LAUREN GUNDERSON (Playwright) is a playwright, screenwriter and short story author from Atlanta, GA. She received her BA in English/Creative Writing at Emory University, and her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she was also a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. She was named the most produced playwright in America by American Theatre Magazine in 2017 and 2019.

MARGOT MELCON (Playwright) is a theatre artist, administrator, and writer, including co-authorship of Miss Bennet: Christmas a Pemberley. She was the Director of New Play Development at Marin Theatre Company for seven years, where she dramaturged over 30 productions (including seven world premieres) and administered the company’s two annual new play prizes and commissioning program. She has developed plays with TheatreWorks, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Crowded Fire Theater, Shotgun Players, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, the Kennedy Center, the New Harmony Project, and the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. She is currently the Program Executive for Promoting Culture at the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Margot is a graduate of California State University, Chico.

ELIZABETH HELMAN (Director) received her BA in Theatre and English (Creative Writing) at Santa Clara University and earned her MA and PhD in Theatre Arts at University of Oregon. She is the Theatre Arts Area Coordinator at Oregon State University and teaches courses in history, literature, performance, directing and playwriting. Elizabeth has directed A Christmas Carol, The Great Gatsby, Silent Sky, The Revolutionists, Successful Strategies and Miss Bennet for Oregon Contemporary Theatre. Some of her favorite theatrical work includes: devising The Blazing World Inside, commissioned by the Margaret Cavendish Society; playing Rachel Corie in My Name is Rachel Corie; and directing Suzan-Lori Park’s Topdog/Underdog for the St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Other favorite directing credits include: Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, Comedy of Errors, A Bright Room Called Day, Twelfth Night, Three Sisters, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Diary of Anne Frank, Love’s Labour’s Lost, All in the Timing, A Thread in the Dark, The Tempest and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. She is the Associate Artistic Director for Theatre 33, where she has directed a number of new works. "Thank you to this wonderful cast, the talented production team, and to the whole OCT staff – it’s so great to be back! As always, deepest love and gratitude to Matty."

ANDREW BECK (Fitzwilliam Darcy) is an Oregon native who earned his undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Oregon and his MFA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He spent four years as a company member at The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, where he acted, MC’ed, wrote and directed numerous productions. (He also played a seagull…it’s true!) Andrew has appeared at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in The Great Gatsby (Jay Gatsby), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Mr. Darcy) and The Understudy (Bruce); he thanks OCT for their exquisite choices in casting. He was also a member of the acting company at Bag&Baggage Productions and has performed across the US, as well as in England and Russia. Andrew currently teaches acting at Oregon State University. He’s so excited to be back at OCT and thanks his family, friends and his more talented wife for putting up with him.

AUDREY ETTEL (Cassie) is excited to be in her first Oregon Contemporary Theatre production! She is a student at the University of Oregon expecting to graduate Winter 2023 with a degree in Theatre Arts. Most recently, she appeared as The Professor/The Crofter in The 39 Steps (Pocket Playhouse) and Clown in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (University Theatre). Audrey is very grateful for this opportunity and thanks her friends and family for their continued support.

SAMANTHA HOLDEN (Lydia Wickham) graduated from Oregon State in 2019 with a BS in Theatre Arts and minor in Vocal Performance. and is making her first appearance at Oregon Contemporary Theatre. You may have previously seen Samantha in OSU’s Bard in the Quad as Maria in Twelfth Night (2022), Adriana in Comedy of Errors (2021) or Ariel in The Tempest (2018). She has also performed at the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis and the Albany Civic Theatre. She is pursuing her theatrical career through dance choreography and intimacy direction, and wants to thank all the patrons of OCT for coming to see this wonderful holiday production along with her family and friends and spouse Jakob. She thanks you for all of your continued love and support and reminds everyone to follow their passion.

WYATT KING (Brian) is a theatremaker born and raised in the Thurston area. He is a student at Western Oregon University pursuing a BFA in acting with minors in music and sustainability. Recently, he served as the dialect coach for Valley Shakespeare’s production of Shakespeare In Love and appeared onstage as Homer in Struts & Frets' production of Anatomy of Gray. Outside of acting, he can be found directing, playwriting, and playing the cello and alto saxophone. He continuously strives to create art that has something to say and will get people talking. Instagram: @king_w_1

CHELSEY MEGLI (Elizabeth Darcy) is thrilled to be a part of this holiday show. Highlights of her past performances at Oregon Contemporary Theatre include Tiny Beautiful Things, Melancholy Play (#GoTeamAlmond), Bunfight and NW10. She would like to thank Liz, the OCT team the cast and her family. 

SCOTT MACHADO (George Wickham) is just tickled to be back onstage at Oregon Contemporary Theatre. You may have seen him before as Walter in Marjorie Prime, Sam in The Flick or a tortured accountant in NW10’s Torrid Taxes. He is fresh off playing Michel the conductor in VLT’s Murder On The Orient Express. Be sure to keep an ear out for his bangin’ drums with The Retromantic, coming soon to Eugene for one night only! Scott is also a proud alumni of the world famous Jungle Cruise. Thanks always to Juliet and Melia for sharing him with Eugene’s theater community.

