Dr. Panowski has been Director of the Forest Roberts Theatre since 1977.  Born and raised in Jack Benny’s hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, Panowski received his B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and his graduate degrees in Ohio.  A twenty-year veteran of summer stock, he has acted in and directed over 100 productions.  He has especially fond acting memories from his portrayal of Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes for the Millbrook (Pennsylvania) Playhouse and, most recently, his Black Box Theatre performance as Henry (the Old Actor) in The Fantasticks the summer of 2005.  He was resident director and associate producer for the Carousel Playhouse (Wadsworth, Illinois) for 5 years and served as Artistic Director for the Timber Lake Playhouse (Mr. Carroll, Illinois).  He orchestrated and served as Managing Director for the Island Playhouse at the Inns of Mackinac on Mackinac Island the summer of 1978.  His teaching specialties include: directing theory, musical theatre, and theatre management.  He is a musical theatre fanatic and has a warm spot in his heart for musical failures…especially after investing in Dear World!  Panowski endowed the annual playwriting award in honor of his parents, and received a Distinguished Faculty Award in 1994.
 
 

Victor G. Holliday, MFA University of Hawaii at Manoa
vhollida@nmu.edu

Prof. Holliday is an Associate Professor of Communication and Performance Studies. He has been a Designer for the Forest Roberts Theatre since 1982. His areas of expertise include scenic design, lighting design, technical direction and stage makeup. His interests include computer-aided design, Japanese theatre forms, theatre history and architecture.
 
 

Shelley Russell Ph.D., Florida State University
srussell@nmu.edu

A Professor of Theatre in the Communications and Performance Studies Department at NMU, Russell has been the executive director for the Lake Superior Theatre in Marquette from 1999-2002, during which she received numerous awards including the NEA Director's Challenge Award (2000) and Northern Michigan Performing Artist of the Year (2000).  During her spare time she enjoys writing, and has written numerous plays, which have been performed on the Forest Roberts Theatre stage and at Lake Superior Theatre.  Some of her works include: Points North, Holdin' Our Own: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Dracula and Beacon on the Rock.  Of her writings, Haywire written in 1994, a musical set in an 1880's lumber camp, tells the story about lumberjacking in the Upper Peninsula.  After debuting on the Roberts Theatre stage, the NMU production of Haywire was invited to perform at the Weidner Center in Green Bay and advanced to the National Finals of the American College Theatre Festival at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  Her 1996 "swashbucler comedy," Jule won 5th place in the prestigious Jane Chambers Playwriting Competition.  Russell's most recent work was Links (2004), a play about women in the world of professional golf.

  

Paul Truckey, MFA, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
ptruckey@nmu.edu

Paul is an Assistant Professor of Communications and Performance Studies. Paul teaches a variety of courses including: Acting, Audition, Musical Theatre Performance, Modern Drama, and Introduction to Theatre. Before coming to NMU, Paul served a one-year term as Assistant Professor of Theatre at UNLV. Paul has worked extensively as a professional actor, most recently performing in the Broadway and National Touring companies of Les Miserable. Paul’s recent NMU directing credits include: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Maltby and Shire’s Closer Than Ever, and the world premiere of Mark Rigney’s newest play Burning Mona Lisa in the Reptile House. Also as an actor, Paul has performed lead roles ranging from Menelaus in Euripides Trojan Women to Gaston in Disney’s hit musical Beauty and the Beast. Paul received an MFA in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.
 
 

James L. Rapport Ph.D., Ohio University (Professor Emeritus)
jrapport@nmu.edu

Dr. Rapport's teaching expertise includes: Acting, directing, The History of Drama, Introduction to Theatre, Criticism Theory and Shakespearian theatre. He has performed in over 90 roles and has directed over 100 productions.
 
 

Kimberly Hegmegee, Technical Director, Forest Roberts Theatre
khegmege@nmu.edu

Kim received a B.S. in Technical Theatre from NMU, and also served as Forest Roberts Theatre Technical Graduate Artist Intern. After two years in the Electricians Union Local 1070, she returned to NMU to fill the new staff position in 2001 as Technical Coordinator. Kim has created many lighting designs for FRT as well as Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach, Florida where she worked as Head Electrician for numerous productions: Tommy, 42nd Street, Company, Evita, and Rothchilds just to name a few. Kim created lighting designs at Seaside Music Theatre for several shows including Kander and Ebb’s musical revue And the World Goes ‘Round, and favorites like Cinderella. Her lighting designs at FRT started as an undergraduate in 1991 with Beast and other credits include more recent productions like Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Beauty and the Beast, and Company.