Iphigenia at Aulis Company Bios

Sara K. Armstrong (Director, Costume Designer, Sound Designer), a native of Cushing, OK, is a second-year graduate student in theatre and film. This summer she appeared as Anna Fulton in the Kansas Summer Theatre production of Prairie Fire. Previously she performed the title role in the Inge Theatre production of Desdemona, A Play About A Handkerchief and appeared as Popova in The Bear. She has also performed in productions at Oklahoma State University and the Circuit Playhouse in Memphis, TN, where she received the Jim Ostrander Award as Best Lead Actress in a Drama. Since coming to KU, Sara has directed the 609 project The Sandbox. She held the 2001-02 Susan Tisdall Niven Award and was named the Outstanding New Graduate Teaching Assistant in Theatre.

Emily Elder (Scenic Designer) is a senior theatre design major from Eudora.

Delores Ringer (Costume Designer) has been a member of the KU theatre design faculty since 1984. She holds degrees from Pennsylvania State University and Hanover College in Indiana. In addition to designing for The University Theatre, Delores has designed for the English Alternative Theatre, University Dance Company, and the Cohan-Suzeau Duet Company at KU, and for the American Heartland Theatre in Kansas City and the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival in Omaha. Her most recent KU directing credits include the productions of Fen, The Gut Girls, Between Pancho Villa and a Naked Woman, and Variations on a Theme by Clara Schumann. As a designer, she has worked on the productions of The Cherry Orchard, Call of the Wild, Selkie, Machinal, Godspell, The Accidental Death of An Anarchist, Crimes of the Heart, and Die Fledermaus, to name just a few. Last year Delores served as director of The University Theatre.

Brian Diltz (Lighting Designer) is a senior from Lenexa.

Ashley Lafond (Choreographer) is a junior theatre major from Lawrence. Last season she appeared in South Pacific. This fall Ashley is in England, participating in KU's Study Abroad program.

Elisabeth Ahrens (Chorus) is a sophomore theatre major from Topeka. She worked on several University Theatre production crews last season. This summer she performed in the Topeka Civic Theater production of Hello, Dolly!

Hannah Ballou (Choreographer and Chorus) is a senior theatre major from Topeka. This summer she appeared as Maggy Fulton in the Kansas Summer Theatre production of Prairie Fire. Previously she has performed in Tomato Plant Girl, Butterfly Kiss, The Bartered Bride, and Fen. Hannah has taught and choreographed at the Camellot Academy, including this summer's production of Bye Bye Birdie. A National Merit Scholar, Hannah is a Loren Kennedy Trainee and holds the Charles "Buddy" Rogers Scholarship. She was also KU's Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship nominee. This year Hannah is an office assistant for The University Theatre.

Blake E. Bolan (Soldier) is a sophomore theatre major from Manhattan. This is her first stage appearance at KU although she has performed in numerous directing project productions. Off campus, Blake has performed as Maria in Twelfth Night, Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Gen. Mathilda Cartwright in Guys and Dolls. Blake is a member of the International Thespian Society.

Joseph Edwin Boothe (Agamemnon) is a KU senior from Overland Park, majoring in theatre and creative writing. Last season he performed as Flan in the UT production of Six Degrees of Separation and as Iago in Othello. Earlier he appeared as Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I. A Loren Kennedy Trainee for The University Theatre this year, Joe also holds a Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship. He is also a playwright and has performed at the Improv Olympic in Chicago, IL.

Erin Burns (Chorus) is a sophomore theatre major from Kansas City, MO. A National Hispanic Merit Scholar, Erin performed last season as Hillary in Afternoon of the Elves and Pamela Whitmore in South Pacific. She has also appeared in The Wizard of Oz at the Gladstone Theater in the Park and in productions of Damn Yankees, Blithe Spirit, and Arsenic and Old Lace at North Kansas City High School.

Megan (Simone) Carter (Iphigenia) is a sophomore from Overland Park, majoring in Russian literature and theatre. Last season she appeared as Anya in The Cherry Orchard and the 609 project, Ana di Capo. Megan is co-coordinator of the Sexuality Education Committee at KU.

Tommy Cottin (Orestes) is a seventh grader at Central Junior High School in Lawrence. He is the son of Tom and Linda Cottin. Tommy was previously seen in the KU productions of The Cherry Orchard and The Bartered Bride, and has written and performed in several productions staged by Lawrence's Seem-To Be Players. He participated in the KU Theatre for Young People's After-School Program throughout elementary school. Tommy appears in Just the Beat, a film currently in production, and will perform in the upcoming ballet, The Kansas Nutcracker. He also works part-time at Cottin's Hardware and Rental in Lawrence.

Patrick Craft (Messenger) is a junior theatre major from Kansas City, MO. This is his first KU production.

Allison Gabbard (Clytemnestra) is a senior theatre major from Topeka. This summer she appeared as Zula Moore and a Pony in the Kansas Summer Theatre production of Prairie Fire. Previously she has performed as Lt. Genevieve Marshall in South Pacific, Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation, and Houbova in Temptation. Allison formerly attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO, where she appeared in productions of Guys and Dolls, The Rivals, and A Christmas Carol. She is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and holds the Charles "Buddy" Rogers Scholarship.

Averyn Mackey (Chorus) is a junior theatre major from Prairie Village. This spring she performed as Goneril in Lear's Daughters; earlier she was a member of the chorus for The Bartered Bride. Prior to coming to KU, Averyn performed in productions of Sweeney Todd, Once on This Island, and Our Town.

Darren Maloney (Achilles) is a junior theatre and film major from Overland Park. Last season he performed as Radio Operator McCaffery in South Pacific and served on several production crews.

Katherine McRobbie (Chorus) is a junior theatre major from Overland Park. A Loren Kennedy Trainee for The University Theatre this year, Katherine has appeared off-campus in productions of Evita, Once on This Island, and Mother Courage and Her Children.

Phillip J. Vocasek (Menelaus) is a senior theatre major from Dodge City. Last season he played Lodovico's Officer in Othello, the Postal Clerk in The Cherry Orchard and Trent in Six Degrees of Separation. Philip also directed a production of Safe Sex at Hashinger Hall and was stage manager for The Vagina Monologues.