Mary Ann Rodgers
Associate Artist
Actor – Titania/Hippolyta, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017), the Duenna, Cyrano de Bergerac (2017)
Director – The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised] (2019), Persuasion (2016)
Mary Ann is a director, actor, and theater educator. She was seen on the LSF stage as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Duenna in Cyrano de Bergerac, and Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest. She began her directing career with Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival more than a few years ago. More recent work includes Anna in the Tropics, The Cocktail Hour (BATCC award), and Persuasion at Ross Valley Players. Mary Ann taught theater at The Bay School of San Francisco, where her mission was to develop empathetic advocates for arts as well as to nurture young theater artists.
Michael Wayne Rice
Associate Artist
Former Resident Director
Actor – Jaques, As You Like It (2015), Trigorin, The Seagull (2009)
Director – Othello (2019)
Michael is a graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City, with an M.F.A. in Acting and Directing. He has taught acting at 3 universities (University of Missouri, University of the Pacific and currently at the University of San Francisco). Michael has acted in over 30 productions on stages in Missouri, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has been with LSF for about 14 years, as an actor/teaching artist/director and has acted on the stage there in over 9 times. Some of his favorite roles with SPARC include Trigorin in The Seagull, Cloten in Cymbeline, and Jaques in As You Like It. He was commissioned by SPARC to compose a fundraising proposal to implement a summer training program for kids in the Tri-Valley area that coincides with the summer productions. As Martin Luther King Jr, The Mountaintop, was a Theatre Bay Area Editor’s pick, Theatre Bay Area Recommended Production, a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle “Go See” Pick 2016, as well as Best Production by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee for their awards series.
Malcolm Rodgers
Associate Artist
Stage and Scenic Designer (2015-present)
Actor – Iago, Othello (2019), Polixenes, The Winter’s Tale (2018), Sir Walter/Admiral Croft, Persuasion (2016)
After 25 years in television, and 6 years in the corporate events industry, Malcolm now runs his own scenic design company. Bowman Rodgers Design specializes in scenic design and project management for broadcast, theater, corporate stage, and events. He has received three Regional Emmy Awards–two for set design, and one for motion graphics. The diverse projects Malcolm has designed include the outdoor stage for LSF at Wente Vineyards, a lobby interior design for a broadcast company, a 3D interactive “cloud” for a tech company, a rocket ship for a branding event, and numerous stage sets. Malcolm studied theater performance at The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts and stage design at San Francisco State University.
Jennifer Le Blanc
Associate Artist
Actor – Roxanne, Cyrano de Bergerac (2017), Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing (2014)
Director – Sense and Sensibility (2015)
Jennifer Le Blanc is an actor, director, playwright/adaptor, and teaching artist. She has acted at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, TheatreWorks, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. With the Livermore Shakespeare Festival, Jennifer has acted in several plays, including leads in Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing, and Taming of the Shrew. She directed Sense and Sensibility at Wente Vineyards, and adapted Jane Austen’s Persuasion for the stage. Jennifer has taught for the So Wise So Young program, summer camp, and other teaching programs. Jennifer has an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and a B.A.in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley.
Jonathan Singer
Associate Artist
Costume Designer (2010-present)
Jonathan has designed costumes for several Livermore Shakespeare Festival shows over the years including The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised]. He has designed costumes and taught for University of the Pacific and Delta College’s theater departments, is a master tailor, and is an interior designer, as well. He has an MFA from University of Minnesota and his BA from CSU Stanislaus.
Gary A. Armagnac
Associate Artist
Director – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), Taming of the Shrew (2012), Romeo and Juliet (2010)
A respected actor and director, Gary has worked onstage in New York, Los Angeles, and at theaters around the nation. Gary was Artist-in-Residence and Director of Education with the Tony Award® winning Utah Shakespeare Festival. His work there included the title roles in Richard III and Pericles, Iago in Othello, and Sir Toby in Twelfth Night. He also directed touring productions of Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. He was with Shakespeare Santa Cruz from 1986 to 2006. Television/film credits include roles on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Houston Knights, Brisco County Junior, and Three Fugitives. He is a Professor of Theatre Arts and Media X at University of the Pacific.
Grant Huberty
Associate Artist
Sound Designer (2015-present)
Grant designs soundscapes, sound designs, and engineers sound for indoor and outdoor, musical, choral and straight theater groups all over the greater Bay Area. He designed the intricate arena style sound system for LSF at Wente Vineyards Estate Winery, as well as the musical cues and sound effects for the productions. In addition to sound design, he now assists nonprofit groups with live streaming for education, outreach and artistic programming.
Matt Ballin
Associate Artist
Actor – Gratiano, Othello (2019), Ragueneau, Cyrano de Bergerac (2018)
Matt holds a BFA in Theater from UC Santa Barbara, an MFA from The Ohio State University. He has been the Conservatory Program Director at Irvington High School in Fremont since 2015. Before that, he spent 14 years as the Drama Director at Washington High School, also in Fremont. He has acted, directed, taught, and choreographed fights throughout the Bay Area and beyond. He has been an Associate Artist with the Livermore Shakespeare Festival since 2004, performing and acting as fight director for several productions over the years. He also lends a musical hand to the summer apprentice and intern programs.
Gregg Le Blanc
Associate Artist
Festival Photographer (2010-present)
Actor – Conrad, Much Ado About Nothing (2014)
Gregg has photographed Livermore Shakespeare Festival’s magic over the years. You might have seen him on stage in Much Ado About Nothing. Gregg has a Master’s Degree Chemical Engineer from University of California Santa Barbara with a 2nd Year certificate from University of Edinburgh. For more photography visit http://CumulusLight.com, follow @CumulusLight, and www.facebook.com/photogregger
Karen Riley
Associate Producer
Deck Manager (2008-present)
Karen joined the Livermore Shakespeare Festival in January 2008 and has filled several technical positions including Technical Director, Production Manager, and Deck Manager. Karen joined the Las Positas College Technical Theater Department 2005, building sets and working in a variety of backstage roles first as a student then a volunteer through 2014. Karen retired from Lawrence Livermore National Labratory in 2015 after 23 years in the environmental protection field.