Make America Gray Again!

Laura Marie Carlson

Ridley, Chorus
Laura Marie is thrilled to be back at the MN Fringe! She was seen last year in Playing Dead with Kari Heistad Productions. Marie has also been seen across the Twin Cities in Frozen (Children's Theatre Company), Sweet Charity (Artistry), and Cabaret (Orthogonal Productions). They hold a B.F.A. in musical theatre with a minor in journalism from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Outside of theatre, you can often find Marie knitting/crocheting, longboarding/paddleboarding, and making lattes for strangers. All the love to my cat and my community. <3

Susan Gerver

Sarah, Chorus
Susan Gerver (Sarah/Ensemble) is an actor, singer, comedian and voiceover artist who has earned many stage roles, as well as roles in film and commercials. She has a B.A. in acting from Simpson College, in Iowa. Susan recently returned to Minneapolis after pounding the acting pavement in Los Angeles, CA for five years where she proudly earned her membership in Screen Actors Guild (SAG) under the name Susan Brava. Immediately upon moving back to Minnesota, she was cast as Mrs Luce/understudy to Audrey in Theatre 55’s production of, Little Shop of Horrors. Her digital work can be seen in Season 1, episode 14 of Snapchat’s, “Me and You Show”, and she appears opposite Joe Keery (Stranger Things) in the 2024 film, Marmalade, which was filmed in Minnesota, created by Keir O'Donnell (Wedding Crashers) and can be seen on many streaming services.

Julie Ann Greif

Donna, Agnes, Chorus
Making her return to the Fringe this year, Julie Ann was previously Executive Director of Persistent Theater Productions (2018-2019) and the recipient of an MRAC Grant. Julie Ann played "Agnes" in When We Were Young and Unafraid, "Lady Reveller" in The Basset Table and was named "Notable Performance 2018" in the Lavender Magazine. Julie Ann was in the Fringe 2017 in Patriot/Traitor. Some of her other favorite roles were in The Bernice Project (Phoenix Theater), The Taming (Theatre Unbound) and The Events (Guthrie). Julie Ann performs in theatre, opera (MN Opera), musical theater, dance, concert, recital and cabaret. In addition, she is a commercial actor, print model, voice-over talent and award-winning competitive ballroom dancer. She has maintained a private voice and bodywork studio called Greif Performance Studio for over 25 years. She is a trauma informed teacher and loves the healing power of studying one's body as your instrument. She was the recipient of a Schubert Club Special Artist Grant to study in NYC and holds an MM in Voice from the University of Minnesota.

Shelley Klein

Sandy, Chorus
Shelley Kline is a choral conductor and singer. She worked in the Eastern Carver County Schools for 39 years until her retirement in June 2024. I am very excited to perform The MAGA Musical in the Minnesota Fringe Festival and celebrate by attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later in the month. Special thanks to Barb, John, and JL Productions for taking a chance on me.

James Lane

Overson, God, Chorus
James Lane (God/Overson) Theatre: Elvis Has Left The Building: Zephyr Theatre; The Lightning Thief: Stages Children's Theatre; Little House on the Prairie, The Musical : Lakeshore Players; The Pajama Game: Artistry Theatre; Noises Off : Lakeshore Players: Hands on a Hardbody: Minneapolis Musical Theatre; White Christmas: Lakeshore Players. James is thrilled to be in his second year of Fringe. You may remember him last year in Gasthaus. He has a BFA in musical theatre from Sam Houston State University. He thanks his wife Aimee, son Atticus, and Grammy Gay for picking up the slack at home and all the love.

Eric Lee

Dan
Eric Lee (he/him) is back again after Extreme Roadshow at the Fringe two years ago. You may have seen him in Kinky Boots or Sister Act at Lyric Arts, Once at DalekoArts, or in southeastern Minnesota at the Commonweal Theatre from 2015-2019. He has one of those theatre degrees from the University of Evansville. And he prefers cats to dogs, but it’s not really a strong preference. Just feels more special when a cat CHOOSES to grant you their affection.

