Company Members

Henry Bial is a dramaturg, scholar and teacher from New York, NY. He is currently Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Kansas, and he has also taught at the University of New Mexico, New York University, and the New School for Social Research. He holds a BA in Folklore and Mythology from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he trained with Richard Schechner, Deb Margolin, and Augusto Boal. Henry is the author of Acting Jewish: Negotiating Ethnicity on the American Stage and Screen, the editor of The Performance Studies Reader, and the co-editor (with Carol Martin) of Brecht Sourcebook. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Henry has worked in a variety of capacities -- from performer to designer, from playwright to board op, from ASM to front-of-house -- in university and professional theatres in New York, Boston, Minneapolis, and Albuquerque. Most recently, he was dramaturg and light designer for Buran Theatre Company’s Money Buckets! The Untold Story of FDR at the 2009 Kansas City Fringe Festival.

Brady Blevins is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in theatre. He is currently working for the National Theatre for Children. At KU he was active on the University Theatre stage with roles ranging from Andrey in Chekhov's Three Sisters to Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. With Buran Brady has appeared in Beneath the Bed (Dr. Howard Manchester), A Greater Release (Michael, Brady), Nightmares...(Dr. Rose), Enormous Weight (Hook), Money Buckets! (Fellini), and Buran Interviews (Edward Gordon Craig). This year Brady will be touring with the National Theatre for Children in Virgina Beach for the 3rd time, then on to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat for the Great Plains Theatre, and The Secret Garden and Shakespeare I with Hampstead Stage Company.

Amy Virginia Buchanan is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in Theatre Performance. While at KU, Amy was given a great deal of opportunity both on stage and behind the scenes. A few highlights of her work there include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Sofia in Death of Romance, Loud Stone in Eurydice, a number of roles in Almost, Maine, and the direction of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis. It was during this time that she was introduced to the concept of Buran and began her work with the company appearing and writing for A Greater Release (Mary Klayder, chorus), and assisting with costumes, set, lights, and being generally supportive of The Sensualist and Nightmares... Under the guidance of the company members, most directly Theresa Buchheister (Title:Point Productions), she has been able to direct and co-produce The God Diaries, an original work by Chelsie Shipley, in New York City. In October of 2010 she will begin her education at Dell’Arte International in Blue Lake, California.

Dale Buchheister was born in Manhattan KS, studied at KSU and KU, eventually graduating from KU with a degree in Theatre and Film and a concentration in Music History. He first started acting in the Wee Wow Choral at his family's church in Manhattan with varying roles such as "Frightened Shepherd # 2" and "Goofy Wise Man #3." While attending high school and college, Dale concentrated on absurdist and experimental theatre but was also very focused on classical Greek theatre. After getting a taste of the 'Directing Bug' during his senior directing project, he started spending more time on directing and writing culminating in his directing of "The Bald Soprano" for the University of Kansas' Spring season. After graduating, Dale moved to New York City to pursue involvement in theatre with Title Point Productions. This led him to becoming involved with several writing and performance projects with Buran Theatre Company as well. Currently, Dale is the Chef at a bustling East Village restaurant, the resident chef for Buran, and working on several projects in development with Title Point and Buran. Future projects include many far-fetched and crack-pot ideas and involvement in the up-and-coming Theatre For/Of The Blind.

Theresa Buchheister is a native Kansan and University of Kansas graduate in 2004. Having developed an unstoppable taste for the stranger sorts of theatre while participating in the Manhattan KS Experimental Theatre Workshop for high schoolers, she moved to NY in 2004 to be an intern for the godfather of the avant garde, Richard Foreman. When he fired an actor for being late, she was thrilled to be cast in his last purely theatrical show, The Gods are Pounding my Heads (aka Lumberjack Messiah) and has since performed, written, directed and built many productions in New York City (Medicine Show Theater, Living Theatre, Culture Project, Manhattan Theatre Source, Arthur Seelan Theatre, Ontological Theatre, PS122, etc). Since 2006 she has done much creating for Title:Point Productions, which she co-formed and currently is acting as artistic director. She continues to participate in every aspect of theatre in the city, with Title:Point and beyond, particularly Buran Theatre, with which she is looking forward to many collaborations in the years to come.

