Network Bios

Cast Biographies

Barlow Adamson* (Max Schumacher) is a longtime Boston-based actor. He recently played Roy Cohn in the Bedlam and Central Square Theater co-production of Angels In America and Al Manners in Lyric Stage Company’s Trouble In Mind. Over the years, Barlow has appeared on many other regional stages, including the Huntington Stage Company, SpeakEasy Stage and Gloucester Stage Company. He received the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actor for his performance in Elemenopea at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.

Amy Barker* (Louise Schumacher/Camera A tech) is thrilled to be making her Umbrella Stage Company debut. Regional and area credits include productions at SpeakEasy Stage, Greater Boston Stage Company, The Huntington Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Westchester Broadway Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre. Special shout out to her family for their love and support.

Steven Barkhimer (Frank Hackett) last appeared at the The Umbrella as Mayor Superba in The Minutes. Other recent credits include The Glass Managerie (Old Tom) at the Hanover Theatre, and Angels in America: Millenium Approaches (Roy Cohn) at Central Square Theatre. Film credits include The Fighter, American Hustle, Purge 3, and James Brooks’ upcoming Ella McKay. He is also a musician (Time Was, available on Spotify); a playwright (Windowmen, Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding New Script), adapter (School for Scandal), and librettist (Tristram Shandy).

Stephanie Barney (u/s Diana Christensen/Schlesinger) was last seen onstage with The Umbrella Stage Company in The Full Monty for her role as Pam Lukowski. Stephanie has also been seen as Marullus/Julius Ceasar u/s in Julius Caesar (Actors Company of Natick), Mayzie LaBird in Seussical (Rhode Island College), u/s Emma Borden & Bridget Sullivan in Lizzie (The Umbrella Stage Company) and Jacques in As You Like It (Rhode Island College) to name a few. Stephanie is so excited and grateful to be joining the fabulous team of Network and is thankful, as always, to her friends and family for their endless support. You can find out more about Stephanie at her website www.stephaniedbarney.com or follow her on Instagram @stephaniedbarney

Jennifer Bubriski (Sheila/Production Assistant/u/s Louise) was previously on The Umbrella stage as Jeanette in The Full Monty and Miss Stephanie/Mrs Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird. She has also been seen at the Huntington Theatre Company as Pam Annunziata in Hurricane Diane, Louise in Private Lives (Gloucester Stage), Mrs. Claus in the regional premiere of The Truth About Santa, the Housekeeper in Man of La Mancha, and Jacqueline in La Cage Aux Folles (all at Seacoast Repertory Theatre).

Craig Ciampa (u/s Chaney, Hunter, Schumacher, Snowden)  at The Umbrella Stage Company: Oleanna (John), Glenngary Glen Ross (Aaranow), To Kill A Mockingbird (Sheriff Tate); (Understudy Schumacher, Chaney, Hunter, Snowden); at Vokes: Maytag Virgin (Jack),  Tiny Beautiful Things (Letter Writer One), Murder on the Orient Express (Hector MacQueen), Silent Sky (Peter), Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (James Larabee); at Quannapowitt Players: Of Mice and Men (Lennie Small), Dracula (Renfield) The Play That Goes Wrong (Jonathan/Charles), Murder In Green Meadows (Jeff); at Hovey Players: Good People (Mike), Ideation (Ted), The Pillowman (Katurian); at Bostonian Historical Society: Blood on the Snow (Samuel Adams); at Ghostlight Theater Company: Rabbit, Rabbit (Larry/Cosmo), Mr. Marmalade (Larry); at Nashua Theater Guild: Dinner With Friends (Gabe), Rumors (Ken), A Streetcar Named Desire (Stanley); at Flat Earth Theater: Blinders (Stack); at Williamstown Theatre Festival (Apprentice).

Blythe de Oliveira Foster* (Diana Christensen) is happy to be collaborating with this team at The Umbrella! Before moving to the Boston area, Blythe lived in California and New York, where credits include: ACT, Berkeley Rep, SF Playhouse, Aurora Theater, Shotgun Players, Marin Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, Z Space / Word for Word, foolsFURY, Hollywood Fringe, Classic Stage Company, Lion Theatre, The Tank, Repertorio Español, and The Bushwick Starr. A graduate of Columbia University’s MFA Program, Blythe has taught acting and voice at University of California Santa Barbara, Phillips Exeter, Salem State University, in SF Bay Area public schools, and has worked in new play development with LAUNCH PAD and in community engagement with Holcombe Waller’s Requiem Mass: A Queer Divine Rite. Blythe currently teaches performance in the Theater Program at MIT. she/her www.blythefoster.com

