Who's Who
NATALIE BLACKMAN (Effie) is thrilled to be back with all the wonderful people at SLAC for their first ever Fearless Fringe Festival! Natalie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Utah's Actor Training Program last May. She was seen last fall at SLAC as Sophie in MASTER CLASS with Anne Cullimore Decker. Before coming to the University of Utah Natalie also trained with Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. Other Professional Theatre: OUR TOWN, TOUCH(ED) u/s (Pioneer Theatre Company);THE MUSIC MAN (Egyptian Theatre Company); A FUNNY THING...FORUM (The Grand Theatre). University Theatre: URINETOWN (Little Sally), MEDEA (Messenger/Chorus), THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN (Mammy), RING ROUND THE MOON (Lady India) and TREASURE (Maria). Film: The Jerk Theory (SAG), Theory of Forms. Upcoming: Feature Film 17 Miracles (Lead), and DRACULA at Pioneer Theatre Company this October.
BRENDA SUE COWLEY (Mecham) has been living and working as an actor in Salt Lake City for nineteen years. She was most recently seen in the role of Katie Wynn in Mike Dorrell's World Premier Play, TALKING WALES: FINDING SIR FORMIDOR for Utah Contemporary Theatre. Brenda has been seen over the years in a number of productions at the Salt Lake Acting Company, Pioneer Theatre Company, The Grand Theatre, Pygmalion and others. Brenda takes particular pleasure in World Premier Plays, and is proud to have performed in Julie Jensen's WAIT!, as well as J.T. Rogers World Premier of MADAGASCAR. Television credits include a recurring role as Deena Clark on WB's Everwood, and she was recently seen in Trent Harris' film, Delightful Water Universe. Writing credits include (but are not limited to) SHEAR LUCK, THE MUSICAL (book and lyrics by Brenda; musical score by Kevin Mathie), which was produced at the Grand Theatre in the spring of 2006. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brenda holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Northwest Nazarene University.
HEIDI HACKNEY (Mary/Longtree) is making her second appearance at SLAC after understudying Margaret Fuller and the other women of CHARM by Cathleen Cahill earlier this season. Heidi is a graduate of the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah, she also holds a Psychology degree. This summer Heidi also worked in staged readings of WITH YOU by Jamie Wilcox, and read the title role in SEXBOT by Jake Arky. Heidi has also appeared in Pioneer Theatre's productions of OTHELLO (U.S. Emilia) and LOST IN YONKERS (U.S. Bella). Favorite University theatre credits include: CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE, ON THE RAZZLE, THE PILLOWMAN, BIRDCATCHER IN HELL, Bonnie in HURLYBURLY, Duchess of York in RICHARD III, Isabella Bird/Joyce/Mrs. Kidd in TOP GIRLS, and Blanche DuBois in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE for which she received a Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Award nomination. Heidi has also worked in local independent films and commercials. She is a teacher for Youtheatre at the U's summer session and is represented by McCarty Talent.
DAN LARRINAGA (Glitterman/Bachman) a native of Utah, has performed for many theatre companies throughout the region. This year included: Pygmalion Theatre Company's SORDID LIVES, Utah Contemporary Theatre's TALKING WALES IV – FINDING SIR FORMIDOR, and The Grand Theatre's EURYDICE. Dan's Salt Lake Acting Company credits include SATURDAY'S VOYEUR, BIG LOVE and NAPOLEON'S CHINA. Other favorite credits are Dark Horse Company Theatre's BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS; The Desert Star Theatres' MY BIG FAT UTAH WEDDING and RAT PACK REMEMBERED; The Grand Theatre's 4 GUYS NAMED JOSE, CAROUSEL, SHE LOVES ME! and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS; Pygmalion Theatre Company's SNAKEBIT IN CHICAGO and POPCORN; Egyptian Theatre Company's FOREVER PLAID; ACT's A SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO, and GREATER TUNA at Green Street among others. Non-regional credits in New York, Florida and Europe include DREAMTIME! at The Ed Sullivan Theatre; Carousel Dinner Theatre's SOUTH PACIFIC and American Theatre Group-Europe's OF MICE AND MEN. Dan also spent some time in NYU's Graduate Film program, and he holds a BA in English from the University of Utah.
