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Dana Rakvica (Director, Rumors (1992); Feiffer's People (1992); etc.) While a student, Dana worked full-time for a New York agency (yes, the one that discovered Paolo Montalban in Cabaret's production of Closer Than Ever) managing the young people's division. Dana would love to hear from those friends he made at Cabaret. He is a member of the Cap and Skull Society of Rutgers College.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Actor, Ruby Lips (1974); etc.) originated the role of "Muzzy Van Hossmere" in the current Broadway hit Thoroughly Modern Millie. Sheryl made her Broadway debut in the 1980 musical Reggae ("Faith") and has been working as a respected actress, singer, and producer ever since. After receiving critical acclaim for her performance as "Deena Jones" in Dreamgirls (1982 Tony and Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical), Sheryl turned her attentions to television and film, starring in It's a Living, New Attitude, George Foreman's series George, Designing Women, Moesha, and the voice of "Cheetah" in Justice League. Her film credits include Sister Act II, The Flintstones, The Mighty Quinn, Mistress, The Distinguished Gentleman, and To Sleep With Anger, for which she won the 1991 Independent Spirit Award as Best Supporting Actress. She can also be seen in White Man's Burden, Bogus, and Witchhunt. As a producer, Sheryl has found great success with the highly acclaimed Divas Simply Singing. At age 19, she became the youngest female graduate of Rutgers University. Of all the roles she has played, she considers her greatest to be wife to husband Eric and mother to son Etienne and daughter, Ivy-Victoria. Sheryl is a member of the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
Ramsey Eric Ramsey (Asst. Director, The Actor's Nightmare (1985); etc.) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Arizona State University West, where he teaches courses on the philosophy of communication and rhetoric. He is the author of The Long Path to Nearness, and is the co-author of A Space Beyond Epistemology and Tropology, which will be released by the SUNY Press. Recently, he presented portions of this work at the Center for Theoretical Study in Prague, Czech Republic. Ramsey's current work is directed toward the study of the imagination and theology as they can be used to inform questions concerning communication and ethics as well as studies in classical Greek rhetoric and philosophy investigating the long history between communication, rhetoric and philosophy.
Todd Rappaport (Program Designer, 1995-1996; Actor, Evita (1996)) After graduating from Rutgers in 1996, Todd worked at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre and the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In 1998, he moved to New York and took over Marketing/PR operations for the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, which he left in 2000 for a position with the League of American Theatres and Producers (now the Broadway League), the national trade association of the Broadway industry. Todd became the Marketing Manager and graphic designer for The Shubert Organization/ Telecharge.com in early 2003, launching a number of successful promotional campaigns and Broadway ticket-selling initiatives. He lives with his husband in Bloomfield, NJ and can be reached at toddr@shubertorg.com.
Mark Rifkin (Staff, 1994-1996; Director, The Good Doctor (1993); Choreographer, Joseph (1996); Actor, Evita (1995), Hamlet II (1994); etc.) was a Henry Rutgers Scholar and received his PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He still enjoys performing (acting, singing, and dancing), comic books, and being politically active. Mark is the Visiting Teaching Fellow in the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago. His teaching interests include nineteenth-century American writing, Native American studies, law and literature, and contemporary queer literature and politics.
Peter Riga, Jr. (Director, Mr. 80% (1988); Actor, Roots of Chaos (1988); etc.) directed the very first East Coast production of James Sherman's Mr. 80% at the Cabaret Theatre and directed the show again at Playhouse 22, where he currently serves as Executive Producer. From 1990 - 1992 he spent the majority of his time in LA, where he appeared in over 3 dozen television shows (including In Living Color, Murder She Wrote, Doogie Howser MD, MacGyver) and several motion pictures (For The Boys, Ricochet, Man Trouble). From 1993 to 1996 he was a featured vocalist at the 5 Oaks, one of New York's oldest cabarets. In 1996 and 1997 he appeared in his one-man show, I'm Beginning To See The Light, at Danny's Skylight Room and Rose's Turn in New York. He was nominated for several New Jersey Community Theater Awards (for producing Jeffrey, and The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, which has since been published by Dramatic Plays and produced across the country and in Canada) and received the RECT award for outstanding production of a musical (Falsettos) in 1999.
Joe Riley (Director, Godspell (1995); Actor, Once On This Island (1996), Chess (1995); etc.) has been seen all over New Jersey in shows such as Titanic (Plays in the Park), Jesus Christ Superstar (Stagecrafters Inc.), Joseph (Plays in the Park, New Jersey Repertory Theater), Forever Plaid, and Evita (Sayreville Main Street Theatre Company). When not running back and forth between rehearsals, Joe works as an accountant in north Jersey.
Leslie Rogall (Musical Production Manager, 1995-1996; Secretary, 1994-1995; House Manager, 1993-1994; Musical Director, Godspell (1995), Evita (1995), Chess (1995), A... My Name Is Alice (1994), Closer Than Ever (1993)) was a Henry Rutgers Scholar and then went to Rutgers School of Law in Newark. After graduating from law school in 1999, she began service in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. She served as a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, NC and held various positions in the JAG Corps for over four years, including military operations planner, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and medical malpractice defense counsel. Unfortunately, Leslie was seriously injured in a field training accident at Fort Bragg, and after numerous surgeries, the Army decided to retire her as a captain. This January, Leslie began work in Washington, D.C. as appellate counsel for Disabled American Veterans, a veterans service and lobbying organization. In that position she is able to assist other veterans who have sustained injury or illness as a result of their military service. At Rutgers Leslie also musically directed A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and Jesus Christ Superstar with RCPC. Leslie can be reached via email at leslie.rogall@us.army.mil.
