Cast
James Brooks – Henry, Sullen Family 2 Husband
James Brooks is a veteran actor with over 20 years experience in acting, from stage and television to film. He was seen in the blockbuster movie The Game with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn; ED TV with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson; and several episodes of Nash Bridges with Don Johnson. James has toured nationally for over ten years in Jeff Stetson’s award-winning play The Meeting as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. James recently directed St. Clair’s Will, a new short film by Juanita Wyles. He is now in the editing process for Mr. Ding Dong Daddy, a film produced and directed by Jamal Williams.
Hugo Carbajal – Jaime, Politician, Cyclist 3, PGE Worker
Hugo is very excited to be working for the first time with Stagebridge. A performer, director, teacher, and mask-maker with an MFA in Actor Created Physical Theatre from Naropa University, Hugo studied the Jaques Lecoq physical theatre method at the London International School of Performing Arts and has recently been seen floating on the set of Lauren Yee’s A Man, His Wife, & His Hat with AlterTheater. Hugo is a performer/educator with Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre Programs.
Angela Dosalmas – Salesperson, Tourist 2, Librarian 2, Hospital Worker 5
After 10 years of graduate school, Angela assents with Marge Simpson that grad students “just made a terrible life choice” and was inspired by her actor partner and aspiring-actor daughter to investigate her penchant for theater. She has aspirations of directing and perhaps writing scripts some day.
Tara Heckathorn – Hospital Worker 4
Tara was last seen as Gertrude in Hamlet ESP at Delta Academy. She is currently a student at Delta Academy for the Performing Arts in Antioch, where she has served as an actress, singer, stage manager, and director. Tara has also enjoyed working with the Hapgood Theatre in Antioch. This is her first Stagebridge production. Whenever Tara walks into a diner late at night, smells fried food and hears corny music, she feels cheery.
Lynne Hollander – Sullen Family 1 Mother In Law, Ancient Wife, Librarian 1, Therapist
Lynn performs as a member of the Antic Witties Improv troupe. Other productions include Alice in Wonderland (March Hare) with Actors’ Theater for Children (Santa Rosa) and Stagebridge Showcase productions of On the American Plan and Guys and Dolls, South Pacific (Billis), A Chorus Line, West Side Story (Riff), and Chicago. She has never worked in a diner, but was once fired from a small restaurant after only a week.
Charmaine Hitchcox – Roberta, Cabbie 2, Hospital Worker 3
Charmaine was the principle in Sex Tapes for Seniors, a musical comedy at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco in 2010. She was also the understudy for two principle roles in Stagebridge’s production of Sylvia’s Advice on How to Age Gracefully on the Planet Denial. For the past three years, she has been in Stagebridge showcase performances for musical theater, acting and singing classes. Charmaine once waitressed in North Beach and still loves a good cheeseburger.
Jil Ivy – Sullen Family 1 Wife, Lady in Suit, Bus Driver 2, Tourist 5, Construction Worker 5, Biker 2
Jil was a member of Actors of All Colors Workshop – director Johanna Jackson. She played Black Girl and Mama Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun. Fairly new to Stagebridge, Jil has been doing theatre for 3 years. She’s never worked in a diner, but can be counted on to order a Club Sandwich when eating in one.
Bora Max Koknar – Matthew, Construction Worker 2, Cyclist 1, Librarian 3, Grandson
When he’s not acting at various theatres around the Bay Area, Bora “Max” Koknar makes plays with his company Bindlepunks. And when not making plays, Max hangs at 2amtheatre.com where he tweets and blogs about theatre and dreams up new tools to help the theatre-makers. As an actor and director, Max is turned on by physical performance and voraciously trains in physical theatre. His skill-set includes Viewpoints, Suzuki, Mask, Mime, Clown, and Acrobatics.
Marilyn Leavitt – Dorothy, Elegant Old Lady, Bus Driver 4
Long ago, Marilyn played Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at The Masquers in Point Richmond. Meanwhile, she’s raised a daughter, taught third grade, staged school musicals, sung with the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra, and studied voice with Debbie Golata. Her musical productions at Stagebridge include Hair and Chicago. In addition to big, salty, greasy French fries, what Marilyn appreciates most about diner dining is being able to eat breakfast at 3 pm.
