This is Sims Holland’s first venture with Coin & Ghost. She hails from Texas, via New Orleans, New York, Charleston, and Savannah, and has had the joy and pleasure of playing on stages at each junction be it theatre, stand-up or improv. She carries with her the honor of each and every character she has had the pleasure of portraying from her first role as Duckling in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good to her most recent as Vanda in David Ives’ Venus in Fur. She celebrates and cherishes the opportunity to bring Proteus to the stage for you all in this rendition of Two Gentlemen* of Verona.
Meet the Team Behind “Two Gentlemen* of Verona”
Sims Holland
Proteus
Elisa Rosin
Valentine
Born in Seattle into a family of theatre gypsies, Elisa Rosin is an actor, vocalist, composer, and teaching artist. She currently serves as Music Director/Associate Artistic Director Coin & Ghost, where she co-created and performed in Fortunate Son, OLYMPIA, Too Faust, and LEAVES. Elisa has also performed at RedCat, The Odyssey, Seattle Opera, and the Fifth Avenue Theatre, as well as with LA-favorite companies like Salty Shakespeare, Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble, The Speakeasy Society, and Shakespeare Santa Monica. She recently composed a portion of the original score for NMA’s Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, and produces/performs in burlesque shows under the stage name “Cookie St. Cream.” Elisa studied vocal performance at California Institute of the Arts.
Born in Seattle into a family of theatre gypsies, Elisa Rosin is an actor, vocalist, composer, and teaching artist. She currently serves as Music Director/Associate Artistic Director Coin & Ghost, where she co-created and performed in Fortunate Son, OLYMPIA, Too Faust, and LEAVES. Elisa has also performed at RedCat, The Odyssey, Seattle Opera, and the Fifth Avenue Theatre, as well as with LA-favorite companies like Salty Shakespeare, Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble, The Speakeasy Society, and Shakespeare Santa Monica. She recently composed a portion of the original score for NMA’s Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny, and produces/performs in burlesque shows under the stage name “Cookie St. Cream.” Elisa studied vocal performance at California Institute of the Arts.
Kendall Johnson
Julius
Kendall grew up in Chicago, where he first fell in love with acting. He started out as a junior in college, performing in small productions. That love grew as he attended USC MFA Acting Program. Completing that program and performing their three play rotation repertory is one of his greatest accomplishments.
Since graduating from USC, he has worked with Black & Sexy TV on their webseries Sexless, performed in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Dunsinane, done two shows with the Not Man Apart Physical Theatre Ensemble, and performed The Tempest at Off Square Theatre in Jackson, WY. He is an Associate Artistic Director for Coin & Ghost.
Colbert Alembert
Silvius/Lorenzo
Colbert Alembert is excited to be part of this production! He is a Cornell, AADA and BADA graduate, and last appeared in Porno Dido at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and a pilot for ABC alongside Felicity Huffman and Courtney B. Vance. Other noticeable credits include Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Much Ado About Nothing (Off-Off Broadway). He’d like to thank Marguerite and Zachary for this great opportunity; his beloved mother, friends and family for their unwavering love and encouragement; and you – the audience – for your continuous support of the arts.
Colbert Alembert is excited to be part of this production! He is a Cornell, AADA and BADA graduate, and last appeared in Porno Dido at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and a pilot for ABC alongside Felicity Huffman and Courtney B. Vance. Other noticeable credits include Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Much Ado About Nothing (Off-Off Broadway). He’d like to thank Marguerite and Zachary for this great opportunity; his beloved mother, friends and family for their unwavering love and encouragement; and you – the audience – for your continuous support of the arts.
Victoria Yvonne Martinez
Launce/Antonia/Thurio
Victoria is pleased to be making her debut with Coin & Ghost. She most recently appeared in productions of Richard II with Chase What Flies & the world premiere of DEMOCRACY(sic) with the Harold Clurman Lab Theatre. Other LA credits include Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, Eclectic Company Theatre, A Noise Within & Little Fish Theatre. Victoria received her professional training through the Stella Adler Studios/Art of Acting Studio and holds a BA in Performing Arts from the University of San Francisco. She would like to thank Marguerite, Zach and all of the C&G team for this opportunity! Proud AEA member.
