Meet the Company

BOB BRADY
Graphic Design
Bob has designed for Grottesco since 2002, including publicity material for The Angels' Cradle, Fortune,The Richest Deadman Alive! A Dream Inside Another , Wenomadmen, Keyholes, Winter One Acts, Grottesco's 12th Night, Shorts V,and The Moment of YES!. His other clients include TwelveTrees Publishers, The Lannan Foundation, The Santa Fe Opera, Cafe Pasqual's, Luminaria Films, Pie Boy Films (The Lark Snare), and Wumbic Productions (The Burden Carriers).

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MYRIAH DUDA
Ensemble 
Myriah Duda is currently a dance major at the University of New Mexico with an English minor.  She has been performing for over ten years, focusing on dance, music, and theatre, performing in contemporary and classical theatre productions including Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost, the title role in Lysistrata, and Scapino in A Company of Wayward Saints.  A theatre graduate from New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, Myriah has trained in Commedia Dell’arte, Mask work, Stanislavski, and other theatre forms, as well as in film acting. She has studied classical ballet for years but her passion lies in Modern and African dance. She has specialized in improvisation and ensemble work, performing as an interactive artist at Meow Wolf Santa Fe and a dance and theatre teacher and director at Acequia Madre Summer Camp. 

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JOHN FLAX
Founding Artistic Director
John Flax is a co-founder of Theater Grottesco. He has worked with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis and Paris, The Paris Circus, London’s Theatre Complicite, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Choreographer Della Davidson, the Sundance Playwriting Laboratory, the Out of Context Orchestra, the Sevda Balkan Choir and most recently in Godfrey Reggio’s latest film: Once Within a Time. Flax has taught at theaters and colleges internationally along with 8 years as a National Endowment for the Arts artist-in-the-schools. He is a graduate of the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris where he also studied with Phillipe Gaulier. He holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Prescott College and an ABD Ed.D in Anthropology and Philosophy.

KENT KIRKPATRICK
Artistic Associate
is an actor, director and writer worked mostly in theater before following an academic career teaching in the graduate theater programs of the University of California--San Diego, and Oxford University among others. Before tenure set in, he migrated into the world of film writing, production and directing. Credits include Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, an original play which he developed and directed; a multi-lingual adaptation of The Odyssey which he wrote and directed; a multi-media stage productionDivining the Tapestry: Stories of Living and Dying Well which he wrote, produced, directed and developed; and The Legacy of Letters, a reading of important letters from New Mexico history for the New Mexico State Historian's Office which he researched, wrote and directed. He also recently directed Sam Waterston, Marsha Mason and Joan Allen in a reading of Georgia O'Keeffe/Alfred Steiglitz letters for the 10th Anniversary celebration of Georgia O'Keeffe museum entitled O'Keeffe: Speaking with Friends and Lovers. He wrote and directed the short film, Ride, which was awarded the best film award in the DigiFest Southwest Film Festival. Most recently, he has written, produced and/or directed commercial and narrative films. He is the Director of Development at Luminaria, a new film production company based in Santa Fe. Kent has created and performed with Grottesco since 1999 working in Fortune, Grottesco Shorts II, This is Life as We Know it... The Richest Deadman Alive! Keyholes, and Wenomadmen. He was co-director of The Moment of YES! and the outside eye of PIE.

MARIAH OLESEN
Media And Administration
is a dedicated Theater Artist turned Marketing & PR Professional based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With a deep passion for the performing arts, Mariah excels in her roles at the Santa Fe Opera (Media and PR Manager) and Theater Grottesco, two culturally significant non-profits in the region.

She has lent her expertise to various theatrical organizations in Santa Fe, including the Santa Fe Playhouse, New Mexico Actors Lab, Adobe Rose Theatre, and Just Say It Theater. Her wide-ranging experience has given her a unique perspective on the arts, from traditional theater to the most innovative and experimental forms of performance art. Mariah's dedication to making the arts accessible while still appealing to her specific niches is a testament to her skills as a PR professional seeking to bridge the gap between artistic innovation and audience engagement, helping these organizations thrive in Santa Fe.

