2017: WALLS - Archived Bios
SCRIPT & DIRECTION:
Michael Gene Sullivan (Writer, SFMT Collective) has performed in, written, and/or directed over thirty SFMT productions. As an actor Sullivan has also appeared in productions at the American Conservatory Theater, Denver Center Theater Company, Theatreworks, San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and San Jose Repertory Theater. Michael has been a principal actor in Mime Troupe plays since 1988, performing in Freedomland, Ripple Effect, 2012: The Musical, Posibilidad, Too Big To Fail, Making a Killing, Godfellas, Doing Good, Showdown at Crawford Gulch, Mister Smith Goes to Obscuristan, Eating it, Damaged Care, Soul Suckers form Outer Space, Revenger Rat, Escape to Cyberia, Offshore, Social Work, I Ain't You uncle, Back to Normal, Rats, Seeing Double, and Ripped Van Winkle. In addition to directing SFMT shows, such as Schooled, For The Greater Good, Red State, Veronique of the Mounties, 1600 Transylvania Avenue, Killing Time, and Coast City Confidential, Michael has also directed for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, African American Shakespeare Company, Mystic Bison Theater, and Circus Finelli. In 1992 Michael became a Contributing Writer for the Mime Troupe, and the Resident Playwright in 2000, and his scripts for SFMT include Schooled (with Eugenie Chan) Freedomland, Ripple Effect (with Eugenie Chan and Tanya Shaffer), For The Greater Good, Posibilidad, Too Big To Fail (2009 nominee, Best Original Script, San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle), Red State (2008 nominee, Best Original Script, San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle), Making A Killing, GodFellas, Showdown at Crawford Gulch, Veronique of the Mounties, Mr. Smith Goes to Obscruristan, and 1600 Transylvania Avenue. As a contributing writer his SFMT scripts include Eating it, Soul Suckers From Outer Space, Escape to Cyberia, Offshore, and Social Work. His non-SFMT scripts include his all-woman political farce Recipe, (Central Works, winner of the Israel Baran Playwriting Award,) his adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, (Open Door Theatre, Sheffield, England,) the historical drama fugitive/slave/act, and his award-winning one person show, Did Anyone Ever Tell You - You Look Like Huey P. Newton? His critically acclaimed stage adaptation of George Orwell's dystopic novel 1984 opened at the Actors' Gang Theatre under the direction of Tim Robbins in 2006, and has since been performed in Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America, has had several tours of the United States, and has been translated into Spanish, Russian, and Catalan. Michael is also a blogger for the political website, The Huffington Post.
Michael Bello (Composer, Musical Director) graduated with honors from the Jazz department at Sonoma Sate University in '06 with a bachelor's degree in funkology. He has played in clubs, halls and at major festivals touring throughout the US with many projects. Bello is a multi-instrumentalist who has composed and performed with a wide range of groups. Check out some of the current bands Bello is playing with, some require you to bring your dancing shoes and others to bring your dancing ears - Strike Iron! Heavy Afrobeat, FogDub - Reggae Dub, Miles Ahead Group - Miles Davis Tribute 70's, Stacks - Blue Note Jazz 60's, Telepathy - boundary pushing original Jazz, Latin Rhythm Boys - Puerto Rican music, Molly Maguire - Singer/songwriter, David Jeffery's Jazz Fourtet, Sean Nelson's Ecotones: including some projects he is affiliated with on a semi regular basis - Sean Hayes - Singer/Songwriter, Cuban Salsa with Rumbache and Fito Reinoso, Go By Ocean - folky, funky, singer/songwriter rock, Modern Dance with Lisa Townsend, East Bay Brass Band (EB3), Cheap Therapy - rock, funk, folk.
