Our Ensemble

Anne Bauman has loved performing in local community theatre for over twenty-five years, appearing with Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, UMGASS, Stage Presence, Ltd., Comic Opera Guild, Redbud Productions, Encore Musical Theatre Company, and The Phoenix Players (Plaza Suite,The Unexpected Guest, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, Voice ofthe Prairie).

Anne has also worked as assistant director, stage manager, and set decorator, and in the areas of marketing, board development, and fundraising while serving on Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s Board of Directors.   She is currently serving her second term on The Phoenix Players’ Board of Directors.

Anne and her husband, Dick, also enjoy performing in the lively song and dance troupe, The Choral Connection, presenting upbeat, colorful and stylized musical revues various throughout lower Michigan.  In addition, she serves as the troupe’s Marketing Director.

Randy Coble has been an actor since 1992. He has performed with many community theater groups across metro Detroit, such as the Farmington Players, Trinity Theatre, the theater programs at Schoolcraft College and at Oakland County Community College, Greenfield Village, the West Side Theatre Project, and the Grosse Pointe Theatre.

He starred as Jesse Kiplinger in the TPP season one production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite. Some of his other major roles have been: Raul in Extremities; Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird; Juror #8 in Twelve Angry Men; Jack Palmer in The Boys Next Door; Richard the Lionhearted in The Lion in Winter; Dr. Van Helsing in Dracula; Orville Wright in The Wright Brothers; and Jake Gold in Jake Gold: The Alien.

Randy works as deputy director of public information for the City government of Dearborn. He is a native Texan, and is married to the lovely, wild and wonderful Carolyn. They live in Green Oak Township and have a daughter, Reese.
Randy serves on the board of directors of TPP, and as its treasurer and business manager.

Mary Gibbs has been performing since the age of 10. After high school she took a brief hiatus to study fencing, the basis of her stage combat knowledge. She later joined the stage combat teams for the Michigan Renaissance Festival and Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire. She performs around Michigan with the Murder Mystery Players, worked a season at Genitti's Hole-in-the-Wall and has appeared in several independent short and feature films shot in the state.

She's Associate Producer and Casting Director for the fan based internet series "Star Trek: Osiris."

Diane has been working “behind the scenes” as a theatrical hairdresser for many years, beginning in Traverse City with the Traverse City Playhouse. A genius with all types of hairstyles, she is especially adept at creating period styles.

Bailey has always been interested in theater. When she joined the Phoenix Players in January, 2009, that interest became a passion.

Her first production was Queen Cinderella, where she portrayed a quick-thinking Dorothy of Oz. Bailey hopes to continue in her adventures with the Phoenix Players in upcoming plays.

Outside of acting she plays soccer, practices tae kwon do, and runs track. Bailey is a soon to be 8th grader at Millennium Middle School.

Sandy & Laura have been involved with the arts for as long as they can remember. In the past five years, they have brought their incredible artistic talents to the theatre, being set designers for a number of plays. Their “eye for style,” ability to make a “silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” and period research talents make them invaluable in any production. Sandy and Laura are both on The Phoenix Players Board of Directors.

Michelle Trame Lanzi is delighted to be a part of the Phoenix Players' Acting Ensemble.

As Company Manager of Wild Swan Theater, a professional theater company based in Ann Arbor who produces shows for family audiences, she spends her days managing the company's touring program as well as appearing in most of their productions.

In her 15 years with Wild Swan, Michelle has appeared throughout the state of Michigan in hundreds of performances - everything from Eeyore in A Honey Pot of Pooh Stories to the
Wicked Witch in Wizard of Oz. Other favorite roles include Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Muriel in Ah, Wilderness.

In addition to performing, Michelle has worked as a stage manager for the University of Michigan (where she received her degree), Virginia Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, and Spoleto Festival USA. She continues to study acting, most recently taking classes with the Purple Rose Theatre and Redbud Productions.

Michelle resides in Brighton with her husband, Greg. Together they direct their co-productions: Gabriella (10) and Sophia (4).

Anne has been in theatre since the age of 5 when she began building her stage career on a “firm foundation” by playing “sedimentary rock.” After that “rocky start,” Anne went on to make theatre an integral part of her life, dividing her time between on stage and off stage roles.

Anne has directed such shows as Plaza Suite, The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf, The Unexpected Guest, and The New Adventures of Dorothy in Oz for The Phoenix Players and Murder on the Nile, The Mousetrap, Love Letters, and Ten Little Indians with other local groups.

Although she now spends most of her time directing, Anne was seen on-stage in the final Phoenix Player's show of last season, Dilemmas With Dinner and in the past has played such parts as Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias, Liz Essendine in Present Laughter, and Florence Unger in The Odd Couple, Female Version.

Anne is the founder of The Phoenix Players and its current President. In "real" life, Anne is a professor of both theatre and law at Michigan State University.

Katie McCarty is an up-and-coming actress based out of Novi, MI.

She got her start on stage in high school, but was too shy to join an outside group until 2003 when - thankfully, she got over her jitters (mostly) and started frequenting the stage again. Some of her favorite rolls include; Kay Mostyn, an English woman with a bad taste in husbands in Murder on the Nile, the unforgettable role of Shelby Eatenton in Steel Magnolias, Laura Warwick, the classic heroine in Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest, Brooke Williams, who really did deserve that promotion in Dilemmas with Dinner, and the timeless character of Caroline (Ma) Ingalls in Voices of the Prairie.

In her free time, Katie enjoys playing with her favorite animals, Emma, Gizmo and Dutchess, updating her website (www.katietheactress.webs.com), and attending Renaissance festivals!

A versatile character actor, Tim has played a number of roles in the past few years in plays such as Arsenic & Old Lace, Ten Little Indians, Just Desserts, Mousetrap and Blithe Spirit. Tim, a member of the Board of The Phoenix Players has a degree in theatre from Eastern Michigan University.

Jarett is the “does it all” guy in The Phoenix Players. A master at comic characters, Jarett also builds sets, keeps everyone in line as the ultimate stage manager, and serves as the Business Manager for The Phoenix Players. Jarett’s on stage roles have included the wild beadseller in Murder on the Nile and the crazy “is he really a doctor?” in Heaven Can Wait.