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CONRAD ALEXANDROWICZ is a director, writer and choreographer, and the artistic director of Wild Excursions Performance. Originally from Toronto, he performed with a number of Canadian dance companies, principally Dancemakers, which he joined in 1982, and where he began to produce his own work, much of which featured original text. He left the company in 1987 to choreograph, direct and perform independently. To date he has created over forty-five dance and physical-theatre works, some of which have been presented across Canada, in New York City, France and the U.K. In 1994 he moved to Vancouver where he founded Wild Excursions Performance. His play for two men called "The Wines of Tuscany" was produced three times in Vancouver, in Calgary, Victoria and Edmonton, and at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. It has won Jessie, Dora and Sterling Awards. In 2002 he completed an M.F.A. in Directing at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and returned to Vancouver to restart the company and his freelance professional career. As an artist and teacher he continues his explorations into theatre and dance, and that mysterious territory where they overlap.. |
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KEVIN BENNETT Kevin is a native of Vancouver, and a graduate of Studio 58, the professional theatre training program at Langara College. In addition to his training at Studio 58, he was a part of a select group chosen to participate in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts’ “How to Rehearse” summer directing course in London, England. Kevin has worked as an apprentice director with Bard on the Beach for two seasons in addition to Assistant Directing for many of the major theatre directors in town. Some of his directing credits include: "Macbeth" at Little Mountain Studios, "Hamlet" with The Honest Fishmongers Equity CoOp at the Havana Theatre, and coming up this season in addition to "The Priory", Kevin will be directing a new adaptation of "Treasure Island" at Studio 58 and "King Lear" with the Honest Fishmongers Equity CoOp at the Havana Theatre. Kevin is thrilled to be making his UP directorial debut with the marvelous new play, "The Priory". Back to top |
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BERNARD CUFFLING Director Bernard Cuffling, an honoured member of the B.C. Hall of Fame, most recently seen in "The Cripple of Inishmaan" and "My Fair Lady" (Arts Club), has worked for several years with the Arts Club as an actor or director, appearingin a large number of plays including "Hamlet", "Blithe Spirit", and directed "Communicating doors". Bernard has also appeared for the Playhouse in "Amadeus", and "Seasons Greetings", just to name a few, as well as appearingin "Christmas Carol" for Carousel Theatre, and was seen last summer at Bard on the Beach and lately in Savage God. UP is proud to have Bernard this season. Bernard directed "Arcadia" for United Players. Back to top |
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WILLIAM B. DAVIS Known around the world as Cancerman from television’s The X-Files, Davis has spent much of his life as a director in the theatre. He was Artistic Director of The Straw Hat Players in Ontario before he was old enough to vote. He trained in London and went on to direct in British Rep before landing as Assistant Director at The National Theatre of Great Britain. He returned to Canada to head the English Acting Program at The National Theatre School and went from there to found and run Festival Lennoxville in Quebec. Davis has worked extensively as a theatre director in Canada, at Centaur in Montreal, Neptune in Halifax, The Globe in Regina, and three times at The Playhouse in Vancouver. He moved to Vancouver in the mid-eighties to lead The Playhouse Acting School and moved on to found and direct his own school, The William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study. Unexpectedly he found new success as an actor, not only on The X-Files but many other films and tv shows, as well as on stage in Vancouver and Montreal. He has also directed short films and television episodes. |
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STEPHEN DROVER |
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MICHAEL FERA Director Michael Fera’s (Co-Artistic Director of Hoarse Raven Theatre) favorite directing credits include the Jessie nominated smash hit, "Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding" (Vancouver, Seattle, Winnipeg, Edmonton), "Dancing in the Light" at the Q.E Theatre, the original musical "Alleycats", the 2003/04 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", "Balthazar and the Mojo Star", "three heads talking", "The Belle of Amherst", "Macbeth", "Life After Hockey", and the Canadian premiers of "Corpus Christi", "Molly Sweeney" and Alistaire Elliot’s translation of "Medea". For nine years Michael was an Executive Director with the Ailanthus Achievement Centre and he is a recipient of the 40 Under 40 ‘Business in Vancouver’ Award. Michael and Hoarse Raven Theatre have received a number of Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations (Significant Artistic Achievement, Outstanding Production and Outstanding Performance) and Hoarse Raven Theatre was the 1997 recipient of the Vancouver Board of Trade “Joint Venture” Award. Michael directed "The Herbal Bed", "Tartuffe", and "Boston Marriage" for United Players.. Back to top |
