Founder/Executive Director, Jeremiah Gamble is a playwright, performer and producer who has been working professionally in the Twin Cities for over twenty-five years. He’s usually busy running two theater companies with his wife, Vanessa– Theater for the Thirsty, their touring company of 24 years and their newer, 11 year-old company based right in their Saint Paul neighborhood, Bucket Brigade. Together, he and Vanessa portray over 100 different characters in their thirteen original shows. His original plays/musicals have been produced to critical acclaim at The Southern Theater, Yellow Tree Theatre, and a variety of theater festivals. He’s a published children’s author, adjunct professor in playwriting, voice over and on-camera talent, former member of an acappella band, father of three and all-around-creative-noodler.
Founder/Co-Executive Director, Vanessa Gamble has performed for many companies in the Twin Cities including Children’s Theater Company, Theater Latté Da, History Theater, Nautilus Music-Theater, Illusion Theater, Heart of the Beast, Guthrie Lab, Climb Theatre and others. She co-founded Theater for the Thirsty and Bucket Brigade with her husband Jeremiah and together they’ve written, produced and acted in over 13 full length musicals and countless silly sketches. What else. She begat 3 kids. But not all at the same time, so that’s helpful…[/vc_column_text][/one_half]
Artistic Director, Jeff Miller. As co-founder and artistic director of The Refreshment Committee of St. Paul, MN, Jeff had the unmitigated privilege of collaborating with many gifted artists in the creation and development of new works including Gloria, Hot Under The Collar, A Doo-Wop Nativity and Heeeere’s David! For 17 years, he taught theatre at Bethel University (where Jeremiah and Vanessa were his prize pupils) and was a writer/director for the live radio broadcast, Sunday Nite! on the Skylite Satellite Network before joining Lamb’s Players Theatre in San Diego, where he and his wife, Mary, endured six harsh winters. For Bucket Brigade, Jeff has directed Kingdom Undone and Life Goes On. He also collaborated with Jeremiah and Vanessa on several of their touring musicals: My Name is Daniel and This is My Story, This is My Song. For the last 20 years, Jeff has taught Theatre Arts at Gordon College, in Wenham, MA, where he has directed Shakespeare, musicals, new plays and done devisings before they were even called that. Yes, he really is that old! Jeff is delighted to be working with Bucket Brigade— to be creating theatre with some of the best artists he’s ever known.
Managing Director, Naomi Zupfer has spent the last 15 years setting up international performances around the world for college groups. It has been rewarding diving back into her original love of theater with Bucket Brigade, especially working alongside Jeremiah and Vanessa, once again. In college, Naomi was a theater major as well as communications major and so this role feels like a very good fit! In the past she has managed Gamble Family Christmas concerts and worked with a few different theater companies in varying capacities. Additional adventures include working with Minnesota Public Radio and The Fitzgerald Theatre, The National Lutheran Choir, and the Benson Great Hall at Bethel University. Naomi currently also serves as Director of Events at Art House North, where Bucket Brigade performs the majority of their shows.