Bio

Mike is a professional actor, writer, director and disposable hero. He is also the current Artistic Director of Alchemy Theatre. After his parents taught him to read at an early age, Rebecca Payne and Colleen Sexton introduced him to Shakespeare and the arts in high school. From there, he attended Ohio University in Athens, OH, where he double-majored in Theatre and Journalism, with a minor in English. He finished his degree at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. From there he moved to Los Angeles and created The Muse Theatre, then later returned to the Tri-State to continue trying to bring great art to the area. He has performed professionally in the United Kingdom, Pittsburgh, L.A. and more. Before Alchemy, Mike was one of the Resident Directors at Arts Resources for the Tri-State (ARTS) for five years, where he directed and/or acted in numerous productions. He also created The West Virginia Shakespeare Festival (WVSHAKES) in 2018, now in its fifth year. He is a published author, writing the novel The Dragon Ruby with Herschel Jeffrey, which will be re-released soon, and he has won several playwriting contests and screenplay awards. His film company 619 Pictures has worked with Alchemy to create new and inventive ways to produce theatre during the 2020 / 2021 COVID-19 pandemic. He lives in Chesapeake, OH with his wife and two cats, and he is a member of the professional actors union, Actor's Equity Association (AEA).

Credits