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Chrisse can be seen in the feature film Extraordinary Measures with Harrison Ford; in 'The Two Live Crew Job' in Season II of TNT Network's Leverage; and in the TNT series episode, The Librarians...And the Fables of Doom. She had two fabulous scenes with Reese Witherspoon in Wild that were left on the cutting room floor.  She appears in"Beatlemania," the Oregon episode of Katie Letien's 50 State Project, on YouTube.  In 2016, she appeared in Albatros, a Nate Jenkins short, seen here https://vimeo.com/197993339


Chrisse Roccaro’s career as a character actress, singer and teacher, performing for stage, radio, television, and film, has spanned more years in Portland and New York than she's willing to count.


Recent appearances have included Sarah in God of Vengeance; Aida in Over the River and Through the Woods; Lotte Schoen in Lettice and Lovage; Ethel in Do I Hear A Waltz?; Fonsia in The Gin Game; All By Myself!, a solo Cabaret; Grandma Kurnitz in Lost In Yonkers; featured soloist in Bob Sterry's 2012 Atomic Summer Show and a set in 2 
evenings of Cabaret Chanteuse at Tony Starlight's Supper Club; Hannah the Matchmaker in Crossing Delancey; Clairee in Steel Magnolias; Beatrice in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds; Doris in The Cemetery Club; Karen in Jake's Women; Gen. Cartwright in Guys & Dolls; Fr. Schneider in Cabaret; Grandmother in Women & Wallace; Saulina/Sally in Old Money; Monica in By the Bog of Cats; Mother in Da; Judy/Ginger in Ruthless; and Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, for which she won a 2003 Drammy Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Actress in a Supporting Role and a 2003 OTAS Award for Best Actress in a Play. She created the role of Aunt Concetta in La Famiglia: Who Stole My Dead Husband?

Recent directorial credits include To the Moon; Love Is Enough; A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum; A Thousand Clowns; Brendan Behan One Acts; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; The Only Way Out Is Through (premier 09); The Road To Mecca; Three Viewings; Same Time Next Year; Side By Side By Sondheim; No Way To Treat A Lady; Quilters; Cabaret; and the opera, Rita, and Scenes from Mozart for Lewis & Clark College. She was musical director for the premier of Can't Say I Do, presented by Key Productions in January 2007.  She is a member of Vivace Voices/Fireside Carolers; conducts Blending Voices at Russellville Park Retirement Community; and was a volunteer facilitator at The Dougy Center For Grieving Children and Families from 1997 - 2019.

 


Curriculum Vitae

Click HERE to see Film/TV/Commercial Highlights

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Marylhurst University, 1973
Vocal Study in Salzburg, Austria with Elizabeth Peter-Schoenauer, 1971-72
Other teachers include Sr. Claudia Foltz (OR), Mary Saunders (NY), Bill Shuman (NY), Susan McBerry (OR); 
Master Classes - Gibner King; Wesley Balk; Martha Schlamme, Michelle Kopper Seymour
Piano Study - More than 10 years, including 1969-73 with Sr. Lucie Hutchinson (Marylhurst College)
Acting Study - HB Studios (NY), Martha Schlamme (NY), Lyn Tyrrell (OR); Jan Powell (OR)
Dance Study - (Ballet; Jazz; Tap; Middle Eastern with various instructors), 1968 - Present 
Tae Kwon Do - Janet Galen (NY), 1981-84 
Improvisation, Puppeteer - Kay Lee’s Playbox Players, 1969-1979

