Josie Collier (Director) is embarking on another busy year. In addition to The House of Yes, Josie will be directing 9 x 9 x 9 this spring. Last season, she directed Ondine, Ugly Maria and Sonata Blue for Coda. Before becoming entwined in Coda, she founded Sol Fly Productions. Austin credits include Wilhelm Reich in Hell (Ringmaster), April's Fool (Director), and Ugly Maria (Director, Demon) and she served as Assistant Director for Quake, and stage managed for Perdita with Hyde Park Theatre. She also has worked as stage manager and consulting director for multiple touring shows in Austin. Before moving here, she attended AMDA in New York City, and was the Assistant Light Designer and general Panic Button for Three Feet Deep. She is proud to announce that in January of 2006 her name will be changing to Josie Tucker.
Dr. David Robinson (Production Designer) has pursued the performing arts in Austin for more than fifteen years, having begun the journey by winning free dance lessons with Darla Johnson in a raffle. Since then he has performed with the aforementioned Ms. Johnson, Andrew Long, Pina Bausche, C.K. McFarland, Andrea Ariel, Ampara Garcia-Crow, Allison Orr, Margery Segal, Carol Lewis, Peggy Lamb and others. He comes to Coda by way of the Austin Commedia Society, where he portrayed the ancient, traditional yet still funny Pantalone in The Family Jewels: A Tragedy and Zombies! The Musical. He also appeared in Sol Fly Productions' Wilhelm Reich in Hell. He was most recently seen in 10 Minutes Max and as Auguste in Ondine for Coda.
Matt Ervin (Dramaturg, Assistant Director), a Central Texas native, was born at Fort Hood to parents from South–Central Illinois. He pursued undergraduate and graduate coursework simultaneously at Southern Methodist University—yes, he was there for more than the standard four. He studied Performance Studies with Gretchen Smith, Elizabethan drama with the late “Twinkie” Lawhon, Chaucer and Malory with the inimitable Bonnie Wheeler and everything in between with the brilliant Jeremy du Quesnay Adams and John Lewis. These days (in addition to fulfilling the role of Dramaturg for Coda) he works in the Classics Department at UT where he is: writing a history of education in the Classics there, assisting in the establishment of a Teaching Museum, and generally working to ensure that no one forgets Greece and Rome. As a parting thought, some advice: talking about oneself is, at best, ill-advised.
Bob Eells AKA !Bob (Sound Designer) has been acting up since he was a wee child. He was raised in Georgia, but has become rather attached to Texas and plans to stay. Bob's recent performances in Austin include Ondine (Sea King) with Coda, and April's Fool (Frank) and Wilhelm Reich in Hell (several roles) for Sol Fly Productions. Bob also tends to play with computers, fire, and things that go boom. He'd like to thank you for bothering to read all of these silly bios.
Zac Crofford (Lighting Designer) moved to Austin in 2002 after wrestling a theatre degree from Case Western Reserve University in the icy northern wastes of Cleveland, Ohio. He has worked with a number of excellent groups, including the Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Tulsa Theater Company, and here in Austin, the Vortex Theater, Iron Belly Muses, and of course, Coda. Long story short, Zac is thrilled to be given a hand in the maturation of Coda as a company and Austin theater as a community—all the while getting to play with a bunch of cool kids.
Ida Villanueva (Costume Designer) began designing costumes for her Christmas plays at the age of 12. Since then she has designed costumes for The Hobbit and Dracula for her high school and assisted with Playing for Time at St. Edward's University. While in Germany, she produced Halloween costumes for a spectacular party in a castle, and also worked for the Stadttheater Koblenz during her stay along the Rhein. She is currently designing a new line of wedding dresses on a freelance basis. She discovered Coda while attending Ondine last summer at The Blue Theater.
Megan Tucker (Technical Assistant) is a tweny-two year old newlywed. Last season she had her Coda Theater Project debut as the Kitchen Maid in Ondine. She is originally from El Paso where she was seen in the annual Shakespeare on the Rocks productions before moving to Austin in 2002.
Dustin Tucker (Set Designer) is having his first experience with theater of any kind. He loves building anything so designing and constructing the set was fun and challenging. He is a drummer, a desk jockie, and a full time ninja. He thanks Coda very much for letting him be a part of this production and reminds one and all that they can see him in his natural drumming habitat by checking out Four Second Load.
Christopher Broussard (Hair, Properties) has been doing hair for 17 years in and around Austin. Currently he can be reached through the Human Touch Salon in Westlake. Fifteen years of his tenure has been as a color specialist. He is delighted to be given the wonderful opportunity to work on Ondine and The House of Yes and hopes you enjoy the show.
Daniel Brock (Photography) is a third-generation photographer. His first experience with photography was on the other side of the lens, a poster child for the March of Dimes, and it was the Shriners who gave him his first camera at the age of nine. As someone with Cerebral Palsy, Daniel has acquired a unique perspective on the essentials of life and art. His clarity of vision and attention to detail enable him to create striking images that are bold yet subtle. Thus, when he set up his studio under the name Twin Lens Photography, it was with a desire to explore new ways to communicate the nuances of form, color texture, and expression while championing a cleaner, more stripped down approach to the craft of image making.
Alex Pippard (Stage Manager) was recently seen in Coda's Ondine and Ugly Maria. An acting junkie since a young age, favorite roles include Wise Man #1 (his first), Bud Frump (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Dad (W.A.S.P.), Tom (The Glass Menagerie), and Flavio (The Family Jewels: A Tragedy). He was nominated for Best Villain at the 1997 New York B-Movie Film Festival for his work in Ice Scream, which is possibly the worst film ever made. "It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not."—Anon.
Eric Burke (House Manager) serves on Coda Theater Project's Board of Directors and has no desire to have a bio in the program. Eric has worked the box office on several productions, including Wilhelm Reich in Hell for Sol Fly Productions and Panty Raid, Sonata Blue, Ugly Maria, and Ondine (for which he also served as Stage Manager) for Coda Theater Project, demonstrating that Eric is both highly organized and good at counting. Coda would like to thank Eric for his superior handiness.
Zena Marie Franklin (Sound Board Operator) is very proud to be involved in her first show with Coda Theater Project. Zena is a recent graduate of the theater program at Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. Her past shows include Psycho Beach Party (Chicklet), Woman in Mind (Assistant Director), The Jungle Book (Messua), and Cabaret (Lulu). Zena would like to thank Dr. Dave and Josie for giving her the chance to work with such a talented group of people.
Travis Hale (Light Board Operator) has been in Austin since 1997, but he has lived other places since then, too. An alumnus of UT's Shakespeare at Winedale program, Travis was a co-founding artistic director of the Bedlam Faction Theatre Company. He has also worked with the Ausitn Free Shakespeare Society, the Rude Mechs, Salvage Vanguard Theatre, and The Company, doing everything from costume design to acting to set building. He loves sitting in dark booths switching dials to create an "ambience." And he also loves kittens. Uh...Shout out to my peeps?
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