Meet Our Team: Actors

As the designers, crew, builders, publicity, we work endlessly, tirelessly, to make sure that these three have the time of their lives while they bring this story to life for you. 

Outside of attending every rehearsal, physically and mentally, the actors also keep detailed journals of rehearsals, notes, character notes, their acting process, script notes, blocking, everything that goes on through their heads and their characters head in a single moment. These students are currently living two lives, holding two histories, two personalities, two sets of fears, two sets of dreams. And they do it beautifully. 

Delaney Bergstrom as Lena.
Costumes/Hair/Makeup: Desiree Hale
and Trudy-Bridgette Smith.
Photograph: Tony Funk. 

Delaney Bergstrom is playing Lena, the beautiful twenty-something mistress, Delaney's first lead role. She's not sure what's bigger, the amount of lines or the personality Lena packs behind her. 

"Lena is a handful and I love her."

Delaney is working through her Bachelors Degree with an English Major and a Theatre Extended Minor, noting to me she is a lifelong student. Professional students, I tell you, it's the big thing right now. Her biggest challenge, crying on cue.... that should peak your interest in the show.

Delaney left me with some of the words she lives by as her advice.

"In gentleness there is strength."

Delaney Bergstrom as Lena, Reilly Ellis as Markus.
Costumes/Hair/Makeup: Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith.
Props: Nicole Janisch. Photograph: Tony Funk 

Reilly Ellis is Markus, our male lead.

He is a Bachelor of Arts student with a possible graduation date of 2017. He is excited about working in this new space, the CEP studio is a unique space to us and it has such a different feeling. Just performing in this space sets this show apart from the UFV mainstage production. 

Actors in rehearsal. Photograph by JI Milliken. 

Reilly's biggest challenge intrigues me, 

"Taking the extra time to rehearse the overlapping lines in the play has been very difficult, since two to three actors are talking simultaneously and requires full memorization of lines and attentive reflexes."

Interesting, Reilly, very interesting. He reminds us, "Do not forget who you are and what you are striving for."

Reilly Ellis as Markus, Emily Eggert-Botkin as Karin.
Costumes/Hair/Makeup by Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith.
Set/Props: Nicole Janisch. Photograph by Tony Funk. 

Emily Eggert-Botkin is stepping into the shoes of Karin, our hopeless romantic with great hair. Emily is working through a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with double extended minors in Theatre and Creative Writing, with graduation plans of 2018.

This is also Emily's first lead role,

"just the size of the part and the amount of time it takes to create a fully fleshed-out character and memorize so many lines is demanding, but worth it."

BTS at our Publicity Photo Shoot.
Photographer, Tony Funk, works with Delaney, Reilly and Emily.
Costumes/Hair/Makeup: Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith.
Set/Props: Nicole Janisch. Photograph: Kirstin Shale. 

She is excited to be working on the first ensemble project. We're making history. Emily tells us, 

"Do what you're passionate about and pursue your dream career! All the hard work and long hours will be worth it if you're doing something you love."

Reilly Ellis as Markus, Delaney Bergstrom as Lena and Emily Eggert-Botkin as Karin.  
Costumes/Hair/Makeup: Desiree Hale and Trudy-Bridgette Smith. 
Set/Props: Nicole Janisch. Photograph: Tony Funk.