Alexander Technique - Wendy Allegaert, Eve Bernfeld 2013 - present

TEACHING/ARTS EMPLOYMENT

Vocal Workshops - daVinci Middle School Drama Department, 2015
-present

Demystifying the Dots On the Page - Vanport Square Studios 2011

Holiday Choir, Director - Vanport Square Studios 2011

Teacher, Portland Center Stage Teen Musical Theatre Intensive, '09 - 2013

Audition Coach - Parkrose High School Theatre Department - '09; '10

Intro to Reading Music - West Linn Community Chorus Aug. & Oct. 09

Choir Director, Vox Angelis (women’s chorus), Lewis and Clark College — 2002
Music Teacher (sub), St. Mary’s Academy — 2001 
Teacher of Singing (private studio) — 1994–Present 
Adjunct Voice Teacher, Portland Community College — 1994, 2009, 2011
Teacher — Children’s Theatre, The Walden School, NY — 1985
Teacher/Co-Director, Children’s Summer Program, Trinity E. L. C., NY — 1979
Teacher (Pre-school; Children’s Theatre), Actor, Puppeteer, Administrator - 
Kay Lee’s Playbox Players, 1969–1979
Classical/Contemporary Singer — 1973–Present
Member of Veriditas, Women’s chorus conducted by Joan Szymko — 2001
Choir Director, Organist, Trinity Ev. Luth. Church, NY, total two years in 1980’s
Choir Director, Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1973–74

Musical Director, St. Mary’s Academy Theatre Department — 1995–2001
Musical Director, Central Catholic High School Theatre Department — 1996/7
Musical Director, North Clackamas Community Theatre – 1997
Musical Director, Clackamas Community College Theatre Department — 1993
Musical Director/Co-owner/Producer – Slabtown Theatre Co. — 1975-78
Consultant to the Theatre Department, Overlake School, Redmond, WA — 1998
Choreographer, Fiddler On the Roof; South Pacific – Portland Area High Schools 
Director, Dames At Sea — The Production Co., Portland — 1979
Freelance Voice Actor, Stage, TV, Screen Actor, 1973 — Present
Bookkeeping/administrative posts in business and the arts 
Actor - Kay Lee's Playbox Players, 1969 - 1979


MUSICAL/VOCAL DIRECTOR

Blending Voices - Russellville Park Retirement Community Chorus
Assemble, prepare, conduct orchestra; prepare soloists and chorus; provide additional chorus arrangements as needed.

(See Coaster Theatre under "director" below)

Lovegood Company - Seussical the Musical

DaVinci Middle School - Seussical Jr., Lion King Jr., Shrek, Jr., Once Upon A Mattress, Jr., John Hughs High, the 1980s Musical, Once On This Island, Jr., Beauty & the Beast, Jr.

Wilson High School - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder

Lincoln High School - Company, Sound of Music

HART Theatre - I Do, I Do (Director & Musical Director)

Five Oaks Middle School - Cinderella; Willy Wonka (2) ; Dear EdwinaAnnie, Jr.; Guys & Dolls, Jr. (2); Music Man, Jr.
NW Children’s Theatre — The Little Mermaid (Prescott Elementary School Play Lab)

Key Productions — Can’t Say I Do — 2007

Portland Community College — Urinetown:The Musical- 2006

Classical Greek Theatre at Reed College - Medea, Prometheus Bound; Trojan Women, Oedipus
St. Mary’s Academy — The Mystery of Edwin Drood; West Side Story; Theatre Tonight!; Anything Goes; My Fair Lady; The Sound of Music; Annie!; Into the Woods
Central Catholic High School — Into the Woods, The Lorax
North Clackamas Community Theatre — Bye Bye Birdie
Clackamas Community College — Into the Woods
The Production Company — Dames At Sea (also director)
Slabtown Theatre — Slabtown FolliesJohn Brown’s Body (arranger; composer) 
University of Salzburg English Club — Gallows Humor (director)

DIRECTOR

To the Moon - Linestorm Playwrights 2019

The Dock Brief/The Duck Variations - Portland Civic Theatre Guild 2016

Love Is Enough – Portland Civic Theatre Guild 2014 Fertile Ground Festival Entry

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum - Coaster Theatre (also Musical Director)

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! - Coaster Theatre (also Musical Director)

I Do, I Do! - HART (also Musical Director)

A Thousand Clowns - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

The Road to Mecca - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Three Viewings - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Same Time Next Year — Portland Civic Theatre Guild

The Country's in the Very Best of Hands - Lewis & Clark College Musical Theatre Workshop

Rita; Scenes From Mozart; Falstaff's Merry Wives— Lewis & Clark College Opera Theatre

