Karen Hagerman & Christopher Gorham in CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, 1986.

Christopher Gorham, a charismatic and versatile mainstay of the stage, screen and television, can currently be seen starring in the new USA series “Covert Affairs.”  Known as “Chris” during his time with GCP because “Christopher” wouldn’t fit on his shirt, he was a GCPlayer from 1986 to 1987, appearing in the Junior Company and in Cheaper By The Dozen at Good Company Players’ 2^nd Space Theatre.

He attended Roosevelt School of the Arts and went on to graduate from UCLA, then landed a job as an intern on Baywatch. Chris’s television appearances range from guest appearances to leading roles in such shows as Odyssey 5, Jake 2.0, Party of Five, Felicity, Popular, Medical Investigation, Out of Practice, Relative Chaos, Without A Trace, Harper’s Island, Ugly Betty and, of course, the USA cable hit, Covert Affairs.

Gorham’s most notable film appearances include 2001′s The Other Side of Heaven co-starring Anne Hathaway, A Life Less Ordinary, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend and a number of others. He most recently finished The Ledge with Liv Taylor, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard.

Gorham also completed a guest star performance role in the Off-Broadway production of  “Spalding Gray:  Stories Left to Tell” at the Minetta Lane Theatre.

Gorham is a Fresno native who, while attending UCLA met his wife, actress Anel Lopez Gorham with whom he now has two sons and a daughter.

Juliette Hicks and Clint Higham in the 2nd Space production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS.

Clint Higham was a Good Company performer from 1987 to 1991, appearing in such shows as Paint Your Wagon, Zorba, Oklahoma, West Side Story, Meet Me In St. Louis, Guys & Dolls, My One And Only and The Most Happy Fella.  Clint was also a gifted Junior Company director and vocal coach during his tenure with us.

Clint left Fresno to attend Belmont University and from there quickly progressed to a career with Morris Artists Management in Nashville, with whom he has worked for 18 years. Currently the president of Morris Artists, Clint oversees the careers of Louise Mandrell, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Jake Owen, Blaine Larsen and Sam Hunt.

Clint has been a very generous supporter of Good Company Players for years, sponsoring a number of shows. In the fall of 2011, the quality of our productions took a huge leap forward thanks to Clint’s incredible gift of a complete overhaul of lighting and sound equipment for our performance spaces Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater and the 2^nd Space Theatre.

It is also due to Clint that Louise Mandrell will be appearing in GCP’s production of Calamity Jane in the summer of 2012. Thank you, Clint, for your extraordinary friendship and support.

Chris Colfer in "A Christmas Story" at GCP's 2nd Space Theatre, 2002

Chris Colfer was a regular with our Junior Company from 2001-2003. Throughout that period, he also worked on a number of shows in GCP’s 2^nd Space Theatre such as A Christmas Carol, My Heart’s In The Highlands, Jane Eyre, A Christmas Story, Dad’s Christmas Miracle, and then as one of the Von Trapps in Good Company Players’ production of The Sound of Music at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater.

Chris was very active in the forensics and drama departments Clovis East High School. He auditioned for a new television series in his senior year of high school and was cast – For his role as Kurt in the hit series, Chris won a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Teen Choice Award and a Golden Globe Award. He has been nominated twice for an Emmy Award.

Chris has also starred in the short film, Russel Fish: The Sausage and Eggs Incident, and just finished shooting the film, Struck By Ligthning (for which he wrote the script).

Eric Bishop in CAMELOT, 1990

Eric’s stint with Good Company Players was short but memorable, playing the diabolical Mordred in our 1990 production of Camelot.

Eric has been at MiraCosta College as Deptartment Chair for over 10 years and has been teaching theatre on the college level since 1992. He has taught at all levels (community college, university and conservatory) and at several colleges including Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Utah State University, Cal State Fullerton, Allan Hancock College, Fresno City College, Scottsdale Community College, Cypress College and Fullerton College.

Eric is the proud recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Golden Medallion of Excellence and a Patté Award for Outstanding Directing.

