed Opera House, EST, Workhouse, Second Stage, HB Studio, Soho Rep, and performed solo at the Kennedy Center. He holds a BA and MA in History and Art History from Stanford and is currently pursuing his MFA in Playwriting at Brown. He is currently under commission from Miami New Drama and Theater J.

Jay Duffer directed The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) for Amphibian both in 2014 and 2017, and Babbette’s Feast in 2019. He will direct Marie Antoinette in our 2022 season. Past Amphibian acting credits include Wittenberg, The Nosemaker’s Apprentice, The Mystery of Irma Vep and the workshop production of David Davalos’ Daedalus (Retitled A Lost Leonardo). He has professional acting and directing credits spanning several decades and has performed in theatres from Off-Broadway, to regional theatres, to productions overseas. Jay has been involved in new works and script development with Threads Theatre Company (serving as a Founding Member and the Executive Director of New Works), Pulse Ensemble Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Source, Kaleidoscope Theatre Company, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre and Brooklyn based The Artful Conspirators. His play, Asleep in the Arms of God, received its world premiere in November 2017 at the Box Theatre in Riverside, CA produced by New Threads Productions (CA). His play, Big Girl, Little World premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival. His latest play, naked, was included in Amphibian’s inaugural SPARKFEST in the summer of 2021. Prior to joining Amphibian as Managing Director, Jay was Associate Professor of Theatre and Department Chair at Huntington University in Indiana. At HU, he directed a wide variety of approximately 50 plays and musicals while heading the theatre program. Jay currently teaches Directing for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas Arlington. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Kathleen is the Founding Artistic Director of Amphibian Stage, where she has produced over 100 plays in Fort Worth and New York – most of them world, US, or regional premieres. She has taught Screenwriting and Stage Makeup at Texas Christian University and proudly serves on the board of the Women’s Policy Forum. Also a playwright, Kathleen is the author of La Llorona, which premiered off-Broadway at Theatre Row in a production by Stageplays Theatre Company in 2007 and which has received productions around the country. A Leopard Complains of Its Spots premiered at the Pantheon Theatre in New York in 2001 with an extended run. Her play Smart Pretty Funny premiered at Amphibian Stage in 2016 and has since been produced in Australia and at other venues in the US.

Evan is a Fort Worth-based actor, photographer, and designer. His work has been seen at the Dallas Theater Center, Second Thought Theatre, Undermain Theatre, Stage West Theatre, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Amphibian Stage, and more. Evan holds a BFA in Acting from Texas Christian University. Evan is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency.

Elly Lindsay moved to Dallas in the fall of 1977 from the East Coast. She was promptly cast as small town Texas girl, Margie Lynn Kayro in Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home and had to learn a Texas accent. Cheryl Denson kept telling her to smile more. Elly was last seen at Amphibian Theater Company as Player One (Dean and others) in Babette’s Feast. She also appeared as Grace in Vigil. Most recently Elly played Linda French in Grand Horizons at Stage West and Grandma in Undermain Theater’s workshop production of David Rabe’s He’s Born, He’s Borne. Recent roles include Annie Nations in Foxfire at Theatre Three, Mertis Katherine in John at Undermain (DFW Critics Forum Award). Other roles include: Mrs. Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility for Stolen Shakespeare Guild, Grandma in The American Dream and The Sandbox for Wingspan Theater; Lily in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks at Theater Too; Daisy Werthan in Driving Miss Daisy at FMPAT; Annabelle Chester in Snake in the Grass at Circle Theater (Ft. Worth Weekly – best show); Beth & others in String of Pearls and Evelyn Miller in Kindertransport for Echo Theater; and Judith Bliss in Hay Fever for Theater Britain. Elly also appeared as Carrie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful at The Contemporary Theater of Dallas for which she received D Magazine’s Best Actress of 2011 and the DFW Critics Forum Award. In her forty years in Dallas, she has also appeared at the Dallas Theater Center, the Dallas Children’s Theater, the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, and New Arts. New York credits include The Manhattan Theater Club and Café LaMama. Her television credits include “Dallas”, “Dangerous Curves”, “Fire & Rain”, and “Wishbone”. She appeared in the independent film LATE BLOOMERS, the short film THE HUSBAND and the independent film, STUCK. Elly taught for over twenty years at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. Love to her mainstay and support, husband Randy Bonifay.

