Joel Roster [Education Programs Manager/Teaching Artist] has been, over the past seven years, a fixture at Town Hall, both onstage and off. He's been a Teaching Artist at Town Hall since the program was first revamped back in 2006, and since then, he's directed many full-scale productions with young performers, including Urinetown: The Musical, Harvey, Moon Over Buffalo, The Music Man, Bugsy Malone, Once Upon A Mattress, Annie Get Your Gun and Our Town. For Town Hall's Main Stage, he has directed Bleacher Bums and the East Bay premiere of The Graduate. As an actor at Town Hall, he has appeared in Arcadia (Septimus Hodge), Bullshot Crummond (Capt. Hugh Crummond), Groucho: A Life In Revue (Harpo/Chico Marx), Rough Crossing (Dvornichek), and Fall 2011's Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Pablo Picasso). For the last nine years, Joel has also served as an instructor for Diablo Valley College's College For Kids program.
He received his training as an actor and director from Jim Kirkwood, Beth McBrien, Douglas Dildine, Andrea Weber, Harvey Berman, Ray Stansbury, Les Abbott, and many others. He studied at Diablo Valley College and in private workshops and classes all over California. He is deeply honored to be part of Town Hall's Educational Programs once again.
Xanadu Bruggers [Teaching Artist] studied theatre at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she received her BFA in 2006. She has done various productions in Seattle and the Bay Area and has enjoyed being back here in the Bay Area and performing here again. She has recently appeared as Elaine in The Graduate at Town Hall Theatre and as well as appearing in the Bay Area premiere of Hold Please at Diablo Actor's Ensemble.
Madeleine Hansen [Teaching Artist], a native of Lamorinda, has performed on stages throughout the Bay Area. As a Sonoma State University graduate, she holds a degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Acting and a minor in American Multicultural Studies. Madeleine also studied abroad at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland. One of her strengths is physical theatre and she recently appeared as Feste the Clown in Twelfth Night and as Margherita in We Won't Pay, We Won't Pay.
Monique Gonsalves [Teaching Artist] is a local talent who has been acting on stage and behind the camera in the San Francisco Bay Area since her graduation from California State University Fullerton, where she earned a BA in Theatre Arts with an Emphasis in Acting. Her first appearance at Town Hall Theatre Company was as Sylvie the compulsive smoker in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (Female Version). She is thrilled to be apart of the staff of the Town Hall Education program and can't wait to see where her life pursuing the arts will lead her.
Dennis Markam [Teaching Artist, Ads/Promotions Coordinator, Box Office Manager] has been seen on the Town Hall stage over the past few years as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, Gabriel Utterson in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Young Scrooge/Scrooge's Nephew in Scrooge!, Yvan in 'Art' (Shellie Nominee), along with many more. He has also directed around the area, most recently Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Diablo Actors Ensemble (where he is a board member). Dennis began teaching at Town Hall Education working with Rena Wilson and a troupe of brilliant 5th graders on Willy Wonka Jr. at Spring Hill Elementary School and has been involved as a Teaching Artist and occasional producer for Town Hall Education ever since. If Dennis could impart one piece of knowledge it would be that tappers should always check their screws.
Meredith Meeks [Teaching Artist] is a freelance East Bay Stage Director and resident Performing Arts teacher at Contra Costa Christian High School. She has had fun working with the THK Players as well as with the Bravo classes at Town Hall. Professional credits in network television programs include America's Funniest Home Video's, Sherman Oaks and The World's Greatest Magic. Recent local theatre credits include The Christmas Carol with The Village Theatre, The Full Monty with Pinole Players as well as The Sound of Music & Into the Woods right here at your Town Hall Theatre. Her collaborative approach to theater encourages learning the craft of performance and enjoyment of the art. She feels that Town Hall is an inspirational theatre for actors of all ages and loves being able to call it her extended home.
Leah McKibbin [Teaching Artist/Main Stage Production Manager] is a graduate from St. Mary’s College of California with a BA in Theatre where she did work in acting, directing and stage managing. This is her first time working as a teaching artist with Town Hall Theatre and is having a blast! She has worked with Town Hall during their past three seasons and became their Main Stage Production Manager in the Fall of 2009. Recent stage managing credits include: Rabbit Hole, The Odd Couple (Female Version), 'Art,' The Importance of Being Earnest, and Proof at Town Hall Theatre, Old Times with TheaterFIRST, and The Threepenny Opera, The Salt Plays: In The Wound, and Salt Plays: Of The Earth with Shotgun Players. Recent Assistant Directing credits include: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Glass Menagerie at Town Hall Theatre and Seagull in the Hamptons with Shotgun Players. During the summer in 2009 she was the Assistant to the Producer on the FURYFactory Theater Festival.
