Production Team

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producing Artistic Director/CEO

Beth Marshall is an award-winning and critically acclaimed Producing Artistic Director, Theatre Artist and recovering Arts Administrator. Beth has made her living creating original works or producing traditional works told in nontraditional ways with a strong focus on touring Fringe Festival Circuits.

From 2003-June 2011, Beth was the Producing Artistic Director of The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival and served as the Vice President of The Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals from 2006-2008.

Beth is a current Artistic Ambassador for The National New Play Network and remains a consultant and advocate for Fringe Festivals globally, while fully producing theatrical seasons as Producing Artistic Director/CEO of her own company Beth Marshall Presents.

Beth has been awarded 3 grants from United Arts: The most recent is in 2012 for her work as a performing artist in a one-woman show:Commencement. In 2008 she was awarded a professional development grant for her work as a Director/Producer for The Bric-A-Brac Vintage Vagabond Variety Show and in 2009 she was awarded a Professional Development grant for her work as Producing Artistic Director for Orlando Fringe.

For 3 consecutive years (2009-11), Beth has been awarded “Best Arts Advocate” by Orlando Weekly. In 2007 Beth was awarded the prestigious Bank of America Local Hero Award for her artistic and humanitarian work within the Central Florida Community and received a $5k grant to donate to the non-profit charitable organization of her choice. She chose Orlando Fringe.

Additionally. Beth is a part-time movie star, having recently finished filming alongside of Matt Dillion as his BFF (Molly) in Laurie Collyer’s Indie Film, Sunlight Jr. As well as a Horror Movie Queen where she recently played Loretta the Biker Bitch in Rockabilly Zombie Weekend and psychic twins Amity/Corrie in Cassadaga.

Beth’s favorite roles are that of Mother, Wife and Friend!

Company Manager

Ally Gursky has been involved in the Orlando theater scene for 16+ years and this is her third year with Beth Marshall Presents.. She has worked with Baby Blue Starr Productions, Carbon Productions, Universal Studios, Theater Downtown, Penguin Point Productions & GOAT. She has preformed for numerous non-profit benefits supporting HRC, The Trevor Project & Broadway Cares. Her knowledge & foundation of the theater has played an instrumental role behind the scenes as well. Ally has been blessed with the opportunity to assist on projects for M&M’s, Moet Hennessy, Aretha Franklin & most recently she has helped to develop & produce an award winning poster design for the Orlando Philharmonic / Mad Cow Production of Guys & Dolls. She has worked with BMP on The Diviners, Play in a Day the past two years, Prop 8 on Trial, Biloxi Blues and Children of a Lesser God.

Dramaturg

Brenna Nicely is a stage director and dramaturg from Maine.  Directing credits include all saints all souls by kat sherman, Children of a Lesser God, Hamletmachine, Rhinoceros, and an original translation and adaptation of Kerstin Specht’s Lila. Nicely has previously worked as a Dramaturg on Biloxi Blues, The Diviners and Prop 8 On Trial for Beth Marshall Presents among other directing and dramaturgy projects.  She has an MA in Theatre from the University of Central Florida and is pursuing her MFA in Dramaturgy and Theater Studies at the ART/MXAT Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. For more information, please visit www.brennanicely.com.

Production Stage Manager

Jay Ferrence is a graduate of UCF’s theatre program, and has worked with Cirque du Soleil and Walt Disney Entertainment.  Past productions include The Pillowman, Cabaret, ORAL, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, among many others.  He is extremely excited and grateful to be a part of this wonderful production.  Enjoy the show!

OUR DESIGN TEAM

Lighting Designer

Amy Hadley has lived in Orlando since 1995 and is a graduate of The University of Central Florida. She is a Lighting Designer who works with many of the local theatres throughout Central Florida. She is very proud to have been a part of Beth Marshall Presents since the beginning. You may have seen her work in shows such as My Illustrious Wasteland, Our Town, Driving Miss Daisy, Crimes of the Heart, and A Christmas Carol. When she is not working as a Lighting Designer, she serves as the Technical Director for the Orlando Fringe Festival.

Sound Desinger

John Valines is the 6th member and “Sound Guy” for Vox Audio who won the Drama Desk award during their off-Broadway run. He’s also the Production Manager and technical improviser for Sak Comedy Lab where he is writing and directing the live theatrical sitcom, Better Days with Tod Kimbro. John has had the pleasure of working with Stages Repertory, Colorado Festival of World Theatre, Orlando Fringe, Florida Studio Theatre, The Orlando REP, Mad Cow and of course many shows for Beth Marshall Presents.

Set Designer

Tom Mangieri has a twenty one year history in Central Florida, Tom has worked with all the major theatre companies as well as numerous television sets for UCF-TV. Born and bred in New York, Tom holds a BA in Drama and Art, and often paints and dresses his own sets. Originally skilled in Graphics and Acting, he was often approached to work on sets in New York once the company found out he could draw and paint. Tom now designs regularly with The Orlando REP and Lake Highland Prep, and has many credits with the Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Downtown, Madcow, and the IceHouse Theatre. With Beth Marshall Presents the projects were Our Town, Crimes Of The Heart and A Christmas Carol. Tom looks forward to a successful season with Beth and her production team.

Head Scenic

Darth Knapik is starting his first year at Valencia Community College to study technical theatre.  As the son of Beth Marshall, he has been involved with theatre his whole life.  Recently, Darth has built sets and ran lights/sound for Lake Brantley’s Productions and has overseen the technical aspects of all rentals of the theatre.  His set designs include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sweeney Todd.  He was also awarded LBHS’ Phoenix Robe because of his over and above technical work on Once Upon a Mattress.  For numerous years he volunteered for Orlando Fringe and served as Venue Tech in 2011.  His first paid Beth Marshall Presents show was A Christmas Carol where he worked as backstage crew.  Last season Darth served as Technical Director for Play-In-A-Day and the Master Carpenter/Stagehand for Biloxi Blues.

OUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Kristen Wheeler has been a part of the Central Florida Theater scene for the past 5 years.  Spending 4 seasons with the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival as the lead staff photographer has paved the way of her business and changed the way Central Florida views theatrical photography.  She has worked with Beth through the Fringe as well as Beth Marshall Presents for the past 5 years and has built a strong relationship with the theater community thanks to Beth.  You can also see Kristen’s work through her partnership with Empty Spaces Theater (Co)llaboration as well as many local theaters and theater companies.  Her theater work has been published frequently in Orlando Home and Leisure Magazine, The Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Weekly, What’s Happening, and Orlando Arts Magazine.

Kristen looks forward to working with Beth for yet another theatrical season as Beth Marshall Presents lead staff photographer.

You can see more of Kristen’s work at www.khphotographics.com and on Facebook.

OUR INTERNS

Anastasia Kurtiak (First Year Intern) is a recent graduate of Lake Brantley High School. She started her theatrical career her Junior year by joining Brantley’s Drama Department and first taking on the role of Make-Up Director. In her first year she served as the make-up artist for Once Upon a Mattress and ended her Senior year as scenic painter and a constructor for Grease. Last season she participated in Play-In-A-Day as a stage manager and overall Make-Up Director for the event. Stasia’s first professional position was as the head scenic painter for Beth Marshall Presents Biloxi Blues and her first paid show was Children of a Lesser God where she assisted in stage management. She will be attending Valencia Community College to further her education and passion by pursuing a degree in Technical Theatre with a focus in stage managing.