about
showpeople.

OUR MISSION

showpeople theatre collective aims to provide high-quality theatre experiences for the betterment of its creators, students, audience members, and society.

Through productions, workshops, and classes, we establish a culture of caring and creativity in our community as a whole.

We recognize that we, as artists, are ever-growing and ever-changing, and vow to stride with our best foot forward.

View Our Gallery

resident artists.

our residents are dedicated members of our team who you will find working on most productions, or leading their own! learn more about them below.

shannon bailey

CO-FOUNDER

music director, intimacy coach

she/her/hers

Shannon is a professional Princess and aspiring cosplayer (children's entertainer) with several well known companies across New England and one based out of Kentucky. She also is a drama instructor at Rocky Hill High School where she educates students about how to put a musical together and build character development. Additionally, she teaches at Soulshine Arts in Woodbury, CT for ages 0-5. Shannon originated a role on the OCR in the off-Broadway production of Humanity's Child and has been in several commercials and film productions, including one national spot. She is certified in Social Work Assistance and Mental Health First Aid to be able to healthily work with difficult scenarios in productions. Some of her credits include Aida (Aida), Rocky Horror (Riff Raff), Into the Woods (The Witch), and SpongeBob (Pearl Krabs).

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annika beth

actor, composer/lyricist

they/them/theirs

Annika Beth (they/them) is a New York based singer/director/actor. Some favorite credits include Aphrodite (To the Fairest: A New Musical), Heather Chandler (Heathers), Judy Turner (A Chorus Line), and Sienna (Out of the Blue: A New Musical). Annika founded That Nameless Theatre Company in January 2023, a theatre company producing cabarets and new works of theatre for people trying to make a name for themselves in this crazy business. They are a resident director for the The Neurodivergent New Play Series and aim to continue to produce and direct many more projects in New York City in the near future. They are honored to be a part of Showpeople Theatre Collective's recent works and hope to continue to work and grow alongside the team!

Instagram/Tiktok: @annika_beth21

See annikabeth.com for more!

dylan cote

actor, writer

he/him/they/them

Dylan is thrilled to be a part of the Showpeople resident company. He would like to express gratitude to Brighton, Miles, and Michael for their steadfast commitment to facilitating amazing pieces of theater. They’d also like to thank their family for the endless support. Graduated from AMDA in October of 2022. Favorite credits include: Zeus, et. al, in To the Fairest, A featured extra in Succession on HBO (you see him for some split seconds if you look real good), Zach in A Chorus Line, Kurt Kelly in Heathers, and many others.

Follow on Instagram: @youshouldhiredylancote

brighton valor horan

CO-FOUNDER

director, choreographer, stage manager, writer

they/them/theirs

Brighton is a multidisciplinary theatre artist based in NYC and southern New England. They are a graduate with a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts with concentrations in Directing and Theatre & New Media from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City (℅ 2023).

Favorite theatrical credits include West Side Story (Anybodys), A Chorus Line (Bebe), and Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show (Magenta).

They have alternately stage managed, designed, choreographed, and directed multiple shows in the CT/NY area. They recently co-directed To the Fairest's NYC premiere with Michael and Miles.

Learn more about them at www.brightonvalorhoran.com.

miles messier

CO-FOUNDER

actor, music director, composer

he/him/his

Miles is an actor/musician. He has written music and lyrics for eight musicals, including Showpeople’s inaugural production, Lost Justice the Musical. Music Direction credits include Royal Caribbean’s Starwater, Heathers, Cabaret, Mamma Mia, and The Little Mermaid. He has performed regionally at theatres such as Playhouse on Park (West Hartford, CT), Island ETC (Galveston, TX), and the North Country Center for the Arts (Lincoln, NH). Favorite roles include Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer, and Harry Potter in A Very Potter Project. Miles holds a BFA in music theatre and a minor in composition from The Hartt School. You can listen to his original compositions at his website, milesmessier.com!

