2010 Play Information Bios - The Paul Bunyan Playhouse



	314 Beltrami Ave.; Bemidji, MN 56601 (218)751-7270

September 5th, 2010 - 11:42 pm

	Zach Curtis (Artistic Director; Director - Biloxi Blues, Picasso, Dracula, Gypsy; Norman - The Boys Next Door) Zach Curtis returns for his fifth season as Artistic Director for the Playhouse. Has appeared in, directed, designed, and/or produced over 140 professional productions in the last 15 years. Curtis was the Artistic Director of Fifty Foot Penguin Theater, which in 2006 completed their tenth and final season with Requiem for a Heavyweight, with Curtis in the title role. For that performance, he was named one of ten “Great Performances” of 2006 by City Pages . In 2002, City Pages named FFPT "Best Independent Theater in the Twin Cities". Curtis staged over a dozen critically acclaimed productions for FFPT, including Inherit the Wind, American Buffalo, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Elephant Man, Twelve Angry Men, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the area premiere of Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical. His staging of A Streetcar Named Desire was named Best Play (small theater) of 2005 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Curtis has directed sixteen productions here at the Playhouse, including The Who’s Tommy, OneFlew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Chicago. As an actor, audiences at PBP have seen him in The Odd Couple (Oscar Madison), The Music Man (Harold Hill), The Foreigner (Ellard), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II) and Born Yesterday (Harry Brock) His other favorite roles have included Diamond Louis in His Girl Friday (with Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance at the Guthrie Theater), Lennie in Of Mice and Men, the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, and the title role in Killer Joe. In the non-summer months, Zach lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Kristen Husby.
	Bonni Allen (Tessie Tura - Gypsy) Bonni Allen hails from Minneapolis where she makes her living as a performer and musician on stage and doing commercial, film, and voice-over work. Recent theater credits include: The Who’s Tommy, Chicago, and Don’t Hug Me with Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Tony & Tina‘s Wedding, A Christmas Carol, Mom’s the Word, and Magical Moments with Actors' Theater of Minnesota, Beyond the Rainbow, Sisters of Swing, and Christmas of Swing with The History Theater, Don’t Hug Me, A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol, We Gotta Bingo, and A Class Act at Hennepin Stages, Bush is Bad and How to Mow the Lawn at Old Arizona, A Piece of My Heart with Theater Unbound, and the world premier of Jessica Goldberg‘s Ward 57 at Florida Stage. She has also performed at Heart of the Beast, The Red Eye Theater, John Hassler Theater, Theatre L’ Homme Dieu, Spontaneous Productions improv, and as a swing dancer with The Swing Cats.
	Catherine Battocletti (Mazeppa - Gypsy) Catherine Battocletti was most recently seen in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (Edna) with the Gallery Players. Other credits include Pioneer Place’s original production, Fishing Widows (Betsy), The Full Monty at the Ordway for Theatre Latte Da (Georgie Bukatinsky), and Chicago’s Bailiwick Repertory Theatre’s production of The Christmas Schooner as well as Minneapolis Musical Theatre productions of The Robber Bridegroom (Raven), Jerry Springer, the Opera (Valkyrie), Chess, La Cage Aux Folles, The Who’s Tommy, and Zombie Prom (Choreographer). She played Rhetta in the national tour of Pump Boys and Dinettes, and has worked with the Bloomington Civic Theatre in A Chorus Line (Cassie), Company (Kathy), and Cabaret as well as assisting the Artistic Director/Choreographer John Command. She choreographed three seasons at The Paul Bunyan Playhouse and has performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, with the Minnesota Jazz Dance Company and the national show band Casablanca Orchestra.
	Daniel Lundin (Tulsa - Gypsy) Dan is beyond stoked to be back in Bemidji for his second summer with the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, having performed in last season's production of The Who's Tommy. He also appeared in the PBP remount of Chicago for Pioneer Place on Fifth last fall. Some of Dan’s favorite roles include Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, Troy in High School Musical and Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Much love and thanks to Paul Wigley, Alix, and his parents for their support.
	Mitch Berntson (Jack - The Boys Next Door) Mitch is excited for another season at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse! He previously appeared at PBP in The Odd Couple, The Nerd, The Lion in Winter, Twelfth Night, Arsenic and Old Lace, Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, Crimes of the Heart, A Thousand Clowns, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr., and The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore.
	Warren C. Bowles (Lucien - The Boys Next Door) Warren is thrilled to be returning to PBP. His past work here includes was an actor in Educating Rita and Driving Miss Daisy and he directed Crimes of the Heart. Since his last visit to PBP he received a McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship, mayor R. T. Rybak proclaimed January 18, 2004 "Warren Caesar Bowles Day" in Minneapolis, and he has continued to act and direct at Mixed Blood Theatre and other Twin Cities theatres. Warren is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
	Alexander Broeffle (Production Stage Manager, Selridge - Biloxi Blues) Alexander is excited to be returning to the Playhouse for a third year as company stage manager. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Theatre at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. Al stage managed Sisters of Swing, Sherlock Holmes, and Tommy and played Roy in The Odd Couple last season. He would like to thank his family and friends for providing him the support he has needed to pursue his dreams.
