Ensemble Members

 

Deb Lacusta

Deb is a writer/actor/improviser. Plays: Old Man in a Big Car, In Excile, Lock up the Grass, The August. She writes for The Simpsons and co-wrote the musical Empire Burlesque, Disney/ASCAP Workshop, host Stephen Schwartz. She co-founded Chicago Improv scenario group Instant Theatre and Immediate theatre in LA.

Dan Castellaneta

Dan is a four-time Emmy recipient and a consulting Producer/Writer of The Simpsons. Plays: The Sons of Mothers, Food Court, Where did Vincent Van Gogh?, For Piano and Harpo where he also starred as the acerbic Oscar Levant. Co written with Deb Lacusta Fortunes, Empire Burlesque Earthers. Co-founder of Instant Theatre, Improv Co-op, Immediate Theatre Chicago.

Michael J Gellman

Michael J Gellman is an alumnus of the Second City mainstage and was a resident director for Second City in Canada and the USA for 25 years. He was Artistic Director of the Second City Toronto where his shows were nominated for 7 Dora Mavor Moore Awards including twice for Outstanding Direction, nominated for Best Director for Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award, and won a Chalmers Award for Best Director. He teachers master classes all over the world.

Deborah Smith

Deborah founded the St. Lawrence Shakespeare and Scripted Toronto. Her adaptations of Anna Christie and Echoes of the War were both produced and performed in Chicago and Toronto. She has performed in many regional and storefront theatres in Chicago and New York. In Ontario she has performed for summer theatres and film and television.

Michael McNamara

Michael is a filmmaker, screenwriter and director based in Stratford Ontario. Markham Street Films, founded in 2002 with Judy Holm, has produced award winning documentaries and dramas including Level 16, Celtic Soul starring Jay Baruchel and the Netflix sensation Catwalk: Tales From the Cat Show Circuit. Recent credits include Beavers From Above (2025), and A User’s Guide To The Voice (2024) for CBC’s The Nature of Things. McNamara has served on the executive board of The Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, the publishing board of POV (Point of View) Magazine and as the first chair of the national board of DOC - The Documentary Organization of Canada.