Anne Merino Stars In Placer Rep's HAUNTING HISTORY

Veteran performer Anne Merino graces the stages at the Lincoln Civic Auditorium on June 23 and the Parkview Room on June 29 as the uniquely eccentric character Dr. Dessa Dagmar in Placer Repertory Theater's performances of Ghosts of Placer County, a new work being featured at the show Haunting History.

Anne Merino, Founding Board Member and Acting Company member for Placer Repertory Theater, Adjunct Faculty for William Jessup University, and formerly of the professional organizations SAG/AFTRA and AEA, has enjoyed a robust and storied career in the performing arts as a performer, choreographer, writer, administrator, and educator. Anne Merino began her career dancing for notable companies such as American Ballet Theatre and the London Festival Ballet. A prolific choreographer, she won the Vanguard Award for Choreography. Anne's traditional theatrical training was received at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Second City with Del Close and Jim Belushi, and later trained under Alan Rickman at the British American Drama Academy. As an actor, and former member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA, Anne performed with The Groundlings and Tim Robbins' The Actors' Gang. Currently, she is a member of the theatre department faculty at William Jessup University, she recently won film festival awards for her screenplay, "The Season of the Wolf," and received critical acclaim for her novel, Hawkesmoor.

"Written by the world-class professional playwright T.S. Forsyth, all of these idiosyncratic, cheerfully dysfunctional characters and the cantilevered universe in which they exist have been brought to sparkling, vibrant life. For an actor, performing in this dark comedy by T.S. Forsyth is sheer theatrical catnip," said Anne Merino, who plays the central character Dr. Dessa Dagmar, a mother and senior guide-master for the Trailblazers of History guides, who is haunted by both Placer County and personal history. Other cast members include Kevin Foster as Kenny, Katherine Stroller as Aubrey Dagmar, Brennan Villados as Guide-Master Jack/Liam, and Arie Knyazev as Narrator/Damon/Raymond. According to the playwright, Ghosts of Placer County is a dark comedy about how individual and community history haunts us and how we haunt history to define ourselves.

"As a fellow cast-mate, watching Anne Merino as Dr. Dess Dagmar is not only a masterclass, but it is also a delicious, comedic treat. She takes her work so seriously and pushes herself to excel in the role, yet does not take herself too seriously, and is one of the most down-to-earth and kindest people to work with," said Kevin Foster, who plays Kenny Greene.

In addition to the performances of Anne Merino and her fellow cast members in Ghosts of Placer County, Haunting History includes original music performed by musician/singer/songwriter Matthew Kaiser, door prizes from generous local businesses, comedy by Funny Robert, free refreshments, "meet the actors" opportunities, and a post-show audience feedback/Q&A to help Placer Rep develop the Ghosts script.

The first performance of Haunting History will be held at the Lincoln Civic Auditorium on Thursday, June 23, courtesy of Tamie Crane Rogers of Tamraloo Studios. The second performance of Haunting History will be held at the Parkview Room at Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin CA on Wednesday, June 29 with support from Kevin Huntzinger and the Rocklin Parks & Recreation department. "Tickets to performances of Haunting History, since it benefits play development and production at Placer Rep a 501(c)3 nonprofit, should be tax deductible," reminded Kevin Foster. Haunting History tickets are available on Eventbrite.com (https://www.eventbrite.com/o/30342509116). Early reservations are recommended as seating is limited.

Audiences may recall Placer Repertory Theater as the professional theater company that won 5 regional awards in 2021 and produced the "New Beginnings" event which featured a new play about the historic Placer County railroad roundhouses in Roseville and Rocklin.

Placer Repertory Theater (https://PlacerRep.org) is a regional award-winning professional theater company that servers Placer County and the greater Sacramento metro area. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Placer Rep's mission is to offer educational and quality-of-life enriching professional performing arts and cultural programs relevant to the people of Placer County, while supporting local organizations and acting as an economic engine for the area. Follow Placer Repertory Theater on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @PlacerRep, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to access our digital recordings.

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