Piero Amadeo Infante (Lyricist) a longtime Oakland icon, is a 35-year veteran of the entertainment industry. His various bands have garnered him 3 California Music awards and one SF Weekly "Whammie" award. He has also composed music for over 100 commercials, films and television shows, including, Criminal Minds, The Sopranos, the California State lottery, and films by Wayne Wang others. With a strong background in Afro Cuban, and afro Caribbean music, music, Piero was founder of the bands, Freaky Executives, (1980's) Los Angelitos, (1990's) Los Mocosos, (2000's) and Alta California, (2013-2015). Piero holds two decades of experience running site management, security, and promotions for large venues like The Knitting Factory (L.A.), and events such as the Exotic Erotic ball (S.F.) Eco-Rap, (Life on the water theater) and has a long personal history as a noted public speaker, with frequent interviews in regional, national, and international press publications (NY Times, Miami Sun Herald, SF Chronicle), and public and commercial radio (KMEL KPFA, KRQR). He leads the company with a lifelong love of urban street music and Afro-Latin music of all kinds, as well as a focus on community relations, statistical analysis, research, charities, and project management. He currently counsels and advises artists of all ages through his talks, and website, and he is currently editing a book called Taogig.
Ira Marlowe (Lyricist) recently landed a post teaching songwriting in UC Berkeley's Music Department. He's been called "the love-child of Tom Waits and Tom Lehrer" and writes a wide variety of songs, heard in such far-flung places as KFOG; NPR; the Dr. Demento Show; the Reader Rabbit series of educational CDs; and the Diner Dash video game series. He's written and performed two one-man musicals: 2004's How to Writea Song and the 2013 spook-fest, Mortimus Greely's Haunting School. That show was followed in 2014 by, Tales From Varley Mansion, which also featured SFMT's Lisa Hori-Garcia and Rotimi Agbabiaka. Five years ago Ira opened The Monkey House on Berkeley's University Ave., a combination performance space, Pro Tools recording studio, and music and writing classroom. Ira proudly served as composer/lyricist for the 2014's Ripple Effect, 2015's Freedomland, and 2016's Schooled. He is currently shopping his musical screenplay Brother Time, about two aging musicians who hire a handsome kid from the projects to front for them.
Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe (Director) began her theater journey with Carpetbag Theatre Company in Knoxville, Tennessee at the not so tender age of 9, moved to San Francisco shortly after high school and landed her first professional job with none other than the San Francisco Mime Troupe . She toured nationally and internationally for six years with the Troupe appearing in The Mozamgola Caper, I Ain't Yo Uncle, & Rats: A Dream Play. Post Mime Troupe, Edris appeared in the West Coast premieres of Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play and Devotees In the Garden of Love and has appeared in productions at Oakland Parks & Rec, Magic Theatre, Ashby Stage, TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, Theatre Rhinoceros, Intersection for the Arts, Theater Artaud, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Brava Theater Center, Aurora Theater, Los Angeles Theater Center; Arts Theater, Ibadan, Nigeria; and Baltimore Theater Project, where she returned to her Carpetbag Theater roots in the American premiere of the Market Theatre's (South Africa) Have You Seen Zandile?. She is the recipient of several awards for her portrayal of Topsy in SF Mime Troupe's I Ain't Yo Uncle including Bay Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery Award (GOLDIE) and Los Angeles' Dramalogue award. Edris is also an accomplished solo performer, who has created and presented four solo projects Black Gold, Political Gossip, Adventures of A Black Girl Traveling While Black, and Adventures Of A Black Girl In Search of Academic Clarity and Inclusion which was published in the anthology, solo/black/woman. She is an Artist in Residence at Brava Theater in San Francisco and the Producing Artistic Director of Black Artists Contemporary Cultural Experience (BACCE) where she has directed Bay Area premieres by Keith Adkins, Zakiyyah Alexander, Robert Alexander, Pearl Cleage and A. Zell Williams. She recently directed the Bay Area premiere of Robert O'Hara's hit play, Bootycandy. Aside from her company, Edris has directed for SF Playhouse, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, Aurora Theater, Magic Theatre, Mark Taper Forum (LA), Trinity Rep (Providence, RI), Curious Theater (Denver), WaterTower Theater (Dallas), 42nd Street Playhouse (NYC), Southern Rep (New Orleans), Woolly Mammoth (DC), Capitol Rep (Albany, NY) and Alabama Shakespeare Theatre. This is her first time directing with the Mime Troupe.
