STAFF BIOS
J. W. Brewer
Artistic Director
J. W. Brewer was educated at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama where he earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Drama. Selected directing credits include Sirens and Superheroes for the Kansas City Fringe, All the Smart Choices during the Abbie Hoffman Died for Our Sins Festival in Chicago, and A Canterbury Journey with Zoot Theater Company. He also served as the assistant director for The Oresteia Project in Pittsburgh, which was listed as one of the Top Ten Theatrical Productions of the Decade by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. As a writer, his plays have been seen in Dayton, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Orlando FL, and Chicago IL. He was a co-writer on the film Body, which won Honorable Mention at the Metropolitan Film Festival of NYC as well as the Gold Award in Narrative Film at the California Film Awards. He enjoys making lists and laughing manically in the dark.
Elyse Dawson
Director of
Development
Elyse Dawson is a Theatre Artist from Dayton, Ohio. After earning a B.F.A. in Acting from Wright State University, Elyse made Chicago her home. During her residency in Ohio, Elyse earned 3 DayTony Awards of Merit and played a range of roles from Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie to Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She has performed with ensembles such as Babes With Blades, The Human Race Theatre Company, and The Jest Murder Mystery Company. Besides her work with R&C, she was last seen in the world premiere of 3HALOS[beta] and Bare Knuckle Productions' all-female Reservoir Dogs. Along with directorial and marketing roles on various productions, Elyse has also contributed to In Our Words and her own horror blog, American Psychette.
Mike Danovich
Director of
New Media
Mike Danovich is a Chicago-based actor/singer/dancer. After graduating from Columbia College with his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theatre Performance, Mike has been relentlessly pursuing his passion for theatre. He has been extremely fortunate to work with some wonderful Chicago theaters including Theatre At The Center, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Commedia Beauregard, Light Opera Works, Geopolis Theatre Company, and Village Players. He is excited to begin his new journey with The Rum & Coke Collective.
Jeff Newman
Associate Artistic
Director
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wright State University's Professional Actor Training Program in Dayton, OH. He also wrote and starred in an original one person show Sirens and Superheroes for the Kansas City Fringe Festival. The production was asked back for an extended weekend of performances known as the Fringe Hangover. In 2011, Jeff moved to Chicago, where he recently produced and performed an original one person show All The Smart Choices as part of the Mary Arrchie Theatre Company's 24th annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. Jeff has performed with the Emerald City Theatre Company, Hootenanny Productions, The Windy City Players, The Human Race Theatre Company, The Jest Murder Mystery Company, Higher Floor Entertainment, and The Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Jeff’s writing can also be found online in his weekly blog: A Year With My Beard
Jared West
Managing Director
Jared is the only member of the team without a college degree, proving that you don’t have be really smart to get a job. Credits include Never the Sinner, West Side Story, And Then There Were None, and A Canterbury Journey. Jared also starred in an original musical called Alpha Male, and made an appearance in The Dining Room, earning a Daytony award for Acting Ensemble. Jared then got the call to become a wizard (that’s right, a wizard), showing up at Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter as a student of the Durmstrang Acadamy of Magic. After appearing onstage around Dayton, OH, and Orlando, FL, and mastering his wizardry skills, Jared happily signed on as Managing Director for Rum and Coke, appearing onstage as well when they let him off his leash. Jared enjoys long walks on the beach and being curled up next to a fire with a good book, and he hopes you’ve enjoyed reading about how great he is as much as he enjoyed writing about it.