ACTORS BIO'S

 close enough by linda berry

gary Leigh webster (man)

Gary Leigh Webster is excited to try a completely different style of acting: ten times in one evening! He's been working in community theater for about a dozen years, and has done roles of all types. His favorites include: Norman Thayer (Jr.) in On Golden Pond, Uncle Charlie in August: Osage County, Tito Merelli in Lend me a Tenor, Serge in Art, Dad in Leaving Iowa, Judge Harry Wilkins in Dear Ruth, Father Drobney in Don't Drink the Water, and my first Denver role, Col. Melkett in Black Comedy. It's very cool working with fellow Colorado Dramatists in this show!

Julie Excell (woman)

Julie Excell has been active as an actor and playwright in the Denver/Boulder area for quite a few years, starting at CU Theatre as a theatre student, then branching out to summer stock in Estes Park, Nomads, and several Denver Theatre companies.  Recently, Julie has appeared in Boy Gets Girl at the John Hand Theatre and Government Issued Long-johns at the Aurora Fox through the Athena Project Arts festival.  

don meets dan by tami canaday

dylan rush (don)

Dylan has been active in the theater scene in Denver for a few years now, having worked with Spotlight Theater, Cherry Creek Theater, And Toto too, among others. Most recently Dylan worked for Universal Studios Japan as a stunt performer in the title role for Terminator 2-4D. Dylan is very excited to try yet another theater style here at theater play crawl. Dylan has a BA in theater from Stanford University and over the last ten years has been involved in a wide variety of productions, from Chippendale's to A Few Good Men to 12 Angry Men. His love of theater translates to film as well, and he is making a foray into the world of TV.

andrew uhlenhopp (dan)

Andrew is pleased as punch that you showed up for the journey known as Play Crawl, and he's thankful to you for supporting live local theatre: art is vital. As an actor, some of his favorite past endeavors include: as Johnny, opposite his wife Kelly as Frankie, in Frankie & Johnny in The Clair de Lune; King Henry II in The Lion In Winter; Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter & columnist Mike McAlary in Lucky Guy (2015 Marlowe Award for Best Actor); and Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men (Theater Colorado’s Best Supporting Actor 2014). He is also an accomplished writer & director. He will next be performing this autumn at Vintage Theatre in August: Osage County. Andrew also finds great fulfillment as a private counselor; please visit his website at www.changingleadintogold.com.

SNAPPERS by Jennifer Faletto

Jane shepard (nell)

A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Jane Shepard has been seen on screen & stage for 30 years, when not busy writing plays or directing film. She began her acting career with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and several seasons with the Denver Center Theater Company, including the regional & international tours of the original Quilters, before moving to New York for 25 years. There Jane appeared at a variety of venues, and received multiple awards or her plays & sceenplays. She is best known for a collection of her short works entitled, Kickass Plays For Women which premiered Off-Broadway last October. Most recently Jane was seen as the Patriarch in Maya Production's The Three Rings in Boulder, and she also appears in the award-winning short film The Road Home now touring film festivals. She is one of six artists to be honored by the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder this September for passion in the arts & service to community.

jennifer faletto (Cecile)

Jennifer Faletto's plays include Bathroom Hate (2015 Reva Shiner Comedy Award finalist), Domestic Animals (2016 O’Neill semifinalist), Glow and Reindeer Cupcakes. Jennifer holds a BFA from TCU and also trained at The Second City (Chicago) and at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, Australia. Jennifer’s plays have been developed and produced at Palm Beach Dramaworks, The Blank Theatre (LA), The Capital Fringe (D.C.), The Great Plains Theatre Conference, Panndora’s Box (CA) and Short + Sweet (Sydney).

MOM ROM-COM BY NINA ALICE MILLER

kATHI BAERNS (MAUREEN)

Kathi is thrilled to be working on the Play Crawl again. This is her third “crawl” and 4th experience with And Toto, too, having done The Playground a couple years back. She was last seen on stage The Real Inspector Hound for Foothills Theater Company and Incorruptible  for Raise the Roof Productions. She had also done several staged readings for Rough Draught Playwrights at the Walnut Room and One Night Stand Theater at the Vintage Theatre.  On film she has done 3 internet commercials and completed 5 independent and student films, including Rift for Charlie Burt Production, Where There’s a Will…. For Triple Threat Productions and a web series Terrible Encounters of the Tender Kind  for CUDenver. With a “studio” at home ( a downstairs closet, a microphone, a computer and a sound editing program), she is pursuing more independent voice-over work.

Laura adducci (gillian)

The Play Crawl is one of Laura's favorite events of the year and is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the event. Thanks to Susan (B.A.B.), Nina (words), Kristine (insight), and Kathi (Mommy dear) for the gift of this night. When not on stage, Laura spends her time narrating books, working with police officers and future doctors, and voicing commercials. The only better gig is being wife to the best and Mom to the best. Lucky her.

