Jane Austen Unscripted:
A Regency Christmas

Dec 2 - 11, 2022
Live at Garry Marshall Theatre

STARRING
(in lovely rotation)
Eric Carthen, Nicholas Daly Clark, Kari Coleman,
Stephen Kearin, Susan Deming, Leanna Dindal,
Kelly Lohman, Rebecca Lowman,
Dan O’Conner, Paul Rogan and Mike Rock

Producing for Garry Marshall Theatre
Joseph Leo Bwarie

Producing for Impro Theatre
Dan O’Connor

Costume Design, Jessica Champagne Hansen

Hair and Wig Styling and Design, Laura Caponera

Sound Design, Robert Arturo Ramirez

Lighting Design, JM Montecalvo

Scenic Design Consultant, Vince Davey

Stage Manager, Giselle N. Vega

Directed by
Paul Rogan

JANE AUSTEN UNSCRIPTED: A REGENCY CHRISTMAS
will have a 10 minute intermission

MUSICIANS

Violin, Madeleine Eaton
Cello, Zack Reeves
Alternate Violin, Yvette Holzwarth

The Company

In alphabetical order.

Eric Carthen

Eric Carthen is from Highland, CA, and is an Actor, Improvisor, and Storyteller. A Graduate from California Lutheran University with a BS in Criminal Justice. You can find Eric on TV in a few national commercials (Benjamin Moore, Walmart), ACI ensemble with Company of Angels, and listen to his voice talents in Sonder: The Improvised Podcasts, available on all platforms. He has performed improv and sketch at Impro Theatre and Second City Hollywood. Through all the plays, short films, shows, and auditions; progress and the enjoyment of the work is what gets him through. Life Motto: "Live and be a blessing unto someone else."

@EricPCarthen

Nicholas Daly Clark

Nicholas Daly Clark is an actor, writer, and improviser. He has appeared on numerous television shows, shamelessly shilled for corporations in dozens of commercials, and been a staff writer on several funny, funny shows. He is a member of the Impro Theatre Main Company and has spent many recent years working at and then running the Impro Theatre School. He thinks narrative improvisation is a great deal of fun, storytelling is important, and connection is everything. He loves his parents, brother, wife (who is also in this cast), and their cats Zucchini and Courgette (who regrettably are not) very much.

@NicholasDalyClark

Kari Coleman

Kari Coleman is a founding member of IMPRO theatre. Some of her credits include playing Helen Stacy in both The Amazing Spider-man movies, starring in the Netflix series, Zach Stone is Gonna be Famous with Bo Burnham, The Good Doctor, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, George’s girlfriend Allison on Seinfeld and the embittered sex-ed teacher Mrs. Hauser in Veronica Mars. She was also a fire-eater with Penn & Teller in Vegas and recently co-wrote an Amazon best-selling book about how to kill it on zoom: Through the Screen.

@Itskaricoleman

Susan Deming

Susan is thrilled to return to the Garry Marshall Theatre with this festive production! A theatre graduate of Northwestern University, Susan Deming’s onstage appearances include The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and East West Players and the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. Select television credits: The Affair, Fresh Off the Boat, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Tribeca TV Pilot, Tantalum. Additional improv credits: Groundlings Sunday Company, Second City, Chicago & Los Angeles and iO West.

@susandemingofficial

Leanna Dindal

Leanna Dindal is a writer, performer, and musical theater choreographer from LA. She began improv training in 2008, graduated from The Second City Conservatory, and studied with Impro Theatre. She is now a member of Impro Theatre's Ensemble and is currently serving on the Artistic Director team. Leanna has taught hip hop classes to children throughout the LA area. She choreographed theTRIBE’s productions of Hair and Cabaret in San Francisco, as well as numerous Second City shows. She writes professionally for television animation (Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Firebuds).

