Meet the Cast

DeJeanette Horne (Jim Bono), a native Washingtonian, is excited to return to LTA after many years of performing in the region. His credits include The Adventures of Pericles (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); The Infinite Tales (4615 Theatre Company); West by God (Keegan Theatre); God of Carnage (Keegan Theatre); Harvey (1st Stage of Tyson); One Man Two Guvnors (1st Stage of Tysons); The Fire and the Rain (Constellation Theater); and many others.

Mack Leamon (Lyons) is thrilled to be back in live theater and making his debut at LTA. His recent theater credits include Detroit ’67 (Strand Theater); Heard It Through the Grapevine— Motown Moments Tribute (The Finest Performance Foundation); Stick Fly (Ankh Repertory Theatre); Two Trains Running (Spotlighters Theatre); Radio Golf (Hard Bargain Players); Coming Home, Stick Fly and Blues for an Alabama Sky (Port City Playhouse); A Raisin in the Sun (Castaways Repertory Theater); The Big A: Scenes from a Vanishing Landscape (Macomb Theater Company/DC Fringe Festival); and Before It Hits Home (Lincoln University Theater).

Brenda Parker (Rose) made her stage debut as Motormouth Maybelle in LTA’s 2011 production of Hairspray. Since then, she has performed in The Color Purple with Tantallon Community Players, among other productions. Her most recent venture onstage was as Susan B. Anthony with Through the Fourth Wall Production’s world debut of 19: The Musical. Brenda can be found currently at historic George Washington’s Mount Vernon as an interpreter and narrative storyteller, recounting the stories of and representing Caroline Branham, Silla and Lucy and 317 enslaved persons. Brenda gives thanks and honors God for the gifts of song and story and for her beautiful family and first grandbaby, who allowed her to become the family Griot.

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Meet the Crew (in alphabetical order)

Luana Bossolo (Co-Set Painting) is excited to return to LTA, where she has been painting sets for the last decade. Past shows include Rabbit Hole, A Christmas Carol , The Full Monty , Spamalot , To Kill a Mockingbird , The Fabulous Lipitones, The Audience, Harvey and The Fantasticks. She has also worked wardrobe, produced, and served as the co-chair of the LTA Nominating Committee. She is delighted to be working again with director Eleanore Tapscott, producer Russell Wyland and designer Matt Liptak as well as her talented crew of painters.

Margaret Chapman (Co-Properties Design) is participating in her sixth production with LTA after designing props for The Revolutionists most recently. For the past few years, she has been designing props and producing shows for St. Mark’s Players (SMP) and Fat and Greasy Citizens Brigade, including Sister Act: The Musical, Evita and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). She also serves on the LTA Council and as the president of the SMP Board of Directors and is currently producing Blue Stockings, which can be seen on the LTA stage early in 2022.

Marzanne Claiborne (Assistant Director) alternates between directing and lighting design. Her last directorial effort was LTA’s Blue Stockings in 2020, delayed to February 2022 by COVID-19. Prior to that, she directed ACCT’s Enchanted April (six WATCH nominations, one win), and she recently served as assistant director for The Bluest Eye at DS. Favorite lighting designs include Driving Miss Daisy (WATCH nomination), To Kill a Mockingbird (LTA Award winner), The Fantasticks, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Steel Magnolias, Key for Two, The Fabulous Lipitones, all at LTA; A Streetcar Named Desire (TAP); Fabulation (PCP); and Bus Stop (ACCT).

Sherry Clarke (Co-Stage Manager) first “dabbled in the arts” with the typical childhood neighborhood plays. In her late teens, Sherry experienced high school and college plays, starting a 13-year career as a vocalist based in Seattle. In Alexandria, she discovered LTA, a new home in which to explore her theatrical interests. Sherry’s most recent stage management credits include The Haunting of Hill House, A Fox on the Fairway, Harvey, August: Osage County, The Fantasticks and Moonlight and Magnolias.

Kadira Coley (Hair Design/Makeup Design) is delighted to return to LTA, where she has done hair and makeup design for several shows, including A Christmas Carol (2016 and 2020), Anne of Green Gables, To Kill a Mockingbird and Ripcord. Unlike most “techies,” Kadira has also appeared onstage in LTA’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Ragtime and with the Alexandria Singers. As always, Kadira would like to thank her husband and family for being so supportive and allowing her the opportunity to “play” in the arts!