Side By Side By Sondheim - Coaster Theatre

Where In The World Is Santa? Vivace Voices/Fireside Carolers

Cabaret — River Theatre - (also Musical Director)

Quilters — Coaster Theatre

No Way To Treat A Lady — Coaster Theatre - (also Musical Director)

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
St. Mary’s Academy — Audition Workshop; Career Day
Lewis & Clark College — Guest Lecturer, Musical Theatre Workshop

West Linn Community Chorus - Reading Music Workshop
Vanport Square Studio - Demystifying the Dots On the Page

Clark College - NATS Mock Auditions Panel 2011


PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES
Musical – Lyric Soprano Legit/Belt

Urinetown! The Musical - Penelope Pennywise - Anonymous Theatre

All By Myself! - solo cabaret show - Barthelemy Concert Series; Tony Starlight’s Supper Club
Rain! The Musical - The Mayor - Fertile Ground Festival of New Works 2013

Guys & Dolls - Gen. Cartwright - Portland Center Stage

Cabaret — Fr. Schneider — Geva Theatre Center; Rochester, NY

Cabaret — Standby for Fr. Schneider — Portland Center Stage

Vivaldi’s Gloria — Alto Soloist — Cannon Beach Chorus

Haydn’s Paukenmesse — Alto Soloist — Cannon Beach Chorus

La Famiglia: Who Stole My Dead Husband? — Concetta (created role)

Fireside Carolers — Co. Member since 2002

The Promise - Mother — (created role in new chamber opera by Theresa Koon)

Ruthless — Judy/Ginger — River Theatre

Spitfire Grill — Hannah — Lakewood Theatre Co.
Music Man — Mrs. Paroo — Oregon Symphony Pops
Carousel — Nettie Fowler — Lakewood Theatre Co
Guys and Dolls — General Cartwright — Oregon Symphony Pops
Cabaret By Chrisse — The Old Church, Portland – 1995–96
What Isn’t There — Marta — New Music Visions NW (World Premier)
My Fair Lady — Mrs. Pearce — Oregon Symphony Pops
Sticky Trouble — Tanya the Spider — The Haven Project, Portland
We’re Throwing A Ball Tonight! — Don’t Tell Mama Cabaret Club, NYC
Daniel Boone! — Rebecca Boone — Theaterworks USA, NYC
Suffragette! — Flora Drummond — Trinity Theatre, NYC
Mr. Scrooge! — Mrs. Dilber — Trinity Theatre, NYC
When the Stars Begin To Fall – Miss Polly Mizell — Emmanuel Theatre, NYC
Robin and Marion — Marion — ASCAP Songwriters’ Workshop, NYC
Song Recital — New York City Public Library
No Way To Treat A Lady — 5 roles — Portland Repertory Theatre
A…My Name Is Alice — 5th Actress — Oregon Stage Company
I’m A Stranger Here Myself — Company — Oregon Stage Company
Blue Plate Special — Della — Triangle Productions
Same Boat Brother! — Company, Assistant Director –— Artists Repertory Theatre
Dames At Sea — Joan — SRO Portland
Company — Marta — SRO Portland
110° In the Shade — Lizzie — Portland Civic Theatre
Jacques Brel — Company — Portland Civic Theatre
How To Succeed — Smitty — Portland Civic Theatre
A Little Night Music — Desiree, Madam Armfeldt, Charlotte, Liebeslieder — PCT Guild; Lakewood Theatre
Feiffer’s People — Company — Lakewood Theatre
Guys and Dolls — Miss Adelaide — Portland
Oliver! — Nancy — Portland
Kay Lee’s Playbox Players — Actress, Puppeteer, Teacher — Portland


Non-Musical

Confabulous - Geraldine - Linestorm Playwrights

Over the River and Through the Woods - Aida - Love Street Playhouse

I Love You/Who Are You -Act III Beth - PCTG, Fertile Ground Festival of New Work

Lettice & Lovage - Lotte - PCTG

Over the River & Through the Woods - Aida - Love Street Playhouse; Portland Civic Theatre Guild

