Rachel Nussbaum has been acting since she was fifteen, though arguably all her life. As a child, she and

her two best friends, Sarah and Ashley, began writing and producing plays in their backyard for the

neighborhood...or anybody that would come…or nobody – it didn’t matter. She began to really study

acting in High School at Starr’s Mill, which luckily for her, had one of the best theatre departments in the

state of Georgia. Her Freshmen year at Georgia State University, the theatre department lost virtually all

of its funding – thus she went on to study Psychology and English, but ultimately deciding on a good

practical major….Philosophy of Religion.  In essence, in all, the study of people. The genuine curiosity of

what makes a person, has always been a driving force for her. After moving to Santa Rosa Beach five

years ago, she found herself yet again, drawn to theater. She began working with Stage Crafters

Community Theatre in Fort Walton Beach in such roles as “Twink” in the show, Christmas Belles,

directed by Jean Starkey. She was also cast in Heaven Can Wait, directed by Joseph Perna as “Bette

Logan,” and as “Heather Fairaday” in Sin, Sex, and the C.I.A., directed by John Guzalak. Most recently

she was honored to be a part of Nancy Hasty’s original play, ‘We Were Soldiers Too, stories from the

home front’ at the Fort Walton Civic Center. She would like to thank Nathaniel and the Emerald Coast

Theatre Company for the opportunity to be a part of such a beautifully intelligent, and moving body of

work, Eleemosynary.

Originally from Orlando, Florida, Darla Briganti attended the University of Florida on a full acting scholarship and received a BFA in 1982. Her career in the entertainment industry spans 30 years where she has worked as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, and acting coach throughout the southeast.  Her most treasured roles to date include the title roles in The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Mame, and most recently Mama Rose in NWFSC production of Gypsy. Eleemosynary marks her second role with ECTC. The first being one of the three actors in  A Dicken's Christmas last year. After a successful career in the Orlando market Darla moved to the Emerald Coast with her husband and 9 year-old son and now enjoys spending time with her 6 year old grandson.  She is able to easily identify on multiple levels with her character, Dorothea in the current production of Eleemosynary.  She is deeply honored to be part of this amazing cast and crew and continues to be inspired by every step of the process. In addition to teaching for ECTC's educational theatre programs, Darla enjoys sharing her passion for acting with students of all ages at her acting school, A Class Act Studio in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Many of her current and past students are successfully pursuing their careers in larger markets including Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and Los Angeles.  She is affectionately known as "Miss" Darla by all of her students. Indeed, there is nothing more rewarding than watching them "fly" in whatever they choose to do in life. "The secret to flight is the assurance that we are worthy of flying."

Sharon Biermann is originally from Portland Oregon, where her heart will alway be. She started

acting in high school where her teacher Chris Harris instilled a love of theatre and a disciplined

approach to the craft. She attended Western Oregon University where she majored in Theatre

Arts and minored in Spanish. She spent a few years acting in Portland after graduating with her

B.A. before deciding to go back to school for her M.F.A. In that time, she worked with Bag and

Baggage Theatre on three different productions including Luciana in the “Comedy of Errors”

which is still one of her favorite roles and experiences. Sharon has studied Meisner, Hagen,

and Lugering at Regent University where she received her MFA. She has also studied improv

with a member of the Groundlings. She currently resides in Chicago with her husband Sean and

the two of them, along with several close friends, run Honest Theatre. Honest is in its second

season and Sharon will be seen next in their upcoming production of “Boom” by Nachtrieb.

Favorite roles include Betsy in “As It Is In Heaven”, Yente in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Joan in

“Love Song”. She'd like to thank the Fishers for opening up their home to her and especially

Anna Fisher for keeping her fed and caffeinated.