Since moving to Texas several years ago, Malcolm has had the pleasure of appearing in several DFW area productions. Favorite roles include Robert Falcon Scott in “Terra Nova” at the Sanders Theatre in Fort Worth, and Lear in “King Lear” at the Bath House Theatre. In August, Malcolm appeared as Max in Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming,” also at the Bath House. In New York, Malcolm worked on Broadway (“The Sisters Rosensweig”), Off-Broadway (“The End of the Day” at Playwrights Horizons), and Off-Off Broadway (“Time Stands Still” at Theatre for the New City and “Trial” at the Beckmann Theatre). He also appeared on the daytime dramas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.” Malcolm currently co-stars as Nikolai in “1883,” and will be appearing as Leonard Mullin in the limited series “Born Again,” to be released early next year. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Patrick Bynane is originally from Northeast Ohio and has lived and worked across the US. He has a Ph.D in Theatre History from LSU (Geaux Tigers!) and is a proud member of Actors Equity. He has lived in Denton, TX since 2006 when he moved there to join the Texas Woman’s University Theatre Program. He is Program Director for TWU Theatre and is currently enjoying a semester sabbatical to pursue creative and scholarly projects. He is thrilled to return to the Amphibian stage where he has previously been seen in this past summer’s SparkFest, Babette’s Feast and A Lost Leonardo among other productions.

A graduate of the School of Performing Arts in New York City, Michael has performed Nationally and Internationally in theater and film roles. Some of his favorite theater roles include: Mister in The Color Purple (Pollard Theater), Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (OKC Shakespeare), and Murray in The Odd Couple (Lyric Theater). Other Regional Equity roles include: Ken in Ain’t Misbehavin (Theatreworks), TonTon in Once on This Island (American Musical Theater), Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatreworks), Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors (American Musical Theater). National Equity tours include roles of Martin Luther King in the musical Martin, and vocal soloist performances with the Denver Symphony and Philadelphia Pops. Television credits include Soloist at NFL Super Bowl Halftime show. Michael’s recent films credits include: The Girl Who Believes in Miracles, Walter in A Country Romance, and as Detective Morris Patterson in Gremlin. This spring Michael was last seen as Officer Buttons in the Lions Gate production of The Quest for Tom Sawyer’s Gold.

Laurel Whitsett (she/her) is excited to be working with Amphibian again, having taken some time off to earn a second master’s in Linguistics from UT Arlington. Now a PhD student there, her research focuses on issues at the intersection of theatre arts and accessibility, American Sign Language, and humor interpretation. Laurel teaches at UTA in Theatre Arts, Disability Studies, and Modern Languages, preferring to experience the world using naturalist John Muir’s philosophy, “all things are connected”. With a background in improvisation from King’s College London, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Fort Worth’s own Four Day Weekend (woot!), Laurel guides UTA’s Improvisation track. She’s a state-certified ASL-English interpreter and has worked with the Dallas Theater Center and TheaterWorks Hartford as the American Sign Language and British Sign Language coach on their productions of ‘Clybourne Park’ and ‘Constellations’. Are you a horror film fan? Check out Laurel’s untimely demise in ‘Splinter’, or for a tamer experience you can see her as the acerbic librarian in ‘Super’ alongside Rainn Wilson, or even as the snarky carpool leader in ‘Premonition’ with Sandra Bullock. Laurel has diverse experience in dialogue coaching, dialect coaching, editing, and directing, including working with Chuck Norris on the final season of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ and with Alice Braga for ‘Queen of the South’. Fun facts: she was an NFL cheerleader, is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, has an identical twin sister, and adores her 3-legged cat, Tuppence.

Amanda Reyes is a Tejana actor and filmmaker based in Fort Worth, Texas. She has a B.A. in Radio, TV and Film from The University of North Texas and an M.F.A in Directing Narrative Cinema from Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema in Brooklyn, NY. She is currently in post-production of her latest film, Going Home, set for festival release this winter. In addition to filmmaking, she has never shied away from her first love and passion; theatre arts. Her most notable performances in theatrical productions include Lil Bit in How I Learned to Drive with Canyon Theater Guild, Heidi in The Heidi Chronicles at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in L.A., the role of Rebel in Columbinus, Elvira in Don Juan in Chicago at Collin Theater Center, Eve in The Diaries of Adam and Eve and Sylvia Beetle in The Butterfly’s Evil Spell at Hip Pocket Theater. She is beyond thrilled to be acting for the first time at Amphibian Theater and is honored to work with such an incredibly talented cast and crew.

