Dr. Elliot Engel

(The Night Before Christmas Carol – Playwright)

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Dr. Engel now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he has taught at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. He earned his MA and Ph.D. as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at UCLA. While at UCLA he won that university’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

Dr. Engel has written ten books published in England, Japan, and the United States. His mini-lecture series on Charles Dickens ran on PBS television stations around the country. His articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and national magazines including Newsweek. He has lectured throughout the United States and on all the continents including Antarctica. Four plays which he has written have been produced during the last ten years.

For his scholarship and teaching, Dr. Engel has received North Carolina’s Adult Education Award, North Carolina State’s Alumni Professorship, and the Victorian Society’s Award of Merit. Most recently, for his thirty years of academic work and service in promoting Charles Dickens, he was nominated and inducted into the Royal Society of Arts in England.

Since 1980, Dr. Engel has been President of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina, the largest branch of this worldwide network of clubs. The sales of Dr. Engel’s books, CDs, and DVDs have raised funds for The Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital which Dickens helped found in London in 1852.

Professor Engel continues to teach outside the classroom and give literary and historical programs throughout the world. He also presents assemblies at elementary, middle, and high schools, and his educational CDs are used in classrooms around the country. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking, and vacationing in exotic locations where he is not asked to deliver even one lecture.

Ian Finley 

(Native – Playwright)

Ian Finley is a theatre educator and playwright, most recently serving as the North Carolina Piedmont Laureate in the field of dramatic writing.

Finley originally hails from Utah, where he studied at the University of Utah, and premiered YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN: A TRIO FOR SECRETARIES (KCATF 2001) and THE NATURE OF THE NAUTILUS (Kennedy Center/Jean Kennedy Smith Award winner 2002).  

Finley received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of Performing Arts. While there, he received the Harry Kondoleon Award for playwriting and premiered GREEN SQUARE, NIGHTINGALE SONG, and SUSPENSE (recently performed by Bare Theatre Company in Durham and as part of the 10 x 10 Festival in the Triangle at the Carrboro Arts Center).

For the “Our Histories” series at Burning Coal Theatre Company, Finley has partnered with numerous Wake County organizations (including Historic Oakwood Cemetery, the Raleigh City Museum, Mordecai Historic Park, the Town of Cary, and others) to create original scripts inspired by the history of the area and performed in spaces relevant to the characters. As part of the “Our Histories” series, Finley has dramatized 85 separate stories of the history of Wake County.

In addition to his work as a playwright, Finley has worked on film projects and computer game design.  His writing in this area includes KLOCKWERK: THE SHADOW IN THE CATHEDRAL (Textfyre Inc, 2008), KAGED (1st Place, International Interactive Fiction Competition, 2000), EXHIBITION, and BABEL (XYZZY Award for Best Story).

Finley currently serves as Head of Drama at Research Triangle High School, and continues to write for theatre companies throughout the Triangle.  His most recent works include a 2-part adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s JUDE THE OBSCURE for Burning Coal, the ten-minute plays THE INTERIOR OF THE OUDE KERK and BRONZE for the Ackland Museum at UNC, and UP FROM THE GROUND for the Piedmont Laureate program.

Julie A. Florin

(War Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II; In One Era and Out The Other – Musical Director)

Julie Florin (War Bonds Music Director) is a musician and educator who holds her Master of Music in Church Music from East Carolina University, Certificate of Church Music and Certificate in Somatic Voicework™ from Shenandoah University, Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Penn State University and Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from North Carolina Central University. She holds a Service Playing Certificate from the American Guild of Organists. She has done musical direction for the following North Carolina theatre companies: Raleigh Little Theatre; University Theatre at NCSU; EbzB Productions; Burning Coal Theatre Company; Deep Dish Theatre; and Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy Theatre. Julie works as a freelance musician, arts educator, and musical director in South Carolina. In addition to touring with EbzB Productions, she maintains a busy schedule of musical direction and accompanying with The Warehouse Theatre, Centre Stage, The Market Theatre, Mill Town Players, South Carolina Children’s Theatre, Clemson Little Theatre, and Electric City Theatre.A member of the Anderson and Greenville AGO Chapters, she is in constant demand as an organist. As an educator, Julie has taught in the public schools in Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and currently teaches theatre at Greenville High School. She has received honors as a NC CEC Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding South Carolina High School Arts Educator Award. While at Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, her theatre Department performed in the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with AHSTF, receiving a Best Performance Award.

