Meet the Blues

Ryan Hendrickson (Mr. Blue, Sheriff #2 - male cast)

Ryan is thrilled to be making his Olympia Theatre debut! His most recent achievements include: The Play’s the Thing (Phillip Wickstrom Studio Theatre), Ywayne and Gwayne (Camlann Medieval Village), The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Corbet Theatre), Shipwrecked (Phillip Wickstrom Studio Theatre), Dracula, The Untold Story (Corbet Theatre), As Is (Corbet) and the ninth mask in Skyrim. He is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this production and is humbled by such a wonderful cast. As a side note, Ryan would also like to thank the wonderful people of San Fernando Valley Juvenile Hall who kidnapped him from his wild youth and introduced him to Theatre. His greatest aspiration is to be in this moment, in the immortal words of Ms. Doss, “Don’t deviate from the program!” 

Brenna Kristine (Blue, Sheriff #2 - female cast) 

Brenna fled middle earth in a 1997 Buick Le Sabre. She landed in Olympia in 2012. She graduated from Concordia University in St. Paul with BA in Theater. She interned at Theatre de La Jeune Lune in Minneapolis. She has been sound designing for the last ten years including a recent internship with Key City Public Theater in Port Townsend. She appreciates turkey sandwiches and loud sunglasses.

or

Brenna Kristine "I hate writing these."

Meet the Holdaways

Nicole Galyean (Holdaway - female cast)  Originally from Las Vegas NV where she was employed to do photography for selected celebrates who maintained contract on the Vegas strip, Nicole relocated from the Big City to Small Town Olympia after high school graduation. After purchasing her first home, she decided it was time to add new and fun adventures into her life. She started modeling, running marathons, picked up a home decor hobby, quad riding and participating in live theater productions. Since 2011 she's been a part of: Bell, Book & Candle, Distracted, Much Ado About Nothing and Goodbye Charlie all at Olympia Little Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors and Vagina Monologues at Evergreen Playhouse and now Reservoir Dogs.

Theater has provided her a wonderful gateway to meet new amazing people.

She wants to thank the audiences who continue to support local theaters and the shows because it's those individuals who keep us working hard.  She started off  this journey just trying something new, but theater will be something she keeps in my life for many years to come.

Tim Samland (Holdaway - male cast) Tim was born in the Philippines into an Air Force family. After he was about a year old, his family moved to Louisiana where most of his early childhood was spent.  

One of his earliest memories was going to see Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  His parents took him for his fourth birthday and as part of the show experience the theatre company passed out Gobstoppers to all the Kids.  “Free Candy”!  This had to have been the most exciting thing that had ever happened to Tim.  He sat thru the first half of the show totally excited with what he had just seen on stage, still buzzing from the sugar high.  And that is when he heard his name being called. “What is going on?” he asked his parents.  Willie Wonka was on stage calling his name.  Without even the slightest thought in his head, he leaped out of his seat and ran up to the stage.  Willie got Tim to come join him and presented Tim with a small cake for his birthday.  

“WOW”!

The whole audience sang him happy birthday as he bounced around and jumped up and down with a huge smile on his face.  So he blew out the candle, took his cake and started back to his seat when Willie called him back and said “Willie has even more surprises in store for your special day”.  MORE CANDY!   

Once the show was over and the family were in the parking lot, Tim started bugging his parents to bring him back to see another show.  (We all think he wanted to come back for the free candy)

After a few months of pestering them, the family returned to the theatre.  The show this time was Peter Pan.  What boy can’t identify with wanting to fly around Never Neverland chasing adventure.  He recalls how excited he was!  Seeing those people on stage, they looked like they were having so much fun!  

“I want to have that much fun,” Tim said to his mother, who was amazed that he stayed in his seat and actually paid attention to something for more than 3 minutes.  The entire show was so exciting, that he hadn’t even notice that there was no candy passed out.  Afterward, he talked and talked and talked about the show for the whole week following.

