The cast of characters.

Well, by this point we have known each other about a week, but in rehearsal time, like dog years, it seems to be closer to a month or two. Today especially seemed very very very very very very long. We spent 8 hours of rehearsal meticulously blocking a 15 minute segment. Yes, the show is blocked within an inch of it’s life. But, I have been told repeatedly that this company is a well oiled machine, so, far be it for me to question the process. :)

now...the cast of characters.





Our director, brian, is nice. A father of an almost 3 year old little girl, he dashes out the door every night as soon as we’re freed to rush home to his wife and baby in Rhode island. He’s been doing the directing thing for chamber theater for 6 years now, tries to make everyone feel comfortable, always has a smile on his face, finds the positive, and seems very young at heart...and if any of you know Eric corley, this is the man he will grow up to become. The personality is identical, and the looks aren’t far off either...am I right?



Pat, is the puppet master. She has been with the company for 25 of the last 30 years. She was one of the original players when it was just a roving band of hippie kids in the 70's trying to get their message out “to the people” or whatever. What she says goes, and if it’s different from what you’ve been told, then you’ve been told wrong. She is intense, but not mean or evil...just very passionate and means business. Also, she (and Spring, the uber puppet master and producer) reserve the right to change actors to different roles at anytime...including up until the day you leave for life on the road. No role you play is safe. Yikes!!



Lanny, 28, from Indiana, is our stage manager, and will be going on the road with us (brian and pat do not). Lanny agreed to see the movie STEP UP with me at some point, when I posed the question the first day of rehearsal...he also loves him some karaokee, will drink but gets a little tipsy after 2 beers, and is a smoking vegetarian.



Megan, 26, actor, is a new yorker as well. Lives on the upper west side with her boyfriend, and is more of a dancing actor, she says, and not a musical theater person. She too is a vegetarian, but a non smoker. She likes to run on her days off, and prefers tea to coffee. She has yet to reveal what, if anything, she gets ‘geeky’ about.



Steven, 40, actor, is a former new yorker, but now lives in florida to be closer to his aging mother. (I think it’s sweet). He has been doing tours with chamber for 10 + years, and is my personal go-to guy for everything, including my own line readings. He has played every male part in every one of the shows we are doing, I kid you not. He’s a great resource for info, gossip, and blocking and he’s a fellow meat eater!! Not to mention my fellow musical theater geek, (yes we will be singing lots of duets together at karaokee, I’ve already agreed to it). Although his first day with us was only yesterday, I feel like I’ve known him forever. He’s such a sweetie, but I can’t wait to climb into that brain of his and find out what his inner freak truly is...also, a quasi smoker.



Zach, 23, actor, is from chicago, although we’ve bonded over our North carolina connection (his folks are in north raleigh). He reminds us daily that he is neither a singer nor dancer. But he’s got some great characters, and is wonderful with the physical comedy. He’s the chain smoking, red meat eating, gimme-a-shot-of-whiskey-with-my-beer drinking, I’m up for anything, kinda guy. He also loves horror movies, and comic books, but brought WAR AND PEACE as his leisure reading for the road (a better man than I). He and I had an adventure getting lost between the andrew stop and morton street (he didn’t find the humor I did) on the first day. We live in the same area of town as opposed to everyone else, who lives farther away but in a nicer ‘hood.



Scot, 35, actor, married, new yorker living in queens with his wife of 6 years. His family is in phoenix, az and if we all don’t hate each other come thanksgiving, the offer to spend the holiday with him and his fam has been extended. He is a yoga practicing vegetarian and a non smoker. He says he’s afraid we’ll all discover what a prick he really is, but so far, I’m in love with him. (I’m pretty quick to either love you or hate you, though...my opinion my change) :) he’s an acting, book loving, introverted poet, with a great sense of wit and timing both on and off stage. At well over 6 feet, he has graciously put up with my midget 5'3'’ status during the waltzing we spent 7+ hours rehearsing today... :) he, like me, only runs if being chased.



Me, 26, actor, currently hailing from nyc with north carolina based family. A non exercising, red meat loving, beer drinking, attention craving, first born, with off again on again self-esteem issues. I tend to be pretty easy going, but I’ve also never been on tour before. I’m a geek for musical theater, as well as shitty pop music, bad dance movies, good horror movies, tv, star wars, a good E! True Hollywood story, and video games. I have a younger brother who has prepped me well for life with boys (which is the majority of my touring buddies), and kept up my competitive nature.

now that you know the “real world cast” as it were, you will be able to better picture the stories I report on...that is if anyone other than my mama, is reading this. ;)