Biographies

	Marion Graham (Catherine) lives in Brainerd with her family. She was born in Pittsburgh, and grew up in Indiana. Marion received her Masters o f Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University, and currently teaches, acts and directs at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, MN.
	Duane O. Koivisto (Rufus, Priest) is pleased to be in Grand Opening (2nd time) and To Whom It May Concern. Since he grew up among small towns in Northern Wisconsin, Plainview is very dear to him. Duane now lives in Minneapolis with his wife, two roommates, and a household of animal companions where the four-legged creatures usually rule the roost.
	Gillian Martin (Mrs. Ottman/Mrs. Kimball) has lived in Minnesota for almost two years. She spent the 1998-1998 season as an actor educator for CLIMB Theatre and appeared as Kess in Theatre-in-the-Round's production of Lee Blessing's Independence. She spent a year at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida, and appeared in three of their shows, including Paula Vogel's The Mineola Twins. Gillian has an M.A. in theatre from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a B.A. in music from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
	Gail Ottmar (Mrs. Clay) has performed with many theatre companies in the Twin Cities area and throughout the country. Her most recent projects include Troupe America's national tour of A Christmas Carol, Buffalo Gal Productions, Zombies From Beyond, Peter Peter Pumpkin Theater's Samson Agonistes and the Great American History Theatre's production of First Ladies of Ramsey County. Gail is also a private voice coach and lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Mark.
	Dale Pfeilsticker (Wallace) is originally from Wabasha, MN. He has a degree from Mankato State University (where he appeared under Sally Childs' direction in South Pacific) and now lives in Minneapolis. Some of the Twin Cities' theaters at which he has worked include Park Square Theatre, 15 Head, Red Eye Collaboration and 10,000 Things. Dale also appears in commercials.
	Thom Pinault (Stan Kimball) is pleased to return to Plum, I mean Plainview, after performing in last year's Staggerford Murders. Some of his favorite roles up in the cities have been Arthur Kirk in Nuts, Charlie Now in DA! and Uncle Willie in Philadelphia Story.
	Larry Roupe (Grandfather) has been associated with the Lyric Theater and Jon Hassler since 1991 when he played Simon Peter Shea in Simon's Night. He repeated that role in 1992 and then went on to other Hassler roles — Michael McMahon in Grand Opening in 1996, Myron Kleinschmidt in Dear James and Dusty in The Staggerford Murders, a role it is rumored (mainly by Larry) Jon wrote for him. Also for the Lyric, he has played George Bernard Shaw, Herbert Hoover, and Old Man Brunner and has directed Payments Due. For Troupe America he has toured nationally in 1940's Radio Hour, On Golden Pond and Moon Over Buffalo. Larry feels very much at home in Plainview. Thanks Ken, Millie, Dean and Sally and Father Connelly for making Larry welcome.
	Ryan Smith (Brendan) at 16 is a veteran of many school (Benilde-St. Margaret) and community productions. With Grand Opening, he is venturing into professional theater. Ryan participates in school choirs and the speech team and in the summer, plays acoustic guitar in his room or electric guitar in his band. His plans for the future include not worrying about the future.
	Erik Steen (Hank) appears frequently at Theatre-in-the-Round in Minneapolis, where favorite roles include Jessup in A Few Good Men, Joe in Speed of Darkness and Father Dan in Jeffrey. He has also appeared with Park Square Theater Loves Labours Lost, Broken Glass, 50 Foot Penguin One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Theatre Garage Tartuffe, and Fully Reciprocal Theater Rope. Erik also does commercial and industrial film and voice work.
	John Stillwell (Dodger/Mr. Hicks) is recreating the role he played in the 1996 production of Grand Opening. John recently appeared in Benilde-St. Margarets' production of West Side Story, The Dining Room and Noises Off. He will attend St. Johns University in the fall.

Sally Childs (Director) is a founder and serves as Artistic/Managing Director of the Lyric Theatre. After adapting and staging Bill Holm's Box Elder Bug Variations as a dance/poetry piece in 1987, the Lyric continued staging the work of Minnesota writers, including Carol Connolly, Paul Mohrbacher, Leo Dangel, and Jon Hassler -- over and over. Childs directed the Lyric's first staging of Simon's Night in 1991, produced Grand Opening in 1996 and adapted, directed and produced Dear James in 1997 and Jemmy in 1998. The Lyric is delighted to be producing in Plainview -- home at last.

Ryan DeRoos (Production Assistant and Props Mistress) is a resident of Lake City, Minnesota and will be a sophomore at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa this fall. She is majoring in Technical and Design Theatre also TV/Radio Journalism. She served as crew member for Into the Woods, The Way of the World, A Streetcar Named Desire, and played an FBI agent in The Mineola Twins. This summer Ryan is working for the Rural America Arts Center in the Box Office, and the Jon Hassler Theatre.

Paul Epton (Lighting Designer) is a freelance lighting designer. He began his theatre career as an undergraduate at Carleton College. He then spent 11 years as an award-winning lighting designer and master electrician for Detroit's Attic Theatre where he arranged Ten November, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Awake and Sing. Since returning to Minnesota in 1992, he has designed regularly for Mixed Blood Theatre and the Minnesota Jewish Theatre. He also programs intelligent lighting at the Children's Theatre Company, and has run lights at the Guthrie. Summer stock includes Bemidji's Paul Bunyan Playhouse and Albert Lea's Minnesota Festival Theatre. Last fall he lit and ran sound for Larry Roupe in Chief in Plainview. Paul is also a year-round bicycle commuter and is pleased that one of his first professional designs was for Spokesong.

Jeannie Millett (Costume Designer) earned a degree in costume design and has been costuming shows for the past eight years. Credits include productions for Stepping Stone Theatre, The Illusion Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park, Mixed Blood Theatre Co., Ballet Arts at the Orpheum and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Besides freelance costume design, Jeannie also does millinery and custom sewing, and assisting the photo stylist.

Erica Zaffarano (Set Designer) has been designing for the Lyric Theatre since 1993, and is pleased to participate in the opening of the Jon Hassler Theatre. She has designed for theatres in Vermont, the Virgin Islands, Washington, California, Nevada, Utah, Iowa, Minnesota and recently returned from Artist-in-Residence work at Purdue University. "There is a unique excitement and energy surrounding the opening of a new theatre which is unparalleled. The support from members of the Plainview community has made this a delightful and energizing experience."