Netty McKenzie

Netty McKenzie (she/her) is thrilled to bring the role of Pumpkin to life with this amazing cast and crew! A Portland native, Netty is a singer and actor whose recent stage credits include At The Root (Portland Revels), Matilda the Musical (Portland Playhouse), and PUSH… (CoHo Theatre). She is a graduate of Portland State University, where she earned her B.S. in Theater Arts. Beyond the stage, Netty embraces her most cherished role as mama to two energetic toddlers, ages 2 and 4. She is endlessly grateful to her family for their encouragement and to the incredible community of Black women whose wisdom, guidance, and love continue to shape her journey. Netty lovingly dedicates this performance to her grandmother, Annette Steele, a survivor of domestic violence, whose resilience and strength inspire her daily. She hopes you all lean in and enjoy the show!

Mikell Sapp*

Mikell Sapp (he/him) is from Phenix City, AL, and a proud graduate of Alabama State University. He is making his acting debut in Oregon and at Portland Playhouse. Selected theatre credits include: Pussy Valley (Mixed Blood), The Snowy Day (Children's Theatre Company), Charlie Black (Pillsbury), Skeleton Crew (Guthrie), Broke-Ology (Pillsbury), The Ballad of Emmett Till (Penumbra), The Agitators (Park Square), Hot Asian Doctor Husband (Theater Mu), and Paradise Blue (Penumbra). He is blessed and grateful for the opportunity to be here and share his talents with the audience at Portland Playhouse.

Lester Purry*

Lester Purry (he/him) is a highly acclaimed figure in the theatre world, celebrated for his commanding presence and versatile performances. With a career spanning four decades, he has appeared at renowned theatres including Penumbra Theatre, Geva Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, and South Coast Repertory. Known for his natural gravitas, Purry has taken on a wide range of roles, including Othello in the Guthrie Theatre’s national tour, Troy in Fences, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marvel Thunder in Thunder Knocking on the Door, Cutler in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Aslan in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He has also brought depth to August Wilson’s work, performing in eight of the ten plays in Wilson’s Century Cycle. His portrayals include Lymon in The Piano Lesson, Hambone in Two Trains Running, Cory in Fences, King Hedley in King Hedley II, Floyd in Seven Guitars, and Bynum in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Purry’s solo work includes Thurgood and How I Learned What I Learned at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He consistently leaves audiences fully immersed in his characters, compelling them to carry the theatre experience with them long after the curtain falls.

La'Tevin Alexander*

Greetings all, I bid thee welcome near, To revel in this time of mirth and play. Another tale unfolds with voices clear, A Playhouse gem to charm thy cares away. As Herald Loomis in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, I bore the scars of time and soul’s unrest. Then as Rashad in The Light, I sought anon, To right the wrongs that dwelt within my chest. In cinema, I soon shall grace the screen, Outdoor School—a tale both fresh and true. Anon I don the cloak of Scrooge the Mean, In A Christmas Carol, known and loved by you. Now under Lou's fine helm for show the fifth, We dance through ghosts and jazz in Paradise Blue—come drift.

Cycerli Ash*

Tyharra Cozier

Henry Noble*

Henry Noble (he/him) is a dynamic stage and screen actor, holding a B.A. in Theatre from the University of La Verne and professional training from the Denver Center Theatre Academy. He makes his debut with Portland Playhouse. His stage repertoire spans Gem of the Ocean, Detroit '67, Dutchman, Fraternity, The Threepenny Opera, and Inspecting Carol, with acclaimed performances at A Noise Within, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and the Ojai Shakespeare Festival. His classical work includes Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Richard II. On screen, Noble recurs on BET’s Sistas, appears in 9-1-1 with Angela Bassett, and costars in Fallout Season 2 opposite Walton Goggins. He’s also featured in Yellowstone, Better Call Saul, and the upcoming The Five Star Weekend with Jennifer Garner on Peacock. Also known as “DJ Noble,” he electrifies exclusive events with curated sound. A fierce arts advocate, Noble champions the transformative power of performance.

Marcus Lattimore

Marcus Lattimore (he/him) is a former Collegiate Football All-American and NFL running back for the San Francisco 49ers. After being inducted into the Southeastern Conference Legends class of 2023, Marcus transitioned from the gridiron to the stage, where he found a new voice as a Grand Slam Champion Poet, narrator, and voice actor. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Marcus is a celebrated spoken word artist and creative writing teacher. In 2024, he earned the title of Grand Slam Poetry Champion, going on to represent Oregon at the national level. Offstage, Marcus finds inspiration in the great outdoors and enjoys exploring the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Miranda.

