Phill Jenkins is an actor, painter, and musician studying fine art at MICA. He is happy to return for his third production with Rivals of the West.

This is Isabel Seckman Gadd's first production with Rivals of the West. She is a sophomore photography major and film/video concentrator. Isabel has participated in theater productions since the age of 9, with parts in amateur productions including "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Angels In America." She dreams of becoming an accomplished photographer, film writer/director, and cinematographer.

Nicholas Daly is an actor, artist, and musician. He is currently a junior painting major at MICA. This is Nicholas's first theater performance and he is very excited to be wearing such a nice wig.

Sarah Middleton is a sophomore general fine arts major. This is her first production with the Rivals of West. She is very excited to be acting the role of Mrs. Loveit and to be working with such a talented group of actors, costumers, and designers.

Teresa is a senior general fine arts and humanistic studies major. She has acted in numerous productions since she was in 5th grade, but this is her first major role. Teresa is honored and elated to have the opportunity of playing Belinda!

Maria is a sophomore GFA/MAT major from Bethesda, Maryland. For years, she only worked on tech for shows such as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Romeo & Juliet." She started acting for the first time this year in the ensemble of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

McKinley Wallace III is a senior painting major. This will be his first-ever theater performance! He is overwhelmed with excitement to have the opportunity to work with such a diverse cast.

Anna Christiano is a sophomore illustration major. She has been involved in the theater since the age of 10, and performed in 13 amateur productions before coming to MICA. This is her third production at MICA, and her first time performing with Rivals of the West.

Anastasia Silva is a sophomore illustration major at MICA. This is her first production with Rivals of the West.

Peter Favinger is a senior drawing major with a concentration in theatre. This will be his third MICA Rivals of the West production. You may have seen him at last year's performance as Orin Scrivillo in "Little Shop of Horrors!"

Noah Packard is a sophomore studying interdisciplinary sculpture at MICA.

Taz Achey is a foundation student who has been hooked on acting since playing Charlie Brown in 3rd grade. Since then, she has performed in every play and musical she can find with gusto, and doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

Will Blankin is a junior interactive arts major and an avid participant in drama. "The Man of Mode" is Will's fourth time acting in a theater production at MICA; previous plays include "Dancing At Lughnasa," "All New People," and "Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike." For his senior year, Will plans to take further part in MICA's productions in order to fulfill the requirements of the new theater concentration.

Lucas, a general fine art major with a theatre minor, has been participating in theatre for a little more than six years. Though most of his experience has been in tech, he has also acted in productions and done numerous improv shows. He is happy to be performing with Rivals of the West this year.

Tania Garcia is a senior photography major with a penchant for graphic design. She is thrilled to be a part of this performance. This is her not just her first theatre production at MICA, but it is also her first ever.

Anna has been a producer for a local musical group for over four years. She is very excited to be on stage for the first time.

Christopher Shipley (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is a professor of humanistic studies at MICA, where he has taught drama courses for nearly 30 years. In 2008, he created “The Play’s the Thing,” the cross-disciplinary course responsible for this year’s offering of "The Man of Mode; or, Sir Fopling Flutter."

Melanie Lester ('02) joins Rivals of the West as Costume Director for this spring's production of "Man of Mode."  She is a costume designer/fabricator and teaches "Garment Design and Production" and "Costume" at Maryland Institute College of Art. 

Kuo Pao Lian received his Master of Architecture at Texas Tech University and has taught for MICA in the disciplines of design, build, and visual communication. Aside from his own design build practice, he also works as a set designer for a number of local film and episodic productions.

Kris Messer holds an MFA in playwriting from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Performance Studies from the University of Maryland. She has acted, directed, and done dramaturgical work in many settings. She teaches at MICA and other area schools, and adores working with Rivals of the West. She could not be happier to be a part of this production team.

Rachel Jacoby is a senior animation major with a concentration in theater. This is her seventh performance at MICA, and third year as stage manager with Rivals. She also serves as the president of the MICA Thespian Club, where she directs the yearly fall play.

Rae Koch is a sophomore fiber major with a theater concentration. This is her second year with Rivals and third show at MICA. In addition to being a lover of theater, she works as a barista and runs a small business making handmade teddy bears out of recycled blankets.

Tori Munoz is a senior art history major. Within her seven productions at MICA, she has served as a stage technician, technical director, lighting designer, and stage manager and is currently vice president of the Thespian Club. Tori works as an electrician and board operator at Baltimore Theatre Project and Everyman Theatre.

Q-mars Haeri is a Critical Studies graduate student at MICA. He moved to Baltimore from Tehran in 2014, where he was the artistic director of Vaahe Art Group. This is his first collaboration with the Rivals.

Sean O'Brien is a sophomore general fine arts major with a concentration in interdisciplinary theatre at MICA. Sean is a passionate and driven student leader, and hopes to pursue theatre management after graduating.

Mubtasin is a sophomore graphic design major from Long Island. His job is to assist in creating the physical appearance of the characters. He’s been a working makeup artist for three years and has designed the makeup for many shows, including "Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Wizard of Oz."

Nathan Best has previously been the lighting designer for Cockpit In Court's "Me and My Girl" and "Gypsy," assistant technical director for CCBC’s "Upon His Back He Carries Them," stage manager of CCBC’s "The Servant Of Two Masters" and "Beyond Therapy," and technical director/set designer for "The Perfume Counter," "Buried Child," and "I Hate Hamlet." Nathan currently works as Performance Space Technician at Maryland Institute College of Art.