DAN JESSE* (Mr. Van Dann)
Dan is happy to return to the Hippodrome. He was last seen on this stage in Dracula and, prior to that, in The Sisters Rosensweig, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Dan has performed periodically with the Hippodrome since the first season and served three years on the staff. He earned his M.A. from UF and remains the only person to win UF’s Best Performance award three times. Significant leading roles have included Rumors, A Man for All Seasons, The Caretaker, Waiting for Godot, Sly Fox, and The Elephant Man. Dan’s film credits include Angel of H.E.A.T., Lily Lie Gently, and Winter Death.

SCOTT KEALEY* (Otto Frank)
Scott Kealey is always thrilled to come back to Gainesville and the wonderful Hippodrome State Theatre! He has appeared in the Hipp productions of Dinner with Friends, God’s Man in Texas, ‘Art’ and as the title character in last season’s Macbeth! He arrives from The Vineyard Playhouse on Martha’s Vineyard where he appeared in Oak and Ivy with Mario van Peebles.  Scott has performed with theaters throughout the northeast including The Long Wharf Theatre, Yale Rep, American Stage Festival, Hartford Stage, Connecticut Rep and the Huntington Theatre among others. Favorite roles include the Preacher Casy, the tyrant Macbeth and the Big, Bad Wolf! Scott has appeared in New York City at The Miranda Theatre, The Twenty-ninth Street Theatre, The Judith Anderson Theatre and in The Riverside Theatre Bardathon as well as in a host of commercials, voice-overs and industrial videos. He lives in Connecticut with his wife Laura and an ongoing procession of orphaned raccoons, skunks and other wildlife!

DAN LEONARD* (Mr. Dussel)
 Dan is delighted to be back home at the Hippodrome after more than a decade away from where he began his career.  Gainesville audiences have seen him as Larry in the most recent production, Closer, and in the 80s, in shows such as True West, Whose Life Is It, Anyway, and A Christmas Carol.  He also spent many years touring the county and country for the Hippodrome’s Theatre in Education program.  He went on to become Playwright in Residence for the Learning Stage in South Florida for seven years, while continuing his acting career at Florida Stage, Caldwell Theatre, FL Repertory Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Actors’ Rep and Theatre West.  In New York, he has performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Cider Mill Playhouse, and as Eli Wallach’s partner in a Lincoln Center production of A Soldier’s Tale.  Some of his favorite regional credits include How I Learned To Drive,  Proctor in The Crucible, Arnold in the world premiere of Bill Mastrosimone’s Benedict Arnold, Frank/Fleischmann in the world premiere musical At Wit’s End, Van Gogh/Theo in Leonard Nimoy’s one man play, Vincent, and Ernie Pyle in his own one man show, Ernie Pyle: Here Is My War.  Thanks, Lauren and everybody here for welcoming me back!

EMILEE MACDONALD (Margot Frank)
Emilee MacDonald is proud to be performing the role of Margot in this very special story of The Diary of Anne Frank.  After completing her BFA in Theatre at Hofstra University, Emilee joined the Hippodrome as an Assistant Stage Manager.  Other roles include the Ghost of Christmas Present and Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol.  During the Fall of 2001, Emilee played the role of Dorothy in The Wonderful…Wizard of Art, which toured  throughout the region.  She has directed in the Summer Spectacular, including last summer’s productions of Charlie and the Charlie Factory.  She would like to thank her friends and family for all their support and especially those who have traveled far to share this story with her.

NIALL MCGINTY (Peter Van Daan)
Niall, from Austin, Texas, is pleased to be returning to the Hippodrome stage.  He has been seen previously at the Hippodrome in Macbeth as Ross and A Christmas Carol as Young Scrooge.  He holds a B.F.A. in theatre from Southwestern University.