Deborah Rooney-Burrill (Costume Design, Zastrozzi - The Master Of Discipline (1985), March of the Falsettos (1985), etc.) is a freelance costume designer presently living in Montgomery County, PA who has designed professionally in NYC and many regional theatres. Most recent credits include work on M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and Disney's Annapolis, both movies shot in Philadelphia. In NYC she has designed many classics at the Pearl Theatre (King Lear, A Doll's House, Oedipus the King, etc.) as well as the Off B'way premier of Chess, and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. As an assistant designer her credits include Sweet Sue, Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love (all Broadway), The Informer, and Drink to me.... (for American Ballet Theatre), among others. Deborah has also worked on film, TV, and commercials. She is happy to say many graduates of Rutgers have been her colleagues on quite a number of the productions she has designed, and sends greetings to all her friends from Cabaret. Deb is happily married to Jim Burrill and has one son, Austen Rooney.
Jonathan Rosenberg (Public Relations, 1995-1996; Actor, Once On This Island (1996), Evita (1995), The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1995); etc.) picked up and moved out to LA after leaving Cabaret. He's been working steadily as an actor, and can be seen on TV dealing blackjack on General Hospital and crawling around various war zones on The History Channel and on Fox's second season of 24. Jono's been in the independent films The Other One and The Long Walk Home, and on the big screen partying in American Pie 2 and in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. He is currently working on a screenplay with Cabaret alum Mike Vincenti that will make him very very wealthy.
Robert Jess Roth (Staff, 1985; Director, March of the Falsettos (1985), In Trousers (1984), A Night in the Ukraine (1984), Titanic (1984); etc.) received a Tony Award nomination (1994 Best Direction of a Musical) for his work on Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Image Award (Stuttgart) – Best Director), his Broadway debut. Rob has directed productions of the show the world over, garnering many awards including the Olivier Award for Best Musical in London. He directed the world premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice's Elaborate Lives and is continuing his collaboration with Sir Elton on The Vampire Lestat, a musical based on the works of Anne Rice, with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Rob co-wrote and directed a musical version of the Don Roos film, The Opposite of Sex, which premiered at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. Rob has been developing a Las Vegas spectacular, Buzz!!, the story of famed film director Busby Berkeley, with Alan Menken, David Zippel and Larry Gelbart. Together with Cabaret alum Stan Meyer, Rob has created numerous shows and events for the Walt Disney Company. He has had a long collaboration with rock star Alice Cooper and has directed two world tours: Dragontown and Brutal Planet. Rob lives in New York City, where he enjoys rock and roll and collecting stuff.
Tonia Rowe is now Tonia Rowe-Russell. See below.
Tonia Rowe-Russell (Actor, Jacques Brel (1984), In Trousers (1984), Stagedoor Songbook (1982); etc.) is working as a professional actress and living in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Monté Russell. She has recently been seen on the stage as "Anne Page" in The Merry Wives Of Windsor with The Shakespeare Theatre, and in Much Ado About Nothing at the La Jolla Playhouse. Film credits include Gridlock'd, Set It Off, and Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet.
Felicia Ruff is now Felicia Ruff-Anarumo. See below.
Felicia Ruff-Anarumo (Producer, 1983-1984; Assistant Producer, 1982; etc.) received her Ph.D. in Theatre History from the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a 2007 recipient of a NEH grant to study at The Oscar Wilde Archive at UCLA's Clark Library. Recently elected to Chair the Department of Theatre and Speech at Wagner College, she teaches Script Analysis and Theatre History and has team-taught seminars on Oscar Wilde and Greek Theatre, including a course on Greek theatre history, which features a ten day trip to major historic sites in Greece. She has extensive production experience, including opening the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island, where she worked with many artists of international renown. Other recent production activities include directing Wagner's Stage One production of The Shape of Things and producing and coordinating Wagner's participation in Suzan-Lori Parks' 365Plays/365Days. She served as a judge for the 2007 Stanley Drama Award and is a past administrator of the award. For fun, she relaxes with her husband and currently a household of four labrador retrievers in their lakefront home in - where else? New Jersey.
Rina Saltzman (Business Manager, 1979; etc.) is currently the Company Manager for the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! Her other credits include the Audience Development Director and Administrative Director for the George Street Playhouse; the Company Manager of the American Ballet Theatre for 6 seasons; the Company Manager of the Los Angeles, Vancouver and Chicago productions of Ragtime, and the national tours of Cats, Fosse and Mamma Mia. Rina has also worked on the Broadway production of James Joyce's The Dead and was the Associate General Manager for the Annie Get Your Gun national tour. Rina says that the "time spent at the Douglass Cabaret was among the best I have ever spent and I have fond memories of many late nights teching shows there."
Keith Sattely (Musical Director, Assassins (1997), Once on this Island (1996), Joseph (1996); Asst. Musical Director, Godspell (1995)) is now exercising his musical prowess as a teacher of vocal music at Randolph High School and as the assistant director for the Riverside Choral Society in Manhattan, which most recently performed in the Mostly Mozart Festival in Avery Fisher Hall. During the summer he continues to musically direct with a number of New Jersey theater companies including Villagers Theatre and the North Brunswick Township Young Adult Drama Group. Keith is a member of the Cap and Skull Society of Rutgers College.
