Dr. Arthur J. Beer
Arthur is a Professor of Theatre & Playwright in Residence at University of Detroit Mercy. He has acted in and directed more than 220 plays, including several world premieres. A member of Actors' Equity and SAG/AFTRA, Beer has received Best Actor and Best Director awards from The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, Detroit Monthly magazine, The Oakland Press and others. He holds a B.A. from DePauw University, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University. The Detroit Free Press has honored Arthur with the Lee Hills Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre. He has appeared as the angel (Clarence Oddbody) in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Grandpa in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU and directed OUR TOWN.
Mary Bremer Beer
Mary has directed plays for many professional theatres as well as being the longtime artistic director of the Dearborn Youth Theatre and an award-winning director for The Theatre Company, University of Detroit Mercy. For the past 20 years she was Associate Director of the UDM Classic Theatre Study Abroad program in Greece. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and a winner of the National Irene Ryan award. Additionally, she has won both Best Director and Best Actress awards from the Detroit News, Detroit Monthly Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press, which also awarded her their Lee Hills Distinguished Career Service Award. Mary directed HAIRSPRAY and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at WCT.
Janice Blixt
Janice is the Artistic Director at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's and a graduate of the Hilberry Theater's MFA program. She teaches text analysis and folio technique for professional actors and in colleges and, when there's time, is a working actor, having appeared onstage at the JET, the Shadow Theatre Co., City Lit, First Folio Shakespeare Festival, Timeline Theatre, Next Theatre and at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. Janice adapted the WCT’s production of ROMEO & JULIET and served as a guest speaker before the opening night performance.
Chris Bremer
Chris is the Executive Director of The Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET) in Walled Lake, MI, and an award-winning stage director. Chris directed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Yasmine Jaffri
Yasmine is a theatre and film director as well as an acting and directing teacher. Currently, she is the resident director at the Marquis Theatre in Northville, MI. As an actor, Yasmine has performed in shows in Detroit, Los Angeles and New York City, and has studied with acting guru, Uta Hagen and has performed the classics in both Greece and Italy. She holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Detroit and a M.F.A. in Directing from Columbia University's School of the Arts, Film Division. Yasmine directed ROMEO & JULIET and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.
John Michael Manfredi
John is a professional actor, director, noted fight choreographer and owner of Etico Productions. He has worked with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, Meadowbrook Theatre, and many more. John appeared as Prof. Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN (1999) and was also the fight choreographer for ROMEO & JULIET where he also served as a guest speaker before the closing night performance.
Diane Ulseth
Diane is a local theatre professional. She has worked at several theatres in the metro-Detroit area. Diane was the Production Designer for HAIRSPRAY as well as the sound designer for ROMEO & JULIET.
Arthur is a Professor of Theatre & Playwright in Residence at University of Detroit Mercy. He has acted in and directed more than 220 plays, including several world premieres. A member of Actors' Equity and SAG/AFTRA, Beer has received Best Actor and Best Director awards from The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, Detroit Monthly magazine, The Oakland Press and others. He holds a B.A. from DePauw University, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University. The Detroit Free Press has honored Arthur with the Lee Hills Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre. He has appeared as the angel (Clarence Oddbody) in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Grandpa in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU and directed OUR TOWN.
Mary Bremer Beer
Mary has directed plays for many professional theatres as well as being the longtime artistic director of the Dearborn Youth Theatre and an award-winning director for The Theatre Company, University of Detroit Mercy. For the past 20 years she was Associate Director of the UDM Classic Theatre Study Abroad program in Greece. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and a winner of the National Irene Ryan award. Additionally, she has won both Best Director and Best Actress awards from the Detroit News, Detroit Monthly Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press, which also awarded her their Lee Hills Distinguished Career Service Award. Mary directed HAIRSPRAY and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at WCT.
Janice Blixt
Janice is the Artistic Director at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's and a graduate of the Hilberry Theater's MFA program. She teaches text analysis and folio technique for professional actors and in colleges and, when there's time, is a working actor, having appeared onstage at the JET, the Shadow Theatre Co., City Lit, First Folio Shakespeare Festival, Timeline Theatre, Next Theatre and at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. Janice adapted the WCT’s production of ROMEO & JULIET and served as a guest speaker before the opening night performance.
Chris Bremer
Chris is the Executive Director of The Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET) in Walled Lake, MI, and an award-winning stage director. Chris directed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Yasmine Jaffri
Yasmine is a theatre and film director as well as an acting and directing teacher. Currently, she is the resident director at the Marquis Theatre in Northville, MI. As an actor, Yasmine has performed in shows in Detroit, Los Angeles and New York City, and has studied with acting guru, Uta Hagen and has performed the classics in both Greece and Italy. She holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Detroit and a M.F.A. in Directing from Columbia University's School of the Arts, Film Division. Yasmine directed ROMEO & JULIET and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.
John Michael Manfredi
John is a professional actor, director, noted fight choreographer and owner of Etico Productions. He has worked with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, Meadowbrook Theatre, and many more. John appeared as Prof. Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN (1999) and was also the fight choreographer for ROMEO & JULIET where he also served as a guest speaker before the closing night performance.
Diane Ulseth
Diane is a local theatre professional. She has worked at several theatres in the metro-Detroit area. Diane was the Production Designer for HAIRSPRAY as well as the sound designer for ROMEO & JULIET.