By the time Kindergarten came around, Peter Pan was a distant memory.  But one day the teacher told them that they were going to do a school play at Christmas time called Charlie Chipmunks Christmas.  Tim's eyes lit up and all he could think about where the memories of Willie Wonka and Peter Pan.    He was so excited that he couldn’t wait to get home and tell his mom. The next day, the teacher asked the class if there were any volunteers to play the part of Charlie Chipmunk.  “Me, me, me, me” Tim said as his hand shot up so fast that he didn’t realize even it was in the air.  Unfortunately, his hand was not the only one up.  

So the best way to settle such disputes is with an audition!  

Now at the time he was just learning how to tie his shoes, so he had not mastered the bow tie yet.  His sweat pants, of course, had a tie string in them.  Part way through the audition, Tim felt this tap on his shoulder.  He turned and saw the girl next to him giggling and pointing to the floor ... which is where his pants ended up without him noticing. So Tim pulled them up and kept going. Back to the floor they went. So he pulled them up…And down they went again…and again.  The teacher was laughing so hard.

Well, time be told, it is almost Christmas and Santa would be bringing Tim lots of presents because he was so good!...  As the title character.

And that is how Tim was bitten by the “Bug”.

Since then he has gotten older, wiser and much more skilled at life (and keeping his pants up).  But he still gets just as excited as that little boy, when he gets to play onstage!

Tim would like to thank his parents for their love and support over the years and dedicates his life work to his late mother Kathy.

Meet The Browns

Christopher Rocco (Mr. Brown - male cast) Christopher aka "Rocco" was born way over on the east coast in Philadelphia where he grew up and spent his formative years in the city of Brother "Love" (in the biggest quotations possible). He actually started off wanting to pursue a career in the sciences, more specifically computer science as the years went one, but four years of high school programming classes quickly taught him how terribly dull life can be sitting behind a computer screen. He didn't actually begin studying theatre until his junior year of high school when he auditioned for the role of Johnathan Brewster, the lead villain in Arsenic and Old Lace, for the school play. He was cast as Policeman #2 with the role of Johnathan still unfilled. So he tried again. And again. And after about his fourth or fifth attempt he landed the part whether to the credit of his developing acting talent or his director's mounting frustration with his persistence.

Onward to college where Christopher hadn't yet realized the difference between a BA Drama Major and a BFA Acting major. Being the former but mistakenly declaring himself the latter didn't help to ingratiate him with the . . . let's go with "socially specific" . . . members of his department. With this stunning start to his college career - parts were few and far between, but he still managed a few underground plays and the part of Dalton in Equus, but the bulk of his study came from student film projects from the unaffiliated communications school. Coupled with Ithaca College's (which is by the way where this adventure in higher learning took place) study abroad program in London he managed a rather fulfilling theoretical education in the theatrical arts, albeit not as practical a one as he would have hoped.

With the halls of academia behind him Christopher took up the pioneer spirit of his forefather and followed manifest destiny out west to find his fortune. 

Thus we find him in Olympia where he's found work in the local theatrical community. For the Olympia Fall Arts Walk 2011, he was a part of The Barbed Wire Whipping Party project: bringing sound and movement to one of the Grateful's Dead's more peculiar tracks. The following Spring he joined Olympia Family Theatre in teaching children about the dangers of communist dictatorships in George Orwell's Animal Farm portraying The Old Major (AKA Karl Marx) and Benjamin (AKA A Surly Jackass).

Last Summer Christopher made his Shakespearean debut as Chiron in Theatre Artists Olympia's production of Titus Andronicus set in the gritty world of circa 1970's biker clubs. And it is to TAO he returns, this time as Mr. Brown in Reservoir Dogs.

And now a word on Madonna's pussy . . .