Michael Scahill (Founder; Director, Oddballs (1973)) graduated from Rutgers in 1973, and received his MFA in Directing in 1975 from the University of California Riverside (in a program chaired by Richard Brown who taught at the Douglass College Theatre department from 1968 to 1970). Michael spent two years as an acting and directing teacher at Tulane University, and three years as Artistic Director of Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, MN. He moved back to NYC in the early 1980s where he directed New Wave / punk fashion shows at CBGB's and the Mudd Club, produced and directed trade shows, and occasionally acted in or directed summer stock. During a theater hiatus, Michael began to work in non-profit public relations, which brought him to San Diego in 1990 (where he is a Senior Public Information Officer with the City). Returning to the theater, he now works with a number of small experimental theatres (The Fritz, Sweetooth, Diversionary, The Muse, PowPAC) as an actor, director and designer. His biggest (and favorite) coup was directing the Southern California premiere of Chas Busch's Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. Michael recently won an ACT acting award for his portrayal of "Oscar Wilde" in Gross Indecency at PowPAC, where he also directed Old Times by Harold Pinter and acted in Keely & Du ("Walter").
Joshua Schleifer (Producer, 1993-1994; Production Manager, 1991-1993; House Manager, 1990-1991; Director, You Can't Take It With You (1993)) After spending five years at Rutgers and Cabaret, Josh spent the next five with the Manhattan Theatre Club, one of New York's most prominent theater companies. During that time he worked on the premier productions of such plays as Love! Valour! Compassion!, Sylvia, Valley Song , and Three Days of Rain. Josh now does freelance work on plays and is the House Manager at 2econd Stage Theatre.
Mary Ethel Schmidt (Author, The Mystery of the Forbidden Self (1980); Actor, Recruits (1983), Slight Departure (1982); etc.) is a three year recipient of the Levin Scholarship for Playwriting at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. Her plays, including Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten, have been produced in New York City, Seattle, Kansas City, and New Brunswick. Acting credits include The Belle of Amherst, Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, I'm Not Rappaport, Open Admissions, Dark Sun, Wenceslas Square, and Habeas Corpus. Mary recently directed the Swedish premiere of Nicky Silver's Raised in Captivity in Stockholm, The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar with the Kings County Shakespeare Company, and Moliere's The Would Be Gentleman at The National Theatre of the Performing Arts. She is currently a director and on the faculty of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Previous to this, she was the Associate Artistic Director at the Directors Company in New York City. Mary is a member of Actors Equity and the Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers.
Christopher Schraufnagel (Special Projects Chair, 1995-1996; Actor, Godspell (1996), Chess (1995); etc.) moved to New York after graduation and immediately started auditioning and performing in small projects, including one at the Lincoln Center Lab and The New York International Fringe Festival. Since leaving Cabaret, Chris has served as Drama Director at Hillsborough High School in New Jersey, and, after his fifth year at the school, decided that this was what he really wanted to pursue. Chris received his Masters degree at NYU in Educational Theatre and English 7-12. He is currently the Theatre Arts Teacher/Production Director at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY. You can also catch Chris singing with his band Spaztikolon in NJ and NYC.
Robert Schreiber is now Robert Seda-Schreiber. See below.
Mat Schwarzman (Producer, 1982-1983; Assistant Producer, 1981-1982; Director, Recruits (1983), Celebration (1983), Everyman (1982); etc.) became the Company Manager for the unofficial Mason Gross summer theater in Cape May, NJ during the summers of 1983 and 1984. From 1985 to 1987 he ran, and was a member of, Big Small Theater in Philadelphia. From 1989 to 1995 Mat founded, administered and taught in Arts and Social Change at New College of California in San Francisco. From 1994 to 2001 he was at Urban Arts Institute, an interdisciplinary community-based arts school that combines creative expression with social change located in Oakland, California. Mat has now relocated to New Orleans where he is the Program Director for the National Performance Network, a group of community-based performing arts organizations around the country, and is responsible for administering the subsidy programs and developing a special project which will result in a book and website about the history, practice and philosophy of community-based arts for high school and college students.
Laura Schweitzer is now Laura Pettyjohn. See above.
Robert Seda-Schreiber (Co-Director, Speed-The-Plow & Some Freaks (1990); etc.) is an art teacher and illustrator currently living in Princeton, New Jersey with his Public Defender wife Cyndi and son Jack Marley, born in the year 2000, the year of the golden dragon. In 1989, he co-founded the Creatures of Awareness, a theater company dedicated to raising money to assist organizations devoted to combating HIV, AIDS, and Cystic Fibrosis. With the Creatures of Awareness, Robt directed a number of plays including The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, I'm Not Rappaport, and Burn This, the last being produced at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. At University of California at Berkeley, he taught drama to young boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This he did with Nnamdi Pole, another Cabaret veteran. Robt is also the author of Angst Funnies: Very Secret Monster Things: Selected Works, a very well-received collection of his short comics and single-page pieces on a great variety of topics, such as James Brown, the Legion of Superposeurs (including Alternachick and Gothboy), condom funnies, and the horrors of high school. He is currently working on a few children books on a wide variety of topics, including the MonkeyPrince & a lonely cloud. Robt can be reached at sweetestbaboon@yahoo.com.