SHARON SLESS (Mrs. Reynolds) is very happy to be back on stage once again after the past few challenging years for the theatre community (as well as the rest of the world). She has appeared at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in Middletown, Silent Sky and several seasons of the Northwest Ten Festival, where she enjoyed the opportunity to direct a ten-minute play last year. Prior to that, she appeared in many productions at OCT including Eurydice, Suddenly Last Summer, As You Like It and Kimberly Akimbo. Other select favorite performances include: Follies, A Little Night Music, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (VLT); and Twelfth Night (Willamette Rep), to name a few. Many thanks to her theatre family/friends for their continued support and encouragement.

RILEY ALLEN (Production Stage Manager; Production Assistant) graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelors in Theatre Design and Production, specializing in scenic/lighting design and stage management. Riley's stage management work includes: Witch, Hedwig And The Angry Inch (Oregon Contemporary Theatre); Holiday Inn and Lady Be Good (The Shedd Institute). Design credits include: Hedwig And The Angry Inch (OCT); Picnic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (CWU Theatre Arts); Round the Mountain (CWU Ghostlight Lab Series); and The Year of the Solar Eclipse (The Wild Project). Riley is excited to not only be using all facets of his degree this season, but to have the opportunity to work with OCT in such an intimate venue on a fun and variety-packed season. Born in the Puget Sound area, Riley is excited to start his second calendar year in Eugene.

BRADLEY BRANAM (Sound Designer) is an Associate Professor and the Technical Director and Media Designer for the University of Oregon Theatre Arts Department. He has served as the Resident Designer and Technical Director for the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, and also worked with the Ash Lawn Opera Festival as the Production Manager and Technical Director. He has worked with the Denver Center Theatre Company, Kansas City Repertory Theatre Company, Commonweal Theatre Company, Oregon Contemporary Theatre and The Old Creamery Theatre Company. He received his BA in theatre from Luther College, in Decorah, IA, and his MFA from the University of Missouri - Kansas City.

JEFFREY COOK (Scenic Designer) is a Washington native, living in Seattle and working throughout the Northwest since 1990. Work for Oregon Contemporary Theatre includes: Tiny Beautiful Things, Marjorie Prime, The Last Five Years, Clybourne Park, A Lie of the Mind, Next to Normal and Assassins. Other select design work includes: The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Elephant and Piggie, The Best Summer Ever! (The Seattle Children's Theatre); ...Forum, Cinderella (5th Avenue Theater); The Gypsy King (Village Theater); and designs for Harlequin Productions, Book-It, Tacoma Actors Guild and Profile Theatre in Portland (Pinter season). He has designed the official City of Seattle Winterfest experience at Seattle Center since 2008, with national work including three years at the Denver Center Theatre design and production shops and Thomas the Train Live on Stage. He holds a BFA from Washington State University and an MFA from the University of Oregon. JeffreyDesigns.net

JEANETTE DEJONG (Costume Designer) is happy to return to designing for Oregon Contemporary Theatre. Select previous designs for OCT include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, A Christmas Carol, The Revolutionists and Venus in Fur. Jeanette has designed costumes for theatres across the nation, including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, San Antonio Opera Festival and Eugene Opera. She is the author and illustrator of The Working Costume Designer series of books on Color and Fit, a faculty member of the Theatre Arts department at University of Oregon and a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, New York, NY.

STEEN V. MITCHELL (Properties Designer) appreciates having this opportunity to work with a talented production team at Oregon Contemporary Theatre. She has designed scenery for more than 20 shows at OCT since 2004, including The Thanksgiving Play, Successful Strategies, Melancholy Play, Silent Sky, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Great Gatsby, Fahrenheit 451, The Four of Us, Frozen, West Moon Street and Mother Courage. She worked as a visiting designer at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and has designed for Oregon State University, Eugene Ballet (puppets), Eugene Opera (props) and Lane Summer Musical Theatre (sets, including Singin’ in the Rain). She gives very special thanks to Janet Rose for mentoring theatre students and to her partner, Sue Dockstader, for her love and support.

JANET ROSE (Lighting Designer) has been faculty lighting designer for the UO Theatre Arts Department for over 30 years. She teaches Stage Management and History of Stage Design and serves as Production Manager for University Theatre. Locally, she has designed lighting for Eugene Opera, OFAM, Lane Summer Musical Theatre, Ballet Fantastique and Oregon Contemporary Theatre. Recent designs for OCT include Art, Fun Home and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.

LAURA TUFFLI (Assistant Stage Manager/Wig Stylist; Production Assistant) recently graduated from the University of Oregon, majoring in Theatre Arts and minoring in Music. They have spent their time in theatre focusing on costumes, wigs and makeup. Costuming credits include: The 39 Steps, After the Revolution, 12 Angry Jurors (Pocket Playhouse); Birds Flying Through (LCC); assistant costume design for Hay Fever (University Theatre); makeup/wig design for A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Tall Tale Players); makeup/wig stylist and assistant stage manager for Hedwig And The Angry Inch and The Wickhams: Christmas At Pemberley (Oregon Contemporary Theatre). Laura is very excited to be a part of the show!