PETER ANTHONY is a multi-disciplinary theatre artist, director and designer of over a hundred
productions staged in Colorado, California, and Oregon. His work ranges from Shakespeare to
gritty contemporary drama, from grand opera to multimedia dance theatre creations. He is a
playwright and novelist, and is a member of the Dramatist Guild of America. Mr. Anthony’s
original works include a rock opera, Ruins (with Perry Sheafor) and Dreamland staged for
IMPact Theatre, Speed Of Darkness/Velocity Of Light for the Dance Connection,
and Miranda Moon for OpenStage Theatre. In 2020 he wrote and directed his film
adaptation of Macbeth, Sleep No More (produced by Factor Five Films) which was accepted
to the Black Swan International Film Festival, and the London Movie Awards. Mr. Anthony
holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from The University of California, Irvine, where
he studied with the internationally acclaimed director, Jerzy Grotowski.

JACOB OFFEN has played many roles at OpenStage Theatre & Company – actor, staff member, board member, and now director and Producing Artistic Director. Misery marks his directorial debut at OpenStage. Jacob taught Acting at the University of Houston during his tenure as an MFA candidate, and recently at the University of Northern Colorado. He designed a comprehensive curriculum rooted in Stanislavsky, Hagen, Meisner, Roy Heart and Cecily Berry, and coached actors in scene work/audition preparation. Further, Jacob has created acting, voice, and Shakespearean text workshops at the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Houston Shakespeare Festival, and for acting students of all ages. While he served as the Company Development Administrator (2011 – 2015), he produced and directed entertainment for OST&C’s spring fundraisers (Casino Royal: The Sting, Viva Las Vegas, Oceans 11, le Cirque Rouge!). He is thrilled to put his years of experience as a performer and teaching artist to work for Misery and for many future productions to come!

STEVEN DIETZ, For the ’24-25 season, Steven Dietz was once again named one of the “20 Most Produced Playwrights in America” by American Theatre Magazine. His 40-plus plays and adaptations have been seen at over 100 regional theatres, as well as off-Broadway and in 25 countries internationally. Recent premieres include new adaptations of Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton and Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, as well as the serio-comic thriller How a Boy Falls. Other recent work includes Vineland Place, Mirror Lake and Vial Man (The Apothecary’s Story). His widely-produced play Shooting Star was adapted by Dietz, Kirk Lynn and Meg Ryan into the movie What Happens Later, starring Ms. Ryan. Awards include the Steinberg New Play Citation for Bloomsday, the Kennedy Center New American Plays Award for Fiction and the Edgar Award® for Best Mystery Play for Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. He lives in Seattle and Austin. 

BRAM STOKER, Irish author Abraham “Bram” Stoker was born in Clontarf, Ireland, on November 8, 1847. He studied history, literature, mathematics, and physics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he was named University Athlete, despite a recurring illness that confined him to his bed as a child. After graduating with honors in Mathematics, Stoker began working as a civil servant in Dublin Castle. During his eight years there, he published short stories, including “The Crystal Cup” and “The Chain of Destiny,” and worked as a critic for Dublin’s “Evening Mail” and as an editor of “The Irish Echo.” In 1878, Stoker moved to London with his wife after Sir Henry Irving offered him the position of business manager at his Lyceum Theatre. In London, Stoker published his first book, “Under the Sunset” (1882), a collection of fairy tales, and in 1890 he published his first novel, “The Snake’s Pass.” He began researching for “Dracula” the same year, and in 1897, it was published. The novel brought Stoker international acclaim and has since been adapted numerous times for the stage and the screen. Stoker continued to write until his death in 1912. His other works include “The Jewel of Seven Stars,” “Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving,” and “The Lair of the White Worm.”