Cast and Production Staff bios
Kelley Cody-Grimm, Artistic Director and Head Writer
Kelley has been doing improv for over 25 years (Impossible! She must have started when she was ten! Yeah, okay, we'll go with that). She studied theater at Florida State University and got the opportunity study Shakespeare under Broadway Producer Joseph Papp. She began her professional acting and improv career with Mental Floss, a Miami improv troupe and then became Artistic Director of her own improv group, The Eclectic Company, also in Miami. She has performed with the improv groups Dad's Garage and Bric Players in Atlanta. In addition to her theater and improv work, Kelley has appeared in the films, Havana, Gentleman in Black, Thunderboat Row, The Unholy, Another Time, Another Place, Phaedre and Stranger Voices, to name a few. She lives in Duluth, GA with her husband Max and her two children Amber & Daniel.
Jared Davis
Jared is a graduate of Shorter College in Rome, GA (BFA in Theatre Performance). Jared's show credits include Smoke on the Mountain (Dennis), Hello, Dolly (Ambrose) Dark of the Moon (John, Witch Boy), West Side Story (Chino), Chicago (Amos Hart), Bye Bye Birdie (Hugo Peabody) Sound of Music (Capt. Von Trapp), and Annie (Daddy Warbucks). He has appeared in the ensemble of several other productions including Jekyll and Hyde-The Musical, Godspell. Jared's other passion is for Improvisation. He currently performs and is a founding member of with The OTC Comedy Troupe and recently coached the Christian Youth Theater of Atlanta's Improv Group to a National Third Place finish in San Diego.
Drea Lewis
Dréa Lewis went from being an ambitious scholar from Albany, GA, to earning a B.S. in Science, Technology, and Culture from Georgia Tech, and worked with award winning director Mike Nichols while in New York. It was Mike Nichols who set the stage for her to work at Paramount Studios, develop a connection to Tom Hanks. Before she earned her Master of Arts degree in Acting, she authored The Mathematics of Acting (© 2007) with the aid of Mr. Hanks. She is the owner and creator of Dream of Dréa Productions, a newly established company which serves to accentuate the cultural awareness in the production of feature films and theatrical events. She is contracted to produce the feature film, Family Pictures, a supernatural thriller, with Why Not Films, LLC. She is also co-writing a comedic play, From Ophelia to Omega, with her mother, Vallerie Lewis, scheduled to launch late 2012. Stay connected to her at www.dreamofdrea.com
Amy Morrow
Amy Morrow is a resident actor, teacher, and all around goof ball! In fact she's the biggest kid in the world! No seriously, you can find her during the day at Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta where she lets her creativity flow! But in all seriousness, she's worked with several companies around town like The Process Theatre, On Stage Atlanta, and Tell Tale Theatre both on stage and off. Also she is exploring the world of on camera work in KidStuf Live! with North Point Ministries. She is glad to be apart of the OTC so laugh, cry, and enjoy!
Becca Parker
Becca Parker is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia, Becca has landed in Atlanta fter having worked in theatres all over the US. Favorite regional credits include: White Christmas (Production design/stage manager- ACT), Joseph…Dreamcoat (Featured ensemble- ACT), Night Mother (Jessie- WLT), and A Funny Thing…Forum (Panacea- WLT). Local credits include Don’t Drink the Water (Director- Live Arts Theatre), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Lights- Onstage Atlanta), A Passion to Dance (Dance ensemble- 14th St Playhouse), Last Five Years (Cathy- Live Arts Theatre) and The Wedding Singer (Ensemble- Next Stage Theater), Lastly, Becca would like to thank her boys for their unending support.
Michael Parker
Michael Parker has a degree in Music Composition and History as well as in Voice from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. Michael has performed nationally and internationally both with the ensembles of Shenandoah University as well as various choruses in the Washington DC area such as the Washington Chorus and Choral Arts Society of Washington. Michael is currently a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Local audiences may remember Michael as The Chef in Don’t Drink the Water. Recently, Michael was responsible for mounting the first production granted by MTI of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas in a community theatre at the Apollo Theatre in Martinsburg, WV. Michael is a native son of the Buford/Sugar Hill area and has returned to be closer to his family.
Adrian Petty, Assistant Director
Adrian got his acting start as a child writing plays for his fifth grade class. He moved onto community theatre and touring church drama group in college. After graduation, he got extra work in movies and started directing kids in drama groups. Improv caught Adrian’s attention in 2001 when he started performing with the Bric Players, where he met Kelly Cody-Grimm, also in the group. Since then, he also went on to perform with the Blank Stage Players. Currently serving as and actor and assistant director with the OTC, Adrian is enjoying working with the many talented people in the group.
Will Smith
Will has been with the OTC since 2008. He has performed as a stand up comedian for 6 years. Will appeared on second season of Coming To The Stage on BET in 2004. Will currently has a part in upcoming Christian Comedy movie entitled Kung Fu, Old Skool, and Tyrone. Will's alter ego is a rap artist called Rapshur and he is currently working on Rhythm & Praise album entitled: Rapshur: Diary Of A Man Renewed to be released some time in 2012.
Brian Work
Brian graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Valdosta State University, where he was leader of the "To Be Named Later..." improv troupe. Since then he has performed improv as a member of "The Flaws" comedy troupe at the Seaside Repertory Theatre in Florida, and has worked at Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, Expressions Theatre, and Rosewater Theatre. Most of his time is spent working on various projects with his production company, Cold Silver Films (www.coldsilverfilms.com), where he is a writer, director, & producer. He is currently working on his first feature film, Uncommon Law.
Mike Yow
Born with a comedic heart and yearning desire to perform, in the treacherous Piedmont region of North Carolina, Mike has since been acting and playing the fool for eons. Okay, maybe only a handful of years, at least professionally. But to some, it has seemed a long time. Too long, many might even say. Regardless, he has been seen in many productions across Metro Atlanta, both community and professionally, including as a regular actor with Atlanta Theatre To Go, a local traveling troupe. In addition, he has graced the stage in such productions as Pride & Prejudice (as Mr. Bennet), To Kill A Mockingbird (as Atticus Finch), Oliver! (as Fagin), among scores of others with various theatrical companies, and has since broken into the wonderfully warped world of film in recent endeavors like ACE The Zombie and The Call, a major motion picture being released in mid-2012. Mike also works as a drama instructor for young kids, and is represented by the Jana VanDyke Agency.
