ada lovelace: Bride of science
Dramatis personae
Ada Lovelace……Gabi Jones
Lady Anabella Milbanke, etc……Tara Lucchino
Lord Byron, etc……Derek Lee Miller
Mary Summerville, etc……Victoria Pyan
Charles Babbage, etc……David Tufford
Playwright…..Nissa Nordland
Director…..Josh Cragun
Stage Manager…..Alyssa Thompson
Scenic Design…..Ursula K. Bowden
Costume Design…..Krista J. Weiss
Lighting Design…..Jackson Funke
Sound Design…..Forest Godfrey
Property Design…..Corinna Troth
The production runs 120 minutes in two acts.
Biographies
Ursula K Bowden (she/her) is a freelance set and properties designer and scenic charge in the Upper Midwest. A BFA Technical Theater and Theatrical Design degree holder from Drake University, Bowden has done about ~30 shows with nimbus. Her work has also been seen in various incarnations on the stages of History Theatre, Park Square Theater, Theatre Pro Rata, Swandive Theatre, Open Door Community Theatre, Freshwater Theatre, Theatre Unbound, Frank Theatre, Theatre Latte Da, the Guthrie Theater, among others. She also works as the properties coordinator for the University of Minnesota here in the Twin Cities, putting props in the mainstage shows and teaching Intro to Properties. Ursula’s eye for detail was featured in American Theatre Magazine in 2014 for her scenic design for Swandive Theatre’s An Outopia for Pigeons. She loves Northern Light hunting and making costumes with her kids.
Josh Cragun (he/him) is a writer who fell into the company of theater artists at a young and impressionable age, and fortunately, has never been quite the same. This led to a series of questionable decisions, one of which took place in 2001 when he formed nimbus with a fellow writer known as Cockroach. He has been creating new theater with the company ever since, with a focus on evolving the company’s approach to the collaborative creation of original work. In that time he has served as playwright for thirteen original works of theater for the company. In addition he has directed, as well as designed video, costumes, properties and sets for the company over the years. In one way or another, he has contributed to all of the company’s productions.
Jackson Funke (Lighting Designer, he/him) DANCE: Ate9 Dance Company (Off to a Good Start); Heidi Duckler Dance (Body of the People); Sharon Disney Lund Dance Theater (Night of the Falling Stars, Light As A Feather, Sleepless Until I Die, BANG!, Skin Tag, An Evening Of Minor Inconveniences, Echoes From The Uterus); Playdō Community (Out There) THEATRE: Third Space Theater (Plano); Duluth Playhouse (Legally Blonde: The Musical); Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Replay, 4.48 Psychosis); Odyssey Theatre Ensemble (Stalin’s Master Class, Elephant Shavings, The Pitch, BEFOK); Playhouse on Park (Bandstand, Pippin (Broadway World Regional Award)); Newfangled Theatre Company (PRIMAL, Liquid Light Show); Jackdonkey Productions (Henry V, Dock Work) MUSIC: Assistant Lighting Design for Brandi Carlile’s The Human Tour (2026) OPERA: Lighting Director for The Comet / Poppea National Tour w/ The Industry jacksonfunke.com @jackson.funkelx
Forest Godfrey (he/him) is a 1999 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and has been a freelance sound designer in the Twin Cities ever since. He is excited to be back for his third show at nimbus having previously worked on The Red and the Bright and In the Age of Paint and Bone. Other selected credits: Crime and Punishment, (Open Window Theatre); The Birds, A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Carol, The Haunting of Hill House (TheatreX); Striking 12 (MMT); Rogue Prince, Tempest, Marisol (Theatre Coup d’Etat); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Theatre Uncorked); The Tempest, Goodnight Desdemona/Good Morning Juliet (Lakeshore Players Theater); It’s an Honorable Life, Klingon Christmas Carol (The Mound Theater); Yellow Fever (Theatre Mu/Guthrie); and 50+ productions with The Chameleon Theatre Circle. Paramount Home Video: “To Be or Not To Be: Klingons and Shakespeare” (released on Star Trek VI BluRay as Bonus Feature).
