CAST

MICHELLE LIU COUGHLIN*

(Margot Wendice) is delighted to be making her Virginia Stage Company debut. As an actress, singer, and award-winning producer, she has worked in theatre, television, film, and symphony concerts across the country, including the Lincoln Center Theatre's first national tour of The King and I directed by Bartlett Sher. She was recently seen in the Off-Broadway premiere of The Karpovsky Variations at A.R.T./NY. Select regional: Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, KC Starlight, North Shore MT, Arvada Center, and Casa Manana. Select TV/Film: FBI, New Amsterdam, Madam Secretary, The OA, It’s Complicated. Michelle has also been featured in the Hallmark films Sand Dollar Cove and Holiday in Harlem. As a producer, her films 2B and Over-throne won best of the fest awards at the Asian American Film Lab 72 Hour Shootout; and her most recent film May I Take It Your Plate won several awards at two NYC film festivals. www.michelleliucoughlin.com IG: @michelleliuc

JOE DELAFIELD*

(Max Halliday) has been seen on Broadway as Damis in Tartuffe (Roundabout/American Airlines) and off-Broadway in Fashions for Men (Mint), A Sherlock Carol (New World Stages), Outward Bound, Theophilus North, and The Breadwinner (Keen Company).  Regional: Ah, Wilderness! and Da at the Guthrie, Journey’s End at the Alley, School for Husbands and A Sherlock Carol at Westport Playhouse, The Subject was Roses at Pittsburgh Public, Romeo and Juliet at Virginia Stage Company, Noises Off at La Mirada, Juno and the Paycock at the Odyssey, Photograph 51 at the Fountain, The Dingdong at Florida Rep, The Hound of the Baskervilles at Hudson Stage and the White Heron, The 39 Steps at MileSquare, and The Seagull, The Crucible, The Liar (LA Ovation Award nominee, Best Supporting Actor), Macbeth, and The Autumn Garden at LA’s Antaeus Company. TV/Film: The Sopranos, All My Children, Filmic Achievement, and Company K.  Joe holds a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.

DAN DOMINGUES*

(Tony Wendice) is making his Virginia Stage debut. He most recently appeared in Tales from the Guttenberg Bible starring Steve Guttenberg, at George Street Playhouse and Bay Street Theater. His New York credits include Mark Shanahan’s A Sherlock Carol at New World Stages, The Public Theater (The Tempest, Wild Goose Dreams, Fidelis, The Great Immensity), 59E59, Rattlestick, Abingdon, BAM, INTAR, Atlantic, and Cherry Lane. Dan’s extensive regional work includes roles at Westport Country Playhouse, Barrington Stage, Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, Guthrie, Goodman, New York Stage & Film, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Pioneer Theatre, Long Wharf, and Portland Stage. Film & TV includes Zoo, Run All Night, Future ’38, In Stereo, New Amsterdam, West 40s, Blacklist, Royal Pains, and Law & Order. Dan holds an MFA from the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard, is an associate artist with The Civilians and co-host of the movie podcast Hot Date.

STEVE PACEK*

(Captain Lesgate/Fight Choreographer) is delighted to be back for another production at Virginia Stage Company! Previous VSC credits include, A Merry Christmas Carol, The 39 Steps, The Legend of Georgia McBride and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Other credits include: Assassins, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Barrymore Award, Best Supporting Actor), Metamorphoses,  and Clybourne Park (Arden); Titanic and The Bomb-itty of Errors (Milwaukee Rep), Hand to God (Alley); Peter and the Starcatcher (TheatreSquared & Arkansas Rep); See Monsters of the Deep and A Nantucket Christmas Carol (White Heron). He teaches with Jen Waldman Studio in NYC and UArts & Evolve in Philadelphia. Ithaca College alum. www.stevepacek.com

JAN NEUBERGER*

(Inspector Hubbard) is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of her membership in Actors Equity and her 1974 Broadway debut.  She’s a veteran of five original Broadway casts: Wicked, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Big, A Change in the Heir and the first revival of Gypsy, directed by the legendary Arthur Laurents and starring the late, great Dame Angela Lansbury. Jan’s resume includes roles Off-Broadway, in numerous regional and stock productions; national tours; even concerts at Royal Albert and Carnegie Halls. Since taking up residence in Florida nine years ago, she has added appearances in Boeing Boeing, Informed Consent, Sister Act, Tartuffe, Holiday Inn, Richard II, On Golden Pond, The Full Monty, A Gentleman’s Guide, Into the Breeches and The Importance of Being Earnest. Hallmark devotees may catch her in “True Love Blooms” or as Grandma CeCe in the soon-to-be-released “A Taste of Love.” More at www.boomergirl.net.   

