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Laura Allen

Literature: Drama, Other; Media: Film; Theatre: Acting, Other; Screenwriting

Laura Allen is an actress and writer who grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington, the middle of three daughters. She is has worked 22 years in film and television as an actress, and 3 years as a writer. Recently, Laura coaches auditions, and critiques screenplays for the Austin Film Festival. She got her start in New York City on the soap All My Children as Laura Kirk English, but more recent credits include Sundance's Hap and Leonard, NBC's Awake opposite Jason Isaacs, FX's Terriers and Dirt, as well as USA Network's The 4400 where she portrayed Lily Tyler opposite Mahershala Ali. She has recurred on Fox's 9-1-1, Suits, American Horror Story, Grey's Anatomy and most recently on Apple+TV's Truth Be Told with Octavia Spencer. Features include the Emmy nominated The Tale (HBO) starring Laura Dern and Ellen Burstyn, directed by Jennifer Fox. Allen played the lead in the 2014 horror film Clown directed by Jon Watts. Other features include Old Dogs opposite Robin Williams and John Travolta, and Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts, directed by Mike Newell. Laura’s first script “Spree” was a BlueCat Screenwriting Finalist and a Nicholl Fellowship top 10%. Her second script “Winnie & Dolores” was a UCLA Screenwriting Top 10, a Nicholl Fellowship top 10%, and a Los Angeles International Screenplay Contest Semifinalist. Laura lives in Ventura with her husband and two sons.

Mark Azm

Media: Audio, Film, Other, Video; Visual-Sonic Bass Music Therapy

Known throughout Southern California for devotion to the fine broken beat bass music arts. Favorite styles are breaks, drum & bass, dubstep and jungle.

Linda Livingston

Theatre: Acting, Directing, Other; Artistic Director, producer

Linda Livingston, a member of Artist's Equity, the professional stage actor's union and SAG/AFTRA, has performed across the country, from a staged reading of Marie Antoinette at Chicago’s Goodman Theater, to touring the Pacific Northwest with the Bellevue Rep (Shakepeare in the Grass) and numerous other Seattle area theatres, including Pasquilini-Smith Studios, Shakespeare Plus, and New City Theatre. Rubicon productions include Children of A Lesser God, Murder in the First (with Ted Neeley and Larry Hagman), A Streetcar Named Desire, A Christmas Carol (with Joe Spano and Peter Van Norden) and Love Letters. Linda received an Ovation nomination for her portrayal of Dr. Vivien Bearing In W;t at the Victory Theatre in Burbank. Her many productions with the Santa Paula Theatre Center include Master Class, Dancing at Lughnasa, Doubt (4 star award), Honour (4 star award), Diary of Anne Frank, Cricket on the Hearth (REP Award) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. She has also performed with Flying H Group (Female Transport), as well as Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, a number of stages in Santa Barbara, including Santa Barbara Summer Rep, and as Molly Sweeney with Transport Theatre. Linda has performed in two radio plays that aired on NPR, and is the former TV Host of Your Next Home, which aired on KEYT. Her film work includes the short Brightness, with Eric Idle. Linda is a director as well, and has directed shows for Santa Paula Theatre Center, The Flying H, The Elite Theatre, The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, LA’s Odyssey Theatre, The Backlot Theatre and for Transport Theatre (currently on hiatus), of which she is artistic director. Linda is also a published playwright of O. Henry Holiday, (Eldridge Plays) although admittedly, O. Henry did the heavy lifting.

