WHOSE IMAGINATION

IS IT ANYWAY?

KELLY BOCZEK-PETRIE: FOUNDER AND CEO     

Kelly received her BFA at Wayne State University in Detroit, and continued her extensive training at Carnegie Mellon, Michigan Opera Theatre, Theatre Grottesco, the University of Detroit, and Oakland University.  Kelly’s experience as an actor, singer, and teacher, has brought her to such cities as Detroit, New York, Volterra, Italy, and Frankfurt, Germany.  Currently a member of the Knightsbridge Theatre, Kelly has been seen in A Piece of My Heart; Macbeth, Musical! the Musical; Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits; Into the Woods, Dames at Sea, and Marat Sade.  Kelly has also had the pleasure of Assistant Directing A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Knightsbridge that traveled to Frankfurt Germany, and Directed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, for which she won a Roman Award, and The Comedy of Errors.  The NY Independent Film Festival awarded Kelly best actress in the film Click Three Times.  Over the last seven years, Kelly has taught Shakespeare, Commedia de Arte, Improvisation,  Dance, Musical Theatre, Creative Writing, and Film Production classes in over 20 schools in the LA and Oxnard counties. She recently co-wrote and directed a musical version of Macbeth called Macbeezy: The Macbeth Hip-Hopera with her husband, Mark Petrie.

MARK PETRIE:  AWOI ACTOR, MARKETING MANAGER

Mark is a new member of AWOI and is excited to bring his energy to the group. His first AWOI show was a recent tour of Tom Sawyer in September 2010 in the Monterey, California area. He received his B.A. in Theatre from the University of Minnesota and his M.F.A. in Acting from Louisiana State University. His acting career has taken him to stages in Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Boulder, Baton Rouge and Los Angeles. He has also written several one-act plays and written music for Macbeezy: The Macbeth Hip-Hopera.

ALLANA BARTON:  AWOI ACTOR

Allana grew up in Denver, in a lovely white brick house at the end of a Stapleton Airport runway, hence the annual hearing tests and the ability to talk loud. She later learned in her acting studies that the technical term is called “projection”. She can’t quite explain the talking fast. After receiving a B.A. in sociology from Colorado College, she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and was a member of the Academy Company. Allana has since appeared on numerous LA stages (including Ventura Court, Company of Angels and the Occidental Theatre Festival, in independent films and a Wendy’s commercial. As a Knightsbridge member, she has appeared in A Piece of My Heart; Guys and Dolls; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Her favorite roles include Kent in King Lear and Lizzie Borden in Musical, the Musical. Outside of the Knightsbridge, productions include: most recently As You Like It (Oliver) with the LA Women¹s Shakespeare Company; For Colored Girls…; Pirates of Penzance; Beyond Therapy; Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery; Standing on My Knees; Death: or the Playground, to name a few. She has toured Southern California schools with a number of Children’s Theatre Programs, and taught acting to youth and teens at non profit organizations.

JEN GABBERT:  AWOI ACTOR

Before venturing to Southern California she has worked with the California, San Francisco, Mendocino and Carmel Shakespeare Festivals, as well as Shakespeare at Stinson Beach, Subterranean Shakespeare, and the San Jose Stage Company.  While in Southern California, Jen has performed many shows with the Knightsbridge Theatre as well as The MET Theatre, The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, The Stella Adler Theatre, and The New Work Festival in Pasadena. Currently, Jen is the official spokes person for "Workway," the official voice for "Sony AIBO Europe," and filming the feature film, "Nine Shades of Pleasant."  She is represented by RPM Talent. 

EDWIN GARCIA II:  AWOI ACTOR 

At once brooding and intense, at other times mischievous and comical, Edwin Garcia II gained popularity in regional theatre productions across the eastern seaboard for his broadly drawn and extremely varied performances. In darker roles, his rough-hewn weariness complements his innate sensibilities, as can be seen in his portrayals of gangsters or lost youths. In comical roles, his timing is sharp, and his ability to shock and play with his audience is a trait that some of our most outrageous comedians aspire toward. With a vast dramatic and comedic range and a similarly boundless enthusiasm for fighting Garcia is also SAFD certified in hand-to-hand, rapier/dagger, and 1⁄4 staff.  He has also performed many stunts for movies and T.V. in LA.

ELIZABETH GORDON: AWOI ACTOR/WRITER

Elizabeth holds degrees from University of California, Santa Cruz, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-West. She was also fortunate enough to study with Gene Frankel in New York before he passed away in 2005. While at UCSC, she appeared in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s world premiere of Cinderella: A New Telling of an Old Tale as one of the evil stepsisters done in the popular English “panto” style, in which the audience participates in the production. In Los Angeles, she has appeared in such productions as Damn Yankees!; Lovers and Other Strangers; The Secret Rapture; The Shadowbox and various showcases through Lost in LA Theatre Company. Elizabeth also teaches children through various educational city programs in Los Angeles. Her latest program called Lunch with a Lizard, teaches kids about litter abatement in the City of Long Beach through skits and audience participation. Although Elizabeth has dabbled in all areas of theatre production, she feels most “at home” onstage.

GEOFFERY HILLBACK: AWOI ACTOR 

Geoffrey is a former member of The Acting Apprentice Company at The Actors Theatre of Louisville and a graduate of Connecticut College, where he double majored in theatre and psychology.  He has completed The Stanislavsky Summer Intensive at The Moscow Art School at Harvard, and currently studies with Susan Giosa.  In addition to his many Knightsbridge roles, he has performed at The MET and The Odyssey Theaters as well as The English Theatre of Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. Roles include: The Doctor in Geography of a Horse Dreamer at Actors Theatre of Louisville; The Sailor in Othello at Actors Theatre of Louisville. At the Knightsbridge: The Common Man in A Man For All Seasons; Dinky Dau in Tracers;  Edward II in Edward II; Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet; Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; Craver Perry in In the Heart of America; Noah in The Rainmaker;  Flute and Cobweb in A Midsummer Night's Dream, both at the Knightsbridge Theatre and The English Theatre of Frankfurt [Germany].

AMANDA VERMILLION: AWOI ACTOR
Amanda hails from good ole Indiana, land of cows and corn. She came out to Los Angeles to fulfill her dream of attending UCLA to which she graduated with honors in 2005. Amanda has studied acting and scene study with Susan Giosa. She has been a member of the Knightsbridge Theatre in Silverlake for over two years and is currently the head of cafe, overseeing both concession sales and  future development projects. Prior to acting on the KBT stage, she was the Costume Designer for King Lear and Comedy of Errors. Amanda has acted in various things such as Why Factor 2, Comedy of Errors, The Lark, Much Ado about Nothing, and Marat/Sade. She recently produced and acted in the wonderful play Two Rooms. She is quoted, “Live like you will die tomorrow and Love like you will live forever...passion is the food of life-my passion is acting and being an artist.”

KELLY BOCZEK-PETRIE

 MARK PETRIE

 ALLANA BARTON

JEN GABBERT

EDWIN GARCIA

ELIZABETH GORDON

GEOFFERY HILLBACK

AMANDA VERMILLION