Rehearsals are underway for the April 19th opening of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ frank and ferocious Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. Meet the actors who will bring Guirgis’ vivid characters to life on the CoHo stage. (And don’t forget, tickets are available now!)
BOBBY BERMEA (Lucius) is co-artistic director of The Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project, a proud member of Sojourn Theatre, a founding member of Badass Theatre and a long-time member of Actors’ Equity Association. He has worked in theatres from New York, NY to Honolulu, HI. Bermea has appeared at La MaMa in New York, Centerstage in Baltimore, Kansas City Repertory, Vortex Repertory in Austin, the Albuquerque Little Theatre in Albuquerque, NM, Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu, HI, Intiman, ACT, The Group, The Langston Hughes Cultural Center, A-Ha, The Empty Space, and The New Mercury Theatre in Seattle, and the Cleveland Public Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. In Portland, Bermea has performed with Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Profile Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Sojourn Theatre, Tygres Heart, Milagro and BaseRoots Theatre. This is his debut offering for both CoHo Productions and Beirut Wedding.
DUFFY EPSTEIN (D’Amico) is happy to be back at CoHo where he was last seen in This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing (Season 22), and as an ensemble member in db (Season 21). Recent work includes Fountainhead in Water by the Spoonful, Lefty in The Happiest Song Plays Last (Profile Theatre); Slank in Peter and the Starcatcher (Portland Playhouse); and Cash in The Pain and the Itch (Third Rail). TV credits include West Wing, ER, Grimm, and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.
ANTHONY LAM (Angel Cruz), a Los Angeles native turned Oregonian and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theater Arts) graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has had the great privilege of working at Profile Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Milagro Theatre here in Portland. At Profile Theatre, he portrayed Elliot in The Elliot Trilogy. He played Angus and was part of the ensemble cast in Astoria: Part One and Astoria: Part Two at Portland Center Stage. And he let his playful attitude free as Atómiko in Milagro Theatre’s production of Into The Beautiful North. He has also recently starred in the feature film Translated, filmed in Eugene, OR. When he isn’t a part of a theater production, creating his own work, or acting in commercials throughout the Northwest, he is busy with his three young, spirited children and his family. This is his first production at CoHo Theatre and he is excited and grateful for the opportunity to share this story with you all.
DANA MILLICAN (Mary Jane) Theater: Portland Center Stage (A Streetcar Named Desire), Artists Repertory Theatre (world premieres of Ithaka, The Lost Boy); CoHo Productions (‘night, Mother); Corrib Theatre (The Hen Night Epiphany); NW Classical Theatre Company (Twelfth Night, Othello, and King John, for which she received a Drammy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role); Portland Shakespeare Project (The Turn of the Screw, King Lear, and As You Like It); Profile Theatre (Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Fifth of July); and Shaking the Tree (Suddenly, Last Summer). While in New York, Ms. Millican appeared in the world premiere of Lanford Wilson’s Sympathetic Magic (Off-Broadway, Second Stage Theatre). TV: Shrill (Hulu), Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (Freeform), Trinkets (Netflix), American Vandal (Netflix), Here and Now (HBO), Grimm (NBC), Portlandia (IFC), Leverage (TNT), and Final Witness (ABC). Film: Lorelei (Freestyle), Leave No Trace (BRON Studios), Here Awhile (Matchstrike Pictures), Bad Samaritan (Electric Entertainment), Lean on Pete (Film4), I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Netflix), The Architect (Parker Film Company), and C.O.G. (Forty Second Productions). Web series: The Benefits of Gusbandry and One Bird at a Time, both available on Amazon. Ms. Millican has a BA in Theater from Arizona State University.
WASIM NO’MANI (Valdez) is proud and honored to be a part of this cast and the Beirut Wedding family. He resides in LA where he is unemployed as a working actor. Born of migrating Iraqi parents pursuing their higher education in theatre, Wasim spent his developing years meandering through sets, stages and theaters throughout the United States with big immigrant dreams of becoming Jean Claude-Van Damme. When the feasibility of this ambition appeared improbable, he decided to turn his focus on becoming the best actor he could be. The craft of telling a lie truly. He made his theatre debut in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and has been plodding the boards ever since. Wasim thanks his friends and family for their unreasonably durable support and is also deeply indebted to director Jamie Rea and the entire cast for their warm welcoming of him to Portland.