	Nancy Brown-Colligan (Mrs. Fremus/Mrs. Warren/Clara - The Boys Next Door) Nancy graduated from the University of Minnesota (Mpls.) with majors in theater, speech, English and language arts, and Spanish. She taught classes related to those subjects at Bagley Public Schools where she also directed plays and was head speech coach. She enjoys judging high school speech and one-act play contests in Minnesota and Florida. Nancy has acted and directed for the Bagley Community Theater. Always relishing the opportunity to gain onstage experience, Nancy has acted in 25 plays at PBP including the most recent Music Man (Maude), The Foreigner (Betty), and Born Yesterday (Mrs. Hedges). She thanks her husband Lyle for his encouragement, patience and humor.
	Andrew P. Clemenson (Percussion - Gypsy) Andrew is an emerging freelance percussionist originally from Bemidji, Minn. This is his seventh season as the percussionist at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, where he has been seen and heard in productions of Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, The Musicman, Sisters of Swing, and Tommy. Andrew received his Bachelor’s of Music degree in from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. in May, and will be shedding his marital bachelor status in September. After all the growing-up and getting old that Andrew has done lately, he is very excited to be back home in Bemidji, Minn. as the percussionist for Gypsy.
	Jennifer DeGolier (Lighting Designer - Gypsy) Jennifer is thrilled to be returning to Paul Bunyan Playhouse after previously designing Tommy and Chicago. She attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where she has lived and designed professionally for the last 16 years. She has designed shows at many venues including; McKnight Theater, Southern Theater, Mixed Blood Theater, Pillsbury House Theater, Theater in the Round, Illusion Theater, Loring Playhouse, Red Eye Theater, and The Theater Garage. She has taught and worked with students at Stepping Stone Theater, Bloomington Kennedy High School, Susan B Anthony Middle School, Mounds Park Academy, North Central University, and Augsburg College. She was resident designer for Theater Latte Da for a number of years designing, A Man of No Importance, Gypsy, Floyd Collins, La Boheme, King of Hearts, and most recently Passage of Dreams. Jennifer was the Lighting designer for the 2005 IVY award winning production of La Boheme.
	Jake Endres (Music Director - Gypsy) Jake Endres is thrilled to be back makin’ music in Bemidji—especially on the Playhouse’s fantastic keyboard, which he has christened “Babe.” After music directing five great shows for the Playhouse in the past three years (The Who’s TOMMY, Sisters of Swing, The Music Man, Little Shop of Horrors, and Chicago), he’ll add Gypsy to that list, as well as composing the freaky music accompanying Dracula. Jake has also appeared as bass soloist with the Bemidji Symphony in Beethoven’s 9th and Libby Larsen’s Sacred Vows. As a singer-actor, he has performed with many regional companies, including The Minnesota Orchestra (Street Chorus in Bernstein’s Mass), The Children’s Theatre Company (King Derwin & The Executioner in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins), Skylark Opera (Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow), G.R.E.A.T. Theatre (Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof), Sapphire Chamber Consort (director & performer in Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale), Frank Theatre (Puntila and Mother Courage), Park Square Theatre (Oh, Coward!), Dorian Opera Theatre (Edvard Grieg in Song of Norway), and Minnesota Dance Theatre (Baritone in Rumblings), as well as The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, American Folklore Theatre, Nautilus Music-Theater, and Theatre Mu. Mr. Endres is also the founder and artistic director of The Theatrical Music Company, an innovative, award-winning performance ensemble based in St. Paul, whose shows have included Knock Knock! It’s Your Husband – 7 American Comic Operas in 90 Minutes and Voice-In-Head: Improv Headphone-Guided Futurismo™, and most recently, Elvis Costello’s The Juliet Letters.
	Stephen Frethem (Wykowski - Biloxi Blues) This is Stephen Frethem's first appearance with Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and also his first appearance on-stage after a 4 year hiatus to start a family. In his former life as a thespian, he was one of the original founding members of Starting Gate Productions in the Twin Cities where he was the Executive Director for their first three years and appeared in The Grapes of Wrath, This is our Youth, Period of Adjustment, and Equus. Stephen would like to say thanks to Zach for giving him this opportunity to come back, and sends love to his wife Nicole and 2 year old daughter Signe.