Kathleen Leary
Speed/Duke/Eglamour
LA theatre credits include Titus Andronicus, Green Grow the Lilacs, Dark Lady of the Sonnets, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Theatricum Botanicum, Cymbeline, and Rich
LA theatre credits include Titus Andronicus, Green Grow the Lilacs, Dark Lady of the Sonnets, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Theatricum Botanicum, Cymbeline, and Rich
Marguerite French
Director
Marguerite French is a recent graduate of the Interdisciplinary MFA program at UCLA’s school of Theatre, Film, and Television, where she co-produced and starred in the Rabbit Bandini film, Death, and directed the short, Intimate Beauty. Her first role after graduation was “Alison” in Francis Ford Coppola’s Distant Vision. As the 2015 Cirque du Soleil Directing/Marketing Fellow, she directed a commercial for the Cirque production Baz, helped conceive the social media campaign #cirqueway, and learned to hang by her ankles from the aerial tissu. As an actor in New York, she studied with JoAnne Akalaitis, Jim Calder, Wynn Handman, and William Esper. She is a proud alumnus of Bard College, and currently serves as Coin & Ghost’s Managing Director.
Niki Armato*
Stage Manager
Niki Armato met the Coin & Ghost team while Stage Managing two critically-acclaimed productions from Not Man Apart – Physical Theatre Ensemble (Ajax in Iraq and Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny). She recently SM’d Coin & Ghost’s Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth, and PSM’d Donald Margulies’ The Model Apartment at the Geffen Playhouse. Niki has previously worked in theaters throughout Pittsburgh and NYC, spending two seasons with City Theatre Company and then with The York Theatre, where she stage managed a total of 15+ productions, including Anthony Rapp’s Without You and the Off-Broadway Revival of Closer Than Ever with Jen Colella (Dir.Richard Maltby). Other favorites include: Buddy’s Tavern (Dir.Peter Flynn), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Regional Premiere), The Gate’s Salome (US Premiere) and The House of Von Macrame at the Bushwick Starr. Her love of the collaborative arts has also led her to moonlight as an AD and Editor, and she currently serves as Coin & Ghost’s Production Manager.
Niki Armato met the Coin & Ghost team while Stage Managing two critically-acclaimed productions from Not Man Apart – Physical Theatre Ensemble (Ajax in Iraq and Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny). She recently SM’d Coin & Ghost’s Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth, and PSM’d Donald Margulies’ The Model Apartment at the Geffen Playhouse. Niki has previously worked in theaters throughout Pittsburgh and NYC, spending two seasons with City Theatre Company and then with The York Theatre, where she stage managed a total of 15+ productions, including Anthony Rapp’s Without You and the Off-Broadway Revival of Closer Than Ever with Jen Colella (Dir.Richard Maltby). Other favorites include: Buddy’s Tavern (Dir.Peter Flynn), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Regional Premiere), The Gate’s Salome (US Premiere) and The House of Von Macrame at the Bushwick Starr. Her love of the collaborative arts has also led her to moonlight as an AD and Editor, and she currently serves as Coin & Ghost’s Production Manager.
Hannah Athena Lawton
Costume Designer
Hannah Athena Lawton is a force of nature who designs costumes for fun, for sport, and for profit. She is a gentleman and a scholar. A graduate of CalArts with a BFA in Costume Design, she is best known for her work on American Career College commercials, music videos you’ve never seen, three movies that haven’t come out yet, and indie theater productions that usually involve gender-bending (including C&G’s Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth). Some of her work can been seen at www.athenalawton.com
Yuki Izumihara
Scenic Designer
Yuki Izumihara is a Japanese scenic, projection designer for theater and opera, and a production designer for film based in Los Angeles. Recent credits in theater and opera include The Magic Flute at Shenandoah Conservatory directed by Alan Hicks (Scenic and Projection Design), The Tragedy of Carmen at San Diego Opera directed by Alexander Gedeon (Scenic and Projection Design), world premiere of multimedia production Yes, Adam Noorian directed by Armen Sarvar (Projection Design), A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Ellen Lauren and Celebrating Frank Sinatra-100 Years directed by Lainie Kazan (Scenic and Projection Design), West Coast Premiere of The Two Figaros directed by Peter Kazaras (Scenic Design), Hidden Choreography directed by Lea Anderson (Projection Design) and Don Giovanni directed by Jeffrey Buchman. Yuki also has been one of the two designers at Miami Summer Music Festival for last three seasons where she designed over dozen of opera productions. Yuki received her MFA in Entertainment Design from UCLA in 2016 where she went to school with director Marguerite French. She is grateful for the opportunity where she can continue the creative collaboration. – www.yukiizumihara.com
