JOAN FREED is a talented comic actress, singer, and playwright who has delighted audiences in cities across the country with her popular one-woman musical comedies. Joan has also lent her comedic and musical talents to numerous theater productions, and has been featured in shows such as The Producers, Funny Girl, Holiday Inn, Pippin, Mame, Gypsy, Brigadoon, Camelot, Oliver, Gigi, Dames at Sea, Kiss Me Kate, Bye Bye Birdie, Grand Hotel, The Boyfriend, and the year-long run of the hit show Menopause the Musical.
Joan is the creator and performer of the highly regarded show Chocolate Confessions, which combines Joan’s affection for chocolate and musical theater, and involves portraying over one-dozen unique characters. The show’s popularity prompted extended engagements across the country, including a critically acclaimed 21-week run at the Portland Art Museum’s Commandery Theater and a 10-week run at the World Trade Center Theatre. Other original shows include My Funny Valentine, TV Tunes and Tales, and Holiday Hijinks.
Joan grew up in Los Angeles, holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a master’s in mathematics from UCLA. She had a 20-year career as a consulting actuary before pursuing her career in musical theater performance. Joan lives near Portland with her husband, and is continually inspired by her three children and two grandchildren.
MITCHELL GOULD was born in 1914. Growing up the second oldest of eight children in Rochester, New York, Mitchell Gould contributed early on to the care and support of the large family. During the Great Depression, he helped move his parents and siblings from the bitter cold winters of Rochester to the sunshine of Southern California, and soon after started his career with the Division of Highways, working in the early development of the Pasadena Freeway and other major highways. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he entered the Army and rose to First Lieutenant with the 62nd Signal Battalion, serving primarily in North Africa and Italy.
After returning home, he met and married his wife Eva, raising five children and enjoying 60 years of marriage. Despite little opportunity to attend college, he achieved through self-study and hard work the designation of Civil Engineer, ultimately becoming Supervising Engineer and Chief of the Water Quality Division of the California Department of Water Resources.
Lakewood Center Performance Cast + Crew
Tracy Ross
Tracy studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, U.C. Berkeley and received a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He has worked with the San Francisco Opera, Portland Ballet, Northwest Children's Theater and has appeared frequently in recital as a collaborative pianist. Here at Lakewood, he has played in the orchestra for numerous productions, ranging from Sister Act to Elf.
Executive Producer : Steve Knox
Stage Manager : Kendra Comerford
Sound Engineer : Demetri Pavlatos
Lighting Engineer : Dug Martell