2023-2024 Season

Christy Anderson is no stranger to ACT’s stage. She was Jackie Cochran in Fly Babies, Gillian in Bell, Book and Candle and choreographer for Addams Family the Musical. Christy also directed Little Shop of Horrors for SAHS at West Albany HS. She is the theater teacher at South Albany High School and lives in Albany with her husband Josh, son Shepard, daughter Ellinore, and corgi Riley. Christy’s hobbies are dancing, singing, watching movies, chasing her kiddos, and going to Disney World.

Director’s email: tuffy1299@comcast.net

Erik A Esrael has been acting and performing since before the turn of the century including as Otto Von Bruno in Slocum House Theater Company’s production of Bullshot Crummond in 2004. He has been seen on the ACT Stage as early as 2006 in Steve Martin’s Underpants.  This is his directorial debut with Albany Civic Theater. He works for Salem Health and lives in Salem with his wife, 3 dogs, and 2 cats.

Director’s email: pilesofpencils@hotmail.com

Jillian Alden first appeared at ACT in 2010 with her portrayal of Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Her onstage presence continued with Meet in St. Louis as Esther Smith, Singin’ in the Rain and Sweeney Todd as an ensemble member, Fly Babies as Peggy Taylor, and Moon Over Buffalo as Rosalind Hay. She has also helped backstage on several projects, including costuming for Fly Babies and for University of Washington’s production of Next to Normal, which unfortunately never performed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She supported ACT’s production of Something Rotten! as an assistant director, and she partners with South Albany High School, serving as vocal director for their production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Jillian is a passionate mental health advocate and is nearing the beginning of her clinical practice as a mental health counselor and a drama therapist. She has combined her professional and personal passions to help her serve on ACT’s diversity and inclusion steering committee, and is committed to supporting programs, workshops, and training at ACT which make the theater a more welcoming and safe environment for people with marginalized identities. Karlaboy will be Jillian’s directorial debut with ACT.

Director’s email: jillian.alden@outlook.com

Christi E. Sears has a string of hit musicals and plays to her credit, including: Something Rotten!, Clue, Altogether Now (Special Event), The Secret of Chimneys: ACT Radio Play, Mamma Mia, The Addams Family, Annie, Big Fish, Shrek, Young Frankenstein, Avenue Q, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Curtains, Steel Magnolias, The Producers, The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, The Rocky Horror Show, Pirates of Penzance, Into the Woods, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Bell, Book and Candle, Auntie Mame, and Greater Tuna at ACT. Christi also directed at CCT: Cinderella, Damn Yankees, and Little Shop of Horrors. A long-time administrative member at ACT, Christi has served four terms as president and two terms as treasurer. She currently serves on the ACT Board as Production Manager. Christi resides in Albany and has worked for over 29 years as the Accounting/Payroll Manager at Palm Harbor Homes.

Director’s email: cirsey@comcast.net

Mirinda Keeling is making her ACT directorial debut this season with Peter and the Starcatcher. Mirinda co-directed School House Rock at ACT and directed Animal Krackers, Magic in Me, and The Shoemaker and the Elves at North Albany Elementary. Mirinda has assistant directed Something Rotten, Murder on the Orient Express, Clue, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, High School Musical, and Excalibur: The Story of Young King Arthur at ACT. Her resume includes additional crew positions of vocal director, production assistant, set dressing design, set dresser, set design, hair and makeup designer, props designer and costumer in over 30 productions and has performed on stage in an additional 20. She has performed with her husband, Dean Keeling, as well as her two sons, Braden and Adam.