DEENA MARIE MANZANARES (Whistle/Armed Woman) is a graduate of the Atlantic Theatre Co. Acting School in NYC. Training also includes NYU's CAP21 and Juilliard. Among NYC credits are Witch/Mom in "Amazing Adventures of Arthur" (Atlantic Theater Company) and Darlene in BALM IN GILEAD (Atlantic 453). Deena has been seen at SLAC in SKIN IN FLAMES, BOY, GO, DOG. GO! As well as staged readings of THE THUGS and most recently, PERSIAN QUARTER. Local credits include Plan B, Egyptian Theatre Co., Pygmalion Productions, Pioneer Theatre Co, Meat & Potato, Hale Centre Theatre and others. Recent highlights include Sheila in HAIR (ETC), Sor Juana in AMERIGO (Plan B), and Olivia in Infantry Monologues (Meat & Potato). Next February, Deena Marie will return to SLAC in PERSIAN QUARTER as Shirin/Azadeh. You may have also seen her as various characters or filing in as a feature reporter on the KUTV2 morning show. Deena Marie writes and performs sketch comedy on the web and has been featured on G4TV's "Attack of the show: Hottest Women on the Web" and MTV's "It's on with Alexa Chung". Recipient, Salt Lake Magazines Best of the Beehive (The Comedienne), and City Weekly's Best of Utah (Media/Politics). www.deenamarie.biz
WILLIAM RICHARDSON (Godlee/Pillage) is thrilled to be a part of Salt Lake Acting Company's inaugural Fearless Fringe Festival in Julie Jensen's THE HARVEY GIRLS. He most recently appeared with the Old Lyric Repertory Company as one of the guys in THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) and Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP (Giles Ralston), preceded by Utah Theatre Artists Company's production of BURN THIS (Larry). Regional credits include the region premieres of TOO MUCH MEMORY (Stuart) with SLAC, THE PRODUCERS (Convict/Ens.) with Pioneer Theatre Company, and Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS (Conductor/Marty) with the Egyptian Theatre Company; as well as MY FAIR LADY (Cockney Tenor/Charles) with PTC and the Utah premiere of ALTAR BOYZ (Abraham, Dance Capt.) with ETC. On the flipside, he will be choreographing the upcoming GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL with Dark Horse Company Theatre and directing Stephen Belber's TAPE with Ogden-based Junction City Theatre Company. William graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Weber State University, and is an Equity Membership Candidate.
CASSANDRA STOKES-WYLIE (Stella/Shudder) was last seen as Anna in Utah Theatre Artists Company's production of BURN THIS and the Governess in their production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW. She is a graduate of the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah and a recent member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's acting internship program. Favorite productions include PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, CLOUD NINE, COWBOY MOUTH and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. She is thrilled to be a part of the first Fearless FringeFestival at SLAC and the wonderfully written HARVEY GIRLS!
DAVID MONG (Director) most recently directed MASTER CLASS for SLAC and has also directed A SLIGHT DISCOMFORT, ICE GLEN, DUKE OF THE WEST in THE WATER PROJECT; SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS; DUST EATERS; LOBBY HERO; FROM RALPH @ PHILLY.COM FR JONAH @ SLC.COM and THE UNSETTLING for 2001's CABBIES, COWBOYS AND THE TREE OF THE WEEPING VIRGIN; GUN-SHY; LAST LISTS OF MY MAD MOTHER; FOREPLAY in MERE MORTALS and 1998's MASTER CLASS. David was Literary Manager at SLAC from 1994 to 2008, also producing the New Play Sounding Series and directing a number of those readings. He spent eighteen years in Seattle, Washington working as a professional actor. In that time he performed at nearly all of the northwest theatres; as well as regionally at New Mexico Rep, Virginia Stage Company and the Westbeth Theatre Space in New York. David was a member of the Human Ensemble Theatre for a number of years before leaving Salt Lake, where he directed, acted and wrote a couple plays.