Tom Giordano* (Nelson Chaney/Floor Manager) is thrilled to be back onstage in Boston in his Umbrella debut. Tom was last seen acting in the Boston area in 2010 as Christian in a Spanish-language production of Cyrano de Bergerac with Apollinaire Theatre Company, where he also played Fletcher in Men of Tortuga and as Moon in The Real Inspector Hound in both English and Spanish. He was awarded the DASH Best Actor award for his portrayal of Algernon in the IRNE-nominated The Importance of Being Earnest (Longwood Players). NYC Off-Broadway credits include Donalbain in Macbeth (Classic Stage Company) and Camilo in Double Falsehood (Letter of Marque). He received his MFA in acting from Columbia University, where he trained with Kristin Linklater, Anne Bogart, and Andrei Serban. He is a Designated Linklater Teacher and teacher of Colaianni Speech; he teaches at Emerson College, Shakespeare&Company, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

Johnny Gordon (UBS News Director) is thrilled to be making his Umbrella Arts debut! Past projects include credits in film/TV, voiceover, theme park entertainment, and touring productions. Some recent theatre credits are Ali Hakim in Oklahoma! and Stewpot in South Pacific (Reagle Music Theatre), Mr. Walker in Steel Pier (Sullivan Rep), and a swing performer in The House of Ramón Iglesia (Moonbox Productions). Incredibly grateful to be a part of this experience! he/him

Tim Hoover (Harry Hunter/ELA Member) is lucky to keep working with wonderful people. He’s recently been seen as Dr. Rev. Mather Byles in Revolution’s Edge (Plays in Place); Burton in Burn This (Hub Theatre); Haunted Histories (Creative Collective); The Fire Escape Plays by Bob Murphy; Double Bill (Theatre@First); Entropyfest and The Skriker (Entropy Theatre); and several runs of T! An MBTA Musical! He was nominated for IRNE Best Supporting Actor- Fringe for his roles in Wit and Three Days of Rain both at Hub Theatre. Other highlights include: Dudard in Rhinoceros (Apollinaire Theatre); Audrey II Puppeteer Little Shop of Horrors (Lyric Stage) also (New Rep); The Grapes of Wrath (Greater Boston Stage Company) also (Apollinaire); Burning Up the Dictionary (Vagabond); Incident at Vichy (Praxis Stage); Little Giants (imaginary beasts); The Time of Your Life (Fort Point Theatre Channel). he/him/his

Will McGarrahan* (Arthur Jensen/Continuity Announcer/Interviewer [voice]) returns to The Umbrella Stage Company after playing Harold in last season's The Full Monty. He recently appeared as Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde with Moonbox Productions, Mickey Marcus in The Normal Heart at New Rep and Chekhov/Tchaikovsky/Tolstoy in Preludes at Lyric Stage of Boston. He received an Elliot Norton award for Souvenir at the Lyric and IRNE awards for The Drowsy Chaperone and Company at SpeakEasy Stage. Will has acted at many other Boston stages including Huntington Theater, Gloucester Stage, Central Square Theater and Greater Boston Stage. Other favorite roles include Oscar in The Little Foxes, The Chairman in Drood, Archie in Terrence McNally’s Some Men, The Narrator in Into The Woods, Charlotte in Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina, Adam in Next Fall, Sylvia in Ruthless!, Penn in MJ Halberstadt’s The Usual Unusual and Gordon in A New Brain. Will worked as an actor, singer and pianist for many years in Seattle before moving to Boston's South End.

Bill Mootos* (Howard Beale) is delighted to be working at The Umbrella on this production. His most recent credits include Trouble in Mind with the Lyric Stage Company, Beyond Words with Central Square Theatre, Dial M for Murder and Clue with Greater Boston Stage Company, and Go Back for Murder and Baskerville with the Barnstormers Theatre. Regional credits include Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, Wheelock Family Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Moonbox Productions, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Ivoryton Playhouse, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Gloucester Stage Company, New Repertory Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, and many others. Some of his film appearances include The Holdovers, Little Women, Boston Strangler, Don’t Look Up, Daddy’s Home 2, and the upcoming Andy Warhol pic The Collaboration. He is the recipient of 2 IRNE Awards for acting. Bill serves on the National Board of SAG-AFTRA, and is a proud member of AEA.

