* Biographies for the cast were written by the director .. "This is the actor as I know him" says John
Jake Gordy (Woodruff Gately): The first time
I saw Jake Gordy, he was playing the part of a young nerd in a play titled
"1940's Radio Hour". It was a
small part in a large cast, but I noticed him right away because Jake has that
mysterious and illusive "thing" called stage presence. In
just a few short years he appeared in three Village musicals, followed by an
outstanding role in the drama, "Last Night of Ballyhoo".
Jake hit the jackpot last year with his work in "Female Odd Couple",
a role that won him an acting award from the Ohio
Community Theatre Association. I consider myself lucky to have Jake
playing the role of Gately in this show, and look forward to watching his
progress in the years to come. The Village is proud to call him one of our
own.
Derek Hansen (Silvio): Some years ago, I
read for a part in a show entitled "Greetings"
and I did a scene with a young man that I had never seen before. I
remember thinking to myself, "I'm going to have to run like hell to keep up
with this kid." As it happened, he did the show without me and turned
in an outstanding performance, as I knew he would.
It has always been a disappointment that I never had
the chance to work with him on the stage, and now that I've had the pleasure of
directing him in this project, my admiration for his talent has grown even
higher. It's going to be exciting to watch Derek's impact on Toledo
theatre in the coming years. He has already appeared on stage at The
Village, The Rep, The Valentine and The
University of Toledo.
John Jennens (Natwick): I first met John
when we were both cast in a five-man play entitled "That Championship
Season". It was John's first show at The Village, and the rest of us
had something over 150 years of experience, with egos to match, mine
included. When told that he had been cast, I was concerned that his lack
of experience might weaken the show, but before we were finished I was afraid
that my work might weaken the show. He was brilliant
in his portrayal of "James". Over the following years, John has
gone on to star in a multitude of shows, not only at The Village, but The
University of Toledo, and Ms. Rose's, to name a few.
I'm delighted to have him in this production, and I've
found it is a good deal easier to direct him, than it is to fight for the
spotlight when on stage with him. He's good!
Last Modified: 02/25/06