CREATIVES

MARK SHANAHAN†

(Director) returns to Virginia Stage having directed The 39 Steps and The Hound Of The Baskervilles at the Wells and his adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd online. Additionally, Mark is the proud author of Virginia Stage’s annual production of A Merry Little Christmas Carol, directed by Tom Quaintance. Mark is the writer and director of the hit play A Sherlock Carol, produced twice Off-Broadway, annually in London and throughout the United States in 2023. The play was a New York Times Critic’s pick and was nominated as Best New Play 2022 by the Off-Broadway Alliance. His adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the official country adaptation of Agatha Christie Ltd., received its world premiere production last year at the TONY Award winning Alley Theatre. Mark's directorial work has been seen extensively at Alley Theatre, The Westport Playhouse, The Irish Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Theatre Squared, Arkansas Rep, White Heron, Fulton Opera House, Weston Playhouse, Florida Rep, Penguin Rep, Merrimack Rep, The Cape Playhouse, and many more. As a playwright, Mark is the author of See Monsters Of The Deep, the Off Broadway and regional hit The Dingdong, and was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writer's Association of America for his stage adaptation of The Chronology Protection Case. Mark is the creator and writer of NPR's Radio "Ghost Light Series"  for the White Heron Theatre and Westport Playhouse- featuring original audio plays starring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivy and other notables of stage and screen.  As an actor, Mark performed on the New York stage in The 39 Steps on Broadway and in the Off Broadway hits As Bees In Honey Drown, Tryst, The Shaugraun, Small World, Checkers and many others. He has appeared on numerous regional stages across the country including the Alley, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Pioneer, Bay Street Theatre, The Fulton and Hartford Theatreworks and more. Mark has served as the resident director at White Heron Theatre and is the newly appointed  Artistic Director at the historic Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Ct. He is a graduate of Brown University (BA) and Fordham University (MA) where he happily taught classes on Hitchcock for 20 years. www.mark-shanahan.net.

JAMES J. FENTON§

(Scenic Designer) Virginia Stage Company Debut! Off-Broadway/New York: Public Theater - Southern Comfort, The Musical (World Premiere, GLAAD Award – Best Musical); Playwrights Horizons – Regarding the Disappearance of Amy (World Premiere); 59E59 -Switzerland (NY Premier), Fall to Earth (NY Premiere), Small World (NYC Premiere); Third Rail Projects – Momento Mori, Midnight Madness; St. Clements Church -Drop Dead Perfect (World Premiere); Cap21 - When we Met (World Premiere); NYMF - Academia Nuts (2014 Best Musical); InProximity Theatre Co. Promising (World Premiere), Navy Pier (NY Premier), Maiden’s Prayer (NYC Premiere). Regional Credits: Westport Country Playhouse; A Sherlock Carol, ATC – Pru Payne (World Premiere); MRT- Haunted Life (World Premiere), Christmas at Pemberley (IRNE Nomination), Silent Sky (IRNE Nomination), Abigail/1702;  CSC-Beckett in Brief (Norton Award-Outstanding Production); Arkansas Rep/T2: Peter and the Starcatcher, Around the World in 80 Days; RMTC-The Devil’s Music; Barrington Stage: Dancing Lessons (World Premiere). Film/TV: BEFORE (Paramount/Apple+), ERIC (Netflix), FBI Most Wanted (CBS), The Brides (CBS), Hit and Run (Netflix)Wizard of Lies (HBO); Blindspot (NBC) God Friended Me (CBS), The Code (CBS), Dickinson (Apple TV). www.jamesjfenton.com 

