THE STAFF

JULIA GLANDER

Julia Glander has decades of experience as a professional actor, director, producer, and educator. She has performed Off-Broadway and at numerous regional theaters across the country, including the Asolo Repertory Theatre and Alabama Shakespeare Festival, ranging from small New York City venues to the massive Hollywood Bowl. In Los Angeles, she worked as an Associate Producer for ABC-TV's children's specials Rhythm and Jam, as well as appearing in numerous national commercials and voice-overs. As a young theater artist, she won the prestigious National Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Award at the Kennedy Center and earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. Her work as a theater practitioner and adjunct lecturer has taken her across the United States, Europe, and Asia. After returning to her home state of Michigan, her first local acting role was in 2008 at the newly opened Tipping Point Theatre. Since then, her Wilde Award–recognized performances include The Cake at Williamston Theatre, Oklahoma at Encore Musical Theatre, Cabaret at the JET, and Lady With All The Answers at Tipping Point Theatre. Additional award-winning credits include Mary Stuart at Meadow Brook Theatre and Shirley Valentine at Williamston Theatre. Her scrappy and joyous career has offered many opportunities, and her latest role as Artistic Director at Tipping Point Theatre marks a full-circle moment in her life.

Producing Artistic Director

Brian Sage is a freelance actor, director, educator, and theatre manager. He is a graduate of Wayne State University where he earned his MFA in Acting while performing as a member of the Hilberry Repertory Theatre Company. He is a certified and associate teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique with the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium. Brian has taught at several universities including Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, and Ohio Northern University where he served as an associate professor, chair, and director of the School of Visual and Performing Arts. He’s worked for a variety of local companies including Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, The Encore Musical Theatre Company, Performance Network Theatre and The Jewish Ensemble Theatre. He is also the Artistic Director for Tibbits Summer Theatre in Coldwater, MI, a professional summer stock theatre company that has served the region for 62 years.

Tracy L. Spada is one of the original Tipping Point Theatre (TPT) founding members and served as its Resident Stage Manager from its inception. She is an Arts Management graduate of Eastern Michigan University, and spent 18 years programming arts, concerts and theatre for the City of Wayne as arts & entertainment director. In 2004, she laid the groundwork at The Milan Performing Arts Center, creating the school's first drama program and Arts Booster Club. In 2009, she began directing at Northville High School and mentored their students in every aspect of play production until 2020. She has been instrumental in cultivating theatre for young artists for more than 35 years and is a 2013 Wilde Award winner for "Best Mentor." Spada was last seen on the stage in TPT's production of Mrs. Mannerly (2013 Member's Choice Award "Best Actress" recipient) and is a 2013 Wilde Award nominee for "Best Stage Manager.” Her most recent creative work with TPT was as playwright of Game. Set. Match!, winner of the 2023 Wilde Award for "Best New Script.” In addition to her work at TPT, she has worked professionally around Michigan, most recently at The Purple Rose Theatre Company (What Springs Forth), and Flint Repertory Theatre (Songs About Stuff, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Rain On Fire). She has been a proud member of The Actors' Equity Association since 1999. 

John Charles recently retired from Eastern Michigan University where he spent 37 years working to promote and maintain high standards of technical production for Eastern Michigan University Theatre, as well as consulting, technical directing, and designing for events and productions for the campus community. John also provided scenic, projection, and/or lighting designs for more than a hundred shows of every period and genre at EMU. His work also includes freelance design and consulting for numerous theatre companies and trade shows. John collaborated with Eastern Michigan University technical theatre faculty to develop EMU’s Entertainment Design & Technology program, which was established in 2013. The ED&T program is a multidisciplinary program that allows students to build a curriculum geared specifically toward their career goals. He retired from EMU in 2000 as Technical Director Emeritus. John has been serving as TPT’s technical director since the season sixteen production of The Chinese Lady, in addition to doing freelance design for other area theatre organizations.

Savanah Wright began working with Tipping Point in late 2022. She began as an ASM and slowly worked into her current position as Ticket Office and Group Sales Manager. Wright graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2019, earning her Bachelor of Arts in both Theatre and Literature. In her time with the Detroit Mercy Theatre Company, she performed many roles both onstage and off. She is very grateful to have a work environment full of lovely, creative, and kind people.

Elise Pannemann joined the Tipping Point Theatre family in 2023. She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Communications in Multimedia, and has experience both on stage and behind the scenes. It has been a joyful experience being around so many creative minds and story tellers at Tipping Point Theatre, and she is looking forward to many great things to come!