Be A Good Little Widow
Oct 27 – Nov 18
learn more about the show HERE
Joshua R Brown (Craig) takes the Open Book Theatre stage for the fifth time in Be A Good Little Widow. He previously appeared in Life Sucks as Vanya, Kimberly Akimbo as Buddy, Who Am I This Time as Tom Newton and Picasso at the Lapin Agile as Freddie. Joshua has also been seen recently in The Matrix Theatre Company production of Dream Deferred: Detroit ’67 and Monster Box Theatres production of Coastal Disturbances as Andre Sor. He also worked for Two Muses Theatre, Planet Ant Theatre and Tipping Point Theatre. Joshua can also be seen in the ANAWIM Productions motion picture directed by Jasmine Rivera, “American Prophet” as Paul Ewell. Joshua would like to thank his wife Staci, his parents Bob and Wendy and his friends for their continued love and support.
Diane Hill (Hope) has performed at many professional theatres in southeast Michigan, including the Fisher Theatre, Meadow Brook, Masonic Temple, Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit’s Gem Theatre, Purple Rose, Tipping Point, Encore Musical Theatre, Croswell Opera House, Two Muses Theatre, Theatre NOVA and Cherry County Playhouse. She was awarded a Wilde Award for her portrayal of Professor Vivian Bearing in Wit, a Rogue Critic’s Award for her work as Mama in ‘night, Mother, and an Ann Arbor News Award for her work as Agnes in I Do! I Do! Other favorite roles include Diana in Next to Normal, Margaret in The Light in the Piazza, Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, and Veronica in God of Carnage. Diane has also performed in several independent films, television and radio commercials, and industrial films. “Thanks to this great cast, Adriane, and Danielle for this pleasant experience and to Krista for this nice opportunity.”
Tim Pollack (Brad) is happy to make his debut with Open Book Theatre Company as Brad in Be A Good Little Widow. He is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he earned a BA in Acting. There his credits included Johnny in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Silvius/Adam/Duke Frederick in As You Like It, and James of the Glen in Kidnapped (produced in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland). Outside of education he has worked with BBC radio where he played Oberon/Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Concordia University Ann Arbor where he played Matthew in their production of Anne of Green Gables.
Meghan VanArsdalen (Melody) is thrilled to be making her debut at Open Book Theatre. She is a Michigan native who holds her BA in Theatre from Siena Heights University and is a graduate from the MFA program at The New School for Drama in New York City. Meghan has appeared onstage at The Actor’s Studio and Hudson Guild Theatre in NYC. Locally, she has been seen in The Pillowman (Intrinsic Theatre Company), Peter Pan (Timeless Tales Theatre) and has performed in play festivals with The Tipping Point Theatre and Roustabout Theatre Troupe. Meghan has also appeared in several independent short films and web series including Forever Home, PREPARE: Zombie Apocalypse, and Organic Cyanide. Meghan enjoys spending her downtime exploring nature with her tail wagging, offstage, scene partner Roo.
Adriane Galea (Director) is very excited to finally work with Open Book after being a long-time audience member. Adriane is the Artistic Director of Outvisible Theatre Company (OutvisibleTheatre.com) in Allen Park where she also founded the Detroit New Works Festival playwriting competition. Adriane has directed, music directed, and acted for various theaters in the Michigan, and, in addition to Be A Good Little Widow, is having a busy fall directing A Human Being Died That Night and Constellations at Outvisible as well as Mama’s Moon Machine for the Michigan Playwrights Festival at Theatre NOVA. Adriane also teaches voice, piano, and acting at the non-profit performing arts studio she founded, Arts Detroit (ArtsDetroit.org). Adriane is proud to sit on the board of directors for An Amazing Woman Foundation and the American Guild of Music. Adriane holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Michigan. Thank you for supporting live theatre!
Danielle Gilbert (Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be working on another show with Open Book! She started stage managing with us in the last show of our second season, Calypso’s Corner, and has been a part of every show since. Danielle has loved stories since a really young age, when she would often find herself daydreaming of her doll’s backstories. In her spare time she also has a job in a bookstore, the perfect place for her passion of stories to be let loose. She hopes that one day she might be able to see her own show come to life, but for now she is content following the crazy path on which theatre is taking her so far. She would also like to thank her Mom and Dad, for coming to every show and always supporting her future, whatever it may change to, and her best friend of 8 years, Jordan, for sticking around through it all.
Harley Miah (Lighting Designer) is a professional in the entertainment technology industry. He is a freelance lighting programmer for a large number of nightclubs, concerts and festivals across the country, and the chief lighting designer for IKO Global Productions. Harley is the resident lighting designer for Open Book, and has been involved in the technical design of our new performance space from the ground up. He has designed the lights for all of the shows in Open Book’s first two seasons and earned a Wilde Award for Best Design – Lights for his work on Red in 2015. He is also the resident lighting designer for the AKT Theatre Project in Wyandotte, and Outvisible Theatre Company in Allen Park. When not in the theater, Harley spends his time painting, building Lego stages, loitering in museums, and riding his bicycle on the mean streets of Downriver.
Krista Schafer Ewbank (Producer) is the founding Artistic Director of Open Book. Last season she was nominated for Wilde Awards for her direction of Peter and the Starcatcher and her performance in Boy Gets Girl. A native Michigander, Krista holds a degree in theatre from Northwestern University and has worked in theatres large and small across the country. She is currently the drama director at Grosse Ile High School. Krista can be seen as The Statue of Liberty on the cover of Cootie Shots (published by TCG), in which she was an original cast member, and has appeared in national and regional radio and television commercials. She is grateful every day for the amazing artists she works with, the wonderful theatrical home we share, and the audiences who engage in this conversation with us.