Gabi Jones (she/her) is a Minnesota-born, Illinois-based performer with a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University. You may have seen her onstage recently at Open Window Theatre, Full Circle Theatre Company, Lyric Arts, Lakeshore Players, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, or Long Beach Playhouse. During the day, she works as a vintage fashion content creator known as @Gabis_Vintage on social media, telling stories of her grandma’s 800+ vintage collection and her debut book, “How to Dress Vintage” was published in August! Gabi-Jones.com
Tara Lucchino (she/her) is a theatre artist, vocalist and musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tara graduated from Penn State University with a theatre degree and after various gigs found her way to the Twin Cities in 2009.
Tara is thrilled to be back with nimbus and diving into the fascinating and brilliant life of Ada Lovelace with such a talented cast and creative team. Other local theatre credits include Special When Lit, Sheep Theater, Mermaid Productions, Freshwater Theatre, Theatre in the Round, 20% Theatre Company, Theatre Unbound, Pioneer Place on Fifth and Chameleon Theatre Circle. As a company member of Sheep Theater, Tara was a recipient of City Pages’ 2018 “Best Theater Troupe,” and has participated in many Fringe Festival productions and Twin Cities Horror Festival productions in recent years.
Derek Lee Miller (he/him) is an actor, writer, designer, puppeteer and musician based in Minneapolis. Originally from Illinois, he graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Millikin University, and then landed in the Twin Cities in 2003. In that time, he worked on and off-stage with many Twin Cities companies. Derek is a founding ensemble member of Transatlantic Love Affair, the former Artistic Director of Sandbox Theatre, and a frequent collaborator with The Winding Sheet Outfit, and he has performed at the Minnesota Fringe Festival every year for 21 years in a row. He has also produced several one-person shows as The Miller Conspiracy. He was last on stage at the Twin Cities Horror Festival with his original play, Bay Creek. Coming up next, he will be debuting a brand-new one-person show, The Daughters of Muirne at the Green Bay Fringe Festival, performing Bay Creek at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and making some music for The Winding Sheet Outfit's upcoming show A Confluence of Magical Arseholes.
Nissa Nordland (she/her) is an actor, writer, producer and musician in the Twin Cities. She is the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Horror Festival; produces new original work as Special When Lit; company member of Theatre Pro Rata; member of the Playwright's Cabal and an alum mainstage cast member/writer of the Brave New Workshop. She's previously been in three nimbus productions: Tesla, The Ghost Sonata and The Kalevala. She's also had the pleasure of working with The Mystery Cafe, Four Humors, The Winding Sheet Outfit, Wayward Theatre Company, Dangerous Productions, Theatre Unbound, HUGE Improv Theatre, Aethem Theatre, Classical Actors Ensemble, Fortune's Fool Theatre, Artistry, Ghoulish Delights, Theatre in the Round, and Lyric Arts. Nissa is represented by Ruggiero Models and Talent as on-camera talent. Additionally, she played TinaCorn on Noodle Pie Island and Fiona in the Theatre People web series. UPCOMING: Nissa is co-teaching with Sam Landman “Playwriting: One-Acts & Beyond” for Lakeshore Player’s Theatre this April, and acting in Theatre Pro Rata’s Fefu and Her Friends, May 11-28. Special When Lit will present BURY THE LEADS, Nordland and Landman’s long form improv duo, at Green Bay Fringe and Minnesota Fringe. Additionally, she hopes you will attend Twin Cities Horror Festival XV running October 16-31 at the Crane Theater.
Victoria Pyan (she/her) is a theatre artist based in The Twin Cities. Victoria graduated from the University of MN Morris and University College of Dublin where she studied theatre and history.
