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Cast & Crew

Daniel A. Hancock - Producer/Director

Daniel has been writing and directing plays since the backyard days of childhood and has been the 'Fearless Leader' of Bible Actors since it's inception in 1998. Throughout the years Daniel has found himself assuming many roles and becoming many things. Producer, Writer, and Director just barely scratch the surface of all that he does. Confidant, Brother, Best Friend, and Dog Owner are just a few things. With Chaos and Sanity in a precarious balance all around him it is a wonder that this man is healthy and wise. Directing, teaching, and leading the Bible Actors...yeah...have you met the Bible Actors? This dude is definitely a force to be reckoned with!

 

Daniel is the creator of fourteen productions, some of which are his retellings of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Henry VanDyke's The Other Wiseman, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Other productions include Bible Actors' allegorical epic, Your Kingdom Come as  well as the audio drama End of Darkness which is now in production.

In 2008-09 Daniel and his co-composer Rich Freeland, organized a 60 person symphonic orchestra to record an original score for End of Darkness.

Last year Daniel continued writing and teaching Combustion, an intensive  eighteen-week Bible study. He also assisted his co-writer Matthew Thomas in the development of the All the World's a Stage acting program.

Daniel is currently producing five music projects out of Breaking Light Studios and is thrilled to be working with recording artists and writers such as Ethan Sims, Elizabeth Walker, Jon Coller, and Miguel Sanchez.

 

This year Daniel looks forward to the completion of Bible Actors' audio drama End of Darkness as well as the completion of several new productions.

Along with producing and directing, Daniel, or shall we say 'Mr. Hancock', teaches classes in theater, speech, creative writing, and film making in local schools. He lives in Lansing with his wife Vanessa, their cat Sugar, and their dog Zorro (the hero of California).

 

Vanessa Hancock - Costume Designer

Being in a group like Bible Actors is a challenging thing. Being the guy who's leading that group is even more challenging. Being the wife of the guy thats leading a group like Bible Actors is most challenging. And yet Vanessa has proven herself to be up to the challenge! Since her arrival in Lansing in 2005, Vanessa has undoubtedly wondered ‘Why God, why Michigan?’ As a transplanted Californian, Vanessa is to be commended for making the best of her situation…though cranking that heat up in the winter (and sometimes in the summer) isn’t always the answer. Vanessa has worked behind the scenes in many different roles. She began as a Lighting Technician, then moved on to Make Up Artist, and finnally settled in as Costume Designer! Vanessa has appeared on stage as a musician, dancer, and actress! Her stage credits include Lady Tirza in Your Kingdom Come, Scrooge's sister Fan in A Christmas Carol, and the Persian princess Shamir in The Other Wiseman. Also, her introduction of homemade west-coast Mexican food to the group has been…spicy.

 

Matthew R. Thomas - Assistant Director

Matthew joined the Bible Actors family when he was sixteen years old and has since involved himself in many aspects of the group. Fancying himself to be a bit of a 'witty' writer he has assisted Daniel in script writing. (Matthew also wrote these biographies...yes, even his own.) He is the co-writer of A Christmas Carol, Your Kingdom Come, End of Darkness, and others. He has also worked as a dance choreographer, acting coach, and assistant director. Matt has played many roles in his ten-plus years with Bible Actors including, Simon in The Bronze Bow, Prince Callum in Your Kingdom Come, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, and Orantes in The Other Wiseman. Matt recently developed an eight-week acting curriculum titled All the Worlds a Stage. After completing his third year at Lansing Community College as a theater major, Matt transfered to Morning Star University in South Carolina where he contiunes to act, teach and direct!

 

Jason M. Kuepfer - Technical Director/Worship

Jason has been the Technical Director for Bible Actors since...forever

(well since 1999). He is the Master of turning our low budjet productions into state-of-the-art multi-media presentations! Jason's adventerous and

at times eccentric personality bring a lot of ...character to the team. But his enthusiasm and perserverance are irreplacable! Jason has been one of the creative forces behind such awesome special effects as Prince Callum's Light, the Ghosts of Christmas, and the shipwreck in The Other Wiseman. He has also assisted in set construction, soundtrack recording, camera operation, video editing, and more. But Jason isn't just a techie! He has played many role on stage as well, including Artraus in Your Kingdom Come, and Mr. Fezziwig and in A Christmas Carol. A musician as well, Jason uses his talents in piano and vocals to lead our musical worship team. When he's not on the latest Bible Actors set the best place to look for him is in his

car, listening to Elvis at FULL BLAST while sound asleep.

