Kryssy Becker (Director) is a Michigan native actor, singer, director, and writer. She graduated from Oakland University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and has worked professionally in Chicago and Orlando, but loves her Metro Detroit Theatre community most of all. Kryssy is thrilled to continue honing and challenging her skills as a director with Weekend Wonders, after spending the last several years writing and directing cabarets and jukebox musicals (one of which, Enchanted Cabaret, was performed at Open Book). She thanks Krista and Sarah for believing in her, and is in awe of the theatre community’s efforts in thinking outside the box during this crazy time!
Jan Cartwright (Actor) is excited to return to the (virtual) stage at Open Book and take part in Weekend Wonders! She has worked at theatres throughout the metro Detroit area, including Open Book, Slipstream, Matrix, Ringwald, The Dio, and on various stages in Denver and Chicago. A few favorite roles include Jean in Open Book’s Good People and Hilla Rebay in Bauer, Mattie Fae in August: Osage County, Grandma Kurnitz in Lost in Yonkers, Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire and Truvy in Steel Magnolias. Jan is also a film and television actor, most recently appearing in a short festival-bound film with Creed Bratton of “The Office” fame and in the feature film “A Girl Like Her.” Jan offers heartfelt thanks to those who do whatever they can to support excellent local theatres like Open Book during these trying times!
Alexis Grace Clark (Actor) is thrilled to be a last minute addition to the Weekend Wonders Play Festival and working with Open Book Theatre for the first time! Alexis is a graduate of Oakland University’s school of Music, Theatre, and Dance and has a second degree from OU in political science. Pre covid, she was hoping to expand her work with Detroit metro theatres having spent much of her time at Little Door Theatre, but now she is lucky enough to participate in anything theatre related she can get her hands on! Big thank you to Peter (thanks again for allowing me to cancel our plans!), Craig and Kez for the opportunity, parents, and friends.
Connie Cowper (Actor) is thrilled to return to Open Book, where she was last seen in Wonder of the World. Other Open Book credits include Kim in Kimberley Akimbo and Sonia in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike. She has worked recently with the Detroit Repertory Theatre, Riverbank Theatre, and Shakespeare Royal Oak. In addition to commercials and film, she uses her acting skills to teach physicians communication skills at Henry Ford Hospital. Upcoming project with Open Book is in This Random World live on stage when it is safe to gather again.
Daniel DeRey (Playwright) is a professional actor, singer, playwright, and producer currently based in Clinton Township, Michigan. He graduated from Rochester University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre. Since graduation Daniel has appeared in several professional shows at Uncovered Theatre Company (Rochester Hills), Riverbank Theatre (Marine City) and Monster Box Theatre (Waterford). As a writer, Daniel has written ten full length plays and seven one-act plays. This March, Daniel DeRey will be co-directing and starring in his own written spoof of Frank Herbert’s Dune titled Don’t Feed the Sandworms. The virtual production will be streamed to Youtube through Daniel’s independent banner “Mystic Heroes Theatre.” You can like “Mystic Heroes Theatre” on Facebook for more information. Daniel is super excited to finally be working with Open Book Theatre and also to be taking part in another writing challenge and hopes to encourage more creativity in the Michigan theatre community.
Angela Dill (Actor) is thrilled to participate in the Weekend Wonders Play Festival! Thanks to Open Book Theatre for creating this space to do what we love. Pre-pandemic, Angela’s most recent stage appearances were in Brighton and Waterford at A Wilde Theatre and Monster Box Theatre, respectively. She can also be heard in the upcoming Audio Air Force, Valentine’s Day production of It Happened One Night. Wishing you and yours continued health and safety as we navigate these unusual times. For more info: dillangie.wixsite.com/mysite
Craig Ester (Playwright) hails from Detroit, Michigan and is an alumnus of Cass Technical High School where he studied with Tony Award-winning educator Marilyn McCormick. He is also an alumnus of the B.F.A Acting Program at Ball State University and the Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit’s Acting Company. He is grateful to Open Book for the opportunity! He especially wants to thank his family and friends for their love. Recent professional credits include Macbeth (Macbeth) and The Last Cupcake (Baker) with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Othello (Othello) with Hoosier Shakes, Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro) with Shakespeare Royal Oak, King Lear (Edmund) with Portable Folio Productions, and Macbeth/Romeo and Juliet (Macduff/Seyton/Lord Capulet) with Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s Education Tour.
Linda Rabin Hammell (Actor)-Two of Linda’s favorite roles, both at Open Book in works by playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, were Margie in Good People and Lois in Wonder of the World. She also enjoyed performing in OBTC’s Bauer, Life Sucks, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Since last March when stages went dark, she’s slathered her body with crepe hair to impersonate Sam Elliott in the online Open Book romp Road House the Musical, wrapped a festival-bound short film called Big Baby, and has an up-coming role in the feature film Saturnalia. Linda sorely misses Open Book audiences and artists. Please everyone, be safe, healthy and hopeful. See you soon! And enjoy Weekend Wonders!