CAST:
Rotimi Agbabiaka (Actor, Assistant Director, Chorographer, SFMT Collective) is thrilled to back on the Mime Troupe stage after performing as a principal actor, in Schooled, Oil & Water, and Posibilidad, or Death of The Worker, and as an understudy in Freedomland. He most recently appeared in Bootycandy at Brava Theater, Schooled (Thomas Jones) with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Sojourners (Disciple) and runboyrun (boy) with Magic Theatre, Hair (Hud) with Bay Area Musicals, Holiday High Jinx (Dancing Dan) with Word for Word, Choir Boy (Junior) at Marin Theatre Company, The Amen Corner (David) with Alter Theater, We Are Proud To Present... (Another Black Man) at Just Theater, and Raisin in The Sun (Asagai) at Cal Shakes. He is a collective member of the Mime Troupe, a former cast member at Beach Blanket Babylon, and his solo play, Homeless, won Best Solo Performance at the SF Fringe Festival. His critically acclaimed solo play, Type/Caste, is currently touring around the country and will play the National Black Theatre Festival in August. As a director, Mr. Agbabiaka helmed the world premiere of VS. at TheatreFirst and has also directed plays for SF One Minute Play Festival and the SF Mime Troupe's Youth Theater Project. He studied at Moscow Art Theatre and earned his MFA from Northern Illinois University.
Velina Brown (Actor: July 1 - Aug 6, SFMT Collective) has been a principal performer for the Mime Troupe in such shows as City for Sale, Eating It, 1600 Transylvania Avenue, Mr. Smith Goes to Obscuristan, and Showdown at Crawford Gulch to name a few. She was the Devil in Deal With the Devil, Veronique in Veronique of the Mounties, she's played Condoleeza Rice three times, and was both an actor and Contributing Lyricist on GodFellas and Making a Killing. Velina's most recent shows with the Troupe include Schooled, Ripple Effect, For The Greater Good: Or the Last Election, Red State, Too Big to Fail, and Posibilidad: Or Death of the Worker for which she won a Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Principal Actress. This Spring Velina had the pleasure of touring France with the Word for Word production of Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones' All Aunt Hagar's Children. In October 2017 Velina and Brooklyn based ensemble Barbez will release their new album For Those Who Came After: Songs of the Resistance from the Spanish Civil War. Other credits include New Conservatory Theatre, A.C.T., Berkeley Repertory Theatre, SF Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre Company, Theatre Rhinoceros, Shotgun Players, Center Repertory Theatre, Central Works, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, Theatreworks as well as film (Bee Season with Richard Gere, Playing it Cool with Chris Evans and Milk with Sean Penn) and television (Trauma, Party of Five, Shaughnessy Iron Marshall, Nash Bridges, Final Witness). Velina is the founder and owner of the "Business of Show Biz," which offers career planning consultations and workshops for theater artists. She also writes a popular column of the same name for Theater Bay Area Magazine and is a contributing author of TBA's ATLAS (Advanced Training Leading Artists to Success) Manual. February 2017 Velina was given the Getting Played: Equity in the Entertainment Industry Award at Stanford University, and in 2012 she was honored as one of TBA's "35 Faces," artists who've made significant contributions to the Bay Area theater community. To learn more about Velina please visit her website.
Lizzie Calogero (Actor, SFMT Collective) was born in Tehran, and grew up in the UK. She has been acting and leading performance workshops in the Bay Area since 1997, and has been a company member of Woman's Will, and Symmetry Theatre Company. Her relationship with the Troupe began in 2008, when she appeared in the Red State, going on to perform in Too Big to Fail, and 2012: The Musical! She has performed at theatres around the Bay Area; with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Jose Rep, Aurora Theatre, CenterREP, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, and TheatreFIRST, among others.
Marilet Martinez (Actor) is a bilingual actor, teaching artist, fight choreographer, improviser, physical theatre deviser, puppeteer, certified Zumba instructor and San Francisco native. She first worked with the Mime Troupe in 2003 as a work shop student then went on to understudy for the company in 2011. She has also taught for the Youth Theater Project. Marilet has performed with ACT's The Strand, Cal Shakes, Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, Theatreworks' New Works Festival, Word for Word, PCPA Theatrefest, Shotgun Players, Crowded Fire, African-American Shakes, Woman's Will, Teatrovision, Shadowlight Theatre, SF Playwrights Foundation, and more. She is a company member at Impact Theatre and an associate artist with Cutting Ball Theatre. Marilet dedicates this show to her abuelitos and abuelitas for teaching her how to be brave.
