TRTC's Resident Company

 

Revisiting the Lost Ideal of a Permanent Theatre Company

TRTC was founded in 1995 with the desire to create a resident theatre company here in the Roaring Fork Valley. As pointed out by Jean Schiffman in the December, 2001 issue of American Theatre magazine, we were not alone. She mentions that when the well known American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco announced the formation of a core acting company, local audiences responded with a burst of enthusiasm. In fact, many patrons had been longing for the opportunity to watch actors they admire, develop and transform over time. For many years professional actors from around the country have claimed to be “hungry for a company.” An ongoing, committed group of actors-in-residence can nourish an organization, and affect a community in unique ways, and be deeply nourished in return. An acting company is what gives a theatre an identity. Most artistic directors believe that the continuity is crucial to an audience’s long-term feeling of ownership.

Stage-minded actors feel that they have an option of a true artistic home. As company members, they understand from within the challenges of sustaining a theatre, and they become invested in the effort. Actors take on more responsibility for the art form. TRTC is proud that it was founded on this belief system.

Lon Winston
Founding Artistic Director

Lon’s professional and academic theatre career spans four decades. As a director, designer and performer, he has been involved in over one hundred productions in the U.S., England and Europe. A theatre professor for 30 years, he taught at the University of Connecticut, Colorado Women’s College, and was on the Graduate Faculty for 12 years at Villanova University. Many of Lon’s productions have received regional and national attention. During his years at Villanova and working in the Philadelphia area theatre, his productions were regularly selected by the media as some of the "Best of Philadelphia." He has presented many scholarly papers based on his productions, and has been invited to chair panels on a variety of theatre topics at several national theatre conferences. Throughout the U.S., contemporary American professional and university theatre is being shaped by proteges of Lon Winston -- who today, he is proud to call colleagues.

In Colorado, his original production of The Elephant Man was one of two plays selected nationally to be performed at the Bicentennial Work's Festival in Cedar City, Utah. In 1978, in Nevada, he founded The Comstock Theatre Lode, a professional touring company. He was involved with the Nevada Opera Company for many years during the late 60s through the 80s, rendering many of the wonderful non-singing roles in opera.

He has had the opportunity to work closely with the following artists, all of whom have influenced his aesthetic values and vision of theatricality: Zbigniew Cyncutis, Spalding Grey, Heinz-Uwe Haus, Joan MacIntosh, Jerry Rojo, Bari Rolfe, Richard Schechner, Josef Svoboda, Merle "Ted" Puffer, Jiri Ziska and Megan Terry. A consummate experience was his involvement with The Sir Peter Hall / Dustin Hoffman production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, in London.

In 1995 he founded Thunder River Theatre Company in the Roaring Fork Valley -- a twenty-five year dream. Professional CV

Valerie Haugen
Associate Artistic Director / Founding Member

Valerie has graced many stages in Florida, Missouri, and Colorado. As TRTC's principal actor, she has rendered lead roles in most of TRTC's productions. She sets the bar for other actors when it comes to discipline and willingness to do whatever it takes, i.e., her stunning performance as Vivian Bearing in Margaret Edson's Pulitzer prize-winning play Wit. She has been selected as the Locals' Choice Best Actress in the Roaring Fork Valley for years. Valerie also directs for TRTC

Some other of Valerie's favorite roles for TRTC include: Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Jessie in 'night, Mother, Matea in TRTC's world premiere of the English translation of The Bishop Has Her Day by Mexico's most honored playwright, Rafael Solana, Mrs. Alving in Ibsen's Ghosts and Arkadina in Chekhov's The Seagull, and Austin in True West. She performed in and was instrumental in the development of TRTC's original Greek Shards series, including Greek Shards - Medea, Greek Shards - Antigone and Greek Shards - Lysistrata. Dramaturgy has clearly come of age in the American theatre during the past three decades. Theatre is richer and far more profound because of it. It is rare when a company is blessed with both an outstanding dramaturg and a gifted actress. TRTC has such a person in Valerie Haugen.

Richard Lyon
Associate Artist

Longtime TRTC member, Richard has performed in most TRTC productions. Favorite roles include: Dr. Kelekian in Wit, Serge in ART, Oedipus and Creon in Greek Shards - Antigone, Jason /Ensemble in Greek Shards - Medea and Pastor Manders in Ghosts. Richard has also performed locally for the Aspen Stage, Aspen Theatre in the Park and Aspen Community Theatre . Other Colorado venues include the Germinal Stage and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He studied acting at A.C.T. in San Francisco, and at the Hilberry Rep in Detroit. In 2003, Richard was a guest artist at the Teatro Milagro/Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre joint production of "El Dia de Los Muertos" in Portland, ORHe holds an MA in Theatre from Western Washington University.

 

 

Julia Whitcombe

A seasoned performer, Julia has been acting for over 60 years. As a TRTC Resident Actor, she's been seen in Blithe Spirit, Wit, On the Verge, "Night Mother, and Pride's Crossing. Julia has performed in productions in the Los Angeles area, the Midwest, Denver, and northern California as well. Her background includes teaching, working in recording textbooks for the blind and dislexic, as well as some filmwork.

 

 

Lana Karp

Lana has been involved in all aspects of production since TRTC’s inception, including performing in the ensemble of TRTC's Wit, their original adaptation of Greek Shards -- Antigone, as well as the Chorus in The Firebugs. She has stage managed several productions.She holds two Master’s Degrees: one in Liberal Studies, and another in Psychiatric Social Work.

Judy Benson

Judy is TRTC's Prop Master and Costume Coordinator. She has also been known to step into the role of Stage Manager when needed.

Michael Miller

Michael is a TRTC member and longtime actor. He has performed in many TRTC productions. Favorites include Greek Shards - Medea. The Firebugs, ART, Macbeth, The Seagull, Greek Shards - Antigone and Wit. He has also performed for Colorado Mountain College and for Aspen Stage. Michael has been a recipient of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent Locals’ Choice Best Actor Award. Originally from Pittsburgh, he performed with the New Kensington Civic, Theatre by the Grove, the Fine Line Theatre and the Fort Pitt Dinner Theatre, as well as local film and TV.

 

George Soukup

George has performed in Wit and The Firebugs.He studied at Actor's Advent under the tutelage of Esther Brandice, at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, as well as New York University. He took workshops at the Stella Adler Conservatory, and worked on several projects with NYU’s experimental theatre wing. While at NYU he gained a minor in film. He appeared Off-Broadway in the Orestia, Hippolytus, and worked with LATC's Reza Abdoh in The Wild One and Lee Harvey Oswald.

Patrick Murray