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SANDRA FERENS Holding a Masters Degree in Theatre in Education from the University of Victoria, Sandra has been an arts educator for over twenty years with a special interest in working with and developing training for young theatre artists. She was a co-founder of Bard on the Beach’s Young Shakespearians program, creator of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre’s Summer Intensive for the Young Artist, developed and facilitated the Vancouver site of the National Arts and Youth Demonstration Project for McGill University in collaboration with Arts Umbrella, and facilitated the Blackbird Theatre Shadow Cast initiative. She currently instructs at the University of British Columbia, Capilano University, the Vancouver Waldorf School and the Arts Club Theatre’s Music Theatre Intensive. She is a co-founder of the Human Theatre Collective, a Jessie- nominated playwright, and works steadily as a professional actor, recently appearing in episodes of “The Killing” and “Fringe”. Sandra directed a production of "Les Belles Soeurs" for United Players. Back to top |
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KICO GONZALEZ-RISSO A playwright and director, Kico has had his plays produced at various theatres, including the Arts Club, Richmond Gateway Theatre, Alberta Theatre projects, Calgary Opera Association, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Directing credits include "Taming of the Shrew", "Twelfth Night", "As You Like It"; Moliere’s "Dom Jaun"; Feydeau’s "13 Rue de L’amour"; Calderon’s "Life As a Dream", and Lorca’s "The House of Bernada Alba". He is lyricist for the world beat band, Olam, and has translated two major operas into English: Mozart’s "The Magic Flute", and Donizetti’s "Don Pasquale". He also directed "The Telephone" for Opera Breve, "Cosi fan Tutte" for Portland State University Opera, and Benjamin Britten’s "Curlew River' for Vancouver’s Millennium Festival. Kico directed "Dog in a Manger" for United Players.. Back to top |
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FRAN GEBHARD Fran Gebhard has worked as a director and actor at theatres across Canada. Memorable roles include Elizabeth in "Richard III", Lycas in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and Mary in "Kilt". Her film and TV work includes roles in "Dead Zone", "The Chris Isaak Show" and "Police Academy". She has recently appeared in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for John Juliani's Shakespeare Project. Gebhard's recent directing credits include "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for Shakespeare Kelowna, "For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again" for the Bluewater Summer Playhouse, "As You Like It" in Kelowna, and "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" for the Freddie Wood Theatre. Gebhard has just completed her MFA in directing at UBC.. Back to top |
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ANNA HAGAN Anna Hagan has been a professional actor for the past 35 years and in the last 20 years has also pursued her directing career. Although Toronto born and raised most of her work has taken her elsewhere. Her home base for the past 30 years has been Vancouver where she was a founding member of the original Tamahnous Theatre Company and the Westcoast Actors Society. For eleven years Ms. Hagan was Associate Director of the Arena Theatre Company where she acted in many of their productions and directed such productions as: "Waiting for Godot", "She Stoops to Conquer", "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "The Mouse Trap" and "Ten Little Indians". She was one of three Canadian participants in the International Directors Seminar held in London England in 1992, and that same year completed a Shakespearean seminar at Shakespeare & Co. at Wellesley College in Massassachusetts. In the summer of 2000, Anna performed at the World Stage Festival in Toronto in the much acclaimed production of "The Mill on the Floss" directed by Robin Phillips and produced by the Soul Pepper Theatre Company. Recently Anna performed in and directed three productions for the Bardathon at Christ Church Cathedral and last year was an associate director of "Ode to Joy", the fundraiser/gala for the Performing Arts Lodge ( PAL) . She is a co-artistic director of the Western Gold Theatre Company, a company of dedicated, senior professional actors who wish to pursue and present to audiences, meaningful, entertaining and creative work. A member of Screen Actors Guild, Union of British Columbia Performers/ACTRA and Canadian Actor’s Equity, Anna Hagan serves on several boards related to the Arts Community and Senior artists/activists in Vancouver. Recent credits include acting in "One Last Kiss" (Belfry/Playhouse production) and directing "J.B." for the Cathedral Guild for the Arts.. Back to top |