JANEY POTTS
Administration
Janey Potts is a consultant for arts organizations and other not-for-profit entities. With more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management, Potts consults in the areas of finance, administration, marketing, development and event planning and execution. Past experience includes Managing Director of Shakespeare in Santa Fe and Sacramento Theatre Company, Development Director for Sacramento Opera and the Odyssey Theatre (Los Angeles). Current and previous clients include the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Theater Grottesco, Institute for Spanish Arts, Monte del Sol Charter School, Santa Fe Opera, New Mexico School for the Arts, and the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. Janey has been working with Theater Grottesco since 2004.

KOPPANY PUSZTAI
Ensemble
an accomplished actor from Kaposvár, Hungary now living in Santa Fe, is a beacon of artistic excellence and cultural diversity. He earned the Robert Redford/Milagro Initiative Scholarship for his studies at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). Pusztai honed his craft during a five-year tenure with Theater Grottesco, contributing significantly to his artistic depth. He brings a unique multicultural perspective to the stage, merging his Hungarian heritage with the vibrant Santa Fe art sceneHe is a valued collaborator in Santa Fe's theater community, with notable associations including Theater Grottesco, Adobe Rose Theatre, Santa Fe Playhouse, Santa Fe Classic Theater, and Just Say It Theater. Represented by the O’Agency, Pusztai recently showcased his talent in popular shows like the CW's ROSWELL, NM and Netflix's OBLITERATED.

DANIELLE LOUISE REDDICK
Ensemble
is from New York City where she worked as an actor, solo performer, puppeteer, percussionist and in the international touring company of STOMP. She has worked with Shepard Sobel, founder of the Pearl Theater in New York City and with Jon Jory, formerly of the Actor’s Theater of Louisville. In New Mexico she has performed with Ironweed Productions, Theaterwork, Mother Road Theatre Company and Santa Fe Performing Arts. She performs two solo shows: Ask Louise and Hypnopompic. She is an immersive theater artist at Meow Wolf, and a facilitating artist for Littleglobe. Danielle has worked as an actor in film, television and new media, is a member of the Baumann Marionette Puppet Troupe and participated in the 2019 National Puppetry Festival at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. She is a nationally certified fitness instructor, has developed a system of individualized movement training called SoHyp, and has been the curator of the RedQuyn Space. Danielle graduated magna cum laude from Santa Fe University of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in theater/acting and is currently a MFA graduate student at Goddard College’s Multidisciplinary Arts program.

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JULIE SHAPIRO
Ensemble
Julie Shapiro is a New York native who grew up immersed in the performing arts with a focus on voice, acting and dance. Julie has a BFA in Musical Theatre from SUNY Fredonia where she received training in Stanislavsky, Meisner, Laban and Commedia Dell’arte. Since 2019, Julie has been traveling and connecting with creative work around the country from grassroot regional companies to Off-Broadway theatre. She has been developing original work including a web series titled “Asymptomatic.” Julie moved to Santa Fe in September and has collaborated with Tri-M-Productions playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Joanne in Godspell.

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SUSAN SKEELE
Ensemble
Susan Skeele is a performing artist and certified Action Theater teacher. She holds a masters degree from Antioch New England Graduate School in dance/movement therapy, and an undergraduate degree from Naropa University, where she studied dance, Butoh, interdisciplinary performance, contemplative movement, somatic psychology and dance therapy. Susan has been involved in the performing arts for over thirty years as a choreographer, dancer, actor, writer and director, including as an artist-in-residence in schools, with Ursa Theatre in Vermont, at Teatro Paraguas, Museo Cultural and the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, with Ecotone Physical Theater in Albuquerque, and most recently, with Theater Grottesco where she has immersed herself in mask-work, buffoonery,
clowning and ensemble performance over the past three years. For over a decade, Susan has studied the rigorous improvisation form Action Theater with its founder, internationally known performer Ruth Zaporah.