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"The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited:"

-Hamlet Act II, Scene 2

Meet the Undergroundlings

The Cast and Crew of
KING LEAR
(Spring 2006)

THE PLAYERS
(In alphabetical order)

Jeff Aaronson (Curan / The Doctor/ Captain / Old Man)

JeffJeff Aaronson isn't a doctor, but he plays one in this show.


Rachel Aronson (Kent)

Rachel Rachel Aronson is a girl. Or maybe a wagon. Filled up with pancakes. She's going to add an extra two As to her last name so she can be at the top of the list again.


Jeff Barg (Gloucester)
barg Jeff Barg is all about talkin' blues. He hopes to someday copyedit the Great American Novel.

 


Chip Boisvert (Albany)

The Chip BoisvertLook! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Chip Boisvert! This is truly the only explanation for Chip, who is currently performing in his third Underground show of the year, an incredible trifecta, while simultaneously applying to top-tier law schools and participating in an active Greek life (not the kind that involves pederasty). When not saving babies, old women, and unreasonably adorable dogs from burning buildings, Chip spends his free time on his script for the major motion picture "Forkball," which he is writing with Jeff Aaronson.


Stephanie Craven (Fool 1)
StephStephanie Craven's favorite line is "Down, wantons, down!" And in King Lear, she really likes "Not in the stocks, fool!"

J.R. Cromer (King of France / Lear's Loyal Gentleman)

JR Deep in the heart of Texas, J.R. Cromer dreamed of the day he would rule all of France. Now that day has come. J.R. would have written this bio himself, but he left something imperfect in the state which since his coming forth is thought of, which imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger that his personal return was most required and necessary.


Aaron Dinkin (Edgar)

aaron Aaron Dinkin reminds you to prevent the foul fiend. A graduate student in the linguistics department, Aaron is always fond of saying: Acta est fabula, plaudite!


Serena Halley (King Lear)

SerenaThanks to everyone who voted for Serena Halley for "Best Lear, 30 and Under, Female Division." She's glad that that pesky extra x chromosome didn't detract from her ability to play hot-tempered, vain, rash, hyper-sensitive, irrational, crazy, or pitiful.  The only tough part was doing it with bad hair.



Jillian Ivey (Goneril)

JillJillian Ivey spent so much time with the script while doing her dramaturgical work that she was loath to give it up when the acting started. Just anyone else in the company.


Jeremy James (Cornwall)

Jeremy Jeremy James's accent isn't actually real. You see, a few years ago Jeremy suffered a severe blow to the head during a rousing game of hide-and-seek (somebody didn't want to be sought), thus injuring the primary language centers in his brain. In reality, Jeremy hails from Tupelo, Mississippi. The ghastly pale skin and sunken eyes, however? Those are all him.


Allison Johnson (Fool 2)
AllisonAllison Johnson wrote a great bio! But much like Fool 2, you can't see it.

Christopher Johnson (Oswald / Burgandy)

Chris If you've ever asked "Oswald? Who?" after seeing Chris Johnson's performance, you will surely say "Oswald! Ho!"   While his many beatings at the hands of women are memorable enough, he laments that you were never there at rehearsal to see him slain by Aaron and his imaginary walking stick!  If you thought you weren't going to laugh during King Lear, Sugar Daddy is looking forward to proving you wrong.  His untimely death prevented him from writing this bio himself.

Sophie Mayne (Cordelia)

SophieSophie Mayne is in eighth grade at PAS. She came to the Underground Shakespeare in their outreach to the community schools. She is still a friend of the original Nigel. (The Underground Shakespeare Company would like to congratulate Sophie on playing Cordelia, breaking her streak of playing young boys!)


Jenn Rainey (Regan)

Jenn Jenn Rainey, one of the "Texas Three", was literally pulled off the street and made to audition for this production. While she's very happy to be playing the role of Regan, she's also looking into several kidnapping lawsuits. (The Underground Shakespeare Company's legal team has asked us not to comment at this time).


Joshua Yap (Edmund)
JoshJoshua Yap is a bastard. This explains why he is the only yellow man in the play. In his spare time, he calculates the trajectories of 155mm explosive howitzer shells for the military of a Southeast Asian island nation. In exchange for those services, the government of said nation funds his education at Penn, and watchfully condones his unhealthy fascination with the plays of dead white men.


THE PRODUCTION STAFF


J. Michael DeAngelis (Director)

MichaelJ. Michael DeAngelis is just happy to be working. After touring the country to promote his new autobiography, Costard & Me, Mr. DeAngelis is thrilled to be working on what he considers to be the funniest play ever written - King Lear. Though Lear is not technically a musical, Mr. DeAngelis hopes everyone will enjoy the rousing 15 minute dream ballet inserted into Act Two. Starting next month, he can be seen performing his one man show, Steel Kittens: The Musical, a gritty look at semi-professional women's soft core nude wrestling and stock car racing.

Sarah Ramler (Stage Manager)
Sarah

Sarah Ramler hails from exotic Australia, where as a little girl she always dreamed of coming to America - "the land of female Lears."


Laird Edge (Producer)

LairdLaird Edge sees the sun set and then rise again almost every night. And that's when he gets to bed early.

P. Alexis Nguyen (Technical Director)

AlexisP. Alexis Nguyen can be seen on campus carrying large sticks used in martial arts. Alexis is one hundred percent proficient with all sorts of power tools that can do serious bodily harm to those who are less skilled than she. Alexis has more upper body strength than many men twice her size. In short, you don't want to mess with Alexis.


Christine Maura FIsher (Costumes)

ChristineChristine Maura Fisher roots down in Philadelphia and likes to put clothes on people and herself.  You might run into her playing trivia games in bars.  Her post-college life has already spanned three jobs.


Mike Reali (Production Art)

Reali Mike Reali exists only in your imagination. Born to poor immigrant parents from Canada, he bravely served three tours of duty with the Copenhagen postal service. Known mainly for his drunken exploits and his stint as the drummer for AC/DC, Mike Reali now leads a peaceful life. Having retired in 1997, Reali made headlines a year later when he was the first Star Wars fan to successfully sue George Lucas for severe mental trauma. For tax purposes, Mr. Reali has been legally dead since 2001, but has kindly resurfaced to create the stunning poster art for King Lear.


Katie Kuhl (Assistant Producer/The Nigel)

KatieKatie Kuhl is the ASSISTANT producer! Katie regrets that no bears appear in this version of King Lear.


Zoya Abdikulova, Matt Kolasa, Corey Purcell (Fencing)

ZoyaZoya Abdikulova and her team of well trained assassins, Matt Kolasa and Corey Purcell were kind enough to wave their standard fees to transform this team of rag tag actors into the killing machines they are today. Thanks to them, Chris Johnson, JR Cromer, Jeremy James, Joshua Yap and Aaron Dinkin came into this production boys and are leaving lethal weapons. Well, except Josh - who already knew how to blow things up.

 

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