Jacqui Martin (Brown - female cast) Jacqui Martin moved to Oly 2.5 years ago from Kentucky and is not going to leave anytime soon. She started performing on stage at age 4 in ballet recitals and hasn't been away from the theater for long since then. More times than not, she prefers to be backstage working tech. In Olympia, she was the stage manager for The Secret Garden and Fame! at Capital Playhouse. Most recently, she was the FX tech for Titus Andronicus, which introduced her to Pug and TAO and was the most fun (albeit messiest) show she's ever done... but maybe this one will top it. Reservoir Dogs marks her first acting role in 4 years.

When she isn't working on a show, Jacqui is working at Burial Grounds Coffee in downtown Oly with her best friends, listening to punk rock and jumping around while being really, really, really amped on caffeine - but it's okay because it's her job. Otherwise you'll usually find her working on a craft project that will ultimately go unfinished, attempting to cook a vegan version of her favorite foods, or "researching" special FX (aka watching horror movies and shows) at home with her boy.

Get a Sneak Peek at the cast

Our amazing Stage Manager, Vanessa Postil, created these awesome credits for the show. Check them out!
Reservoir Dogs Women's Credits from vanessa Postil on Vimeo.

Reservoir Dogs Men's credits from vanessa Postil on Vimeo.

Meet the Pinks

 Brian Wayne Jansen (Mr. Pink - male cast) Brian was born in Norfolk, NE on August 8th 1980. He grew up on a farm. His childhood was tumultuous. He wrote children's stories, comic books, rap albums, reenacted sporting events, made up movies in his head while on long walks acting out all the characters by himself. He wrote short stories and shredded his mom's guitar on his bed in a concert he held for nobody.In high school he made trouble. Drama saved his life when a speech coach told him he could be on the team as long as he cut it out. He cut it out, and he excelled. After high school,  he was in Godspell in the Norfolk Community Theater. Afterward he  attended Chadron State College where he focused on making art and playing music. He decided college was not for him, so he traveled. He lived in California, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, Mexico and landed in Olympia, WA. At age 24 he began theater again. He was a drag queen in SPSCC's production of Southern Baptist Sissies. He played Bassanio in TAO’s production of The Merchant of Venice, then Francis Flute in Harlequin’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At age 27, he had his first art showing at the Capital Theater. He has enjoyed success making art work; showing it and selling it. He is currently working toward landing a gallery show in Seattle.At age 30, he began playing out with many of the songs he has written. Currently he is working toward lining up a tour and getting recordings released for free on the internet.

Heather R. Christopher (Pink - female cast) Heather was one of the founding members of TAO.

By day, Heather is a Pilates Instructor at the Pilates Center of Olympia so all that exercise she gets is really helping her with the role of a spaz.  She is also currently working with OFT On the Move, Olympia Family Theater’s touring program which performs a new short play every month and all of that acting for children has prepped her for working with ammunition. 

She's also worked with almost every theater company in Olympia.  Molly Gilmore in the Olympian once called her “The ubiquitous Heather Christopher”. No one is sure if that was a compliment or a dig...

She met her husband, Michael (Mr. Blonde in the Male cast) when they were both cast in the play Anastasia at Olympia Little Theater (where they later got married). 

The largest audience they’ve ever played to together was either at Disney World on their honeymoon when they were selected as volunteers for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show, or at an industry conference for Heather's former employer, a GIS Software company, playing utility workers for a software demo. Both of these experiences scarred her for life and sent her running to the soothing arms (and teeny audiences) of Fringe Theatre.

Meet the Eddies

Heather Cantrell (Nice Guy Eddie - female cast) Heather is greatly enjoying her role as Nice Guy Eddie. Her last role with Theater Artists Olympia was as Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew. (Going from the one of the bitchiest characters in literary history to a character named "Nice Guy" has given all involved multiple giggling fits.) Please remember to use cold water and ammonia on blood stains, don’t forget to test for color fastness and then wash it right way (Eddie’s tip). Heather also wishes to thank her husband Chris and their furbabies for all their support and patience. Lastly, she thanks her mother and promises that next time she does a show it will have less cursing!

