Biographies

The Director

D. Nicholas Hansen (Director) - For over 15 years, Derek has acted, directed and produced a number of shows in and around the Toledo area. Here at the Village, he has directed Much Ado About Nothing and co-directed Wrong Turn At Lungfish (with John Henry), as well as The Spitfire Grill at the Toledo Repertoire Theater and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge at the former Harvest Theater. His favorite acting roles include Owen in The Melville Boys, Rudy in Wrong for Each Other, Silvio in Pvt. Wars, and Mickey in Greetings. Derek’s numerous accomplishments include receiving three acting awards from the Ohio Community Theater Association, assistant directing the independent film In the Company of Strangers, being a member of Toledo’s only Improv comedy troupe, the Around the Bend Players, and receiving a BA in Theatre from The University of Toledo. Derek would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication, and his wife Laura for her patience and support.

The Cast

	Maryjo Gavin (Laurie Jameson) is originally from Los Angeles, California and has been a Toledo resident for 22 years. She is making her community theatre debut having last performed in college 30 years ago. Back then some of her credits included Bianca in Taming of the Shrew, Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Anita in West Side Story and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. Maryjo has a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Georgia and currently works in an outpatient, chronic pain rehabilitation program in Detroit. Since her two beloved children, Kara and Connor have left her with an empty nest she is free to return to theatre and is delighted to be playing a role that is not that far off from her own life experience. She would like to thank the director, Derek, for taking a chance on a newcomer and her sweetheart, Dan, for his unwavering support and reassurance.
	James MacFarlane (Woodson Bull, III) This is James’ first foray with The Village, and marks his return to the Toledo stage. Having toured with the Florida Children’s Repertoire Theatre and run the gauntlet of theme parks in Orlando (including Universal Studios and Walt Disney World), he is glad to back at “a theatre where everything makes sense, or at least as much sense is ever made in a theatre.” When not on the stage, James can be found directing shows at E. L. Bowsher High School.
	Elizabeth Cottle (Emily Imbrie) is excited to make her debut with The Village Players. She is no stranger to the stage in the Toledo area, having done The Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn) more than a decade ago with Blessed Sacrament Players before appearing in several productions at Central Catholic High School, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia) and Once Upon a Mattress (Princess Winnifred). Elizabeth earned a B.F.A. from Ohio Northern University, where she performed in many shows, including All My Sons (Kate Keller) and Brigadoon (Meg Brockie), and received an Irene Ryan Nomination for Jekyll & Hyde (Nellie). More recently, Elizabeth could be seen in Harvest Theatre’s Taming of the Shrew (Katharina), Toledo Rep’s The Crucible (Abigail Williams) and All Shook Up (Natalie Haller), and Waterville Playshop’s Kiss Me, Kate (Lilli Vanessi/Kate). She also sang throughout northwest Ohio for three years with Night Session Big Band.
	John Henry (Jack Jameson) was last seen on stage in our production of Tuesdays with Morrie (2008). Previously, John has directed Out of Sight-Out of Murder, Wrong for Each Other, Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, and Pvt. Wars (for which he was awarded Outstanding Director from the Ohio Community Theatre Association).
	Pamela Kate Arnos (Nancy Gordon) is happy to be working again with The Village Players after a long absence from the stage. In the first third of her life, while working on a degree in English literature from Bowdoin College and before receiving a master’s degree in education from the University of Toledo, she appeared in a number of plays, including A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Hermia), and she apprenticed at The Williamstown Theater Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She performed in productions at The Village Players such as The Shadow Box (Agnes) and The Glass Menagerie (Laura), and in plays at the Maumee Civic Theater such as Barefoot in the Park (Corie Bratter) and at The Toledo Repertoire Theater Sharon in Play It Again, Sam. A few years ago she served as the narrator of an Edgy Rep reading of Albee’s The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? P. Kate is the mother of two amazing sons, now in their twenties, and the owner of Paisley, a puppy whose antics and appearance merit Hollywood attention.

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Last Modified: 02/20/10