Emergent-OnlyKidding-FINALProof

Artistic Director *Jim Saltouros

PRESENTS

ONLY KIDDING! By: Jim Geoghan Director* Frank Nall Stage Manager Marlana Carlson Scenic Design Lauren Angelopoulos Lighting Design Gina Patterson Properties Design Lauren Angelopoulos *Actors’ Equity Association

Emergent Theatre Company 1550 N. Northwest Highway – Suite 406 A Park Ridge, IL 60068 847.813.6050 Office 847.813.6097 Fax

CAST (in

or der of appe ar ance)

*Bobby Costanzo................................................................................................... Jackie Dwayne Eustace Allen........................................................................................................Sheldon Kelinski *Jim Saltouros................................................................................................................... Tom Kelly A.J. Miller...................................................................................................................Jerry Goldstein Ken Bradley.................................................................................................................. Sal D’Angelo *Member of Actors’ Equity Association E M E R G E N T T H E AT R E B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Mark G. Agrianas Claude E. Binder Robert Costanzo Gabriel J. DeMatteo

Joseph A. Leonardi James T. Saltouros Stephanie Saltouros

SET TING Time: 1980s Place: Act I Scene I: A bungalow in the Catskill Mountains

Scene 2: A night club basement in Brooklyn

Act II Three years later - The green room of the Buddy King Show There will be one intermission between acts.

Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York City.

BIOGR APHIES JIM GEOGHAN, Playwright Jim spent nearly nine years as a stand-up comedian before moving to Hollywood, where he wrote and produced such popular shows as Silver Spoons, Punky Brewster, Mama’s Family, Three’s Company, Sanford, The Facts of Life, Kate and Allie, Too Close For Comfort, It’s Gary Shandling’s Show and Family Matters. Additionally, he co-created and served as executive producer for The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, which later became The Suite Life on Deck, for the Disney Channel, which earned him two Emmy nominations.

His other plays include Two Gentlemen of Corona, Light Sensitive and UG. FRANK NALL, Director An Artistic Home ensemble member for the last three years, Frank was last seen onstage in their production of Trouble in Mind. At Artistic Home he played Captain Jack 2 Emergent Theatre Company

Boyle in the critically acclaimed Juno and the Paycock (which won 4 After Dark awards, including Best Ensemble) The Tallest man (nominated for best original play); Sweet Bird of Youth as Boss Finley(chosen by several critics as one of the best plays of the year); and W.O. Gant, in Look Homeward Angel.

He has worked in Chicago theatre for over twenty years and his credits include: Uncle Roman in Noble Fool’s production of Polish Joke; Sir Toby in City Lit’s Twelfth Night; Features in Seanachai’s production of War; Kittel in dearly departed Famous Door’s production of Ghetto, for which he received a Jeff nomination for Best Actor; the title role in Mister Roberts for Powertap; Frank van de Hoy in Gagarin’s Way for Red Orchid; Uriah in Mann ist Mann for Famous Door; Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Master Ford in Merry Wives, Banquo in Macbeth, Cornwall in King Lear, Stephano in The Tempest, Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, all for Illinois

B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .)

Shakespeare Festival; and many others to numerous to mention. He just finished a fabulous run of It’s a Wonderful Life the Radio Play at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville.

BOBBY COSTANZO, Jackie Bobby is thrilled to be a part of this historic first production of the Emergent Theatre Company.

This exciting new company is the brainchild of Emergent founder, and Bobby’s dear friend, Jim Saltouros. Only Kidding, a hilarious, dark, and poignant comedy completes a Chicago acting trifecta for Costanzo (Bobby C.) and Saltouros (Jimmy S.) who worked alongside each other in the film Do You Wanna Dance?, and the CBS television show Early Edition.

The Brooklyn born Costanzo has been seen in countless films and TV shows in his almost four decades of acting, including City Slickers, Die Hard II, Forget Paris, Total Recall, NCIS, Boston Legal, CSI NY, NYPD Blue, and as Mr. Tribiani, Joey’s father, in Friends. He is especially proud of With Friends Like These, a film based on Bobby’s life as an actor, which was produced by Penny Marshall. “Chicago, you’re DEFINITELY my kind of town! - - Bobby C.” Proud member of AEA.

JIM SALTOUROS, Tom Jim is honored and thrilled to be back on stage and performing with his dear friend Bobby Costanzo in Only Kidding! Last seen as Juror #5 in Roundabout Theatre’s National Tour of Twelve Angry Men. Jim’s theatrical credits include: Wonderful World, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Sideman, Steppenwolf Theatre (which toured Ireland, Australia and Colorado), A View From the Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, SGT. Film and television credits include: Hoods, Do You Wanna Dance?, ER, Early Edition, What About Joan, Mind of the Married Man. “Bobby C. - - Thank you

for coming out to do this play, and for the level of enthusiasm you always bring. Most of all, thank you for your friendship over the last fifteen years.

