Eri Gold is an Artist, Actress, Singer, Songwriter, Playwright, and Artistic Director in Palm Springs, California.
Erica is the girl who can make the theatre “cool”. She spent her twenties preferring to develop her own style of theatre at traditional summer camps, versus theatre-specific camps, as she drew inspiration from nature, sports, and helping develop those skills in young people who were yet to be exposed to the magic of the performing arts. Erica spent four summers living fully outdoors teaching up to eight improv classes a day, running “the most successful improv program the camp has ever seen” from The Parker brothers, directors of Camp Waziyatah, known for its TV show “Bug Juice” on The Disney Channel. Highlights from the outdoor theatre chapter include: Cutting Romeo and Juliet down to 40 minutes for high schoolers, with an original cast of who’s first language was not English. Also, she mounted and directed an original beachside production of Teen Beach Musical based on the film Teen Beach Movie, which included actors on real speedboats, and a self-written production of Hansel and Gretel featuring a real live horse on stage.
Having lived and worked all over the country including New York City and Philadelphia, Erica also spent five years transforming the Front of House at Philadelphia's Ensemble Arts, where, as House Manager, she managed a tremendous amount of world class entertainment, including Broadway National Tours, Opera Philadelphia, and A-list comedians. Eventually she took on the same role at Philadelphia's The Mann center, a massive outdoor concert venue, managing FOH for shows with up to 25,000 guests. Erica is available for professional Front of House consultations!
Currently, she is teaching Story Theatre at David Green’s Musical Theatre University, where she continues to write bespoke mini plays, often modern/edgy takes on fairy tales or murder mysteries, including her most recent production “One Killer Party” written for middle-school aged actors.
Erica is the lady you want to sit by when seeing a production. She laughs easily and always has something to say at a talk-back. Favorite roles as a performer include Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Bic the Flame Stealer in 4:20 The Musical (Off-Off-Broadway), and Sheila in Hair. Erica also played “Sweet Cream Couture” in Tyra Bank’s Modelland in Santa Monica and has been featured in numerous Visit Palm Springs campaigns and commercials. Erica holds a BFA in Acting from Florida Southern College. When she really needs to get away from it all, she moonlights as a rookie river guide at the Kern River. Forward one!
Erica's Artistic POV: Theatre is storytelling via creating spectacle and human introspection from those who wish to shine in the circumstance.
Erica lives with her husband; Archeologist, Naturalist, and Geneticist Hew Murdoch, and their beautiful but difficult cat, Havana.
Note: Erica is often credited by her Hebrew name/Stage name Chaya Goldman