Alan Semok (Founder, Performer; Actor, Oddballs (1973), Ruby Lips (1974); Performer, Writer/Composer (with lyricist Joe Barbarotta) The Peer Glynt Ensemble (1974); contributor of musical material and miscellaneious sound designs for several other Cabaret productions between 1973-1975). Worked with Neil Cuthbert and Michael Scahill in the very first Cabaret Theatre production (Oddballs). Still working as a professional actor, musician and voiceover specialist and sometimes ventriloquist/ puppeteer, Alan has been seen in many television programs, films and live shows. Just a few of Alan's most recent credits include: Television and Film - Over The Counter, The American Experience (as "Aaron Burr"), The Ridiculous History Of Tobacco, Shining Time Station ("Voice Of Tex Boy"), Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock and David Wain's The Ten (as technical advisor); Theater: Fanny And Walt ("Sam Wells"), Romeo And Juliet ("Friar Laurence"), Lacerations: The Brothers Karamazov ("Zossima; Snegirev"), I Love You, Madame President ("Dan Carlin"), and A Christmas Carol (seven seasons as "Scrooge"). In May of 2007 Alan was honored with an honorary PhD in Fine Arts from Buena Vista University in Iowa. In March 2008, Alan opened Off-Broadway at The Signature Theatre Company in the world premiere of Charles Mee's new Play Paradise Park in the role of "Edgar". Visit Alan on the web at http://homepage.mac.com/asemok/alanpage.html.
Susan Sena (Director, My Cup Runneth Over (1992); Photographer, Costumer, Assistant Stage Manager and assorted other roles, A .. My Name is Alice (1994), Wenceslas Square (1991), Run of the River (1990); etc.) graduated in 1994 from Douglass College with a B.A. in American Studies and has been working in the non-profit area ever since. She is currently the Assistant Director of Development for Fountain House in Hell's Kitchen's, NYC and sings alto with the Riverside Choral Society of NYC. Susan lives in Union City, NJ and would love to hear from her fellow Cabaret alums. Email: suesena@earthlink.net.
Josie Sewell is now Josie Wise. See below.
Alexa Shaughnessy (Producer, 2001-2003; Business Manager, 2000-2001; etc.) is pursing an MFA in Theatre Management / Production at Columbia University. Recent NYC productions include Treaty 321! at the New York International Fringe Festival, Ashlin Halfnight's Garroting at The Kraine Theater, and Alex DeFazio's Radium with Elixir Productions. She is currently working with The Present Company.
Peter Shaughnessy (Production Manager, 1996-1997; Author/Director, The One Person (1997) (Henry Rutgers Scholar Project); Actor, The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail (1995), Escape from Happiness (1995); etc.) is a director as well as a playwright, screenwriter, journalist, actor, and editor. For four years, he served as Managing Editor of Backstage.com, the premiere online resource for performers and theater artists in the United States. As a freelance writer, his articles have appeared in various entertainment publications, both online and in print. He served as an entertainment reporter for The Early Show on News 12 New Jersey, and has appeared as a speaker at NYU, Actorfest, The Lee Strassberg Institute, and elsewhere with his seminar on "Actors and the Internet." As a director Peter's work has been on display in such projects as A Night to Forget, Last of the Thorntons, Burning Trees, and Ten Quarters. On film, he directed Lowd Smok, a DV feature film. As a screenwriter, he has written an adaptation of William Melvin Kelley's novel A Drop of Patience, and hopes to use the time away from his job to complete the dozens of unfinished projects he has on his hard drive. Peter has been seen on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of Major Barbara and was the co-founder and producer of the Bare Bones Theatre Festival, bringing together twenty of New York's most talented companies in the worlds of theater, music, comedy, spoken word, dance, and art.
Kristen Sidebotham (Coffeehouse Manager, 1998-1999; Scenic Design Specialist, 1997-1998; Director, It's Only a Play (1998); etc.) is currently the Office Manager, Archivist, and co-Bulletin Editor at St. Ignatius Parish in Chicago, Illinois. She has worked at the Mac-Haydn Theatre in upstate New York, in various capacities behind the scenes at the Chicago Opera Theatre, and managed a chain of art gallery stores on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Roseann R. Silletti (Actor, God's Favorite (1997)) left Rutgers to study acting at Long Island University and got into technical theater. From there, Roseann attended Nontraditional Employment for Women, and worked as an electrical mechanic in NYC for five years. Currently she is working in an administrative job while pursuing acting on the side. Roseann has appeared in he film "Oak Hill" and is also finishing her BA in Labor Studies at Cornell / National Labor College. She can be reached at Please contact me at: rosieogrady@gmail.com.
Kathy Simon (Board Member, 1981-1982; Assistant Producer, 1980-1981; Publicity Director, 1979; Secretary-Historian, 1978-1979; etc.) between 1978 and 1982 acted at various times as props mistress, publicist, assistant producer, stage manager, house manager, actor, father confessor and general counsel. Her favorite moments at Cabaret include setting a table on fire with Michael Bergman, making Harry Maurer's doves nervous, and everything about Curiouser and Curiouser. Kathy moved to San Francisco in August 1983 and worked with the now defunct One Act Stage. Since then, she has worked in corporate communications, human resources and IT consulting. Kathy was the national director of training, marketing and communications for a start-up IT consulting unit within KPMG (a global business advisory octopus). However, in September 2001 Kathy threw it all to the four winds and relocated to Italy. "Cabaret remains the best education I could have asked for -- even in corporate America its all about budgets, egos and deadlines." Kathy can be reached at kasimon01@hotmail.com.
Sharon Simon (Secretary, 1995-1996; House Manager, 1994-1995; Director, Joseph (1996); Actress, Escape from Happiness (1995), Chess (1995), A Christmas Carol (1993); etc.) after leaving Cabaret in 1996, Sharon helped form Sandford Street Productions, producing a variety of classic, contemporary and original shows including Odipus Wrecked and A Midsummer Nights Dream. While living in L.A., Sharon produced fellow alum Alexis Kozak's Malled, and Beatitudes. Sharon is now back on the East Coast, returning to her love of the stage. You can catch her performing stand-up comedy at Miss Kitty's in Hoboken and Ha! Comedy Club in NYC.
