Meet the ArtStream Theatre Company and Cabaret Actors

Becky Birch is a 43-year-old actor from Rockville, MD. She started acting when she was 12 years old at Bethesda Academy for the Performing Arts, now Imagination Stage. She does custodial work daily at NIST, a U.S. Government agency in suburban Maryland. She is employed by Didlake Contractors. Her fiancé, Max Rubenstein, is teaching her how to become a deejay. They enjoy travel, sports events, musical theater and being with their friends.

Adam is a 35-year-old actor from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He has performed with ArtStream since 2007. Adam has also performed with the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts (now Imagination Stage) and in the Summer Theater Arts for Youth Program at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington. In his spare time, Adam participates in Special Olympics swimming, basketball and tennis. Adam also en- joys watching the Washington Capitals and the Washington Nationals. “Thanks for coming today. Be sure to applaud loudly, or I’ll make you walk the plank! AARGH!”

Adrian is currently leading a hangout for middle school kids. His ambitions are to be an advocate for people with disabilities, create his own business, and be an actor. He graduated from the George Mason LIFE Program with concentrations in theater and communications. At George Mason, Adrian appeared in plays, worked back- stage, and joined several student theater groups. Adrian has extensive work experience, ranging from interning at the Smithsonian Institution with Project Search to a Congressional internship on Capitol Hill. Adrian is a trained peer mentor with Project STIR. Adrian works for TerpsExceed as a peer advocate specialist. With ArtStream, Adrian was a client liaison on the board, participates in the Gaithersburg Theater Company A, and leads communication and community workshops.

Alexander (Al) Richardson has performed with ArtStream for seventeen years. Born in Washington, DC in 1981, Al lived in Switzerland, Zambia, and Australia before settling in Rockville, MD where he now makes his home. Al works with St. Coletta and Jubilee. He maintains an active life that includes music with the InterPLAY Orchestra, sports with Special Olympics and the Montgomery County Road Runners (MCRRC), art and crafts with UCR, as well as acting with ArtStream. He enjoys travel, movies, and fishing.

Andrea is an ArtStream actor. This is her eighth show! Andrea works at Giant. She has been there for 18 years and loves her job. Andrea is a dedicated actor. She reads her script every day because she loves being in the play. Andrea also enjoys dancing and Zumba. “ArtStream helps make me feel proud of myself! It’s fun to act on stage and screen!”

Benjamin is a 56-year-old actor from Rockville, Maryland. This is his seventeenth show with ArtStream! Before ArtStream, Benjamin acted at Rock Terrace High School and Imagination Stage, he met ArtStream co-founder Nicolette Stearns. Benjamin works as an operations spe- cialist at Special Olympics International in Washington, D.C. He is also a Special Olympics athlete in bocce and powerlifting, and he loves to participate in the annual Super Polar Bear Plunge with the organization. Benjamin has a great memory and loves trivia. “I love being with everyone in the company. Congrats to the cast!”

Cecelia Ann is a 43-year-old actor. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Cecelia now lives in Silver Spring, MD. She has been an ArtStream actor since the beginning – this is her seventeenth show with the Gaithersburg ArtStream Theatre Company! Cecelia has been a performer since fourth grade, performing at Cabin John Middle School, Churchill High School, Imagination Stage (formerly Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts), and Potomac Community Theatre. Professionally, Cecelia works with the Arc in vocational services. She enjoys singing, music, dance, theatre, and cooking. “Thanks to my parents and family for all their support.”

Conor O’Shaughnessy is a 35-year-old actor from Rockville, MD. This is his thirteenth show with ArtStream! Conor performed in plays while attending the Harbour School in Baltimore. He also performed with Dawn Productions at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Eubie Blake Center, and Martin’s West. Conor works delivering mail at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. His hobbies include ballroom dancing, karaoke, guitar, hiking, fishing, and bowling. “I appreciate my family and friends for their support.”

Cynthia is a 55-year-old actor from Rockville, MD. She originally hails from St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Rock Terrace High School. Cynthia has acted with ArtStream since the first year of Theatre Companies. This is her seventeenth show! She is a proud part of the Best Buddies program. Cynthia loves attending social dances and going out with friends. She is grateful that her sister comes every year to watch the shows. “Thank you to my sister and her husband and my nieces.”

Jackie is a 17-year-old excited to be working with ArtStream for the first time! She has never really considered herself an actor, but she enjoys supporting other people in pursuing their passions, especially creatively. Jackie does a lot of digital art and cheer. She enjoys psychology, and she loves socializing! “I would like to thank ArtStream for giving me the opportunity to volunteer for them!”

