Meet the Production Team!
Eric Oleson, director: Educated at the Sorbonne and the Yale School of Drama, Eric Oleson is obviously not the person being described here. But aren't the preening, pretentious losers at both those institutions going to be jealous when they see that Eric is no longer just a waiter at Le Pain Quotidien anymore, but a waiter at Le Pain Quotidien with a hit show downtown that he's not getting paid for! If that isn't success, we don't know what is.
Gersh Kuntzman, producer, writer, starlet: Gersh Kuntzman is a tabloid hack, first and formost. Since 1993, Gersh (www.gersh.tv) has been at The New York Post, first as a reporter and, later, as a columnist. A series of columns he wrote on the annual hot-dog-eating championship at Coney Island inspired the award-winning film "Red, White and Yellow." Variety magazine called Gersh's performance in the film "outstanding" and "a breath of fresh air, albeit tinged with garlic and secret spices, blowing through all of Hollywood." In 2001, Gersh started writing a weekly column for Newsweek.com. Gersh is also the author of "HAIR! Mankind's Historic Quest to End Baldness" (Random House, April 2001), that classic social history of male pattern baldness. Later, Gersh turned his creative talents to theater, has focused on composing, a career choice his wife dismisses as "a lame excuse for not making more than $12,000 a year." "SUV: The Musical!" was credited with pressuring the Bush administration to reconsider its plan to drill the entire nation for oil.
Marc Dinkin, music, lyrics: Marc has been a songwriter and performer for over 15 years. Trading in his squeaky violin for a squeaky guitar in high school, he began composing such youthful gems as "Don't Fall Asleep this Time, Jill," but soon was asking more serious questions like "You changed my life, but could you leave my room alone?" The bulk of his rock songwriting has been performed with the band, Youngster, long time pop-rock entertainers of NYC and past-winner of Swing Magazine's Best Unsigned Band of the year. He also wrote and directed the award-winning musical, "The Prophet and the Janitor." He has recently written a collection of children songs for The Learning Company's Reader Rabbit CD-ROM series, including the touching anthem, "I Believe in B." His songs have also been featured in Mainely A Capella's "Best of College A Cappella" CD compilation, Music Pen's online and CD-ROM games and Ragu's site, eat.com. He currently lives in NYC with his wonderful (although not Vegan) wife Julie, who wrote his favorite line in "Bigger is Better."
Katie Workum, choreographer, MISS MOHAMMAD: Katie works as a dancer and choreographer in New York City. She graduated from University of Vermont with two defining accolades: a theater/studio art major and as captain of the Women's Ice Hockey Team. Combining her athletic and theatrical background, Katie combines music, text and movement. Her choreography has been shown at The Joyce, Joyce SOHO, PS 122, Joe’s Pub, The Kitchen, Galapagos, WAX, The Flea, Culture Project, Spoke the Hub and CBGB’s. She has worked in many fruitful collaborations: Smart Set with Leigh Garrett and Ayla Yavin, The Miami Project with Leigh Garrett, Massholia with Nathan Phillips, and Beyond the Normal Sledding Hill with Will Rawls. As a dancer, she has had the honor of performing under the guiding hands (me-OW!) of David Neumann, Stacy Dawson, Sharon Fogarty, Sarah East Johnson, Elizabeth Streb, Jenny Seastone Stern, Kourtney Rutherford, Linas Phillips and others. Katie is a co-recipient of Dance in Progress at The Kitchen, a National Endowment for the Advancement for the Arts grant, and the Young Choreographer’s fellowship at Summer Stages Dance Festival in Concord Massachusetts in 2001 and 2002. Katie is the co-curator of the dance variety show DANCEOFF!
Hollie Rosenberg (Stage manager): Having recently escaped the world of television and movie ratings in Los Angeles, Hollie now has happily stage managed and assistant stage managed The 8th Annual black box festival and The Full Monty's first NYC revival, Sugarville a Little Death, and Blood Moon. Hollie has a BA in film from Columbia College in Chicago where she also worked the stage door for Broadway In Chicago. As the secretary of backstage, she was there for Sweet Smell of Success and Moving Out's pre-Broadway try-outs (so she knows where the bodies are buried). Hollie is also a filmmaker, singer, and a playwright and would like to thank NYC and all its glory for letting her back into theater.
Meet the Actors!
Kenny Wade Marshall (SPIROS)*: Off-Broadway: Pirates of Penzance. Regional: A Christmas Carol (Fulton Opera), Chicago (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina). Kenny has also performed in new works with Gorilla Rep., Vortex Theatre Co. and Playwright and Actors Contemporary Theatre. Film/TV: The War on The War on Drugs (Various Roles), Turbo Charge: The Unauthorized Biography of The Cars (Phil Collins). National commercials for the History Channel and Nick at Nite. Kenny is also a co-founder/conspirator with Rash Behaviour (www.rashbehaviour.com) and a proud member of the acting company at New Jersey Rep. BFA in Theatre Performance, College of Santa Fe.