Lauren Spencer (Actor: Aug 7 - Sept 10) is proud to have collaborated with American Conservatory Theater (King Charles III, How to Catch Creation); Campo Santo (H.O.M.E.); Marin Theatre Company (Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly, Anne Boleyn); Crowded Fire (Goods Goods, The Late Wedding, Blackademics, Mechanics of Love); San Francisco Shakespeare Festival (Romeo and Juliet); Shotgun Players (The Rover); and JUST Theater (A Maze) among others. Ms. Spencer also works as a teaching artist with Cal Shakes and The SF Shakespeare Festival and is a proud member of Actors Equity.
MUSICIANS:
Patrick Byers (Musician) first cut his teeth in San Francisco with the swing and ska revival scenes of the late nineties, and has not slowed since. Between tours, he earned his Jazz Performance degree from Sonoma State University. Out of college, he made the switch to performing Afrobeat and world music, touring nationally and beyond with many of the Bay Area's top Afrobeat bands. As the music industry changed and touring became less profitable, the focus switched to becoming one of the most in-demand baritone saxophonists in Northern California, as well as adding flute, guitar, percussion, and melodica to his arsenal. Specializing in Jazz, West African, Funk, various Caribbean, Rock, Blues, and New Orleans style music, Patrick continues to play with a diverse group of musicians and bands.
Andrew Niven (Musician) is an Oakland based drummer and music teacher. Andrew worked as a drummer in LA, touring with the classic psychedelic rock group The Magic Band and performing with Alexy Yeghikian, Balkan -fusion outfit Zaub Nasty, Ghostlight Orchestra and many others. In 2014 Andrew returned to the Bay Area and has since recorded and performed with Miles Schon, Tony Saunders, Vela Eyes and The Atom Age. In 2015, Andrew performed as the percussionist for the Berkeley Repertory Theater's production of One Man, Two Guvnors. Andrew fronts his own jazz group The Android Trio with fellow members of The Magic Band and teaches drums in Oakland.
Daniel Savio (Musician) started his professional theater career playing for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, participating in the tours for GodFellas ('06), Making a Killing ('07), Freedomland ('15), and Schooled ('16) and he is delighted to be back in the pit this summer. He was co-composer/lyricist, with SFMT vet Bruce Barthol, of the play FSM ('14, Stagebridge Senior Theater), written by fellow SFMT vet Joan Holden. Daniel has composed the scores of four musicals for young audiences at Stagebridge, all with book and lyrics by Josiah Polhemus. He also composed original music for an early production of Lauren Yee's A Man, His Wife, and his Hat ('11, AlterTheater). Daniel plays keyboards for The 808 Band, winner of the 2011 North Bay Bohemian Award for Best Hip Hop Band, which has backed many hip hop and reggae performers including KRS-ONE, MC Radioactive, and Robert Herrera. He has performed as an improv pianist with the Antic Witties, the Un-Scripted Theater Company, 6th Street Improv!, and the Midnight Matinee. Daniel has a BA in Music from the University of California at Santa Cruz and studies with Bay Area composer Michael Kaulkin.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Carlos Aceves (Scenic Designer, Charge scenic artist) works as a scenic designer, painter, and props maker all over the bay area. Favorite designs include: The North Plan (Renegade Theatre Experiment), The Awakening (Breadbox Theatre), Desire Under the Elms (Eugene O'Neill Foundation), The Birthday Party (The Dragon Theatre), Belleville (Custom Made Theatre) and, A Few Good Men (Hillbarn Theatre). When he is not designing, Carlos works as the charge scenic artist for P.A.C.T. -Carlos received the title of: California Theatre Arts Scholar. And has received an award for excellence in stage management from the American College Theatre Festival. Carlos would like to thank his family, friends, mentors, colleagues, and every mix thereof. This accomplishment would not have been possible without you. And a special thanks to the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
R. Black (Poster Designer) is an orphan of unknown descent, he seems to represent wild and natural forces which often seem amoral and dangerous for society. His almost inhuman devotion to Catherine is the moving force in his life, seconded by his vindictive hatred for all those who stand between him and his beloved...and he's been a professional graphic artist and muralist for over 17 years. See his murals on the Ashby Stage wall and around Berkeley.