Bill Liebman – Sullen Family 1 Husband, Construction Worker 1, Priest, PG&E Worker
After retiring as a Berkeley Unified School Psychologist and MFT, Bill started in theater in 2004. By 2008 he was cast as grandpa in Stagebridge’s musical Grandpa’s Teeth. He has also been cast in the Cal State East Bay musical Almond Eyes: A Love Story from the Chop Suey Circuit and as Fred, a bar bum in the Stagebridge musical Sylvia in 2010. Bill rarely eats out; he’s been married 31 years to the same woman who is a great cook.
Agnes Lyons – Office Worker 1, Sullen Family 2 Wife
Agnes began her acting career when she was in the 10th grade in Dallas, Georgia. She performed in several high school plays, but gave it up when she got married and started a family. Throughout the years of being an employee, wife and mother, the stage never left her heart. Four years ago she got the idea to perform a one woman show to help promote the welfare of women and children at her place of employment – a residential drug treatment program. This show gave rise to others which she performed locally. She continues to perform whenever the opportunity presents itself. “Drama is my way of opening the emotional doors of human kind. It is my way of climbing to the top of the mountain, looking over a peak at those stranded in the valley. Stagebridge classes were the missing pieces of the puzzle for me. Stagebridge has helped me to put the puzzle pieces in their proper perspective.”
Joan Mankin* -Marlene
Joan has performed with ACT, the Center Theater Group in L.A., California Shakespeare Theater, San Diego Repertory Theater, Marin Theater Company, The SF Playhouse, Magic Theater, Aurora Theater, Theatreworks and as Sylvia in the Stagebridge production of Sylvia’s Advice. She has been a company member of several leading Northern California physical theater ensembles, including the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the Pickle Family Circus, and the Dell’Arte Players Company. Film credits include appearances in Bee Season, Made in America and Desert Hearts. Joan once worked as a waitress in a diner for a week. Joan appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
Sarah Mitchell – Courtney
Sarah was last seen at the Ashby Stage, performing with Shotgun Players as Shack Woman in Beardo and Ruth in The Norman Conquests. Other Berkeley credits include The Farm with Shotgun, and Seussical with Berkeley Playhouse. Her San Francisco credits include several mainstage productions with Killing My Lobster, SF’s premier sketch comedy group, as well as Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party with SF Playhouse, …And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi with Cutting Ball. She is delighted to be working on her debut production with the Stagebridge team.
Billy Pond – Salesperson, Carwash Guy, Hospital Worker 2, Cyclist 2, UPS Driver
Billy decided that, after 22 years in the Army, Active and Reserve, and 43 years with the San Francisco Municipal Railway (mostly Cable Cars) culminating as Supervisor, he wanted to join the theatre and have fun. He loves to tell stories, especially cowboy poetry. He played Kelly Gene in The Case of the Tapdance Murders, Bernie’s Dad in Bernie Madoff in Hell, Stretch Wilson in Happy Trails, and Slim in Grandfather’s Journey. Billy plays 5 roles in Counter Attack.
Miyoko Sakatani - Office Worker 2, Tourist 4, Dairy Delivery Person, Construction Worker 4, Bus Driver 3
Miyoko understudied in the hit musical, Sylvia’s Advice for Graceful Aging on the Planet Denial, and was cast as Grandmother/Mother in Stagebridge’s world premiere musical Grandfather’s Journey. She was also recently seen in The Unvarnished Truth at the California Conservatory Theatre. She is currently a member of Stagebridge’s Never Too Late troupe. Having worked as a professional nurse for over 40 years, Miyo has taken orders, served and fed meals to hundreds of hospitalized patients. If she were a diner dish, she’d most likely be a piece of berry pie a la mode- it’s simultaneously sweet and tart.
Mel Terry – Construction Worker 3, Hospital Worker 1,Tourist 3, PGE Worker
Prior to acting with Stagebridge, Mel’s theatre credits include playing in South Pacific, Chorus Line, West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Hair and Chicago. The closest Mel has come to being a short-order cook was while doing KP duty in the US Air Force, peeling potatoes and serving coffee to the officers.
