| Greg Frens is a native of Michigan and began his career at Columbus Opera while still a graduate assistant at Ohio State University. With the company, he appeared in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Tosca, and Susannah. Subsequent performances include his international debut with the Graz Festival Orchestra, performing excerpts from Fidelio, Faust, La Bohème, and Tannhäuser in concert. Recent performances include Roméo et Juliette and the Father in Giannini’s Beauty and the Beast for DiCapo Opera in New York City. Highlights of his recent repertoire include Escamillo in Carmen, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Valentin in Faust, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Marcello in La Bohème, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, among others. On the concert stage, Mr. Frens boasts an active repertoire that includes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, and Britten’s War Requiem. A finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, Mr. Frens is a fellowship recipient from the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Mr. Frens holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance, with a minor in Piano Performance from Hope College, and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Ohio State University. Margo Hammond has enjoyed performing and choreographing for Tap City’s international tap events in Manhattan (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009) and will be performing again this July 9th, 2010 at Symphony Space. Her tap training includes such masters as Ted Levy, Barbara Duffy and Brenda Bufalino. She has been a member of C3 Tap Cooperative, a tap company that performed in and around the NYC area, spreading education about tap history and technique. Margo has worked as an independent theatre artist/educator and shared her workshop with thousands of public school children and adults. She has successfully developed a tapping and drumming therapy program for special populations at three different locations in N.J. and has gratefully received a 2002 and 2004 Puffin Foundation grant for her work there. In addition to her tapping, Margo has 20 years of professional acting experience in NYC and in major regional theatres around the country. She is a long-time member of all the actor’s unions (AEA, SAG & AFTRA). As a voiceover talent, she has been heard on major network commercials representing such products as Woolite, Motrin IB, Discovery Channel, Rogaine and General Nutrition Center. She is a voice representative for the Cancer Survival Kit (an audio tape used to help patients endure their journey to health). As a professional actress Margo has been seen on several soap operas including an ongoing role as Nurse Carol Eckert on NBC's Another World. She also had a fun kissing scene with Jerry Stiller on the prime time TV program, Tattinger's. Margo also writes plays. Her one-act “Look Me In the Eyes” was produced at The 78th Theatre Lab in NYC last year. She is currently working on her first full length play, “The New Me”. Vivian Hasbrouk has a BA in Movement Theater and Social Dynamics from University of South Florida (honors with Jeffrey Jones and Eric Overmeyer), and she also attended the acting conservatory at Towson State University where she was classically trained in voice, movement and dance, acting, and directing. Since 1993, Vivian has been a member of one of New York’s most Award Winning children’s theater companies: Interborough Repertory Theater. She became a staff director in 1999, directing over 10 of their touring productions (Oliver!, Christmas Carol, Nutcracker and The Mouse King, Los Tres Hermanos, The Little Match Girl, etc) and was made TYA Artistic Director for 2003-2004. Vivian has taught and directed for several regional and Manhattan acting conservatories. Casting both Studio and Independent film for over 13 years, Vivian has worked for such notable Directors as Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, and Christopher Columbus. At the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, Vivian along with casting partner Ellen Parks won the first ever Cast Ensemble Award for the musical film Songcatcher. Chase Leyner began Hoboken Children’s Theater in August of 2003. She received her acting training with Sanford Meisner, William Alderson, Estelle Parsons and Sam Schacht, and dance training with The New Jersey Ballet, L’Academie de Danse de Monte Carlo and Skidmore College. In 2009 she received The Showtime Award from The Park Theatre for her work with children and for creating Hoboken Children's Theater. Melissa Malone grew up in Central Florida. A recent graduate of The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (formerly The School for Film and Television), she is currently a member of a NYC Sketch Comedy group. She has also recently appeared in a New York Improv show and an audio book recording of Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Jessica McCuiston is a musical theatre graduate and former faculty member of Bryan College in Tennessee. She has served as choreographer for several regional and college theatres, including NYC’s Pace University, and currently works as a dance and drama teaching artist in Manhattan and Bronx schools. Maggie Reed plays the recurring role of Felicia Chatham on Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit and has guest starred on the other Law and Order shows as well as Seinfeld, Star Trek TNG, Spin City, The Young Riders, Empty Nest, The Golden Girls, Blossom, Knots Landing to name a few. While on sabbatical during her eight years as Shannon O'Hara McKechnie on As the World Turns, she won the DramaLogue Award for her performance in Other People's Money at the Pasadena Playhouse. Margaret received an M.F.A. from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz , then toured the United States in a repertory of classical plays as a member of John Houseman's prestigious troupe The Acting Company. In many other regional theatres she went on to play leading roles in Twelfth Night, All's Well that Ends Well, The Mayor of Zalamea, All My Sons, The Fantasticks, Cactus Flower, Gypsy, and Godspell, etc. Some of her films are Christina, Dress Rehearsal, Shelter Island, IMAX: The Journey Within, Quicksand, and The Eiger Sanction. Maggie teaches acting at Weist- Barron in Manhattan and has taught at Stonestreet Studios, NY Film Academy, The NY Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Smith College, Cornell University and her private Maggie Reed Workshops where she specializes in on-camera workshops in SitCom, Soap Opera, Primetime TV, Film, Theatre, and Basic Acting along with interview/audition technique. Her private coaching sessions are now available in-person as well as over the internet through Skype. Check it out at www.maggiereed.com Jessica Rosa most recently performed in a 50 city national tour of Strega Nona: The Musical! in a leading role. She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Acting and Directing from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and also a Theatre Education degree from Columbus State University. Jessica served as the department head for a high school theatre program which included teaching and developing theatre curriculum as well as directing, designing, and choreographing all mainstage productions. Jessica also has worked as Fine Arts Program Coordinator for elementary-aged theatre camps, and teaching artist for college theatre education classes. A trained dancer: Fleetwood Studios, Atlanta, voice training: Angela Bowling, Dr. Brad Robinson. Favorite regional acting credits include Roxie in Chicago with Altarena Playhouse, California, Oklahoma!, Little Women, Romeo & Juliet with Festival 56, Princeton, IL and Wild Party with Onstage Atlanta. Michelene Rhymer has extensive theatrical experience. While pursuing degrees in Special Education and Musical Theater, she participates in regional choral singing and currently teaches at All Saints Day School and Hoboken Charter School. |
| Hoboken Children's Theater Staff |