	Mark Fulton (Gaston - Picasso at the Lapin Agile) This is Mark Fulton's first show with Paul Bunyan Playhouse. He appeared in the recent Bemidji Community Theater production of Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King), but otherwise hasn't been on the stage for about 25 years. By day, he is a professor of biology at Bemidji State University. Enjoy the show!
	Randall J. Funk (Freddy - Picasso at the Lapin Agile) Randall is returning for his fifth season at Paul Bunyan Playhouse. He has previously appeared as Larabee in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Brian Doyle in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Dr. Spivey in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Carlino in Wait Until Dark. Randy spent six years as artistic director of Pigs Eye Theatre, working as an actor (Speed-The-Plow, Henry V), director (Buried Child, The Front Page) and writer (The Hound of The Baskervilles, Bring Me The Head of Dominic Papatola). He has also served as marketing director for Starting Gate Productions. Randy currently lives in St. Louis Park with his wife, Kris, and their son, Benjamin.
	Aric Furfaro (Carney - Biloxi Blues, Ensemble - Dracula) Aric is pleased to be joining The Paul Bunyan Playhouse once again for his eleventh season where he has been involved both off and on stage in over 21 productions. He was first sighted on stage at The Paul Bunyan Playhouse in 1995 at the young age of eight in Christmas in the Marketplace. Last seen in The Who’s Tommy in 2009, Aric has also had the pleasure to perform other roles such as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat, Marius in Les Misérables and Ewert Dunlop in The Music Man. This spring he graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelor of Science in Design Technology with an emphasis in print, digital, and exhibit design.
	Emma Gochberg (Mina - Dracula) Emma Gochberg is proud to be working with Paul Bunyan Playhouse for the first time. She has been living and working in the Twin Cities for almost four years having previously graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Recent Twin Cities credits include Apartment 3A with Workhouse Theater and Wait Until Dark with Bloomington Civic Theater. She has also worked with Pioneer Place on Fifth, Urban Samurai, 20% Theater, and Theatre Pro Rata among others.
	Matthew Goinz (Sagot - Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Seward - Dracula) Matthew Goinz is thrilled to be returning to the stage of the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. He is a recent graduate of Bemidji State University where he received a B.A. in Music. Matthew has been seen on stage at the Playhouse most recently in Chicago (Ensemble), Little Shop of Horrors (Orin Scrivello, et al.), The Foreigner (Rev. David Lee), and The Music Man (Oliver Hix). He has also worked with Bemidji Community Theatre as a music director, Long Lake Theater of Hubbard, MN as a director, music director, actor and pianist, and the Lake Bemidji Summer Opera Festival as a performer, director and conductor. As a vocalist, Matthew has competed in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and continues to do freelance work and give lessons. He also enjoys accompanying a variety of soloists and ensembles, and hopes to continue playing long into the future. Sometime in the near future, Matthew hopes to finish Masters and Doctorate degrees in conducting. Thank you for supporting the arts in Greater Minnesota and enjoy the season!
	Mike Hallenbeck (Sound Designer - Picassoat the Lapin Agile) Mike Hallenbeck is pleased to make his debut at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. He has recently designed sound in the Twin Cities for Park Square Theatre (Painting Churches), The Playwrights' Center (Workshop: Then Waves), Workhaus Collective (Music Lovers), and Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Mojo). Mike was honored with an IVEY award for his sound design for Kid Simple with Emigrant Theatre.
	A. Emily Heaney (Resident Costume Designer, Rowena - Biloxi Blues) This is Emily's fifth summer at the Playhouse. She costumed all of last season's shows, as well as Little Shop of Horrors, The Foreigner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and The Music Man in 2008; Chicago, Born Yesterday and Last of the Red Hot Lovers in 2007; and Guys & Dolls in 2006. Emily has costumed shows for several theaters in the Twin Cities, including Theatre Pro Rata (Marisol); Park Square Theatre (Jekyll & Hyde); Gremlin Theater (The Homecoming, Corleone: A Shakespearean Godfather, Orson's Shadow, among others); Fifty Foot Penguin Theater (Twelve Angry Men, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Requiem for a Heavyweight, among others); Torch Theater (Dancing at Lughnasa, MacBeth, A Thousand Clowns, among others); Shakespeare & Company (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Servant of Two Masters, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, among others); Starting Gate Productions (The Miss Firecracker Contest, The Nerd, Richard III); and Theater Unbound (How I Learned to Drive, Expecting Isabel). Last summer, Emily also appeared on "Jeopardy!", and was a one-day champion.
	Joshua Hinck (Yonkers - Gypsy) This is Joshua Hinck’s first season with Paul Bunyan Playhouse. Recent productions he has appeared in have included Bitter Sweet, and The Merry Widow, with Skylark Opera; Beauty and the Beast with the Ordway Center for the performing arts; Chicago with the Paramount Theatre and Pioneer Place; as well as Paul in Carnival, and Trinculo in the Tempest with Concordia University-St. Paul. Apart from onstage work he has been the Music Director for YAI’s productions of Joseph and the Amazing… , and Sweeney Todd, as well as working as a Choreographer for MayerCAST Community Theatre. Thanks to Friends, Family, Jan, Mark, Monica and Alex, and for great audience members, like you!