Jason Myatt (u/s Beale, Ruddy, Jensen, Hackett) is delighted to be working among such an exceptional cast and crew on this production. Previously at The Umbrella, he appeared as Mr. Assalone in The Minutes, Gilmer/Cunningham in To Kill a Mockingbird, Dave Moss in Glengarry Glen Ross, and Robert Lowell in Dear Elizabeth. Jason has been acting in the Greater Boston area for 25 years, performing with Hovey Players, Quannapowitt Players, Acme Theater Productions, Vokes Theater, Greater Boston Stage Company, Publick Theater, Arts After Hours, and Arlington Friends of the Drama, among others. Favorite roles include John Brennan in Coyote on a Fence, Karl/Steve in Clybourne Park, Jack in Maytag Virgin, Roland in Constellations, Marc in Art, President Smith in November, Clov in Endgame, Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, George Deever in All My Sons, and Charles in The Clean House.

Zoe Pepin (Camera B tech/Technician) is thrilled to be making her onstage debut at The Umbrella. She has previously worked backstage for the company on Lizzie and The Full Monty. Zoe was recently seen as Player 3 in the premier of Backstage Bards, a Shakespeare workshop at The Colonial Theatre of Westerly, RI.

Damon Singletary* (Jack Snowden/Warm-Up Guy) is a Boston-based actor thrilled to return to The Umbrella Stage Company. His previous role was Mr. Blake in The Minutes. His other roles at USC include Actor 2 in The Colored Museum, Troy Maxson in August Wilson's Fences, and Basilius in Head Over Heels. His other recent performances include Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (New Repertory Theatre); Feldzeig in The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtis in Sister Act, roles in Fabulation Or, The Re-Education of Undine, and multiple characters in The Wiz (The Lyric Stage Company of Boston); Phil Renaldi in Birdy (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); and Tilney/Sir Robert De Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love, and Rev. Peters in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (SpeakEasy Stage Company). A proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association, Damon resides in Topsfield, MA with his wife Laurie, also an actor and playwright, whose support is invaluable.

Olivia Sowell (Schlesinger/Hair/Makeup) is excited to be making her Umbrella Stage Company debut. Recent roles include, Jo in The Legend of Georgia McBride (Players Ring); Swing in Hamlet (La Mama). She is also a graduate of UNH, and trained at an NY Conservatory.

Phil Thompson (Edward Ruddy) was last seen in On Golden Pond as Norman Thayer at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison Maine. Other recent credits: The new musical Lost Cell Phone Weekend with Image Theatre, Sideman, Theater UnCorked, The Good Deli, Moonbox Productions, Romeo and Juliet with Apollinaire Theatre Company, Saltonstall’s Trial as Judge Stoughton with Punctuate4 Productions. Phil is also an audiobook narrator and voice actor having voiced characters in video games, radio dramas, fiction and non-fiction books. Phil is a member of SAGAFTRA.

* Appearing through an Agreement between this theater and Actor's Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Creative Team Biographies

Brian Boruta (Producer) This is Brian’s 48th production with The Umbrella and his 44th as the Director of Performing Arts, during which time he has earned Best Production nominations for Glengarry Glen Ross, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Red, Angels in America, Equus and Bonnie & Clyde; a DASH Award for Best Play for True West and To Kill A Mockingbird, and Best Musical for Parade and Big Fish. The Umbrella directing credits include: Parade (Dash Award for Best Director of a Musical) Big Fish (DASH Nom.), Hair, Evita, Side Show, Next to Normal, The Rocky Horror Show. Elsewhere: Sweeney Todd, Legally Blonde, Godspell, Seussical the Musical, The Actor’s Nightmare, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You. Favorite on-stage credits include Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street (DASH Nom.), Judas/John the Baptist in Godspell, Cosmo Brown in Singin’ in the Rain, Austin in True West, and Greg in A Chorus Line. As a designer and educator, Brian has worked with numerous college, high school and community groups including Merrimack College, Goddard College, Framingham State University, The Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, Brookline, Chelsea and Wellesley Public School. His solo piece, UnMasqued, has been workshopped and performed at the Wheeler Theater in Port Townsend, WA. Brian holds a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College and was named the recipient of the 2014 Framingham State University Young Alumni Achievement Award for his work in the performing arts.

Ashley Kelly Tata** they/ze (Director) is a director who’s works have been called “fervently inventive,” and like something that “reaches out across the centuries and punches you in the throat” in the New York Times “extraordinarily powerful” by the LA Times, and a notable production of the decade in The New Yorker. These multi-media works of theater, contemporary opera, performance, cyberformance, live music and immersive experiences have been presented in venues and festivals throughout the US and internationally including The Wexner, The Big Sing Festival in The Netherlands, the Miller Theater, Carnegie Hall, the Fisher Center’s Summerscape Festival at Bard, Theatre for a New Audience, PS21, LA Opera, Austin Opera, National Sawdust, EMPAC, The Crossing the Line Festival, the Holland Festival, the Big Ears Festival, The Prelude Festival and The National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Tata's work has been supported with residencies at BAM, Mercury Store, Coffey Street Studios, EMPAC and with a Map Grant. Tata’s collaborators have included the composers Kate Soper, Ted Hearne, David T. Little, Bora Yoon, Rob Johanson, the playwright Jerry Lieblich and the collective Anonymous Ensemble, among others. Ze earned an MFA in directing at Columbia University under the mentorship of Anne Bogart and Brian Kulick and is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor and the Artistic Producer of Theater & Performance at Bard College. Upcoming: Euripides’ Orestes at The New School. tatatime.live

