Cast & Crew
JON CAST:
Lucas Neff..........................................JON
Kelly O'Sullivan................................Carolyn
Guy Massey....................................Slippen
Corey Spruill.......................................Josh
Kyle De La Cruz...................................Brad
Amber Robinson...................................Ruth
Molly Plunk.....................................Kimberly
HB Ward............................................Dove
Chris DePaola................................Delacourt
George Saunders (Writer) received an M.A. from Syracuse University in 1988, and has been an Assistant Professor of Syracuse University Creative Writing Program since 1997. Saunders’ writing has appeared in the New Yorker, Harper’s, Story, Slate.com and many other publications. He has published two collections of stories, Pastoralia and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline; a children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip; and his novella The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. Saunders has won the National Magazine Award for fiction in 1994, 1996, 2000 and 2004, and a second prize in the O. Henry Awards in 1997. His first story collection, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, was a finalist for the 1996 PEN/Hemingway Award. In 2006, Saunders received the MacArthur Fellowship, more popularly known as the "Genius Grant."
Seth Bockley (Director) is a director, performer and writer currently serving as Collaboraction's Associate Artistic Director. Bockley joined the company in 2007 after directing Keith Huff's The Deep Blue Sea for SKETCHBOOK 7TM. Other Collaboraction credits include Creative Director for BEGGARS' BANQUET 2007 and author of the SKETCHBOOK 7TM classic "Laika's Coffin" which recently toured to New York City as part of Great Small Works' 2008 Toy Theater Festival. Additional writing credits include Boneyard Prayer at Redmoon, and directing credits include Walkabout's War Garden and Impossible Cities: a Utopian Experiment. In 2007 Bockley completed a two-year mentorship in directing and art directing with Redmoon Theater made possible by Theatre Communication Group's competitive New Generations grant.
CAST BIOS AND STUFF ---->
Lucas Neff (JON) is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. He graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Performance Art. Lucas also just completed the School at Steppenwolf, class of 2008, and would like to say hello to all his fellow Dancers in the Morning. Lucas cannot begin to express how excited he is for the opportunity to be a part of the wonderful production team for Jon. Eternal thanks to Luigi Salierni, Yasen Peyankov, all my wonderful professors, my amazingly patient parents and even my doofus brother. Lucas is a Mad Animal.
Kelly O'Sullivan (Carolyn) is thrilled to be working with the fine folks at Collaboraction again after appearing in Sketchbook 7- LA at 8am. Kelly’s Chicago credits include Good Boys and True, The Crucible, and 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (American Theater Co.), Hot ‘n Throbbing (Pine Box Theatre), The Glory of Living (Profiles Theatre), and Mr. Marmalade (Dog & Pony Theatre) - for which she received a Non-Equity Jeff Nomination for Principal Actress in a Play. She has performed in staged readings and workshops with The Goodman, TimeLine, and Rivendell Theatres. Kelly is a graduate of Northwestern University and The School at Steppenwolf. Huge thanks to Seth, family and friends, and Bob.
Amber Robinson (Ruth) This is Amber's first time working with Collaboraction, and she is tremendously grateful to be involved in such a wonderful play. Previously in Chicago, Amber has performed with Redmoon, The Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Quest Theatre Ensemble, and the Big Picture Group. Amber also appeared in the pilot episode of "Carpeted Afterhours", which was an official selection of the New York Independent Television Festival. Earlier this year, Amber received her BFA in Acting from Illinois Wesleyan University, where some of her favorite roles included Rosaline in Love's Labours Lost, The Bride in Blood Wedding, Eurydice in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, and Little Sally in Urinetown. This summer, Amber studied Viewpoints and Suzuki technique with the SITI company at Links Hall in Chicago. Amber also spent three wonderful months last fall studying acting at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.