Forest Hudson (Actor) began his acting journey as a student at the Detroit Repertory Theatre Actors Workshop. Acting and Theatre started out as a hobby, now they are his passions. His credits include Preying Wolves Pray, The Devil’s Funeral, Satin Doll The Musical, Broadz on Broadway, Matrix X Detroit/Gentrification Nation, Beating All Odds/A Miracle of Enchantment, and Love and Justice.
John Arden McClure (Playwright) has acting in a number of plays over the last ten years, including The Great American Sex Farce and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at Broadway Onstage; The Tempest and Othello with Shakespeare in Detroit; Dear Santa and The Last Resort for Starbrite Entertainment; and The Scottish Play for the Players. He is the author of the stage versions of The Problem of Cell 13 and Trent’s Last Case and is a member of the Inkwells writing group. He has also appeared in the movies Beyond the Mask and The End of the Tour.
Molly McMahon (Director) is a theatre artist, producer, and social worker based in Detroit, MI. As a theatre artist, she has worked professionally for many years throughout southeastern Michigan. As a director, she has worked with Planet Ant Theater, Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company, Matrix Theatre Company, and BoxFest Detroit. As a performer, she has worked with various resident and touring companies as an actor and puppeteer. She is a producer of BoxFest Detroit, an annual festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors, and from 2010 until 2017, she served as the festival’s Artistic Director. In 2018, she graduated with her MSW degree from University of Michigan, and since then, she has served children and families as a mental health therapist. She also consults with local theatre arts organizations on branding, communications, fundraising, program development, and program evaluation to help organizations increase their community impact to affect greater change.
David Moan (Actor) is so excited to be back on the Open Book Stage, even if it is virtual. David was last seen at Open Book as Tony in Boy Gets Girl and as part of the Open Hearts Cabaret. Outside of Open Book, David performs throughout SE Michigan with notable performances including as John Wilkes Booth in Assassins and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd at the Encore Musical Theatre Company, God in An Act of God at The DIO, and Martin in Candide with the Michigan Opera Theatre. David cannot wait for the day he can tell you about upcoming performances, but for now you can see him make up songs and stories and play games as davidmmoan on Instagram or Twitch.tv. David would like to thank “Monica and Kim for helping me get through Covid; the Open Book family for welcoming me back; and all of you for supporting theatre when we truly need it most.”
Kez Settle (Director) is excited to be back at Open Book Theatre Company as a part of the first event in the Weekend Wonders series. Kez was last seen on Open Book’s stage as Anabella Byron in Ada and the Engine and Mrs. Bumbrake in Peter and the Starcatcher. She has also appeared in a number of productions around Southeast Michigan, and some of her notable credits are Detective O’Dell in the Wild Award Critic’s Choice Award winning production of The Interference (Matrix Theatre Company), and Annie in Kayak (Matrix Theatre Company) which garnered her a Wilde Award Nomination for Best Lead Actress. When not on stage, Kez has been spending her time directing; most recently at Tipping Point Theatre’s Sandbox Play Festival. She is a proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf in Chicago. Chase your dreams. It’s good cardio.
D.B. Schroeder (Director)-is thrilled to be back at Open Book, where he directed 2019’s Fool for Love. Southeast Michigan audiences will be familiar with his work as the Producing Artistic Director of Puzzle Piece Theatre. Memorable productions for Puzzle Piece include: Ambition Facing West, R.U.R., and The People’s Temple. Other Michigan directing credits include both Macbeth and Henry V for Shakespeare in Detroit. Currently he is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. His website is www.dbschroeder.com
Monica Spencer (Actor) attended the Young Americans College of the Performing Arts, continued studying musical theatre at the New York Film Academy, and is now at Eastern Michigan University for Media Broadcast Journalism. Monica works as a set designer and performer for different theatre companies here in the region. Previously she ran Bella Fortuna’s Dinner Theatre and has entertained guests with Carnival Cruise Line. Some local performances include Joan in Fun Home (Encore) Sara in Murder Ballad (Penny Seats), and Mae in Wild Party (Dio). Monica would like to thank OBTC for the opportunity to be a part of this festival, as well as her friends and family for all the love and support. Check out MonicaSpencer.weebly.com for future performances and other artistic endeavors.
Dinah Tutien (Playwright) is excited and honored to be a part of Weekend Wonders! She is enjoying her turn as a writer this time and loving the challenge of making it up on the fly! She has been writing again since the pandemic hit, but has written off and on throughout most of her life, starting off with short stories, moving to poetry, monologues, and then song lyrics. She has enjoyed sharing her creative pieces with the group Downriver Poets and Playwrights, and having her short plays read out with the streaming platform Writers Block with Sarah and Friends. She will also be participating in an upcoming online event for the second time called Black Writers Read, which will take place in February. She had the honor of having a monologue she wrote honoring those lost to COVID, Lunch Lady, chosen to be performed with the group Breath of Fire Latina Theatre. She is currently in the midst of writing more plays and hopes to have them performed in the future.