Non-State Actors is a laboratory for creating risky performances that are entirely new, devised, and local. Shannon Knapp (Artistic Director) is a Western PA native who has been making theatre in Pittsburgh since 2008. She works as Volunteer Coordinator for Throughline Theatre ([email protected]) and the Production Manager for folkLab: in our voices ([email protected]). Selected
credits include The Grand Duke (Assistant Director, Pittsburgh Savoyards) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Sound Design Assistant, Pittsburgh Public), Belfast Girls (Sound Designer, Ghostlight Theatre), Cloud 9 (Sound Designer, Throughline Theatre), In the Next Room (Assistant Director, Throughline Theatre), Ciara (Assistant Director, Quantum Theatre), How the Other Half Loves (Dramaturg, PICT), Measure for Measure (Creator/Director, Cincinnati Fringe), (Creator/Director, Pittsburgh Fringe), Iphigenia & Other Daughters (Director, Alarum Theatre), Waking Dream (Director, Between Us Productions). This summer she will be directing Ubu Roi for Throughline, sound designing for 12 Peers, and assisting for Quantum. Brian Pope (Literary Director) is a Philadelphia-born and Pittsburgh-based playwright and theatre critic. His plays “Paper Trail” and “The Elephant Walk”have been produced by Pittsburgh Playwright Theater (11th Annual Festival in Black and White, Winner—Best Play Silver), Yinz Like Plays?! (Pittsburgh Original Short Play Series), and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (Variety Hour: Multiple Choice Locally Sourced). His work has also been seen as assistant director ( ), stage manager (Alarum Theatre), co-lyricist (MTAP), and English Writing/Theatre Arts student (University of Pittsburgh). Currently, you can read his coverage of pop culture and local theatre at (Pop) Culturally Informed https://popculturallyinformed.com/ and Pittsburgh in the Round http://www.pghintheround.com/
Joanna Getting (Managing Director) is a Pittsburgh native and third generation University of Pittsburgh graduate. Her theatrical endeavors include turns as actor, director, playwright, co-deviser, costume designer, dialect coach, fight captain, and stage combat choreographer. During her studies at Pitt, Joanna earned recommended passes in unarmed and knife from the Society of American Fight Directors. Her honors include nomination for Best Actress in the New York City Take Ten Play Festival. In 2018, she became a company member of The New Renaissance Theatre Company, which produces Pittsburgh’s Unrehearsed Shakespeare Project. One of Joanna’s biggest weaknesses is Shakespeare, so accordingly many of her favorite roles have been as Shakespeare’s men, including Falstaff in Merry Wives of Windsor and Gloucester in King Lear. Matthew Russak (Marketing Director) often performs as Matt w/2 t's, singing at drag queens. Their original music was featured in Throughline Theatre’s In the Next Room, or, the Vi****or Play. They also co-wrote with Shannon for the 2015 Pittsburgh Fringe, and their play Waking Dream was selected to appear in Between Us Productions’ 2014 new play festival. Favorite acting roles include: B (Crave, Alarum Theatre), Carl (Cleansed, PittREP), and Lucio (Measure for Measure, Cincinatti Fringe). They also greatly enjoyed devising and performing Saudade: a Senseplay with Alarum Theatre. Film credits include: Out Goes She (makeup effects, Ramming Speed), Knife Bricker: the Brickening (soundtrack, Ramming Speed).