SWASTIKA BY ELAINE ROMERO

MARU GARCIA (Miranda)

Maru has been acting and directing for over 30 years now. She has a Bachelor’s in Art from UNAM in Mexico City, specializing in directing. She has been the Executive Producer of Grupo Bochinche in Mexico City and the Artistic Director and Producer for The 73 rd . Avenue Theatre Company. She has participated in more than 50 plays as actor and/or director. This is her third year participating as Director in the Play Crawl and the first one as actor.

pedro leos (marcos)

Pedro Leos is a  21 year old up and coming actor fresh to the Colorado theater scene. Currently living in Colorado Springs he grew up a military brat but was born in San Antonio spending most of his life in up state New York. He graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts acting conservatory where he did plays like The Altruists by Nikki Silver, Big Love by Charles L. Mee, and a new play Clickshare by Lucas Kavner, he attended the Los Angeles campus for his freshman year but transferred and graduated in New York City before moving to Colorado. Being an actor is Pedro's number one  passion and he plans to make it a career. He attended UCCS this past fall where he was in Play 1001 directed by student director Autumn Silvas and a staged reading of Othello. Pedro had the privilege of starring in the university web series The Bluffs. He's also had much success following the release of the LGBT horror film called Bear Creek out on DVD/Blu-ray in June! He loves stories, theater or film, that allow the audience to immerse themselves in this imaginative world and hopefully gain some knowledge about the world, or if they're lucky themselves. He was last seen as Paco in the Theatre'D Art production of Short Eyes by Miguel Piñero. Lately he's been experimenting with writing more and will be taking a step backstage with his  directing debut of the uncoventional staged reading of Big Love by Charles. L Mee, opening for one night only August 4th (stayed tuned for details). He'd like to thank his families continuous love and support though they can't be here to enjoy the crawl, and his boyfriend Alex for just being there always. I love you.

I'VE GOT YOU BY EDITH WEISS

EMMA MESSENGER (louise)

Emma Messenger is an award winning actress having twice won the CTG Henry Award for outstanding acting in Vintage Theatre's 'night, Mother and The Edge Theatre's The Beauty Queen of Leenane. She also received Henry nominations for her work in The Edge's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Exit Strategies. She is honored to be a three-time winner of the True West Award, and to be named Best Season for an Actress by Westword. She is a proudrecipient of Bill's Best, Marlowe, Vintage and Edgy Awards. Emma last appeared on stage in Misery at The Edge and can be found there again, currently playing in Mud Blue Sky and this fall in A Delicate Balance. This July, she and Chris Kendall will again reprise their roles in the touching romantic comedy Stella & Lou produced by Vintage Theatre and playing at the Barth Hotel. Much appreciation to Edith Weiss, Susan Lyles and love always to Rich Messenger.

cHRIS kENDALL (Mark)

Chris Kendall is a Denver based actor, and an ensemble company member for Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, where he has appeared in An Iliad, Outside Mullingar, Hysteria, Ambition Facing West, Annapurna, Bach At Leipzig, How The World Began and Crime And Punishment. For the Colorado Shakespeare Festival he played in Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, A Comedy Of Errors, Romeo And Juliet and The Inspector General. At other area theaters: Denver Center Theater Company’s Merry Wives Of Windsor, The Edge Theatre productions of Cock and Casa Valentina, Vintage Theater's Stella And Lou, The Catamounts’ Moulin Scrooge, Feral Assembly’s The Night Season, Miners Alley’s A Picasso (CTG Henry Award, 2010). For 2015, he received Westword's Best of Denver award for Best Season for an Actor.

Trial Basis by Ellen K. Graham

Seth Palmer Harris (alex)

Seth is a very active member of the Denver theatre community, serving in various capacities at the Vintage Theatre, on and off their stage, in addition to work with a variety of companies in Denver and, sparingly, Boulder. He's been involved in theatre on and off since the age of 10, most actively for the past year. He can be seen right now in It's Only a Play at the Vintage Theatre. Seth was born in Germany, raised in the frozen wastelands of northwest Minnesota, but feels most at home in Denver. He's a graduate of the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Seth wishes to thank Susan Lyles for the opportunity to appear in this wonderful event for the second time and to Ellen K. Graham for writing such a lovely piece for him to sink his claws into.

Julie KayE wolf (mel)

Julie is delighted to be a part of Trial Basis. Recently, she has been seen at Firehouse Theatre as Lenny McGrath in Crimes of the Heart and as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. Other productions around town include The Taming of the Shrew-Lost & Found Productions, Unmarried in America, and The Cider House Rules-Vintage Theatre. Some of Julie’s favorite roles include Blanche Dubois-A Streetcar Named Desire, Lady Macbeth-Macbeth, and Belinda/Flavia-Noises Off. Jeff, you’re my favorite. Love to our fur-babies. And thanks to you, the audience, for supporting live theatre.

