Our Artists
Founding Artists
Phil Johnson

Phil Johnson, our Artistic Director, is a proud founding partner of The Roustabouts Theatre Co. As an actor/writer, his solo show, A Jewish Joke (co-written with Marni Freedman) ran locally and regionally throughout the country, as well as an Off-Broadway in March 2019 His other shows include Withering Heights, She-Rantulas from Outer Space in 3D!, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Phil played in Les Misérables on Broadway and on tour; the Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard; and the 1st National Co. of Miss Saigon. He is a two-time winner of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for acting. He regularly performs at local theatres including North Coast Rep, The Old Globe, Diversionary Theatre, and Cygnet Theatre. Local directing credits include SD Playwrights Project and Scripps Ranch Theatre. He teaches and produces a Solo Show Workshop for writer/performers that is part of The Roustabouts season. Phil's newest one-man show, Roosevelt: Charge the Bear, co-written with Marni Freedman, is currently being workshopped and will be produced in San Diego in 2020.nson.net
Will Cooper
Will Cooper is a playwright based in San Diego and Chicago and a founding member of San Diego's Roustabouts Theatre Co. His plays Book of Leaves, Jade Heart and Margin of Error received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Jade Heart was last produced at San Diego’s award-winning MOXIE Theatre in 2014. His drama Margin of Error kicked off The Roustabouts' premiere season at the Lyceum Theatre in downtown San Diego and was selected as "Critic's Choice" by The San Diego Union-Tribune. It was also chosen as a Best Play finalist in the 2017 Craig Noel Critics Circle Awards. Following its run, the play was honored to be read at UCSD as a teaching tool of the Departments of Philosophy, Theatre, and Ethics & Sciences. Will is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
Ruff Yeager
Ruff Yeager is proud to be a Founding Partner of The Roustabouts Theatre Co. A product of the San Diego's East County, he graduated from Helix High School and then moved to Missouri for his college education; graduating from Evangel College (B.S.) and Missouri State University (M.A.). A professor of Theatre Arts at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Ruff enjoys teaching the next generation of actors, directors, and playwrights. As Artistic Director of Playwrights Projects' Plays by Young Writers, he mentors young California playwrights and oversees the artistic vision of the yearly festival.
Associated Artists
Omri Schein
Omri is a San Diego-based performer/lyricist/playwright. As a writer: Withering Heights (2017 Premiere) with The Roustabouts Theatre Co., Gary Goldfarb: Master Escapist (Published by Steele Spring Stage Rights and winner of the 2013 New York Musical Festival Award for Best Lyrics), Mambo Italiano, a musical based on the film of the same name (Westchester Broadway Theatre, 2019), The Grotesques (based on internationally-renown author Aharon Appelfeld's novella The Retreat), The Savoyard Murders (reading with Backyard Renaissance), as well as an upcoming musical adaptation of “The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate”. Recently as a performer he has been seen in A Funny Thing…Forum at North Coast Repertory Theatre and at Lambs Players: Noises Off, The Explorer's Club, Beau Jest. New York: The People Vs. Mona (Off-Broadway/Cast Recording), Hell’s Belles, Henry V. International Tour: Grease. Regional: When You’re in Love, The Whole World Is Jewish (directed by Jason Alexander), A Funny Thing…Forum, Dear World, among others. San Diego: Withering Heights, Around the World In 80 Days, Laughter on The 23rd Floor, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Five Course Love, The Big Bang, The Underpants, When Pigs Fly, among others. MFA Musical Theatre SDSU. www.omri-schein.com
Marni Freedman
Marni Freedman (BFA, LMFT) is a produced, published, and award-winning writer. After graduating as an award-winning student from the USC School of Filmic Writing, Marni began her career with her play, Two Goldsteins on Acid, which was produced in Los Angeles. She worked as a script doctor for top film companies and worked as a script agent for the Mary Sue Seymour Agency. One of her plays was made into a film, Playing Mona Lisa, and was produced by Disney. Marni has written for Tony Award-winning Harvey Fierstein, Academy Award-nominee Elliot Gould and Emmy Award-winner, Johnny Galecki. Marni teaches at San Diego Writers Ink, UCSD Extension, The Center for Creative Aging, runs the successful San Diego Writers Network and produces a yearly theatrical Memoir Showcase. Last year, Marni and her husband Carlos edited the Anthology, The Literary Vine, which was published by Wolfheart Press. This year they will be editing and publishing the First Annual Memoir Showcase Anthology, published by MCM Press. Marni is also a therapist for artists and writers. Her welcoming, easy-going nature and solid background are the underpinnings of what makes her such a popular writing coach across the country. Marni is a unique writing coach because she has a tool for almost everything. She has a way of taking complicated information and translating it into easy-to-grasp, step-by-step information. Her character worksheets and plotting devices have been met with rave reviews. Her first book on writing, 7 Essential Writing Tools: That Will Absolutely Make Your Writing Better (And Enliven the Soul) is an Amazon Bestseller. Her next two books, Permission to Roar, A Handbook for Thought Leaders Who Want to Write, and The Memoir Map will be out in 2018. You can also find Marni on Facebook or at thefeistywriter.com, a writing hub to help writers find and believe in their authentic voice.
The Roustabouts Wall Of Fame
