PROFILES

Rhonda Andrews Woodruff (Customer/Caroler) is pleased to once again join her husband Daniel on the Arena stage. Rhonda, who is the current Secretary to the Arena Board, has appeared on our stage in such vehicles as No Sex Please, We're British ; Of Thee I Sing; and Harvey. Other local credits include Little Mary Sunshine for First Pres. and Carnival for Civic. When not active in a show, she can be found spending quality time with her loving hubby and their two kittens (not cats) Squeeker and Dinkums.

Shannon Clark (Customer/Caroler) has a long list of community credits; both on-stage and technical. Her more recent on-stage appearances include Boy 's Life, Hair, Six Characters, and Gypsy - all for PIT. Off-stage, Shannon has done technical work for the Fort Wayne Ballet, Civic Theatre, Youtheatre, and PIT, where she designed costumes for Keely & Du and Who 's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Eileen Claypool (Customer/Caroler) makes her debut on our stage with She Loves Me. The IPFW student has, however, participated in a variety of shows for Centerstage Theatre. Among them: Meet Me in St. Louis, West Side Story, and Li'lAbner, in which she played the voluptuous Appassionatta. While a student at New Haven High School, Eileen played Laurey in Oklahoma! and the title role in Sugar. Still active with her alma mater, this talented young singer/pianist is currently acting as accompanist to the school choir.

Andrew Gingrich (Georg) holds an impressive six Anthony Awards from the Civic Theatre of Fort Wayne, where his credits include Evita (Che), Joseph... (Rueben), and Sweeney Todd (Anthony). Last season, Arena audiences enjoyed his performances in both Laura and The Philadelphia Story. When not involved in a show, Andrew enjoys such diversions as bicycling, camping, and working on his one hundred year-old house, which he shares with his two cats and dog (and security system) Otis.

Michael Todd Harris (Kodaly) continues a busy, but exciting season in Fort Wayne theatre. He recently finished an encore engagement of Forever Plaid, which originally ran in November 1997, at the Civic. Before that, he played Hortensio in the Civic's The Taming of the Shrew, and Melvin P. Thorpe in Arena's summer production of The Best Little Whorehouse.... While this schedule leaves him with little free time, Michael Todd does indulge in the occasional session of nude underwater basket weaving with his cohort in crime Nancy Kartholl; as well as 'Mus'keet shooting (with paint pellets) as it harms neither skeet nor shooter!

Nancy Kartholl (Amalia) comes to Arena after having recently portrayed Mme. Pernelle in Tartuffe at First Pres., and the title role in Shakespeare's classic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew at the Civic. Among Nancy's other community credits are West Side Story (Anita), A Flea in Her Ear (Raymonde) and Equus (Hester) for PIT; and Barnum (Charity) for the Civic. In 1994, this multi-award-winning actress was chosen as PIT's community guest artist to play the domineering Mama Rose in their Summer Classics Series presentation of Gypsy. When asked to comment on her alleged activities with Michael Todd Harris, Nancy simply responded, "Michael who?"

T.J. McCombs (Ilona) is another performer racking up a lot of miles on the speedometer driving to rehearsals this season. In October, she was an invited guest director for the musical Quilters at Huntington College. It closed on a Saturday and T.J. attended her first rehearsal for Arena's Harvey the following Monday. Immediately after opening performances for that show, she turned around and auditioned for She Loves Me, which in turn began rehearsals a short time later. T.J., who also miraculously finds time to teach Mathematics at Homestead High School, hopes to take a short breather before starting rehearsals later this year as Director of Deathtrap.

Andy McCoy (Aprad) is pleased to be making his Arena debut. Currently a student at Southside High School, Andy was named 1997's "Rising Star" at Memorial Park, where he had the opportunity to play Applegate in Damn Yankees and Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. Youtheatre audiences saw him as Jerry in The Boy Who Talked to Whales; and he was most recently a "player" in Southside's Pippin. An active young lad, Andy also participates with the South Side Speech team, plays the tuba, and both plays and referees soccer.

Tina Miller-Irmscher (Customer/Caroler) is a pharmaceutical sales representative who returned to the stage earlier this year as a "Voice" in the Neil Simon/Marvin Hamlisch musical They're Playing Our Song her first show since "college days". A past member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus, Tina also delights in traveling and tending to her two cats and four "retired" greyhounds.

