What if a story
can split
just like the Atom?
The Theatre Company is proud to remount their West Coast premiere of California by Trish Harnetiaux, October 18 - 21 at ADX Portland. Originally commissioned, developed, and produced by Clubbed Thumb as part of Summerworks 2022, Harnetiaux’s unconventional play is an innocent road trip turned alternate reality mind-bender set entirely in a family car. Basically. But what if a story can split, just like the atom? An intermittent AM radio signal in eastern Oregon might give way to coexisting realities on the road from Spokane, Washington to Huntington Beach, California.
“California is like a maddening Google Map offering confusing routes from starting point A to destination infinity.” - The New York Times
“While the play moves through time and space in unusual ways, Harentiaux’s foundation is emotional honesty. What is real are these characters and their relationships.” - Exeunt NYC
LIZZIE
KELSEA ASHENBRENNER
Kelsea is a performer, director, and teacher based in Portland, Or. She has a degree in Theatre from Oregon State University. She is an alumni of Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble's Institute for Contemporary Performance and Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training. When she's not doing theatre she is running around at the park with her one year old daughter. She's thrilled to be performing again after becoming a mom!
BETTY
ROSE BONOMO
Rose is honored and grateful to be part of this delightful production. She recently directed Death By Hanging: A Comedy by Craig McCarthy and played Kimberly in Kimberly Akimbo. She is a company member of Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, an ensemble member of Love, Shakespeare (an Improvised Elizabethan comedy) and an alumna of The Actor Training Center at Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox, MA. At least she is consistent. She loves being Italian and playing on the trapeze.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
ALEX MEYER
Alex is pleased to work again with The Theatre Company! Previous productions with TTC include The Thin Place, The Cut-Up, and Capax Infiniti. Other recent scenic design credits include with Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Imago Theatre, Broadway Rose, Portland Shakespeare Project, CoHo Productions, Enlightened Theatrics, Salt and Sage Productions, The Actors Conservatory, Fuse Theatre Ensemble, and Experience Theatre Project. She is currently a resident scenic artist at Shaking The Tree Theatre. She holds a degree in art and theatre from Augustana University (SD). More at www.designbyalexmeyer.com.
SOUND DESIGN
JUSTUS BALLARD
Justus is an English and Film Professor, Musician and Published short story Novelist. He is the Chair of the English Department at Chemeketa Community College. A student reference on “Rate my Professors” is listed as “I've never had to work so hard for a grade in my life.” He has been writing, recording and playing politically charged and absurdist pop, country and folk music under the name Delightful Young Man consistently for two decades. Musicians of Sound is his latest release and ROBOCTOPUS (a rock opera for kids) remains available HERE.
TUCKER
ANGIE TENNANT
After a decade of performing in NYC, Angie is thrilled to have settled in Portland where they've already performed with Fuse Theatre Ensemble in Ronald Reagan Murdered My Mentors. Select off-Broadway & Regional credits: Boys Will Be Boys (59E59), The Dead, 1908 (Irish Repertory Theatre) & Somebody's Gotta Be... (The Working Theater), For Worse, Snake Eggs, & The Circus Train Wreck (New Jersey Repertory). Angie holds an MFA in Acting from The New School for Drama, and is a proud member of Actor's Equity & New Light Theatre Company. They also offer private coaching for auditions, self tapes & more. More info here: www.angietennant.com
MICHAEL
DUFFY EPSTEIN
Duffy has been acting in Portland for over 35 years. Maybe you've seen him in some shows. Maybe not. Favorite roles include parts where he gets to drink coffee on stage. He loves his stage family very much. Duffy loves being a part of the Portland theater community and also loves referring to himself in the 3rd person. That's just who he is. Love to Jody, as always.
LIGHTING DESIGN
SOPHINA FLORES
Sophina is the founder Roots and All Theatre Ensemble, which presented "Liminal" and "The Between Spaces," with "Ritual Treatment" opening July 28th. Recently she designed lights for Bag&Baggage’s "Troy USA" and "The Tempest," Passinart’s "Song for Coretta," Salt and Sage’s "Holy Name," TAC's "Core Values," FUSE’s "Our Town," "American Girl," and "Pursuit of Happiness," OCT’s "The Mad Ones," and ART's "True Story." She has also worked as ALD to Marika Kent on PCS’s "Gem of the Ocean" and "Choir Boy." She's directing "Rancho Trinidad" for Portland Revels, and has a staged reading of "Ritual Treatment" appearing in FTGU’s Festival FAQ.
