LOU BELLAMY (DIRECTOR & PRODUCER) is the founder and artistic director of Penumbra Theatre. Under his leadership, Penumbra has produced 23 world premieres, including August Wilson's first professional production, and is proud to have produced more of Mr. Wilson's plays than any theater in the world. Mr. Bellamy is an OBIE Award-winning director, an accomplished actor, and sought-after scholar. He has been a member of the University of Minnesota's faculty for 32 years and is currently appointed to the rank of associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance.  Recent directing credits include Black Pearl Sings!, Radio Golf, Fences and The Piano Lesson at Penumbra, A Raisin in the Sun and Gem of the Ocean, Penumbra productions staged at the Guthrie, Two Trains Running at the Signature Theatre in New York, Jitney at Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Arizona Theatre Company, and the staged reading of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Kennedy Center.

PATDRO HARRIS (Director & Choreographer) has worked with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Kennedy Center, Alliance Theater, Studio Theater D.C., City Theater Pittsburgh, The San Diego Repertory Theater Company, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Mixed Blood Theater, Theatrical Outfit, Jomandi Productions, The Sacramento Theater Company, Guthrie Theater, The National Black Theater Festival, and The National Black Arts Festival. Recently, he conceived and directed the one man play America, The Black, The Beautiful, and choreographed the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, A Raisin in the Sun. He has performed as the lead dancer and choreographer for Stevie Wonder, Technotronic, the SOS Band, TC Carson, and Daryl Coley. Film and television credits include work with TNN, BET, MTV, Soul Train, PBS documentary “Dance Black America,” Time-Warner’s “Nitro Girls,” Brand Atlanta’s tourism commercials, and the recent film, “The Gospel.” Awards and nominations include the 1996 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography, a nomination for the Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Actor, 2002 Drammy Award, and nominations in two categories for a 1998 Audelco Award.

RONALD ALOIS SCHULTZ (Stage Manager) has been working as an actor, stage manager, production assistant, and sound board operator in the Twin Cities since 1992. A company member of Penumbra Theatre, Ron has worked on over 60 productions at Penumbra including Jitney, Stage Directions, and the 2006 production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. He has also worked on productions at Mixed Blood, Illusion, Eye of the Storm, Fitzgerald, Pantages, Frank, and Alchemy theatres. Ron was the company manager of Pillsbury House Theatre’s touring production Breaking Ice in 2003 and 2004 and was the assistant stage manager for the Carlson Honors 2005 Awards for the Carlson Company at the State Theatre. He provided technical support for Roxanne Wallace’s Evolution of a Soul Sista at Patrick’s Cabaret and designed the set for Riff Raff at Pillsbury House (2006). Ron is currently pursuing his B.A. in Social Science and his Secondary Teacher Licensure at Metropolitan State University.

SANFORD MOORE (MUSICAL DIRECTOR) has served as musical director for many Penumbra productions including The Piano Lesson, Get Ready, Blue, Black Nativity - A Homecoming and Ain't Misbehavin'. Other select musical direction credits include Crowns, Dream on Monkey Mountain, Triumph of Love, and As You Like It at the Guthrie Theater and Two Queens, One Castle at Mixed Blood Theatre. Sanford is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Music, and Minister of Music for Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

MAY MAHALA (Dramaturge) is a PhD candidate in Theatre Arts at the University of Minnesota. Her writing has appeared in The Blue Earth Review, California Quarterly, Colere, NYU’s Women and Performance Journal, Theatre Journal, and Xcp: Cross Cultural Poetics. She has worked with The Illusion Theatre, New World Theatre, The Pillsbury House Theatre, The San Francisco Mime Troupe, Theatre Unbound, and Works/Plays. Her fellowships and awards include The August Wilson Fellowship at Penumbra Theatre, two Many Voices residencies from the Playwrights’ Center, and first place in Garrison Keillor’s Festival of Romantic Writing.

AIMEE K. BRYANT (Ensemble) is a founding ensemble member of Congo Square Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, and a graduate of Howard University. Recent theatre credits include Two Queens, One Castle with Mixed Blood Theatre, Seussical the Musical at The Children's Theatre Company, and Ain't Misbehavin' at Penumbra.

