Artistic Director John Langs Introduces ACT Theatre's Core Company

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre and Artistic Director John Langs are thrilled to announce ACT's first Core Company. Each year, a group of actors will join ACT in a year-long creative endeavor, performing and contributing as artistic ambassadors to ACT's Mainstage season. Langs has assembled the talents of Keiko Green, Kirsten Potter, Lorenzo Roberts, Jasmine Jean Sim, G. Valmont Thomas, Connor Toms, and R. Hamilton Wright for 2016.

The Core Company is one of Langs' first initiatives as ACT's new Artistic Director. Its purpose is to encourage an environment of artistic excellence, while creating a home for local actors to experiment and grow over the course of the 2016 season. Core Company Members are guaranteed at least three shows in the season, and will serve as artistic ambassadors. They will represent ACT at audience and community engagement events, serve as spokespeople for ACT's Mainstage productions, and support the greater mission of ACT.

"I am excited to have such a talented group of artists representing ACT. It is the charge of great theatre to push the art form forward. Through initiatives like the Core Company, ACT will provide local actors with a creative home, encouraging them to expand upon their craft, and thrill audiences with their performances in our Mainstage season," says Langs.

Keiko Green received her BFA in Theatre from New York University and was seen in Seattle Repertory Theatre's The Comparables and Seattle Shakespeare Company's Othello.

Kirsten Potter appeared in ACT's productions of Rapture, Blister, Burn; One Slight Hitch; and Big Love, as well as Seattle Repertory Theatre's Photograph 51, A View From the Bridge, and Or,.

Lorenzo Roberts received his BFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and appeared in Seattle Shakespeare Company's Othello, as well as the recent As You Like It with ACT's Kenan Directing Fellow in December 2015.

Jasmine Jean Sim graduated from Cornish College of the Arts as well as the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts. She appeared in Intiman Theatre's The Children's Hour and John Baxter is a Switch Hitter and Washington Ensemble Theatre's Dirty.

G. Valmont Thomas was in the acting company of Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 13 seasons. He has performed with Seattle Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and recently with West of Lenin, and in ACT's A Christmas Carol.

Connor Toms appeared in ACT's productions of The Invisible Hand and In the Next Room, or the vibrator play and New Century Theatre Company's production of Festen.

R. Hamilton Wright appeared in numerous ACT productions, including The Revengers' Comedies, The Pillowman, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and A Christmas Carol. He is a regular actor and director with many of Seattle's theatres, and in recent years, also a playwright.

ABOUT JOHN LANGS

John Langs is ACT's Artistic Director after serving as Associate Artistic Director for three years. Langs' 16-year freelance career has afforded him the opportunity to work with many prestigious theatre companies across the country. He has directed productions at Playwrights Horizons NY, Ensemble Studio Theater NY, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Lookingglass Theater Company in Chicago, Circle X in Los Angeles, The Resident Ensemble, New Century Theatre Company, Washington Ensemble Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Company.

Langs received his directing degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Some of his favorite directing credits include The Shaggs Philosophy of the World (Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle Award for Best Original Musical), andBrothers Karamazov (seven LADCC Awards including Best Production of the year and Best Direction) and directing Kurt Beattie in King Lear. Langs received the first annual Seattle Gregory Award honoring excellence in direction for The Adding Machine. Recent Seattle credits include NCTC's Mary's Wedding, The Seagull Project's The Three Sisters, and Seattle Shakespeare's Othello. As a dedicated fan of original work, Langs has shepherded over a dozen projects to their premier production.

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