Eric is also the Artistic Director of the Carlsbad Playreaders and is the Founder of the summer conservatory program, The Actor’s Academy. In addition, he serves as a Governing Board member for the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in which he is the Circuit Coordinator for the San Diego Circuit 6.

Directing credits include work at Allenberry Playhouse, Moonlight Stage Productions, Scripps Ranch Theatre, LaJolla Stage Company, Carlsbad Playreaders, Southwest Shakespeare Conservatory and several colleges. His productions of “Fuente Ovejuna” and “Heartland” were KC/ACTF regional finalists.

As a professional actor, Eric recently performed at PCPA Theaterfest in the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “The Tempest” at North Coast Repertory Theatre. Eric has also acted at The Old Lyric Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare Company, Arizona Jewish Theatre, Summer Repertory Theatre, the Hollywood Bowl and The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. While at PCPA Theaterfest, he received a Dramalogue/Backstage West Award. Eric remembers his time at Good Company Players fondly and is honored to be an alum of his home town theatre.

Audra McDonald & Steve Pepper: The Wiz, 1987.

Audra McDonald joined the Junior Company at age 9 in 1980. She began as an alternate (were we stupid, or what?) but continued as a regular Junior Company member until 1983. She also made impressive mainstage appearances in The King And I, Gypsy, Hello! Dolly!, Good News, Grease, A Chorus Line, Lorelei (yeah, we did that show), Kismet, The Wiz, and Evita.

Upon graduating from Roosevelt School of the Arts in Fresno, Audra left to study classical voice at The Juilliard School. She was quickly cast in the National Tour of The Secret Garden and soon after appeared on Broadway in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime, winning Tony’s for all three and a fourth in 2004 for A Raisin in the Sun.

Audra has sung with all of the major American orchestras and overseas with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Her list of recordings include Way Back To Paradise, How Glory Goes, Happy Songs, the original cast recordings of Ahrens & Flaherty’s Ragtime and Michael John LaChiusa’s Marie Christine, revival cast recordings of Carousel and 110 in the Shade, Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Allegro and the original film soundtrack of Tim Robbins’s Cradle Will Rock.

Numbered among her television credits are: “Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First 100 Years,”  “Annie,” “Mister Sterling,” “Kidnapped” and “Private Practice.”  She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in “Wit,” the HBO film of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Emma Thompson.

Devon Myers, Actor

Devon Myers was a member of Good Company Players’ Junior Company and as a child acted for GCP in Miracle On 34th Street, Shadowlands, The Sound of Music, Carousel and many others. As a very young man, Devon immersed himself in GCP shows, appearing in Camelot, Gypsy, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, High Society, Sugar Babies, The Scarlet Pimpernel, South Pacific, Joseph, Chicago, Funny Girl, What’s Wrong With This Picture?, Detective Story and Paint Your Wagon.

After leaving GCP, Devon went to London where he studied for 3 years at East 15 Conservatory, receiving a BA in Theatre Arts.  Devon has appeared onstage in The Importance of Being Earnest, Louisville In London, Good People, All’s Well That Ends Well, Jungle Book and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Film appearances include Disenchantment, Fallen, Hart, Through Her Eyes, and he can be seen on television this September in an episode of Eagleheart.  He is very proud of his portrayal of the screaming man in a laser hair removal commercial, and can also be seen as Young Malcolm in the videogame Phantasmagoria.

Devon Myers in SHADOWLANDS, 1995

Andrea Chamberlain in GCP's "Annie" - 1983

Andrea started working with Good Company Players in 1983 as a Junior Company member and an orphan in Annie. She performed regularly with the Juniors through 1986. Her numerous GCP main-stage shows include Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Babes In Arms, 42^nd Street, West Side Story, Into the Woods, Guys & Dolls, and My One And Only. Andrea has worked steadily as an actor, singer and dancer since leaving us, appearing on Broadway in Guys & Dolls, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Me and Opening Doors, off-Broadway in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Reefer Madness and starring in National Tours of The Drowsy Chaperone and The Boyfriend. Her many regional credits feature leading roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie, My One And Only, Dames At Sea, Sunday In The Park With George, Beehive, The Secret Garden, Me And My Girl, Pump Boys And Dinettes and A Little Night Music among others. Her performances have won her the Drama-Logue Award, the Garland and Dean Goodman Awards and the Carbonelle Award.  Andrea is currently preparing for her most important production, a baby, due out this fall! Congratulations, Andrea!

