THE EXIT INTERVIEW at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte

LAUREN DORTCH-CROZIER (Actress #1) is so happy to be here working with this awesome cast and under Chip’s wonderful direction. She was seen last here at ATC as Sabrina Daldry in IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. Recent regional credits include: MUMS THE WORD, PENNY PENNIWORTH, AGNES OF GOD, MEAN GREEN, OUR LADY OF 121st STREET, VANITIES, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, METAMORPHOSES, THE ODD COUPLE FEMALE and MOST MASSIVE WOMAN WINS, as well as various film, voiceover and commercial credits. Much love and many many thanks to: All here at Actor’s Theatre, her awesome Mom & Dad, the ladies of C&J and JTA, Glynnis, and her better half Robert. www.LaurenDC.com

JENNIE GREENFIELD (Actress #2) is a new member of the Charlotte community and is honored to be making her Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte debut! A recent graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory, Jennie earned a B.F.A in Acting. Some of her credits include THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER (Mrs. McCarthy), NOISES OFF (Dotty Otley), THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO(Lala Levy), PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Lady Lucas/Housekeeper), WORKING (Kate), and GODSPELL (Philosopher/Ensemble) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

KELLY MIZELL (Eunice) is thrilled to return to the stage at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte. Since her previous effort in BUG, she has been quite busy expanding the young minds at UNC Charlotte’s Department of Theatre. Outside of the classroom, she has enjoyed sharing the stage with her students, playing Arkadina in THE SEAGULL and Penelope Pennywise in URINETOWN. She has also had the pleasure to direct such thoughtful texts as FOOL FOR LOVE, TOPDOG UNDERDOG and CLOUD 9. In addition to working in the theatre, she has appeared in HOMELAND and the feature film, LOGGERHEADS, as well as working in the voiceover and industrial market in town. She would like to thank Chip and Dan for giving her this opportunity to play with such amazing actors, and thank her loving husband, Richard, and her family and friends for their unwavering support. Kelly is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.

JOE RUX (Dick Fig) is excited to return to the Actor’s Theatre stage with such a great cast and director. You might remember Joe from other ATC productions such as SOUTHERN RAPTURE, SANTALAND DIARIES, BIG BOYS, and TAKE ME OUT. In addition to the work on stage, Joe will be the nuVoices for a nuGeneration Play Festival coordinator which will have its second successful run later this summer. Thanks to the entire staff at ATC for continually hosting a great place to play!

BRANDON SMALLS (Actor #1) is a Davidson College alumnus currently living in New York City and is overjoyed to be a part of his first production with ATC. An avid acolyte of the Suzuki method of actor training after his study with the Berkshire Theatre Festival, his past credits include, THREE OF A KIND with Pride Not Prejudice in New York; PINNOCHIO at the Berkshire Theatre Festival; and IN THE BLOOD, ROMEO AND JULIET as one of the title characters, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at Davidson College. He would like to thank his family for their undying support and his friends for their constant motivation.

LEE THOMAS (Actor #2) is appearing on the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte stage for the fifth time. Previous stints: WONDER OF THE WORLD; ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (ABRIDGED); THE PILLOWMAN; and IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY (2012 MTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, Comedy). He is excited to be part of this new work and collaborating with this wonderfully talented cast. Thanks to Chip, Carrie, Christy, Steve, the cast, and Meredith for her ever-astonishing patience and love.

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
WILLIAM MISSOURI DOWNS (Playwright) is the 2012-2013 winner of a rolling opening from the National New Play Network. His plays have been produced by the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, the Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, the New York City Fringe Festival, The InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, The San Diego Rep, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Salt Lake City Acting Company, Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, the International Theatre Festival in Israel, the Stadt Theater Walfischgasse in Austria, the Detroit Rep, the Durban Performing Arts Center in South Africa, and over 100 other theatres worldwide. Mr. Downs’s plays have been published by Samuel French (COCKEYED, KOSHER LUTHERANS, THE EXIT INTERVIEW), Playscripts (Dead White Males), Heuer publishers (Headset), and Next Stage Press (an adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll House, and Innocent Thoughts). He has had ten journal articles or short stories published, and four books, including: Naked Playwriting (Silman/James), Playwriting: From Formula To Form (Harcourt Brace), Screenplay: Writing The Picture (Silman/James), and The Art of Theatre (Wadsworth). The Art of Theatre is now in its 3rd edition and has been used at more than 100 universities nationwide. Mr. Downs’s plays have won numerous awards, including the Larry Corse Prize for playwriting, the Mill Mountain Theatre’s Festival Of New Plays, The Greenhouse Festival Of New Plays, The National Playwright’s Award and the Bay Area Critics Award for best production in San Francisco.