Director’s email: r_mirinda@hotmail.com

Charlotte J. Headrick is a Professor Emerita of Theatre Arts at Oregon State University. A past president of the American Conference for Irish Studies, West, she has directed numerous premieres and productions of Irish plays all over the United States, particularly those written by women. She is widely published in the field of Irish drama. A former Moore Visiting Fellow at the National University of Ireland, Galway, she is co-editor with Eileen Kearney of Irish Women Dramatists 1908-2001 (2014, 2016 Syracuse University Press). She is the recipient of the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival Medallion for service to that organization. She is also a Distinguished Professor for Undergraduate Teaching at Oregon State. As an actress, favorite roles include Madam Baptista in The Taming of the Shrew, Kate in All My Sons, Rima in Frank McGuiness’s Dolly West’s Kitchen, Countess Roussillon in All’s Well That Ends Well, Duke Senior in As You Like It (directed by her former student Seattle director Sheila Daniles). She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. In March of 2023, she portrayed Betty in Christian O’Reilly’s Chapatti in a reading at ACT.

Director’s email: cheadrick@oregonstate.edu

Loriann Schmidt has done theater all her life.  Starting in 2^nd grade with an appearance in The Music Man, the theater bug (and lighting bug) has always been with her.  Her first light board was her own invention (in high school) made with rheostats and an old suitcase, a ton of soldering lead and a whiff of smoke.  A long string of shows both professional and community as costume designer, light designer, stage manager, assistant director and director followed and the rest, they say, is history.  Most recently, Loriann has directed shows at Pentacle, Keizer Homegrown Theatre and a private school in Beaverton.  She serves on the board at Keizer Homegrown Theatre and has been active in other areas of Albany Civic Theatre as Lighting Manager, costume designer and all-around Helpful Person.  She is thrilled to be making her directorial debut at Albany Civic Theatre with this wonderful piece of Americana – The Great Gatsby.

Director’s email: baronopal@gmail.com

Charlotte J. Headrick is a Professor Emerita of Theatre Arts at Oregon State University. A past president of the American Conference for Irish Studies, West, she has directed numerous premieres and productions of Irish plays all over the United States, particularly those written by women. She is widely published in the field of Irish drama. A former Moore Visiting Fellow at the National University of Ireland, Galway, she is co-editor with Eileen Kearney of Irish Women Dramatists 1908-2001 (2014, 2016 Syracuse University Press). She is the recipient of the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival Medallion for service to that organization. She is also a Distinguished Professor for Undergraduate Teaching at Oregon State. As an actress, favorite roles include Madam Baptista in The Taming of the Shrew, Kate in All My Sons, Rima in Frank McGuiness’s Dolly West’s Kitchen, Countess Roussillon in All’s Well That Ends Well, Duke Senior in As You Like It (directed by her former student Seattle director Sheila Daniles). She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. In March of 2023, she portrayed Betty in Christian O’Reilly’s Chapatti in a reading at ACT.

Director’s email: cheadrick@oregonstate.edu

Peter and the Starcatcher is Mirinda Keeling’s ACT directorial debut. She is also co-directing The Prom, with Christi E. Sears this season. Mirinda co-directed School House Rock at ACT and directed Animal Krackers, Magic in Me, and The Shoemaker and the Elves at North Albany Elementary. Mirinda has assistant directed Something Rotten, Murder on the Orient Express, Clue, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, High School Musical, and
Excalibur: The Story of Young King Arthur at ACT. Her resume includes additional crew positions of vocal director, production assistant, set dressing design, set dresser, set design, hair and makeup designer, props designer and costumer in over 30 productions and has performed on stage in an additional 20. She has performed with her husband, Dean Keeling, as well as her two sons, Braden and Adam.

Director’s email: r_mirinda@hotmail.com

Previously at ACT, Josh Anderson directed A Christmas Carol and The Three Musketeers, stage managed for The Odd Couple, and appeared in Shrek, The Wizard of Oz, Avenue Q, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Game Show, Disney’s High School Musical, Curtains, and Meet Me in St. Louis. He works as a security officer for the US Department of Energy, and lives in Albany with his wife Christy and two children. He enjoys shooting and historical reenactment.

Director’s email: jdaa370@yahoo.com