Adam R. Burnett is a director, actor, and playwright. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Buran Theatre. With Buran Adam has directed readings and productions of Beneath the Bed, The Next Great Thing, The Sensualist, A Greater Release, All Men Are Whores (David Mamet), Nightmares: An Artful Demonstration of the Sublime (a semi-finalist for the 2009 O'Neill Playwrights Lab), Enormous Weight (Carlo Matos), Napoleon Exiled! and Money Buckets! The Untold Story of FDR, with the Bath House Players at Helen Hocker Theatre Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat, Art Imitates, and In Black and White, for The Words Afire Festival at U. New Mexico, That One Forbidden Thing (Erin Phillips). As a playwright Adam has worked with MET Ensemble in Kansas City, MO and Title:Point Productions, Dixon Place, and LaMaMa ETC in New York City. In November 2007 the first play in his "Chopin Cycle", The Death of Romance, premiered at the University of Kansas in the William Inge Theatre. The second play in the cycle, Prelude; Shores of Lake Michigan, premiered at the Helen Hocker Theatre in Topeka, KS in September 2009 under the direction of Christopher Reed. Most recently, Adam wrote the book to the musical Meile be Akcento which premiered in Vilnius, Lithuania as a co-production between Buran and Elfu Teatras under the direction of Alicia Gian-Maciuline. His writings have appeared in Epilogue Magazine and Crawdad Journal. Adam is a Rogue Member of the New York City based company The Anthropologists, whom he worked with in the summer of 2008. He holds a degree in Theatre from the University of Kansas and is currently pursuing his MFA in Dramatic Writing at the University of New Mexico

Adam's plays are available for both non-professional and professional theatre companies and can be reached at burantheatre@gmail.com. He is also available to direct productions, contact: adamrburnett@yahoo.com

Stephen A. Ferrell is an educator and actor from Perry, KS. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a BA in Theatre in 2007. As an educator, Stephen spent the 2005- 2006 season as an Actor/Educator for CLIMB Theatre in Minneapolis MN. In the summer of 2006, he was part of the Educational Department at the Westport Country Playhouse where he assisted in the Joanne Woodward Apprentice Program. He also acted as the Head Educator for a workshop in Playmaking at the Westport Arts Center in Westport, CT. He recently finished participating in the Paul A. Kaplan Internship program at Manhattan Theatre Club. As an actor, Stephen has performed with Buran in The Sensualist (The Actor), A Greater Release (Henry), and a staged reading of The Death of Romance (Jacques). He has also performed in Romeo and Juliet (Peter), Candide (Don Issachar), The Marriage of Figaro (Ensemble), The Skin of our Teeth (Homer) at the University of Kansas, City of Angels (Buddy), My One and Only (Reverend), My Favorite Year (King) for Music Theatre for Young People, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Schroeder) at Lyric Opera House for the Kansas City Symphony, and The Bear (Smirnov) in a showcase at the Westport Country Playhouse. Stephen currently works in development at New York City Center.

Alicia Gian-Maciuliene is a singer, actor, and director from Garden City, Kansas. She graduated from the University of Kansas in 2005 with a BFA in Theatre and Voice Performance and continued her theatrical studies as a graduate student until May 2007. While at KU she performed in The Mikado, Face on the Barroom Floor, Candide (Old Lady), The Snow Queen (The Snow Queen/Princess), Something's Afoot (Lady Grace Manley-Prowe), And Then There Were None (Dr. Armstrong), Hayfever (Myra Arundel), The Maids (The Mistress) as well as student directed projects such as Mister Charles... (Hag) and Good Help (Igor). Her directorial, dramaturgical, and choreography work include Pippin (Dramaturg), Jacques Brel Is Alive... (Dramaturg/ Assistant Director), The Bear (Director), Pageant (Assistant Director/ Choreographer). Her work with Buran includes assistant direction on The Sensualist, composing original music for and starring in a Greater Release (The Gypsy Poet), starring in and directing Meile be Akcento (Clownette), and starring in Money Buckets! The Untold Story of FDR (Margaret Dumont/Eleanor). Alicia currently lives in Vilnius, Lithuania and continues her work with the Buran abroad.

Hilary Kelman is an actor and travel junkie from Shawnee, KS. Hilary received her B.A. in Theatre and French from the University of Kansas in 2008 and her Certificat de Langue et de Civilsation Françaises from the l’Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France in 2007. She recently finished working with the Hampstead Stage Company in Center Barnstead, New Hampshire where she toured New England and upstate New York performing Oliver Twist (Oliver) and A Christmas Carol (Bob Crachit). While at the University of Kansas her roles included Irina in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Maire in Brian Friel’s Translations, and Mary the Maid in Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano. She has performed in The Vagina Monologues with the February Sisters and Mighty Muddy Murder (Cordelia) and The Legend of the Spooky Switchman (Hope) with Mystery Train Productions in Kansas City. She is also a member of the improv comedy troupe Stitch Tactics. Hilary’s involvement with Buran includes Beneath the Bed (Meredith), a reading of The Death of Romance (Julie), the recent Buran performance of Buran Interviews (Justin Knudsen) at Tricklock's Reptilian Lounge in Albuquerque, NM, and co-directing The Next Great Thing.