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ADAM HENDERSON Born in New York, raised in Winnipeg, Adam started acting professionally at The Manitoba Theatre Centre, then trained in England at The Bristol Old Vic. He has acted in London's West End, at the Royal National Theatre, and at many repertory and fringe theatres across Europe. He directed for The Edinburgh Festival and at the Almeida Theatre. Now based in Vancouver his recent roles include “Stones in his Pockets”, Jesse winner “Peer Gynt” & “Mary Stuart” for Blackbird, "Dial 'M' for Murder" for The Arts Club, “A Skull in Connemara”, “Translations”, “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Arturo Ui”. He recently directed “Democracy” at The Vancouver Playhouse, “Aristocrats”, "The Constant Wife", "The Way of the World", "The Breath of Life", "London Assurance" and, with Tom Kerr co directed "The Lady's Not For Burning" for United Players. His film & TV work includes "Judge Dredd" with Sylvester Stallone, "A Dangerous Man," with Ralph Fiennes. “Goodnight Sweetheart”, "Kingdom Hospital", "The Collector", "John Doe", "Dark Angel", "Chris Isaak Show", "Mysterious Ways", "Cold Squad", and "Highlander". He has danced at The Royal Opera House and recorded many BBC and CBC radio dramas, lots of cartoons, and countless junk-food commercials. Adam teaches movement, accents & combat at Vancouver Film School. Back to top |
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TOM KERR Tom Kerr has had a long and distinguished career in theatre. He was awarded the Louis Jouvet Trophy as best Director of the Dominion Drama Festival held in Charlottetown, an honour that launched one of Canada's busiest directing careers with credits across the country. They include the Stephenville Festival in Newfoundland, the Citadel in Edmonton, Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon, Theatre Plus in Toronto, the Stratford Festival in Ontario, The Vancouver Playhouse and the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver. Last season he directed "Romeo and Juliet" at the Firehall, "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" at Jericho, the "Fantasticks" at Capilano College and he was a member of the jury for the Jessie Theatre Awards. Kerr was founding artistic director of the Western Canada Theatre Company, artistic director of Persephone Theatre and head of theatre at the University of Saskatchewan. He is developing a musical review, "Tribute to the Great Divas of Musical Theatre" with Ruth Nicolls, Diane Stapley and Susan Anderson. . Back to top |
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STEPHANE KIRKLAND Stephane is an award-winning director, receiving a Jessie award for her direction of The Orphan Muses for Touchstone Theatre and two Jessie nominations for her direction of Sled (with Roy Surette) and Thunderstruck for Pi Theatre. She is also the recipient of the Ray Michal Award and the Larry Lillo & John Moffat Award. Recent directing credits include Corker for the Belfry Theatre and the world premiere of Liar for Prairie Theatre Exchange. Other favourite directing credits include Be Still for the Belfry and Gateway Theatres, The Shooting Stage for the Firehall Arts Centre, Fuddy Meers for Tightrope Productions, Curse of the Starving Class for Studio 58 and Happy Days for the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Steph was associate artistic director at Touchstone Theatre for three seasons with Roy Surette and has also served as resident director and dramaturg at Playwrights Theatre Centre. In addition to numerous workshops, staged readings and new play development activities, Steph has also directed for many theatre programs including Studio 58, Simon Fraser University, Toobah, The William Davis Centre, Capilano College and York University. Prior to her directing career, Steph was an actor, graduating from Studio 58’s acting program. Steph will be direct Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer" for United Players 2005-2006 season.. Back to top |
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GERRY MACKAY Gerry Mackay has directed Twelfth Night for Malaspina College, and "Measure for Measure", for the University of British Columbia. As an actor, he recently performed in "The Winter’s Tale" and "Troilus and Cressida" for Bard on the Beach. Other theatres include: Yorick theatre, Carousel Theatre, Western Canada theatre, the Globe Theatre, the Citadel, Canstage, and the Stratford Festival. Select TV credits include: "Pain Killer Jane"; "Ties That Bind", "Supernatural", and "The Dead Zone". Upcoming, Gerry will be performing in "Having Hope" at Home for Richmond Gateway Theatre. Gerry has a BFA from UVIC and a MFA from UBC. Back to top |
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TAMARA McCARTHY |
