Resident Company

Tanya is excited to be a part of the Chance Company. Chance acting credits include Anne of Green Gables (Rachel Lynde/Aunt Jo), Evita (Liliane/Ensemble), and Sunday in the Park with George (Yvonne). Regional credits include: Arms and the Man (Raina), Re: Woyzeck (Marie - World Premiere), Dead Man Walking (Sister Helen Prejean - Irene Ryan Nominee), Necessary Targets (J.S.- Irene Ryan Nominee), and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Nurse Ratchet). Film credits include: “Once Removed”, “People Like Us”, and “Outworld”. Tanya studied at CSU Fullerton in Theatre and Speech Therapy, and extends her talents as a music teacher in L.A. and Orange County, directs the fine arts at First Family Church in Whittier, and is studying to perfect her own family’s legacy of languages from Russia and Argentina.

[top]

Oanh co-founded the Chance Theater in 1999, where he is currently Artistic Director. He was awarded the Outstanding Artist Award by Arts Orange County and is a recipient of the TCG Nathan Cummings Young Leaders of Color fellowship. He was also recently inducted into Anaheim High School’s Hall of Fame. Oanh is on the board of the Network of Ensemble Theaters and on the advisory board of the Anaheim High School Performing Arts Conservatory and the Arts Advantage Program for the Anaheim Union High School District. He’s a proud member of SDC, SAG and AFTRA. Nguyen recently directed the West Coast premiere of Po Boy Tango by Kenneth Lin at the nation’s premiere Asian theater company, East West Players. He was also the associate director of the world premiere of The Happy Ones by Julie Marie Myatt at South Coast Repertory (recently nominated for 2 LADCC Awards, including Best Production). Other directing credits include: world premiere of The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat by Tony Award-winner Mark Hollmann, Three Days of Rain (O.C. Register’s Top Ten of 2002 and Best Directors of 2002), Bash, Lee Miller: The Angel and The Fiend (commissioned by the Getty Museum), Goodnight Children Everywhere, Tape, Closer Than Ever (L.A. Times Critic’s Choice), Porcelain (2006 GLAAD Media Award Nomination, Back Stage Critic’s Pick, O.C. Register’s Top Ten of 2005), Cabaret (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Into The Woods (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), The Laramie Project, Jesus Hates Me (soon to be remounted at South Coast Repertory), Inventing Van Gogh, Frozen, The Last Five Years, Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins, Rabbit Hole (Back Stage Critic’s Pick) and Hair (LA Weekly Critic’s Pick, 5 Ovation Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Musical, and 6 LADCC Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Revival).

[top]

Jennifer is thrilled to join this amazing group of artists as a Company Member. Originally from the mountains near Yosemite, this small town girl studied at USC and the British American Drama Academy. Since then she has been performing on stages across Southern California, working in television at Warner Bros. Studios, and pursuing her lifelong goal of developing a superpower. Favorite roles include Agnetha in Frozen (her Chance Theatre debut), Shelby in Steel Magnolias, Kate Nickleby in Nicholas Nickleby (A World Premiere Adaptation), Meg Stuart in Dylan, Molly Byrne in Well of the Saints, Madge in Picnic, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and multiple leads in Our Country's Good in London. Jennifer has also lent her face to "Smallville" and her voice to the "Bratz Babyz." Film credits include "Murderess", "A Bum Love", "A Checkered Incarnation" and "Outside In". She currently studies with Christinna Chauncey and at the Blank Theatre with Daniel Henning. She is grateful for the opportunity to grow and play as a part of this wonderful theatre family, and for the blessing of the family she was born into, without whom nothing would be possible.

[top]

Marc is very happy to be a Chance Theater Company Member. In 1984, he was introduced to theater when he selected drama as an elective for his junior year in high school and liked it immediately. He was in numerous productions there including Arsenic and Old Lace, The Elephant Man, and Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite, for which he won the award for Best Supporting Actor at a high school drama competition at Saddleback College.

In 1994, Marc did a production of Little Shop of Horrors at Rancho Santiago College (now known as Santa Ana College), where he met future Chance Theater founders Oanh Nguyen and Jeff Hellebrand. Marc first performed at the Chance in A History of the American Film as Mickey (plus 4 other smaller characters) and soon became a Company Member. For the next two years, Marc performed in 10 productions at the Chance.

In 2004, Marc had to drop out of the company due to the discovery of a tumor about the size of a ping-pong ball on his optic nerve. His surgery was successful, but he moved up to the Seattle area to stay with family to recuperate. While he was up there, he attended the Seattle Film Institute where he received a Filmmaking Certificate. Marc moved back to California in September 2007 and became a Company Member again in June 2008, this time with the focus on being a technician.

[top]

Bob is honored to call himself a member of The Chance Theater Repertory Company. As someone relatively new to the art of theater, he is pleased to have discovered The Chance and its amazing people and productions. A native of Chicago, Bob spent most of his life growing up in the heat and humidity of Texas. He was educated at The University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em), where he graduated cum laude with a major in Advertising and a minor in American History and Business.

It was at UT that Bob discovered his inclination for performance, and actually began his career as a writer and musician. His play, The Trouble with Being Evil , was a major success and has been produced in several venues throughout the state of Texas. This play also gave him one of his first acting roles, where he played Queen Ethelia, a 100 year-old woman. From then on, it was all over. Bob was an actor.

