Stephen Bell has been involved with Theatre in the Bay Area as director, scenic and lighting designer, set construction, Technical Director and actor for almost ten years. He has been nominated in several categories over the years for Creative Loafings “Best of the Bay” awards, winner of the 2019 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Award and is now very excited to include artistic director and producer to his list of accomplishments.

Graham isn’t just a theatre enthusiast — it has been part of his life-blood since age four when he played A Tree in St Stephens’ School in Dudley, England. He does not recall if A Tree was the only tree. At the all-male Kings School in Worcester, England he was thankful to play male roles in plays by Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, and Jean Anouilh. His time in Australia and California was a careering blur, without his life-blood. For nearly 30 years, Florida has become a paradise of acting and set designing for various local theatres. He has also served in many roles in theatre management from Janitor to President.
His retirement from a lifetime as a software designer and engineer became a catalyst, not a curtain call. Fueled by decades of experience and a shared passion with like-minded souls, he launched TheatreFor, a vibrant theatre company defying conventions and captivating audiences.

Susan was an understudy in her first play at 6. Then, dancing recitals. But she was so shy she didn’t get up the courage to audition again until 35 years later when her singing teacher took her to the Straz and she performed in the chorus of Tosca. After that she couldn’t stay away, and she even won a few awards while acting her way all over Pinellas and parts of Tampa. She’s played the harp a few times, too! (In real life she was an accountant.) She is so happy to be joining her friends and Mike to embark on this new adventure. She thanks all of the audiences for their support and hopes you will love our new theatre!!

Mike Cote has been involved in theater since he portrayed the titular character in a first-grade production of “Old McDonald Had a Farm”. He was active through high school and college, being involved in shows such as “Where’s Charley” and “Jesus Christ, Superstar”.

After graduating with a BS in Education, he put that to use with his love of performing and became a dance instructor and choreographer. He was given the opportunity to return to the boards when he joined the Community Players of Concord, NH where he met Steve Thomas, who would become his close friend and mentor, responsible for Mike broadening the scope of his ventures and creating Mel O’Dee Entertainment Services – a company providing services ranging from balloon deliveries and singing telegrams to stage productions and dinner theater to original, interactive murder mysteries. During this time, Mike also wrote and collaborated on shows for McDonald’s Corp., Creative Entertainment, Sheraton Hotels and WMUR-TV, the Manchester, NH ABC affiliate.

After moving from New England to Florida, Mike had all but given up his theatrical involvements, concentrating on his career as a graphic designer and raising his son, Ashton. It was through his work that he found Dunedin Showcase Theater and his love, Susan and the rest, as they say, is history. He has been involved with DST for over 15 years as actor, director, choreographer, tech person, president and creative director. Can you say “Jack of all trades”? He has been fortunate to share his talents with many of the other theater groups in Pinellas County, as well as touring the East Coast in the original play with music “War Virgin”, based on the book of the same name by Laura Westley.

Mike is also an award winning, published playwright, with productions of his shows having run in the Tampa Bay area, New England, up and down the East Coast and in Hollywood, CA. He looks forward to this new venture with TheatreFor to expand his theatrical experience even more.