CHIP DECKER (Director) was born and raised in the Green Mountains of Vermont and has lived in Texas, North Dakota and North Carolina. Chip joined Actor’s Theatre in 1996 and became Artistic Director in 2002. In addition to acting in our productions of DARK RAPTURE, STUMPS, ZARA SPOOK & OTHER LURES, BUG, THE REDUCED SHAKESPEARE’S “ABRIDGED” plays and RABBIT HOLE, Chip received MTA’s Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of Michael in ATC’s multi-award winning drama, THE PILLOWMAN. Also, he received Creative Loafing’s Best Director (Comedy) Award for our production of WONDER OF THE WORLD, as well as sharing Theatre Person of the Year honors. He also directed THE WHIPPING MAN, RED, CUTTIN’ UP, BLUE DOOR, THE 39 STEPS, END DAYS, MY FIRST TIME, SOUTHERN RAPTURE, THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE, POLISH JOKE that opened our 2005-2006 season, THE OLDEST PROFESSION, and THE SANTALAND DIARIES. Chip would like to thank his favorite scene partner of 20 years, his wife, Taffy.

STEPHEN LANCASTER (Assistant Director) has been a contributing member of the Actor’s Theatre family for over 3 years and is excited to make his Assistant Directing debut in this season’s hit, THE EXIT INTERVIEW. You will tend to find him in the dark recesses of the backstage making the technical cogs of the theatre experience move. Some of his proudest work includes THE 39 STEPS, CLYBOURNE PARK, SOUTHERN RAPTURE, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, and GOD OF CARNAGE, among many others. Graduate of Winthrop University, Stephen began his career acting, but soon found an affinity for production and has never looked back, stepping in as the Executive Producer of Main St. Theater in Rock Hill, SC. Now living in Charlotte, he strives to bring quality productions to its audiences and push the boundaries of this theatre community.

HALLIE GRAY (Lighting Design) has been designing lights with Actor’s Theatre since 1999?s production of Molly Sweeney. She was raised in the theatre by her legendary theatrical parents, George and Sandra Gray. She has been a consistent presence in the local theatre community, having designed lights for most theatre companies in town, and winning numerous nominations and awards for outstanding lighting design. In 2010 was honored to be Creative Loafing’s first recipient of the Tech of the Year award. Because trying to make a living on nothing but lighting design would give her hives, she also enjoys working with Opera Carolina as their Assistant Master Electrician, and working as a stagehand with the Charlotte stagehands union, IATSE Local #322. You know, those Broadway shows are ok, but Hallie contends that the best theatre takes place in smaller venues. Thanks for patronizing your local theatre!

DEE BLACKBURN (Scenic Designer) has a MFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is a registered Architect in the state of North Carolina, with an office in Charlotte. Ms. Blackburn won Best Design for a Drama for AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY at this year’s MTA Awards. Dee was the Set Designer on the new Cinemax series “Banshee”. This is Ms. Blackburn’s second scene design for ATC, the first being THE WHIPPING MAN. Other Charlotte theatres include: THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES 1992,BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO, FLOYD COLLINS and LOMBARDI. Winston Salem theatres include: TWO SHAKESPEAREAN ACTORS and HARPERS FERRY. Other film credits include “Homeland” Season 1, episode 11, the movie “We’re the Millers” and most recently the pilot “Sleepy Hollow”. Dee is currently working on the production of AVENUE Q.