BIOGRAPHIES

Actors

	Jen Burleigh-Bentz*—created the role of Ida for both Jon Hassler productions of Honk!. Other regional credits include Bingo, Into the Woods, and The Buddy Holly Story for Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding for Hey City Theatre, the world premiere of Jack the Ripper: A Musical Mystery for Phipps Center for the Arts, Anything Goes and The Fantasticks for Lake Pepin Players, Guys & Dolls for Ashland Productions, and national tours of The Buddy Holly Story and Miracle On 34th Street. Jen's real life drama is her store, Brickhouse Music in River Falls, where her leading man, Tom, calls the shots.
	Zoe Pappas— This marks Zoe’s fifth show at Jon Hassler after appearing in The Spitfire Grill, Honk!, The Fantasticks, and To Whom It May Concern. She was last seen in the Cities in Eye of the Storm’s final show, Slither. Zoe has worked with many theaters in the Twin Cities and will next appear in Buried Child at Pig’s Eye Theater in January. Love and thanks to Mom, Dad, Rhea and Pete.
	Clayton Jensen—This marks Clayton's first show with JHT. Previous shows include How to Succeed in Business with Actors Theatre of Minnesota. Chicago, Sweet Charity, and Evita with Bloomington Civic Theatre. Clayton would like to thank Clark for the opportunity to be a part of this great show and cast. Thanks to J.C. both the director and the creator for everything. And a special thanks to Joe for the push. Love always to my beautiful wife Karen and Buster and Keaton.
	Bill Scharpen is very excited to be back doing his first show in Minnesota in 15 years, where he performed with Minnesota Opera, Great American History Theatre, Chimera, Theater in the Round, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and was a singer with the Edgewater Eight. Since then his travels included time in New York where he was seen in the title role in a revival of Ernest in Love, and as Captain Alvarado in a world premiere musical version of The Bridge of San Luis Rey. He now divides his time between Minneapolis and Chicago, where he has been seen at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Candlelight Playhouse, Illinois Theatre Center, and Theatre at the Center. His roles there have included Nick in Funny Girl, Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace (with Margaret O’Brien), Bela Zangler in Crazy for You, and most recently, FDR in Annie. Bill is very happy to be working again with Curt Wollan, who directed him MANY years ago as Johnny Cantone for a Troupe America National Tour of The 1940’s Radio Hour.

Production Staff

Curt Wollan (Director) In past seasons, Curt directed the national tours of A Christmas Carol, The 1940’s Radio Hour, Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas, Big River, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Driving Miss Daisy, Steel Magnolias, Oil City Symphony, On Golden Pond and Stephen King's Ghost Stories. He produced three national tours of Forbidden Broadway with Big League Theatricals, three tours of Dylan Thomas' A Child’s Christmas in Wales, five tours of Victor Herbert's classic, Babes in Toyland and the world premier tour of Schoolhouse Rock Live! based on ABC's Emmy Award winning cartoon series. He also directed the national tours of The Gifts of the Magi with the Lamb's Theatre Company in New York, The Odd Couple (starring Jamie Farr and William Christopher), Moon Over Buffalo (starring Gavin MacLeod), Hank Williams, Lost Highway (starring Jason Petty), The Sunshine Boys (starring Dick Van Patten and Frank Gorshin),Cotton Patch Gospel (starring Gary Sandy ) at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Same Time, Next Year (starring Mackenzie Phillips and Adrian Zmed).

In the Twin Cities area, Mr. Wollan's productions have been seen at the Theatre-in-the-Round, Chimera Theater Company, Children's Theater Company, and the Venetian Playhouse. Since 1979, his work has been seen most frequently at the Plymouth Playhouse, where he produced and directed such long-running hits as A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Diamond Studs, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, Cotton Patch Gospel, the regional premier production of Nunsense, How to Talk Minnesotan the Musical and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Mr. Wollan is the recipient of the Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle "Kudos" Award in Directing and is listed in Who's Who in America and American Entertainment.

Clark A. Cruikshank (Co-Director), a member of the Twin Cities theatre community since 1991 and a proud, card-carrying member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1996, has worked with such varied companies as Buffalo Gal Productions, The Great American History Theatre, Illusion Theater, Lake Pepin Players, The Lyric Theatre, Park Square Theatre, The Refreshment Committee, Theatre du Mississippi, Theatre Exchange, and Troupe America. He toured the country for six months with Jamie Farr and William Christopher (M*A*S*H) in The Odd Couple (directed by Curt Wollan) and appeared with Gary Sandy (WKRP in Cincinnati) in The Fantasticks, a show in which he will one day be seen again at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. Managing director and actor-in-residence for the Jon Hassler Theater since 2001, he has appeared on this stage in To Whom It May Concern, The Fantasticks, Grand Opening, HONK! The Ugly Duckling Musical, The Spitfire Grill and Driving Miss Daisy. As always, heartfelt thanks to son Benton and wife Maria for supporting his insidious “theatre habit”.

Alva Crom (Stage Manager) began working with Sally Childs and the Lyric Theatre in 1991 with the first Hassler production, Simon's Night, a production that featured Larry Roupe and Noalen Stampe! He has become familiar as Stage Manager in Plainview—The Staggerford Murders is his fourteenth production at the JHT. Al has a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota, Morris. When not stage managing Al is a graphic designer in his family's commercial printing business where he creates many of the theater's postcards playbills.

Michael Erickson —(Music Director) Michael started his music career at the age of 16, directing a gospel choir in St. Paul and playing for the University of Minnesota’s instrumental music program. He spent the next few years in the Twin Cities, writing and directing for numerous organizations including Childs Play Theatre, Augsburg College and Valleyfair Amusement Park, which is only worth mentioning because that is where he met his future wife, Anne, who was also performing at the park. Other interesting credits include Illusion Theatre, Troupe America, National Theatre for Children and NY’s Musical Theatre Works. After attending the University of Minnesota, Michael headed west to work for the Disney Company and serve as Artistic Director for the San Diego Junior Theatre, the oldest and one of the largest theatre arts training programs in the country. In addition to working for various other regional theatres in California, he also served on the staff of San Diego State’s MFA program in Musical Theatre. In 1999, Michael changed directions and went to work for Fox Sports in Los Angeles and eventually fulfilled a longtime dream as he became a baseball play-by-play radio announcer in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He also hosted a daily talk show and a morning comedy show in Wisconsin, before sliding back into the arts scene as a director for the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York. Michael and Anne have recently returned to Minneapolis to raise their 3-year old son, Quincy, who has become quite a Sinatra fan over the past couple of months.

Michael Matthew Ferrell (Choreographer)

Benjamin Hain (Lighting Designer) has been active in Theatre for over 20 years. From High School to the Rochester Civic Theatre and the Rochester Repertory Theatre, Ben has done all aspects of technical Theatre, with lighting being his favorite. He has been lighting advisor to the Allegro/Rochester Ballet School and designed lighting for an original dance program by the Terpsichore II Dance company. This marks Ben's sixth show with the Jon Hassler Theater. He is married to Kelly, has two children, Preston and Amelia, and operates a dairy farm.

Erica Zaffarano (Set Designer) has designed for the Lyric Theatre since 1993, and now serves as Resident Designer for the Jon Hassler Theater. She has designed for theatres around the country. She recently designed for Minnesota State University and is working with Stages Theater. Erica's graphic work involves editing the newsletter for the British group, The King's Singers and designing commercial web sites.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Small Professional Theater contract.

The Rural America Arts Partnership gratefully acknowledges Debra Loeser Small and Thomas P Small, Will Harrington, and Dean and Sally Harrington for providing housing for the actors and designers.