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C.W. (Toph) MARSHALL A Classics professor at UBC, Toph has directed a dozen ancient plays through his company MASC (Modern Actors Staging Classics) and has founded improv troupes in Montreal, Edinburgh and Sackville, NB. Toph’s work brings ancient theatre to modern audiences wherever possible. He has directed over a dozen plays from Victoria to St. John’s, as well as in Edinburgh (particularly tragedies by Euripides and comedies by Plautus). He directed "Helen", "The Invention of Love" and the World Première of Tony Harrison's "The Misanthrope" for UP. Acting credits include Miles Gloriosus in "Funny Thing" (Tryptich, Vancouver), Bassanio in "Merchant of Venice" (Shakespeare by the Sea, St. John’s) and Antony in "Julius Caesar" (SBTS). |
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JOHN MURPHY John is an actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. Directing credits: "To the Moon" – Working Spark Theatre; "Girls like Me" – Pink Vixen; "Bloody China" – Beaumont Studios; "The Canada Show" – Monster Theatre; "Lenny Breau Live!" – (r)evolution theatre; "Songs of the Sad Sack" – Playwrights Theatre Centre; "Harry’s Christmas" – (r)evolution theatre; "Plugged: A Rock Opera" – En People Productions; and "Sex Drugs, Rock and Roll "- (r)evolution theatre. Acting Credits Theatre: "Still Desire You" – Alberta Theatre Projects; "Ali and Ali" – NeWorld Theatre; "The Optimists" (Jessie Nomination), "Sheer Madness", "A Flea in Her Ear" – The Arts Club; "Twisted Christmas Carol "– Belfry Theatre; "Killing Caesar" – Rubicon; "The "Heretic" (Edinburgh Fringe) – (r)evolution theatre; "Lisa Lisa" – Touchstone Theatre; "Night Desk" – Western Theatre Conspiracy; Film/TV: "Saved", "Stargate", "The L Word", "The Twilight Zone", "Cold Squad", "Reunion", "Just Cause" and "The Delicate Art of Parking". John is co-founder of (r)evolution theatre. This May John will be appearing in Touchstone Theatre’s production of "The Dissemblers". Back to top |
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JACK PATERSON Jack is a graduate of The Circle In The Square Theatre School in New York. Locally he has performed with The Arts Club, Carousel Theatre, Bard On The Beach, Chemainus Theatre Festival & was a regular performer in Savage God's The Shakespeare Project. He was last seen playing Hitler and Walt Disney in the Firehall Arts Centre's The Blue Light. Directing credits include MD Theatre's Shakespeare's "R&J", Mad Duck's "Titus Andronicus", "Julius Caesar", "The Tempest", The Bardathon's "Henry 6 Parts 2 & 3", "The Real Inspector Hound" & "7 actors in A Midsummer Night's Dream". He is he recipient of the Ray Michals Award for Outstanding Body of Work by an Emerging Director and been nominated for 4 Outstanding Direction Jessie Richardson Awards. Most recently, he directed "The Odyssey" for Carousel Theatre. Back to top |
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MARY ALISON RAINE Alison received her training at the New Zealand Drama School and the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Whilst working as an actress on the children’s science show "Oi!", she was given the opportunity to direct. Her work on the show won a coveted Golden Apple Award at the National Educational Media Awards in Oakland, California. Then life took another direction and Alison spent the next four years playing Nurse Tiffany in the primetime clinical soap "Shortland Street". After moving to London, UK, Alison worked as an actor off the West End, and assistant directed for the Southwark Playhouse under the mentorship of Erica Whyman, now Artistic Director of Northern Stage, UK, and for Garsington Opera. This led to her engagement as director for the critically acclaimed children’s production of "Clockwork" by Philip Pullman, for the Southwark Playhouse. Since immigrating to Vancouver and the birth of her two children, Milo and Jaz, Alison has worked variously as an actor in television and film and as a voice over artist. She has also returned to her soap opera roots by teaching and directing the students at the Vancouver Film School Acting Programme in their own daytime drama projects. Alison was last seen on the Jericho Arts Centre stage in the United Players' production of Duet For One". Back to top |
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SARAH RODGERS Sarah is an actor and a director, graduating from UBC in 2003 with her MFA in directing. Her thesis production was “Oh, What a Lovely War” in the Telus Studio. Since graduation Sarah directed Cat and Mouse (Sheep) for Sea Theatre in which she received a Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Direction. Some other highlights include: Under Milk Wood at UBC; The Elephant Man and Driving Miss Daisy for Pacific Theatre; Emily and My Fair Lady for The Gateway Theatre; Island of Bliss by Ian Weir for Western Canada Theatre Company; The Feigned Courtesans and Impromptu of Outremont for United Players; A Christmas in Wales and St. Joan for Chemainus Theatre Festival. Most recently Sarah directed The Ash Girl for Studio 58. Upcoming: Jesus, My Boy at Pacific Theatre and Guys and Dolls at The Gateway Theatre. Back to top |
