Joe Zarrow (Watson) is an actor and playwright. He trained at the School at Steppenwolf and has appeared on CHICAGO PD but not, much to his chagrin, JEOPARDY. Favorite stage roles include Max in Comedy of Tenors (Tipping Point Theatre – Wilde Award Nomination, Best Supporting Actor in a Play), Jeffrey in The Totalitarians (Theatre Nova), Alan in This (Windy City Playhouse), and Tony Kushner in workshops of Calamity West’s Engines and Instruments of Flight: a Fantasia (The Goodman). Open Book’s own Krista Schafer Ewbank directed a workshop of Joe’s play Retcon, Or Actually It’s a Play About Ethics in Superhero Journalism at Theatre Nova. Joe’s school satire Principal Principle premiered in Chicago (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination, Best New Work) and has been produced in cities ranging from Atlanta to Auckland. He is fluent in English, PHP, SQL, HTML, and CSS, and he also knows a little French and Java.
Annabelle Young (Eliza) is SUPES EXCITED to be making her Open Book Theatre debut! A big thank you to Krista for the opportunity! Annabelle has her BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University, where she also spent a semester studying abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia. Some of her favorite roles include Elizabeth in When the Rain Stops Falling and Joan in Love Song. She has worked with many theatres in the Metro Detroit area including, the Matrix, the Ringwald, Michigan Actors Studio and Planet Ant. As always thank you to her family for the constant love and support. Enjoy the show!
Patrick Loos (Merrick) is delighted to be back at Open Book Theatre, having previously appeared as Captain Mike in Wonder of the World and Gentleman #1 in Emilie. He is a proud Detroit resident who studied theatre at Wayne State University as a member of the BFA program, and has been acting in and around the area since 1998. He has appeared on many stages including Planet Ant, The Ringwald Theatre, Matrix Theatre, The Theatre Company at UDM,Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, and others. Credits include Liberty Valance in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Tipping Point Theatre), Martin Macabee in Renaissance Man (The Penny Seats Theatre), and Joel in Beau Jest (Williamston Theatre). Benjamin in Rip Cord (Tipping Point Theatre), Rob Graff in Northern Aggression (Tipping Point Theatre), Delmount Williams in The Miss Fire Cracker Contest (Tipping Point Theatre), and Charlie in A Hunting Shack Christmas (Williamston Theatre).
Krista Schafer Ewbank (Director) is the founding Artistic Director of Open Book, and has directed Ada and the Engine, Life Sucks, Peter and the Starcatcher, Bauer, and Wiley and the Hairyman for OBTC. Krista received the Wilde Award for her performance in Emilie, and was previously nominated for her performance in Boy Gets Girl as well as for her direction of Peter and the Starcatcher. A native Michigander, Krista holds a degree in theatre from Northwestern University and has worked in theatres across the country acting, teaching, and directing. She recently directed for Grosse Ile High School and the Grosse Ile Boar’s Head Festival. This fall she’ll be venturing onto a new stage for the first time in 5 years… joining the students at UDMercy for their production of Silent Sky in the smart, sassy role of Williamina.
Jillian Joie Dahl (Stage Manager) is a Detroit based stage manager, hailing from the East Coast where she received her BA in Theatre from Susquehanna University and got her start with regional theatre. She is excited to return to Open Book for her third season after stage managing Wonder of the World, Doubt, Time Stands Still and Emilie. Past select credits include Apprentice at The Purple Rose Theatre: Casting Session (RA); Apprentice at Tipping Point Theatre: The Odd Couple (ASM), Stella & Lou (ASM), Don’t Dress for Dinner (ASM), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (ASM); City Theatre: Hockey the Musical (ASM); Outvisible Theatre: Unsportsmanlike Conduct (SM,) The JRB Musical Festival (SM); Wharton Center for Performing Arts: I and You (SM). Much love and thanks to my Mom, Sami, Grandma, Russell, Sugar & Ferguson, as well as this wonderful cast and crew. Finally thanks to you the audience for supporting live theatre. You are an important part of the continued success of the creative arts; frankly, it’s elementary. You can follow her on twitter: @BrunetteHeadset
Harley Miah (Lighting Designer) is a professional in the entertainment technology industry. He is a freelance lighting designer/programmer for 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 as well as the Outvisible Theatre Company in Allen Park. In addition, he has recently designed lights for productions for Northville High School, St George’s Academy in NYC, Mosaic Youth Theater in Detroit, and the Grosse Ile Boar’s Head Festival. He has designed the lights for all of Open Book’s productions thus far, and designed sound for Boy Gets Girl in 2017. In 2015, he earned a Wilde Award for Best Design – Lights for his design of Open Book’s production of Red. When not working in the theater, Harley spends his time seeing as many shows as he can in this great theatre community we have in Southeast Michigan. He hopes you do the same.
Bradly Byrne (Scenic Designer) first tech directed in 1976 for the high school play The King and I, and picked it back up in about 1995 when his children were 8, 7 and 4 years old. He got started with Youth Theater in Southgate and found it was a great way to be with his kids. His oldest recently turned 30 and he’s still at it! Bradly usually works on two or three productions year since then including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Once Upon a Mattress, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde, and many more. At Open Book he designed Fool for Love, Doubt, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and did the scenic painting for Good People. Bradly was also a muleteer in Man of La Mancha and the lead in Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
Cheryl Zemke (Costume Designer) is an award-winning fashion designer and owner of C. Creations Custom Sewing & Design. This is her sixth show with Open Book: she designed the costumes for Doubt, Ada and the Engine, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Emilie and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. She loves working alongside directors and actors to help develop characters. Cheryl has her own garment label, C3, and sells her designs at shows and by private appointment, as well as provides custom fashion design and alterations (follow her on Facebook @c3fashions or www.cherylzemke.webs.com). Cheryl produces her own runway shows and participates in area shows like Fashion Massacre, Fashion in Detroit, Michigan Fashion Week, and RAINN. She was featured as one of the top Detroit area designers in the DIA: Samurai Beyond the Armor challenge. Awards include 2016 Best of Show and Judge’s Choice Stand Up Fashion Show, 3rd place Runway Repurposed, and 5 awards from the American Sewing Expo (2009-2012) Passion for Fashion.