@1eanna

Stephen Kearin

Stephen began his career as an improviser in 1987, and is a founding member of Impro Theatre. He is the co-creator of Simlish, the language of The Sims. He’s featured in the

DreamWorks Animation films Kung Fu Panda 1-3, Madagascar 2&3, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Megamind, The Penguins of Madagascar and Home. Stephen can be heard in

the upcoming Netflix Animation feature The Magician’s Elephant, as well as on Peacock’s spinoff series, Megamind. He has served as a visiting instructor and advisor with Stanford University, The US Olympic Ski Team, Disney, DreamWorks, Laika, Paramount & Netflix Animation and Cirque Du Soleil. Stephen currently portrays the role of Sergeant Geller on Amazon Prime’s hit show, WAYNE.

@stephen.kearin

Kelly Lohman

Kelly is an actor and director from Los Angeles. She is a member of the Impro Company Ensemble and Ripley Improv. She recently directed Ripley Improv in As We Go Along, a trio of fully-improvised films. Kelly can be seen improvising musicals in The Show Offs on BYUtv. Favorite theatrical roles include Hope in Urinetown, Christine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Anne in The Elliots (an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion), and Jennifer in The Dastardly Ficus. TV and film credits include Bones, Gilmore Girls, Days of Our Lives, and The Hillside Strangler.

@kellysueloh

Rebecca Lowman

Rebecca Lowman has been performing with Impro Theatre since 2010, both as a guest artist and in Impro Lab, and has been an Ensemble member since 2020. She made her GMT debut with The Western UnScripted in 2014, and returned for Jane Austen UnScripted in May 2022. She has worked in theatre across the country from the Public in NYC to the Taper and Ahmanson here in LA. TV credits include Prime Suspect, Law & Order: SVU, a few CSIs, Will & Grace, Dirty John, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Would It Kill You to Laugh, and many more.

@Lobecca

Dan O’Connor

Dan is the founder of Impro Theatre. He has taught and performed narrative improvisation from Auckland to Dubai. He is an actor, writer, and director. He has co-authored two books on using improvisation to connect more with yourself and others: Ensemble! and Life Unscripted.

@danoimpro

Mike Rock

Mike Rock - Co-Artistic Director at Impro Theatre. Actor, director, producer, improviser, v/o narrator. TV: This Is Us, Black-ish, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, After Lately, The Mentalist, Monk, Conan O’Brien, Law & Order, Celebrity Deathmatch, Guiding Light. Voice of shows: NFL Replay, NFL Sound FX, Chelsea Lately, Property Ladder and Car Kings. Former artistic director, producer, co-founder of Madison WI Theatresports, founder, artistic director, producer of ComedySportz NYC. 30+ years as a teaching artist with Educational Theatre Association. Co-created/produced The Bert Fershners sketch group: MTV, VH-1 & Comedy Central TV, Just For Laughs Montreal, Edinburgh, Aspen Comedy Festival.

@itsmikerock

Paul Rogan

From London, Paul worked with the UK’s major improv groups, including the Comedy Store Players and Eddie Izzard and Friends. He joined Impro Theatre to co-direct and perform in Jane Austen UnScripted. TV includes American Horror Story, Marvel Agents of Shield, Grace and Frankie, Casual, Castle, Timeless, KC Undercover, Anger Management, Legit, My Name is Earl, Big Love, Cougartown, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sleeper Cell. Theatre includes ‘George’ in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the ‘Emcee’ in Cabaret, and ‘Malvolio’ in Twelfth Night. Plus many BBC radio comedy credits, and hundreds of live stand up comedy, TV and radio gigs. www.paulrogan.com

@itspaulrogan

BEHIND THE SCENES TEAM

(In alphabetical order)

JOSEPH LEO BWARIE
Producing Artistic Director for Garry Marshall Theatre
JLB is known for his record-breaking turn as Frankie Valli in the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys (over 2,000 performances – Las Vegas, Tour & Broadway). He is a Sherman Oaks native and a recording artist popular on XM Siriusly Sinatra. Albums: Nothin’ But Love, The Good Stuff, A Little Christmas. At Garry’s Falcon Theatre, he wrote/produced seven original family productions, performed in nine “Troubie” shows, played ‘Chachi Arcola’ in Happy Days: A New Musical, and was associate director alongside Garry for the world premiere Billy & Ray. For GMT, he is a founding Artistic Director and has directed A Funny Thing Happened… Forum starring Joey McIntyre, The Root Beer Bandits, Cindy & The Disco Ball, and Holidaze Harmony 2020 and Holidaze Harmony 2021 both starring Terron Brooks and Kamilah Marshall. With Julie Pearl he developed GMT’s Family Garden Days. With Impro Theatre he produced 2022’s Jane Austen Unscripted courtyard tea party event. With Kamilah Marshall he produced GMT’s 2022 Summer Concert Series (and opened the five-night event with a sold out concert). His newest album with arranger Charles Calello is due in 2023. It is always a joy to be a part of the Garry Marshall legacy.