In addition to his time at UT, Bob has been educated at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the British American Drama Academy, and the Howard Fine Acting Studio. He has been taught by several fantastic instructors and actors, including Ben Kingsley, Alan Rickman, Geoffrey Hutchings, Henry Goodman, Howard Fine, and John Crowley. Some of his favorite roles include Archbishop Monselet in Red Noses, Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, Billy in Blake.da Musical (soon to be an off-Broadway production), Jamie in The Last Five Years, and the Baker in Into the Woods (the last two with The Chance Theater). He is also an accomplished saxophonist. He thanks his family, friends, and the Big Guy in the Sky for helping him get this far.

[top]

A native of Omaha, Bill began playing the piano during the last days of the Carter administration (at the unlikely age of 2), finally graduating with his Masters in Music from the University of Nebraska -- Lincoln. He began working in theater first as a music director, directing such shows as Sweeny Todd, And the World Goes Round, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Not content to spend all of his time behind the piano, however, he often ventures to the other side of the stage as well. His favorite roles tend to be British playboys (Jack Worthing - Ernest in Love), greasy pimps (Marcus Lycus -- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), and smarmy Southerners (Rev. David -- The Foreigner).

Bill's involvement with the Chance began as the pianist for the musical Cabaret. He returned the next season to music direct Into the Woods, and his most recent appearance was as music director, composer, and pianist Lance Vargas in Anaheim Home Companion. He looks forward to many more.

[top]

Masako received her BA in Theater and Communications from Concordia University, Irvine in 2005.  While a student at Concordia she worked on over 23 productions including Cabaret, Medea, Seussical, Ruthless, Patient A, and The Last Night of Ballyhoo.  After graduation in 2005 Masako was hired as the Assistant Technical Director and Administrative Assistant for the Theater Department.

Masako became involved with the Chance when she was the Stage Manager for the First Chance Fest in 2003.  After taking a year away from the Chance she returned in 2004 to design lighting for The Second Annual First Chance Fest and A Grand Night for Singing and she hasn't left since.  Masako was thrilled when she was approached to join the staff as the Technical Director in late 2005.  In her time with the Chance Masako has designed lighting for A Christmas Story, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Closer Than Ever, The Rover, and It's a Wonderful Life.  She has also Stage Managed Cabaret, The Eight, and The Last Five Years.  She is grateful for the encouragement and support she finds everyday with The Chance.

[top]

Kelly Todd, a long-time performer, graduated from UCLA’s school of Theatre, Film, and Television and went on to complete her Master’s of Education in Teaching at UCLA. She was the resident choreographer for the Children’s Civic Light Opera for 14 years, and choreographed over 20 productions including Crazy For You, Damn Yankees, Grease, and 42nd Street. She taught dance, and drama at Washington Preparatory High School in South Central Los Angeles for three years where she choreographed nearly 200 pieces including Guys and Dolls, and Dreamgirls and was the technical director of numerous productions. She has also been teaching dance privately throughout Los Angeles studios since 1994. Chance Theater credits include Closer Than Ever (choreographer), Cabaret (choreographer), The World Goes 'Round (director/choreographer), Rodgers & Hammerstein's A Grand Night For Singing (director/choreographer), Into The Woods (choreographer), I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (director/choreographer), and Anne of Green Gables - The Musical (co-director/choreographer). Kelly was the lighting designer for A Shrine to Junior at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood for which she received a 2002 NAACP theatre award nomination. She co-founded the Young Adult Civic Light Opera and directed/choreographed Chicago and A Chorus Line. In New York City, she has performed in and choreographed Off-Broadway productions and had the opportunity to train at the Broadway Dance Center for two years.

[top]

Unable to convince her dad to finance a theater degree at USC, Karen earned a Bachelor of Science there in Dental Hygiene, and spent the following years working and raising children. She discovered the Chance in 2001, became a Company Member in 2003, and still balances that commitment with a full-time dental hygiene career.

Chance Theater acting credits include Little Women (Marmee), Trail of Tears (Tamara), Spring’s Awakening (Mrs. Gabor), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta), Love’s Hollow (Kate), The Cherry Orchard (Liubov Ranyevskaya), Diary of Anne Frank (Mrs. Van Daan - Back Stage West Critic's Pick; OC Register’s Best Ensembles of 2005), A Christmas Story (Mrs. Parker), Hot N Throbbing (Charlene Dwyer - Garland Award Honorable mention: Best Ensemble), Coyote On A Fence (Shawna - Back Stage West Critic's Pick; Chancie Award Best Supporting Actress), Frozen (Nancy Shirley), Variations On A Theme: The Best (multiple roles); Rabbit Hole (Nat); Jesus Hates Me (Annie) . She also stage managed Never In My Lifetime (Back Stage West Critic's Pick), and assistant stage managed Assassins.

She had a feature role in the independent film “The Telemarketers-36 hours”, and has previous stage credits to include A Streetcar Named Desire, The Graduate, and others.

She spent years training with Bill Hickey and Lonny Stevens, but credits Oanh Nguyen for teaching her everything stage-worthy.

[top]