Marilyn Rockafellow Sirasky (Writer/Artistic Director, Ruby Lips (1974); etc.) is a professional actor (as Marilyn Rockafellow) and has recently appeared in A Delicate Balance (Two River Theatre Company), on Broadway in Clothes for a Summer Hotel by Tennessee Williams, Play Memory directed by Hal Prince, and Open Admissions (New York Drama Desk nomination as Best Actress). A member of Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York and Los Angeles, she has been involved in the development of many new plays as an actor and director. Marilyn has made numerous guest star appearances in film and on television, including a starring role on Law & Order which was submitted for Emmy nomination. While working in Los Angeles, Marilyn has added writing to her theatrical endeavors. Her first play, Tea in Winter, was a finalist in the Short Play Festival, Actors Theatre, Louisville, and was produced at Highways in Los Angeles in the Third Annual Festival of New Work by Women. Film credits include The Love Letter, Nixon, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, and Defending Your Life.
Nicole Troche Smerillo (Actor, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1995)) became a Christian in 1996 and left theater behind for other things. She graduated from Rutgers College a semester early in January 1998, beginning a career as an insurance underwriter for Prudential Property and Casualty. Nicole married fellow Rutgers grad Christopher Smerillo in October 1997, and together they have three children. Today she works part time for the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, assessing both children's verbal abilities and preschool classrooms around New Jersey. Nicole spends her free time singing in the church choir, gardening, and scrapbooking.
Rick Sordelet (Fight Director, Zastrozzi - The Master of Discipline (1985), Arms Of Rain (1984); etc.) is one of the busiest men on Broadway, having worked as the Fight Director on shows such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Aida, Beauty and the Beast (worldwide), The Lion King, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Titanic, Epic Proportions, Wait Until Dark, Once Upon a Mattress, and Martin Guerre. National tours include Titanic, Ben Hur, and Sunset Boulevard. Off-Broadway Rick has worked on Urinetown, the musical, As Bees in Honey Drown, This Is Our Youth, and Reefer Madness, the musical. He has worked on over 1,000 professional productions across the country ranging from the Superbowl XXIX halftime show to work at The Public, The Roundabout, MTC, The WPA, Williamstown, The Kennedy Center, Washington Shakespeare Theatre, The Pearl Theatre, Papermill Playhouse, and the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, where he is also a Board Member. He staged the light sabre battles for the CD-Rom "Jedi Knight" for George Lucas and is the author of the play Buried Treasure. Rick currently teaches at Yale School of Drama and is married to actress Kathleen Kelly with three beautiful children, Kaelan, Christian, and Collin.
Becky Springs-Wirth (Staff, 1998-1999; Director, Joined at the Head (2000), The Vagina Monologues (1998); Actor, Cabaret Improv Troupe (1999), It's Only a Play (1998); etc.) After spending a few years living in Western MA teaching fun after-school science programs for Mad Science, Becky now lives in Catonsville, MD just outside of Baltimore. She works at the national headquarters for Drama Kids International. Drama Kids runs after-school creative dramatics programs throughout the US designed to give children ongoing confidence and skill in verbal communication. In the corporate office, Becky is responsible for teaching classes to students ages 4-17, developing curriculum, training teachers and supporting owners across the country. To learn more about Drama Kids, visit, www.dramakids.com. Becky and her partner Beckett Springs-Wirth were married in September 2003 and live with their dog Ditto and cat Apollo.
Juliana Stefanov (Coffeehouse Manager, 1995-1996; Actor, Once On This Island (1996), Evita (1995), Chess (1994)) is now working as a professional actor. She has performed in Joseph at The State Theater in New Jersey as well as Chess and The Who's Tommy at Villagers Theatre. Juliana recently returned from the Best of Broadway National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof ("Tzeitel").
Janice Strickland (Publicist, 1993-1994; House Manager, 1992-1993, 1990-1991; Director, Equus (1994); etc.) remains an active member of the Rutgers University community. After leaving Cabaret, she was the box office manager for the Rutgers University Arts Center Ticket Office. Currently, Miss Janice works in the Office of Student Judicial Affairs, which administers the Rutgers University Code of Student Conduct. The office coordinates the University hearing process, and implements all phases of recruiting, selecting, and training hearing board members.
Bart Sumner (Director, Play it Again Sam (1987); etc.) now lives in southern California with his wife Leslie and kids, David (7/99) and Abby (11/01). After spending the late 80's in NYC doing improv comedy, he moved to LA in 1991. He is a writer/actor/producer who in addition to starring in, writing, producing and directing several comedy shows on stage in LA, has appeared in movies (My Girl 2, Me and Veronica), television (Murphy Brown, Wayans Brothers, etc.), national commercials (Rice Krispy Treats, Toyota, Red Roof Inns, etc.), and had his feature screenplay The Last Stop produced in 2000. He currently is a stay at home dad while continuing to write and audition. He has several screenplays making the rounds in LA and is in the process of producing a feature film, from his own script, The Nudger. Life is grand in LALA land, and he hopes all is well with anyone who remembers him from RU. Email : brtman@sbcglobal.net Website : http://www.bartsumner.com.
Darren Sussman (House Manager, 1995; Director, A Few Good Men (1996); Production Manager, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1995); Stage Manager, Escape from Happiness (1996); etc.) has followed his love of technical theater and has been working in the industry for over six years. He has spent time working on live concerts, theatrical design, recording projects, and numerous corporate events. Darren is the Chief Engineer of his own audio production company, Reid Sound, when not at his day job as the Technical Director at the Princeton Day School. Darren and his wife live near Princeton, NJ and he can be reached at darren@reidsound.com.
