ARTISTS
The actors whose work has helped define and elevate Ruth Stage.
SONOYA
MIZUNO
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Born in Tokyo and trained at the prestigious Royal Ballet School, Sonoya Mizuno is a rare artist who moves between dance, modeling and acting with effortless grace and has become one of the most magnetic presences on screen today. A five-time collaborator with visionary director Alex Garland, she broke out as Kyoko in the Oscar-nominated Ex Machina, then starred opposite Natalie Portman in Annihilation and carried the lead in the critically acclaimed FX miniseries Devs, earning a Critics' Choice Television nomination. On HBO, she currently plays the enigmatic and power-shifting Lady Mysaria in House of the Dragon, one of the most talked-about roles in television. Her film credits also include La La Land, Crazy Rich Asians and the 2024 war drama Civil War. A model for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen, Mizuno is the definition of a modern-day polymath.
In 2022, Sonoya brought her signature ethereal grace to the role of Maggie in our trailblazing Off-Broadway premiere of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
CHRISTIAN JULES
LEBLANC
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A three-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning actor and twelve-time nominee, Christian Jules LeBlanc is one of the most iconic and enduring performers in American television. A Tulane graduate, LeBlanc first made waves on As the World Turns opposite a then-unknown Marisa Tomei, before landing the role that would define his career, attorney Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless, a role he has inhabited for over 25 years, earning Emmy wins in 2005, 2007, and 2009. Beyond acting, he is also an award-winning visual artist with work displayed in galleries across Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.
Christian reinvented the role of Big Daddy in our groundbreaking 2022 Off-Broadway premiere of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with a performance so commanding that the prestigious Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans personally invited Ruth Stage to resurrect elements of the production, where Christian reprised the role to thunderous acclaim. In Asbury Park, LeBlanc delivered an equally electrifying turn as Peter in both The Zoo Story and At Home at the Zoo.
COURTNEY
HENGGELER
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A natural-born performer with over two decades in the industry, Courtney Henggeler is one of those rare talents who turns every role, big or small, into something utterly unforgettable. A New Jersey native, Henggeler became a beloved fixture on television as the fan-favorite Amanda LaRusso across all six seasons of Netflix's massive hit Cobra Kai - a show that earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series: starring opposite Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. She also became a pop-culture icon as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister on The Big Bang Theory and recurred on CBS's Mom opposite Anna Faris and Allison Janney. On the big screen, she was personally cast by George Clooney in The Boys in the Boat and has appeared in Friends with Benefits alongside Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, and Tyler Perry's Nobody's Fool.
Courtney brought the role of Maggie the Cat to life in our 2023 Off-Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, delivering a sizzling, undeniably sexy performance that was nothing short of perfect. Henggeler embodied every ounce of Maggie's fire, seduction and raw vulnerability in a way that had the theatre world completely captivated from the first moment she stepped on stage.
AUSTIN
PENDLETON
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Austin Pendleton is a true titan of the American stage and screen - the quintessential “Renaissance Man of the American Theatre,” a distinction officially bestowed on him by the Drama Desk Association. Hand-picked by Jerome Robbins to originate the role of Motel the Tailor in the Broadway premiere of Fiddler on the Roof, Pendleton emerged early as a defining artistic force and never relinquished that position. A Tony Award–nominated director (The Little Foxes, starring Elizabeth Taylor), Obie and Drama Desk Award winner and legendary member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, his theatrical legacy spans generations, from The Diary of Anne Frank and Uncle Vanya to contemporary landmarks such as The Minutes. On screen, his extraordinary body of work includes nearly 300 film and television credits, with iconic performances in What’s Up, Doc?, My Cousin Vinny and A Beautiful Mind, the latter earning him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, as well as voicing Gurgle in Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Actor. Director. Playwright. Mentor. Icon.
With Ruth Stage, Pendleton has brought his full artistic authority to the company, directing and starring as Henry VI in Wars of the Roses, co-directing our Off-Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie and appearing as Doc Baugh in the 2022 Off-Broadway premiere of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
ALISON
FRASER
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A two-time Tony Award nominee and one of the most celebrated voices in American musical theater, Alison Fraser is a legend in every sense of the word. Originating the role of Martha in the Broadway hit The Secret Garden and delivering a dazzling dual performance as Josefine and Monica in Romance/Romance (both earning Tony nominations), Fraser established herself early as one of Broadway's most versatile and magnetic performers. The first-ever recipient of Philadelphia's prestigious Barrymore Award for Best Actress, she has also starred opposite Patti LuPone in Gypsy, toured nationally as Madame Morrible in Wicked and originated roles opposite Nathan Lane and Marion Seldes in Terrence McNally's Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams. A Carbonell Award winner, Drama Desk nominee and Lucille Lortel nominee, Fraser has performed at Carnegie Hall, The White House, Fenway Park and Joe's Pub. She also starred opposite Shirley Knight in the world premiere of Tennessee Williams' final play, In Masks Outrageous and Austere.
