The Hillsboro Story - Cast
LaVerne Green, Actor
LaVerne Green is excited to make her debut in The Hillsboro Story. She recently appeared Profile Theater's hit, The Sunshine Boys, The Adventures of Barrio Grrrl at Miracle Theatre, Artists Repertory Theater's Nickel an Dimed, and as Tituba in the The Crucible; Annie Gordon in Passin' Arts production of Deceptive Love, Tygres Hear's Richard II as the Duchess of York; Nurse Gordon in Profile Theater's A Ride Down Mt Morgan, Side Effects produced by Performance Wellness 2 written by local writers surviving cancer. Her Off Broadway credits include a revival of Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Amen Corner.
LaVerne has built a solid career as an extras casting director. Her film and television credits include Spike Lee's Malcolm X, Gus Van Sant's Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, and the CBS crime drama series Under Suspicion, and numerous made for television movies. LaVerne has directed and appeared in numerous productions of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues and is the artistic director of Storytellerzz Readers Theatre.
Currently LaVerne teaches drama and public speaking at Self Enhancement Academy. She appears on KATU's AM Northwest cooking segment as "Mz LaVerne," The Empress of Soul Food. LaVerne dedicates her performance to her "baby girl" Gabby and "chilluns", her late husband Donald, her grandbabies, her Self Enhancement Inc. family and her late "Daddy" Alex Eaden, who was the original storyteller. And most of all to God from whom all blessings flow. LaVerne lives by Phil.4:13.
Paige Jones, Actor
Originally from Virginia, Paige has lived and performed in Germany, New York City, and Colorado.
Some favorite Portland productions include an all-female production of Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Importance of Being Earnest (Northwest Classical Theatre Company); Fools, Talley and Son (Profile Theatre); As Is (Key Productions); Mimesophobia (Sand and Glass Productions); The Garden Party (defunkt theatre); Rapture (Stumptown Stages); Restroom (Many Hats Productions); The Learned Ladies (Anonymous Theatre); The Original Cold Comedy Concoction and Electropuss (Stark Raving Theatre); The Clearing (JAW/WEST/2005); Omnium Gatherum (WillieWorks); and Inspecting Carol, right here at Artists Repertory Theatre.
Paige holds a B.A. in Music from Hunter College, City University of New York, and teaches theatre arts for Oregon Children's Theatre, Northwest Children's Theatre, and Artists Rep's Actors to Go program.
Jennifer Lanier , Actor
Jennifer Lanier received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She has conducted workshops for the School of Drama's Pre-Professional Program and performed at her alma mater as a guest artist and delivered the Convocation Keynote Speech.
Jennifer was a Founding Fellow of the A+ Schools Summer Institutes in North Carolina where she began working with colleague, Robert Moyer, head of the Pre-Professional Program at NCSA, in the United Stage, a theatre committed to providing high quality theatre for young audiences. They performed the children's version of her autobiographical show on dueling ethnicities, Brer Rabbit Meets Coyote, for the Smithsonian Institution's Discovery Theatre in Washington, D.C. She has conducted workshops in personal achievement, improvisation, and theatre games for Millersville University Summer Honors Program. Jennifer presented workshops for and directed a group of inmates from North Carolina Women's Correctional Center in an original show based on their writing called "Doing More Than Time."
Jennifer is a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece Honorary Society at the University of North Carolina where she did her liberal arts study. She is a member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association. She was just awarded the Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Black and White Men Together for her solo show, None of the Above. Learn more at jenniferlanier.com