Heidi Blickenstaff, Actor

Heidi was a member of the Junior Company from 1981-1985. She also worked extensively for GCP in the 2^nd Space and at Roger Rocka’s, appearing in Hello! Dolly!, 42^nd Street, Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes, Cohan & Co., Sh-Boom and notably playing the title role in Annie in 1983 and 1984. After high school, Heidi attended Duke University, then moved to New York and began to audition. Her Broadway credits include leading roles in [title of show], The Little Mermaid, and The Full Monty. Off Broadway she has played major roles in Mosaic, [title of show] and The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde. She has appeared in the national tours of The Full Monty (with GCP alum Bob Westenberg!), Steel Pier, Jekyll and Hyde, Dreamgirls and The Who’s Tommy and has many regional theatre credits including Meet John Doe for which she won the Helen Hayes Award. She also lists a number of film/television and voice over credits.

Currently, Heidi is in development with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park), on a new musical. She says, “We’ve been working on it for 2 years and we’re going into our 5th workshop in about 2 weeks and we’re scheduled to open on Broadway in March of 2011. (It’s really smart and wicked…)” she also has a couple of other projects in the works: “…the whole [title of show] gang is writing again and developing a new piece that is being shepherded by The Vineyard Theatre. We’ve been writing for a year and it’s all the same players, but it isn’t a continuation of the story, however we are mining ourselves for material.”

“I’ve been teaching a lot of master classes. I’ve been doing a lot of concert work. AND I’m finally getting my ducks lined up to make an album. I’m really excited and hopefully I’ll be in the studio early in 2011!!”

We’ll look forward to that, too, Heidi!

Heidi and Cougar as Annie and Sandy in 1983 (Heidi's the one in the dress)

Tami Cowger, Sharon Leal and Yvonna Kopacz in GCP's "Dreamgirls" 1990.

Sharon was one of Good Company Players’ original “Dreamgirls” in 1990 and started performing with GCP as a member of the Junior Company in 1986. She quickly moved on to the mainstage at Roger Rocka’s, appearing in The Wiz in 1987 and winding up her GCP days with a succession of leading roles in Sophisticated Ladies, West Side Story, Dreamgirls, Nunsense, Me And My Girl and Ain’t Misbehavin’.  After leaving GCP, Sharon proved her flexibility and range, performing in rap & R&B music videos, appearing as teenager Dahlia Creed on Guiding Light in the mid-90s, followed by the TV series Boston Public. Other television credits include Private Practice, CSI Miami and LAX. She has trod the boards on many regional stages and on Broadway in Miss Saigon and Rent. Sharon has worked extensively in film and her pictures include Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too?, This Christmas, Dreamgirls, and has a couple of projects currently in pre- and post-production.

Catch Sharon in her newest TV series, Hellcats which airs September 8 on CW!

Duane Boutté and John Thompson in THE KING & I, 1981.

Duane was a GCP Junior Company member from 1979 to 1982. He also appeared in GCP mainstage shows such as Fiddler On The Roof, The Music Man, The King & I, West Side Story, Applause, The Great American Musical Revue, and Grease. Duane now lives in New York where he works as an actor, director and theatre educator.  He appeared on Broadway in Carousel (as Audra McDonald’s son, “Enoch Snow, Jr.” while covering the role of “Billy Bigelow”) and Parade.  He has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway plays and musicals and at over 20 of the nations leading regional theatres including the west coast’s Berkeley Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  Duane has originated roles in plays by TONY Award winning playwrights Terrence McNally and John Logan and stars in the films Stonewall and Brother to Brother. In 2000, he composed music for Lyin’ Up a Breeze:  an original musical written by Terry Miller and performed at Good Company Players’ Second Space that year.  Duane currently teaches independent Shakespeare workshops in New York, is a teaching artist for The Acting Company and Vineyard Theatre and is a member of the faculty pool at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, CT.

Click here for Duane’s website: DuaneBoutte.com