LAURA CAPONERA
Wig Design
As a lifelong admirer of theatre and film, Laura was drawn to theatre because of her love of grade school field trips, and eventually discovered wig making backstage on Angels In America in San Francisco. Laura was awarded a Make-up Artist & Hair Stylist Guild Award for Amadeus, and was Nominated for an Emmy for her contribution to the series The Mandalorian.

VINCE DAVEY
Tech Director for Garry Marshall Theatre
Vince Davey (Technical Director) Vince has been building sets since high school in Indiana. He received his MFA in Theatre Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served as the Technical Director for the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham, MA, and The Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA. His most recent productions include Jane Austen Unscripted, Legally Brunette, Holidaze Harmony, The Root Beer Bandits, Lady Day, and Cindy & The Disco Ball.

LEANNA DINDAL
Artistic Director for Impro Theatre Co.
*See cast bio.

TODD GALLOPO
Creative Director
Grammy® nominated creative director, designer, mentor, author and business owner, Todd Gallopo, began his career designing innovative packaging and image campaigns for numerous rock legends. His expertise spans from music and entertainment, to hospitality, food & beverage, fashion and beauty. His work has earned numerous awards and acknowledgements globally. In 2000 Todd founded the award-winning, LA-based branding and design agency, Meat and Potatoes, Inc. Producing quality design, brand building, key visual, packaging, and strategy solutions for global & local brands, pop stars, rock gods, celebrities, chefs, aficionados, fashionistas, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, distillers, authors, entertainers, investors, carnivores, omnivores, vegetarians and vegans.

JESSICA CHAMPAGNE HANSEN
Costume Design
Jessica Champagne Hansen is an Ovation nominated costume designer and technician with credits in theater, dance, film, television, commercials, theme parks, and corporate clients. She is a published author and her work has been featured in numerous theater journals and books. Jessica is proud to be the head faculty and creator of the costume program at East Los Angeles College in the Theatre Arts Department. She is a member of IATSE Local 829 and serves on the Publication Committee for USITT. Jessica received an MFA in Costume Design from University of California, Irvine and a BFA in Costume Design & Technology from Emerson College.

REBECCA LOWMAN
Artistic Director for Impro Theatre Co.
*See cast bio.

BRIANNA PITTS
Executive Director for Impro Theatre Co.
Brianna Pitts serves as the Executive Director of Impro Theatre. Her background includes fundraising and development, as well as creating initiatives and programs that increase access to the arts in under resourced and marginalized communities. Previously, as the Director of Workforce & Economic Development, she led entrepreneurship development, creative placemaking initiatives, as well as youth and education programs. Her expertise includes strategic and organizational planning, fundraising and grant writing. Most notably, she developed Stand Up For Salem’s Makerspace, a creative studio and workspace for STEAM-based youth programs and community events.

ROBERT ARTURO RAMIREZ
Sound Design
Robert Arturo Ramirez is pleased to be designing for GMT again. Theatrical Designs include: Haunted House Party (Troubies/Getty Villa), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (GMT), Santa Claus is Coming to Motown (Troubadour Theatre), The Root Beer Bandits (GMT), Cindy & The Disco Ball (GMT) and Miracle on 34th Street (Hollywood Actors co-op), (Ovation nom). For TV, he is currently Sound Designer on DC Comics' Superman and Lois (CW/hbomax), The Winchesters, Supernatural spinoff (CW) and Unprisoned (Hulu) at Warner Brothers Sound. Past theatrical designs: Lady Day at Emerson's (GMT) Ovation nom; Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Broads! (El Portal); Romeo and Juliet (Odyssey). He’s received 3 Emmy/2 Ovation nominations. Other TV credits include: Manifest (NBC/Netflix), DC's Titans (Hbomax), DC’s Arrow, Queen and Slim. etc. He operates Orpheus SoundLabs in the NoHo Arts District.