Christopher De Paola (Delacourt) is an Emmy Award nominated actor, as well as a playwright. Acting credits include: Eye of the Storm (Vittum Theater); Autobiography (Sketchbook 7); Cynical Weathers (Victory Gardens); Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams (Victory Gardens); NYC premiere of A.R. Gurney's The Guest Lecturer; Butterflies Are Free; King John; Don Juan In Hell; A Chorus Line; Charley's Aunt; A Few Good Men; Ten Little Indians with Gordon Jump; Wait Until Dark; Harvey; Romeo and Juliet; and the world premiere of Kia Corthron's Catnap Allegiance. As a writer, Christopher is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, where he co-produces and co-hosts Instant Theatre, a monthly evening of new work. Most recently, his play The Imagine Man was presented in the Victory Gardens' festival Ignition: Emerging Playwrights of Color.
Kyle De La Cruz (Brad) attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and received his BFA in acting. He recently appeared in JPAC’s production of Lilies of the Field and Dramatis Personae’s 24 Hour Project. Kyle also starred at UIC as Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. He has also been featured in productions of King Lear, Spunk, Urinetown, and Angels in America to name a few. Kyle would like to extend a thank you to his fellow cast and crew members for their deliberation and hard work and is very proud to be a trendsetter.
Guy Massey (Slippen) holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Southern California. He has been acting in Chicago for twenty years, performing in plays with The Curious Theatre Branch, Theater Oobleck, Greasy Joan & Co., A Red Orchid Theatre, Prop Thtr, Teatro Vista, Next Theater, and Wisdom Bridge, among others. In 2006, Time Out Chicago called Mr. Massey, “one of the instantly recognizable and dependably engaging personalities” on Chicago’s fringe theater landscape. Most recently, he played George W. Bush in Theater Oobleck’s, The Strangerer, at the Barrow Street Theater in Manhattan. His earliest film credits include the 1980’s cult classic Three O’Clock High and the latest are The Promotion, Stranger Than Fiction, Fred Claus, and the forthcoming TV Pilot, The Beast.
Corey Spruill (Josh) is thrilled to be making his Collaboraction debut. He enjoyed working with a huge group of talented artists. He was last seen in Dramatis Personae’s Den of Thieves. Other productions include: African Company presents…, Ives Fest, Taming of the Shrew, Lesson before Dying, A Soldier’s Play, and Kabuki Macbeth. He would like to give a shout out to the DP family, and his friends for their support. He holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Molly Plunk (Kimberly) was raised on a farm in Mansfield, Illinois. Although, moderately well traveled, she has never permanently resided outside of the state of Illinois. She is terrified of the two party system. Molly came to Chicago in 2003 where she purchased a degree from Columbia College with someone else's money. During this time she began working with Redmoon and continues to do so. Recently Molly has found herself immersed in the sick and absurd as she performs with the yummy people of C.H.E.R. She has also performed with The Gift and Collaboraction, although JON will be her first "Real" show with Collaboraction. She is ever so thrilled about this. Seriously.
HB Ward (Dove) After six years apart from theater, H.B. Ward was lured back to the stage in 2004 by an opportunity to work with Beau O'Reilly of the Curious Theatre Branch. He began with O'Reilly's Hit Me Like a Flower and The Turtle Play, then appeared in Texts for Nothing and the Curious production of Waiting for Godot, both parts of Curious's yearlong tribute to Samuel Beckett. More recently, working with the Prop Thtr: Mark Chrisler's The Observer, and Dorothy Tristan's Bohemian Nights. With Collaboraction: The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. With DOG, a Theater Company: Being Shown as a Work in Process. With Curious again: Beau O'Reilly's The Madelyn Trilogy, Jenny Magnus's Round and Round, and Shawn Reddy's The Great Galvani, a solo piece. With Teatro Vista: Dreamlandia. And with WNEP, Metaluna at the Red Orchid. H.B. is a Curious Theater company member.
MY CREW (GET IT?)
Jaclyn Holsey (SM) is thrilled to be working with Collaboraction for the first time. She holds a BA in Stage Management from Otterbein College. Credits include The Sins of Sor Juana and Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Teatro Vista), Bailegangaire, Making History, A Dublin Bloom (Irish Repertory of Chicago), Botanic Garden (Canamac Productions), It’s a Wonderful Life, St. Scarlett, Half of Plenty, Augusta (American Theater Company) and the upcoming new play by Gloria Bond Clunie Living Green at Victory Gardens Theater. She sends her love to Shawn as she couldn’t have done any of this without his constant support.
