Acting and Directing

published: Fri, 6-Feb-2004   |   updated: Fri, 30-Dec-2022

One of the things I do a lot of in my spare time is act in plays, and I've even directed some. We have quite a few acting or repertory companies locally here in Colorado Springs. The big three (if I may call them that) are Theatreworks, the Rep at the Fine Arts Center, and Star Bar Players. I have acted for them all, with varying degrees of success. There are also a few companies, not quite so large, that come and go, with some of them not having a permanent place of residence.

There used to be two other companies in town: Smokebrush (later known as Colorado Actors Theatre), semi-professional, and in their own space; and the PPCC Masquers, part of the Pikes Peak Community College. Smokebrush went under in 2000, which was a great pity since they did some amazing productions. I used to enjoy working there a lot, and my wife, Donna, used to be their Stage Manager. PPCC have just been closed down (as of 2006). I never really tried with them: it was too far to travel for rehearsals — it's at the south side of town and I live on the north side.

(Note: this page and pages underneath are still under construction. It takes a while to scan everything, describe it all, and clean it all up for publication.)

Anyway, without further (or much!) ado, a list of productions in Colorado and my role within each.

  • Freddy in Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin for Millibo Art Theatre. Fedruary 2023.
  • Cinesias in Lysistrata by Aristophanes for Theatreworks. October 2018.
  • Rev. Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde for Millibo Art Theatre. March 2016.
  • Reverend Shandy in The Lying Kind by Anthony Neilson for Theatreworks at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater. December 2014.
  • Balle in The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by David Eldridge, for Theatreworks at Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater. April/May 2013.
  • Eugene Fodor in Crazy For You, book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by George Gershwin, for the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company. May 2010.
  • The Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, story by Charles Dickens, music by Michel Legrand, book by Sheldon Harnick, for the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company at the FAC. December 2008.
  • The Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, story by Charles Dickens, music by Michel Legrand, book by Sheldon Harnick, for the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company at the FAC. November/December 2007.
  • Pandulpho Felice in Antonio's Revenge by John Marston for Theatreworks at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre. August/September 2007. In rep with Hamlet.
  • Polonius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare for Theatreworks at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre. July-September 2007. In rep with Antonio's Revenge. (Also toured in Highlands Ranch, Pueblo and Salida.)
  • William Butler Yeats in The Spiral Stair by Jan Henson Dow for the Six Women Playwriting Festival at the Manitou Art Theater. April 2007.
  • Major Paul Petkoff in Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw for Theatreworks at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, UCCS. November/December 2006.
  • Joseph II, Emperor of Austria, in Amadeus by Peter Shaffer at the Manitou Art Theater (MAT), Manitou Springs, September 2006
  • Lord Frederick North in The Tryal of George Washington by David Miller, David Prince, and Richard Hall at the Pioneers Museum, Colorado Springs. June 2006
  • Drunken Disney Pirate (don't ask) in Pirates of Penzance by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, May/June 2006
  • Sir Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes, music by Cole Porter, book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, and Russel Crouse, for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, September/October 2005
  • R.F. Simpson in Singin' in the Rain, songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, April/May 2005
  • Richard Maynard in Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs. March 2005.
  • The director of Cabaret for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, February 2005.
  • Baptista in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare for Theatreworks at the Dusty Loo Theater, UCCS, July/August 2004. (Also toured in Parker, Trinidad, and Salida.) 28 performances!
  • The director of How the Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Company at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, June 2004.
  • Froggy Lesueur in The Foreigner by Larry Shue for Theatreworks at the Dwire Theater. September 2001.
  • The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. April 2001. My performance in this role won the PAPAS award for Best Actor from the Pikes Peak Arts Council.
  • Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. January 2001.
  • The Duke of Gloucester in King Lear by William Shakespeare for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. September 2000.
  • Boris Kolenkhov in You Can't Take It With You by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart for Smokebrush. November 1999.
  • James and John in Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally for Upstart Performing Ensemble at Smokebrush. October 1999.
  • Third Tempter in Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. April/May 1999.
  • Dr Prentice in What The Butler Saw by Joe Orton for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. February/March 1999.
  • Bill, Al and Sir David Attenborough in All in the Timing by David Ives for Theatreworks at the Dwire Theater, September/October 1998.
  • Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, adapted by Patti Smithsonian, for Smokebrush. July 1998.
  • Cradeau in No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre for Upstart Performing Ensemble at Smokebrush, May 1998.
  • Ross in Macbeth by William Shakespeare for Smokebrush. February 1998.
  • The Reverend Samuel Parris in The Crucible by Arthur Miller for Theatreworks at the Dwire Theater. October 1997.
  • Mr. Toad in Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Ziggy Wagrowski, for Smokebrush. May 1997.
  • Richard The Lionheart in The Lion in Winter by James Goldman for Upstart Performing Ensemble at the Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs. March 1997.
  • Kulygin in Three Sisters by Anton Chekov for Smokebrush. November 1996.
  • Robert in Don't Dress For Dinner for Little London Productions (who are no more, alas) at the Grand Opry. September/October 1996.
  • The Duke of Milan in Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare for Theatreworks on the lawns at UCCS, alfresco (and sometimes bloody fresco too!). August 1996.
  • John Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. April/May 1996.
  • Marley's Ghost and Narrator in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Murray Ross, for Theatreworks at the Dwire Theater. December 1995.
  • Axel Hammond in The Nerd by Larry Shue for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. October/November 1995.
  • Dex in I Take This Man by Jack Sharkey for Little London Productions at The Clubhouse. June/July 1995.
  • Joseph II, Emperor of Austria, in Amadeus by Peter Shaffer for the Fine Arts Center Repertory Theatre Company at The Fine Arts Center. February/March 1995.
  • Terrance O'Keefe in Breaking Legs by Tom Dulack for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. January 1995.
  • Ken de la Maize in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 by John Bishop for About Town Dinner Theatre at the Broadmoor Hotel. October/November 1994.
  • Boyet in Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare for Theatreworks at Smokebrush Theater. August 1994.
  • Anton Schill in The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt for Theatreworks at the Dwire Theater. April/May 1994.
  • Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde for Star Bar Players at The Lon Chaney Theater. January 1994.