James is an actor who resides in Clarksburg, MD. He joined the ArtStream family while he was still a senior in high school. Since joining, his love for acting has given him the confidence to explore and perform in other plays. James is currently attending Montgomery College. When he isn’t acting, taking classes, or working, James enjoys movies, video games, music, swimming, exercising, traveling, volunteering, social dances, gardening, drawing, the park, church, the beach, and cooking with his family. “I am so thankful for the support of my Gaithersburg Company A cast members, ArtStream staff, volunteers and my family.”

Jessica is an ArtStream actor living in North Bethesda, Maryland. In addition to ArtStream, Jessica appeared onstage at Rock Terrace High School in The Secret Garden (Mary), The Wizard of Oz (Ms. Gulch, the Wicked Witch), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Past), and Annie (Miss Hannigan). This is Jessica’s ninth ArtStream show! Her experience with ArtStream has been very good. She learns a lot about herself while having fun. “I want to thank Mom, Amy, Andrew, and Liz for their support and encouragement throughout my ArtStream experience.”

Joe is a 37-year-old actor from Kensington, MD, currently living in Rockville, MD. Joe has been an actor with ArtStream since the beginning, making this his seventeenth ArtStream show! Before that, Joe was an actor with Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts (now Imagination Stage). Joe is the front desk receptionist for Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children (CSAAC). Joe really enjoys his art class at VisArts and he is a member of the SPIRIT Club.

Joey is a 27-year-old who attended Rock Terrace School and lives in Olney, MD. He enjoys attending classes at Montgomery College and began his experience with ArtStream in 2020. He enjoys singing and dancing and has been loving musical theater since he was a child. His interests include cartoon drawing, acting (including impressions), and he has a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo. Joey plays percussion and sings in the Neurodiversity rock band with Upcounty Community Resources. He is very excited about his performance with ArtStream!

Justin Hunsinger is a 31-year-old actor from Rockville, MD. This is his fifth performance with ArtStream, and he loves the experience and is very passionate about acting. Justin works at Special Olympics International in Washington, D.C. as the Coordinator for Health Engagement. His hobbies include sports, karaoke, dancing, and hanging out with friends. “Thank you to my parents and sisters for supporting my dreams.”

Kathleen is an actor from Rockville, MD. This is her seventeenth show with ArtStream. Kathleen attended Elizabeth Seton High School, where she performed with the choir. She graduated from Richard Montgomery High School and received childcare certification from Montgomery College. Kathleen served on the Board of Directors and the Public Policy Committee of the ARC of Montgomery County. Kathleen is the youngest of five children. She aspires to be a professional singer or actor in Hollywood, including movies, film, and TV. Her ultimate goal is to perform with her favorite Soap Opera stars in General Hospital. “I’ll always be a star wherever my journey takes me. And I’ll remember to thank you all when I receive my award on the red carpet. Shout out to my mom and dad and my Maloney family, that gave me everything in life!”

Kirsten Davidson is an ArtStream actor from Rockville, MD who has been acting with ArtStream for 17 years. She retired from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission after 29 years. She receives residential support services from the Jubilee Association of Maryland. She is active in Jubilee and SPIRIT Club activities. Kirsten served on the ArtStream Board of Directors as Client Liaison from 2018- 2019. She enjoys Zoom Sibling Happy Hour meetings with ArtStream and other Zoom activities with Jubilee. She likes listening to music, dancing, traveling, eating out, and spending time with family and friends. “Thanks to my parents, sisters, and ArtStream directors and mentors for all their support. I LOVE ArtStream!”

Kristen is a 21-year-old student and a first-time performer with ArtStream. Kristen performed in 15 theatrical productions with West Virginia’s Contemporary Youth Arts Company and spent plenty of time working behind the scenes for various theatre companies. Off the stage, Kristen is a psychology major at Shepherd University who enjoys baking, traveling, and watching movies in her free time.

Lisa has a background in dance and theater, having been in dance companies and community theater in the D.C. area. Lisa is a full-time high school English teacher. She free- lances theater and dance reviews for various publications, including The Washington Diplomat.

Matt DiGilio is a 31-year-old actor from Rockville, Maryland. He joined ArtStream in the fall of 2019 and is on his third performance on the ArtStream stage/ screen! Matt works for Montgomery County Government in Rockville as an Administrative Aid. Matt serves as the Client Liaison to the ArtStream Board of Directors. He plays basketball, softball, soccer, and bowling. He also likes going to baseball games, listening to music, biking, and hanging out with friends. He is very grateful to be a part of ArtStream and appreciates all the support from his family and friends.