Christopher J. Murphy (Sipos) returns after having directed Arena's successful season opener, Moon over Buffalo. No stranger to either side of the footlights, Murphy has directed numerous plays and musicals for Blackhawk Middle School and Snider High School. Among his favorites are Mame, How to Succeed..., and Annie. Arena audiences will remember the award-winning character actor as the eccentric Teddy in Arsenic and Old Lace, Froggy in The Foreigner, and Joseph in My Three Angels. Also a recognizable face from the Civic, Murphy was last seen in their 1996 version of Joseph.... Proving that there is "no rest unto the wicked," Murphy has just signed on to direct It Runs in the Family, immediately following She Loves Me.

Terry Ratliff (Customer/Caroler) has become an integral part of the Arena family since moving in next door only a few short years ago. Practically our resident set designer of late, Terry won last year's award for "Best Set Design" for his work on My Three Angels, in which he also played the Lieutenant. A graduate of Franklin College, this local artist has exhibited his work at various locations throughout the city, including the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

Wayne Schaltenbrand (Waiter) is another Arena Dinner Theatre fixture; having been an active member and supporter since it's inception. The award-winning actor last appeared on our stage as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in The Best Little Whorehouse..., for which he was voted "Best Actor in a Musical." Other recent onstage credits include Jules in My Three Angels, Mr. Witherspoon in Arsenic and Old Lace, and Billy Flynn in Chicago. Wayne is slated to return to the Arena director's chair (which he last filled for No Sex Please, We're British) this spring with the classic musical Cabaret.

Kirby A. Volz (Mr. Maraczek) takes time out from his hectic schedule as Speech and Drama teacher at South Side High School to join the cast of She Loves Me. Audiences will remember him from such memorable roles as Amos in Chicago for Arena, Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! at PIT, and Dr. Gibbs in First Presbyterian's production of Our Town. The 1996-97 Arena season saw Kirby honored as "Best Director of a Play" for Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. A true theatre devotee, Kirby takes every opportunity to jet to New York and take in as many shows as possible. Last summer: eight shows in five days!

Daniel Woodruff (Keller/Caroler) found another way to spend more quality time with wife Rhonda by auditioning for She Loves Me-- their second show in a row together. Daniel's long list of credits includes Laura, The Philadelphia Story and Of Thee I Sing for Arena; Rumors for Civic; and Winnie the Pooh for Youtheatre. While he relishes his time in the theatre, Dan looks forward to a few quiet evenings at home with the "little woman" and their two kittens (okay they're cats!) Squeeker and Dinkums.

Carla Escosa (Stage Manager) has a rich background in the important bur under-appreciated field of backstage work. She has been active behind the scenes at the Fort Wayne Civic since 1976; and, off and on, at Arena since 1979. From 1983-1986 she served under She Loves Me director Harvey Cocks as Technical Director for the Fort Wayne Youtheatre. She recently ended a long association with the Fort Wayne Ballet during which she served as Assistant Stage Manager from 1982-1995. In addition to these local credits, Carla stage-managed New York's William Carter Dance Company's 1980-1981 tour.

Laura Furiak (Choreographer) puts her dancing shoes back on after having just choreographed Nunsense for Grey Lite Theatre. Prior to that, she appeared as Doatsey Mae in this summer's The Best Little Whorehouse..., for which she was named "Best Actress in a Minor Role". She has co-starred as Sonya in Waynedale United Methodist Church's They're Playing Our Song and as Ado Annie in the Civic's Oklahoma! Besides theatre, Laura's passions include her husband Nick, dogs Linus and Baba and boring her friends with tales of her hometown, Shelbyville, Indiana.

Jeanette Snider (Music Director) is happy to be serving as Music Director for the entire 1997-98 season at Arena, where she has already served in that capacity for They're Playing Our Song, Once Upon A Mattress, and A Funny Thing.... The Wayne High School Music teacher has, in addition to her duties there and here, worked her magic with practically every theatre group in town. She directed music for Mama's Turn at the Civic; as well as for Godspell and They're Playing Our Song at Waynedale United Methodist Church, where she is the resident Music Director.

Harvey Cocks (Director) steps up to the Arena's director's plate after having just starred as Elwood P. Dowd in Arena's holiday production of Harvey. Currently in his twentieth year as Director of the Fort Wayne Youtheatre, Harvey has enjoyed a career in the theatre which has spanned nearly half-a-century and countless plays and musicals. Summit City audiences will remember him from productions of Death by Chocolate, The Runner Stumbles, Damn Yankees, and On Golden Pond, among others. On the Great White Way he appeared in I'll Take the High Road, As the Girls Go, and the long-run record-holder, Life with Father. A man with a full mantle if ever there was one, Harvey holds three Civic Anthony's, three Arena Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Arts United, and awards for "Best Young Lead in a Broadway Show" from the Catholic Actor's Guild and Variety.