THOMASINA PETRUS (Ensemble) was most recently seen at Penumbra in Ain’t Misbehavin’.  She has also performed at Mixed Blood, Illusion, and Old Arizona Theater.  Thomasina cultivated her talents as an actor and jazz vocalist through mentorship and friendship with some of the Twin Cities most beloved artists including James “Cornbread” Harris, Sr., Jevetta Steele, Stokley, Regina Williams, Prince, T. Mychael Rambo, and Lou Bellamy.  Thomasina established her own production company where her first production, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill by Lanie Robertson, allowed her to portray Billie Holiday, her musical muse. Her tribute CD “If Only...Billie Unsung” continues to sell locally and worldwide. Thomasina can be seen regularly performing in local jazz venues.

T. MYCHAEL RAMBO (CO-CONCEIVER & SON) is a Penumbra company member. Select Penumbra credits include Gem of the Ocean, The Piano Lesson, Get Ready, Ain't Misbehavin' and several productions of Black Nativity. He has performed locally with the Guthrie Theater, Illusion Theater, Minnesota Opera, Ordway Music Theatre, and Mixed Blood Theatre. He has also performed at Carnegie Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra and throughout Canada, Europe, Africa and Brazil. Television credits include Endeavor, I Led Two Lives and the HBO mini-series Laurel Avenue. Film credits include Mighty Ducks, Crossing the Bridge, Grumpy Old Men, The Cure, Equinox, Wooly Boys and Justice. Recent honors include singing the National Anthem for President Obama during his recent Twin Cities visit, and receiving a 2008 regional Emmy Award.

XAVIER RICE (Ensemble) recently appeared on stage at Penumbra in Ain’t Misbehavin’. Other theatre credits include Hud in Hair at Pantages, Nice-Nicely in Guys and Dolls at Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and as Ed Bishop in Floyd Collins with Theatre Latte Da. Xavier will perform a one-man show, I Can’t Believe I set my Alarm for This! in January at the Bryant Lake Bowl.

DENNIS W. SPEARS (WANDERER) is a Penumbra Theatre Company member and has performed in The Piano Lesson, Blue, and Get Ready. This spring, Dennis embarked on a tour in Crowns, a co-production of Indiana Repertory Theatre and Syracuse Stage. No stranger to jazz, Spears has performed nationally and internationally and is an original vocalist with Moore by Four. He has three solo recordings to his credit. As Creative Artistic Director for the Capri Theater, Dennis produces a very exciting Legends music series.

JEVETTA STEELE (Ensemble) is a singer, actor, and playwright. She wrote the autobiographical musical Two Queens One Castle, which premiered to critical acclaim at Mixed Blood Theater before being produced in Atlanta & Washington, DC. She has appeared in numerous productions around the Twin Cities including Smokey Joe's Cafe, Crowns, Bill Of Rights & Constant Star to name a few. She appeared on Broadway and the National/International tour of Gospel At Colonus. She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance of “Calling You” from the film Bagdad Cafe. She is featured in the film/soundtrack of Corrina-Corrina, Born To Be Wild, Graffiti Bridge and Hoop Dreams. Steele has recorded two solo CDs. Steele will return to France, October 2006, to resume the lead role as Brenda in Bagdad Cafe, The Musical. While an active partner in the musical family, “The Steeles,” her voice can be heard with legendary artist, Mavis Staples, Prince, George Clinton, Kirk Whalum and The Sounds Of Blackness.

AUSTENE VAN (MAME WILKS) recently performed in Penumbra's production of Gem of the Ocean, staged at the Guthrie Theater. Other select Penumbra credits include performances in Zooman and the Sign, Dinah Was, The Trial of One Short Sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise & Safreeta Mae and Blues for an Alabama Sky, and she directed Black Nativity-Hear Again the Christmas Story! and Black Nativity: Twenty Years of Holiday Cheer! She has performed at Children's Theatre Company, Mixed Blood Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Ordway Center, Pantages and the Saint Louis Repertory Theatre. Television credits include Vernie and The Shakedown. Musical endeavors include writing and co-producing her own album.

