Everything is Illuminated

Anne Gee Byrd (Old Woman) played Halie in ETC’s Buried Child (2009). Other theaters: Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, La Mirada, American Conservatory Theater, Seattle Repertory, Old Globe, McCarter Theater, Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park among others. Anne is active in waiver theater and a member of the Antaeus Theater Company. Film: Wild, And Then There Was Eve, Zero Charisma, A Good Thing and others. TV: “Murder in the First,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Rake,” “Philly” and many others.

Emily Goglia (Waitress/Brod/Hotel Owner/Laborer/Petrol Attendant/Anna) is a singer, actor, dancer and comedian residing in Los Angeles. She recently sang with Christina Aguilera in her “MasterClass” online video, and you may have also caught her in FOX’s “Grease, Live!” or on NBC’s “The Sing Off” leading the fierce female powerhouse group ELEMENT. Other favorite roles include Maureen in Rent_, Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Carrie in Carousel, and Sam in Woody Allen’s Husbands & Wives. Emily’s one-woman show, “STAGES” has been performed to sold out crowds at New York’s hottest supper clubs, Feinstein’s/54 Below, The Metropolitan Room, LA’s Rockwell Table & Stage, and most recently at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, where she was nominated for Best Solo Performance and won the Encore Award. Throughout the year, Emily travels the nation with the USO Show Troupe, performing for the military and their families. USC grad. Fight On. Emily is represented by Bohemia Group. www.emilygoglia.com @emilygoglia

Jeremy Kahn (Jonathan) is thrilled to make his ETC debut and revisit Everything is Illuminated after appearing in the west-coast premiere last year at Aurora Theatre Company. His other theater work includes: Office Hour (Berkeley Rep and Long Wharf Theatre), Dry Powder, Wittenberg (Aurora Theatre Company), peerless (Marin Theatre Company), Bad Jews (Capital Stage), Peter and the Starcatcher (Theatreworks), Tortilla Curtain (San Diego Rep), The Liar, Baskerville, It Shoulda Been You (Center Rep), Another Way Home (Magic Theatre), 1 2 3, Tigers Be Still, The Fantasticks (San Francisco Playhouse), Red Velvet (Jewel Theatre Company), and The Rover (Shotgun Players). TV and film: “Looking” (HBO), “Unleashed” (Netflix), The Etruscan Smile, and Dirt. He holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University

Adrian Sparks (Grandfather/Yankel) was born in the UK and raised in the US. He is an award winning veteran actor of the national and international stage. He has played leading roles at some of the most prestigious theaters in the country including The Guthrie Theater, Seattle Repertory, Long Wharf, and the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, D.C. His 2005 Los Angeles performance of Ernest Hemingway in the one-man play Papa by Pulitzer Prize winning author John deGroot, garnered Adrian an Ovation Award nomination for Best Actor. In 2009, he received an Acclaim Award for Best Leading Actor, as well as a CEA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sharky in The Seafarer at the Ensemble Theater in Cincinnati. Since 2010, he has spent multiple seasons at The Old Globe in San Diego as a leading member of the Shakespeare Company. The range of his roles at The Globe includes  Stephano in The Tempest,  Kent in King Lear, Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman, and Leanato in Much Ado About Nothing. During his final season at The Globe, his portrayal of Matthew Harrison Brady in the highly acclaimed production of Inherit the Wind led to a nomination for a Craig Noel Award as Best Actor. Adrian has appeared in more than 75 film, television, and commercial productions. Most notable is his starring portrayal of Ernest Hemingway in the 2015 film Papa: Hemingway in Cuba (2015), written by Denne Bart Petitclerc and directed by Bob Yari. The film won  Best Picture Awards in Boston Film Festival, Key West Film Festival, and Sonoma Film Festival (now available for viewing on Amazon and other pay-per-view outlets).

Matt Wolpe (Alex/Sofiowka) This marks Wolpe’s 5th show with ETC, he is over joyed to be back in Santa Barbara. His past ETC credits include Phillante in The School for Lies, Matt in The Fantasticks, Cliton in The Liar, and Matt/Gene in Striking 12. Broadway: Finding Neverland. National Tours: Once, Finding Neverland. Off-Broadway: Hell’s Bells. Regional: Laguna Playhouse, Kirk Douglas, Pasadena Playhouse, Weston Playhouse, The Blank, The Engeman, La Mirada, NoHo Arts Center, Boston Theatre Works, and Sacramento Music Circus. He is the former Bumble Bee Tuna Spokesman and has graced your small screens in various other commercials and formats. An LA native currently residing in NYC, Matt is also an award winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with five records out. Endless thanks and love to Mom, Pops, BRS-GAGE, Amy Lieberman, Jonathan Fox and the entire ETC family. More info and music at MattWolpe.com. Proud member of Actors Equity @MattWolpe.

Jonathan Safran Foer (Author) is the author of three award-winning and internationally best-selling novels: Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Here I Am as well as two works of nonfiction: Eating Animals and The New American Haggadah. He won The Guardian Book Prize for his debut novel, and his books are published in over 30 languages. His next book, We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast, will be published in September 2019.