Marie Cartier (Props Master) has been working with the Mime Troupe since 2012. A native San Franciscan, her theater practices encompass a variety of roles, including performing, lighting design, education and properties. She is also a visual artist working in mediums ranging from painting to jewelry to zinemaking and more! Marie has just completed the Emerging Artist in Residence program at SFMT, by co-writing and performing her original work, Yesterday is Tomorrow.
Robert "Bo" Golden (Technical Director) was cast as Berger in the Professional Equity Chicago Company of HAIR, followed by the National tour. He performed in other shows on and off Broadway until he co-founded his own production touring company with a partner. There he took on the role of performer, director, and scenic designer and toured with Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, O' Calcutta, and many more. That's where he got the bug for the tech side of theatre!Using his artistic background, he began learning everything he could about scenic & sound design. He has sung in a couple of jingles, done print work, and even did a commercial for jeans. Since moving to the Bay Area from NYC six years ago, he has designed over 20 shows, and built, painted, or assisted in over 25. His sets have been nominated 3 times for best scenic design. In his spare time he sings and plays guitar of his own music as well as Blues and covers at the various open mics in the Bay Area. Bo is excited to be the Troupe's Technical Director this summer!
Taylor Gonzalez (Sound Designer/Operator) first started working with the San Francisco Mime Troupe ten years ago while in high school. His work began with The Youth Theater Project as a student. Since then he has taught as well as designed lights and sound for the youth program. This will be Taylor's second full summer with the Troupe, his first summer was in 2012 when he was the sound intern on For the Greater Good, or The Last Election. During the past two years he has been designing sound at Berkeley Playhouse with such shows including; Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof, Avenue Q, and for several of their Youth Theater Projects. Just recently he was a board operator on Hair with BAM! and A House Tour with Z Space. In the summer of 2011 while attending school at Laney College he was able to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland for the Fringe Festival to perform Polaroid Stories with the resident company The Fusion Theater Project. This trip changed his outlook on life and on theater. He strives to bring the excitement and joy he gained through his Edinburgh experience to every show he designs and works on.
Karen Runk (Production Stage Manager, Web Programmer) moved to SF with the intention of only staying for a few months. Nearly two decades later she's still here! This is largely due to the talented folks at the Troupe. Runk first experienced the Troupe by stage managing two 97 youth projects, Revenger Rat Meets the Merchant of Death and Inside Out. After which she ran screaming into the arms of the Magic Theatre and there she stayed, contently for two years. The Troupe then wooed her back for their 99 Summer Production City For Sale. Still under the Troupes wooing spell she's stage managed a plethora of their summer shows and has only managed to escape, successfully, one full summer back in 02 when she worked with SFShakes.
Keiko Shimosato Carreiro (Costume Designer, SFMT Collective) was born in Cambridge Massachusettes. Keiko holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MA in Multimedia from the University of Iowa. She arrived in San Francisco with the Horse Drawn, Caravan Stage Company of Canada. She has been an actor, designer and director for the Mime Troupe since 1987. Keiko has designed costumes for many Bay Area Theater companies including, Berkeley Rep, S.F. Shakespeare in the Parks, The Asian American Theater Company, African American Shakespeare Company, Crowded Fire and Custom Made Theater as well as the San Francisco Mime Troupe. She has appeared in many productions at Bay Area Theaters including, Berkeley Rep, The Aurora, The Magic Theater, Center Rep, ACT, Life on the Water, and of course the Mime Troupe. She directed City for Sale and Gotta Getta Life for the Mime Troupe, and Cowboy versus Samurai for the Asian American Theater Company. Most recently she played the role of "Grace" at Center Reps' production of Philip Kan Gotandas' The Sisters Matsumoto.
Annie Tillis (Tour Manager) is thrilled to be back working for the Troupe this year! Tilly is a bay area native, who returned to the Bay after securing her B.A. of Psychology in Boston. She has been running around the city ever since, working with companies such as Shotgun Players, Quantum Dragon Theatre, and Bay Area Musicals as stage manager. She is excited to be trying her hand at the new skill of sitting at a desk to work rather than being on her feet.