Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Tenth Avenue Arts Center

Jessica is the co-founder and executive director of Backyard Renaissance. She has performed as an actor in Backyard Renaissance’s A Streetcar Named Desire (SD Critics Circle Nomination – Outstanding Lead Performance, & SD Critic Circle Award - Outstand Dramatic Production), The Dark Heart of Dooley Stevens, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, August: Osage County (SD Critics Circle Award – Outstanding Featured Performance), God of Carnage, The October Night of Johnny Zero, Abigail’s Party, Dry Powder, The Dazzle, An Experiment with an Air Pump (SD Critics Circle Award - Outstanding Featured Performance), Smokefall, Abundance, The Elephant Man, and Parlour Song. Other select work includes The Roustabouts: No Way Back; North Coast Rep: Gabriel, School for Lies, A Shana Maidel; Lambs Players: Noises Off, The Explorer’s Club; Cygnet Theatre: Private Lives, Desire Under the Elms, Mauritius, Communicating Doors, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (SD Playbill Award - Best Actress), Burn This (SD Critics Circle Award - Outstanding Lead Performance); ion theatre: Angels in America; New Fortune: Dangerous Liaisons; New Village Arts: The Playboy of the Western World (Patte Award - Best Actress); and Renaissance Theatre: A View from the Bridge (SD Critics Circle Award - Outstanding Lead Performance).

Megan is thrilled to be back with Backyard Renaissance with this incredible group of people! She was previously seen at BYR in the award winning production of A Streetcar Named Desire, How I Learned to Drive and the award winning production of August: Osage County. She is a recipient of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel award for Actor of the Year in 2022. Other select credits include- Cygnet Theatre: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, Cabaret, A Christmas Carol, Life Sucks, Rock of Ages, and A Little Night Music; Lambs Players Theatre: Arms and the Man, Once, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Alice!, Persuasion, Big Fish, OZ (world premiere), You Can't Take it With You, Quilters, and Fiddler on the Roof. Moonlight Theatre: Fiddler on the Roof, The Wedding Singer. Welk Resort Theatre: The Marvelous Wonderettes. Diversionary Theatre: Significant Other, A New Brain, and Pippin. New Village Arts: Into the Woods. The Old Globe: The Last Goodbye (world premiere) and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. La Jolla Playhouse: Weatherman (reading) and Without Walls Festival. Megan is a co-founder of the artist led company, Chalk Circle Collective.

Francis has been an actor, director and producer in San Diego for the past 25 years. He is currently the artistic director of Backyard Renaissance which he co-founded with his wife Jessica John in 2015. He is a graduate of the Actors Studio Drama School. He most recently directed BYR’s The Waverly Gallery (SD Critics Circle Award – Outstanding Direction 2025), as well as BYR’s award-winning August: Osage County (SD Critics Circle – Outstanding Dramatic Production). He was most recently seen at BYR as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (SD Critics Circle – Outstanding Dramatic Production) and as Paul Sheldon in BYR’s Misery. Select additional roles include: How I Learned to Drive, Proof, God of Carnage, Abigail’s Party, The Dazzle, American Buffalo, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Smokefall, The Zoo Story, Abundance, The Elephant Man, Parlour Song (Backyard Renaissance); Noises Off, Camping with Henry and Tom, The Explorers Club, Equivocation, Freud’s Last Session (Lambs Players); Stupid F***ing Bird, True West, Fool for Love (Cygnet Theatre); The Behavior of Broadus (Capital Stage Company); In the Next Room, Honky (San Diego Rep); Accomplice, Suzette Who Set to Sea (La Jolla Playhouse WOW and POP Tour); A Life in the Theatre, Time Stands Still (NCRT); The Pride (Diversionary Theatre). He is a resident artist with Cygnet Theatre College and Lambs Theatre. He teaches at Palomar and privately through ActorsApproach. He is a graduate of the Actors Studio Drama School. His first play, The October Night of Johnny Zero, was produced in 2022. His second play, The Dark Heart of Dooley Stevens, was produced in 2025.

Drew is thrilled to be making his Backyard Renaissance debut. Select credits include: Diana (Male Swing), La Jolla Playhouse; Curious Incident…Night-Time, CCAE; Follies (Young Ben), Rocky Horror Show (Brad), Present Laughter (Fred), Rock of Ages, Spamalot, On the Twentieth Century, Cygnet; School of Rock (Ned), Cinderella (Jean-Michel), A Chorus Line (Al), Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), Moonlight; Plaid Tidings (Frankie), Legally Blonde (Emmett), SDMT; A Chorus Line (Mark), The Addams Family (Lucas), The Welk Resort; Little Women (Laurie), Barn Stage; Cabaret (Cliff), ion; The Fantasticks (Matt), SRT. Drew is also a Software Engineer at Vizer, Inc..

Coleman Ray Clark is a director and theatermaker from Arkansas who moved to San Diego in 2023 by way of New York City. His work is often highly collaborative, inventive, and full of love. Previous directing includes The Strangers (Chalk Circle Collective), a site-specific production of Bare: A Pop Opera (St. John’s Lutheran Church, NYC), Clue (CoSA), Sweeney Todd (Arts One Presents), Jesus Christ Superstar (Fordham), and The SpongeBob Musical (Marymount Manhattan College). His work as a designer, technician, and teacher in San Diego has taken him to Cygnet Theatre, Diversionary, CCAE Theatricals, and CoSA. While in NYC, he worked in various capacities on and off-Broadway on plays and musicals with 101 Productions (Dear Evan Hansen, Cabaret, Enemy of the People), The 24 Hour Plays, Manhattan Theater Club, Classic Stage Company, The Tank, The Brick, and more. Manhattan Theater Club Jonathan Alper Directing Fellow. Up next: He will be directing Rent at Diversionary. Proud graduate of Marymount Manhattan College. www.colemanrayclark.com, @colemanrayclark.