Matthew Hager 

(Wrights of Passage – Actor)

MATTHEW HAGER (Orville Wright) is an actor, children’s musical theatre composer, and teaching artist based out of Raleigh, NC. He is a graduate of UNC School of the Arts (high school – drama) and UNC Chapel Hill (BA Dramatic Arts). He has also received training from DePaul University, Shakespeare & Co., and Michael Howard Studios. Triangle-area companies for whom Matthew has performed include Burning Coal (company member since 2012), North Carolina Theatre, Honest Pint, Bulldog Ensemble Theater, Manbites Dog, Deep Dish, Theatre in the Park, Town of Cary/Koka Booth, and Meredith Ensemble Theatre, among others. Matthew received an Indy Award recognition in 2012 for his performance as This One in In on It at Manbites Dog. He also received a New Hampshire Theatre Awards Best Actor nomination in 2015 as Max in Lend Me a Tenor at Jean’s Playhouse. Matthew has been a longtime member of several theatre-in-the-schools programs, including NC Theatre’s Theatre4Change/Spark and Burning Coal’s Shakescenes. In 2017, Matthew founded Aggregate Theatre Company in an effort to develop a younger theatergoing audience in the Triangle. Aggregate’s offerings have ranged from intimate two-person shows, to a night of Shakespeare centered around a four-course dinner at Brewery Bhavana, to a summer children’s theatre series featuring four original productions. To stay up on the latest, follow Aggregate on Facebook (/aggregatetheatre) and Instagram (@aggregatetheatre).

Natasha Jackson

(Native ~ Stage Manager)

Natasha was nominated for Stage Manager of the year at the 2016 Triangle Independent and Community Theatre Awards, and in 2017 won a Pietzsch award for Backstage contribution – Stage Manager with Cary Players. Natasha has Stage Managed productions throughout the Triangle area.  Her Stage Management credits include: Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde (Cary Players); For Colored Girls (Burning Coal Theatre Company); Little Women (Women’s Theatre Festival); Long Story Short (UNC, Chapel Hill) and Wakey, Wakey (Manbites Dog Theater). Natasha has also had the distinct pleasure of stage managing special events such as the 2017 Women’s March on Raleigh which was attended by approximately 24,000 people. Subsequently, she Stage Managed the 2018 Women’s Rally, which was attended by approximately 7,000 people.

J. Mardrice

(Native – Actor)

J. Mardrice Henderson was born and raised in a small town in North Carolina. However, he has never let his small town upbringing diminish his big dreams. He fell in love with theatre at the young age of seven after a raving performance of Frog #3. His admiration and passion for drama compelled him to scribe four plays, which he self-produced at his local church. J. gained knowledge of his craft at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Acting. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, J. moved to Durham, North Carolina, which has afforded him great opportunities to work and learn onstage. His most recent work was as Louis in Finding Clara and Brook in Little Women with the Women’s Theatre Festival company. Notable regional credits include: Harry/Gerry in Cloud 9 (Tiny Engine Theatre), Vladimir in Isn’t it Romantic (Cary Arts Players), and Mike in Wait Until Dark (Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre). J. received a nomination for a local Pietzsch Award for his role of Vladimir. J. Mardrice’s performance both honors and stands on the shoulders of the great African-American men and women who faced defeatist hardships and endured unfathomable strife to maintain their voice. We hear you!

Jeff Raab

(Actor/Teaching Artist)

Jeff Raab is a New York City-based performer and teaching artist. Performing credits include two seasons each with the Texas Shakespeare Festival and South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, and productions with Palm Beach Dramaworks, New Stage Theatre, Resident Theater Company, Westchester Broadway Theater, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, White Plains Performing Arts Center, and Arc Stages. Jeff teaches regularly through the educational wing of Arc Stages, including acting, voice/speech/dialects, movement, and directing full-length productions. He has taught through Inside Broadway in New York City, and at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, New Stage Theatre, the South Dakota and Texas Shakespeare Festival, and is an international guest artist at Burgh Healthy Hub in Australia, where he has written and directed original productions for the school incorporating students of circus, drama, parkour, and dance. Jeff has also musical directed, written music and/or played for many theatrical productions. He has musical directed The Robber Bridegroom, As You Like It, Shakespeare in Love, The Comedy of Errors, Our Town, and musical directed/composed the award-winning score for Libra Theater Company’s 12th Night (NY Innovative Theater Award – Outstanding Original Music). In addition to being a theatre artist, Jeff is an origami artist and teacher, working independently and with Taro’s Origami Studio. Jeff is a graduate of GWU/Academy of Classical Acting (MFA), NYU/Steinhardt (BM/Vocal Performance), and the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre (Professional Training Program). He is an Associated Teacher of the Miller Voice Method, and trained circus arts at Circus Warehouse. www.jeffreymichaelraab.com