 

Ann Kuepfer - Make Up Artist

We all thought Jason was a one-of-a-kind creature...then we met Ann.

With Jason's crazy antics and Ann's mega-watt energy level, the two make a perfect team. Ann joined Bible Actors in 2007 and quickly moved into her current position directing our Make Up department and making us all look beautiful! But she's not just a behind the scene type of gal, she has performed on stage in such roles as Hannah in The Other Wiseman, Mrs. Dilbur in A Christmas Carol, and Nemrott #3 in Your Kingdom Come.

 

Richard Freeland - Studio/Music Director

Rich joined Bible Actors as a drummer for the band during the Passionate Tour in 2004. He was strictly there to ROCK and had no intention of acting. However, in 2005, with no prior experience, Rich took on the role of Bob Cratchit and surprised us all! But his true transformation began when he chilled audeinces with his ominous portrayal of Aidan the rebel, in Your Kingdom Come. Rich played the title role in the recent revival of Bible Actors' The Mediator, and moved audiences to tears with his heartfelt performance as Artaban in The Other Wiseman.

Meanwhile, Rich's true passion flourishes with the continual growth of Breaking Light Music. As Studio Director and Audio Engineer, Rich oversees the studio's staff and schedule, and works closely with the producer and artists in the development and production of albums.

Rich took on an entirely new challenge as one of the composers and the conductor of the End of Darkness Soundtrack.The original score was recorded by a 60 person symphonic orchestra in 2008-09.

Outside of Bible Actors, Rich works as a Service Technician for Aimco Inc. He and his wife, Lauire, are approaching their fourth aniversarry and have recently added a new memeber to our team, their awesome baby, Landon!

 

Laurie Freeland - Accountant

Laurie came to Bible Actors in 2004 with a passion for God and a gifting in Sign Language. Since then Laurie has greatly expanded her talents! Actress, Dancer, Singer, and Violinist, just to name a few. Also passionate about organization, Laurie graduated from Cornerstone University in 2008 with a degree in Business Management. She puts her education to use crunching numbers as Bible Actors' Accountant. She has commanded the stage as the Nari Warrior Sortira in Your Kingdom Come, told Mr. Scrooge off as Emily Cratchit, and gracefully captivated audiences with a powerful performance in Deliver Me! Laurie consistantly lights up the stage, but we have never seen her so radiant as in her role of mother to little baby Landon!

 

Michael Fields - Intercessor/Worship

At first glance Mike seems a little bit on the crazy side, and then you get

to know him and realize that he actually is. As one of the developers of the Bible Actors Prayer and Worship ministry, Mike has got to be crazy-in-love with the Lord! When Mike isn’t telling people 'that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand' he can be found with any kind of musical instrument that his 'Lebalion' (Lebanese/Italian) hands can get hold of! Mike's genuine sincerity and love for God and others has been a continual source of strength for Bible Actors...and that's probably the reason we endure his crazy shenanigans.

Lisa Frazee - Team Coordinator/Props

As part of the original cast of the first Bible Actors show Lisa has truly been here from the start (see 1998 cast picture). Lisa has been our Team Coordinator and Props Director since 2007 and has performed in many roles since her stage debut as Crying Girl #2 back in '98. She played Nidaya in Your Kingdom Come, the Charwoman in A Christmas Carol, and multiple roles in The Other Wiseman. In 2008 Lisa journeyed to the African country of Benin, where she spent several months serving in a medical clinic.

In December of 2010, Lisa graduated from LCC's Nursing Program and is now a Registered Nurse working in Lansing.

 

 

Levi Arritt

Levi has played several roles since he joined Bible Actors in 2004 and has also assisted greatly in the techincal department. He was most recently cast as Ekron and the wise old Rabbi in Bible Actors' The Other Wiseman.