MIKE ROCK
Artistic Director for Impro Theatre Co.
*See cast bio.

KURT SWANSON
Managing Director for Garry Marshall Theatre
Chicago native Kurt Swanson is thrilled to be in his position with the GMT since August 2018. Kurt has been involved in theatre and performing arts since childhood, originally as a keyboard musician. His career has spanned four decades, serving in a variety of senior positions with major social service and arts organizations in the Midwest and California. He has held executive positions with Theatre X, Steppenwolf Theatre, and others. He was Executive Director of Animal Samaritans SPCA, serves as a senior advisor with The Third Sector Company and is a lead consultant with SST Non-Profit Services, aiding clients in administration, finance and executive search. Swanson has served as General Manager of the Broad Stage and Acting COO of The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts/The Wallis among others. Swanson has lived in Toluca Lake for over 22 years.

JEFFREY THOMPSON
Artistic Director for Impro Theatre Co.
Jeffrey Thompson is a writer, actor, magician, psychology professor, and tax professional. He has a roster of over 300 tax and accounting clients in the entertainment industry including actors, dancers, writers, and cinematographers. Jeffrey also teaches improv at the Westside Comedy Theater, teaches psychology at Citrus College, and has given tax talks for CalArts and the California Lawyers for the Arts. He also acts as a board member for The Ruby LA (a non-profit theatre in LA) and The Improv Network (an international non-profit organization), and produces short films with his production company, Great Hair Productions.

GISELLE N. VEGA
Stage Manager
Giselle N. Vega (she/her) is a South East Los Angeles Native. She is thrilled to return for another production at the Garry Marshall Theatre. Her most recent and favorite credits as PSM/ASM include Cindy & The Disco Ball (Garry Marshall Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Pasadena Playhouse), Macbeth (Independent Shakespeare Company), Pericles (Independent Shakespeare Company), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Garry Marshall Theatre)*Ovation Nom, The Mountaintop (Garry Marshall Theatre), and Culture Clash's Bordertown Now (Pasadena Playhouse).

Production Staff

Audio Engineer, Gama Franco

Costume Assistant, Macy Dailey, Manee Leija

Branding Creative Director, Todd Gallopo

Branding Design Coordinator, Tory Davis

Garry Marshall Theatre Staff

Producing Artistic Director, Joseph Leo Bwarie

Managing Director, Kurt J. Swanson

Technical Director, Vince Davey

Lighting Director, JM Montecalvo

Sound Director, Robert Arturo Ramirez

Producer, Heather Hall

Assistant Producer, Malynda Hale

Box Office, Tarumi Inouye, Kimberly Arnold

Patron Services, Elizabeth Albright

Lead Production Assistant, Josh Aguilar

GMT Team Members, Julianne Hall, Grayson Lichtenthaler, Tate Wiblin

Impro Theatre Staff

Artistic Directors
Leanna Dindal
Rebecca Lowman
Mike Rock
Jeffrey Thompson

Executive Director, Brianna Pitts

Founder, Dan O’Connor

Garry Marshall Theatre Board of Directors

Barbara Marshall, Chair
Kathleen Marshall, President
Heather Hall, Secretary
Scott Kay, Treasurer
Joan Boyett
Cathy King
Phill Lewis
Kelly Gerner

Impro Theatre Board of Directors

Cheryl Faris, President
Dan O’Connor, Vice President
Mike Blaha, Secretary
Andrew Pearce, Secretary
Cooper Bates
Tricia Bohren
Ted Cannon
Kari Coleman
Susan Deming
Lisa Fredrickson
Juliana Gondek
Alicia Ide
Laurie Wee

Photography by Damu Malik.

Jane Austen Unscripted: A Regency Christmas

Dec 2 - 11, 2022Live at Garry Marshall Theatre