Ken and Patti Crowley (Lighting Design) After the last year and a half, Ken and Patti are excited to be working once again at LTA. Their most recent designs include LTA’s Rumors, A Gentleman’s Guide…, The Producers, The Nance, History Boys, In the Heights and 33 Variations; DS’s Last Summer at Bluefish Cove; RCP’s Peter and The Starcatcher, Aida and Gypsy; PWLT’s Cabaret, The 39 Steps and Jesus Christ Superstar; and TAP’s She Loves Me and Deathtrap . Other noteworthy designs include Curtains , Picnic , The Secret Garden, The Will Rogers Follies, Widdershins, Into the Woods, Blithe Spirit, Das Barbecü, The Teahouse of the August Moon and I Hate Hamlet. They are the recipients of numerous awards including LTA, RCP, FCT and WATCH Awards for their lighting design. They want to dedicate their design to the production team, their fellow designers, and the cast and crew.

Michael Donahue (Stage Combat Choreography) staged the violence for LTA’s A Few Good Men and two other shows for director Eleanore Tapscott, Bus Stop and Leading Ladies . He won the WATCH Award for his swordfighting stage combat choreography for Providence Players’ Lovers and Executioners. His choreography has been nominated multiple times for WATCH Awards. Michael was a professional fight director for almost 20 years, choreographing stage combat for regional theatres up and down the Eastern Seaboard, including Williamstown Theatre Festival for three seasons, Shakespeare Theatre Festivals, and many of the large outdoor venues as well as many large performance events for HIIT Productions. One of Michael’s most challenging performance events was the staging of a full body burn for 22 performances at POCONOS PA.

Meet the Crew (continued)

Joel Durgavich (Co-Properties Design) originally came to LTA to support his son, who had an interest in musical theater, but soon found himself hooked. Since then, he has become a jack of many theater trades. He can often be found working backstage on props or set construction crews or as an assistant stage manager. He has worked as a member of the Nominating Committee and LTA Council and has even appeared onstage as Boolie in LTA’s production of Driving Miss Daisy . Joel is delighted to be working with his wife, Margaret Chapman, and Bobbie Herbst on props.

Brook Easterly (Assistant Stage Manager) has had a long interest in theatre: Her first notable theatre accomplishment was writing and directing Cats fanfic in the fourth grade. She caught the fever and never looked back. Brook is a relative newcomer to LTA, supporting Ripcord and Rumors earlier this year, and is happy to be rejoining LTA for Fences. Some of her favorite past productions include Stage Door , Oklahoma , Brigadoon, Two Gentlemen of Verona and another August Wilson play, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

Farrell Hartigan (Co-Costume Design) last designed costumes at LTA for A Few Good Men . She has spent many years making sure no one goes onstage naked (with the exception of Calendar Girls). Farrell’s other activities range from gardening to automobile repair to community service! She has designed costumes for many local theaters and has been honored to receive several WATCH and LTA Awards.

Bobbie Herbst (Co-Properties Design) has designed properties at LTA for Dirty Blonde; Twentieth Century; Heaven Can Wait; The Underpants; The Foreigner ; Red, White and Tuna ; It Runs in the Family ; Moonlight and Magnolias, and The Belle of Amherst, and she won the WATCH Award for PCP’s production of Black Hole. Bobbie has received LTA’s Outstanding New Member Award and Outstanding Service to LTA Award. Sharing props duties with the talented duo of Margaret Chapman and Joel Durgavich has been a joy. Love to M, C and E.

Brittany Huffman (Co-Stage Manager) is a transplant to the DMV from Pittsburgh, where she worked with several community theaters and learned to love the work of another Pittsburgh native, August Wilson. Her most recent productions include onstage in A Christmas Carol and stage manager during Ripcord, Love Letters and The Fox on the Fairway. Favorite previous productions include Macbeth (Witch #1), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Page) and The Westing Game and Lend Me a Tenor (stage manager).

Pam Leonowich (Co-Master Electrician) has been climbing the light ladders at LTA for over 100 consecutive shows and is proud to follow her mother’s footsteps. Her mother managed and designed productions for the troops during World War II with the British Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA). Pam is pleased to be teaming with lighting designers Ken and Patti Crowley and co-master electrician Ari McSherry. Special thanks to our fabulously talented light crew and Pam’s loyal and loving Max and Poppy.

Matt Liptak (Set Design/Co-Set Painting/Co-Set Decoration/Photographer) has designed 10 sets at LTA with his work on Fences. Matt has designed, painted and dressed sets across the DMV for the last six years. Notable shows at LTA include Harvey (WATCH Award), Jesus Christ Superstar, The History Boys, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and The Revolutionists. Matt thanks everyone who worked tirelessly to make this show happen and thanks Kieran for his constant support.

