Amick starred in several Broadway shows including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard and over 50 professional Equity productions. He has worked extensively in television and has made many appearances on prime time including Frasier, Kristin, Ally McBeal, Friends, and Star Trek, The Next Generation, to name just a few. He also sang the role of Moses in the animated feature The Prince of Egypt.
Amick was an original co-producer of the New York premiere of the stage musical, Radio Gals at the John Houseman Theater on 42nd Street and also produced and wrote Great Gershwin!, The Best of Broadway, and A Hollywood Tale. He produced and directed the world premiers of David which has toured internationally; Ben Hur in Orlando, Florida, an $8 million stage production; 1 to 1, an original rock/multimedia musical; the world premiere of Pinocchio and Mounette, a new adaptation of the classic tale for the stage written by Allan Jay Friedman and Bob Merrill (Carnival, Funny Girl, Sugar); and most recently completed the world premiere workshop staging of Aesop based on the life of the classic Greek writer.
Amick also directed Les Miserables, Brigadoon and Into the Woods and The Secret Garden at the Lyceum Theater in Orange County, California. Both Brigadoon and Into the Woods were voted best production of 2004 and 2005 by Daily Pilot. Amick has two Grammy nominations for vocal jazz albums, recently recorded his first solo CD titled Encounter, and has directed many award winning cast albums and dramatic recordings. He is also an alumni of the prestigious Lincoln Center Directors Lab West and is an adjunct faculty member in the theater department at Vanguard University of Southern California. To find out more about Amick, go to http://www.amickbyram.com . Email Amick at abyram@americancoasttheater.org
Susan K. Berkompas Producing Artistic Director / Founder
Susan has been a producing artistic director for over ten years and is the Department Chair of the Vanguard University theatre arets program. She received her B.F.A. in acting/directing from the University of Montana and her M.F.A. in acting/directing from the California Repertory Company. She has studied Shakespeare in Oxford with the British American Drama Academy where she worked with renowned Shakespeare teacher and scholar, John Barton.
Susan is an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and AFTRA. She is the 2005 receipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab West. She also serves on the Education Committee at SCR.
She has directed plays such as: The Glass Menagerie; Othello (The Daily Pilot's top college pick for 2006); The Boys Next Door; Macbeth; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Charley's Aunt; and Pump Boys and Dinettes. Her favorite roles are: Velma Kelly (Chicago); Frau Schneider (Cabaret); Eleanor (Lion in Winter); Desdemona (Othello); Queen Elizabeth (Richard III); Queen Hecuba (Agameimnon); The Witch (Into the Woods); Monda (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean); and Blanche (A Streetcar Named Desire). Email Susan at sberkompas@americancoasttheater.org
Mike Bower Marketing/Founding Member
Mike has appeared on the Vanguard Lyceum stage five times in Secret Garden, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Brigadoon, and Into the Woods. He is a familiar face around So Cal theater and was recently seen as the Priest and Tex in the Huntington Beach Playhouse world premiere productions of A Golden Dream and Surf City USA.
Among his favorite roles are Lazar Wolf and The Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof, Jacob in Joseph, Pa Carnes in Oklahoma, the Barber in Man of La Mancha, Capt. Bracket in South Pacific, Frank Gilbreth in Cheaper by the Dozen, Arvide in Guys and Dolls, Ben in Secret Garden and The Mysterious Man in Into the Woods.
The Buena Park resident is a professor of communications at Biola and Cal State Fullerton. Mike's daughter, Kim, is a theater major at Vanguard. He thanks his first love, Jenny, for her support and understanding of his "second love" ~ theater!
Cassie LaRocca Director of Development
An award winning actress, Cassie originated the role of Esther in the world premiere of Ben Hur, a new dramatic musical. She was seen in the world premiere of Masada at the Shubert Theater in Los Angeles with Davis Gaines, and originated the lead roles of Zipporah and Eve in Mendel and Moses at the Century City Playhouse. She also performed at Musical Theater West as Diana in the new musical, Aesop.
Cassie's many stage roles include Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Christine in Phantom of the Opera, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Marsinah in Kismet, Tuptim in The King and I, Mary in The Glory of Christmas, Guenivere in Camelot, and Maria in West Side Story for which she received a Dramalogue Critics Award.
In television, Cassie guest-starred on Jake and the Fat Man, playing Jake's sister, Angie. She also co-starred in the pilot episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Civil Wars. Most recently she played the role of Esther in a biblical documentary for the Discovery Channel and starred in a promotional film with Gavin Macleod produced by Princess Cruises. You can also see her in the feature film, The Time Changers.
Cassie can be heard on many recording projects as both a singer and a voice over actress. She is featured singing the solo, If I Loved You, in the film City Hall starring Al Pacino, and sang the title song to the animated film, Totoro.
Paul Eggington Scenic Designer/Ensemble
Paul is a former Ensemble member of Lamb's Players Theatre in San Diego and the Colony in L.A. He has performed for over 30 years on stages internationally, off-Broadway, in film and on television. He has also done much voice-over work during the past several years.
Paul's credits include The Rivals with Marion Ross and Too True To Be Good with Kelsey Grammar. He recently played Nigel Harrison in the upcoming TV series Fashion House as well as the role of Iago on the Lyceum Stage for Vanguard University. Paul is a full-time staff/faculty member at Vanguard University in the Theater Arts Department where he is also the scenic designer and technical director.