SARA MORSEY*(Mrs. Van Daan)
Sara Morsey has been seen on the mainstage this season as Karen in Dinner With Friends, Annie Wilkes in Misery, and Anna in Closer.  In an eight year association with the Hippodrome State Theatre credits include Maria Callas in Master Class, Bella in Lost In Yonkers, Sylvia in Broken Glass, Alcandre in The Illusion, Sara in The Sisters Rosensweig, Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, Frank in Private Eyes, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, as well as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in the one woman show An Enchanted Land (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 1999, Pick of the Fringe) and numerous others.  Other notable regional theatre credits include five seasons with American Stage (including Melitta in the United State premiere of Nicholas Wright’s Mrs. Klein), six seasons with the New Harmony Theatre (Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, Dr. Livingstone in Agnes of God, and Eva in the stage adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s Autumn Sonata – also an American premiere), and Guest Artist appearances at Playhouse on the Square in Master Class, Wit, and Three Tall Women (Memphis Theatre Award for Excellence as a Leading Actress in a Drama).  Sara holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from The University of Louisville and has trained with Kristen Linklater and Tina Packer of Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and Adale O’Brien at Actors Theatre of Louisville.
 

MARGUERITE STIMPSON* (Anne Frank)
Marguerite Stimpson is a recent graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training.  While at A.R.T., she appeared as a member of the Greek Chorus in Antigone and as Mary Tyrone (understudy) in Idiots Karamazov.  ART/MXAT Institute roles include Edward/Victoria in Cloud Nine, Claire in The Maids, Ophelia in Hamlet Machine, and Dora in The Swan. Additionally, she appeared as Giacinta in Goldoni’s Holiday Trilogy and Tanya in Tolstoy’s Fruits of Enlightenment in ART/MXAT’s international tour, which included performances in Russia, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.  Other tours include originating the role of Elizabeth in Artspower’s Salem Justice.  She has also appeared on NBC’s ED.

ROBIN THOMAS (Miep Gies)
Robin is very excited to be making her Hippodrome debut. Robin is a current Fellowship graduate student at the University of Florida where she recently appeared in Light Up the Sky as Irene Livingston, earning her an Irene Ryan nomination. She has worked professionally in Michigan appearing in such plays as Sylvia, The Heiress, Extremities and The Heidi Chronicles to name a few. In 1999, Robin premiered a new play, Talk Show in Ann Arbor with New York playwright M.Patton. Thanks to Sandy for helping me find my dreams, and to Marty for encouraging me to follow them.

STEPHEN VENDETTE (Mr. Kraler)
Stephen is the Marketing Director for the Hippodrome.  He recently finished his MFA in Acting at the University of Florida.  He has had the pleasure of performing on this stage in A Christmas Carol for the past three years and last season’s  Macbeth.  Stephen is very excited to be onstage again in The Diary of Anne Frank.  Some of his favorite credits are the “Baker”-Into the Woods, “Venticello”-Amadeus, “Fred”-This is Where We Came In, and “Joe”-Angels in America.  Stephen would like to thank his family for their love and especially his wife, Lisa, for her undying support and encouragement.

ADAM COHEN* (Stage Manager)
Adam is in his fourth season at the Hippodrome, having stage- managed over 20 productions during that time period. In a career that has taken him across the high seas, into huge arenas, in front of the camera, up in the control booth, and onto the stage, the experiences he has accumulated only serve to make him more aware of the value of the “jewel” the citizens of Gainesville have in their midst.  The caliber of the artists that the Hippodrome attracts is surpassed nowhere, and he thanks the management for the chance to be counted in that group.  His greatest thanks must go, however, to his family, who have supported his choices from the beginning and continue to be a source of joy and inspiration.