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alex mika

composer/lyricist, musician

he/him/his

Alex earned his B.A. and M.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing at the University of Connecticut. There, he wrote, directed, and performed two one-man musical comedies: Piano Is Not My Forte and Major Issues. He has written and arranged music for Showpeople’s To the Fairest and Shudder. He is currently pursuing his PhD in English at Penn State, studying Shakespeare and adaptations of Renaissance drama.

You can see some of his work on alexmika.com!

amanda lee morrill

musician

she/her/hers

Amanda Lee Morrill is a drummer and percussionist based in New York City. She maintains an active performance career while also pursuing her PhD in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University.

Amanda’s regional theater credits include over a decade at Tuacahn Center for the Arts (Ivins, UT). She has also played for productions staged by the Palace Theatres (Manchester, NH), Main Street Music Hall (Osage Beach, MO), and Vanguard Theater Company (Montclair, NJ). Amanda is proud to be a Rustic Percussion artist and a member of MAESTRA.

connor picard

director

he/him/his

Connor Picard (he/him) has been involved in theatre in all aspects for over fourteen years. He graduated from Marymount Manhattan College’s directing program in 2021 and is in his final year of graduate school at City College of New York’s Educational Theatre Program. Recent credits include Head Over Heels: High School Edition (Director), The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Director), Light: An Electrifying Musical Revue (Lighting Designer), and Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd) all at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT. Other credits include Matilda Jr (Director) with Torrington Public School Theatre, Eurydice (Director), The Balcony (Assistant Director and Light Board Operator) at Marymount Manhattan College, and What Do You Do With an Idea? (Sound and Run Crew) with City College.

michael ricciardone

CO-FOUNDER

director, choreographer

he/him/his

Michael lives in Queens, NYC, and is from Southington, CT. He attended Western Connecticut State University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre. During the summers, he has performed in summer stock. His favorite summer stock shows were Bernstein's Wonderful Town at College Light Opera Company and Link in Hairspray at Priscilla Beach Theater. He also attended, as several other resident artists have, the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts with a focus on Musical Theatre. He now works at Theatrical Rights Worldwide where he represents a wonderful catalog of shows (one of which will be Showpeople's first Broadway musical!). Outside of the licensing world, he is a director and actor. His Off-Broadway directorial debut was this past winter where he assisted Robert Schnider in J2 Spotlight's second season at Theatre Row. These musicals included A Class Act and The Baker's Wife. His acting work recently landed him in Clarksville, TN, where he played Baldwin in Cry-Baby and Jack in Into the Woods. He is a yogi, a Sagittarius, and OrangeTheory lover.

"Enough about me... on with the showpeople!"

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jack richards

CO-FOUNDER

designer

he/him/his

Jack is a costume designer from Southington, CT. Jack recently graduated from Hofstra University with a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts and a concentration in costume design. He has worked with many professional and community theaters including Hofstra University, Connecticut Repertory Theatre (artistic Dir. Terrence Mann), and most recently, GetUp Stage Company's Heathers.

Check out Jack's Instagram design page: @jackrichardsdesigns

oksana veres

actor, lyricist, writer

she/her/hers

Oksana Veres is an NYC-based performing artist whose most recent work includes co-writing lyrics for original musicals Shudder and To the Fairest (both with Showpeople Theatre Collective), for which she also played Athena. From 2022-23, she spent a year singing as a lead vocalist in Mass-Conn-Fusion, a Connecticut based R&B/Funk band, in which she performed a wide range of shows including weddings, parties, fundraisers and other special events, and bars/restaurants throughout the state. Oksana graduated from Western Connecticut State University, where she received a BFA in Musical Theatre. In her free time, she loves to write poetry and write/record/produce episodes for her podcast Try, Adjust, Thrive, where she discusses all things mindset, personal growth, wellness, and life as a 20-something year old. Feel free to check it out on instagram, Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts for some motivational and relatable vibes!