Micheal J. O’Connor (Co-Master Electrician) frequently works as Master Electrician at many local community theaters. Pam Leonowich is his favorite Co-ME. He enjoys working with Ken and Patti along with the very talented tech crew at LTA. He can often be found backstage or in the tech booth, always in the dark.

Meet the Crew

Tom O’Reilly (Set Construction) is pleased to return to LTA to help with another set designed by Matt Liptak. Previously at LTA, Tom built the sets for Driving Miss Daisy, Jesus Christ Superstar (WATCH nominee), The Nance (WATCH Award) and The Producers. He has also built for TAP, RCP, Chalice Theatre, ArtStream and local high schools.

Eleanore Tapscott (Director) is a classically trained actress and director. Directing credits include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Judicial Murder of Mrs. Surratt and Bus Stop (ACCT); Harvey (MCP); A Christmas Carol, Key for Two, Caught in the Net, I’m Not Rappaport, Noises Off and The Fantasticks (LTA); Fabulation, Coming Home and Blues for an Alabama Sky (PCP); Acadia and School for Scandal (TAP); Proposals and The Universal Language (RCP), and The Bluest Eye (DS). Thank you to the creative team, cast and crew!

Robin Worthington (Co-Costume Design/Wardrobe Coordinator) is delighted to support LTA’s production of Fences. A veteran costume esigner and wardrobe mistress, she is excited to work with Director Tapscott on yet another “fence” play ( The Fantasticks ), designer Hartigan on more “uniforms” (A Few Good Men), and our terrific LTA wardrobe crew. Robin has previously served as LTA’s Costume Chair, curating the theater’s extensive sartorial collection and organizing the lending of costumes to area theaters, schools and nonprofits.

Alan Wray (Sound Design) is excited to be working on this production with Russ, Eleanore, Marzanne and fabulous actors. Alan has designed sound for various LTA productions as well as for other theaters. He most recently designed sound for Rumors and Moonlight and Magnolias, which had an unfortunate shortened run because of COVID. Additionally for LTA, he designed sound for The Producers (WATCH Award), Picnic (WATCH nomination), 33 Variations (LTA Award) and the chilling Widdershins (LTA Award). Alan designed sound for TAP’s She Loves Me and The Seagull (WATCH nomination) as well as for Dominion Stage’s Spring Awakening and The Boys in the Band (WATCH nomination). Occasionally he can be seen producing shows: His last co-production was Ripcord with Lynn O’Connell.

Russell M. Wyland (Producer/Co-Set Decoration/Rigging) has produced over 25 shows at LTA including The Belle of Amherst, Moonlight and Magnolias, 33 Variations, Spamalot and Hairspray. He has also decorated several sets during his 31 years at LTA. He is the winner of several LTA and WATCH Awards for set decoration, special effects, sound design and producing. Russ’ specialty and first love, however, is rigging, and he has been hanging curtains, signs and chandeliers at LTA for more than 175 productions.

Thank You!

LTA wishes to recognize and thank all of the volunteers who have given their time and talents by helping with house managing, ushering, or working in the box office for our previous production of Rumors.

Box Office Volunteers

Lloyd Bittinger

Kevin Blaum

Martha Deal

Sharon Dove

Bernard Engel

Sharon Field

Ira Forstater

Gary and Suzan

Gladstone

Nancy Hight

Marian Holmes

Kate Ives

Front of House Volunteers

Sophie Anderson

Kevin Blaum

Denna (Dee) Brown

Kat Cassedy

Laura Clarke

Rita Costello

Carys Crawford

Jacquanna Davis

Leslie S. Deneault

Kitty Farrall

Jean Miller Frane

Gary Gladstone

Sue Gladstone

Donna Hauprich

Gayle Hightower

Glen MacDonald

Kirt Miller

Madelaine Morgan

Karen Maline

Melissa Nielson

Steve Percy

Jayn Rife

Steven Rosenthal

Louis Rothberg

Karen K. Sagun

Page Dreher Schreiner

Eve Young

Kay Parker

Steven Rosenthal

Heather Sanderson

Ana Shannon

Joan Smyth

Howard Soroos

Colton Thomas

Rebecca Thomas

Mic Townsend

Jean Vita

Mila Weiss

Sheila Widerski

Dan Widerski

Tescia Yonkers

Bill Young