	Ari Hoptman (Arnold Epstein - Biloxi Blues, Albert Einstein - Picasso at the Lapin Agile) Ari is an actor, comedian, and playwright who is pleased to be returning to the Paul Bunyan Playhouse where he has been seen in Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Barney), The Foreigner (Charlie), Born Yesterday (Paul Verrall) and Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Ira Stone). He has worked with Park Square Theater, The Great American History Theater, Theater in the Round, The Illusion, Fifty-Foot Penguin Theater, Pigs Eye, Pioneer Place, and other companies. He has written and performed several one-person comedy shows at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and Fifty Foot Penguin premiered his comedy "I Married Odin" and his drama "The President Once Removed." When not acting or writing he can be found teaching German at the U of MN or wherever people will listen to him.
	Katharine Horowitz (Sound Designer - Dracula) This is Katharine’s fourth production at Paul Bunyan Playhouse, having designed The Drawer Boy in 2006, Three Days of Rain in 2008, and Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure in 2009. Katharine’s work has been heard at Mixed Blood Theatre (where she designed for the 2007 Ivey Award-winning production of Messy Utopia, as well as the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined), History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Torch Theatre, Illusion Theatre, Theatre Mu, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Gremlin Theatre, The Great River Shakespeare Festival, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival (where she designed several Tennessee Williams’ premieres), Minnesota Jewish Theater Company, Workhaus Collective, Girl Friday Productions, Fifty Foot Penguin Theatre, Exposed Brick, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Starting Gate Productions, Theatre Pro Rata, Theatre in the Round, and the Jon Hassler Theater, among others. Katharine holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa .
	Kristen Husby (Louise - Gypsy) This is Kristen’s fifth season at PBP, having appeared in Sisters of Swing (Patty Andrews), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Bobbi), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Candy), Chicago (Roxie Hart) and Guys and Dolls (Miss Adelaide). She most recently appeared in the Playhouse’s remounts of Sisters of Swing and Chicago in partnership with Pioneer Place on Fifth Theater in St. Cloud. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Viterbo University. Her most recent appearances in Minneapolis include The Mikado (Pitti Sing) for Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, and the title role in Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical for Fifty Foot Penguin Theatre. She has also performed with Mystery Café, Theatre in the Round, Old Creamery Theatre, Thunder Bay Theatre, Playhouse 412, Theatre Expression, Moundsview Community Theatre, Bloomington Civic Theatre, and Shoestring Players. Favorite roles include Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, Phyllis in Iolanthe, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Christine in A Doll House, Smitty in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Ruth in Blithe Spirit, and Polly Browne in The Boyfriend. Kristen grew up in Detroit Lakes, but now she makes her home with Zach and their four cats Hank, Daisy, Tobias and Keira in St. Louis Park, MN.
	Craig Johnson (Mr. Goldstone, et al. - Gypsy) Craig is glad to be back at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse having appeared in Sherlock Holmes and the Final Adventure, Wait Until Dark, Bus Stop, The Rainmaker, and Blithe Spirit. He directed The Music Man, The Mousetrap and The Mystery of Irma Vep at PBP. Based in the Twin Cities, Craig has acted in or directed over 150 shows, including productions for History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Torch Theater, 10,000 Things Theatre, Theatre in the Round, and Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, MN. Craig is also the manager of the Minnesota Historical Society's James J. Hill House.
	Shyanne Kaml (Baby June - Gypsy) Shyanne is thrilled to be returning to Paul Bunyan Playhouse for her second season. Shyanne resides in Bemidji, MN where she enjoys singing, playing the piano, soccer, track and, of course, acting. She is also active on her school speech team and participates in "Jive," a show choir group at Bemidji Middle School. Shyanne's past theatrical performances include playing 10-year-old Tommy in The Who’s Tommy at PBP, Cinderella, The Pirates of Penzance and The Wizard of Oz
	Jaime Kleiman (Agnes - Gypsy) This is Jaime’s first time performing with the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. Previous work includes The Diary of Anne Frank (Park Square Theatre), Mr. Marmalade (Walking Shadow Theatre Company), Moonlight and Magnolias, Women’s Minyan, and Chaim’s Love Song (Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company), and How I Learned to Drive (Workhouse Theatre Company). She holds a BFA in Drama from New York University-Tisch School of the Arts. For more info, visit www.jaimekleiman.com.
