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Stephen Frethem
Executive Producer |
Stephen, the youngest member and main contributor behind Starting Gate Productions is no stranger to Theatre in the Twin Cities. Acting since he was six, Stephen has been seen on several stages around town including such theatres as Theatre in the Round, Actors Theater of Minnesota, Gaydar Productions, Pigs Eye Theatre, In the Basement Productions, The Times Theatre, Children's Theatre Company, and Shakespeare and Company. Originator of the "Actor's Workshop" , Stephen has also appeared in “This is our Youth”, “Period of Adjustment”, and “The Grapes of Wrath” for SGP. Proud to be surrounded with such talented people, Stephen has nothing but high hopes and dreams for this company.
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Don Eitel
Artistic Director |
Don has been actively involved in the Twin Cities Theatre scene since 1994. He has been seen on stage for Fifty Foot Penguin, Theatre in the Round, Park Square, Pig's Eye Theatre, Theatre Unbound, and on national tours with Refreshment Committee Theatre Company and Chamber Theatre in Boston, MA. His film credits include independent student films, recruiting videos for Secretary of State of MN, and Newton's Apple for Channel 2. A Music Major, Don has a degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Minnesota. He has performed and composed original music for Starting Gate's "A Lie of the Mind" and "The Grapes of Wrath".
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Richard Jackson
Associate Artistic Director |
The "old man" among Starting Gate's founders has been acting since 1970, directing since 1975, and came to the Twin Cities in 1994. Since then he has acted for Theatre in the Round, Park Square, Fifty Foot Penguin, Gremlin, and the Times Theatre to name a few. Richard has also directed for Pargeter Players, Eden Prairie Community Theatre, Bloomington Civic Theatre, Lakeshore Players, and Irelene Theatre. As an Administrator, he spent 2 years as Chairman of the Baltimore Playwright's Festival and served on the boards of several community theatre's in Baltimore as well. Happy to be on the ground floor of a promising new company, he looks forward to the many challenges to be met, with some trepidation, much hope and supreme confidence in his co-founders.
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John Raabe
Treasurer |
John is very excited about Starting Gate Productions and working with the board of a non-profit organization. Formally educated in business and economics, he has held management positions for the last 10 years in Minneapolis. His contribution to this company will be as the Treasurer, focusing on season ticket sales, managing our business relationships, and financial development and control. John looks forward to bringing his experience and skills to the fiscal management of the company, its customer service and business dealings.
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Ben Chadwick
Board Member |
Ben plays on both sides of the curtains, and sometimes above them, he is an actor, director, designer, and technician. Ben has been working steady in the Twin Cities for the past six years with many theaters: The Children’s Theater Co., Brave New Workshop, Illusion Theater, Theater in the Round, Galumph Interactive Theater, Shakespeare in the Park. Since age 13, Ben started cutting his teeth in Duluth, MN, his hometown, at the Duluth Playhouse, Dark Horse Theater and as a founding member of Renegade Comedy Theater. He won the “Best Scenic Design” award for The Duluth Playhouse’s production of “A Phoenix to Frequent” at the MACT festival in 1992. He attended the B.F.A. acting program at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.”I will have to be a little corny and continue by saying I hope that my position on the Starting Gate Board will be the most memorable one to date. I look forward to the challenges. It was one of my dreams to have my own theater company and now that is coming true, and I can’t think of a better group of friends to do it with.”
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K. Jason Bryan
Volunteer Coordinator |
K. Jason Bryan, like many on the SG board, wears several hats in the theatre world. Jason stage managed many shows for Theatre in the Round, and with others including Frank Theatre Company, Outward Spiral Theatre Company, Dash Productions (for the MN Fringe), and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Originally an east coaster, Jason came to the Twin Cities in 1995. He ran away in 2001 to be the Equity Production Stage Manager at BoarsHead Professional Theater in Lansing, Michigan, but ran back “home” just as fast after one season. Since returning, he has worked with Pillsbury House Theatre and Park Square. Jason is also a director, and helmed Starting Gate’s Summer Project production of This Is Our Youth. He directed twice for the BoarsHead Darknight Series while in Michigan, and locally directed Laughing Wild and Slacks & Tops for Three Kinds of Cheese. Besides serving on SG’s board, he is on the Technical Advisory Board at Theatre in the Round. Jason’s “day job” is also, finally, in theatre - he is the Business Manager of Lakeshore Players.
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Leanna Heiber
Board Memeber |
Leanna is a new addition to the Starting Gate board and is excited to become more involved with this company. Her first experience with Starting Gate was playing Isabel in Period of Adjustment. (Voted a 2003 Outstanding New Face by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and Best Actress by Lavender magazine) Other credits include: Janet in "Soulless Bloodsucking Lawyers, The Musical!" for the 2003 Fringe Festival. With the Commonweal Theatre of Minnesota: Lou in Beautiful Again, Sorel in Hayfever, and Mina in Dracula. A recent transplant from Cincinnati Ohio, Leanna spent over a year with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival with such roles as Portia in Julius Caesar, Titania/Helena in Midsummer Night's Dream, Bianca in Othello and Lucy in Dracula. A playwright as well, "Favorite Lady" was a finalist in the National ten-minute play competition out of Actors Theatre of Louisville.
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David Coral
Board Memeber |
David Coral earned his Bachelor of Science degree in theatre arts (acting/directing) at Northwestern University in 1985. Since graduating, he has been a professional stage and film actor and stage director in Chicago, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In addition to his artistic credits, David has served his artistic and residential communities in various ways since the mid 1980s. He founded Associates to Restore the Temple Theatre (ARTT) in 1993, marking the beginning of the restoration of the theatre in Viroqua, WI, in 1993. The $1.5 million project realized its completion as the fully restored theatre re-opened in July 2001. David was an actor, voice instructor and director with CTM Productions in Madison, WI (1994-1996). Here he taught acting and voice to middle and high school students and co-directed productions for CTM’s summer theatre program, including “A Tale of Two Cities,” “Jane Eyre,” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” David arrived in the Twin Cities in 1996, following a national tour with Chamber Theatre of Boston. During his tenure here, David has been seen regularly on various stages, including Pillsbury House Theatre (Mitch, “A Streetcar Named Desire”); Park Square Theatre (Dr. Chumley, “Harvey”; Mr. Van Daan, “The Diary of Anne Frank”); 50-Foot Penguin Theatre (Tom, “Escape from Happiness”; Juror 10, “12 Angry Men”); Starting Gate Productions (Baylor, “A Lie of the Mind”); Theatre L’Homme Dieu (Harry Brock, “Born Yesterday”); Theatre in the Round; Minnesota Jewish Theatre; MN Shakespeare Project and Outward Spiral. You can also catch David in television commercials (Best Buy Christmas, “Get the door!”; Sussel Homes; St. Croix Casino (Poker, “Go Fish”; among others), industrial films and in print.
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