Gabriel McClelland (Nice Guy Eddie - male cast) Gabe has been performing in the South Sound area for the better part of 18 years. He has done productions with Lakewood Playhouse, Tacoma Little Theatre, Pierce College, and with several gypsy theatre companies. He has been seen recently as Fred Gayley in Miracle on 34th Street, as Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus, as David Sarnoff in The Farnsworth Invention, as James Reston in Frost/Nixon and as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath to name a few.

To be painfully honest though, his favorite shows have all been with gypsy theatre companies - companies who live without fear and do the best work they can. Theatre that trusts that the audience can see something new, something bold and something unfamiliar and still feel at home. He has learned innumerable lessons from salt of the earth masters who teach a form of theatre that may not be consumable to the masses but are satisfying on a deeper level. The word that comes to mind most readily is fuck. When playing Conrad Birdie (in Bye Bye Birdie for those of you who were curious) the musical director informed him of his duty as an Elvis-type character to make it more realistic by "going out there and fucking the audience." When worried about how the audience would react to his performance, a mentor said to him to peer through the curtain at the audience and say to them in a whisper "you fucking sons of bitches!" And most importantly when recreating a scene many times he was told "don't fucking act that moment. Find it again."

Gabriel is an uncensored and foul mouthed performer with a love of language and spoken words that borders on obsessive. He makes no apologies and has learned that the work involved in theatre is its own reward. The actor must be willing to make a journey inside themselves and find the most horrific, most wonderful, most touching things about humanity and parade them around for all to see. It is about truth, vulnerabilty, and unbridled lust. It's about love. His love and affection go out to those who have taught him the most. Doug Kerr, Marc Englehorn, Maria Jensen, Stephen Borsuk, Henryk Wrosynski, as well as those whom we have lost such as the late Les Price, Doug Saxby, Marcus Walker, and Mary Kay Flint. He feels privileged to be working with a great group of performers in this cult classic. Much love as always to his supportive friends and family as well as his lady love, Kate Lick

Meet the Oranges

Cheyenne Lorraine (Orange - female cast) Cheyenne is a nomad who has found a comfortable home in Olympia for the past three years studying performance art and social justice at The Evergreen State College. She caught the acting bug at age ten when she sat in a dark theater for three hours, mesmerized, while watching the first Lord of the Rings film. She was sitting between her mother and sister, who both fell asleep before the fellowship even reached Rivendell, but Cheyenne had been transported directly into the journey across Middle Earth. The spell broke when Mount Doom loomed and credits rolled, but she became determined to make those fantastical situations a reality in her life.

She has enjoyed provocative theatre ever since getting to deliver the line, “Is this a dagger I see before me, or are you just happy to see me?” as Lady MmmBeth in her middle school parody production of the Scottish Play. She is incredibly theatrically superstitious and asks anyone who even thought the real name of that show to turn around three times, spit, and swear. Even if you’re not in a theatre. And maybe knock on some wood, too—just for good measure.

She is incredibly grateful to have been a part of numerous theatre tribes throughout her life, but none more so than her vagina sisters from the last two years of The Vagina Monologues at TESC, which she had the great fortune of directing this last February.

She is also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with another full cast of inspiring, talented, and experienced females whose collective level of badassery will never be surpassed.

She looks forward to living the rest of her “real” life gunshot wound free and would like to remind everyone that nothing rhymes with Orange.

Christian Doyle (Mr. Orange – male cast) Christian is a Tacoma native who has made his home in Olympia for the last two years. In that time, he's been responsible for staging most of the violence TAO has presented. This show is no exception. In addition to fight direction, Christian has appeared on both the TAO stage as Packer in "Cannibal" and the Harlequin stage in multiple productions. His claim to fame is appearing in a few "Gamers" films as well as the web series “Journeyquest.” When not acting, directing, writing, or teaching theatre arts, Christian enjoys smoking cigarettes on sidewalks and talking about how awesome he is. He is also ridiculously slow about getting bios in – not that anyone really cares.