Up and Comers 2006: New & Nearly New Faces in Charm City

Every year, hundreds of shows, and thousands of actors, directors, technicians and the like converge on Baltimore’s many theatre spaces.  And every year, a new crop of folks debuts, branches out into new areas or simply flourishes after years in the background.  Here, in alphabetical order, are the 12 men and women who really distinguished themselves onstage or behind the scenes this year.  Some literally made their debut, while others showed Charm City audiences what they could do over the course of the year

• McKenzie Bowling, Actor (Everyman: Opus, School for Scandal): Ms. Bowling showed that she can play with the big boys – some of Baltimore’s best professional actors – in Opus, as the new and delightfully uncomfortable member of a prestigious string quartet.  She later shined in a smaller, but pivotal role in the broad comedy of manners, School for Scandal.
• Randy Dalmas, Director (Spotlighters: And Then There Were None):  Mr. Dalmas made his stage-directing debut in 2006 with the classic whodunit, And Then There Were None at Spotlighters.  But that old chestnut purred like a brand new model under his tight, witty and downright nail biting suspenseful direction.  Next up for Dalmas: Larry Shue’s The Nerd.  With this modern comedy, can lightning strike twice?
• Loren Dunn, Actor (Mobtown: Inventing Van Gogh): One of those truly gifted actors who performs so effortlessly you’d think he really was Van Gogh, Mr. Dunn gave a star making performance this year.  Here’s hoping we’ll see more of this promising actor soon!
• Ashly Ruth Fishell, Actor (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: The Imaginary Invalid, Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Love’s Labor’s Lost):  Ms. Fishell has had the fortune of being cast in every production of CSC’s in 2006.  And she does it all – from stylized comedy (Invalid), ensemble acting (Lear), and developed supporting characters (Love’s Labor’s) to a star-making turn as Kate’s sister Bianca in Taming of the Shrew.  In Shrew, Fishell was absolutely riveting and very funny.  She’s one of those actors that when you see her onstage, you can’t take your eyes off of her.  I, for one, can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

• Ira Gamerman, Playwright (BPF: Split): Mr. Gamerman has all the makings of a Neil Simon/>/>/>/>/> for the 21^st century. With his award-winning play, Split, he established himself as one of the area’s best playwrights.  And since he’s just out of college, those of us who saw Split, got in on the ground floor of what is likely to be a long, illustrious career.  And, man, is he enthusiastic!
• Tiffany James, Actor (Spotlighters: Months on End; Mobtown: Inventing Van Gogh):  Having started the year in a supporting role in the ensemble comedy, Months on End, James showed that she could rise above so-so material and even less quality direction by creating a layered, deep performance.  But it was in dual roles in the drama Inventing Van Gogh that she showed us what she can really do!  In that, she gave an amazingly rich textured, and tortured performance.

• Jayme Kilburn, Director (BPF: Hope’s Arbor; Catonsville Theatre Company: Real Women Have Curves): This young director took on two diverse and challenging pieces in 2006 – the original play, Hope’s Arbor, which mixed comedy, drama, teen angst, modern technology and a rapid fire series of scenes and Real Women Have Curves, the stylized Hispanic comedy about a group of women rising above the squalor they are forced to live in.  Kilburn, having directed Arbor to a Best Production win at the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival, has already made a name for herself.  I can only imagine what she will bring us in 2007!

• Tammy Kugler, Actor (Spotlighters: Southern Baptist Sissies): Ms. Kugler made her stage debut in the ensemble dramedy, Southern Baptist Sissies, and more than held her own against drag queens, religious right-wingers and onstage masturbation! Hers was a charming, honest and heartfelt performance that never once betrayed her lack of experience.  Come back real soon, Tammy!
• Bobby Libby, Actor (Towson University: Cloud 9, Urinetown: The Musical):  Mr. Libby, a student at Towson University showed theatergoers in 2006 that versatility is his game.  In the strange worlds that Cloud 9 created, Libby played a houseboy who enacted a folktale with such vitality and exotic energy that I remember all these months later.  Imagine my surprise when this same actor showed that he can do musical comedy and parody simultaneously in Urinetown: The Musical.  Both productions had their issues, but both also had Bobby Libby giving all out, strong performances.

• Steve Polites, Actor (Towson University: Cloud 9; BPF: Split):  Also in Cloud 9, Steve Polites got to play macho man and creepy guy.  Again, like Bobby Libby, Polites rose above the uneven and creeky old script.  But it was as the lead in Ira Gamerman’s Split that Polites really came into his own, playing a 20-something everyman that any guy from age 20 to 90 could completely relate to.  Here’s looking forward to more of that charm and charisma in the New Year.

• Jacob Rothermel, Actor (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Love’s Labor’s Lost; BPF: SOD): Speaking of charm and charisma, CSC company member Jacob Rothermel got to do a lot of both this year in a variety of roles, be they comic – Love’s Labor’s Lost, dramatic – Lear, or some of both – SOD.  This young actor, like his fellow CSC member Ashly Ruth Fishell, commands whatever stage he is on without ever going overboard.
• Jane Steffen, Actor (Spotlighters: Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, The Cagebirds; Fells Point Corner Theatre: Sight Unseen): Another actor in Baltimore that seems to be able to do it all, Steffen played the death row lawyer in ‘A’ Train, more than holding her own against two other excellent local actors who had the showier roles in the script.  This summer, she played a very focused role in the one act The Cagebirds, memorably pecking her way through dozens of crackers.  And in Sight Unseen at FPCT, she played the difficult role of the German art expert questioning a Jewish artist.  Her accent, delivery and nuance brought this role to the fore and created some nice theatrical fireworks.

Congratulations to all on a spectacular 2006!

PHOTOS: TOP to BOTTOM: McKenzie Bowling (far right), with the cast of Everyman's Opus; Playwright Ira Gamerman; the cast of the BPF production, Hope's Arbor, directed by Jayme Kilburn; Actress Tammy Kugler; Steve Polites (center) in a scene from the BPF production, Split; Jacob Rothermel (right) in a scene from CSC's production of Love's Labor's Lost.