Simon Block (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter. His work for theater includes Not a Game for Boys (Royal Court Theatre, 1995), Chimps (Hampstead Theatre, 1997, Everything Standard Theatre Awards “Most Promising Playwright” nomination; Writers’ Guild “New Writer of the Year” nomination), No Exp. Req’d (Hampstead Theatre, 1999), A Place at the Table (Bush Theatre, 2000), 1/25^th of the National Theatre Chain Play (National Theatre, 2001), Hand in Hand (Hampstead Theatre, 2002), Everything is Illuminated (adaption of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, Hampstead Theatre, 2006), The Knowledge (adaptation of Jack Rosenthal’s TV movie, Charing Cross Theatre, 2017). His work for television includes “Home Fires”(Original series for ITV, 2015), “The Eichmann Show” (Feelgood Fiction / BBC – starring Martin Freeman, 2015), “The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall” (100 minute film Channel 4, 2008), which was nominated for the BAFTA 2009 “Best Writer & Best Television Film Award,” “Trust” original series (6×1 hour, BBC1, 2003).

Jonathan Fox (Director) joined ETC in 2006. His most recent ETC production was The School for Lies. He adapted and directed ETC’s 2017 production of Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives. His productions of The Invisible Hand in 2018 and Bad Jews in 2016 both traveled to Frankfurt for their German premiere. Other ETC productions include Porgy and Bess, Macbeth, Sweeney Todd, Woyzeck, Amadeus, A Little Night Music, The Liar, Crime and Punishment, and a dozen others. He directed Opera Santa Barbara (OSB)’s 2019 production of Eugene Onegin and 2014 production of The Consul. He has collaborated with the Santa Barbara Symphony on their Shakespeare and Valentine’s Day concerts, and recently directed their production of The Soldier’s Tale.  Other European productions include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Streetcar Named Desire, Visiting Mr. Green, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at The English Theatre Frankfurt, and Old Wicked Songs, Crimes of the Heart, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Vienna English Theatre. Before joining ETC, Mr. Fox spent 12 years with Two River Theater Company in New Jersey, which he helped establish in 1994. He served as Managing Director of the company from 1994-99, and subsequently became its Artistic Director. For Two River, he directed their 2016 world premiere production of Lives of Reason. His production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg was profiled in American Theatre Magazine, as was his festival of work by Samuel Beckett. His directing work has been seen in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Cologne, and has received critical acclaim in The New York Times, Variety, the LA Times, and other publications. He received his MFA from Columbia University, and is a recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in theater departments at UCSB, Columbia University, University of Utah, and Monmouth University.

Randall Robert Tico (Composer and Sound Designer) This is Randall’s sixth score and/or sound design for ETC, the others being The Invisible Hand, Macbeth, and Husbands & Wives, directed by Jonathan Fox, and The Legend of Georgia McBride and Baby Doll, directed by Jenny Sullivan. Also with Sullivan are Jackie Unveiled at the Wallis and The Baby Dance: Mixed at Rubicon Theatre Company. Other recent works include Anna Karenina for DCPA and Astoria Part One & Two for Portland Center Stage (PCS), directed by Chris Coleman. More with Coleman and PCS are Othello, Anna Karenina, Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline, The Imaginary Invalid, and Snow Falling on Cedars. With director Nancy Keystone and Critical Mass Performance Ensemble are Apollo at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (Garland Award and an Ovation Award nomination), Ameryka (2016 Ovation nomination), Suzan- Lori Parks’ The America Play (Theatre @ Boston Court), Antigone (Portland Center Stage for which he won a Drammy Award), The Ahkmatova Project, Dr. Faustus, The Rover, and Measure for Measure. Further works include Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, the vocal score for David Hare’s version of Mother Courage, and music and sound design for The Glass Menagerie, all directed by Jessica Kubzansky, original music for Magic Fruit (Cornerstone), Shishir Kurup director, and composer/sound designer for the 2014-16 Launch Pad program at UCSB with director Risa Brainin.

François-Pierre Couture (Scenic Designer) is happy to return to ETC for an eighth production.  Originally from Montreal, he has had the privilege of working in Los Angeles and the United States for the last decade as a scenic, lighting and projection designer. He has been teaching at East Los Angeles College since 2009 and is currently ELAC’s scenic, lighting and projection faculty, and production manager. He has also taught at UCLA, LMU, California State Northridge, California State Long Beach and Pepperdine University. He has received multiple Ovation, LADCC, LA Weekly awards & nominations, and the Hilton Worldwide Award for outstanding Scenic Design at KCACTF 2014. Some of his professional designs include: Metamorphoses, Woyzeck, Husbands and Wives at ETC; Everything that Never Happened, With Love and Major Organ at Boston Court Theatre; Destiny of Desire at Shakespeare Oregon Festival, Arena Stage Theatre, South Coast Repertory and the Goodman Theatre; Sense and Sensibility at South Coast Repertory; Jackie Unveiled at the Wallis Theatre; The Mexican Trilogy, an American History at Los Angeles Theatre Center; Médée and Teseo at Chicago Opera Theatre; A Picasso at Geffen Playhouse. http://www.fpcouture.com