Melissa is thrilled to be returning to Amphibian Stage where she was last seen in BABETTE’S FEAST. Favorite regional credits include GOD OF CARNAGE, TITANIC, SOUTH PACIFIC, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, JOSEPH…DREAMCOAT, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Melissa has also performed in many musical revues and industrials in New York City, regional theatres across the country and overseas. She has appeared as a Barbie for Mattel and been a featured singer for the Macy’s Flower Show in New York City. Melissa holds a BME in voice from Baylor University and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Melissa is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Thank you to Kathleen and Jay for this opportunity.

Tanner Mobley is beyond excited for his Amphibian Stage debut here in Fort Worth. Tanner is a senior attending the University of Texas at Arlington, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in acting. Tanner was just previously seen in the role of Luther in Theatre Arlington’s production of Superior Donuts. Along with his passion for acting, he is also a filmmaker and photographer based here in Texas, managing and running his own production company: Fluidity Films. Tanner would love to thank UTA and Amphibian Stage for coming together to make a collaboration happen, and giving students the opportunity to act professionally while simultaneously growing in the art of performance. Tanner would also love to thank his God and his parents for the blessings and support provided along his journey.

Johanna Nchekwube is thrilled to be a part of the cast and crew of “The Visit”. This is her first show at Amphibian Stage. Her previous notable productions include “Manic Monologues” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” at WaterTower Theater, “Someone Like Me” at the Riot Act Theatre, and “Memphis the Musical” at Theatre Three. A huge thanks goes to all who brought this courageous piece of Art together and to my family and friends. IG: @jolove1

Gwen Mowdy is beyond grateful to be taking part in her first production at Amphibian Stage! She is currently a junior at The University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a BFA in Acting. She has most recently been seen as Viola in Twelfth Night at Upright Theatre Company, and as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Maverick Theatre Company at UTA. She would like to thank Jay Duffer for the opportunity, as well as her fellow cast and crew. She sends special thanks to her family, friends, and professors at UTA for all their love and support!

Kimberly is blessed to be making her Amphibian Stage debut. She is currently going into her second year at the University of Texas at Arlington pursuing her BFA in Acting. Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet, Night of the Living Dead with the UTA Maverick Theatre Company, and Almost Maine at Onstage In Bedford. She recently contributed to Devourer, a short horror film written and directed by Isaiah Navarro. Kimberly is so honored to be a part of a fantastic masterpiece that will take the audience on an electrifying journey. She is grateful for the support of her family, friends, and mentors, to create captivating art. www.thekimberlyt.com

Caleb De La Torre is thrilled to make his debut in “The Visit” at Amphibian Stage. He was last seen portraying the role of Claudio in “Much Ado About Nothing” at Shakespeare Dallas and Tulsa in “Gypsy” at Theatre Arlington. With a passion for both stage and screen, Caleb has also been actively involved in a film production company alongside his talented roommates. You can support his team by giving them a follow @fluidityfilms on instagram. Caleb is grateful for the grace given to him by God and the support of his family, friends, and mentors. He thanks you for coming out to Amphibian this fall and hopes you enjoy “The Visit”!

Jovane is thrilled to be returning to Amphibian Stage after previously appearing as Doug Simon in Gutenberg! The Musical!, Frazer and Others in Julia Pastrana, and the Narrator understudy for The Hollow.
Other regional theatres with which he’s worked include Stage West (Grand Horizons, Scrooge in Rouge, and Somebody in Everybody), Circle Theatre (Tiny Beautiful Things, This Random World), Undermain Theatre (He’s Born, He’s Borne; Red Chariot; The Lady from the Sea; and George Tesman in Hedda Gabler), Theatre Three (Stede Bonnet: A F*cking Pirate Musical, Susan and God), Hip Pocket Theatre (Electra), Danielle Georgiou Dance Group (The Savage Seconds), Theatre Arlington (Ripcord), Second Thought Theatre (Enemies/People), and three seasons with the Trinity Shakespeare Festival, as well as Wishing Star Productions’ national tour of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer the Musical.
Jovane earned his BFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Musical Theatre from Texas Christian University.
He is passionate about his work teaching theatre and other fine arts at Key School and Training Center in Fort Worth, and he’s always stoked when he gets the opportunity to return to teaching social and narrative language skills with Story Stage, too.