LAUREN CALDWELL (Director) 
Lauren is the Artistic Director at the Hippodrome State Theatre. She has directed over 40 shows on the Hippodrome mainstage, most recently Closer, Misery, last season’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Anton in Show Business, Macbeth and The Blue Room. Previously she directed Master Class, Hedda Gabler and Frankenstein. Other directing credits include: A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rocky Horror Show, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Glass Menagerie, Dracula, Beehive (twice), How I learned to Drive, Lost in Yonkers, Like Totally Weird, All in the Timing, and The Lion in Winter. She has appeared as an actress on the Hippodrome stage since 1988 in such roles as Sylvia in Sylvia, Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Marge in Absent Friends, Faye in The Sugar Bean Sisters, Truvy in Steel Magnolias, Louise in Always Patsy Cline (twice), and recently, for the third time, multiple wacky characters in A Tuna Christmas. Lauren has written plays for the Building Audiences of Tomorrow program which including To Be or Not To Be …That is Two Questions, Just So Stories (adaptation), Radio Active and most recently, The Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful Wizard of Art. She conceptualized a comprehensive cirriculum guide for Hippodrome productions, Perspectives. A native of Texas, Lauren holds a BFA in directing from Baylor University and a MFA in acting from the University of Florida. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, the Drama League, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.  Lauren also  owns and operates Legal Acts, a Prosecution/Public Defenders’ Program.

MIHAI CIUPE (Scenic Designer)
 The Diary of Anne Frank will mark Mihai’s seventh design for the Hippodrome.  He has enjoyed working with the team of artists and technicians here who have helped him in creating successful designs for Colser, Misery, Macbeth, The Blue Room, Master Class, and Hedda Gabler.  Originally from Romania, Mihai worked as a designer with some of the greatest Romanian directors: Gabor Tompa, Alexandru Dabija, Iulian Visa, Mihai Maniutiu, Victor Ion Frunza.  In 1991, he received a scholarship to attend the London International Festival of Theater.  In 1995, he was accepted into the membership of the Association of Romanian Fine Artists in Scene Design.  Mihai recently received a double Master of Fine Arts degree in Costume and Set Design from Carnegie Mellon University.  At Carnegie Mellon, he was awarded the George Kimberly Scene Design Award and the Oren Parker Award in Design and Production.  Before coming to the United States, he was the resident designer at The National Theatre of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.  Early in his European career, he traveled extensively in Europe on tour with shows he designed.  These tours exposed him to the various schools of theater from England, Scotland, Hungary, France, and Yugoslavia.  He joined the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Florida in the Fall of 1999 as a Professor in Set Design.

MARILYN WALL-ASSE (Costume Designer) 
Marilyn is a Hippodrome co-founder, Artistic Associate and the Costume Designer-in-Residence. She has designed and built costumes for more than 150 Hippodrome productions.  She is a four time recipient of the Outstanding Young Women in America Award and received the Margaret Sanger Certificate of Appreciation in 1987. She has twice  received a Governor’s Award as one of Florida’s Outstanding Artists and was the only theatrical artist to be granted that award this year.  Her Hippodrome acting credits include The Madwoman of Chaillot, Cabrona, Bedroom Farce, Robber Bridegroom,  Crimes of the Heart and Season’s Greetings.  Directing credits include Macbeth, Same Time Next Year and Tangled Tales which she also co-authored.  In the film world, Marilyn has designed costumes and makeup for A Flash of Green, Shimmer, Ruby in Paradise, Gathering Evidence, Miami Hustle and Ulee's Gold with Peter Fonda and Patricia Richardson.  She has served as makeup artist to the famous faces of Phil Donahue, Al Gore and Bill Clinton at their local appearances.  Marilyn recently won two Emmy Awards  for her costume designs for the children’s television show, Salsa.  She recently designed for Victor Nunez's new exciting film, Coastlines.