Dianne K. Graebner (Costume Designer) received her MFA in Costume/Set Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. She has designed and created costumes nationwide in theatre, film and television. Off Broadway- Church & State at New World Stages, and internationally for The English Theatre, Frankfurt, Germany/ETCSB- Invisible Hand and Bad Jews. Many shows for Ensemble Theatre Co. Santa Barbara, including Death of a Salesman, Syncopation, Miss Bennett, Husbands & Wives, Chapter Two, Macbeth, Fallen Angels, Venus in Fur, Amadeus, Intimate Apparel, and Red among others. A member of Circle X Theatre Co., she designed many productions and was nominated for an Ovation Award for The Brothers Karamazov and a L.A. Weekly award for Battle Hymn. A few of her recent credits include: Ay, Carmela! At the Hudson working with Frank Gehry and Gustavo Dudamel, Breath and Imagination at Virginia Stage Co, Paradise- Austin Playhouse/Ruskin Theatre. Best of Enemies, Breath & Imagination (NAACP nomination), and others at the Colony Theatre, Dogeaters and Clay at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, A Delicate Balance at The Odyssey Theatre, The Happiest Song Plays Last, and Bright Light City at LATC, opening and closing weeks of 365 Days/365 Plays at Center Theatre Group, Dying City (Ovation Winner- Production of the Year) Oppenheimer, Mexican Day at Rogue Machine Theatre Co., the original L.A. production of Philosophy of the World, The Shaggs and has originated the costumes for many new works/world premieres.  She is a member of United Scenic Artists Local-829. www.diannegraebner.com

Pablo Santiago (Lighting Designer) is originally from Chiapas, México and designs for theater, opera, dance and gallery work. After 15 years in the film industry, he obtained an MFA in Lighting Design from UCLA and transitioned into live stage design. He has four Ovation Awards Nominations and is the winner of the Richard Sherwood Award 2017 and Stage Raw Award. His work has been seen at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Goodman Theater, Arena Stage, BAM , Geffen Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Kirk Douglas Theater, Paramount Theater in Boston, Skirball Center in NY, Davies Hall in SF, Soundbox, Disney Hall, The Annenberg Space for Photography, Summer Happenings at the Broad Museum, REDCAT, Su Teatro in Denver, Teatro Brava, Getty Museum, “Distant Vision”- Live Cinema directed by Francis Ford Coppola; and for companies such as: Los Angeles Opera, LA Phil, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Omaha, Prototype Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Industry Los Angeles, Latino Theater Co. and Opera Santa Barbara, among others.  Recent highlights include: Mother Road and Destiny of Desire at OSF, Prism at LA Opera and Prototype Festival, Proving Up at Opera Omaha and Miller Theater, Three Penny Opera and Schoenberg in Hollywood at Boston Lyric Opera, War of the Worlds (Opera) with LA Phil and The Industry, Breaking The Waves at Opera Philadelphia and Prototype Festival, Zoot Suit at the Mark Taper Forum. Upcoming projects include Macbeth at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Madame Butterfly at Opera ­­­Omaha, and Destiny of Desire at The Guthrie.­­

Ken Merckx (Fight Choreographer) recently choreographed fights in ETC’s Death of a Salesman. He has choreographed fights and taught actors theatrical comba for film, television, theater and universities all across the country. He is the resident fight choreographer for the Idaho and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals, A Noise Within (Los Angeles) and Great Lakes Theater (Cleveland). He is proud to have staged violence for the world premieres of Steven Dietz’s Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (Pasadena Playhouse), Jeffery Hatcher’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (a San Jose Repertory) and The Suicide Club (Arizona Theatre Company), Octavio Solis’ Cloudlands (South Coast Repertory), Jane Martin’s Somebody/Nobody directed by Jon Jory (Arizona Theatre Company) and the theatrical adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner (San Jose Repertory). Mr. Merckx received his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Illinois and his B.A. in Theater Studies from the University of Washington.

Adrian Centeno (Dramaturg) is the literary manager of Playwrights’ Arena. He’s worked as a dramaturg for Childsplay Theatre Co., Playwrights’ Arena, Company of Angels, USC School of Dramatic Arts, UC Santa Cruz Theater Arts, and the Jewel Theatre Company. As an associate producer, Adrian has supported new plays commissioned by UCLA’s Clark Library, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and Humanitas Play LA Workshop. As an arts educator, Adrian has worked with the Road Theatre Company, Barnstorm Theatre Company, UCLA Department of Theater, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. He was recently named one of American Theatre’s Six Theatre Workers You Should Know.

Amy Lieberman, CSA (Casting Director) Six-time Artios Award winner. Broadway (The Dinner Party, Flower Drum Song, Big River). Center Theatre Group (Mark Taper, Ahmanson, Kirk Douglas) 1982–1990 and 1999–2006. Ongoing: Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (12 seasons). Other: Garry Marshall Theatre (Falcon Theatre), La Jolla Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, Reprise Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, ACT, Denver Center, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, Rubicon, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, Actors Theatre of Louisville, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing series, North Coast Repertory and more. Film and TV throughout the 90’s. Associate Professor at UCLA’s MFA program 2007-2013.