Joseph Tapp (Technical Director, 1998-1999; Stage Manager, Crazyface (1998)) is now the Audience Development Manager at Arizona Theatre Company, the State Theatre. He began work with ATC shortly after graduating in the spring of 2002 preceding an internship with George Street Playhouse. As Audience Development Manager he creates programs to build audiences, bridges the Theatre to the community and networks with LORT colleagues to react to ever changing audience trends. Joseph also enjoys working with community theater productions to refresh his passion for live theater. He can be reached at jtapp77@aol.com.
Michael Taubenslag (Author/Director/Actor, The Naughty Adventures of Peter Pan (1981); etc.) is still writing and directing, now with his own Central, NJ-based company, Taubenslag Productions, a Professional Touring Children's Theater company dedicated to presenting quality family entertainment throughout the tri-state's Regional Theaters. During the summer months Michael also runs a national award winning theater camp program for children that produces an elaborate musical production each week for eight weeks on the main stage of the Middlesex County College Performing Arts Center. His Theater Week workshop program also brings the performing arts to elementary schools throughout NY, NJ and PA.
Carol Todd (Actor, Society of the Mask (1990), Beyond Therapy (1990), Biloxi Blues (1989), Festival (1989), Sexual Perversity in Chicago (1989), The Rocky Horror Show (1987)) now resides in Manhattan with her husband, Derek Todd, whom she met through their mutual involvement in NYC's Harbor Theatre and married in 2000. She is a long time member of 12 Miles West Theater Company and a new member of New Jersey Repertory Company where she will be playing "Josette" in Lee Blessing's Whores (a co-production with Playwrights Theatre of NJ). A member of Actor's Equity Association, she has kept busy over the years performing with Utah Shakespearean Festival, New London Barn Playhouse, Luna Stage Company, Bickford Theatre, Foundation Theatre, The Theatre Project, NY Fringe Festival, Nada and on tour with George Street Playhouse and the Shoestring Players. Her first independent film The Waiting Room will hopefully be appearing in festivals this spring. You can contact Carol at carolhache@mindspring.com.
Julie Tortorici (Actor, Laundry and Bourbon (1996), Hamlet II (1994); etc.) is an author and actress who has been seen at the Atlantic Theater (The Phantom Tollbooth, Every Dog), Atlantic 453 (We All Scream, Mind Launch, Touché), SEC (Museum), and The Kraine Theater (12 Actors), among others. She is the author of the short film Table For Three (produced by On the Leash Productions), and the one-woman show Belly (produced at The Living Room, and at the Cherry Lane Theatre (2003 New York International Fringe Festival)). Her newest play, Committed, is currently playing at Atlantic 453 Studios in New York. Julie can be found on the web at http://www.julietortorici.com.
Denise Travis (Business Manager, 1992-1993; Stage Manager, Closer Than Ever (1993); etc.) always wanted to be a Southern Belle. After graduating from Rutgers, she moved to North Carolina to pursue a graduate degree in History. Densie hasn't done much theater since her days at Cabaret, but her life never seems to lack for drama or comedy! Last year Denise and her husband Chris were married on Pearl Harbor Day by candlelight because an ice storm knocked out all the power! Denise and Chris live in Cary, NC with their dog, Tasman, named after the first explorer to New Zealand, where they spent their honeymoon hiking. She can be reached at jer4210@faithmail.com.
Joseph Treloar (Actor, Company (2001), Tommy (2000), Crazyface (1998)) is studying at New York University School of Law where he, besides learning to become a lawyer, sings in the law school's a cappella group Substantial Performance, and is in the Law Revue, a musical theater parody of law school life (not to be confused with the legal journal the Law Review).
Nicole Troche is now Nicole Troche Smerillo. See above.
Peter Nicholas Trump (Staff, 1984; etc.) is the Educational Coordinator for The Town Hall, a National Historic site located in the heart of New York City's theatre district serving the community since 1921.
Ken Urban (Writer's Program Chair, 1998-1999; Director, The Gnadiges Fraulein (2000), Other Places (1999); Author, The Charm of Desire and Regret (1997); Author/Director, I (HEART) KANT (2000), Burners (Produced by Cabaret Theatre for the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival); etc.) is a playwright and director. He has developed new work with Lincoln Center and Soho Rep in New York, the Annex Theatre in Seattle and the Son of Semele Ensemble in Los Angeles. His plays include The Absence of Weather (Moving Arts, LA; 2004 new play award); The Female Terrorist Project (Rude Guerrilla Theatre, Santa Ana, CA, The Chocolate Factory and HERE Arts Center, NYC); The New Jersey Trilogy (Rude Guerrilla Theatre, Orange, CA); I (HEART) KANT (Moving Arts, LA and The Union Garage, Seattle, WA); The Jesus Side (Manhattan Theatre Source, NYC and Stella Adler Theatre, LA); and Or Polaroids (HERE Arts Center, NYC). His plays have been published or featured in Plays and Playwrights 2002, The Best Women's Stage Monologues 2001 (Edited by D.L. Lepidus), The Brooklyn Rail and The Brooklyn Review. Ken is the Artistic Director of The Committee, an artist-driven theatre company that creates and produces socially engaged contemporary plays. Ken lives in New Jersey with his partner Matthew and their cat Boots. You can reach Ken at ken@thecommitteetheatre.org.
