Bio
Mike is a professional actor, writer, director and disposable hero. He is also the current Artistic Director of Alchemy Theatre. After his parents taught him to read at an early age, Rebecca Payne and Colleen Sexton introduced him to Shakespeare and the arts in high school. From there, he attended Ohio University in Athens, OH, where he double-majored in Theatre and Journalism, with a minor in English. He finished his degree at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. From there he moved to Los Angeles and created The Muse Theatre, then later returned to the Tri-State to continue trying to bring great art to the area. He has performed professionally in the United Kingdom, Pittsburgh, L.A. and more. Before Alchemy, Mike was one of the Resident Directors at Arts Resources for the Tri-State (ARTS) for five years, where he directed and/or acted in numerous productions. He also created The West Virginia Shakespeare Festival (WVSHAKES) in 2018, now in its fifth year. He is a published author, writing the novel The Dragon Ruby with Herschel Jeffrey, which will be re-released soon, and he has won several playwriting contests and screenplay awards. His film company 619 Pictures has worked with Alchemy to create new and inventive ways to produce theatre during the 2020 / 2021 COVID-19 pandemic. He lives in Chesapeake, OH with his wife and two cats, and he is a member of the professional actors union, Actor's Equity Association (AEA).
Credits
Horatio / Hamlet / Player King
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Director / Adapter / New Matter
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Nick Bottom
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Assistant Director/Producer
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Reader
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Writer
Alchemy Theatre
2024
Host
Alchemy Theatre
2023
Writer / Director
Alchemy Theatre
2023
Brutus
Alchemy Theatre
2023
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2023
Reader
Alchemy Theatre
2023
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Producer
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Petruchio
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Albie Ziegler
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Creator / Writer / Director
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Co-Curator / Writer
Alchemy Theatre
2022
Director / Writer
Alchemy Theatre
2021
Sound Operator
Alchemy Theatre
2021
Performer
Alchemy Theatre
2021
Producer
Alchemy Theatre
2021
Line Producer
Alchemy Theatre
2021
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2020
Producer / Director
Alchemy Theatre
2020
Producer / Director
Alchemy Theatre
2020
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2020
Lights/Sound
Alchemy Theatre
2020
Serge
Alchemy Theatre
2019
Host / Director
Alchemy Theatre
2019
Sound Designer
Alchemy Theatre
2019
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2019
Director
Alchemy Theatre
2019
New Voices Play Festival
Various
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2019
The Greenbrier Ghost
Doc Knapp
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2019
A Christmas Carol
ASM
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2018
A Christmas Carol
ASM
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2018
An Enemy of the People
The Drunk
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2018
Julius Caesar
Decius Brutus / Marullus
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2018
New Voices Play Festival
Various
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2018
Babes In Toyland
Tweedle Dee
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2017
Glengarry Glen Ross
Director
ARTS
2017
The Importance of Being Earnest
Lane
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2017
The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On!
The Janitor / Principal
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2017
To Kill A Mockingbird
Horace Gilmer
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2017
A Comedy of Errors
2nd Merchant
Essential Stages
2016
As You Like It
Director
ARTS
2016
August: Osage County
Director
ARTS
2016
God of Carnage
Michael
ARTS
2016
On Golden Pond
Charlie
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Professional)
2016
The Full Monty
Dave
ARTS
2016
Brigadoon
Tommy
ARTS
2015
Fuddy Meers
Director
ARTS
2015
Into The Woods
Cinderella's Prince
ARTS
2015
New Works Festival
Director
ARTS
2015
Our Town
The Stage Manager
ARTS
2015
Crazy For You
Bela Zangler
ARTS
2014
Much Ado About Nothing
Director
ARTS
2014
New Works Festival
Director
ARTS
2014
Pirates of Penzance
Constable
ARTS
2014
Rabbit Hole
Director
ARTS
2014
The Boy Friend
Percival Browne
ARTS
2014
Twelve Angry Men
Juror #10
ARTS
2014
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
J.B. Biggley
ARTS
2013
Julius Caesar
Director
ARTS
2013
Laughter on the 23rd Floor
Director
ARTS
2013
Saint Joan of the Stockyards
Pierpont Mauler
Marshall University
2013
The Man Who Came To Dinner
Sheridan Whiteside
ARTS
2013
1776
Ben Franklin
ARTS
2012
Macbeth
Director
ARTS
2012
New Works Festival
Various
Marshall University
2011
New Works Festival
Playwright / Director
Marshall University
2011
Noises Off!
Lloyd Dallas
Fifth Avenue Theatre Company
2011
The Fantasticks
El Gallo
ARTS
2011
New Works Festival
Various
Marshall University
2010
New Works Festival
Playwright / Director
Marshall University
2010
Titanic: The Musical
Thomas Andrews
Fifth Avenue Theatre Company
2010
Man of La Mancha
Sancho
Fifth Avenue Theatre Company
2009
New Works Festival
Playwright / Director
Marshall University
2008
New Works Festival
Various
Marshall University
2008
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Falstaff
Marshall University
2008
The Seagull
Sorin
Marshall University
2008
New Works Festival
Various
Marshall University
2007
New Works Festival
Playwright / Director
Marshall University
2007
Romeo & Juliet
Mercutio
City Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA
2003
Twelfth Night
Malvolio
Marshall University
2003
You Can't Take It With You
Martin Vanderhof
Marshall University
2003
Bus Stop
Dr. Gerald Lyman
Marshall University
2002
Romeo & Juliet
Mercutio
Marshall University
2002
The Foreigner
Owen
Marshall University
2001
Grease!
Kenickie
HOT
2000
1776
John Dickinson
HOT
1999
Hamlet
Horatio
Oxford University - Oxford, UK
1999
Guys & Dolls
Harry The Horse
HOT
1998
Play On!
Louis
Marshall University
1996
Don't Rock The Boat
Victor Bey
Chesapeake High School
1995
Fiddler on the Roof
The Constable
ACTC
1995
Auntie Mame
Cousin Jeff
Chesapeake High School
1993