You’re the BEST! Thanks to my fellow cast members and production team of Only Kidding! This could never have happened without you. Love and thanks to my family, for supporting me, always being there for me, and for putting up with what can only be described as the lunacies of a middle-aged man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Last, but not least, thanks to YOU, the audience, for taking time out of your busy life to come and see us do our thing. This show is dedicated to my father, who I hope is watching and smiling from above. Enjoy.”

Proud member of AEA.

EUSTACE ALLEN, Sheldon Kelinski Eustace Allen is an Ensemble Member of The Artistic Home (AH), recently seen on their stage in Trouble in Mind. Last summer, he was seen as Lou in Eclipse Theater’s critically acclaimed After the Fall, a role he will reprise at Theater on the Lake this summer. Other stage credits include: Stage Manager in Skin of Our Teeth (AH), Mossie in Days to Come (AH), Zbo in Modigliani (AH), Uncle Billy in It’s a Wonderful Life Radioplay (American Theater Company), Schnur in Resort 76 (Infamous Commonwealth). Eustace’s film credits include Love Songs, The Betsy Wetsy Timebomb Effect, and Heather. Eustace hails from St. Louis, MO and attended Lindenwood University for his BA in Theater Performance.

A.J. MILLER, Jerry A.J. is overjoyed to be joining the cast of Only Kidding! He hails from Michigan where he graduated from Central Michigan University. Since moving to Chicago almost four years ago, he has involved himself in many theatrical adventures. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory he has performed improv on various Chicago Emergent Theatre Company 3

B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) stages as well the Out of Bounds Improv Festival in Austin, Texas. You just missed him in a one act play entitled “Vonnegut’s Shorts” an adaptation of a few Kurt Vonnegut short stories with Times Three Theater. A.J. currently performs improv with his good friend Rob Grabowski in a comedic duo of their own: EARTH vs. SUN! A.J. won’t thank anyone for this... ONLY KIDDING! (rimshot). Thanks a bunch to Jim and Frank and the rest of the cast and production team for being such talented and genuinely nice folks!

Mom and Dad thanks for enabling me! Shannon, BEAR HUGandKISS. KEN BRADLEY, Sal D’Angelo Ken Bradley, a 1989 graduate of the Theatre School of the University of Georgia, is happy to be working with the Emergent Theatre for the first time. Professionally, Ken spent the 1990’s working on various stages in Chicago, as well as working both in front of and behind the camera on CBS television’s “Early Edition,” and the films “U.S. Marshals,” and “High Fidelity.” Most recently, Ken played Phillip in Green Man Theatre Troupe’s production of “Soldier Come Home.”

Ken would like to thank his wife, Hope, and his children, Nate and Tess for their love and encouragement.

LAUREN ANGELOPOULOS, Scenic Designer/Props Credits include scenic artist for Jeeves in Bloom with First Folio in Oakbrook, The Musical of Musicals the Musical at Dominican University and Willy Wonka with The Jewish Community Center’s Children Theatre in Skokie. Lauren has also worked as assistant designer for Crowded House with State Theatre and coordinates multiple shows throughout the year with Cerqua

Rivera Dance Theatre as a projections designer. Lauren will be working with Verismo Opera Theatre Club later this summer as a makeup designer and props assistant for Madama Butterfly.

She holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University where she studied scenic design, scenic painting, and the art of stage makeup. She is honored to work with Emergent on all aspects of this production.

MARLANA CARLSON, Stage Manager Marlana has a BA in Theatre from Oberlin College and has been passionately stage-managing for 10 years. In Chicago, she has worked with several companies, including Factory Theatre, Curious Theatre Branch, and Will Act For Food. She is delighted to be working with Emergent Theatre on their first production.

GINA PATTERSON, Lighting Designer is thrilled to be designing Only Kidding!

Gina most recently designed lights for A Lesson Before Dying with Lincoln Square Theatre and The Drowsy Chaperone with Big Noise Theatre.

Other recent designs include The Piano Teacher at Next Theatre, Aiming for Sainthood and Ignition 2010! at Victory Gardens Theater and Comedy of Errors and Aida at Interlochen Center for the Arts where she spends her summers teaching. Other Chicago area designs include Chaste, 12 Ophelias, Beholder and The Unconquered at Trap Door Theatre, Wings, Mountain, Uncle Vanya, Two Sisters and a Piano, A Man of No Importance, Jammin’ With Pops, Dirty Blonde and Indian Ink at Apple Tree Theatre, On The Verge with Remy Bumppo Theatre, and Bourbon at the Border with Eclipse Theatre. She has also served as assistant lighting designer on many shows, including: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Hot L Baltimore at Steppenwolf Theatre, God of Carnage and Stage Kiss at the Goodman Theatre.

SPECIAL THANKS Chicago Center for the Performing Arts: Anthony and Joey Tomaska, Janice Dura, Joe Ford, James Webb, Andy Bulmer, Fernando Flores, Ryan Rivera; The Artistic Home; PR Casting; Thai Wild Ginger; Tommy Nuntaya; Fred Wellisch 4 Emergent Theatre Company