Laszlo Varga (Actor, Assassins (1998), Evita (1995), Chess (1994)) still lives in lovely New Brunswick, where he purchased a house right around the corner from the Cabaret. While at Rutgers, he enjoyed the many, many hours spent at Cabaret Theatre. Laszlo was also seen in Jesus Christ Superstar and The Mystery of Edwin Drood with RCPC, and sang with the men of the Rutgers Glee Club for what seemed like ages. He currently sings in the Riverside Choral Society in Manhattan, and has most recently been seen in Cabaret at Plays in the Park. He'd like to do more singing and acting, so maybe you'll see him around on a stage near you! Laszlo would love to hear from his friends at lvarga@varga.com.
David Villalobos (Director's Program Chair, 1997-1998; Director, Hair (1997), The Normal Heart (1997); Actor, Godspell (1995); etc.) produced and directed Hair in 1998 for the Edinburgh Festival, which sold out every performance and earned four stars from The Scotsman and The List. Most recently he completed a short film, Merry Fu#$?!ing Christmas, which was screened at the Independent Feature Project in New York. In the summer of 2000 he shot a short version of his feature script, The Show, which will screen as a work in progress at the 2001 IFP. Other theatre directing credits include: A Dickens of a Christmas (Shoestring Players), Neil Diamond Sends His Regards at Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Drowned Out. David made his New York acting debut last May in the Off-Off-Broadway production of City Canyons ("Johnny") and has appeared in several independent films. In 1999 he graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in English and minors in Theatre and Film. Also in 1999, David worked for Tribe Entertainment Group in Los Angeles as a script reader and personal assistant to Michael Butler. This past June David completed an internship at Film Video Arts, where he also earned a certificate in film production. Currently he is employed as an assistant editor at the Pi Edit Company in New York.
Amy Wagner (Staff, 1997-1999; Director, Miss Julie (1999, Directors' Showcase); Sound Designer, Assassins (1997), The Charm of Desire and Regret (1997), Burners (1999, Cabaret and NY Fringe Festival), Gnadiges Fraulein (1999); etc.) is currently a producer and director with Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in New York City. She will be directing Ionesco's The Lesson in December 2006 at the Connelly Theatre. Amy has worked in some capacity on all of the Phoenix's productions from Kafka's The Trial through Glyn Maxwell's Wolfpit. She also directed a performance of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood in 2005. In a past life, she served as General Manager, Associate Director of Development, and Resident Stage Manager at Jean Cocteau Repertory. Somewhere in the middle, she earned a Masters of Education from Boston College and taught high school English. Since graduating from Rutgers, Amy has worked continuously in theatres throughout New York City as a director, stage manager, electrician, and technician.
Carl Wallnau (Actor, Dumb Waiter (1980)) is Associate Professor Of Theatre Arts at Centenary College and the Artistic Director of the Centenary Performing Arts Guild. As an actor he has recently returned from the First National Tour of Titanic. Regional theatre credits include Evita (Bristol Riverside), Noises Off, Death Of A Salesman (Papermill Playhouse), and four seasons with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Carl has been cited numerous times by the Newark Star Ledger for outstanding performances by an actor in a comedy including productions of Laughter On The 23rd Floor, Kiss The Bride, and Below The Belt. His numerous television appearances including a semi-regular role on Loving and guest spots on Ghost Story. Carl has directed numerous productions including the world premiere of Inventing Montana, and New Jersey premieres of Below The Belt, Square One, and Marvin's Room. He has been cited for outstanding direction in productions of Springtime For Henry, and Pygmalion and has directed in numerous regional theaters including Hartford Theatre Works and Musical Theatre Works. Carl is married to his favorite actress, Colleen Smith Wallnau. He can be reached at cwallnau@aol.com.
Marc Weinblatt (Actor, Child of the Seventies (1979); Director, Working (1983); etc.) is founder and director of the Mandala Center, a multi-disciplinary education organization dedicated to community dialogue, social justice, and personal transformation. Marc has been a professional educator, artist, activist, and workshop facilitator since 1980 having extensive experience with both adults and youth. Formerly Artistic Director at the Seattle Public Theater, Marc is an internationally recognized leader in the use of Augusto Boal's ground breaking Theater of the Oppressed to stimulate personal and social change. He has worked with diverse communities ranging from police to homeless youth, from academics to refugees in Azerbaijan. He is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Counselor. Marc lives in Port Townsend, WA with his partner Allison, son Shae, and another on the way! He can be reached at marc@mandalaforchange.com.
Joshua Weiss (Producer, 1995-1996; Lighting Designer, 1994-1995; Director, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1995) (Rutgers College Honors Program Thesis Project); etc.) was a member of Rutgers' three major theater groups: Cabaret; the College Avenue Players (Director, Adaptation, The Good Old Days); and RCPC (Director, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Jesus Christ Superstar). At the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Josh performed with the Light Opera Company in Guys & Dolls ("Nathan"), and H2$ ("Finch"). Now working as an attorney and living in New York City, he continues to stay in touch with the theater world. Josh is the Managing Director of The Roundtable Ensemble, and has produced a number of shows in NYC including Save The World; ...Double Vision; The Gabriels; Silence; The Taming Of The Shrew; The Mammy Project; Absolute Flight; The Black Bird Returns; Grown Ups; The Seagull; Wrong Way Up; and The Heiress. Josh is a member of the Cap and Skull Society of Rutgers College. He can be reached at josh_weiss@hotmail.com.
Seth Wenig (Actor, Working (1983), Nights (1981), Steppin' Out (1980); Performer, The Two-Thousand Year Old Man (Cabaret Theatre's Special Projects) (1984); etc.) was also a member of the staff of the College Avenue Players at Rutgers. He is currently the production manager for NETworks, and is working on the National Tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Ragtime, Rent, Cabaret and Seussical the Musical. He has also served as Production Manager for other National Tours including The Civil War and Cirque Ingenieux. Many remember Seth in the early 1980s as "Count Seth", the lead vampire at Brigantine Castle in Brigantine, NJ.