Stephanie Roy* (DEMOS): Stephanie was in Massholia and has worked at the InterArt Annex, White Rabbit Theatre, The Riant Theatre, Nada 45, New Jersey Rep, Shadow Lawn Summer Stage, and Delaware Heritage Theatre, and toured nationally with Theatreworks USA. She can be seen in the soon-to-be released horror movie Demon Resurrection, and in the hit video game Grand Theft Auto III (hot coffee anyone?).
Jerry Miller (MR. 92): Jerry is a comedic genius. He graduated from Niagara University with a BFA in Theatre, and since then his life has been a whirlwind of emotions. He was a Royal Caribbean Krooze Komic, the French's Mustard Man and a member of Second City New York's Revue Showcase, Start Spreading The Booze, at PSNBC. Jerry has worked with NYC groups All Things Walter, The Strange Box of Dr. Oddbody, Random Acts, The Lizards, Saturday Night Rewritten and The Royal We (www.theroyalwe.org). He's been in several commercials for MTV, a number of short films and is currently a Bitty Puppy at the American Girl Place. Jerry does stand-up around the city, is available for parties and has a wonderful (but manly) figure.
Jennifer Kersey* (Jen Johnson): A Baltimore native and proud AEA member, Jen is ecstatic to be back with her “SUV” family! NY: Frankenstein (Justine, w/Craig Schulman and Philip Hernandez), Laura Ingalls Wilder (Laura). REGIONAL: Jekyll and Hyde (Emma Carew), Scrooge (Isabel/Martha/Fan), Parade (Mary Phagan), Little Women (Meg), Snow White (Snow White), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Patty), Godspell ("Bless the Lord"), The Crucible (Betty Parris), Bye Bye Birdie (Margie), and Schoolhouse Rock at Wolf Trap in VA. THEME PARKS: Country music shows at Six Flags America and Paramounts Kings Dominion, Velma in Scooby Doo! She has appeared in many films, industrials, and PSAs, and is a country singer and karaoke lover.
Adam Wolfsdorf (Max Blank): A teacher and a musician in his off-stage life, Adam has been involved in theater and music since he was 15. Adam made his professional debut when he joined the first National Tour of the Tony-winning musical, Rent. His favorite regional roles include Cain/Japheth in Children of Eden (Human Race Theater), Danny Zuko in Grease (let's face it, he's perfect for that role!), and Jinx in Forever Plaid (you know, he's perfect for that, too!). Most recently, Adam played a principle role in Snug Harbor's production of Cole, based on the life and music of Cole Porter. He also is the lead singer of the rock band, Furious George, which is currently in negotiations with management and labels throughout the country. Visit them at Furiousgeorge.biz. Adam graduated from Harvard University with a degree in literature (insert joke here!). Adam would like to thank Michael T. Dealy, Donald Wiedis, Danny Greene, Shannon Davies, Jordan Cooper, James Clifford, Mom and Dad (not their real names), big and medium brother, and everyone who makes his life richer and better (that clearly excludes Gersh).
Chris Griggs (Christos): Chris recently won PAX TV’s World Cup NY Comedy showcase produced by Kelsey Grammer and is a regular stand-up performer around town. He performed at the Second City revue showcase Stop Spreading the Booze at psNBC and Texas Hold ’em” at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade. His most recent theater roles include Manhattan Towers and he played Richard Foreman’s disembodied ego at the Ontological Theater production of Being Richard Foreman. He's also a regular house team performer at The People’s Improv Theater.
Bryant Keller* (BINDAR): Bryant teaches some, he dances some, he sings a little more and he acts a little more than that. OK, that last one is not true (he was just succumbing to peer pressure from all the “cool” kids in the cast. But he is a pure joy to work with (and we’re not acting when we say that!).
Dina Plotch (SARAH): Dina was told by her teachers at an early age that a life in the theater was no life at all. Dina subsequently dropped out of second grade, and has never looked back. (That's not really true. Actually, Dina is such a fan of education, she made it to Harvard...of the New York State University system. Go Binghamton!) Recent New York credits include Rene in Madame De Sade, Margrette in Montevideo, Nina in The Almost and the Nothing, and Tori in Saved By The Bell: The Musical! Dina was most recently featured as student #276 in the critically acclaimed film Kinsey with Liam Neason. (If you squint really hard during the map scene, you may just be able to see Dina’s extremely hot left earlobe).
Matt Knight (DICK JOHNSON, MR. 203): Matt has been in some plays. Here are some of them: "Julius Caesar," "Six Characters in Search of an Author," "Great Expectations" and "Sammy Sosa Stole My Sausage" (he won an Obie award for his Sausage).
* Courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