Jovane would like to thank Amphibian Stage for having him again, his family and friends for believing in him, and his incredible partner, Levi, for all his amazing love and support.

Jay Duffer directed The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) for Amphibian both in 2014 and 2017, and Babbette’s Feast in 2019. He will direct Marie Antoinette in our 2022 season. Past Amphibian acting credits include Wittenberg, The Nosemaker’s Apprentice, The Mystery of Irma Vep and the workshop production of David Davalos’ Daedalus (Retitled A Lost Leonardo). He has professional acting and directing credits spanning several decades and has performed in theatres from Off-Broadway, to regional theatres, to productions overseas. Jay has been involved in new works and script development with Threads Theatre Company (serving as a Founding Member and the Executive Director of New Works), Pulse Ensemble Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Source, Kaleidoscope Theatre Company, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre and Brooklyn based The Artful Conspirators. His play, Asleep in the Arms of God, received its world premiere in November 2017 at the Box Theatre in Riverside, CA produced by New Threads Productions (CA). His play, Big Girl, Little World premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival. His latest play, naked, was included in Amphibian’s inaugural SPARKFEST in the summer of 2021. Prior to joining Amphibian as Managing Director, Jay was Associate Professor of Theatre and Department Chair at Huntington University in Indiana. At HU, he directed a wide variety of approximately 50 plays and musicals while heading the theatre program. Jay currently teaches Directing for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas Arlington. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Hailey has worked in Stage Management in DFW since 2015. Her previous work includes Casa Manana, the Actors Conservatory Theatre, The Classics Theatre Project, Stagewest, Imprint Theatreworks: First Impressions Festival, Altered Shakespeare, Prism Movement Theatre, Watertower Theatre, Ochre House Theatre, Amphibian Stage & Shakespeare Dallas. She holds a bachelor of arts in Theatrical Performance.

Leah Mazur, MFA, graduated from the Scenography Program at the University of Kansas in May of 2017. She received her B.A. in Theatre with an emphasis in Theatre Design from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. She is currently a freelance Scenographer and visual artist based in the DFW metroplex and is the Area Head of the Design & Technology BFA program in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Leah’s work has been seen at Spinning Tree Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Kansas Repertory Theatre, Lake Dillon Theatre Company, Canterbury Theatre, Anacostia Playhouse, Catholic University, Cape May Stage, Scena Theatre, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Leah’s focus shifted to the integration of XR (extended reality) into the performing arts as a means of accessibility and expanded storytelling. She is a member of USITT.

Bella is a production designer, art director, prop builder, and scenic artist. She received her B.A. in technical theatre from West Texas A&M University. Bella now works as a freelancer in advertising, film, and theater. She worked recently as the production designer for 2022 Lone Star Film Festival official selection Pool Service and 2022 Micheaux Film Festival and 2022 National Black Film Festival official selection Blue Porcelain. Her work with Amphibian Stage includes the props design and scenic painting for The Hollow and Miss Molly along with scenic painting for Spaceman and Baba.

David Lanza has been sound designing in DFW for some time now, is excited to still be sound designing, and looks forward to sound designing more in the future.  He also loves the Phibs always and forever.  Pro-tip: eat half of your cookie now, and save the other half for a late night snack after the show.  Follow David Lanza Audio on Facebook or go to www.DavidLanzaAudio.com to learn more.  Or look up my LiveJournal I had in high school. Love to Nikki, Maggie, Peter, and the Oxford comma.

Adam Chamberlin (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be returning to Amphibian Stage Productions. He is the managing director of theatre production and associate professor of lighting and sound design for the Department of Dance and Theatre at the University of North Texas. Previously, he has taught as an assistant professor for the dance department at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently serving on the Leadership of the Lighting Commission for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology as awards coordinator and poster session co-coordinator. Previously, he has held the positions of vice-commissioner of special projects and light lab designer. He has designed lighting for companies including The Latin Ballet of Virginia, Shakespeare Dallas, Oklahoma City Rep., One World Theatre, Stage West, K-Dance, Kitchen Dog, and WaterTower Theatre. He was a founding member of Dysfunctional Theatre Company in NYC and Amaranth Contemporary Dance in Richmond, VA. In addition, he is a founding member of the Beyond the Sock Puppetry. He holds an MFA in theatrical design from the University of Texas at Austin.

Rune is a senior BFA Design & Technology student at UTA with a focus in scenic design. They have worked on many shows including most recently Sweeney Todd and Romeo & Juliet. They currently work in the scene shop at UTA as a student assistant.