STEVE JENNINGS (Percussion) is a free-lance drummer from Northfield, Minnesota.  He has played in numerous theatre productions including Penumbra Theatre's Dinah Was, Hey City Theater's Smokey Joe's Cafe, and The Last Minstrel show at the Great American History Theatre.  He performs regularly with the jazz fusion group Starting Point, modern rock artist David Levin, electric bluegrass masters Over & Back, the University of Minnesota Gospel Choir, Moore By Four, at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.  He has played with Ron Thompson, John McCutcheon, the Platters, Renato Vasconceles, and the Drifters.  He was recently named the Director of Bands for the St. Cloud Area Jazz Association and also owns and operates the recording studio, Spennin Music.  His drumming can be heard on recordings by Regina Williams: Regina is... the songs of Dinah Washington; Laurie Wheeler: From the Land of Dreams; Connie Evingson: The Secret of Christmas; David Levin: Stepping on my Hat and many others.  Jennings also produced the modern jazz CD Colours.

C. LANCE BROCKMAN (SCENIC DESIGNER) is a faculty member of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Minnesota. With this production, he has designed seven shows for Penumbra including On the Open Road, Rollin' on the T.O.B.A., Ain't Misbehavin', REDSHIRTS, Get Ready and Fences. Mr. Brockman's research interest is in historic scenic painting used to create illusionary scenery for opera houses, vaudeville and fraternal stages. He teaches master classes on the historical painting methods utilized by scenic artists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century at universities across the country.

MARK DOUGHERTY (Light Design) has been the lighting designer for Penumbra Theatre's Black Nativity for the past three years. He is currently the Master Studio Technician at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

MARTIN GWINUP (SOUND & VIDEO DESIGNER) is an associate professor in the Theatre Arts and Dance Department at the University of Minnesota. He teaches audio and video technology, design and production. He has also worked in the Twin Cities area as a freelance sound and video designer and technician for 18 years. Martin has worked for the Frank Theatre, History Theatre, Children's Theatre Company, Cricket Theatre and Eye of the Storm. Select design credits at Penumbra include REDSHIRTS, Get Ready, Blue, Black Nativity - A Celebration of Family, A Celebration for the Soul... Testify! and Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers.

REGGIE RAY (Costume Design) has designed for Al Freeman Jr., Andrea Frye, Debbie Allen, George Faison, Joy Zinoman, Kenny Leon, Michael Bobbitt, Mike Malone, Regina Taylor, Ron Himes, Sam Scalamoni, Tim Bond, and many others. He has also designed for Arena Stage, Everyman Theatre, Fords Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, The Goodman, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Place D’Arts, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Studio Theatre, The True Colors Theatre Company. Awards include seven Woodie King Awards, a Helen Hayes Awards for Spunk; Kevin Kline Award, CEA Award for Crowns, and two Cleveland Critics' Awards. He was also nominated for four additional Helen Hayes Awards. Celebrity Clients include Maya Angelou, Jennifer Holliday, Richard Roundtree, Karen Clark Sheard, Regina Belle, Alyson Williams, Diahann Carroll, TC Carson, Allen Payne, Tony Terry; Resident Designer and Instructor of Costume Design/Make-up for Howard University. Mr. Ray is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829/International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees [USA/IATSE].

ERINN HUNTLEY (Assistant Scene Design) is a scenic designer, scenic artist and properties master.  Her recent design credits include Cabaret at the University of Minnesota, Bring Love to My Doorstop for the Guthrie Experience at the Guthrie Lab, and he shows Split, Calling All, and Proclivities as part of the Guthrie Theater's New Plays Project in conjunction with the University of Minnesota's BFA Actor Training Program.  Erinn has worked as a scenic artist at venues which include the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, Vee Entertainment Corporation, Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theater, and Askland Summer Theater Festival.  She recently returned from teaching a workshop in scene painting at The Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, Minnesota.  Erinn is in her last year of the MFA program in design and production at the University of Minnesota.