WE BELIEVE ART IS WORK
October Ensemble is an inclusive New Jersey-based production company founded by Dakota Reider and Elle River that believes ART is WORK and offers adult creatives the space and voice to express themselves through theatre and storytelling.
Everyone who works with October Ensemble is paid for their work.
behind the name
The name October Ensemble was chosen because, as anyone who works with us knows, we believe in ensemble-focused productions. No one fades into the background, and we all work together as storytellers.
Additionally, October is an autumn month, and we want to focus on the rich and interesting stories of adults: a demographic too often forgotten after college.
Perhaps most importantly, October is also a month of change, and we believe change is needed in the arts. Change in the way we treat people who give us their time and talent, change in the way we value the labor of art, and change in the way we interact within our communities.
what we do
October Ensemble’s focus is high-quality storytelling. We believe in treating every story and character with integrity and honesty. There are no small roles in October Ensemble!
Our productions can (and will) include: plays, dinner theatre, murder mysteries, musicals, cabarets, virtual shows, interactive theatre exhibits, poetry, visual art, improv, and more!
October Ensemble works exclusively with adult actors of any experience level who are over the age of 18 and have graduated high school. We are especially excited to work with post-college adults, retired adults, and working adults: demographics we feel are too often overlooked in theatre communities.
The Team
Dakota Reider
Dakota’s (he/him) very first onstage experience was a community theatre production of “Oliver!” where he played…Oliver—but he promises it didn’t go to his head! Dakota instantly fell in love with singing and performance, and later studied theatre arts at Ocean County College and served on the board of three local community theatres.
Dakota has his Bachelor’s in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and works as a Marking Director for off-Broadway shows. He has also studied voice with world-renowned Juilliard Master Teacher, Steven Schnurman since he was 15.
For the past 5 years, Dakota has found himself in every theatre role from actor to director to stage manager. He has directed multiple sold-out shows and award winning musicals. Currently, Dakota is part of Shore Thing Theater ComedySportz Jersey Shore improv team and performs across the tri-state area as one-half of NJ’s Most Beloved Tenor and Soprano Duo, Dakota & Elle.
He is excited to head the development of October Ensemble as he believes in accessible, diverse, and inclusive theatre. Dakota cannot wait to bring high-quality shows and events to so many unique and exciting venues across Central New Jersey.
Elle River
Elle’s (she/her) first show was an unauthorized sequel of The Lion King performed entirely by handmade puppets when she was just seven years old. Since then, Elle has surrounded herself with theatre and the arts in all areas of her life. The daughter of two Presbyterian pastors, Elle grew up singing and performing in church choirs and later in school and community theatre musicals. 🎼 For the last ten years Elle has been performing as a princess character actor in the tri-state area—check your family photos; she may be your Elsa!
Elle studied theatre and performance at MCCC, graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from TESU (2017), and achieved her Master of Fine Arts from SNHU in the midst of the pandemic (2020). She has since then had the privilege of studying voice with world-renowned Juilliard Trained Master Teacher, Steven Schnurman.
Elle is also a chronic illness and disability advocate as she lives and performs with the rare genetic disease, Hereditary Coproporphyria (HCP). Elle’s father passed from the disease when she was a child, and, since being diagnosed with HCP in 2019, Elle has been outspoken about the isolating and devastating physical and mental effects of this rare chronic illness.
She believes music and the arts have the power to heal, and knows that theatre has helped her stay positive despite her prognosis. Elle is excited to be able to bring her unique perspective and compassionate voice to October Ensemble where no one will be turned away due to their disability. To learn more about Elle’s porphyria journey you can read the American Porphyria Foundation’s patient spotlight article here: https://porphyriafoundation.org/…/heredita…/elle-rivers/
Currently, you can catch Elle performing as part of Shore Thing Theater’s Comedy Sportz professional improv team and as one-half of NJ’s Most Beloved Tenor and Soprano Duo, Dakota & Elle
When she’s not onstage, Elle is also a short story author, a voracious reader, and performs intermittently with Finding Words NJ: an organization that helps train police officers on proper forensic interview techniques.
Bliss Rubin
Bliss Rubin (they/them) has been performing in some capacity for most of their life. As a child they sang in the children’s choir at Forked River Presbyterian Church, later joining the chancel choir and performing as a featured soloist. They attended the OCVTS Performing Arts Academy as a vocal major. This program taught them about vocal technique and health, music theory, music and musical theatre history. Bliss discovered a love for acting and character work while performing in extracurricular plays and one acts in high school, as well as discovering they actually do like to dance even if they can only generously be described as a “strong mover”.
Following high school, Bliss completed their Associate’s degree at Ocean County College and their Bachelor’s degree at Montclair State University. Throughout high school and college Bliss has been heavily involved with community theatre in Ocean County. They currently perform with Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers around the holidays as part of acapella Christmas quartets, and they are also the primary sound tech for Dakota & Elle.
Bliss currently works as a library assistant, and intends to begin a Master’s program in library science in the fall of 2024. Bliss desires to work as a public librarian for many of the same reasons they value October Ensemble. A public library is dedicated to information access, stories in many formats from every kind of person, and programs that support the community. It is a safe space with something for everyone to enjoy and something for everyone to learn. Bliss hopes that both October Ensemble and their eventual role as a public librarian will promote diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity in our community.