Nick Kostner is a scenic and lighting designer based in Los Angeles. He received an M.F.A in Scenography from the University of Kansas. Nick designed the set for Nightmares.., which marked his first collaboration with the Buran. Other work includes the set design for a recent production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal at the Matrix Theatre in West Hollywood. At the University of Kansas, Nick has designed sets for The Shape of Things, Lily Plants a Garden, and sets and costumes for Translations. He designed lights for Homer's The Odyssey and the Multi-Cultural Theatre Initiative's debut production of Blue/Orange. He has also designed the lighting for Features and Colors, two musical revues to benefit the Douglas County AIDS Project. Nick also intends to work in film design, and was set dresser for the short film Trail End and a scenic painter for the feature Air.

Justin Knudsen is a theatre artist hailing from Lakeville, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 2007 with B.A. degrees in both Theatre and Literature. While at KU he appeared in productions of Guys and Dolls (Big Jules), Hay Fever (Simon Bliss), Three Sister (Solyony), The Fantasticks (Henry, The Actor), Candide (Voltaire), You Can’t Take It With You (Paul Sycamore), and George Dandin (George Dandin), among others. As well as being co-artistic director and a founding member, Justin has performed in several productions with Buran including Beneath the Bed (Paul Brown), The Next Great Thing (Brad Bradley), A Greater Release (Charlie), Nightmares… (Fuseli/Adam R. Burnett), Enormous Weight (Galo), Napoleon Exiled! (Napoleon Bonaparte), and Money Buckets! The Untold Story of FDR (Groucho Marx/FDR). Some highlights of the past few years have been acting in the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s playwriting intensive led by playwright Arthur Kopit and sharing in a production of Homer’s Odyssey which attended the RITU festival in Liege, Belgium.

Christopher Luxem is a singer/songwriter/composer originally from Topeka, KS living in Brooklyn, NY. He regularly records and performs live under the name Lord and Lady Destoyer, who can be seen demoloshing various venues throughout the five boroughs. With Buran he composed original music with Alicia Gian and performed in A Greater Release as the Faithful Troubador, composed original music for Nightmares. He was last seen in Money Buckets as Luxem, which composed original music for with Ben Leifer. He has has served as graphic designer for the Enormous Weight and Napoleon Exiled! Among his albums are his self-titled Chris Luxem and Songs For You which can be purchased on iTunes, and Asia and the Flavors, Songs for the Treehouse, and All my Friends are Flies. Asia and the Flavors is the name of a collective of musicians organized by Christopher Luxem to include as many people as possible into the world of music: black/white left/right uptown/downtown, there are no boundaries, simply flavors for the tasting. For more information e-mail him at asiaandtheflavors@gmail.com or visit his web page at:

Carlo Matos is a playwright, poet and essayist. He has had readings and productions in major cities across the country. His plays Frost Heaves Melinda and Working It/Working Out had readings at Chicago Dramatists in Chicago, IL; Amalia’s Magic Mirror had a staged reading as a part of La MaMa ETC’s New Voices Heard festival in NY; Enormous Weight had a staged reading in Lawrence, KS with Buran Theatre Company; Three Dresses had a reading at the Last Frontier Theater Conference in Valdez, AK; Locusts had a reading at the Illinois Philological Society at DePaul University; Rogues' Harbor ran for six weeks as a part of the Open Fist Theater Company's Director's festival in Los Angeles. This play also had productions at the Red Room in New York, the Fringe Festivals in Minneapolis and Seattle and the Curtain Theater at UMass Amherst. His plays No Room For Error, Still House and Dr. Mesmer Wipes the Slate Clean also had productions at various venues at the University of Massachusetts. He has also published poems, plays, book reviews, and essays in The Houston Literary Review, Radiant Turnstile, DIAGRAM, 63 Channels, Underground Window, Zaum, The Mad Hatters' Review, Kritikon Literarum, Puppetry Journal, The Explicator, Modern Drama and Origins of English Dramatic Modernism. His first book of poems entitled A School for Fishermen has recently been published by BrickHouse Books. He is also the editor of the literary journal Crawdad. He currently lives in Chicago, IL where he teaches English at the City Colleges of Chicago.

Mars Mráz is a playwright, musician, designer, and composer. Among his produced plays are The Big Come, Greek Row Tragedy, The Feather, Miserable Miranda Milvenschlager, and Dios No Eciste, En El Fin (University of New Mexico), The Savage Rose of San Atone; or, How to Become a True Western Hero (SolArts Performance Space), Bringing in the Sheeps: A Political Burlesque (Vortex Theatre), and Rosario & the Bull (ABQ Public Schools), which was published in the fall of 2009 by Heuer Publishing. The upcoming workshop production of The Cotton Plantation marks his first collaboration with Buran Theatre. Mars is a company member of Tricklock Company where he is resident scenic designer and composer. For Tricklock he has composed original music for productions of Cymbeline, Catgut Strung Violin, Melancholy Play, and Black River Falling.