	Ryan Parker Knox (Pablo Picasso - Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Harker - Dracula) Ryan is honored to be back for the 60th PBP Season. Audiences (and the St. Cloud Gervasios) may (or may not) remember him as the title role in last year's The Who's Tommy. Ryan has also been seen as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and Marcellus in The Music Man in 2008, and in various ensemble roles in 2007's Chicago. This past year in the PBP "offseason" Ryan has performed with Park Square Theatre, Walking Shadow Theatre, and Childrens' Theatre Company. RPK is an avid baseball fan and hopes to attend Oktoberfest in Germany this fall, and would also like to extend a tidal wave of thanks and love to his family and friends that support him no matter what. Enjoy the 60th!!!
	Jessie Ladig (Suzanne/Countess/Admirer - Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Ensemble - Dracula) Jessie just finished her third year of college at Bemidji State, where she is pursuing her interests of theatre and psychology. She has been involved with several plays at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, including The Who's Tommy, The Music Man, Chicago, Born Yesterday, Guys and Dolls, and The Wizard of Oz. She has also been in various BSU productions, her favorites being Cabaret and The Crucible. Jessie loves performing and is excited to be back for another summer at PBP.
	Michael Lee (Schmendiman - Picasso at the Lapin Agile) Michael is thrilled to return to Paul Bunyan playhouse for the first time in several summers. What’s more, Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile is one of Michael’s favorite plays, and he is pleased as punch to be playing Charles Dabernow Schmendiman, whom Mr. Martin once described as "a character with total confidence and nothing to back it up." Michael was last seen at PBP as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls as well as in a dozen other Playhouse shows , dating back to 1994: A Few Good Men, Six Degrees of Separation, Pirates of Penzance, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Rainmaker, The Foreigner, The Robber Bridegroom, The Wizard of Oz, and Don't Hug Me to name a few. Michael has recently performed with Actor’s Theatre of Minnesota, playing various roles in We Gotta Bingo and Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, as well as Holy Bells and Guys on Ice. Other recent Twin Cities performance credits include A Few Good Men (Lt. Kaffee) with Pig’s Eye Theatre, Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth (Hamlet/Macduff) for Fifty Foot Penguin Theatre, both directed by PBP Artistic Director Zach Curtis. Last year Michael played the title role in Walking Shadow’s Mr. Marmalade, and other recent credits include Children’s Theatre Company’s Once Upon a Forest, Grimm Tales, and the title role in Lyle the Crocodile, as well as stints with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Brave New Workshop, Park Square Theatre, and two National Tours with Troupe America. Later this summer, Michael revisits the role of Don Browning in Leaving Iowa at Theatre L’Homme Dieu in Alexandria, MN.
	Michael Paul Levin (Arnold - The Boys Next Door) Michael is pleased to return to Paul Bunyan Playhouse For his fourth season. He has kept busy throughout the Twin Cities at Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Mixed Blood, Penumbra, Park Square, Illusion and the Great American History Theater among others. His portrayal of George Gershwin in Gershwin The Klezmer has taken him from the York Theater off Broadway to the San Diego Rep, up to the Winter Garden Theater in Toronto and down to the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami. He can often be seen and heard in numerous TV and radio commercials. Also an award-winning playwright, he is one of the creators of We Gotta Bingo! for Actor's Theater of Minnesota which played at the Lowry Theater in St. Paul for more than two years.
	Jaimee Lusby (Baby Louise - Gypsy) Jaimee is excited to be returning for her fifth seasonto the PBP. She made her debut during the summer of 2006 playing Gloria in Wait Until Dark. She has also appeared in Born Yesterday (Bellhop), Sherlock Holmes (Postboy) and TheMusic Man (Gracie Shinn). Jaimee has also performed with the Bemidji Community Theater playing the role of Virginia in 'Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'. Other performances have included A Midsummer’s Night Dream with the Prairie Fire Children's Theater, Disney’s 'High School Musical' produced by the Mask & Rose Theater ,and a local theater production of 'A Christmas Carol'. Last year Jaimee appeared in Camelot and was part of Volcalmotive at Bemidji High School.
	David Moffett (Mr. Hedges, Mr. Corbin, Senator Clarke - The Boys Next Door) Dave , deliriously happy to be married to Babs and blessed with two beautiful daughters, is a financial advisor with Northwestern Financial Network in Bemidji. He graduated from BSU in ’76 and ’77. He has been involved in area theater since 1982 ( church, community/Paul Bunyan/ Gasman, …) . Some of the shows he has appeared in (that he can remember) are: Death By Chocolate ( Stone), A Few Good Men (Stone),Guys and Dolls ( Brannigan), Felix and Oscar (Felix), Arsenic and Old Lace, The Foreigner ( Rev Lee), A Christmas Carol ( Scrooge), 12 Angry Men ( #4),Foxfire(Prince Carpenter),Princess Bride (Vezzini). This is a unique area and we are fortunate to have the arts and theater community thrive and blend so well with the regions natural beauty and the pragmatic independence of the oddly diverse inhabitants. Thanks for coming and breathing life into live theater. Laugh, smile, cry, wonder and Enjoy the show!
