About the Ren!

The Crew

Donald Rupe (Producer/Co-Director) is the co-founder of Renaissance Theatre Company with Chris Kampmeier (and a lot of help from their friends). An accomplished theatre-maker based in Orlando, Donald has written and helped to create a number of successful theatrical productions (mostly musicals with Jason M. Bailey), including: Nosferatu; Bright Young Things; From Here (fromhere.com); Flying Lessons (critically-acclaimed at the New York Musical Festival in 2019); Oscar Wilde and Jesus Christ Walk into a Gay Bar; Once I Laughed; Lenox Ave. and others. Donald also founded a community theatre program at another company in Orlando, where for five years he ran a traditional season of productions with much success. Donald's numerous directing credits span the better part of twenty years and many wonderful companies throughout Central Florida. Rupe was also an accomplished educator, having served on the part-time faculty of Valencia College for over a decade and as an award-winning high school educator. Donald received his degrees in Theatre from New York University and Florida State University. 

Blake Aburn (Co-Director) is thrilled to throw on the director hat once again for such an incredible play. His last directing credit included an 18 person cast with 12 musical numbers, so Blake was delighted to take on this 5 person play. Blake is a full time staff member at the Ren, where he manages Musical Mondays, Ren Sings and Sessions! Blake was last seen onstage in From Here at the iconic 54 Below. He also originated his roles in Nosferatu and Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show. You can catch Blake swimming in Finding Nemo, The Big Blue and Beyond at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. All my love to Devin, my kitty girls, and my gay family.

Chris Kampmeier (Show control, networking) is the co-founder of Renaissance Theatre Company as well as a computer and sound engineer. He had the incredible fortune to be A Nearby Guitar Player just as Donald and Jason began their songwriting relationship with From Here at the Orlando Fringe Festival in 2019, then Flying Lessons at the New York Musical Festival (drums and percussion), then an expanded run of From Here, a pandemic, and and sound/music/computers/infrastructure for many of the other original shows Donald listed above. Welcome to the Ren!

Philip Lupo (Lighting Design) is a regional Lighting, Sound, and Video Designer whose previous work at Renaissance includes Nosferatu and Office Holiday Party.  Other design credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Orlando Shakes), Monster Stomp (SeaWorld Orlando), and Into the Woods (DreamCatcher Theatre).  His non-theatrical lighting projects can be seen in television stations from Palm Beach to Las Vegas.  Philip also serves as the Production Manager and Technical Director for Florida State Junior Thespians, helping develop the performers and designers of tomorrow.  He  could not be more excited to be working with Renaissance to bring this exciting work to Central Florida audiences. Get in touch at www.philiplupo.com.

Joey Coombs (Scenic Painting/Design) is a scenic artist and designer based in Orlando. Originally from Ocala, he has lived in Orlando for the last two years, and has been working for the Ren for one. He is thankful to the Ren staff, design team, and build crew for bearing with his chaotic routine, working around his messy paint supplies left everywhere, and in general for dealing with him being “too much”. Previous paint charge credits include Beauty and the Beast at the Garden Theater and Indecent at the University of Central Florida. Joey has painted for all shows at the Ren (except for last year’s Nosferatu), most notably the lobby for Gorgeous, the mural in From Here, and the mural and turntable in Lenox Avenue, and the Church in Nosfera2. He has also helped create the photo op sets for our weekly drag show, Off the Record, highlights of which include Femmebot Fatale, Planet OTR (just the lights), Sweetener, and Renaissance at the Renaissance.

Nick Erickson (Sound Engineer) born and raised on the west coast, Nick discovered sound design for theater at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR. After graduating he spent his early career freelancing in Portland OR where he worked at theaters such as Third Rail, H2M, P.E.T.E., Profile Theatre.  Nick received his MFA in Sound Design for Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018, before moving to Florida, to become the resident sound and projections designer for the Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol.  Four years later, he's here, seeking new horizons in the wilds of Orlando! When he's not doing sound, Nick can be found holding his PS4 controller too tightly, watching his cats cuddle and rearranging his music studio. 

Christopher Fahmie (Lead Construction guy) is overjoyed to be a part of Renaissance Theatre Company. He would like to thank Donald Rupe and Chris Kampmeier for this exciting opportunity to bring groundbreaking art to our hometown of Orlando. 

John Rawlins (Scenic Carpenter)  joined The Ren in 2022, having previously worked with Donald at CFCArts Theater. As part of the set construction team, John helps to create unique sets for each production, converting all the different spaces of the Renn into new worlds.