Vanda Eggington Associate Artistic Director
Vanda was on staff at Lamb's Players Theatre in San Diego for the past 25 years as a performer and the resident Musical Director. She has written numerous arrangements and original compositions for a variety of productions. She is co-creator of the critically acclaimed hit shows Boomers and American Rhythm, two of San Diego's longest running musicals.
She has directed The Secret Garden, She Loves Me, Godspell, and Tintypes and has performed in Boomers, Smoke on the Mountain and Godspell. Vanda is a graduate of California Lutheran University and the Sherwood Music Academy.
She is also an adjunct professor at Vanguard University where she directs and teaches musical theatre. Vanda has directed the Orange County premieres, Oklahoma Riggs and Cleopatra's Wake, both written by David McFadzean who is the co-creator of ABC's Home Improvement.
Lia M. Hansen
Costume Designer
Lia Hansen has been active in the Orange County theatre scene for over 20 years. She has designed operas, musicals, and straight plays for such local venues as the Newport Theatre Arts Center, the Harlequin Dinner Theater, Orange Coast College, Golden West College, Vanguard University, and consulted for other educational institutions.
Lia received her M.F.A. from San Diego State University. She has designed for the Old Towne Opera House in San Diego and assisted in preparing the costume exhibit “An Elegant Art” at LACMA. Lia's most recent designs have been seen on the Lyceum Stage including: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; The Glass Menagerie; Othello; Saint Joan; Side By Side By Sondheim; Macbeth; Three Sisters and Into The Woods to name a few.
David Pecoraro Production Manager
David Pecoraro ( Production Manager / Department Co-chair ) Associate Professor of Theatre, M.F.A.; Temple University. Theatre Department Production Manager, Lighting Designer, and Head of Stage Management.
Teacher and professional stage manager since 1980. Theatre and special events manager in both academic and professional settings including Israel, Calgary, New Orleans, San Diego, Hollywood, New York, Washington D.C., San Antonio, and Las Vegas. Special projects include The Glory of Christmas, the Papal Visit, Olympic Ceremonies, and Superbowl Halftime shows. Teaches Stage Management, Lighting Design, Intro to Theatre, Dramatic Theory & Criticism, and Career Directions & Your Daily Bread.
Marianne Savell
Associate Artistic Director
Marianne was Producing Director of Actors Co-op theatre company in Hollywood from 2002 to 2005. Her professional directing credits include: Gulf View Drive; Someone Who'll Watch Over Me; Angel Street, Translations; As It Is In Heaven; It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; God & Shakespeare; and Molly Sweeny. Her professional acting credits include: The Seagull; The Voice of the Prairie; The Hasty Heart; As You Like It; All My Sons; Uncle Vanya; Twelfth Night; Bullshot Crummond; and Henry V. She received her MFA in Acting at the Professional Actor Training Program at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and also studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Marianne is an adjunct professor at Vanguard University where she directed the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional finalists The Lion In Winter and As It Is In Heaven. She is an alumnus and participant in the Lincoln Center Directors Lab West and is an associate artist with Taproot Theatre Company. She is also on the advisory Board of Provision Theater Company in Chicago.
Markus Parker Ensemble
Mark graduated from with his B.A. in theatre from Vanguard in 2005. Among his many roles at Vanguard, some of his favorites were: Clarence Sr. in Life with Father (Recipient of KCATCF Invitational Scene), Geoffrey in The Lion in Winter (KCATCF Regional Show Participant), Sam Samson in Oklahoma Rigs and Ensemble in Spoon River Anthologies.
Mark also made his directorial debut on Vanguard's stage with their production of Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch. He was a resident actor in The Melodrama Musical Theatre in Bakersfield, CA where he enjoyed such roles as Andrew Carnes in Oklahoma!; Mr. Body in Clue; Bob Crachet in A Christmas Carol and Clarence the Angel in It's a Wonderful Life. He also played in 1776 as John Dickinson at Olive Knolls Theatre.
Cecie McClelland
Assistant Costumer / Ensemble
Cecie has been performing on the stage for over 13 years. After graduating with a degree in theatre, she started performing at the Melodrama Musical Theatre where she became a resident actor. There she performed in Oklahoma!, Clue, A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, and various Vaudevilles, to name a few. Most recently she has appeared on the Vanguard stage as an ensemble member in Brigadoon and The Vaudeville Review, and the role of Stepmother in Into the Woods.
Her favorite role of all time was performing twice as Abigail Adams in 1776: The Musical. Cecie has attended Kimberly Jentzen's Living the Art Institute Cold Reading Weekend Intensive, and Del Mar Media Arts Commercial and Film Acting classes. When she's not acting, she's busy designing and constructing costumes for various shows, Ren Faires, and other costumed events.
Myrona DeLaney
Associate Member
Myrona's career in musical theatre began with a BFA in Vocal Performance at Ohio University and continued along a varied path through Chicago, off-Broadway in New York, in Orlando at Disney World, in Toronto and Nashville, around the world on a Royal Viking Cruise Line, to California where she finished her graduate degree at UC Irvine.
At UCI she played Phyllis in Follies, The Witch in Into the Woods, was in two productions of Side by Side by Sondheim, and at South Coast Repertory she played Celeste I in Sunday in the Park with George. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Education with interests in Gifted Education and Creativity at UCI where she has directed over twenty shows including Falsettos, Seussical, and Blood Brothers.