	Peter Moore (Director - The Boys Next Door) Peter returns to the Playhouse after directing productions of The Foreigner in 2008 and The Odd Couple last season. He has directed in the Twin Cities at the Guthrie, Torch Theater, Park Square, Hennepin Stages, History Theatre, the University of Minnesota, Illusion Theater, The Playwright’s Lab, Theatre L’Homme Dieu, Theatre in the Round and Actors Theatre of Minnesota. Other directing credits include Off- Broadway’s York Theater, the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Virginia Premiere Theatre in Williamsburg VA and the San Diego Rep. As an actor he has appeared at the Guthrie, Florida Stage, Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, Detroit’s Meadow Brook Theater and the Virginia Stage Company. He was the stunt coordinator for the films Factotum and Embrace of the Vampire and the Broadway production of Disney's The Lion King. He has directed numerous live industrial shows and videos as well as the Star Wars: Dark Forces audio-cassette series for Lucasfilm.
	Barry A. Nelson (Resident Lighting Designer) Barry is coming from the Chaska, MN where he is the District Theater/Auditorium Manager for Schools of Eastern Carver County where he manages three performing spaces. Also within the School District Barry is a Technical Director and rotating Director for District productions. Barry holds a position as a Board of Director inside the Art Consortium of Carver County. Barry is returning to the Paul Bunyan Playhouse for his 5th season as the Lighting Designer and Master Electrician. His light designs for the Playhouse include Greater Tuna, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, The Odd Couple, Sisters of Swing, The Music Man, Three Days of Rain, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Foreigner, Little Shop of Horrors, The Pavilion, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Born Yesterday, Harvey and Don’t Hug Me. Also including The Who’s Tommy (Master Electrician/DMX Programmer and Microphone Engineer). Barry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bemidji State University in Theater Production and Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a emphasis in Technology Education and Theater Arts. Credits from BSU include No More Peace (Co Light Design), Twelfth Night (Set Design), Alice in Wonderland (Light Design), Glass Menagerie (Assistant Set/Light Design), Boys Next Door (Set/Light Design), Kiss Me Kate (Light Design/Performer), Laramie Project (Lighting Design) Inspector General (Lighting Design), All My Sons (Lighting Design) and Macbeth (Lighting Design). Other credits include 07-08 BSU Dance Follies (Lighting Design) and Dance Warehouse’s 5th Annual Dance Recital (Stage Manager/Light Design), Little Women (Lighting Design), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Lighting Designer). Enjoy.
	Ramey Nordby (Hennessey - Biloxi Blues) This is Ramey Nordby's second season with Paul Bunyan Playhouse. He is currently attending Bemidji State University double majoring in Theatre with an emphasis in Performance Studies and Creative and Professional Writing. He previously appeared in The Music Man(Chorus). As part of Bemidji State University theatre, recent credits include Man of La Mancha(Anselmo), The Crucible(Reverend Parris), Cabaret(Ernst Ludwig), and No More Peace!(St. Francis). It’s a delight for him to be a part of Paul Bunyan Playhouse once again and hopes everyone will enjoy the show.
	Joseph Papke (Dracula - Dracula) Joseph is very happy to return for his fifth season at PBP where he previously appeared in Tommy, Harvey , Wait Until Dark, Rounding Third, Barefoot in the Park, Twelfth Night, Proof, and Arsenic and Old Lace. In the Twin Cities, he has acted and coached dialects at Penumbra Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Actors Theatre of MN, Illusion Theatre, Jon Hassler Theatre, Dudley Riggs, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, and The Children’s Theatre Company, among others. As an educator, he has taught theater skills at many institutions including the Guthrie Theater, the University of MN , and Macalester College . Joseph earned his MFA in Classical Acting from The Shakespeare Theatre Company ’s Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University and he is a founding member of the new Minneapolis theater company, Classical Actors Ensemble.
	Jim Pounds (Van Helsing - Dracula) Jim is extremely pleased to be making his third appearance at the Playhouse having previously appeared in The Music Man and Harvey. This season Jim has appeared at a number of Twin Cities theatres including Bloomington Civic (Wait Until Dark and The Prisoner of Second Ave) as well as Gremlin (The Homecoming). Jim also appeared in a documentary on The History Channel (The Holy Grail in America) and has done commercial work for Target, Chex Mix and Bauer Hockey. Dracula marks Jim’s 85th production over the past 35 years and boy is he tired!