The Play's the Thing - Hamlet IIii; IIIiii - Claudius - Readers Theatre Rep

3 By Teresa Deevy - various - Readers Theatre Rep; Artists Rep

I Hate Hamlet – Lillian – Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Lost In Yonkers – Grandma Kurnitz – Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Crossing Delancey - Hannah - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Steel Magnolias - Clairee - Circle Theatre Project

The Effect of Gamma Rays. . .- Beatrice - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

The Cemetery Club - Doris - Portland Civic Theatre Guild

Jake's Women - Karen - Profile Theatre

Women & Wallace — Grandmother — Readers Theatre Rep

Riders To the Sea - Mother - Readers Theatre Rep

What I Heard About Iraq - Actor - Readers Theatre Rep

Old Money — Saulina/Sally — Profile Theatre Company

By the Bog of Cats — Monica Murray — CoHo Productions

Da — Mother — Lakewood Theatre Co.

Blithe Spirit — Madam Arcati — Lakewood Theatre Co.
Holiday Kids Concerts — Mrs. Santa (1997–00) — Oregon Symphony
Beau Jest — Miriam — Portland Repertory Theatre
Young Playwrights Festival — various — Portland Repertory Theatre
Everyman — Strength — Emmanuel Theatre, NYC
The Diviners — Norma — Trinity Theatre, NYC
The Knack — Nancy — Slabtown Theatre, Portland
The Importance of Being Ernest — Miss Prism — Slabtown Theatre, Portland
John Brown’s Body — Marylou Wingate — Slabtown Theatre
Falling Apart — Marilyn — Slabtown Theatre
Three Sisters — Anfisa — SRO Portland
The Skin of Our Teeth — Sabina— Portland
The Crucible — Mary Warren — Portland
Trojan Women — Andromache — Portland

TELEVISION/FILM

The Albatross - Mrs. Johnson - dir. Nate Jenkins

Beatlemania - Doris - dir. Katie Letien

Wild*–  (Reece Witherspoon) – Crabby Post Office Lady - dir. Jean-Marc Vallee  *cut

The Librarians - And the Fables of Doom - Arguing Woman - TNT Network - dir. J. Frakes

Leverage (Timothy Hutton)-The Two Live Crew Job - Olivia Mercer - TNT Network

Extraordinary Measures (Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser)  - Clerk - CBS Films

Only For You - Mom - dir. Donna Persico  Silverheart Films
Love Is Strange (with Kate Nelligan) - Nurse Kelly - dir. Annette Heywood-Carter - Lifetime/Hearst Entertainment
Nowhere Man (with Bruce Greenwood) - Mrs. Thames - dir. Steve UPN
Medicine Ball - Trauma Nurse - dir. Robert Lieberman - FOX
Movin’ On - Marilyn (uncredited) - dir. John Peyser - NBC
Commercial, Industrial, Voice-over, Interactive, audiobook— list available upon request

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

APP-NW - Past Union Co-Chair
SAG-AFTRA - Portland Local former National Board Rep; Local Board Member
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, National Administrative Committee; National Board Member for Portland; former Pres. of Local; former Secretary of Local

Screen Actors Guild, Portland Branch Vice President
Actors Equity Association

American Guild of Musical Artists
Mu Phi Epsilon (Music Sorority — voluntary withdrawal)

 

ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL HONORS
Marylhurst University - 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award

Drammy Award/Supporting Actress — Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit
OTAS Award/Best Actress — Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit
Marylhurst College, Cum Laude
Mu Phi Epsilon Solo Contest 
NATS Solo Contest 
State Solo Contest
All Northwest Choir

COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Dougy Center For Grieving Children — Volunteer Facilitator 1997 - 2019
Bump In the Road Theatre Co. — Grief Project 2002 — Actor
Portland Civic Theatre Guild - Current VP, former President; Secretary

Chair, Advisory Board — Sabin-Schellenberg Center Media Communications Program

Judge – Oregon Thespian Association High School Competition; Mt. Hood Conference Thespian Competition

 

 

 

   
Chrisse illustration Chrisse "credentials"