Theatre Faculty Biographies

Richard R. Cowden

Rich Cowden, Head of the Department of Theatre Arts and Associate Professor in Theatre and Speech, hails from Grand Junction and graduated from Mesa State College. His performances at Mesa State garnered him numerous acting citations and his direction of Days of Possibilities, Mesa State's first all-student mainstage production, earned him a Kennedy Center Meritorious Achievement Award. He also holds a Master of Fine Arts from Ohio University's Professional Director Training Program. Mr. Cowden has worked professionally as an actor and director at the Denver Center Theatre Company, the Bristol/London Old Vic, and the Ad Hoc Theatre Company. In 1996, he founded The Roundfish Theatre Company in Denver, one of the region's most innovative and critically-acclaimed small theatre companies. Mr. Cowden teaches Beginning Acting, Acting Styles, Voice and Diction, and Playwrighting as well as serving as a resident director for the Mesa State College Department of Theatre and Artistic Director of Greenshoe Theatre Company of Grand Junction.

rcowden@mesastate.edu

David M. Cox

David M. Cox, Professor of Theatre Arts received his undergraduate degrees from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado, and his Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City. Mr. Cox teaches Beginning Lighting, Advanced Lighting, Beginning Construction, Design and Painting, Scene Design, Play Production, Technical Performance, Stage Management and Senior Technical Capstone. He is an active member of United Scenic Artists (local 826) and I.A.T.S.E.. With over 410 listed production credits, his work includes scenic, costume, and lighting design for Mesa State College, Lagoon Opera House, The Broadmore, Colorado and Tampa Ballet Companies, Grand Junction Symphony, Diamond Circle Theatre, and the Pioneer Theatre at the University of Utah. While serving academia, he held the titles of Administrative Technical Director, Technical Director, Program Production Manager, Acting Chair of Theatre and Communications, Chair of Theatre and Speech and Head of Theatre Arts. In addition to being the Resident Scenographer for MSC Theatre Arts Department, he occasionally finds time to direct, or sit down at an easel.

dcox@mesastate.edu

Jeremy R. Franklin

Having spent last year as an adjunct professor, Jeremy is proud to join the Mesa State Theatre Department as Lecturer of Musical Theatre. Originally from Arkansas, he completed his studies in vocal performance at Ouachita Baptist University (pronounced WASH-i-taw) in 2001. Since then, he has worked as a professional actor, director, and music director across the country. For the past five years, he administrated and directed the Academy of Performing Arts where he founded "Steps To Broadway" - a five-week musical theatre intensive for teenagers during the summer. His directing credits include Godspell, Bye, Bye Birdie, the regional premieres of Footloose and High School Musical, and last season's MSC production of Brigadoon. His music directing credits include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, and My Fair Lady. Favorite roles include Huckabee in The Fantasticks, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, Pickering in My Fair Lady, Tonio in Pagliacci, and Horton the Elephant in Seussical-The Musical. Jeremy has also written and arranged music for five children's musicals and is an accomplished private voice instructor. He is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

jfranklin@mesastate.edu

Jeanine A. Howe

Jeanine A. Howe is an experienced professional director, actress, administrator, designer and playwright. Jeanine has a BFA in Performance from Otterbein College and an MFA in Directing from Carnegie-Mellon's Professional Directing Program. She has studied with teachers such as Victor Jory, Timothy Busfield, Anne Pitoniak, Michael Zelenak and Mel Shapiro. A transplant from back East, Jeanine has directed over 100 productions (including 30 original works) at theaters including Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Walnut Street Theatre, The Pittsburgh Playhouse, American Ibsen Theater, Philadelphia Area Repertory Theater, Theater of the Seventh Sister, The Genesis Project, and other major companies nationwide. She has been the Artistic Director for The Millbrook Playhouse, and Associate Artistic Director for Pittsburgh Playwrights and Pittsburgh Playhouse Traveling Troupe. She has taught at University's across the country including Carnegie-Mellon, University of PA and Temple. Ms. Howe served as a regional adjudicator for ACTF, CCTC, RMTA and has been both a panelist and a presenter for ATHE. She received the Bud Yorkin Directing Award and was recently nominated as a Distinguished Faculty Member at Mesa State College. Ms. Howe has also received Playwriting fellowships and commissions and has nine produced plays to her credit. Jeanine works as a professional free-lance director, playwright, administrator and actress, as well as serving on Theatrical Boards and Committees throughout the country including the Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture. Jeanine teaches Stage Movement, Chekhov Acting Technique, Auditions, Contemporary Drama, American Drama, Script Analysis, Performing Arts Management, Methods of Teaching Drama and Speech, Theatre History and serves and one of our regular directors at Mesa State College. Ms. Howe is a member of the Theatre Communications Guild, New Dramatists, Rocky Mountain Theatre Association, Association for Theatre in Higher Education, and American College Theatre Festival, and the Oregon Shakespeare FAIR Representative.

