MISERY

PAUL J. POTENZA [he/him] (Director) has worked as an actor and director in the area for over 30 years. He performed in the first play to grace the stage of the Shimberg Playhouse: Eric Bogosian’s Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll. Potenza has worked with many Bay area theater companies including Eckerd Theater Company, The Loft, Tampa Players, Stageworks, freeFall and American Stage. He is happiest about his continued collaboration with Jobsite. In 2011, Paul was honored to win best actor in the first Jeff Norton Awards for Felix Unger in The Odd Couple, which also garnered him a Creative Loafing Best of the Bay award. Favorite roles include Edgar Alan Poe in Edgar & Emily, Ulysses in Annapurna (which won him a 2015 Best of the Bay Award), Jack in Race, The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Michal in The Pillowman, Nick the Fire Captain in The Guys, Johnny in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Arnold in The Boys Next Door. Most recently, he portrayed the MC in Shockheaded Peter. Paul is a Goldsmith by trade and has owned and operated Design One Jewelers in Clearwater, now in its forty-third year in business. Potenza shares his life with his wife Roz (the artist in the family), and their dogs Pinot and Bean who own.

CONNOR AVERILL-SNELL [he/him] (Assistant Stage Manager)

JO AVERILL-SNELL [she/her] (Lighting Design) is delighted to light Dracula. Audience members may have previously seen her lighting designs here at the Straz in Dracula, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Avenue Q, Animals Out of Paper, Nunsense: A-Men, Little Shop of Horrors, A Clockwork Orange, Romeo & Juliet, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Dr. Ride’s American Beach House, Shockheaded Peter, Henry V, Hand to God, Always … Patsy Cline, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, SHOUT! The Mod Musical, A Tuna Christmas, or at StageWorks, Tampa Rep, freeFall, or Urbanite Theatre.

TEAH BANKS [she/her] (Props) has been a happy member of the Jobsite family since Spring 2017, when she joined as an intern. She has since worked several Jobsite shows, including: Animals Out of Paper, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Constellations, Dancing at Lughnasa, as well as running the matinee’s for Othello and The Tempest. She would like to thank David, Newt, Ned, her mother Kelly, and step-father Tom for being so supportive and awesome.

JESSIE DORSEY [he/she/they] (Stage Manager) is excited to finally begin working with Jobsite! He has stage managed many productions throughout the bay area over the last decade (recently, ThinkTank TYA: All the Great Books (Abridged), TampaRep: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in rep with ThinkTank TYA: The Giver). Jessie is also currently pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with Saint Leo University.  Jessie would like to thank David Jenkins for welcoming them to the Jobsite crew!

JEREMY DOUGLASS [he/him] (Compositions) is a pianist, professional live mannequin, and leader of acclaimed megasuperband the Florida Björkestra. He’s been hailed as “punctual” and “inevitable”. His recent past sees him as music director for Jobsite Theater’s productions of LIZZIE: A Killer Rock Musical, The Threepenny Opera, Hedwig And The Angry Inch, and Shockheaded Peter. He’s composed original music for Jobsite’s productions of The Thanksgiving Play, Hedda, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], Othello, The Tempest, Meteor Shower, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shockheaded Peter, Romeo & Juliet, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Dracula and with Björkestra cellist Tom Kersey co-wrote an original score for Jobsite’s Edgar & Emily. As founder of the Florida Bjorkestra, he’s brought to the stage the music of pop pioneers like Bjork and David Bowie (and also a musical from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with his 24-piece ensemble of Tampa Bay area musical geniuses.

BRIANNA McVAUGH [she/her] (Fight Direction) is a graduate of The University of South Florida where she earned her B.A. in Theatre Performance. She is and actor/singer/dancer as well as an advanced actor/combatant certified by the Society of American Fight Directors in all eight recognized stage combat weapons. Brianna has worked as a performer professionally in productions such as A Clockwork Orange and Jobsite  here in Tampa, Florida and Unto These Hills at Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. She’s also been seen as a stunt performer in The Big Test Stunt Show at Legoland in Goshen, New York. Along with being a performer, Brianna is also a professional fight/intimacy director, working on shows such as House of Desires at The University of South Florida, and most recently productions of Macbeth and And Then There Were None at Florida Repertory Theatre. She has also been an intimacy director for Jobsite’s production of Animals Out of Paper. Brianna is so excited to be back at Jobsite as the fight director for Misery.

ROZ POTENZA [she/her] (Costumes) is happy to be part of the Misery team.  She’s been creating things in fabric for many decades, both wearable and artistic.  She competed professionally in what is now called “Cosplay” and was ranked as a Master Costumer.  She was resident costumer and an actress for eight years with the Eckerd Theater Company.  She has also created looks for many area theaters, including American Stage, Jobsite Theater, and Hattrick Theater. Roz also acts, writes and directs, and sits on the board of Lab Theater Project. Always enthused about collaborating with Jobsite, Roz looks forward to working with them even though she may have to pick a few Great Dane hairs off of something.

JULIA RIFINO [she/her] (Scenic Artist) …

BRIAN M. SMALLHEER [he/him] (Scenic Design and Technical Direction) received his education from Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Polk Community College (Visual Arts), and University of South Florida (Theatre Design). He has been an Artistic Associate and designer for Jobsite since 1999. As a designer for Jobsite, his work has received two Best of the Bay awards; Best Lighting Design for Einstein’s Dreams (2011) and Best Local Set Designer (2014). He also received Broadway World’s Best Set Design for Time Stands Still and Return to the Forbidden Planet. Other select design credits include SHOCKHEADED PETER, Henry V, Hand to God, DOUBT: A Parable, A Skull in Connemara, LIZZIE, Lebensraum, Annapurna, Orlando, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Mindgame, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, boom!, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The March of the Kitefliers, Gorey Stories, subUrbia and Dracula. In what little spare time he has, Smallheer pursues his passion for visual arts by doing photography and painting. More info at his website bms-designs.com.

JENA RASHID [she/her] (Producing and Engagement Apprentice) graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Theater Studies and a minor in music. Her career, so far, has consisted of working as a stage manager, director, playwright, actor and other roles through her schooling. Her favorite performance credits include Jessica Jewels in in The Butler Did It! for the Orlando Fringe and Understudying Rani in America in One Room at Florida Studio Theater. In her final semester of college she was an intern at the Orlando Shakes as a New Play Development intern and most recently she completed a year-long internship at Florida Studio Theater as a Literary intern. In addition, Jena still writes plays when she can, and her works can be found on the NewPlayExchange.org.

Production Staff

Technical Director – Brian Smallheer

Stage Manager – Jessie Dorsey

Assistant Stage Manager – Connor Averill-Snell

Properties – Teah Banks

Scenic Artist – Julia Rifino

Promotional Photos – Stage Photography of Tampa (SPOT)

Videography – Sickles High School TV

Online Producer – Shawn Paonessa

Producing and Engagement Apprentice – Jena Rashid

Jobsite Producing Artistic Director – David M. Jenkins

Special Thanks

Everyone at Straz Center for their belief in our vision and their unyielding support. Jobsite’s board of directors and our mighty ensemble – for keeping this ship afloat. All of our fantastic season sponsors who are helping us realize our dreams. Most importantly, thanks to YOU for joining us here tonight.