Matthew is a 44-year-old actor from Bethesda, MD. He started with ArtStream as Old Green Eyes in Saving the Starlight, performed at the Arts Barn in the 2006-2007 season. In 2009 he was James Beard-Childs in It’s a Wonderful Pie which was performed at BlackRock Center for the Arts, so he’s returning to a familiar stage. He has also performed in ArtStream plays at Rosborough Center Theatre, the Olney Theater, and Bender JCC of Greater Washington. Matthew starts each day with a 6 a.m. swim practice (butterfly is his favorite stroke) and then goes on Zoom for classes at Opportunities, Inc. Matthew loves all his hobbies, which include singing, whistling, acting, swim- ming, listening to music, and learning foreign languages (he speaks French, Spanish, and German fluently, and can order a meal in Chinese). He is happy that ArtStream is rehearsing and performing in person now. “Thanks for all the support I’ve gotten from the ArtStream directors, mentors, and fellow actors through the years.”

Megan is a 39-year-old actor from Rockville, Maryland. She has been acting with ArtStream since the first Inclusive Theatre Companies – this is her sixteenth show! Megan’s love for dancing and acting blossomed through performances at Imagination Stage many years ago. In addition to performing, Megan is also an author. She co-authored the children’s book The Colorful Adventures of Pauline and Tiff with ArtStream co-founder Nicolette Stearns. Megan lives independently and works at Interfaith Works. She is very active in community activities, including Special Olympics. She competes in cross-country skiing, sailing, swimming, and basketball, earning medals at the Special Olympics World Games in China (sailing), Austria (cross-country skiing), and Idaho (cross-country skiing). “I am thrilled that we are in our second post-COVID ArtStream season of in-person rehearsals and performances with all of my ArtStream friends.”

Mike is a 39-year-old actor from Olney, Maryland. This is his eighth show with ArtStream. Mike attended Sherwood High School where he sang in the chorus for three years and performed in Rock-n-Roll Revival for two. Mike attends Community Support Services, where he receives job sup- port and training. Mike enjoys computers and would like a computer job one day. He loves watching football and playing video games. Every year he plays on a basketball team. Mike also enjoys bowling and is a First-degree brown belt in karate. “I have enjoyed acting with ArtStream, from the first day I started.”

Nader is a 29-year-old actor from Bethesda, MD. This is his sixth year acting in an ArtStream performance, and
he has participated in several ArtStream classes. Nader works part-time at both the Marriott hotels and the Congressional Country Club. He loves his neighborhood and volunteers at the Carderock Springs Swim and Tennis Club. Nader enjoys going to the gym and competes in swimming, soccer, basketball, pickleball, and tennis with Special Olympics. He loves being in the company of people and enjoys talking about landscaping, reptiles, beekeeping, and politics. He spends a lot of time with his cat, Marble, browsing Facebook, caring for his yard, operating his outdoor equipment, and taking the Metro to DC. “I enjoy acting and am so happy that I made new friends at ArtStream. It’s a wonderful place, thank you!”

This is Nicki’s second production with ArtStream! She teaches ArtStream classes and loves working with the Theatre as well. Nicki grew up dancing and always loved to create. She comes from a Puerto Rican background that fuels her passion of dancing to many genres of music. Previously, she choreographed dance for various dance companies, dance events, and public and private schools throughout Montgomery County. Gaithersburg Company B will be her first of many productions with Gaithersburg and she is so excited to be able to create with such talented actors around her! “This has been an amazing experience. I am really proud of our ArtStreamers!”

Nmandi Thompson is a 25-year-old actor who started acting with ArtStream in 2019. Nmandi began her acting career in 2015, performing at Imagination Stage for many years during middle and high school. Favorites include Wicked, O Wonder! and A Tempest Tale. Nmandi also enjoys cheerleading, dancing, reading, singing, and writing. “I would like to thank my parents and my sister for being there for me and supporting me in my acting journey! I also thank the ArtStream staff, they are amazing!”

Peter is from Rockville, Maryland. He joined the Gaithersburg A Theatre Company in 2018. In addition to Peter’s ArtStream experiences, he served as a Party Guest for four seasons in Chamberlain Performing Arts’ Nutcracker in Richardson, Texas, plus has been thrilled to present skits in various talent shows. During the day, Peter is proud to be working part-time at TopGolf in Germantown, and participates in the Supported Employment program at the Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities in Rockville. In his spare time, he enjoys neighborhood walks, puzzles, SPIRIT Club classes, Special Olympics bowling, and movie watch parties with his sister. Peter is excited for his fourth season with ArtStream’s Inclusive Theatre Companies, and is very grateful for the support of his fellow cast members, ArtStream staff and volunteers, plus his family and friends!