David Sebren **

(Wrights of Passage – Actor)

David has been taking flight as Wilbur Wright since 2015 and is always excited to jump back in the flyer! He holds an MFA in Directing from Florida State University, a BFA in Acting from UNCG, and a certificate in Commedia dell’Arte from Antonio Fava. David is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He is an associate instructor and level 3 actor combatant with Dueling Arts International, and an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD. He has worked professionally as an actor, director, designer, and fight director since graduating from UNCG in 2006, and has worked with companies from North Carolina to California. David serves on the faculty of Greensboro College and is the owner of DS Stageworks.

Alex Thompson

(In One Era and Out the Other and The Art of Love – Accompanist/Singer/Composer)

Alex was born and raised in North Carolina, USA. He studied Media Production and Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and during his time there he worked as a composer, sound designer, accompanist, vocal arranger, music director, and conductor. Since finishing with school he has worked in and around the North Carolina / East Coast area, and has also worked extensively as a music director, accompanist and conductor for musical theatre. Alex has served as the Associate Music Director / Pianist of Playmakers Repertory Company’s  production of My Fair Lady.In addition to teaching piano and voice, Alex also works as a music producer, orchestrator, arranger, and engineer, working mainly in the areas of hip-hop and pop production/arranging, but has also lent his skill set to many other genres, including folk, rock, jazz, classical, a cappella and choral music.

Nancy Whelan

(In One Era and Out the Other; War Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II – Accompanist)

Nancy Whelan is a collaborative pianist who works with vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers in both classical and theatrical genres. She is the Associate Musical Director and Orchestra Contractor for North Carolina Theatre (having worked with such Broadway legends as Beth Leavel, Craig Schulman, Jacquelyn Pirot Donovan and Sally Struthers), and has over 25 years of experience as a Musical Director, including North Carolina Theatre’s Next to Normal and Hairspray. She has been a keyboardist for numerous Broadway touring companies, including the National Tours of Wicked, Evita, Mamma Mia!, Billy Elliot, and Steel Pier, to name a few, and was a member of North Carolina Theatre’s national tour. She has performed with the North Carolina Symphony on such shows as Wicked, Divas, The Planets, Petrushka, Carmina Burana, and recorded a CD with Andrew McAfee, former principal horn with the North Carolina Symphony.  She is a frequent recital collaborator (with such artists as Bonnie Thron, principal cello with the North Carolina Symphony), recently accompanied Zuill Bailey and Branford Marsalis in NCS events, and is a pianist for the world-renowned Carolina Ballet. Ms. Whelan received her Master’s of Music in Performance with a Concentration in Accompanying from Meredith College.

Mike Wiley **

(Brown v. Board; Life Is So Good – Actor) 

Acclaimed actor and playwright Mike Wiley has spent the last decade fulfilling his mission to bring educational theatre to young audiences and communities across the country. In the early days of his career, Wiley found few theatrical resources to shine a light on key events and figures in African-American history. To bring these stories to life, he started his own production company.

Through his performances, Wiley has introduced countless students and communities to the legacies of Emmett Till, Henry “Box” Brown and more. His recent works include a one-man play based on Tim Tyson’s memoir Blood Done Sign My Nameand The Parchman Hour, an ensemble production celebrating the bravery and determination of the Freedom Riders who risked their lives to desegregate Southern interstate bus travel in 1961.

Mike Wiley has a Master’s of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the 2010 and 2014 Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his numerous school and community performances, he has also appeared on Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and National Geographic Channel and has been featured in Our State magazine and on PBS’ North Carolina Nowand WUNC’s The State of Things.