Michael Stebbins came to Rep Stage in November, 2005, from Stage Door Acting Ensemble of NY, Inc., a not-for-profit theatre company based in Manhattan, where he served as artistic director and producer. In past leadership positions, he was manager of Masterworks Laboratory Theatre, Inc., also based in Manhattan. Michael has appeared on many of the top regional stages across the country, from Berkeley Rep (1997 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre) to Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C.  He has appeared with numerous off-Broadway theatres, including The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and Mint Theater Company (winner of the 2002 Special Drama Desk Award). Directing credits range from college to regional to summer stock and include plays, musicals and operas.  He has work-shopped and appeared in such diverse theatre pieces as Brian Freeman’s Civil Sex, which explored the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (cited on many national “Top 10” lists in 1997), and received commissions to create two separate plays—with music—examining the history of vaudeville on the American stage.  He is a respected teacher of acting on the college circuit, and has been an adjunct teacher at Howard Community College.  At Rep Stage, Michael has directed The Santaland Diaries (in which he also appeared) and A Moon for the Misbegotten, and appeared in Fully Committed, Stones in His Pockets, and Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Michael attended the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and received his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Professional Theatre Training Program.  Michael is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, Screen Actor’s Guild and serves on the Howard County Tourism’s board of directors.

 

LEE MIKESKA GARDNER
Managing Director

Lee is an actress/director/educator/theatre administrator who has worked nationally and internationally.  Lee spent six years with Washington Shakespeare Company as their Managing/Producing Director, 3 years with Consenting Adults Theatre Company as Managing Director, 6 years with Shenandoah Playwrights Retreat as their Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director, 2 years with Woolly Mammoth as Assistant to the Artistic Director and 10 years as an Artistic Associate during she directed Fat Men In Skirts, Life During Wartime (Helen Hayes nomination), The Gene Pool, Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet (Helen Hayes nomination), Watbanaland, Stop Kiss, The Chinese Art of Placement, Fuddy Meers, and After Ashley (Helen Hayes nomination.)  She also founded what was formerly called “The Acting School” at Woolly Mammoth.  Lee is currently an Artistic Associate with Charter Theatre, the Keegan Theatre and Management Consultant for Ganymede Arts.  At Rep Stage Lee has directed the controversial Thom Pain (Based on Nothing), Stones in His Pocket and Three Tall Women and performed Luisa in A Shayna Maidel, and Woman in another controversial production, Closetland.  Other noted directing credits include Bad Dates at Olney Theatre Center, Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2 for Signature Theatre, such varied productions as the world premiere of Learning Curves, A Midsummer’s Nights Dream, Genet’s Deathwatch (co produced with Actors’ Theatre of Washington), and the critically acclaimed Equus at Washington Shakespeare Company,  the all-male Les Liaisons Dangerouse  and The Owl and the Pussycat for ATW,  Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf for The Keegan Theatre (Washington, D.C. and Ireland), Poe and All That Jazz, for Charter Theatre, Machinal for American Century Theatre, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie for The Kennedy Center, The Cocktail Party for Washington Stage Guild, which earned a Theatre Lobby Award for Outstanding Production. Lee’s acting career is equally as varied, recently playing Nina in Brooklyn Boy at Olney Theatre, at Rep Stage, Hettie in WSC's Two-Headed (a role she originated at the Shenandoah Playwright's Retreat and played in the Mill Mountain production) and Fran in Short Order Stories at Charter Theatre where she played Mary A House in the Country, earning a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress.  Also with Charter Lee played Susanna in Of a Sunday Morning and Carla in A Taste of Fire (Helen Hayes nomination for Lead Actress).  Lee is s the recipient of two additional Helen Hayes nominations for Outstanding Actress for playing Patricia Preece in Stanley (Potomac Theatre Project), and Kimberly Bergalis in Patient A (Freedom Stage). Other favorite roles include Tovah in Dreams in a Golden County for the Kennedy Center, Elizabeth in The Crucible for Keegan Theatre and Andrea in Tabletops for Round House Theatre.  Past credits include Grete in Sign Unseen at Olney and with Potomac Theatre Project, Lorna in Cigarettes and Chocolate, The Vampire in Mad Forest, Helen in Good, Alice in Plenty, Dr. Halbrech in Scotland Road and multiple roles in The After Dinner Joke.  Regional theatre credits include work at Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre, the Barter Theatre and Mill Mountain Theatre. Lee has been a Guest Artist at learning institutions across the country including George Mason University, University of Maryland – College Park, UVA – Charlottesville, Montgomery College – Rockville, Middlebury College, University of Nevad, Los Vegas and University of Vermont.  Lee holds a B.F.A. in the Performing Arts from George Mason University and is currently working on her M.F.A. in Acting at Catholic University.

 

VALERIE LASH
Founding Director

Lash founded Rep Stage in 1993 and served as Producer/Artistic Director through 2005.  Past acting credits for Rep Stage include lead roles in The Italian Lesson, A Moon For The Misbegotten, Three Tall Women, Six Degrees of Separation, Frankie and Johnny…, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Marvin's Room, The Glass Menagerie, The Human Voice Tartuffe, and Dangerous Liaisons. Past directing credits include The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives, Cabaret and A Little Night Music.   She was presented in 1993 with the Howard County Arts Council's Howie Award for "Educator of the Year,"  and in 2003 she was inducted into the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame for her contributions to the arts in our community.  Lash holds both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Theatre from The Catholic University of America .

 

LISA WILDE
Resident Dramaturg/ Literary Manager

Previously, Lisa has worked as the Associate Dramaturg/ Education Director at Center Stage in Baltimore and as the Education Director at Young Playwrights, Inc. in New York. She has taught writing, literature and theatre at several Baltimore area colleges and theatres including Olney Theatre Center and Towson University. She is currently an Associate Professor of Theatre at Howard Community College. She holds a doctorate in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the Yale School of Drama. In 2004 she made her Rep Stage directorial debut with Vita & Virginia and currently directs readings for the "Works in Progress" Play Development Program.