RICH GALEY - PRESIDENT/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Rich Galey graduated in 1990 from the University of Southern Indiana with a B.S. in Mathematics and Secondary Education. His theatre activities in college ranged from Acting to Box Office Management. He stayed active in community theatre at the Repertory People of Evansville, serving on its board of directors. He also worked diligently onstage in several productions such as "A Few Good Men", "Down the Road" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Backstage, he aided in set construction, sound design and running the tech board during performances. In 1995, his Day Job demanded a hiatus from the theatre community, as well as relocation to Omaha, NE. After two years, he moved to Louisville, KY to be closer to his family, which is based on a farm outside of Tell City, IN. In 2003 he took the plunge again into theatre with a performance of "All in the Timing" for Louisville Repertory Company. Since this experience he has performed several duties involved in productions for both LRC and Wayward Actors Company. In February, 2009, his day job once again demanded his attention. In the time away from the craft, he rediscovered what he enjoys most about good theatre - watching an audience get it.

In September of 2009, he joined Elaine Hackett and Michael Harris in forming The What If? Theatre Company.

Elaine received her BS in English Education and her MS in Theatre from Florida State University. In Florida, she taught high school English and Theatre for six years and worked extensively with local theatre groups and arts organizations on and off stage. After receiving her Masters, Elaine worked with Raleigh Little Theatre winning a best supporting actress nod for "How the Other Half Loves", and with the Nashville Academy Theatre playing the Fairy Godmother in "The Portuguese Cinderella". She eventually landed in New York City where she planned to stay the summer – maybe a year. During the following 19 years, she worked in all areas of theatre: as a lighting technician for several productions as Head of the Performing Arts program for a summer camp in Massachusetts as assistant stage manager for Capital Repertory Company's production of "The Hostage" in Albany, NY and as production stage manager for the Lynn Allen Organization and their premiere production of "Tom Jones" in the Village. Elaine also managed to get onstage a bit performing in summer stock with Auburn Civic Theatre and off-off Broadway in "Cry Havoc" and "Sisters: Some Theatrical Rituals About the Nunnery". Elaine is also a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. and wrote the book for the original musical "This Crazy Life", which got as far as backer's auditions, and had staged readings of her plays "A Fine Line" and "A Clash of Invitations", which premiered in Louisville at the MeX Theatre produced by Jefferson Ensemble. Since coming to Louisville, she has worked on and off stage with several companies including As Yet Unnamed, Pandora, Louisville Rep, Jefferson Ensemble, Clarksville and Wayward where she served on the Board.

Elaine is proud to be a member of The What If? Theatre Company and looks forward to many exciting productions in the future.

Michael Harris made his first stage appearance at age 11, playing a Norwegian elf on a public television Christmas special. He has been seen on stage in plays as diverse as "Our Town", "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead", "The Miser", "Barefoot in the Park", two different productions of "The Man Who came To Dinner" (including Wayward's 2004 production), "Pride's Crossing", "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", and "The Philadelphia Story." As a director his projects have included "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Deathtrap" for Studio Players in Lexington, Kentucky "The Wager" by Mark Medoff as the inaugural production of the Actors Guild of Lexington "The Belle of Amherst" and the world premier of "Nuclear Protected," also for Actors Guild and "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" for Clarksville Little Theater.

Michael is honored to be a member of The What If? Theatre Company, and invites Louisville theatre audiences to watch the company grow.