“Theatre is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place.” – Martha Graham

Company of Fools is a reflection of each artist who contributes to each play and project. The Company is fortunate to work with a variety of local, regional and national artists. From the vision and passion of the Company’s founder, Rusty Wilson, through the watchful eyes and diligence of the three Core Company Artists comes a creative home for these artists to explore, express and expand.

We invite you to join with us in celebrating the dynamic talents of these wonderful artists. Knowing that in the theatre, as in life, the contribution of the collective always outweighs the efforts of the individual, we express our gratitude to these artists for making our theatre richer.

company artists
artists who have been involved in more than seven productions

Andrew Alburger
Jana Arnold
Sharon Barto
Tim Black
Jon Dykstra
Anna Johnson
Danielle Kennedy
Joe Lavigne
Ted Macklin
Claudia McCain
Demi Moore
Kathy (K.O.) Ogilvie
Dennis Rexroad
Jennifer Jacoby Rush
Rich Rush
Manny Santiago
Laine Satterfield
Chad Smith
Marilyn Teitge
Robert Throckmorton
Joel Vilinsky
Debra Wagoner
Bruce Willis
Russell Simone Wilson
Genny Wynn

associated company artists
artists who have been involved in more than three productions
Lynn Allison
Rachel Abrams
Elizabeth Beasley
Ryan Capps
Michelle Carter
Mike Craig
Scott Creighton
Mac Harbaugh
Colter Hodge
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper
Ann Hoste
Glenn Hughes
Haley Johnson
Devin Kearns
Kelly Kennedy
Ann Klautsch
Page Klune
Renee Knappenberger
Christine Leslie
Noah Levin
Courtney Lloyd
Keith Moore
Karl Nordstrom
Jennifer Perry
Tyner Pesch
Courtney Ransom
Curtis Ransom
Gordon Reinhart
Jim Remeke
Keith Roark
Dan Summers
Sheila Summers
Aly Wepplo

Core Company Artists

John Glenn (Core Company Artist) is a founding member of Company of Fools with more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of professional theatre. His numerous directing credits with the Company include Violet, Side Man, Dinner with Friends, The Spitfire Grill and Rabbit Hole. Onstage he has enjoyed taking over a household as The Man who Came to Dinner, delighted audiences of all ages as The Snail with the Mail in A Year with Frog and Toad; and was a proud member of the acting ensemble for The Laramie Project. In addition, John’s gift for lighting, set and costume design has enhanced most of the Company’s shows over the past eight years. John relocated to Hailey after several years as company manager/stage manager for John Davidson in national tours of State Fair and Bully! Long recognized as a leader in regional theatre on the East Coast, John served as the artistic director of the Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. During his tenure, he not only directed acclaimed productions of a variety of diverse plays and musicals including Molly Sweeney, Once on This Island, Falsettos, and the world premiere of the Charles Strouse/Sammy Cahn musical Bojangles, but also led the organization through a capital campaign which culminated in the design and construction of a new theatre. Prior to his service for Barksdale Theatre, John spent ten years as the associate artistic director for Theatre IV, the nation’s largest touring theatre for children. John’s vast talents were tapped as he was involved in all aspects of the operation, serving as director, performer, producer and designer. During this time he also oversaw the creation of more than 20 original scripts. As a freelance artist, John’s work has been seen at LaMama ETC, Mill Mountain Theatre, James River Chamber Opera, TheatreVirginia and as a panelist for the Virginia Commission of the Arts. He was also a longtime faculty member for the School of Performing Arts in Richmond. John is currently a Board member of the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce.

R.L. Rowsey (Core Company Artist) has spent the last 30 years as both an artist and an advocate for the support of local arts organizations. R.L. has also served as musical director and conductor for many national tours, including productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Singing in the Rain, and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. He also directed several productions in the Richmond and Washington, DC areas, including Oil City Symphony at The Studio Theatre in DC and Always…Patsy Cline and The Gifts of the Magi at TheatreVirginia in Richmond. In addition to his extensive work as a vocal coach, R.L. also held teaching positions with The Studio Conservatory of DC, The Kennedy Center's Theatre for Young People, and The Columbia School of Theatrical Arts in Columbia, Maryland. He served as the associate producing artistic director at TheatreVirginia. During his tenure, he created several new programs for the Education and Outreach Department, helping to integrate music and theatre into the mainstream curriculum of Virginia's public schools. He has toured the country as the company manager for national tours of Gypsy and State Fair starring John Davidson. For three years, R.L. served as General Manager for NETworks, one of the nation's leading producers of national tours. Since moving to Idaho, R.L. has become an integral member of the local community. He is the musical director for Light on the Mountains Spiritual Center, is a member of Hailey Rotary, served as Vice President of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce, and is currently the Artistic Director for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony School of Music. In 2005, R.L. was recognized as the Sun Valley/ Ketchum Chamber of Commerce's Arts Advocate of the Year, and in 2008 he was the recipient of both the Safeco Foundation’s Community Hero Award and the Ann and Doug Christensen Humanitarian Award.

Denise Simone (Core Company Artist) ) is a founding member of Company of Fools as well as
an accomplished director, teacher, playwright and actor with more than 28 years of experience in the world of professional nonprofit theatre. Her directing credits include Collected Stories, Doubt, Frozen, Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Gift of the Magi, The Laramie Project, A Christmas Carol, Talley's Folly, Diary of a Madman, A Shayna Maidel, Graceland, Belle of Amherst and the New Voices series for Company of Fools and TheatreVirginia. As a playwright, Denise has had four plays produced in the United States. Her children's play on adoption, Me and My Families, toured for over four years and served as a recruitment tool for Virginia adoption agencies looking to match families with special needs children. Simone has taught theatre and creative writing classes in Virginia and Idaho—at Company of Fools, Richmond's School for the Performing Arts, St. Catherine's and the Henrico's Center for the Arts. Denise also created and implemented Company of Fools' innovative in-school program Stages of Wonder, now in its eleventh year. She was the creative writing teacher for the theatre component of Blaine County School District's Academy for the Arts from 2000-2003 and served as the lead teacher for the Company's facilitation of the Community School's Elementary School Theatre Program in 2003-2004. Simone is a professional actor with credits including Becca in Rabbit Hole, the title role in Hedda Gabler, Shirley in Shirley Valentine, Karen in Dinner With Friends, Gretta in James Joyce's The Dead, Terry in Side Man, May in Fool For Love starring Bruce Willis, Li'l Bit in How I Learned To Drive, and Roberta in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea for Company of Fools. She was appointed by Governor Dirk Kempthorne (and later reappointed by Governor Jim Risch) to serve as a Commissioner on the Idaho Commission on the Arts. Denise also serves on the board of directors for the Wood River Arts Alliance.