Victoria is excited to be making her nimbus debut with the fascinating life of Ada Lovelace. You may have seen Victoria on stage with the Improv Movement Project, Oncoming Productions, Murder of Crones Productions, Girl Friday Productions, Market Garden Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, Freshwater Theatre, Theatre Unbound and Frank Theatre. She is a founding member of Little Lifeboats and a company member of Oncoming Productions.
Alyssa Thompson (she/her) has been working as a Stage Manager in and around the Twin Cities for over a decade. She is the Company Stage Manager for nimbus, and along with her trusty ASD (Assistant Stage Dog) Moose loves the devising process and creating new work with this team. Her stage management credits outside of nimbus include Pioneer Suite and Mrs. Charles among others with Freshwater Theatre and four years as a technician with the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She also fosters dogs through No Dog Left Behind Rescue.
Corinna Troth (she/her) has worked on numerous theater productions in a range of capacities, including set and prop design and construction, stage management, and even very occasionally, acting. In addition to nimbus, she has worked with many Twin Cities companies including Segue Productions, Theatre in the Round, Freshwater Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, The Chameleon Theatre Circle, and Fortune’s Fool.
David Tufford (he/him) has been active in the local theater and film community for the last 30 years. He has worked with companies including Theatre in the Round, Torch Theatre, 50 Foot Penguin, Joking Apart, and Park Square among others. This is David’s fourth appearance with nimbus. David is also a cast member of The Choo Choo Bob Show streaming on Peacock, and has appeared in numerous Television commercials, films, and programs including the ABC docu-drama In an Instant, the Netflix original series Lady Dynamite, and the Hallmark Network’s Love Always Santa. As a film maker David directed the feature film Vernie which aired nationally for three years on The Lifetime Movie Channel.
Krista Weiss (she/her) has been designing and building costumes for about 15 years, first in Los Angeles and then here in Minneapolis (Theatre in the Round, Mission Theatre Co., Wayward Theater, Cardboard Suitcase, Northern Starz, CDH High School and more). She recently stepped out from behind the sewing machine to perform in Pride & Prejudice at TRP and Violent Delights with Nightfire Theatre Co.
Special thanks
Sam Landman, Theatre in the Round, Next Stage Rental and Market, Scott and Carrie Rivette, Jen and Robert Buccigrossi
About nimbus
nim-bus, n.
1. a : A bright cloud, or cloudlike splendor, imagined as investing deities when they appeared on earth.
b : a cloud or atmosphere about a person or thing
2 : A bright or golden disk surrounding the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign
3 : a rain cloud
nimbus has been creating original theater in the Twin Cities since 2001. Their unique process for the creation of playwright-led collaborative work combined with their passion for creating bold, eclectic theater has been dazzling audiences for over 20 years. A company founded and led by playwrights and run by the artists themselves, we are dedicated to creating theatre that crosses boundaries, promotes imagination, and ignites new conversations.
How we create our work
All of our work is created collaboratively using a process we have been refining since 2001. Our casts and design teams work with a director, dramaturg, and playwright to create original theater together. Often starting with a simple idea or concept, the entire team participates in researching and discussing the ideas, characters, and locations the play will focus on.
After several weeks of intensive research, the team enters a period we call ‘script work.’ During this time, the cast and director improvise and work with text provided by the playwright. Over time, a script takes form. After a staged reading as well as editing and finishing work by the playwright, rehearsal begins.
Unlike traditional American theater, our process allows the design concepts, characters, and narrative to develop together. Although our process is new, it is not extremely different from the way that Shakespeare or Moliere created their work. Our methods are always evolving and changing, and we welcome your input in improving it.
The nimbus Company
Artistic Directors
Josh Cragun, Mitchell Frazier, Liz Neerland
Company Members
Andrea Gross, Brian Hesser, Jill Hoeft, Alex Meyer, Alyssa Thompson
We are looking for dedicated nimbus fans who would be interested in serving on our Board of Directors. For more info email Josh Cragun.
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