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Candace Barrett Birk (Marjorie)
Candace Barrett Birk (Marjorie)

Candace Barrett Birk (Marjorie)

Candace has been involved in many facets of the arts community throughout her career as actress, teaching artist, director and administrator. She has been a member of the acting companies of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and American Conservatory Theatre. She has performed locally with Live Action Set, Hippocrates Cafe, Old Log Theatre, Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company, Theatre in the Round, Open Eye Figure Theater, Sidekick Theater and Guthrie Theater. Candace has also directed for the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company, Second Wind, University of Southern California and American Conservatory Theatre. Other projects have included serving on numerous boards and national panels including the National Endowment for the Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Endowment for the Humanities. She was an Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at San Francisco State University and wrote the K-12 mythology curriculum for the Joseph Campbell Foundation. She recently completed a degree in Integrative Therapies and Healing Therapies at the University of Minnesota and is a Health Coach practicing at PORTALS. She teaches acting at the Guthrie Theater.

Laura Stearns (Tess)

Laura Stearns (Tess)

Laura is thrilled to be back with Prime Productions, having played Muriel Gardiner in their inaugural production of Little Wars at Mixed Blood. She has appeared on many MN stages, including Park Square, Illusion Theater, MN Jewish Theater, Theater Garage, Mystery Café, Actors Theater of MN, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Theater L’Homme Dieu, The Southern Theater, Frank Theatre, and she has sung with the MN Orchestra. In addition to her career as a performer, Laura has an extensive theater production resume and currently holds the position of Wig Master at the Guthrie Theater.

Andre Shoals (Jon)

Andre Shoals (Jon)

Andre is a native of St. Paul and began his career as a dancer. He has worked with such companies as Zenon Dance Company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Co., Jane Comfort Dance Co., and Susan Marshall & Co. While living in Boston he co-founded the fringe theater company, "The Gold Dust Orphans” where he was a principal actor for 12 years. Since returning to Minnesota he has worked with Park Square Theatre, Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, Cardinal Theatricals, Children’s Theater Company, and Theater Latte Da. He is also an evaluator for the Hennepin Theater Trusts “Triple Threat” Spotlight Showcase and mentors for their “Legacy Project”

James Rodríguez (Walter)

James Rodríguez (Walter)

James is a twin cities based actor who is excited to be making his debut with PRIME Productions. Previous theater credits include: Jungle Theater (The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Little Women, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley), Underdog Theater (Luna Gale), Dark & Stormy Productions (Fool For Love, The Norwegians, Extremities), Theater Latte Da (Peter & The Starcatcher, Cabaret, Evita), Ten Thousand Things Theater (Pericles), Children's Theater Company (Peter Pan), Park Square Theater (Amy's View, Of Mice and Men, Ragtime), Yellow Tree Theater (The Rainmaker, I Am Not Batman). James has also been seen working with Mixed Blood Theater, Frank Theater, Pillsbury House + Theater, Girl Friday Productions, among others.

Jordan Harrison / Playwright

Jordan Harrison / Playwright

Jordan’s Marjorie Prime was a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist, as well as winning the 2016 Horton Foote Prize for Outstanding New American Play. The play had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons and its Chicago premiere at Writers Theatre after premiering at the Mark Taper Forum/CTG in Los Angeles. His play Maple and Vine premiered in the 2011 Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville and went on to productions at American Conservatory Theatre and Playwrights Horizons, among others.

Harrison’s other plays include The Grown-Up (2014 Humana Festival), Doris to Darlene (Playwrights Horizons), Amazons and their Men (Clubbed Thumb), Act A Lady (2006 Humana Festival), Finn in the Underworld (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Futura (Portland Center Stage, NAATCO), Kid-Simple (2004 Humana Festival), Standing on Ceremony (Minetta Lane), The Museum Play (Washington Ensemble Theatre), and a musical, Suprema (O’Neill Music Theatre Conference). His children’s musical, The Flea and the Professor, won the Barrymore Award for Best Production after premiering at the Arden Theatre. Harrison is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Hodder Fellowship, the Kesselring Prize, the Roe Green Award from Cleveland Play House, the Heideman Award, a Theater Masters Innovative Playwright Award, the Loewe Award for Musical Theater, Jerome and McKnight Fellowships, a NYSCA grant, and a NEA/TCG Residency with The Empty Space Theater. A graduate of Stanford University and the Brown MFA program, Harrison is an alumnus of New Dramatists. He is an Affiliated Artist with Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, and The Playwrights’ Center. Harrison writes for the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.” www.jordanharrison.org

Photo by Zach DeZon.

Elena Giannetti / Director

Elena Giannetti / Director

Elena’s directing credits include Lyric Arts (If/Then; Coney Island Christmas), Artistry (The Last Five Years), Park Square Theatre (A Midsummer Nights’ Dream), and the sold-out audience favorite A Certain Age at the MN Fringe Festival. She is the co-founder of PRIME Productions. Elena has also been seen as an actor, having appeared on camera in film, TV and commercials, as well as on many local stages, including The Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Mixed Blood, History Theatre, and the MN Jewish Theater Company, amongst others. Elena is a graduate of Macalester College with a BA in Dramatic Arts.

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Candace Barrett Birk (Marjorie)
Laura Stearns (Tess)
Andre Shoals (Jon)
James Rodríguez (Walter)
Jordan Harrison / Playwright
Elena Giannetti / Director