Lou Bellamy+

Lou Bellamy (he/him) is the founder and Co-Artistic Director of Penumbra Theatre Company in Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his thirty-nine year tenure, Penumbra has evolved into one of America’s premier theaters dedicated to dramatic exploration of the African American experience. Under his leadership, Penumbra has grown to be the largest theater of its kind in America and has produced 39 world premieres, including August Wilson’s first professional production. Penumbra is proud to have produced more of Mr. Wilson’s plays than any other theater in the world. Mr. Bellamy is an OBIE Award-winning director, an accomplished actor, and for 38 years was appointed as Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. Directing credits include plays at Arizona Theatre Company, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Penumbra Theatre, Signature Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Cleveland Play House, Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, The Kennedy Center, and Hartford Stage Company.

David Levine*

David Levine (he/him) is a lifelong Portlander and former teacher who comes from a long line of educators-turned-actors, dating back to 1950's summer camp in the Catskills. Recent stage manager credits include: Thurgood at Cleveland Play House; Evolve with The Red Door Project; Samsara at Profile Theatre; and Amélie and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at Portland Playhouse.

Maruti Evans~

Maruti Evans – Fat Ham (Broadway + Public Theater), Good Bones (Public Theater), Angels in America (Arena Stage), Real Enemies (BAM), Else Where (BAM), At the Wedding (Lincoln Center Theatre), Daphne (Lincoln Center Theater), Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theater), Amani (National Black Theater), and The Ring Cycle (Opera Australia). Awards and nominations: Drama Desk Sam Norkin Award for Tiny Dynamite and The Pilo Family Circus, Fat Ham (Ensemble and Creative Team Obie Award). Nominations: Peculiar Patriot (Drama Desk), Kill Move Paradise (Drama Desk + Henry Hewes Design Awards), Deliverance (Drama Desk), In the Heat of the Night (Drama Desk), Slaughterhouse 5 (Drama Desk), Blindness (Drama Desk), and Amani (Henry Hewes Design Award).

Miranda Hardy

Miranda k Hardy (she/her) is a designer with a passion for space & time. Previously for Portland Playhouse: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, What I Learned in Paris, No Candy, The Piano Lesson; and AT the Playhouse: A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff with Boom Arts and Fronteriza with PETE. A career in NYC and on tour led to settling in Portland with her family where she has made work with PETE, Portland Center Stage, ART, the August Wilson Red Door Project, Alicia Jo Rabins, OCT, Profile Theater, and Theatre Diaspora. She looks forward to new artistic collaborations and treasures ongoing relationships. Miranda is a PETE (Portland Experimental Theater Ensemble) company member and currently teaches design at Lewis & Clark College. Her work has been seen nationally and internationally focusing on the New and Experimental while staying grounded in the generally possible impossible. CalArts/NYC/PDX. Gratitude.

Gregory Robinson

Gregory Robinson's (AKA GregRobinsong’s) creative works have been featured in local, regional, and national radio and television advertising; short film; documentaries; and theatre. Featured also in an Emmy Award winning documentary, an HBO Special, and has been recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle, with the ‘Excellence in Theatre Award’ for Water By The Spoonful, and nominations for Proof, Two Trains Running, and King James... This is Gregory's Portland Playhouse Debut. He's recently Designed Sound & Composed Music for: Paradise Blue (Penumbra Theatre); Two Trains Running (Hartford Stage); King James (TheatreWorks); Wine In The Wilderness (Penumbra Theatre); Every Brilliant Thing (Center Stage Rep); Re-Memori (Penumbra Theatre); Two Trains Running (Marin Theatre Company); Designed Sound for: Salt/City/Blues (Syracuse Stage); Fannie, The Music And Life Of Fannie Lou Hamer (TheatreWorks); Composed Music for: Paradise Blue (Aurora Theatre).

Kristen Mun-Van Noy

Kristen Mun-Van Noy (she/her) was born and raised on the island of Oahu. Since 2012 she has been working as a fight choreographer and teacher in the city of Portland, OR. She owes her training to Dueling Arts International and her time as assistant fight choreographer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (09-10) with resident Fight Director U. Jonathan Toppo. She has received her intimacy training from Theatrical Intimacy Educators and IDC Professionals. Recent intimacy and fight work include 12th Night with PCS, POTUS with Anonymous Theatre, and Witch with Profile Theatre.

Maia Denzler^

Maia Denzler (She/They) is a costume and textile artist based in the Portland Metro area. They began working with the Playhouse as a member of the Apprentice Company and recently returned to Portland after completing their MA studies in Costume Making at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in Liverpool, England. Recent credits include [BLANK] (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts), Matilda, Passing Strange, A Christmas Carol (Portland Playhouse), Moving Stories, and Secret Stories (NW Dance Project). Their performance and textile art installation work includes The Born Project, and the Bumbershoot Festival Fashion Show and Dance Performance under designer Fuchsia Lin. They also do commissions for gender affirming garments. Website: maiadenzler.com.

Keela Johnson

Thyra Hartshorn