Robert P. Robins (Lighting Designer) 
Bob has held the title of  Lighting Designer-in-Residence/Audio Production at the Hippodrome State Theatre, for more than 17 years. During this time, Bob has designed the lighting for more than 185 productions.  He has also stage managed numerous productions including Hippodrome Main stage, state and Theatre for Young Audiences tours.  In addition to designing and stage managing, Bob also engineers the sound tracks and sound reinforcement for all Hippodrome productions. He has designed a safety training program for the Hippodrome and trains all new employees in workplace safety, hazardous material training, and worker compensation laws.  Bob has designed more than 300 productions
regionally in the United States, including theatre, dance, and industrials.  He does consulting work for many different groups and venues and presents classes and workshops for a wide variety of organizations.  He is an Actor's Equity Association stage manager and a member of IATSE Local 115. In the summers, Bob teaches at  the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts, at Middle Tennessee State University. He spends what time he has away from the theatre with his very supportive wife, Jodi, and their two children, Kayla and Evan.

J. JEFFERY GUICE (Technical Director/Production Coordinator)
Jeff has recently returned to the world of live theatre from an extensive tour of duty in the themeing industry. He has produced ultra realistic animal habitats for zoos and aquariums such as The Brookfield  Zoo in Chicago and detailed exhibits for museums, the latest being The 82nd Airborne Museum in Fayettville, N.C. From 1985 to 1999 Jeff has Art directed, sculpted and painted on many themepark attractions such as Disney MGM, EPCOT, E.T.’s Adventure and Jurassic Park rides at Universal Studios, Hollywood and in Florida plus projects in Italy, Las Vegas and the Bahamas. Having started in theatre with a B.F.A. in Theatrical Design and Technology from Auburn University and experience from Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Daytona Musical Theatre and Orlando Civic Theatre, Jeff is excited to once again participate in live productions.  Past theatrical designs include The Shadow Box and Extremities for the Central Florida Civic Theatre, Solomon and Baulcus, a traveling children's tour for the Daytona Summer Musical Theatre and traveling tours for the Central Florida Children's Theatre.

Lorelei Esser (Properties Design) 
Lorelei has been designing properties for the Hippodrome since the 1994 production of Earthly Possessions.  She has long been recognized in our community for her accomplishments and contributions as an independent artist.  Her medium, the collection and assemblage of “the stuff of life” can now be experienced in the sets of the Hippodrome’s productions.  Lorelei’s understanding of time periods, cultures, the writer’s intentions, the director’s vision along with her tenacity for detail bring artistry to the craft of properties design.  She recently worked production on Victor Nunez' forthcoming film, Coastlines.
 

TAMERIN DYGERT (Dramaturg) 
Tammy holds a B.A. in Theatre and English Education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.  As Dramaturg and Literary Manager, Ms. Dygert compiles research materials for the artistic team, contributes to production concepts, serves as features writer/editor of the curriculum guide, Perspectives, and writes articles for Ovation newsletters.  She also assists in Mainstage season selection, negotiates Mainstage production rights and directs the New Play Reading Series which she founded in 1998.  A native of Maryland, Ms. Dygert has worked at Baltimore’s Center Stage, toured with Shakespeare on Wheels, served as a freelance dramaturg with Baltimore’s Performance Workshop, Inc. and taught English and Drama at Bais Yaakov School for Girls.  She has taught Hippodrome theatre arts classes and directed Florida Teen Playwright Festival productions and appeared on the Mainstage in The Sisters Rosensweig, A Christmas Carol and Just So Stories.  Ms. Dygert is a member of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), a professional association serving literary managers, dramaturgs and theatre professionals throughout North and South America

GRAHAM JOHNSON (Sound Designer)
This is Graham’s sixth mainstage sound design here at the Hippodrome State Theatre, having recently designed sound for Misery and Closer.  He has worked here for the past 3 years in several different capacities including Summer Spectacular acting coach and he directed Dandelion, a Hippodrome Teen Playwright Festival production.  Other sound design credits include Dandelion and Radio Active.  Graham is enrolled in the University of Florida’s Department of Theatre and Dance where he had the opportunity to design sound for Angels in America.  Graham would like to thank the Hippodrome and Lauren Caldwell for this opportunity.