Sarah Rhodes

Sarah has been a technical assistant in Bible Actors since 2007. She graduated from New Covenant Christian School in 2009 and began working toward her degree in  Mathematics for Secondary Education at Michigan Tech.

Brent Langenberg

Brent joined Bible Actors in 2006 and took on the challenging and contrasting roles of Dryston and Doctor Edik in Your Kingdom Come. Since then he has acted in many productions as well as assisted with set construc-

tion and management.

Miguel Sanchez (Lito)

Miguel joined Bible Actors and signed on to Breaking Light Records in 2008. In his first production Miguel took the lead role of Young Ebenezer Scrooge and has since played many other roles including the dashing Roman Centurion in The Other Wiseman. Outside of Bible Actors and Breaking Light, Miguel works as a camp counselor at Woldumar Nature Center and is the friendliest waiter at the West-side Cracker Barrel.

Christine Landers

Christine joined the cast in 2008 as Belle in A Christmas Carol. She has also assisted as a make up artist and has recorded as a guest vocalist with Miguel Sanchez (Lito). Christine recently played the role of Lisel VanTrapp in HPA's production of The Sound of Music, and has performed in several other productions including Creed of Gold (a film by Crystal Creek Media, coming soon).

Ryan Sobleskey

Ryan joined Bible Actors in 2008 delivering a moving performance as the Doctor

in A Christmas Carol. He

later took on the role of Adam in The Mediator        and most recently, Jachin in The Other Wiseman. He

has been a member of New Covenant Christian Church for many years, assisting in the children's and youth ministries there. He proudly carries the title of Iron Man!

John Hattrem

John joined Bible Actors in 2009 and took on the role of Boaz in The Other Wiseman. Along with acting, John has assisted on our technical crew during live tours and has also worked as an audio engineer in the studio.

John has recently picked up guitar and frequently jams with the Breaking Light guys. He enjoys reading books, shooting guns, and taking long walks in the rain.  ...?

Ethan Sims

Ethan joined the cast in 2008 as the Chimneysweep in A Christmas Carol. He

was then cast in The Other Wiseman and at the young age of sixteen delivered powerful performances as Lord Abgarus and the Tribune Caius Aquilus. He recently signed on to Breaking Light Records and

is now in the studio recording his CD... No, I

mean it...he's probably in there right now... We can't get him to leave. Ethan's album, Another Chance will be available soon!

Kevin VanDerhoof

Kevin joined the team in 2007 and was cast as

Aneirin in Your Kingdom Come. He assisted with

set and stage management,

and now offers valuable advice as a Business Consultant. He and (his

fellow Bible Actor) Rebekah, were married last June.

Rebekah VanDerhoof

Rebekah joined Bible Actors in 2007 (where she met

the man of her dreams). She played multiple roles

in Your Kingdom Come

and other prductions and returned to the limelight

in 2009-10 as Judith in

The Other Wiseman.

Laura Richards

Laura, along with her twin sister Rebekah, came to Bible Actors in 2007 and was cast in Your Kingdom Come. Laura performed as an actress and dancer in The Mediator Tour, and played french horn for the End of Darkness Soundtrack.

Jennifer Zumbaugh

Jennifer joined the team in 2006 and played Talia in Your Kingdom Come. Throughout the years she has performed in many small roles and has been an incredible help behind the scenes. In 2009 Jennifer took a life-changing trip to China to work with young children for several months. She is currently studying at LCC to become a Sign Language Interpreter.

Josie Sims

Josie joined her brother, Ethan, on the team in 2009 and has performed in The Other Wiseman and The Mediator. At age 15 she was the youngest member of our team to participate in All the World's a Stage last year. It was awesome to watch her acting skills increase!

Maina Gachugu

Maina came to Bible Actors in 2008 as a Camera Operator and since then has been roped into just about everything. Whether it be running tech, moving sets, or being forced into a costume and thrust out on stage, Maina is always willing to help out!

RJ Hatt

RJ has been shredding the electric guitar with Bible Actors since 2004. He is one of two remaining original members of Breaking Light and one of the minds behind the themes for the End of Darkness score. He helped build our studio from the ground up! Outside of Bible Actors, RJ works at Liquid Web, where he wakes up every morning to turn on

the internet. He and his photo-snapping wife, Jen, are always around to help!
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