Brian McDonald

Music: Vocal; Theatre: Acting, Directing, Other, Technical; Coach for Public Speaking, Auditions and Acting

BRIAN McDONALD an award-winning actor and director who was honored with the Ventura Mayor's Award for Emerging Artist. He moved to Ventura in 2002 when he joined the Rubicon Theatre Company staff and served as Associate Artistic Director and the Director of Education and Outreach. He was the founder and program director of Rubicon's Summer Youth Performance Program which offers theatre training intensives in acting, musical theatre, drama, Shakespeare and technical theatre. Before moving to the East coast, he appeared in the National Tours of Miss Saigon and Forever Plaid, the latter of which he also directed for various regional theaters including Rubicon Theatre Company. Regionally, he has appeared on the stages of the Denver Center, Theatre Virginia, The Lyric Stage, La Mirada Performing Arts Center, Ensemble Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse, Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center and the Ahmanson. Brian's most recent work on stage was in Rubicon's production of the one-man show Buyer and Cellar and A Tuna Christmas which he also directed. Other Rubicon stage credits include Merrily We Roll Along, The SantaLand Diaries, Man of La Mancha and The Importance of Being Earnest. In 2002, LA Weekly honored him with the Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance as Gaveston in the Circle X production of Edward II directed by Michael Michetti. On Television, Brian starred in the award-winning ABC/PBS Afterschool Special "In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS Story" and guest starred on "Gilmore Girls." His work as a director began as an assistant to Tony-nominated director Christopher Renshaw during his work on Queen: The Musical (a.k.a. We Will Rock You). Other directing credits include Tennessee Williams’ Talk to me Like the Rain and Let me Listen, Hooters, Our Town, Little Women, Bye Bye Birdie, HONK!, Babes in Arms, Once on This Island, Schoolhouse Rock, LIVE!, Seussical the Musical, Footloose, Free to Be You and Me, Godspell, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Drowsy Chaperone, Urinetown, West Side Story, In the Heightsand On the Town. For Rubicon Theatre Company, Brian directed A Tuna Christmas, The Sunset Limited (with Joe Spano and Tucker Smallwood), Bus Stop (5 Ovation nominations including Best Play), MASTER HAROLD… and the boys (nominated for 3 Ovation awards Including Best Play) and the World Premiere musical, Hello! My Baby, written and conceived by Tony-nominated, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner, Cheri Steinkellner. His work as a director has earned him an Independent Award and StageScene LA Award for Best Director. He also conceived and directed the critically acclaimed holiday musical review, A Rubicon Family Christmas. He was recognized for his work in the community raising funds for arts education with a Phi Delta Kappa Community Partnership Award and an Honorary Service Award from the California State PTA two years in a row. Brian has taught a Fundamentals of Acting course at Ventura College. In addition to one-on-one training for performers, Brian offers private coaching in public speaking for lawyers, religious clergy, and business leaders. He is a B.F.A. graduate of the Boston Conservatory and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and Actors' Equity Association. In addition to his continued work as a professional director and actor, Brian serves as an arts commissioner for the City of Ventura and recently join the Ensemble Theatre Company team in Santa Barbara where he is the Director of Education and Outreach.

Michael Perlmutter

Literature: Drama; Theatre: Acting, Directing, Other; Visual Arts: Painting

Michael Perlmutter, playwright, passed away at the tender age of 33 ("the age that Mozart died and sweet Jesus was set free"--Harry Chapin). Michael will be best remembered for-- . . . What? Ok, fine, he isn't dead--Hey, I was going for the sympathy vote, here. - Like you’re tellin’ me this is not a contest? Of course it's a contest. Everything's a contest: LIFE is a contest. And my Bio is gonna win this thing big time (never under estimate the sympathy vote). And never mind that I'm speaking in the first person now, or that I've won awards for my plays such as Crimson, 1865, Parking Lot Traffic, Random Acts. Or that my plays have been presented in Los Angeles, New York and London. Or that my recent works Office Games, My Perfect Alibi and Directing Hamlet were finalists in associated venues across this country. Nobody cares that I live with my wife, three children and too damned many animals in Southern California. (OK, two have married and moved away, fine—full disclosure—but within ten miles—though David hasn’t even invited us over for dinner yet but that’s NOT THE POINT!) The point is that I'm not dead . . . yet. But you can check out my website for more information on my growing body of work at www.DirectingHamlet.com. And feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to know what you've thought of my work . . . that is if I'm still breathing.

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