Tree Brock (Wardrobe Supervisor) is proud to be working with The Umbrella again after joining them as Wardrobe Supervisor in Rent, Middleton Heights, The Color Purple, Lizzie, and The Minutes. They have previously worked as the costume designer with Hoovey Theatre doing Witch, Marjory Prime, and Pillowman. They were also costume designer with The Christmas Carol in Waltham. Most days Tree also works backstage and costume work for Drag me to Brunch and Strut or at Walnut Hill School for the Arts with the Dance department costumes and adjustments. During the summer they help at Creative Arts helping kids costume creation and looks for the summer productions. Their company is Red Bark Crafting and believes you should fly your fandom banners proudly.

Aubrey Dube (Audio Designer) worked on Fences (The Umbrella Stage Company); Paradise Blue, The Thin Place, Stew, Wipeout (Gloucester Stage Company); Queens, Torch Song, The House of Ramon Iglesia (Moonbox Productions); Toni Stone, Fat Ham, Clyde’s, The Bluest Eye, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Huntington): Trayf, Good (New Rep); Vinegar Tom, Monster, Serious Money, Pentecost (PTP/NYC), Winter People (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); Morning Noon and Night, Downtown Crossing, Vietgone (Company One); Simona’s Search (Hartford Stage), The Fortune Teller (Chuang Stage); A Case for the Existence of God, Potus (SpeakEasy Stage) Trouble in Mind (Lyric Stage); A Taste of Honey (Boston Center for American Performance). University: Cymbeline, Pilgrims of the Night (Suffolk University); Orlando (Brandeis University); Antipodes, Love and Information, As You Like It, Sensitive Guys (Northeastern University); Education: MFA in Sound Design (Boston University). Youtube soccer podcast called @footballpowerhour

Vanessa C. Hart* (Stage Manager) is a stage manager and resident of Massachusetts. New England Regional: Reagle Music Theatre (All Shook Up, An American in Paris), The Umbrella Arts Center (The Minutes), Central Square Theatre’s (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Peterborough Players (2017-2021 seasons). New York Area: NerveTank and Arts Brookfield NY (The Attendants), Beth Morrison Projects (pssst...The Boot), The Fisher Center at Bard College and Theatre for A New Audience (Mad Forest). Midwest Regional: Rebel and Misfits (Uncle Vanya, Sex with Strangers, and Hamlet: See What I See). Thank you to Matthew and Rowan for all of your love and support.

Joe Juknievich (Assistant Director) is a theater director and deviser based in Boston, Massachusetts. Recent directing and co-directing credits include Matthew Lopez's The Legend of Georgia McBride (The Players' Ring), Caryl Churchill's The Skriker (Entropy Theater), [title of show] (Firehouse Center for the Arts), Jen Silverman's The Moors (Entropy Theater, named in The Theatre Mirror's "Favorite Theatrical Experiences of 2019"), Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (Entropy/Firehouse/Prescott Park), Topher Payne's Perfect Arrangement (UMass Lowell), Praxis Stage's Elliot Norton Award-nominated All My Sons, and Exiled Theatre's IRNE-nominated Nurse Play, by Boston playwright James Wilkinson. Last season, he was the assistant director for Central Square Theater/BEDLAM's production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Parts I & II, which was recently nominated for ten Elliot Norton Awards. Joe is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). www.joejuknievich.com 

Kayleigh Kane (Intimacy Consultant) is a Boston-based intimacy professional and multi-disciplinary artist working in theater and film around New England, New York, and beyond. Select Intimacy Direction credits include Becoming a Man (American Repertory Theater), The Band’s Visit (Huntington Theatre Company), Angels in America Pt. 2: Perestroika (Central Square Theater/BEDLAM), Summer Stock (Goodspeed Musicals), Torch Song (Moonbox Productions), Rent (The Umbrella Stage Company), and The Moors (Entropy Theatre). She has provided intimacy support and education at higher education institutions, including Harvard University, Tufts University, Brandeis University, and more. Kayleigh also works frequently with improv theaters and experimental ensembles, implementing intimacy tools and safety protocols for consent-based improvised contact and physical play. She holds a certification in Intimacy Direction from IDC. Learn more at kayleighkane.com