	Keith Prusak (The Visitor - Picasso at the Lapin Agile) Keith is happy to be back in Bemidji for the third time! He appeared as the Tin Man in 2002's The Wizard of Oz and as Dr. Watson in 2009’s Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. A Detroit native, Keith spent 2 seasons at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. Favorite Twin Cities roles include Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy, Claudius in Hamlet, Ceyx/Apollo/Bacchus in Metamorphoses (Theatre Pro Rata), Toby Belch in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare In The Park), Biff in Death of a Salesman (Starting Gate), and Richard Burbage in Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead (Walking Shadow). Much love to Ariana and thanks indeed for her support! Can’t wait to see her & our girl Éowyn…
	Teresa Rankin (Resident Property Designer, Stage Manager - Biloxi Blues) Teresa is returning for her sixth summer at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. This year she will be serving as the season's Properties Designer as well as Stage Manager for Biloxi Blues. Teresa is a freelance theatre artist fromThief River Falls, MN and a gradtuate from the Bemidji State University Theatre Department. Other credits include Prop Design and Assistant Stage Management for Bloomington Civic Theatre's production of Fiorello! and crew work for Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. She wants to thank everyone for supporting the PBP and hopes that you enjoy the show.
	Paul Reyburn (Mr. Klemper - The Boys Next Door, Herbie - Gypsy) Back for more! Paul is always glad to return to his "summer home" of Bemidji. He has appeared in over 25 shows at the Playhouse dating back to 1993. He just finished doing Prisoner of Second Avenue with Bloomington Civic Theater (also directed by Zach). He also appeared in an original Christmas show, Mary Loves Joseph which will be remounted this December. In September, he reprised his role of Billy Flynn at St. Cloud's Paramount Theater. Last season he appeared as Uncle Ernie in The Who's Tommy. Other favorite Playhouse roles include Kenny Franks in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Billy Flynn in Chicago, The Baker in Into the Woods, Don in Rounding Third, Charley in The Foreigner, Sancho in Man of LaMancha, Sidney in Deathtrap, Rooster in Annie and Reuben in Joseph... In the Twin Cities, he is on the Board of Directors for the Mpls Musical Theater (MMT) where he has appeared in numerous shows including Pageant, Lucky Stiff, Violet, and La Cage aux Folles to name a few. He is also a founding member of Pick A Line Productions, a new group presenting original shows such as Mary Loves Joseph. The last two falls he has appeared in the smash hit Deer Camp with the Actor's Theater of MN. Fans of Vocalmotive will recognize him as the emcee for Totino-Grace's Showchoir Spectacular for the past 12 years.
	Shannon Roberg (Choreographer - Gypsy)
	Matt Sciple (Renfield - Dracula) Matt Sciple has directed, performed in or written more than 100 plays for theaters across Minnesota. Favorite directing credits include Born Yesterday at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Proof, Romeo and Juliet and Dead Man’s Cell Phone at Park Square Theater, Gremlin Theatre's The Homecoming and Orson's Shadow (the 2008 Ivey Award Winner for Best Ensemble). As an actor Sciple’s favorite audiences have been found in prisons and homeless shelters, during 13 tours with Ten Thousand Things (for whom he also directed Waiting for Godot), playing 30 roles in 12 plays, including Edgar in King Lear and Tateh in Ragtime.
	Karn Severson (Master Carpenter) Karn is excited to return for her third season at the Playhouse. She loves constructing sets, painting, and working behind the scenes. She graduated in May from Hamline University in Saint Paul, with degrees in Theatre and Spanish and a minor in Management. Selected shows from Hamline are: Dracula, The Cherry Orchard, The Trestle At Pope Lick Creek, Romeo and Juliet, Trojan Women, Urinetown, the Musical, Far Away, and The Ash Girl.
	Marie Strampe (Stage Manager - The Boys Next Door) Marie Strampe is thrilled to back at Paul Bunyan Playhouse for The Boys Next Door. Born and raised in Minnesota, Marie holds a B.A. in Theatre from St. Olaf College. She has previously stage managed The Odd Couple and The Foreigner in Bemidji. Recent credits in the Twin Cities include The Fresh Five with 20% Theatre Company and Much Ado About Nothing with Theater in the Round. She has stage managed for Stages Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, and the New Theater Group, and interned for the Guthrie Theater and The Children’s Theatre Company. She would like to thank the dancer for keeping her sane and her wonderful family for all of their support.
	Adam Terry (Technical Director) Adam Terry (Technical Director) is excited to be returning to the Paul Bunyan Playhouse for a third season. He received his BFA in performance at Viterbo University and studied Technical Theatre at St. Mary's College at the University of Surrey in London. When not at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, he is the resident Technical Director for the Pioneer Place Theatre in St. Cloud, where he also produces the Veranda Variety Hour. Adam would like to thank his family for all their love and support.
