Biographies

Lynne Conner (playwright) plays and adaptations have been produced in venues across the country, including Main Street Theatre (Houston), Theatre-Hikes (Chicago), the Actors’ Guild of Lexington (Kentucky), Quantum Theatre (Pittsburgh), Gemini Theatre (Pittsburgh), Prime Stage (Pittsburgh), Smith College, William and Mary College, Loyola Marymount, Carnegie Mellon University, Slippery Rock University, Point Park University and the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre (among others). In the Garden of Live Flowers, co-written with Attilio Favorini, won the 2002 Kennedy Center David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award and an honorable mention prize in the 2002 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award contest and is published by Dramatic Publishing Company. Nina was included in the Smith College New Play Reading Series in March 2002, won the Gemini Theater New Play Festival competition, and was named a finalist in the Dorothy Silver Playwriting Award and the Oglebay Institute Towngate Theatre Playwriting Contest. American Humbug received a Creative Heights grant award from the Heinz Endowments in 2007 and was produced by the Three Rivers Arts Festival. In 2013 Lynne was awarded the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region I award for Excellence for her original adaptation of Lysistrata at Colby College. She serves as the resident playwright for Carnegie Mellon University’s Interactive Theatre Company, a professional troupe performing scripts on workplace and campus life issues, for which she received a Pennsylvania Economy League Learning and Development Award and a College and University Professional Association Innovation Award.

Peter de Klerk (composer/musician) is a composer, performer and sound designer who works in a variety of stage and concert contexts. His theatrical work includes composing, musical direction, electronic and live accompaniment and sound design. He has composed/designed for productions at Colby College (Metamorphoses, Cuchulain, Lysistrata, Runnals XXX) as well as the for Three Rivers Arts Festival (American Humbug), Pitt Repertory Theatre (In the Garden of Live Flowers) and Heinz History Center (Songs of a Smoky City) His concert work includes numerous compositions in the jazz and modern classical idioms, including a suite for string orchestra which was recorded by Duquesne University's orchestra. Peter's current research is in the area of computer-aided and computer-generated composition and performance, and many of his recent works were created using the programs resulting from this research. He is also a jazz bassist, saxophonist and arranger. Peter teaches bass and electronic music at Colby College.

Kim Gordon (Grete) happily splits her time between theater and film projects. At Portland's Good Theater she played the title role in the zany comedy Mrs. Mannerly, Broadway World's pick for Best Drama of the 2014-15 season. She starred as Constance Smith, relentless DA in the highly successful indie feature film Justice is Mind and in a few weeks she will begin Mark Lund's new film project, Serpentine, playing the Director of the World Figure-Skating Federation. Favorite projects include a one-woman show as Martha Ballard based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Mid Wife's Tale, the stage and documentary film productions of Carolyn Gage's Ugly Ducklings in support of LGBTQ youth, and singing the title role in Grannia: The Pirate Queen's professional stage premiere. She will be forever grateful for fifteen summer seasons of classical repertory at The Theater at Monmouth, playing rotating roles from Shakespeare, Moliere, Shaw, Ibsen and Pinter. Between projects she regularly appears in medical, legal and ESL educational videos. Kim and her husband, playwright/director Richard Sewell, are delighted to be new residents of Portland.

Abigail Killeen (Helen) is a happy New York transplant, and glad to be back at The Theater Project where she also appeared in Uncle Vanya and QED. Other Portland area credits include Portland Stage Company where she is an affiliate artist, Good Theater, Dramatic Repertory Company and Fenix Theatre Company. Her New York credits include New York Theatre Workshop, Compagnia de' Colombari, Naked Angels, Cherry Lane, NY Fringe and the Vortex. Original and devised projects: Ordinary Mind/Ordinary Day, a collaboration with Adrianne Krstansky based on 3 short stories by Virginia Woolf and a theatrical adaptation of Isak Dinesen’s Babette’s Feast. Abigail is an Associate Professor of Theater at Bowdoin College.

Kate O'Neill (Anna) was last at The Theater Project playing Clairee in "Steel Magnolias". Other favorite recent roles include Dr. Martha Livingston in "Agnes of God", Bella in "Lost in Yonkers", and Florence Unger in "The Female Odd Couple", all at Portland Players. Kate holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and an MFA in directing from The University of Minnesota.

Lisa Muller-Jones (Director) is very grateful for the opportunity to work with the gifted actors, designers and crew from NINA. She has been directing and acting in Maine since her arrival here in 1998. Though this is her first opportunity directing at the Theater Project, she has been lucky enough to perform in its productions of Eurydice and Blithe Spirit. She was a previous ensemble member of Mad Horse Theatre Company (2001-2010) where, in addition to performing in several plays, she directed Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Clean House and Featuring Loretta. She has also worked with the Portland Stage Affiliate Artists, the Fenix Theatre Company and is a lifetime member of the Stone Pinhead Ensemble. Lisa is originally from Chicago where she was the Artistic Director of Artworx International Ensemble. She lives in Saco with her husband Max and their pets. Thanks to Lynne for her beautiful words. And special thanks to Wendy for making this production possible, and for the remarkable work she does every day in serving the arts community in Maine.

JP Gagnon (Lighting Design) has been designing in Maine since 1993 and is the Resident Lighting Designer at The Theater Project, where he most recently designed THE LIAR, JEKYLL & HYDE, SCORCHED, UNCLE VANYA and EURYDICE, for which he won a PEER Award for Lighting Design. Past work includes STUPID F*#!@NG BIRD for Mad Horse Theatre, LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST for Bowdoin College, THE GLASS MENAGERIE and WORKING for City Theater, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD for USM, as well as many shows for Oak Street Theater, Acorn Productions and Mad Horse Theatre. JP trained at The University of Southern Maine in technical theater and then served as Master Electrician for 2 seasons at Portland Stage Company During the daytime, JP can be found managing High Output, Inc. which specializes in lighting for the entertainment industry.

Christopher Price (Scenic Design) works in theater, radio and television as a director, an actor, a voice artist and a scenic designer. Maine credits include work with The University of Southern Maine, The Public Theater, Portland Stage Company, The Portland Symphony, The Portland Ballet and here at The Theater Project where he most recently directed Eurydice and Circle, Mirror, Transformation. He holds a Master’s Degree from The Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Jennifer Crosby (Stage Manager) started taking classes at The Theater Project when she was in middle school. She stuck around and become a member of the Young Company during high school. Jen helps out with classes, stage manages and serves as Vice President on our Board of Directors.

Robbie Harrison (Stage Manager) is a Portland based actor and Bowdoin College graduate. He is excited to return to The Theater Project in stage managing after performing in several shows over the past couple years, including The Tempest (Caliban) and The Liar (Dorante). Robbie is an Artist Mentor at SpinOff Studio in Gardiner, Maine, where he makes theatre with adults who are differently abled.

Josie Adolf (Running Crew) is part of the Young Company and has been performing at The Theater Project for years. She loves helping out as an assistant teacher for classes and learning the technical side of theater as well.