Christine Whalen (Producer, 1992-1993; Assistant Producer, 1991-1992; Co-Founder of Director's Program, 1992; Electrician, 1989-1991; Coffeehouse Coordinator, 1988-1995; Director, A... My Name Is Alice (1994); Actor, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1995), Rage (1988); etc.) After the beginnings of a career in college administration and a hiatus from theatrical immersion, Christine somehow found herself with an equity card and fairly consistent work as a stage manager. Favorite credits include three seasons on The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Outdoor Stage, the world premiere of Christopher Durang's Miss Witherspoon and Tina Landau's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream both at the McCarter Theatre and subsequent transfers to NYC and Papermill Playhouse, and touring the Eastern United States with The Acting Company. Christine now works in the production department at McCarter, but still manages to gets away over the summers to stage manage at STNJ.
Dan Wiener (Actor, Other Places (1999), Six Degrees of Separation (1998), Little Shop Of Horrors (1998), Assassins (1998)) - aka Daniel J. Scott, has toured the tri-state area with the Shoestring Players and nationally with Educational Theater. Other credits include Burners (NYC Fringe Festival), Twelfth Night (Destiny Productions), Barney The Saver (Waterfront Productions), The Brothers Karamazov (Twelve Miles West), Midsummer Madness (Twelve Miles West) and was recently seen at the American Theater of Actors in Manhattan in Something About You and the 4th of July. Dan has also appeared in the films Money Run, sexpotjesus, and Bringer. Dan teaches acting for Stagestruck Kids in Short Hills and New Providence, and also directs shows for Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park.
Jonathan Wilcox (Technical Director, 1995-1996; Publicist, 1994-1995; Director, The Water Engine (1994); Actor, A Few Good Men (1996), The People vs. Joe Kramer (1996), Ten Little Indians (1995), The Life of Galileo (1994); etc.) is happily married, lives in Hoboken, NJ and is working for JP Morgan Chase & Co in New York City.
Beth Willetts-Brierley (Actor, Godspell (1992), God's Favorite (1991), Wenceslas Square (1991), Festival (1989); etc.) graduated from Drew University with a Doctorate in Dramatic Literature and was the 2001 recipient of the Ralph and Ruth Shakespeare Prize. She completed her Master's degree at Montclair University where she performed with the Equity company in residence, TheatreFest, alongside Ellen Burstyn, Michael Learned, et. al. Beth has performed in over 100 professional, regional, and community shows and has been a very busy Director, Choreographer, and Fight Choreographer. She is a professor of Speech and Theatre and runs her own production company, Beth & Co. which presents musicals, concerts, and dramas. Beth was one of the United Way's Rising Star 40 Under 40 recipients and was nominated by the Newark Star Ledger as the Best Comedic Actress and Most Promising Actress. Although she loves the city, she just couldn't tear herself away from the beach. She lives "down the shore" with her husband, Jim. Beth would love to hear from old friends, especially the Godspell cast! Email her at bwilletts2003@yahoo.com.
Becky Wirth is now Becky Springs-Wirth. See above.
Josie Wise (Actor, Chess (1995); A... My Name Is Alice (1994); etc) was the production assistant for Tease, the Las Vegas musical about the hopes and dreams of five gentlemen's club workers before she enlisted in the Air Force in July 2002. She is now stationed in Seoul, Korea working as a Senior Airman for the American Forces Network, AFN-KOREA, where she started off as a DJ, but was pulled on the desk and has been anchoring ever since - which she enjoys immensely. You can catch Josie's show stateside on the Pentagon Channel, or online at afnkorea.net. Josie would love to hear from folks and can be reached at josiepswise@aol.com.
Stephanie Wolf (Producer, 2000-2001; Alumni Relations, 2001; Box Office Manager, 1999-2000; Actor, Uncommon Women and Others (2001), Company (2001), Joined at the Head (2000), Still Life (1999), The Vagina Monologues (1999), It's Only A Play (1998); etc.) currently lives in New York City, works in public relations on behalf of non-profit organizations, and does freelance PR work for White Lion Productions, a hip-hop production company based in Raleigh, NC. She was the recipient of 2001/2002 NJ Women's Press Club Award for Achievement in Journalism and some of her writings can be seen on nynewcomer.net. Stephanie still dabbles in theater, performing in NYU directing classes and around town.
Douglas Yacka (Artistic Director, 1996-1998; Publicist, 1995; House Manager, 1994-1995; Director, Museum (1999), Assassins (1997), Once On This Island (1996), united (1996), Evita (1995), Chess (1995); Actor, The Life of Galileo (1994); etc.) After leaving Cabaret, Doug worked in the casting department at The Public Theater, and then for a theatrical and commercial talent agency in New York City. As it turns out, Doug's heart was really set on working in the restaurant business, and he manages a well known four-star restaurant in Hoboken. Doug is a member of the American Sommelier Association and is the Director of Hudson Wine Company, which hosts interactive lectures and tastings in order to further people's understanding of the world of wine.
Sue Yacka (Writer's Program Chair, 1997-1998; Special Projects Chair, 1996-1997; Lighting Technician, 1995-1996; Staff, 1994-1995; Author, united (1996); etc.) is currently working toward her PhD in U.S. History at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She also works at The Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University which develops and facilitates women's leadership programs for women's human rights and social justice worldwide.
Ruth Zielinski is now Ruth Zielinski Hansen. See above.
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