jhowe@mesastate.edu

Peter Ivanov

Peter Ivanov is the son of European circus stars and was born on the Ringling Bros. Circus train. He performed as a child acrobat in the family act starting at age four. Prof. Ivanov received his B.A. Comprehensive degree from Western Illinois University and his M.F.A. from the Asolo Conservatory. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and over the years performed across the country with such stars as Oscar winner Dorothy Malone, Daytime Emmy Award winner Bill Hayes, Yiddish Theater legend Molly Picon, Hans Conried, Fight Director B.H. Barry and even the original Lassie! He has directed over one hundred productions and was the Founding Artistic Director of Theatre Works of Florida, Associate Artistic Director of Sarasota Actors Theatre, Partner and Producing Director of Golden Years Productions, and the Artistic Director of the Youth Opera Wing of the Sarasota Opera Company. Peter has a documentary film to his credit, "The History of the Circus in Sarasota County", about the Ringling Bros. Circus in Florida. He continues to works as a professional freelance director as well as being a resident director in the Mesa State Theatre Department. He was a seven year member and former Chair of the Grand Junction Colorado Commission on Arts and Culture. Mr. Ivanov teaches Elizabethan Acting Techniques, The Meisner Approach, Acting for the Camera, Styles in Acting, Beginning Directing, Auditions, Theatre Appreciation and World's Greatest Films and has produced the Mesa State Summer Theatre Festival.

pivanov@mesastate.edu

Ann Sanders

Ann Sanders, director of the Mesa State Dance Program, has a professional background which includes Chicago Opera Ballet and Equity summer theaters in the east. She is a veteran choreographer, equally at home in modern, ballet, music theatre and avant-garde genres. Recently, Ms. Sanders was elected to serve on the national board of The American College Dance Festival. Ann also serves as Artistic Director of Mesa Repertory Dance Company. In addition to teaching many dance classes, Ann also teaches "Man Creates" and serves as one of our Resident Mainstage Choreographers. Ms. Sander's goal is to nurture and challenge students to make sound, healthy choices in today's complex world.

asanders@mesastate.edu

Heather Waggoner

Theatre Arts Professor Heather Waggoner received a BA from Indiana University and a MFA in Costume Design Technology from Illinois State University. With approximately 100 theatre productions, she continues to work professionally designing, cutting/draping, tailoring, and creating costume crafts for both professional and educational theatres in several states including Colorado( Creede Repertory Theatre, Green Shoe, Magic Circle, Two Chairs, and Senior Theatre), Illinois (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Indiana (Indiana Repertory Theatre, Phoenix Theatre), and West Virginia (West Virginia Public Theatre). As an Advisor to the Drama Society she has taken students to London England, Edinburgh Scotland (Fringe Festival), Las Vegas, and New York where she also conducted primary research. Sharing her expertise in costume construction and design she has taught work shops at several RMTA conferences, local high schools and community theatres as will as Illinois State University. Her affiliations with USITT and RMTA have been as asset to both her and her students. Recently, she was awarded the Excellence in Teaching for the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Student Government. Professor Waggoner teaches Costuming (including History and Design of Costumes), Costume Construction I and II, Makeup, Puppetry, Mask Making, Play Production and Technical Performance as well as the Senior Capstone for graduating students in the Technical/Design area.

You may take a look at Ms. Waggoner's costumes by clicking here.

hwaggone@mesastate.edu

Melonie A. Buchanan Murray

Melonie holds a BFA degree in Ballet from Friends University (Wichita, KS) and an MFA degree in Dance from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She attended UCI on a full fellowship and was also the recipient of an Arts Bridge scholarship. During her time at UCI, Melonie studied with the legendary Donald McKayle, had her choreography chose to be performed in graduate concerts, was selected to teach many dance technique classes at the university, and recieved a grant to travel to New York for the thesis research. Her performance experience includes dancing as a Radio City Rockette, as a principle dancer with Wichita Ballet Theatre, and as a featured dancer with Musical Theatre of Wichita. In addition, Melonie sailed the seas with Norweigian Cruise Lines as a dance captain for Broadway-style productions, and has performed with several musical theatre companies in Southern California. Most recently, Melonie performed as a featured dancer with Francisco Martinez Dance Theatre, a Los Angeles based award-winning modern dance company. Melonie has experience teaching all levels of ballet and modern dance at institutions such as Friends University (Wichita, KS), Santa Ana College (Santa Ana, CA), Irvine Valley College (Irvine, CA), South Country Classical Ballet (Orange County, CA), and currently at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. In addition, she continues to guest teach and choreograph for regional ballet companies and summer intensives. Melonie is a member of the Society of Dance History Scholars, the Congress on Research in Dance, the Texas Association of Teachers of Dancing, and the Florida Dance Association.

Matthew Lindstrom

As a teacher, choreographer and performer, Matthew brings his enthusiasm and passion for the performing arts to Mesa State College. Originally from Lakeview, NY, he earned a BS Ed from the State Unversity of New York at Geneseo in education with concentrations in early childhood and dance. Recently he finished his MFA in dance performance from the University of Iowa while appearing in many faculty and guest pieces. At Iowa, Matthew recieved several scholarships and was a full time teaching assistant. He also was a buisness manger and assistant dirrector for Iowa 's premier touring dance ensemble - Dancer's In Company. Matthew has previously taught at Cornell College, Iowa Wesleyan College and the University of Northern Iowa. Recent choreographic credits include West Side Story for Theater of Cedar Rapids, The Tempest for Riverside Theater, and A Chorus Line for UNI. Matthew continues to choreograph in the Midwest and dance professionaly with Kim Nofsinger's Shelter Repetory Dance Theater and Jennifer Kayle and Company.

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