Crumpet the Elf a.k.a. Rona Mensah

Longtime Ensemble Member Rona Mensah will star in the one-person show, The Santaland Diaries, this holiday season. Who is Rona and how did she come by this amazing opportunity to memorize a 40 page monologue? Here, in her own words, is Rona's life story...the Reader's Digest version:

I came to Frederick to study at Hood College. While there, I participated in the Hood Theatre group. At the time, there were no Theatre Arts courses at Hood so I chose something equally creative: Interior Design and Retail Management.

Even though I was studying something different, I spent much of my free time working on the theatre productions and helping to build the sets, coordinating the properties and acting. Since I didn't stray too far from the campus, I was clueless to the number of theaters in Frederick's bustling arts scene.

After I graduated, I moved to Frederick and quickly learned there were a number of theatre groups in the area and saw a few productions. After about 2 years, I knew I wanted to get back into the theatre scene and wanted to hit the stage again.

I began working for Key 103 radio in Frederick and came into contact with an audition notice for Fredericktowne Players' production of Camelot. It was exactly the jolt I needed to return to the stage. I was lucky enough to get roles onstage with Fredericktowne Players, Other Voices, and Feste Productions theatre groups.

While performing in Feste's Skin of Our Teeth, I came in contact with Maryland Ensemble Theatre founder, Tad Janes who approached me about taking acting classes with The Ensemble School...MET's Educational arm. I started taking classes in Acting and Improvisation with the MET, and in the process grew to learn much more about Theatre Arts and the Ensemble Theatre model.

In 1997, we debuted our premier piece, an original work called "Finally Heard: Feminine Heroes of an Uncivil War". In the 10 years that I've been involved with the MET, we've created 5 original shows and have another one we are creating for the 2008-2009 season. The group has grown and continued to expand our boundaries by creating new original plays, and adapting classic plays with a new twist. It's such a great group to be involved with.

I really love living and working in Frederick. It's such an interesting and eclectic town. There's so much to explore in the arts, from music, to visual and performing arts, one could always be occupied with experiencing the arts in Frederick!