Susan has been the costume shop supervisor for TCU School of Classical and Contemporary Dance since 2013, designing and constructing costumes and recently retired from that role and is currently the resident costume designer for Hip Pocket Theatre’s 47th season. She is a Fort Worth native, growing up in the local dance/theatre community. She has also worked on costumes for Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Bruce Wood Dance, Pegasus Contemporary Ballet, Tarrant County College NE Dance, Amphibian Stage Productions, Fort Worth Opera, Hip Pocket Theatre, Richardson High School Theatre Magnet, Gayle Corkery School of Ballet, Fort Worth Country Day Theatre Department and Ballet Department, Festival Ballet of North Texas, Taps N Tunes, Midland Ballet and individual dancers. She has performed in multiple shows at Hip Pocket Theatre, her favorite being “A Wisepecker Christmas.” She enjoys stage managing and toured with Basil Twist’s puppet production of “Petruska,”, which performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the Phoenix Symphony. She is eternally grateful for the friendship and mentorship of Diane Simons and aspires to reflect her talent in current Hip Pocket costume designs.

Meagan Harris (She/Her/Hers) is delighted to be joining Spark Fest for her third year! She loves the opportunities Amphibian brings to playwrights to stage their works and expose audiences to new voices! She is proud to have earned her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Acting and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History from Southern Methodist University. She is also represented by the Mary Collins Agency for film and television. You may have seen her most recently at Amphibian understudying for the role of Molly in Spaceman. She’s also worked around town at Fair Assembly, the Undermain, Kitchen Dog Theatre, IMPRINT Theatreworks, Shakespeare Everywhere and Teatro Dallas as well as performing in her recently co-founded theatre company: Auriga Productions. Meagan would like to thank her family and friends for all their continued support of her work! Find more info about her at marycollins.com.

Jay Duffer directed The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) for Amphibian both in 2014 and 2017, and Babbette’s Feast in 2019. He will direct Marie Antoinette in our 2022 season. Past Amphibian acting credits include Wittenberg, The Nosemaker’s Apprentice, The Mystery of Irma Vep and the workshop production of David Davalos’ Daedalus (Retitled A Lost Leonardo). He has professional acting and directing credits spanning several decades and has performed in theatres from Off-Broadway, to regional theatres, to productions overseas. Jay has been involved in new works and script development with Threads Theatre Company (serving as a Founding Member and the Executive Director of New Works), Pulse Ensemble Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Source, Kaleidoscope Theatre Company, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre and Brooklyn based The Artful Conspirators. His play, Asleep in the Arms of God, received its world premiere in November 2017 at the Box Theatre in Riverside, CA produced by New Threads Productions (CA). His play, Big Girl, Little World premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival. His latest play, naked, was included in Amphibian’s inaugural SPARKFEST in the summer of 2021. Prior to joining Amphibian as Managing Director, Jay was Associate Professor of Theatre and Department Chair at Huntington University in Indiana. At HU, he directed a wide variety of approximately 50 plays and musicals while heading the theatre program. Jay currently teaches Directing for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas Arlington. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Evan is a Fort Worth-based actor, photographer, and designer. His work has been seen at the Dallas Theater Center, Second Thought Theatre, Undermain Theatre, Stage West Theatre, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Amphibian Stage, and more. Evan holds a BFA in Acting from Texas Christian University. Evan is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency.

Kaitlin Hatton is excited to be working with Amphibian Stage again! Recent props designs include Ann (WaterTower Theatre), La Medium (FW Opera), Baba, Spaceman, Marie Antoinette (Amphibian Stage Productions), Kodachrome, Fences, Young Frankenstein, An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf, The Glass Menagerie, The Last Wide Open, and One Man, Two Guvnors (Circle Theatre). Recent stage management includes I’m Proud of You, The Other Josh Cohen, Tiny Beautiful Things (Circle Theatre), Marjorie Prime, Handle With Care, Between Riverside and Crazy, Witch, On The Exhale (Stage West), Baba, Spaceman, The Hollow, Egress, Hans & Sophie, She-Wolf, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Babette’s Feast, Lonely Planet, and Artist Descending A Staircase (Amphibian Stage Productions). Kaitlin holds a BFA in Theatre – Design and Technology from Texas Wesleyan University and teaches Stage Management there. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and received the 2019 Live Theatre League Bill Garber Young Artist Award.