ONWORD THEATRE LEADERSHIP

Marti Gobel is a nationally recognized actor, director and teaching artist. Upon graduating from UW-Whitewater in 2008 with a degree in Performance Theatre and Philosophy (with an emphasis in Religious Studies), Ms. Gobel began a rich career in both theatre and television and film. Her need to add to the tapestry of the mid-west professional theatre scene led to the founding of the now defunct UPROOTED theatre. As Producing Artistic Director (from 2010-2015)  worked tirelessly to diversify the arts through her efforts. Ms. Gobel is a current member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Selected Stage Credits: Milwaukee Shakespeare (Henry IV, part 2), Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (Well, Around The World In 80 Days, Broken and Entered, Fires In the Mirror) Renaissance Theaterworks’ (NEAT: Milwaukee, Sheboygan and South Africa, The Persians, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, The Violet Hour, Still, Sex With Strangers, The Roommate, Witch, The Moors and a reading of Tanya Saracho’s El Nogular and Gwendolyn Rice’s The Griots), First Stage Children's Theatre (The Neverendingstory and readings of Jackie and Me, The Promised Land), The Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Clybourne Park, A Christmas Carol:2012-2014, Yankee Tavern, Trouble In Mind), Forward Theater (In The Next Room, Mr. Burns, Skeleton Crew, Mom, How Did You Meet The Beatles) and UPROOTED theatre (Beauty’s Daughter: Milwaukee, Chicago and Memphis, A Streetcar Named Desire, Yellowman, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, *Pink Champagne, Jack and Jill, HooDoo Love, Oleanna, I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda, The Philadelphia Story, *Man From Madisonville, The Sunset Limited, Suddenly Last Summer), Next Act Theatre (Perfect Mendacity, No Child, Twilight:Los Angles, The Taming, The Christians), Theatre Lila (No Child), Scripps Ranch theatre (Stew), Diversionary Theatre (We Are Continuous). Marti plays an ongoing role as the Civil Rights suffragist, Ida B. Wells for the Kenosha Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is often featured in local and regional commercials and voice-overs. She appeared in the short film, Spare Change, as well as the web-series Gettin’ Grown; both directed by the award-winning film director Aaron Greer and Faith Flix’s Come Follow Me, Mary, Mother of Jesus and the feature film Game Day produced by Chicago Studio City. National television credits include NBC’s Chicago PD in addition to several regional commercials.

Selected Professional Directing Credits include: National Project 1 Voice staged reading of Trouble In Mind, (Ten Chimneys Estate), A Soldier’s Story (Isitatha Theatre in South Africa) the staged reading of A Lesson Before Dying (Duncan Entertainment Group), and the world premiere productions of Reginald Edmund’s *South Bridge (The Broadway Theatre Center), Laura Lynn MacDonald’s* Through The Eyes Of Jim (Young Auditorium & Milton House Museum), Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ *Hair, Nails & Dress (Tenth Street Theatre, Milwaukee) and *Freedom High, In The Red And Brown Water a collaboration with Marquette University and UPROOTED theatre. The Ballad Of Emmett Till, Native Gardens and Staged Reading of Philana Omorotionmwan’s Before Evening Comes (Renaissance Theaterworks). Exit Strategy (Forward Theatre) The Brothers Size, Marcus: The Secret Of Sweet, Eeny Meeny Miny No (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre), Theatre and Blood At The Root, Principal, Principle, The Christians, Kill Move Paradise (Next Act Theatre), The Taming (Scripps Ranch Theatre), The Pleasure Trials (Moxie Theatre), Is God Is (A Red Orchid Theatre), Trouble in Mind, The Giver (Clarence Brown Theatre), Muthaland, Hillary and Clinton (OnWord Theatre), The Humans (Carlsbad Play Readers)

University Productions include: Airness (Hendrix College), Wine In the Wilderness, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, The Light (Marquette University), Trojan Women (UW-Milwaukee).

Marti has served as a lead teacher at First Stage Theatre Academy in Milwaukee as well as a lead teacher and program designer for UPROOTED theatre’s education department. Past adjunct professor assignments at Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee and Carthage College. She is a JF Kennedy Center trained Teaching Artist who worked closely with Master Educator, Randy Barron for 6 months developing her residency which is now offered through The Young Auditorium and The Overture Center. She served as Artistic Consultant for Black Arts MKE. Ms. Gobel will serve for a third term as a KCACTF adjudicator for Region III.  

Ms. Gobel is a Jeff Nominated Director for her work on Is God Is with A Red Orchid Theatre and the recipient of 2024 Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Director.

She currently serves as Producing Artistic Director and Education Coordinator for OnWord Theatre in San Diego, CA.

*Indicates World Premiere’s

Jamaelya Hines, known for balancing the books by day and stealing the show by night, is an accountant and professional performer.

Originally from Phoenix, AZ, Jamaelya has been dancing since the age of nine. She was a part of the competitive dance company Dance Motion Performing Company at Bender Performing Arts for five years. While dancing, Jamaelya was a part of various show choir groups at Horizon High School and trained in track and field in her spare time.

After studying dance in Chicago and New York, she obtained her BA degree in Dance with a minor in business management from Marymount Manhattan College. During her time in New York, she focused her research on the science and art of human movement and its connection and effect on the body in dance.

After graduating Jamaelya performed as a dancer for Norwegian Cruise Lines and for various dance concerts along the east coast. In San Diego, she has performed at San Diego Musical Theater, Moonlight Amphitheater, and Scripps Ranch Theater.

You can learn more about her on her website at jamaelyahines.com.