Who’s Who at FoodPlay

Theater Staff

Paul Baswell (Director) started directing for FOODPLAY in January of 2011 after numerous tours with the company. He is a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, but now currently resides in New York City. Recently, Paul was in Maine performing for guests at the Quisisana Resort. It was there that Paul was given the opportunity to sing for over 60,000 people with the Portland Symphony for their Fourth of July celebration. Paul is thrilled to be back in Massachusetts working with the all of his friends at FoodPlay Productions.

Michael Karas (Juggling Coach) earned his B.F.A. in acting from Point Park University. Michael has always had an interest in juggling, and began seriously pursuing it in the summer of 2001 when attending the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. Since then he has become one of the juggling world’s key players, winning multiple awards in international juggling competitions and inspiring other jugglers with his creative tricks. Michael toured with FOODPLAY as Johnny for two seasons and is very excited to continue supporting FOODPLAY as a juggling consultant.

Rihki Kennebrew (Music Creator, Sound Engineer, Lyrics Collaborator, FOODPLAY, Trish’s Awesome Nutrition Ambition) is a composer, arranger, producer, and more. His musical career spans over 20 years and includes credits from music pioneers such as LA and Babyface to Philadelphia legends Gamble & Huff. Rihki’s formal training includes New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the American Academy of Dramatic Art. In addition to being a multi-genre songwriter, Rihki is also an accomplished radio/television personality. From pop, rock, and R&B to choral classical and theatrical, he continues to build a successful legacy writing hits for the music industry’s most noted artists and the stars of tomorrow. More info: www.phillybrew.com

Bruce Robinson (Director, Sound Designer, Script Collaborator, Lyrics Collaborator, FOODPLAY’s Fresh Adventure & Director, Script Co-writer, Lyrics Collaborator, Trish’s Awesome Nutrition Ambition) is founder and executive artistic director of FreshVisions Youth Theatre Company. A thirty-year theater veteran, Bruce is a producer, director, actor, writer, theater arts teacher and workshop leader. He is a winner of Philadelphia theater’s prestigious Barrymore Award for Theater Excellence as well as KYW TV-3’s “People Making a Difference” award.

Richard A. Murray Jr. (Assistant Director, Script Co-writer, Lyrics Collaborator, Trish’s Awesome Nutrition Ambition) is an accomplished writer, author, playwright, poet, and also has his own line of greetings cards aimed at the sobriety and recovery market. He has written two plays, two poetry books, and a self-help book. He has worked in the theater since 2000 as a stage manager and dramaturge, and as a sound and lighting technician on many plays including the recent run of Fences at The Ritz Theatre. Richard recently graduated from The Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He is a member of the production company Landmark Productions, and has worked on two of their upcoming projects — the television pilot, The Saints, and the feature film, Welcome Home Eddy.

Barbara Storper, MS, RD (Artistic Director, Playwright, Nutritionist, and Executive Director of FoodPlay Productions) is a leader in the field of children’s nutrition. Barbara has received a host of national awards including the Society for Nutrition Education’s first “Outstanding Young Nutrition Educator in the Country” Award, the American Dietetic Association’s “Outstanding Nutrition Entrepreneur” Award, and an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Children and Youth TV Special.”

Aidan Eastwood (Coach) is a recent graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a BFA in Drama studying at the Stella Adler Studio of Actiong and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and is a winner of the class of 2011 Drama Department Award. In addition to acting, Adan has two years of experience working with and educating autistic students between the ages of 10 and 20. Recent credits include Othello (Iago), As You Like It (Jacques), Love’s Labours Lost (Costard), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nick Bottom), and Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio) at Mainstage Shakespeare in Kennebunk ME, The Toroise and the Hare (Tortoise) at the Texas Shakespeare Festival, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Proteus) and Much Ado about Nothing (Claudio) at RADA. He is very excited to be doing his first tour with FoodPlay.

Jacklyn Grigg (Janey) is a native Texan who earned her BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Colorado. Some favorite credits include The Sound of Music (Liesl), Scrooge (Martha Cratchit), The Cunning Little Vixen (Young Vixen), and Into the Woods (Rapunzel). She would like to thank FoodPlay Productions for this wonderful opportunity, as well as her family and friends for their continued support.