Nancy Leary † (Costume Designer) is a Costume Designer whose visionary work for Opera and Theater has graced stages across the United States. Experienced in producing both highly conceptual and more traditional models of Opera and Theater costuming, Nancy has successfully applied her expertise to a wide array of theatrical styles and artistic endeavors.  From 2000 to the present Nancy has worked on well-established productions, recently developed pieces, and the premier of new works for such places as; Opéra Royal Château de Versailles, Glimmerglass Festival, The Pittsburg Symphony, Pittsburg Opera, Virginia Opera, Utah Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Saratoga, Mannes Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Juilliard Opera, Opera Boston, as well as Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., Westin Playhouse, The Julie Harris Theatre, The Barrow Group Theatre, and New York Live Arts, Karole Armitage Foundation to name a few.

Afsoon Pajoufar † (Scenic Designer) is a New York-based designer of stage and environment for plays, operas, and other live performances. Selected credits include Cyrano de Bergerac (Pasadena Playhouse), Fuente Ovejuna (Theatre For A New Audience), Adoration (Beth Morrison Projects), Out Of Character (Berkeley Rep), Molière’s Dom Juan (Fisher Center at Bard SummerScape 2022), English (Studio Theatre), Lady M (HeartBeat Opera), MƆɹNIŊ[MORNING//MOURNING] (PROTOTYPE 2022), Mad Forest (Theatre for a New Audience and Fisher Center at Bard), Word.Sound.Power (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Paper Pianos (EMPAC), Will You Come With Me (The Play Company), s.i.n.s.o.f.u.s (Harvard University), and The Silence (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Internationally, her work has been featured at Alte Münze (Berlin) and Schauspiel Köln (Cologne). She is a member of USA829. afsoonpajoufar.com

David Allen Prescott (Properties and Set Dressing Designer) is a theatre artist working for regional and community theatre. Past work includes props and set dressing for Doubt and A Streetcar Named Desire (Foothills Theatre), as well as South Pacific and An American in Paris (Reagle Music Theatre). They are the scenic designer for City on a Hill Arts, and Theatre Director at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School.

Em K. Ross* they/them (Assistant Stage Manager) is a Boston area stage manager. They have most recently worked as an assistant stage manager and PA on Reagle Music Theatre’s 2024 Summer Season (An American in Paris, All Shook Up, South Pacific). Em trained at Wellesley College, where they worked on such shows as Silent Sky (WCTD, 2024), Rossum’s Universal Robots (WCTD, 2023), Or (WCTD, 2023), Twelfth Night (WCSS, 2022), and Hamlet (WCSS, 2021). They have also worked as fight and intimacy director for Julius Caesar (WCSS, 2024), As You Like It (WCSS, 2023), and Macbeth (WCSS, 2022). Em is delighted to be a part of The Umbrella team and thanks their family for all their support. 

SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal † (Lighting & Projections Designer) is a father, husband, educator, and storyteller designing for Theatre, Opera, Dance, Concerts, and Live Events. He travels across the country telling stories with many companies including Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program, Portland Stage Company, Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine State Music Theatre, Remote Theatre Project, Opera Maine, Opera Colorado, Palm Beach Opera, Tulsa Opera, Boston Conservatory @ Berklee, Unicorn Theatre, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, and Theatre at Monmouth. He holds an MFA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a focus on Lighting and Projection Design and is the Assistant Professor of Lighting Design at the University of Southern Maine where he brings his knowledge and experience to help shape the next generation of theatre professionals, focusing on developing complete storytelling and creating a more equitable industry. He is a proud member of United Scenic Artists 829. he/him/his  www.seif.design

Kira Troilo & Ariel Welch, Art & Soul Consulting (EDI Consultant) Art & Soul Consulting provides Equity, Diversity & Inclusion services tailored for theater and arts spaces. Since 2022, we've provided nuanced, care-forward support for theater & performance companies, educational institutions, and arts spaces nationally and internationally, serving organizations such as Goodspeed Musical, Stratford Festival, TheatreSquared, TDM @ Harvard University, The Umbrella Arts Center, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and more. Our preventive approach builds trust and creates long-term success, fostering brave, playful spaces where artists can safely explore and thrive. With a mission to build bridges between goals and action, and between people, we offer an outside perspective that embeds EDI into the fabric of organizations and show processes for meaningful, ongoing progress. www.artandsoulconsulting.com

**The Director of this production is a member of the Stage Directors and Coreographers Society, a  national theatrical labor union.

† The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.