Misery Creative

Director

David Nackman

David is thrilled to be making his Western PA directing debut with this production, having spent over 20 pre-Pittsburgh years as a director and ensemble member with NYC’s off-off-Broadway Castillo Theatre. As an actor he has appeared at The Theatre Factory in The SpongeBob Musical, Mamma Mia! and A Christmas Carol. Other local acting credits include Witness for the Prosecution, Perseverance, Frankenstein, The White Rose and the one-person play Karloff (all at Prime Stage); If/Then at Riverfront Theater Company; Oliver! at Mon River Arts; and the upcoming premiere of Three Blind Mice at Carnegie Stage. Other recent work: Claudius in an audio production of Hamlet (Food for Groundlings/Play On Words), multiple characters in a new fantasy podcast series “The Fate of Korr,” and a very bad guy in the upcoming horror film “House of Tears.” Onstage highlights from the previous century include the first national tour of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues, a stint on Broadway in Simon’s Broadway Bound (with Joan Rivers), and a summer stock production of Gemini in the late 1970s with a very young Jimmy Smits.

Assistant Director

Nathan Winney

Nathan is a transplant from Seattle, who is very happy to be working with The Theatre Factory and is absolutely thrilled that Misery is his first show with the company! Nathan recently graduated from Western Washington University where he mostly spent time in and around Plays4Us, a club dedicated to student produced short plays.

Fight Director

Michael R. Petyak

B.F.A. Musical Theater Performance, Magna Cum Laude; Shenandoah University, M.F.A. Theatre Arts (Class of 2026); University of Idaho. Fight Director credits include: Pittsburgh City Theater, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Kinetic Theatre, Prime Stage, & numerous university, high school, and other theaters in the Greater Pittsburgh Area, and around the U.S. Can most recently be seen performing stunts in Netflix's Rustin. Proud member of AEA/SAG-AFTRA/IATSE and Adjunct Professor of Theater at Seton Hill University. Thanks to David for reaching out to work on Misery and to The Theatre Factory for collaborating on this production. IMDB: Michael R. Petyak.

Costume Designer

Olivia Hartle

Olivia is a community-engaged theater artist who works and volunteers around the region as a director, designer, educator, and intimacy choreographer. She is thrilled to be working on this iconic play with such a talented cast and creative team! Her recent costume design work includes The SpongeBob Musical and Alice by Heart (both at TTF). Olivia is the associate artistic director of The Theatre Factory and she also serves on the board. Olivia earned her B.A. from St. John’s University, M.A. from New York University, and Ph.D. from Point Park.

Stage Manager

Sue Kurey

Sue returns to her “roots” as stage manager for this production. A member of the board of directors at The Theatre Factory, Sue has worked in many capacities. Thank you to family and friends (and Poe) who support her love and dedication to theatre.

Assistant Stage Manager

Matt Dudley

Matt is thrilled to be returning to The Theatre Factory after spending his summer scheming (and twerking!) as Sheldon J. Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical! An experienced actor, director, and stage manager within the Pittsburgh region, he most recently directed Once Upon A Human for the 2024 Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Previously, Matt stage managed A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol at Duquesne University, and was a stage manager for the 2023 Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Some of Matt's favorite acting credits include Ruthless! The Musical (Sylvia St. Croix), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Flute/Thisbe/Mustardseed), Mud (Lloyd), and Once Upon A Mattress (Prince Dauntless).

About the Playwright

William Goldman (Playwright) is one of the most influential and successful writers of his generation. Film credits include “Masquerade,” “Harper,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Stepford Wives,” “All the President’s Men,” “The Princess Bride” (based on his novel of the same name), “Last Action Hero,” “The General’s Daughter,” “Marathon Man” (based on his novel of the same name), and many, many others. He co-wrote two plays with brother James Goldman: BLOOD, SWEAT, AND STANLEY POOLE and A FAMILY AFFAIR. As a novelist, Goldman has penned several American classics including, but not limited to, “Soldier in the Rain” (1960), “Father’s Day” (1971), “Magic” (1976), “The Color of Light” (1984), and “The Silent Gondoliers” (1984). He has also written many articles for acclaimed publications on the topic of screenwriting and several non-fiction books, including “The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway” (1969) and “Adventures in the Screentrade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting” (1983). Awards: Academy Award, Writers Guild Award, and British Academy Award, for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969; Academy Award and Writers Guild Award, for "All the President's Men," 1976. Education: Oberlin College, Ohio, B.A. 1952; Columbia University, New York, M.A. 1956.