Pierre (he/him), age 27, is an aspiring poet, performer and artist who is thrilled in contributing to Artstream’s production of Are You For Reels. Pierre has been training in acting both in the U.S through programs like Imagination Stage and outside of the U.S at a young age. Pierre has a bachelor’s degree majoring in Performing Arts from the Richmond International American School of London and a MFA degree in Advance Devising and Performance from Rose Bruford College in London. Pierre started being a volunteer for ArtStream for a workshop called ‘Stories Through Movement’ in the summer of 2022 and is continuing volunteering as a mentor for this season’s show in 2023. Acting has been a quintessential part of Pierre’s experience being part of the arts and hopes to contribute and assist future performers, especially in physical theater. Previous shows include: POMAD Pielian (2021), When We Dead Awaken (2019), and ‘Club Cockatoo’ (2018). Pierre enjoys traveling, writing, scuba diving, and playing music sometimes. Pierre would like to thank his family for all the support and love they provide during this strange journey known as life and allowing him to pursue his artistic interests.

R. Andrew (aka Andy) has been writing songs and performing since 1982. This is his first ArtStream show, and he has found the role of Music Director to be a very rewarding opportunity. Andy got his first guitar from a Portland, Oregon pawnshop for his 18th birthday in 1981 and began teaching himself to play. This began a lifelong journey of developing as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Over the past 4 decades Andy performed as a solo artist and with bands on the west and east coasts. He has been a registered BMI artist since 2010. Andy would have liked to explore a full-time music career, but after earning his Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1986, he chose the steady work of becoming a professional social worker. He went on to earn his Master of Social Work Degree in 1991 and joined the U.S. Public Health Service. He continued to write music and play in bands “on the side” while serving in a variety of assignments as a Commissioned Officer. In 2021, Andy retired after 30 years of service, which opened the door to spending more time on music. You can explore his music on his YouTube channel www.youtube. com/@R.AndrewHuntMusic Andy currently does part- time independent social work consulting, and also works part-time as an Usher for the Baltimore Orioles. He lives in Mount Airy, MD with his wife Teresa.

Shannon is a 43-year-old actor from Rockville, MD. She was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and moved with her family to Olney, MD, in 1987. She has been an actor with ArtStream for sixteen years. Shannon’s love of drama began at Imagination Stage (formerly Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts) where she performed for 10 years. Shannon works as a childcare assistant at The Children in the Shoe Child Care in Bethesda, MD. She has been employed there for over 16 years. Some of Shannon’s favorite activities include karaoke, dancing, Zumba, going to the movies, and swimming. She also enjoys arts and crafts projects, photography, and scrapbooking. She loves to travel and spend time with her nieces and nephews. “Thanks to my parents for supporting me through the years with my love of acting.”

Syra Gosh is excited to be performing in her first show with ArtStream! Syra got interested in acting in 6th grade. Her interest in music began at age 7. Previous performances include Seussical The Musical at Kingsview Middle School. Her hobbies include editing, music (Piano and Singing), drawing, acting, and volunteering. Syra would like to thank her parents and friends as well as all the other volunteers and amazing actors.

Tanya is an ArtStream veteran. Tanya loves volunteering in retail. She works at two different thrift stores and loves being able to organize the incoming donations and interact with customers. Tanya is also a Special Olympics athlete. She attended the State Competition for bowling a number of times, most recently earning a Bronze medal for her performance. In her free time, Tanya enjoys working on puzzles, going for walks, and attending activities in the community. Tanya is also a talented chef – she always shares her delicacies with her friends and staff. Additionally, Tanya enjoys creating pottery; her dishes, pots, and plates can be found in her friends’ and families’ homes. Tanya hopes everyone enjoys the show!

Terrel is an actor from Bethesda, MD. He has been acting with ArtStream since the very beginning – this is his seventeenth show! Terrel began acting when he was 15 years old with Imagination Stage (formerly Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts) and believes acting is a great goal to pursue! Terrel has worked at Special Olympics International in Washington DC for 18 years. He is currently a special assistant in the business department. In July 2015, at the Special Olympics World Games in Long Beach, California, Terrel became a “World Champion,” winning a bronze medal for being the first sailor from the USA to sail a boat solo at the World Games. He is also on the Special Olympics ski and track and field teams. “Special thanks to my family, friends, counselors, sports coaches, and ArtStream staff for always encouraging me to aim high!”

Tyler is a 31-year-old actor from Germantown, MD. He auditioned with ArtStream after graduating high school and has had the “theatre bug” ever since. Tyler has worked at Wegmans since 2016 and enjoys his job as a grocery assistant/stock person very much. His hobbies include Lego building, traveling, golf, and swimming. “I’d like to thank ArtStream, my friends and family for always being supportive.”