	Katherine Tieben (Company Manager, Daisy - Biloxi Blues, Germaine - Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Lucy - Dracula, Sheila - The Boys Next Door, June/Electra - Gypsy) This is Katherine's fifth season with the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and her third season as Company Manager. She graduated from Bemidji State University in 2007. She has previously appeared in The Who's Tommy (Ensemble), Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, (Irene Adler), Sister's of Swing (Maxene Andrews), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Helen), The Music Man (Ethel Toffelmeier), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Dancer), One Flew over the Cuckoo‘s Nest (Sandra) and Chicago (Anne) with the Playhouse. In the Twin Cities and regional theatre, recent credits include Quinn St. John in the world premier of Fishing Widows: The Reel Story with Pioneer Place, Various roles in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change with the Chameleon Theatre Circle and the Nun in Tales of Horror from the Holy Bible with Bridge Productions. Thank you for coming and supporting live theatre, and enjoy the shows!
	Karen Wiese-Thompson (Mama Rose - Gypsy) Karen is returning to Paul Bunyan for her fifth season having previously appeared as Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple, Carol in Laughter on the 23rd Floor and Eulalie McKecknie-Shin in The Music Man. Other roles at PBP have included Veta Louise Simmons in Harvey, Elaine in Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Karen has performed with dozens of theaters in the Twin Cities, including Park Square (The Heiress, Noises Off, Arsenic and Old Lace, Dead Man's Cell Phone), Fifty Foot Penguin (I Married Odin, The Quick and the Red, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), 10000 Things (Good Person of Setzchwan, Waiting for Godot, Little Shop of Horrors, Raskol), Torch Theatre (Miracle Worker, MacBeth, Dancing at Lughnasa), Minneapolis Musical Theatre (Applause, Robber Bridegroom, Mame) as well as Joking Apart, Pigs Eye, Gremlin, Theatre in the Round, Starting Gate, Troupe America and Theatre L’Homme Dieu.
	Eric Webster (Sgt. Toomey - Biloxi Blues) Eric Webster is back for his 5th season with Paul Bunyan Playhouse, past shows include: Greater Tuna, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Pavilion, The Bible; the complete word of God Abridged Other highlights of his Stage work includes We Gotta Bingo, Tony and Tina's Wedding, London After Midnight, and Johnny Bocca's Sex Farce for Swingin Lovers. He has performed at Theatre L’Homme Dieu, Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, Pioneer Place Theater, the Playwrights' Center, Minneapolis Theater Garage, Hennepin Stages, Actors Theater of Minnesota, Park Square Theater and The Lowry Theater. Eric's former careers included stints as a radio talk show host and DJ, stand up comedian, and TV show Host. Eric got an Emmy Nomination once for a local TV show he hosted, but it was a local Emmy and it sounds much more impressive than it really is. He would like to thank his parents Ellen and Dennis for all of their support...and the money.
	Clarence Wethern (Eugene Morris Jerome - Biloxi Blues, Barry - The Boys Next Door) This is Clarence Wethern's second time at Paul Bunyan Playhouse, having previously played Lucas Brickman in Laughter on the 23rd Floor. He holds a BA in Theatre & Communications from Southeastern Louisiana University and relocated to Minneapolis from his hometown of New Orleans in 2005. Twin Cities credits include Walking Shadow's acclaimed production of Some Girl(s) (Guy), Workhaus Collective's SadGrrl13 (Tyler) and the Ivey Award winning 800 Words: The Transmigration of Philip K. Dick (Jim), and Theatre Pro Rata's Killer Joe (Chris) and The Spanish Tragedy (Lorenzo), among many others.
	Sarah Bull (Dolores - Gypsy) Sarah Bull is a Theatre Performance graduate from Bemidji State University. She is certified through DVIDA in Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha, Salsa, and Mambo . Sarah has also been playing the flute for 10 years and has 4 years vocal lesson experience. You may have seen her previously in The Music Man as Alma Hix or in Chicago as Mona. Sarah is very pleased to be a part of Gypsy and hopes to always continue her passion with theatre.
	Jairus Abts (L.A. - Gypsy) Jairus Abts is excited to join Paul Bunyan Playhouse this summer! He has performed regionally and nationally with such theaters as the Guthrie Theater, Ordway Center, Jungle Theater, State & Orpheum Theaters, Children’s Theatre Company, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Loring Playhouse, Red Eye Theater, Chamber Theatre Productions of Boston, Barn Theater of New Orleans, and University of Minnesota. Favorite shows include The Rocky Horror Show (Dr. Frank-N-Furter), Cabaret (Emcee), Disney’s High School Musical - World Premier (Ripper), Black Comedy (Harold Gorringe), After Dark (Craig), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and most notably Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hedwig) for which he received an Ivey Award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. This Fall, he can be seen in Evita with Theater Latté Da at the Ordway Center.

Other 2010 Plays
Biloxi Blues | Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Bram Stoker's Dracula | The Boys Next Door | Gypsy