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CHARLES SIEGEL Charles Siegel has directed over thirty productions of plays – including the world premieres of Canadian plays in Vancouver, New York, and London. As an actor, he has appeared in over 40 TV shows and films. On stage he has acted on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theatres across the United States and Canada – playing roles ranging from King Lear and Uncle Vanya to Cyrano and Falstaff. Most recently, here in Vancouver, he played Howard in "The Designated Mourner" for Felix Culpa, the Zayde in "The League of Nathans"s for Touchstone Theatre, and Salter in a number by Caryl Churchill. An Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC, Charles taught acting and directing there for almost 25 years and was Chair of the Theatre Program. Back to top |
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JOHN R. TAYLOR "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (2004-2005 season) marked John's directing debut with United Players, although his association extends back over many years as an award winning Set Designer ("Agnes of God", "Rashomon', "Arcadia", "Herbal Bed", "Tartuffe" and many more). John began his theatre experience while a student at Ryerson University - as both an actor and a set designer - and he has continued to be involved in both of those areas. He has had principal roles in a long list of shot-in-Vancouver films, opposite many top actors such as Henry Winkler (Dad's Week Off), Diane Keaton (Northern Lights), David Duchovny (X-Files), Jack Nicholson (The Pledge) and others. He also works steadily as a Production Designer in film and television. John's interests in directing have been concurrent with his other theatre activity. In the 70's at the Ontario College of Art he directed The Odd Couple, No Exit, Everyman and other shows. In the 80's he was Artistic Director of The Stage Door in Kelowna - a cabaret theatre offering fast-paced variety shows which, he says, "certianly hones one's skills in directing". Other favourite projects include Love Rides The Rails or Will The Mail Train Run Tonight - presented as summer stock in Penticton; One More For The Road - an unpublished George Ryga work presented on a western Canada tour and at the 1990 Fringe Festival, and Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story" - which he has directed three times and will do yet again because, as he says, "I'm still finding more magic in the play".. Back to top |
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IRINA TEMPLETON Born in Russia, Irina studied Theatre Art at the University of Art and Culture in St. Petersburg, graduating with a Masters degree in Drama. She has more than 20 years of stage experience as a director, scriptwriter, actress, and ran her own production company as artistic director and producer in collaboration with international cultural organizations in Belgium, Poland, and Germany. Her directing work is derived from the classical theatrical system of Stanislavsky. In the Vancouver theatre scene, Irina directed "Wild Honey" for United Players, assisted Andree Karas for the United Player's production of "Antigone", served as assistant to director Bill Millerd for the Arts Club production of "Blithe Spirit", and directed an original production,"An Artist's Dream", for Summer stock festival at UBC. She has won awards for Best Director and Best Concept of Stage Design.. Back to top |
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VICTOR VASUTA Victor was born in 1976, in Iassy, Romania. he obtained a BA in Theatre Directing in 2004 at the “I.L. Caragiale” Theatre and Film University in Bucharest, Romania. In the same year he moved to Vancouver, and since then has directed three plays: a personal adaptation of Chekhov’s Swan’s Song, staged in 2005 at Norman Rothstein Theatre, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, staged in the fall of 2006 at the Pacific Theatre, Vancouve (both with Urban Rogues Company), and in the spring of 2008 he directed Chekhov at Hycroft, a coupée of two of the Chekhov's famous vaudevilles produced by Dynama Theatre Company . Victor played in the UBC production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, directed by Stephen Heatley, in the UP production of The Ladies of The Camellias, directed by John Taylor, and the Mentor’s Project production of The American Pilot, directed by Adam Henderson. Victor directed Chekhov's "Ivanov" for United Players 50th Anniversary Season. Presently, Victor is working as a TV editor and producer here in Vancouver. |
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JOHNNA WRIGHT A Vancouver-based actor and director, Johnna directed the premieres of two new scripts, "She’ll to the Wars" (Beare Pursuits Theatre) and "Brown Wasp" (Solo Collective), both of which won awards at the Theatre BC Playwriting Competition. A participant in the Vancouver Playhouse’s Emerging Directors’ Programme, she was assistant to director Glynis Leyshon for the Playhouse and Canadian Stage Company’s critically-acclaimed production of "Wit". Johnna has co-founded two Vancouver theatre companies, Bard on the Beach and the Solo Collective. Recent stage and television appearances include "The Odd Couple" (Arts Club Theatre), "The War Show" (Western Canada Theatre), episodes of "Highlander" and "The Net", and a co-starring role on "Beyond Belief". Johnna directed "If We Are Women" for United Players. Back to top |