JENI SCHAEFER

(Costume Designer) is the Director of Design and Resident Costume Designer at the Virginia Stage Company in her 22nd season. Regional credits include: The 39 Steps at White Heron Theatre, A Christmas Story at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Hound of the Baskervilles at The Hangar and White Heron Theatre, Always...Patsy Cline PCPA Theatrefest, World premiere of Tom Jones for Florida Studio Theatre, Wit for Playmakers Repertory Theatre. VSC productions include; Merry Christmas Carol, Henry V, The 39 Steps, The Hobbit, Every Brilliant Thing, Dreamgirls, Merry Little Christmas Carol, Dear Jack Dear Louise, Hold These Truths, Sense and Sensibility, Guys and Dolls, Matilda, Secret Garden, Fun Home, Always Patsy Cline, Crowns,The Hound of the Baskervilles, Pride and Prejudice, The Wiz, A Streetcar named Desire, Oliver, Peter and the Starcatcher, All my Sons,The Great Gatsby,The Fantasticks, Death of a Salesman, Red, Around the World in 80 days, Crowns, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Hank Williams Lost Highway and A Christmas Carol. Jeni Schaefer holds a MAC in Theatre/Costume Design from Wichita State University. Thank you to my family Tony, Sara and Ethan for being my inspiration and for always believing in me. Thank you Mark Shanahan for 10 years of collaboration and inspiration. 

JULIE H. DURO§

(Lighting Designer) is delighted to be making her debut at Virginia Stage Company.  She has designed extensively for opera, theatre, and dance throughout the United States. Theatre: Walnut Street Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Florida Repertory Theatre, the Emerson String Quartet, Olney Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, the Kennedy Center Jazz Program, the Drama Desk Awards. Opera: Arizona Opera, Connecticut Opera, Kentucky Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Manhattan School of Music, Palm Beach Opera, Mannes Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Illinois, Dayton Opera, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  Dance:  Pittsburgh Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Mark Stuart Dance Theatre, Ohio Ballet.

JOHN GROMADA§

(Sound Designer) Broadway: 40+ including Birthday Candles, All My Sons, Torch Song, The Elephant Man, Trip to Bountiful, The Best Man, A Bronx Tale, Rabbit Hole, Clybourne Park, Dividing the Estate, Seminar, Proof, Enchanted April, A Few Good Men. Off-Broadway: Drinking in America, Sherlock Carol, The Cake, Amy and the Orphans, Old Hats, Measure for Measure, The Orphans’ Home Cycle, Shipwrecked!, The Skriker, Machinal. Regional: Hundreds at major regional theatres. Television & Film: A Bronx Tale, Trip to Bountiful, The Interrogators, Showing Roots. Audio Dramas: Bob & Jean, Drinking in America and Men’s Health for Audible, A Christmas Carol for WAMU/PRX, Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theatre, White Heron Ghostlight Series Education: Duke University. Awards: Tony nomination, three Drama Desk Awards, Lortel, Obie, Henry Hewes Awards, NEA Opera/Music Theatre fellowship.

STEVEN ALLEGRETTO

(Associate Sound Designer) is an accomplished sound designer with a passion for creating immersive experiences for live theatre. A graduate of Full Sail University’s prestigious Recording Arts program, Steven has honed his skills through years of hard work and dedication to his craft. In addition to his work as a sound designer, Steven is also a committed educator. He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Theatre Sound Design at the College of William & Mary, as well as a part-time instructor for the Governor’s School for the Arts. He also teaches privately, helping aspiring sound designers develop their skills and reach their full potential. Steven has had the honor of designing past VSC shows including Fiddler on the Roof, A Merry Christmas Carol, Every Brilliant Thing, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hobbit, and more. Steven is thrilled to be back at the Virginia Stage Company, and he hopes you thoroughly enjoy the sounds of Dial M For Murder.

KIM FULLER*

(Production Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be making their debut as production stage manager at VSC. Not only have they held assistant roles in the Stage management department in both of the past shows of this season (Fiddler on the Roof and A Merry Little Christmas Carol) but they also have worked all around Hampton Roads in multiple positions devoted to the Theater Arts, including as Production Stage Manager for The Virginia Opera's Sound of Music, Ophelia Chooses at The Z, and also assistant managing roles in other venues. They would like to thank their family, friends, VSC staff members, and everyone involved in the production for their support and gorgeous work.

CRISTINA ROSE

(Assistant Stage Manager) is delighted to be backstage again at VSC as ASM. Previously working in a variety of crew positions for A Merry Christmas Carol, Fiddler on the Roof, Henry V, and 39 Steps. They are also a Teaching Artist with VSC, and a Stage Manager for the Every Brilliant Thing Tour, in addition to being a member of the Box Office team. Cristina teaches improv and acting classes at Push Comedy Theatre and Hurrah Players. They can be seen performing monthly with Girl-Prov and Pushing Dragons at Push Comedy Theatre. They would like to share their gratitude for the patience and support of their loved ones throughout this process.