Non Virtual Fantasy #25-D by melissa lucero mccarl

Jeffrey atherton (non virtual man)

Jeffrey’s acting/singing career has taken him around the world and from stage to radio to film to television. A few of his memorable experiences include performing Phantom for the authors (Murray Yeston & Arthur Kopit), several tours to Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea with Sound of Music and South Pacific and 3 different productions of My Fair Lady. Since migrating from NYC to Denver in ’97 Jeffrey has been active in the local theatre circuit, playing Fagin in Oliver (Town Hall Arts Center), Charles in Pippin (Arvada Center), Diego Rivera in PaintedBread (Theatre On Broadway) to name a few. Always eager to share his experience in the performing arts, Jeffrey teaches acting & singing with his wife Natalie at Namaste Works Vocal & Acting Studio in Centennial, Colorado.Facebook.com/NamasteWorksStudio  NamasteWorks.net

A Close Shave by Christie Brenner winn

albert banker (harry)

Albert Bankeris delighted to participate in this year’s Play Crawl, having performed beforehand with And Toto too, as Dov in The English Bride. He was last featured as Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and also Henry in The Fantasticks with Parker Arts/Inspire Creative, having also performed at PACE in Spamalot, and in West Side Story (Best Dramatic Musical of the Year/ BroadwayWorld ).  Albert was also featured performing multi-roles in the critically acclaimed My Name is Asher Lev.   Some regional credits: Narrator in Into the Woods, Bishop in Les Misérables, Reb Saunders in The Chosen, Reuven in Apples from the Desert, Victor Velasco in Barefoot in the Park, Cousin Brandon in The Long Christmas Dinner, Mr. Fisher in The Show Off, Gregory Solomon in The Price, Juror #11 in 12 Angry Men, Sam Greenblatt in DinahWas, Frank in Private Eyes, Dr. Abraham in I Never Promised you a Rose Garden, Fagin in Oliver!, Pierre in The Baker's Wife.   Select additional favorites: 42nd Street, Annie, The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fortune's Fool, The Praying Mantis, High Society, High Crimes and Misdemeanors, A Fiddler on the Roof, - and so much more.

michael gurshtein (matt)

Michael Gurshtein began attending the theatre as a small child while growing up in Moscow, Russia. Upon moving to Grand Junction, CO, he took part in high school productions as a stagehand with sporadic appearances on the boards. After a nine-year hiatus, Michael returned to the theatre in 2011, and has been working around Denver nonstop ever since. He most recently appeared as Sadko in Sadko's Song at the Bitsy Stage. Other favorite roles include Ali Said in And Toto too’s regional premiere of The English Bride, Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace and Bo Decker in Bus Stop, (Boulder’s Upstart Crow Theatre), and Dr. Rufus Griswold in Evermore (Byers-Evans Theatre Company). When not acting, Michael makes laser optics in Boulder.

Fake Dog by Carol Samson

aristotle johns

Aristotle is going into his fourth year at the University of Denver, a place where he spends his time around books and other magical things. He acts, reads, writes, draws, and tends to laugh quite a bit. He is honored to act in a play written by the talented Carol Samson—his writing professor—whose inspiring mind is woven from poetic thread. Aristotle, as always, would like to thank his family and his closest friends, those who support him, encourage him, and love him without bound. 

Don't Turn Left by Rebecca Gorman O'Neill

nicole campbell (devan)

Nicole is extremely grateful to join another year of the Play Crawl with And Toto too! Most recently she played "Annelle" in Steel Magnolias at Spotlight Theater, "Kate" in Blasted with Obscene and Courageous Theatre Company, "Westphalia" in Hamlet Prince of Pork at Vintage Theatre, and “Gretchen” in Boeing-Boeing at Spotlight Theater. She would like to thank Billie for being an incredible director, Susan for putting the shows in motion and this opportunity, Sam her fellow cast mate, Rebecca for her incredible scripts, and Tennyson Street for giving these shows a home. Nicole would also like to thank her family, mentors and man friend for all their love and support. Nicole hopes you enjoy the show!

sam gilstrap (chris)

Sam has been notably seen as Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and as Musa in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Edge Theatre). Other theatre credits include Babbybobby in The Cripple of Inishmann and James Floyd in The Pitman Painters (Miner's Alley Playhouse) and most recently as Harun Al Rashid in Arabian Nights and Manuelito in Black Elk Speaks (Aurora Fox). He can also be seen in Season 5 of Longmire