Virginia Woolf marks Chad’s seventh collaboration with Backyard Renaissance and his first as Set Designer! His Technical Direction includes BYR’s Virginia Woolf, as well as their past six productions including: The October Night of Johnny Zero, God of Carnage, Proof, How I Learned to Drive, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Waverly Gallery. Other Technical Director credits in San Diego include Diversionary Theatre, Chalk Circle Collective’s The Strangers, and National Lampoons Yellow Door Comedy Clubs. Cygnet Theatre carpenter. Chad is also an accomplished actor and singer, Carnegie Hall and other NYC stuff from ages ago; active local scuba diver, amateur practitioner of prestidigitation and an active commercial pilot. Thank you to all the friends who helped me shape and bring this set design to the stage -Mathys, Ian, Paul, Dru, Adam, Justin, and Jay!

Hannah Meade (she/her) is a producer, director, choreographer and intimacy coordinator that resides in San Diego and provides support throughout the city as well as nationwide. She has supported intimacy work at local theatres including Backyard Renaissance, The University of California: San Marcos, Cygnet and others. Training includes Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE) Hannah was the Producing Artistic Director for Backyard Renaissance’s Tenth Season. Backyard Renaissance: The Dark Heart of Dooley Stevens (Director, World Premiere) The Beauty Queen of Leenane, How I Learned To Drive, August: Osage County, God of Carnage (Associate Director) Hannah-Meade.com.

Evan is a composer, dance artist, and educator currently based in San Diego. His exploration in music evolved alongside his career in dance where he has collaborated with choreographers, filmmakers, and performance artists creating original scores and songs. After an incredible experience composing for The Waverly Gallery, he is delighted to continue his collaboration with Backyard Renaissance. He studied composition and film scoring at the New England Conservatory of Music and participates in ongoing education in mixing and sound design. Evan's creations have been featured in live performances, films, media, podcasts, and more. For him music is a way of sonic storytelling. His soundscapes experiment with elements of electronic, global, jazz, and new age. His work aims to evoke worlds and environments that transcend our current experience. To learn more visit evanhartmarsh.com

Chris is pleased to return to Backyard Renaissance for his second production with the company. Off-Broadway: The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Other credits include The Old Globe, Geffen Playhouse, San Diego Opera, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Madison Opera, Pasadena Playhouse, Cygnet Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Michigan Opera Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Hartford Stage, San Diego Musical Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, Diversionary Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, and Starlight Theatre. Chris also designs lighting for museum exhibitions, special events, architectural features, and lighting control systems for venues around the country.

Brenna Maienschein is the founder of A-List Theater Company. She has costume designed 15 shows. Select credits include: Cabaret (A-List Theater), Footloose (A-List Theater), Pippin (Coronado Playhouse), Seussical the Musical (Kroc Theater), Witch (Trinity Theater), and Rabbit Hole (Trinity Theater). @a.list.theater / @brennamaien

Kamila Nunez is a San Diego-based technician and is excited to make her Sound Design debut with Backyard Renaissance. She is currently a first-year college student. Kamila’s work includes Manifest Pussy (A1, Diversionary Theatre) and The Strangers (Production Assistant, Chalk Circle Collective). She is currently an ASM with Loudfridge for Airness. She is thrilled to continue growing and collaborating with such a creative and passionate team.

Jeff is NOT afraid to admit he's excited to be helping Backyard Renaissance create another season of powerful theater! Previous work with BYR includes: Witchland, Misery, The Dark Heart of Dooley Stevens, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Waverly Gallery. He is concurrently a Properties Artisan at The Old Globe Theater, Director of Prop Fabrication for Stu Segall Productions/Strategic Operations, and the Make-up Artist Coordinator for The Haunted Hotel LLC.

This is Xavier's first professional show and he is very excited to be a part of this amazing experience with all these wonderful people. He is very grateful for his parents who have shown their constant support. He would like to thank you for coming to see his first professional show and supporting live theatre! Xavier has attended Grossmont Community College and earned his A.A in Theatre Arts and is currently enrolled at San Diego State University to pursue his Bachelors.

Christy Terrill Reid (Charge Artist) is delighted to be making her debut with Backyard Renaissance. Recent and Favorite credits include Little Women with John Paul the Great Catholic University, Gods of Comedy at Powpac Theater, Street Car Named Desire at Patio Playhouse. She also built the set for Donna Orbit’s the Moon at Scripps Ranch Theater. Christy won 3 San Diego Aubrey awards for Best Set Design, Best Props Management and Best Special Effects. When not creating theater magic Christy enjoys spending time with her 4 children and husband of 20 years.

Natalie is thrilled to be working with Backyard Renaissance for the first time. She has been involved with many other theaters in the community. Some of her recent work includes stage managing Finding Nemo at Maraya Performing Arts, Love Among The Ruins at PowPAC, and Jasper In Deadland at Tenth Ave.

Aion Harrison is so tickled to be working with Backyard Renaissance once again. Father-Actor-Builder are the “hats” he loves most. Bringing our craft to building BYR’s beautiful and detailed sets is a nod to my own Father, David Boyd, who was a Set Designer/Builder in San Diego for over thirty years.