Ben Tucker – Cabbie 1, Bus Driver 1, Produce Delivery Person, Sullen Family 2, Brother-in-law, Lawyer
Ben has appeared in three previous Stagebridge productions: City Green, Grandfather’s Journey and the 4th Annual Playwriting Showcase.
Shannon Veon-Kase – Jessica, Office Worker 3, Tourist 1, Biker 1
Shannon is one of the founding members of an all female comedy troop called The Alley Cats. Her favorite roles include: Ruth in Blithe Spirit (AE), Maria in Twelfth Night (Marin Shakespeare Festival), Olive in Odd Couple (SRTC). This is Shannon’s first play with Stagebridge.
Production Crew
Bruce Barthol – Music
Bruce was resident composer/lyricist with the San Francisco Mime Troupe from 1976 to 2007, with over 35 productions to his credit. He is the original bass player with Country Joe and the Fish. He has won various awards for his work, including a Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Score for Factwino Meets the Moral majority (1981), an OBIE for his work on Seeing Double (1990) and a gold record for Woodstock.
Dan Chumley – Set Design
Dan left Harvard University in 1967 with the San Francisco Mime Troupe to tour with their award winning anti-war commedia L’amant militaire. First as tech director, then as actor and finally, from the early 70′s as director, he worked with the Troupe till 2001. During the past 10 years, he has directed new works and taught serious comedy throughout South East Asia and China. Now as a farmer artist, he plans to use his small farm in Virginia as a base camp to create a global network of farmer artists.
Joan Holden – Playwright
Best known as author of the widely produced stage adaptation of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, Joan Holden was resident playwright for more than three decades at the country’s longest-running political theater, the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Her farcical satires toured nationally from 1967 to 1999, winning the Troupe three Obie (Off-Broadway) awards and the 1987 Tony Award for Regional Theatre. She has adapted comedies by Ben Jonson, Moliere, Beaumarchais and Dario Fo for the American Conservatory Theatre and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre; taught playwriting at the University of California, Davis, San Francisco State University; written influential articles on comedy and melodrama; and participated in many international collaborations.
Sharon Lockwood -Director
Sharon Lockwood has been working in the Bay Area theatre community for over 35 years. She started as member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe where she acted in over 60 productions and began directing, most notably their production of Factwino Meets the Moral Majority which received the Bay Area Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. Ms Lockwood has performed extensively at A.C.T and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This is her first production with Stagebridge.
Nicola McCarthy – Set Painter
Nicola McCarthy was born in County Cork Ireland and is delighted to be working with Stagebridge. As well as murals and scenic art she creates more intimate art at her studio at Art Explosion. She exhibits work frequently. Her work can be found at nicola4joy on Facebook.
Josiah Polhemus – Artistic Director
Josiah has been at Stagebridge for 5 years. In that time, he has taught more than 30 classes, written the book and lyrics to four original musicals, created the Stagebridge Showcase series, The Stagebridge Interview Series, The Annual Playwriting Showcase, and helped develop all the major productions and classes. A professional actor, he has appeared in numerous films and plays, including the 2011 production of Snow Falling on Cedars at Theatreworks in Palo Alto. Josiah returns to Theatreworks in April 2012 in Of Mice and Men.
Aji Slater - Prop Master
Aji, prop-clown extraordinaire, had his stage debut at age 12 in the Royal Oak Youth Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast as a tree. His resume includes clown school at the SF Circus Center, a year with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey and an award winning solo show Bad Day to be a Juggler.
Will Springhorn, Jr. –Lighting Design
Will is joining the Stagebridge team for the second time, after appearing as Daisy, the daisy, at Stagebridge’s playwriting workshop showcase. Will teaches acting, Shakespeare and stage combat at Notre Dame de Namur University and Diablo Valley College, and is the resident lighting designer at NDNU. Will is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Mina Yueh –Stage Manager
A graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in stage management, Mina’s career highlights include: Over the Top with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Maestro’s Enchantment and On the Air with Teatro Zinzanni, Cirque Voila!, The Norman Conquests with Shotgun Players, and Lily’s Revenge with Magic Theatre. Mina is looking forward the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival, where she will be the road/tech manager for her fiancé’s one-man show, Bad Day to be a Juggler.