PRODUCTION ASSIST
ALICIA HUENI
Portland resident and Roadtrip enthusiast, Alicia Hueni graduated the Actors Conservatory in 2020 and has been acting in Portland since 2012. Acting credits include: Never in my Lifetime, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart. She has worked as production assistant for The Theatre Company’s The Thin Place and his thrilled to return for California.
ROB
CLIFTON HOLZNAGEL
Clifton wears a lot of hats, but the acting hat is at the base of the stack. He’s been on stage in Portland most recently at Shaking the Tree, CoHo, Theatre Vertigo and defunkt. His latest video art installation, Electric Reflection, is on display as part of OPAMpdx’s multisensory art show. He’s completed PETE’s ICP program, studied with Dell Arte International and holds a BFA in Acting from Ohio University. Check out www.cliftonconnect.net for more!
DIRECTOR
JEN ROWE
Jen is the Founding Creative Producer of The Theatre Company. She works as an actor, director and producer in theater and film. She believes the world is transformed by people working together to both understand the human experience and contribute wonder to it. She is grateful and ecstatic to have learned about The Art Design XChange’s decade-long growth during this process. She discovered a world of potential when engaging with the multi-disciplined community of creatives at ADX and sister community JaJa. Thank you for what you provide, ADX.
PRODUCTION ASSIST
JESSICA DART
Jessica is a dramaturg, teaching artist, copywriter, arts administrator, producer, stage manager, and proud Theatre Company Board Member. In Portland, she has worked with CoHo, Boom Arts, Theatre Vertigo, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Reed College and more. Most recently, Jessica Co-Directed and produced Stop Making Sense for PHAME Academy.
COMPOSITION
JANA CRENSHAW
Jana is a singer-songwriter and composer of film and theater scores, sad piano songs, and 3rd Grade Musicals. She has performed on Broadway, toured throughout the U. S. and Canada, had a #1 video on LOGO (MTV), and was awarded a RACC (Regional Arts and Culture Council) project grant for ‘More to the Story’ - a 3rd grade musical telling of Portland’s History through a Social Justice lens. Jana moved to Portland, Oregon in 2008, to compose music and soundscapes for shows at Portland theaters and has composed scores for 25 shows and counting! She is currently focused on new compositions, sound healing, meditation, her bodywork practice, writing childerns’ books, and is expanding her one-woman-show, PIANANATOMY. Find her online at JanaCrenshaw.com, and listen to her music streaming on all platforms.
Trish Harnetiaux is a playwright, filmmaker, and podcast creator. Her plays include California, Tin Cat Shoes, How to Get into Buildings, If You Can Get to Buffalo and Welcome to the White Room. Her six-part narrative podcast, The MS Phoenix Rising, is available on Playwrights Horizons Soundstage. She’s developed and presented work at Clubbed Thumb, Playwright’s Horizons, Soho Rep, Ars Nova, The Mercury Store, MTC, The Orchard Project, New Georges (affiliated artist), Incubator Arts Project, and more.
Her short film – You Wouldn’t Understand – (director/co-writer/producer) was an Official Selection at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and her recent short – A Significant Problem – (director/EP) was part of Dances With Films 2022 and the Florida Film Festival.
Harnetiaux has been in residency at MacDowell, Millay, SPACE at Ryder Farm and Yaddo. She has her MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College and teaches in the Queens University of Charlotte Low Residency M.F.A. program.
ADX PORTLAND - ART DESIGN XCHANGE
is where artists, designers, makers, builders, thinkers, and innovators come together to create, connect, and collaborate. This concept of creative Xchange is fundamental to everything ADX does.
They offer a variety of opportunities to get involved including classes, exhibits, makers markets and studio rental space. They’re here to empower creative Xchange for everyone who wants to participate.
Check out membership options, classes, and public events by clicking the ART DESIGN XCHANGE Button on this page.
We love learning about what people bring to the ADX community and the breadth of artistry born out of the Xchange. We’re thrilled to be welcomed to make use of their epic space. And we’re honored to contribute to this energy with The Theatre Company’s production of CALIFORNIA by Trish Harnetiaux.