Bella Maldonado

Choreographer
Bella Maldonado is a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in theatrical and visual arts. Her most recent credits include OpenStage UMN’s Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Mr. Burns), University of Minnesota’s Witch (Scratch), and OpenStage’s Rocky Horror Picture Show (choreographer and director). She is very excited to choreograph, and hopes you enjoy the show!

John Orenstein

Writer (book, music, lyrics)
John Orenstein (he/him) is a retired lawyer and Oberlin Conservatory grad. This is his second musical; the first was Extreme Roadshow in the 2023 Fringe. John wants to thank the talented, dedicated cast, Barbara for her expert direction, Bella for her creative yet feasible choreography, and Anushka for her quiet competence. Above all John wants to thank Debbie Orenstein, his wife and partner in writing and performing comedy songs (see "The Singing Lawyers" on YouTube). Debbie is the official show doctor and dramaturg.

Anushka Srivastava

Stage Manager
Anushka Srivastava (she/they) is currently pursuing a BA in Stage Management at Pace University. Some of her favorite credits include The Dining Room, Big Fish, and Rent, and they've loved getting to add Make America Gray Again to that list! Thank you and congrats to everyone involved!

Quinn Wambeke

Franklin, Chorus
Quinn Wambeke (He/Him/His) is thrilled to be a part of Make America Gray Again! Quinn, a Twin Cities native, is a professional actor/singer/dancer based in Minneapolis, MN. Previous credits include Ensemble in Sister Act (Lyric Arts) and William Barfee in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (UW-Eau Claire). When he isn’t onstage, Quinn serves as a teaching artist and voice coach. Outside of the theatre, you can find Quinn playing a game of cribbage, sampling iced tea, and sharing a laugh with friends. He hopes you enjoy the show as much as he is enjoying the process of bringing it to life. Big thank you to my family and friends for their unconditional love and support! Instagram: quinnwambeke (Professional)

Barbara Wiener

Director
Barbara has been a filmmaker and director for three decades. Originally, she wanted to be an astronaut but her creative impulses and propensity to motion sickness swayed her to the field of visual storytelling. With many awards and documentaries under her belt, Barbara has additionally brought her skills to teaching in college, mentoring and developing new projects like Adventures in Visual Storytelling. She admits that her favorite work right now is exploring creativity with older adults. She spent many years as a producer/director for public television and founded TVbyGIRLS, an award-winning nonprofit that worked with adolescent girls to develop leadership and cross-cultural collaboration skills. Since then she has explored topics in her work as diverse as incarcerated artists, the life of a choir during covid, poetry films projected on a renovated train station, women of color in higher education and American Indian Powwows. Right now she is working on MARS CAN WAIT, a series about sustainability of ourselves and the earth. She shares a garden with Timothy Terror, a 7 month old orange tabby and plans to bring a German Shepherd puppy into the family in the fall. With an MFA in directing for theater from the U of M, and a significant stint at the Guthrie and the Kennedy Center, Barbara is delighted to be directing this funny and charming Fringe production after the success of Extreme Roadshow in the 2023 Fringe.

Nicole Wood

Lecturer, Eleanor, Chorus
Nicole Wood (she/her) is thrilled to add Lecturer to her theatrical resume, which also includes movie star (Ginger, Gilligan’s Island the Musical), music teacher (Jenny, Sesame Street Live), and P.I. (Alex, Finding J Mitchell). MN Fringe history: Happy Endings Church the Musical (Gayle Haggard); Two Bowls of Cereal… (Director); and seasonal staff (Core Team!). Many more roles at Lakeshore Players, The Phipps, Fearless Theatrical, and Seasons Dinner Theatre. Nicole’s real-life resume includes event producer and voiceover actor. Love to Addie!

Jimmy

Principal of J&L Productions
Jimmy is a dog. He has no idea what's going on.

Louie

Principal of J&L Productions
Louie is also a dog. He only knows that if Jimmy wants something, he wants it for himself. This is what artists call "creative tension."