Yuki Izumihara is a Japanese scenic, projection designer for theater and opera, and a production designer for film based in Los Angeles. Recent credits in theater and opera include The Magic Flute at Shenandoah Conservatory directed by Alan Hicks (Scenic and Projection Design), The Tragedy of Carmen at San Diego Opera directed by Alexander Gedeon (Scenic and Projection Design), world premiere of multimedia production Yes, Adam Noorian directed by Armen Sarvar (Projection Design), A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Ellen Lauren and Celebrating Frank Sinatra-100 Years directed by Lainie Kazan (Scenic and Projection Design), West Coast Premiere of The Two Figaros directed by Peter Kazaras (Scenic Design), Hidden Choreography directed by Lea Anderson (Projection Design) and Don Giovanni directed by Jeffrey Buchman. Yuki also has been one of the two designers at Miami Summer Music Festival for last three seasons where she designed over dozen of opera productions. Yuki received her MFA in Entertainment Design from UCLA in 2016 where she went to school with director Marguerite French. She is grateful for the opportunity where she can continue the creative collaboration. – www.yukiizumihara.com
Zachary Reeve Davidson
Producer, Media Director, U/S Julius
Zachary Reeve Davidson is an actor, director, writer, and teacher, known for his bold characterizations and dangerous, imaginative original works. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Coin & Ghost, where he co-created and directed Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth, LEAVES, Too Faust, Too Furious, CE399, and OLYMPIA. Other favorite theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and What the Thunder Said (Rebel Mars Co.), Ajax in Iraq and Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny (Not Man Apart – Physical Theatre Ensemble), Hamlet (Miles Memorial Playhouse), The Johnny Cycle (Speakeasy Society), Green Grow the Lilacs (Theatricum Botanicum), and two full repertory seasons with Shakespeare Santa Monica. Film credits include the Ron Perlman/Amazon series Hand of God, the mini-series I Don’t, and the short film Jeffrey, in which Zach played a young Jeffrey Dahmer. His first original digital work, Gramlet, was met with critical acclaim and large-scale bewilderment. Zach was born and raised in Denver, CO, and is a proud graduate of the CalArts BFA Acting program.
Alex Garland
Producer
A multifaceted professional and visionary, Alexander’s works have been exploring what it is to be a well rounded performer and producer. Remembered most as Young Simba in the first national tour of The Lion King, Alex’s musical appearances include Aida, Parade, and most recently, American Idiot. He originated roles in a handful of world premieres, including The Denver Project by Universes Theater Company, a globally recognized innovative and electrifying theater ensemble.
Alex has shared the stage and worked with artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, Janet Jackson, and Neil Patrick Harris. Television Credits including FOX’s Mobbed, Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane, ABC’s Modern Family, and last but not least, producing and dancing for Flash Mob America. Alexander also had the privilege of working with the one and only Prince on one of his final music videos, Breakfast Can Wait, as a model and Producers Asst. In March of 2017, he performed with the leading physical theatre ensemble of the west coast, Not Man Apart Physical Theater Ensemble (NMA) in Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny. Recent works include C&G’s Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth, as well as the multi-award winning short film 22 Years, which Alex produced and production-designed. He is Coin & Ghost’s “Admin Unicorn.”
A multifaceted professional and visionary, Alexander’s works have been exploring what it is to be a well rounded performer and producer. Remembered most as Young Simba in the first national tour of The Lion King, Alex’s musical appearances include Aida, Parade, and most recently, American Idiot. He originated roles in a handful of world premieres, including The Denver Project by Universes Theater Company, a globally recognized innovative and electrifying theater ensemble.
Alex has shared the stage and worked with artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, Janet Jackson, and Neil Patrick Harris. Television Credits including FOX’s Mobbed, Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane, ABC’s Modern Family, and last but not least, producing and dancing for Flash Mob America. Alexander also had the privilege of working with the one and only Prince on one of his final music videos, Breakfast Can Wait, as a model and Producers Asst. In March of 2017, he performed with the leading physical theatre ensemble of the west coast, Not Man Apart Physical Theater Ensemble (NMA) in Paradise Lost: Reclaiming Destiny. Recent works include C&G’s Fortunate Son: A Faust Myth, as well as the multi-award winning short film 22 Years, which Alex produced and production-designed. He is Coin & Ghost’s “Admin Unicorn.”
*member of Actor’s Equity Association