Artistic 

Director

Gregory Allen has been directing or producing for 4^th Wall since he directed LaCage Aux Folles in 2003.  He began leading the group in 2004 when the group moved from Morris County, overseeing the artistic vision and integrity of the company.  He is a member of the Dramatist Guild, ASCAP, The Theatre Communications Group and is a former member of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop. He is an award-winning musical theatre writer (Peter Filichia's Straw Hat Award in Theatre Week Magazine for Best Score in 1995 for River Divine); and has had over ten original musicals produced for which he has worked as a librettist and/or composer/lyricist.  Allen has been a recipient of grants and awards for his writing from the Catskill Watershed Corporation, the ASCAP foundation, the BMI foundation as well as awards for onstage performances.    

Allen has an extensive background in musical theater, children’s theater and professional theater having worked as an actor in New York on stage and television, regional theater and tours.  In addition to producing musicals, Allen has produced several recordings of his original musicals, has had songs recorded by singers from New York to Nashville to Vegas, has written jingles for Macy’s and McCalls Magazine, and served as executive producer on a R&B recording in Dallas, Texas summer of 2005.  He served three years on the board at the Nutley Little Theatre, and worked two years as the company manager of a professional children’s theater organization.  He studied at the American Musical Dramatic Academy and Hunter College in NY and received a management certification from the Harvard Business School.  Allen spent over 13 years in management at a Big Five Financial Services Firm and is now the Managing Director of the Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College and serves on the Bloomfield Cultural Arts Commission. 

Executive 

Director

Gwen Ricks-Spencer has been the Executive Director of 4^th Wall since 2005.  She is a founding member of the company and has been involved with all aspects of the group including: producing, directing, performing, coordination with our Education wing and everything in between.  She received a Bachelors degree in Theatre and Government from Smith College (emphasis: Performance and Light Design) and a Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (emphasis: Performance). She has worked professionally as a performer with the Billie Holiday Theatre and Negro Ensemble Companies in New York, 12 Miles West and The PaperMill Playhouse in NJ, Michigan Ensemble Theatre, The Attic Theatre in Detroit, and Karamu House in Cleveland Ohio.  An avid arts supporter, she has served as a Board Member for the Newark Community School of the Arts, 12 Miles West Theatre, the Essex County Arts Council, and the Montclair Operetta Club.   She also served on the Essex County Arts Funding Review Committee.  Ricks-Spencer is an Assistant Director in the Office of Public Policy for Ernst & Young in New York. 

Business 

Manager

Bruce McCandless brings a life-long love of theater to 4th Wall.  He has been handling the business aspects of the group since 2005.  As a student at the University of Delaware, he served as Box Office/Front-of-House Manager for the University Performing Arts Center. Following graduation, he worked in the same capacity for the Pennsylvania Stage Company, an Equity Regional Theater in Allentown. After relocating to NJ, he became active as an actor, director and technician. McCandless has worked with Civic Theatre Of Hudson County, Attic Ensemble, Allegro Productions, Montclair Operetta Club and Chatham Players. He has directed several shows and has won awards for acting as well as for costume design. He started onstage with 4th Wall with their first production and has continued both onstage and off from set design to props coordinator. McCandless has spent the last 18 years at Bear Stearns where he is a VP in the IT Finance Division.

Company 

Manager

Martha Thalheimer brings over 30 years experience in theatre to 4th Wall.  She has served as the resident stage manager since joining the company in 2005 and handles all aspects of production including coordinator with the arts center.  Thalheimer spent many years at the Montclair Operetta Club working in box office, scene construction, costumes, props, lighting and stage management.  She fully understands both sides of theatre: the creative as well as the business.  She is an Account Executive for a local NJ insurance agency handling business clients insurance needs and holds a BS In pharmacy from Mass College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Science.   

Director of Development

Christine O'Donnell has worked in philanthropy for the past five years.  As the 4^th Wall Development Director, she builds partnerships with new and existing supporters that allow the theatre to continue its success and to expand into new projects.  She has been involved in North Jersey community theatre for 19 years as an actress, director and board member and has worked with Old Library Theatre, Nutley Little Theatre, Pride Theatre and Theatre Under the Stars. She has studied at Action Theatre Conservatory and Chicago City Limits. O'Donnell is an attorney licensed to practice in both New York and New Jersey and works as an Assistant Vice President in the Philanthropic Advisory Services division of United States Trust Company, N.A.  She earned her B.A. in political science from Trenton State College and her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.