Meghan Reardon is an actor/mover/schemer from Topeka, KS. Meghan received her BA in Theatre from Knox College in 2008. There she performed in thirteen of productions including Hamlet (Ophelia/Clown/Osric) for which she won the Colton Prize for Performance, Rosa & Blanca(Mother) in which she also served as Assistant Director, Vinegar Tom (Susan), The Shape of Things (Evelyn), The Baltimore Waltz (Anna), Noises Off (Brooke/Vicki), The Cradle Will Rock (Moll), and Eastern Standard (Phoebe). She was co-Director for her first Buran collaboration A Greater Release, in which she also played the role of Lucille. Meghan has studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, and has been a student of both classical and Broadway singing for the past 8 years. She currently resides in Chicago, where she has worked with The Building Stage, Signal Ensemble, The Moving Dock, Tooth and Nail Ensemble, and Chicago Dell'Arte, among others. She is a board member of Goat Song Theatre and will appear in their debut production of The Play About the Baby in the spring of 2010.

Meg Saricks is an actor and dancer from Downers Grove, Illinois. With Buran Meg has appeared in Nightmares (Mary Wollsteoncraft/Night Girl/Investigator 1), Enormous Weight (Rachel), and Napoleon Exiled! (Josephine/Cleopatra). Meg has appeared in various versions of Adam Burnetts "Chopin Cycle", including a full production The Death of Romance (Linda Wood) at the University of Kansas and a workshop staged reading of Prelude; Shores of Lake Michigan (Sara) at Dixon Place in New York City. While attending the University of Kansas Meg appeared in Keely & Du (Keely), Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Philomena Rostovich), Pippin (Giselle (lead dancer), Female Courtier), Wonderful Time (Robin, Waitress), The Noodle Doodle Box (The Drum Major), and Romeo and Juliet (Citizen, Serving woman). In the summer of 2007 she studied abroad in England where she participated in a Shakespeare Intensive with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. As a dancer Meg has performed in Magic Kingdom and Epcot Theme Park in Disney World (Orlando, Florida); Premier Cruise’s Big Red Boat; Barcelona, Sitges, Girona, and Blanes, Spain; Disneyland Paris, France and at the Festival de Sedroc in Sedroc, France- all performances with the Blonn Dance Academie. Meg is very excited to be a part of such an admirable company and hopes that there will be many exciting opportunities to come.

Lara Thomas Ducey is an actor and director from Overland Park, Kansas. In the Spring of 2008 she graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and English and moved to Los Angeles, CA. Since moving there she has appeared in SRO productions Bagage. Lara has been involved with several Buran productions including Beneath the Bed (Emma), The Sensualist (3), A Greater Release (Amy), All Men Are Whores (Lara), and Nightmares...(VAL). She served as assistant director for the Buran workshop production of Enormous Weight by Carlo Matos. At the University Theatre performance roles include The Death of Romance (Julie), Guys and Dolls (Martha), Congress of Women (Lena), Popcorn (Kirsten), and The Brides (Bridesmaid). She has assistant directed with the Univeristy Theatre's Theatre for Young People program, including Through the Looking Glass and The Odyssey which traveled to the RITU festival of Liege, Belgium in the spring of 2007. Lara has also performed with EMU Theatre in As You Like It (Hymen/Troubadour) and The February Sister's presentation of The Vagina Monologues. In May 2008 Lara presented her workshop production of Shaw's Don Juan in Hell at the University of Kansas.

VAL SMITH (Discerning Eyes)- Kansas City, MO

Val Smith is an artist from Kansas City, MO and received her fine arts degree at the University of Kansas. She began her relationship early on with Buran by attending many productions and having a lot to say about them. Val served as Assistant Director/Production Manager/Discerning Eyes for Nightmares... and reprised her role this summer for Money Buckets! As an actress she has appeared with Buran in All Men Are Whores (Val), Money Buckets! (Cute Blonde) and Buran readings of Nightmares... and Napoleon Exiled!

Nikolas Weir is a theatre and film director, born Montreal, Quebec, now spending his time between Germany and New York City. He graduated from Bennington College in 2005 with degrees with theatre and cartography. While attending Bennington he spent a semester working with Hermann Doucher and his company of actors at the Figuren von Dunklen Theater near Frankfurt, Germany. In 2007 Nikolas founded Theatre of/for the Blind and has since worked with the Figuren von Dunklen Theater on a regular basis co-directing productions of Waiting for Godot, Macbeth, and The Balcony. He is currently collaborating with Buran to create a new Theatre of/for the Blind performance piece.