Stephanie Thompson (Stage Manager) Stephanie is beyond excited to join FoodPlay for a second tour! She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a B.F.A. in Technical Theatre and Design. Past experiences include working for Norwegian Cruise Lines, New London Barn Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, and Connecticut Lyric Opera.

Ross Carmichael (Coach) has performed professionally with the Harrisburg Shakespeare Company in As You Like It (Orlando) and with the youth program REACH (Chad). He received a BA in Theatre from York College of Pennsylvania. College performances include Simpatico (Simms), The Country Wife (Horner), Bakkhai (Dionysos), Twelfth Night (Malvolio), The Merchant of Venice (Antonio), and the title role in Hamlet. Ross also works as a scenic carpenter/ electrician through his alma mater. He is thrilled to be a part of the FOODPLAY team!

Alyssa Bryner (Janey) is a recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Theatre and is absolutely thrilled to be joining FoodPlay Productions. Previous credits include: The Tale of the West Texas Marsupial Girl (Marsupial Girl), Dog Sees God (Lucy), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Sheila) and recently performed in one of Penn States New Musicals All Fall Down (Sarah Little). Alyssa was born in rural southwestern Pennsylvania and graduated from Stage Right! School for the Performing Arts. While at Penn State, she was the recipient of the Peg French Undergraduate Award in Theatre. She would like to thank FoodPlay Productions for this incredible opportunity and her friends and family for their continued love and support.

Travis Gawron (Stage Manager) is thrilled beyond words to be joining FoodPlay Productions for a third tour. Receiving his education from Westfield State University and The University of New Hampshire, Travis is internationally recognized as both a performer and an administrator. Past credits include The Ugly Duckling (Little Red Wagon), Anything Goes, (Allenberry Playhouse), M. Butterfly (Zuloo Productions, UK). Regional and national tours include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare…Abridged (Shakesperience Productions) and The Laramie Project (Shanghai Rep, PRC). He also had the privilege of working on the US premiere of the live stage version of Disney’s High School Musical 2 at North Shore Music Theatre and the world premiere of China’s first long-running musical Hollywood to Broadway (CD Entertainment Inc.). Currently, Travis is working on releasing the first portion of his autobiography, Down Stage Center, I My Mark, which he hopes to have released by late 2013. All his love to FoodPlay staff for their love and constant support.

Miranda Thompson (Mama Rose) is an actress and playwright from West Philadelphia and is thrilled to be a part of FoodPlay Productions! This year she has been rewarded an Art for Social Change Leeway Grant and will produce a theatre production entitled The Waiting Room (title subject to change) in March 2012 at the CEC (Community Education Center), directed by Connie Norwood and written by Miranda. This fall, she is doing sound for a documentary on Ballroom dancers in wheelchairs with renowned reporter David Block. Miranda’s vision is to one day own a production company that produces cerebral-based plays, narrative and documentary styled films that incorporate current events and social change.

Kaamilah Milton (Trish) has been performing since the age of five; first with the Mitchell-Robinson Youth Theatre and succeeding with SCYDO and Lock Haven University Players. Over time, she has essayed dozens of roles in scores of productions. Highlights include the role of the Boy in Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, the lead role of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz take-off Wiz Up!, Lt. Rooney in Arsenic and Old Lace and, most recently, a featured role in the independent film Bumming Cigarettes. Kaamilah is a Martial artist and has been a professional clown. She enjoys and has traveled extensively, volunteering under her University’s Global Service Learning Program and AmeriCorps. She certainly considers herself a global citizen and looks forward to incorporating her ever-developing love of theatre, peer-education, world perspectives, awesome food and inspirational people into her career path.

Hope Eagle (Stage Manager) is a writer, poet, actor and voiceover-hopeful. Her theater career spans over two decades and includes performances at the Philadelphia Academy of Music and New Freedom Theatre. Within the past ten years, Hope has been a theater workshop leader, script collaborator, assistant director, assistant stage manager, and production stage manager with Children’s Classics Theatre, The Children’s Theatre Workshop and FreshVisions Youth Theatre. Hope toured with Li’l Red Ridin’ Thru Da Hood as Grandma Jackson in 2008. She has been published by Poetry Society of America and has been working on a children’s book.