Alison stunned New York City as Big Mama in both of our Cat on a Hot Tin Roof productions - bringing a depth, fierceness and undeniable presence to the stage that left audiences breathless.
FRED
WELLER
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A Juilliard-trained powerhouse with eight principal Broadway roles to his name, Fred Weller is one of the most commanding and versatile actors working in American theater today. He burst onto the scene originating the role of Shane Mungitt in the Tony Award-winning Take Me Out with a performance that became one of the most talked-about moments in modern Broadway history. Since then, Weller has earned a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble in the revival of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and an Obie Award for Best Ensemble for Curtains, while also originating the role of Bob Ewell in the nine-Tony-nominated To Kill a Mockingbird. On screen, he's best known for his five-season run as U.S. Marshal Marshall Mann in In Plain Sight and has appeared in Spike Lee's Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman and Steven Soderbergh's HBO series Mosaic opposite Sharon Stone.
Fred brought his trademark commanding presence to the role of Big Daddy in our 2023 Off-Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, delivering a towering performance that had audiences on the edge of their seats.
ANA
ISABELLE
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A force across stage, screen, and music, Ana Isabelle is one of the most dynamic and versatile Latina performers working today. The Puerto Rican-born powerhouse first rose to fame as the winner of Univision's ¡Viva el Sueño!, where she was crowned Latin Music Rising Star by over 30 million viewers. From there, Steven Spielberg personally cast her as Rosalia in his West Side Story, an Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning film that cemented her place in Hollywood history. A two-time Broadway World Regional Award winner for Best Actress, Isabelle has commanded the stage as Eva Perón in Evita and Anita in West Side Story as well as Vanessa in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights – performed on the stages of her native Puerto Rico. On screen, she has also starred alongside Al Pacino in Killing Castro and Laurence Fishburne in Imprisoned.
Ana brought the role of Elizabeth to life in our 2023 Off-Broadway production of Lone Star, delivering a performance that went far beyond the page, reimagining the character entirely while also singing on stage and weaving in original music of her own.
THEO
DEVANEY
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Trained at the prestigious Oxford School of Drama, Theo Devaney is a versatile and deeply compelling British actor whose career has taken him from the grand stages of London to the biggest screens in Hollywood. After spending eight years mastering his craft in British theatre, including running his own company, Devaney made a seamless leap to screen, landing roles in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb as Lord Nelson, the beloved Simon across all three of Netflix's A Christmas Prince trilogy alongside Rose McIver and Gavin MacLeod in the cult-classic Supernatural. In 2024, he stepped into the prestige television arena, playing Peter Sellers in Ryan Murphy's acclaimed Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and appearing in American Sports Story. He's also the voice of Sherlock Holmes in the hit Crunchyroll anime Moriarty the Patriot. Beyond acting, Devaney is a respected acting coach and founder of the Theo Devaney Acting Studio in New Jersey: proof that his passion for the craft runs deeper than any single role.
Theo brought his razor-sharp directorial eye to both The Zoo Story and At Home at the Zoo for Ruth Stage in Asbury Park and the results were nothing short of royal. His visionary handling of Edward Albee's raw, provocative material left audiences shaken and gutted, cementing his place as one of the most gifted directors to ever helm a Ruth Stage production.
NANCY
LEMENAGER
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A powerhouse dancer-turned-actress, Nancy Lemenager has starred in some of the most iconic musicals on Broadway including Kiss Me, Kate, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Guys and Dolls, Movin' Out and Chicago while also stepping into dramatic roles that showcase her incredible range as an actress. At Lincoln Center, she was featured in the world premiere of Sarah Ruhl's How to Transcend a Happy Marriage alongside Marisa Tomei and in McNeal opposite Robert Downey Jr. A Helen Hayes Award-nominated actress, Lemenager has also graced film and television screens alongside some of the sharpest writers in the business with credits spanning Ocean's 8, The First Purge, Jessica Jones, 30 Rock and Law & Order.
Under the salty breeze of Asbury Park, Nancy dazzled Jersey Shore audiences with her electrifying portrayal of Ann in Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo; a Ruth Stage production that reminded everyone exactly why she's one of the most sought-after talents in the theatre industry today.