Before my Colorado Springs days, I lived in London and was active in two Amateur Dramatics groups: the Dulwich Players and the Environment Players. The former were, of course, based in Dulwich, South London, near where I lived at the time, and the latter were a group affiliated with the Department of the Environment (now DEFRA, the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs). To be honest, I can't remember for the life of me how I got involved with the Environment Players — I never worked for the DoE, so must have known someone who did.

The Dulwich Players' website has been most informative, and I've finally been able to create a list of the roles I played for them. A lot of times, when I wasn't acting for them, I assisted in other duties, like assistant stage manager, sound, prompter, front of house, etc, but I haven't listed them here. I never directed anything for them.

Although I've found many of the programmes for my productions with the Environment Players, despite some energetic googling I can't find any information about them online. So there are gaps, and indeed sometimes I've just interpolated when the productions were. I did help out with a couple of the other shows backstage, but again haven't listed them here.

  • Captain Jack Absolute in The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan for the Environment Players at the Abbey Community Centre, Great Smith Street, London. November 1992.
  • Eddy in Stags and Hens by Willy Russell for the Environment Players at the Abbey Community Centre, Great Smith Street, London. April 1992.
  • Cleante and Sganarelle in The Hypochondriac by Moliere, translated by Alan Drury, for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. January 1992.
  • Max in The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1991.
  • Brindsley Miller in Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer for the Environment Players at the Abbey Community Centre, Great Smith Street, London. Part of a double bill with The Browning Version by Terence Rattigan. April 1991.
  • Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret, book by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, from stories by Christopher Isherwood, for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1990.
  • Young Charles Marlow in She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith for the Environment Players, at the Civil Service Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London. April 1990 .
  • Simon in The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard for the Environment Players. March 1990 (?).
  • Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. January 1990.
  • Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy Of Errors by William Shakespeare for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1989.
  • McTeazle in Dirty Linen by Tom Stoppard for the Environment Players, for the Civil Service Drama Federation Annual Drama Festival in the Civil Service Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London. June 1989.
  • Tom Jones in Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, adapted by Joan MacAlpine, for the Environment Players at the Civil Service Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London. April 1989.
  • Ralph in The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan for the Environment Players at the Civil Service Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London. November 1988.
  • Aimwell in The Beaux Stratagem by George Farquhar for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. April 1988.
  • Davenport in Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E Lee for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. January 1988.
  • Nick in Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1987.
  • The Son in A Voyage 'Round My Father by John Mortimer for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1986.
  • Inspector Messiter in The Magistrate by A.W. Pinero for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. January 1986.
  • Albert Timms in Lark Rise by Keith Dewhurst for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Church, Dulwich Village. October 1985.
  • Terry in Mother Figure from Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn for the Dulwich Players, competing in the NATHDA theatre-in-the-round Drama Festival at St. Philip's Hall, Norbury. June 1985.
  • Robin in Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. April 1985.
  • Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible by Arthur Miller for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. October 1984.
  • Edmund Swethenham in A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie, adapted by Leslie Darbon, for the Dulwich Players at St. Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village. January 1984.