ZCT - The Ladies of the Sacred South

	Terri Kenney ( Rosabelle Periwinkle ) Hi! I hope to see you at the show and want to thank you for coming. I am the mother of five and the grandmother of three. I've been involved at ZCT for the past five years both on stage and behind the scenes. Each year gets better and more exciting. Once again, thank you for coming, sit back and enjoy the show!
	Darla Revennaugh ( Olivia Wysteria ) has been involved both on and off stage in community theater productions for so many years that she considers herself to be part of the ZCT woodwork. You may find her backstage organizing props, serving on the board of directors, or cleaning bathrooms. Some of her onstage roles include Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Maggie in Jake’s Women, Rheba in You Can’t Take It with You, and most recently Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. Most often she’s found in the balcony playing keyboards or woodwinds while serving as musical director and harassing Carleton, our lighting guru. And now, Miss Wysteria hopes you’ll take time to smell the magnolias as you visit our plantation home.
	Jan Kiikka ( Roberta Lee Townsend, Producer ) has been very active in ZCT for a number of years, serving as costume chair, box office staff, board member and secretary, and occasionally on stage. Jan and her husband, Niel, live in the Terrace with three dogs, 1 cat and numerous fish. Jan is the district librarian for Franklin Local Schools, and serves on the Board of Muskingum Behavioral Health and is a volunteer with PAWS at the Animal Shelter Society. When not sewing for ZCT, she sews and knits for Touching Little Lives, providing clothes, etc. for newborns and preemies across Ohio.
	Susan Barzda ( Mildred Pierce ) I am a board member of Zanesville Community Theatre, the Secretary on the board of Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA), and the secretary for the Zanesville Memorial Concert Band Board (ZMCB). I am a clarinetist in the ZMC band, the Coshocton Co. Community Band, the Dominic Greco Band, and the Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds. I am employed at Cambridge Developmental Center as a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional. I have been involved in over 50 plays/musicals at Cambridge Performing Arts Centre as an actor, director, music director, choreographer, or techie behind the scenes after playing in the pit orchestra for many years. Playing the role of Mildred will be lots of fun and I look forward to the show!
	Angel Palmer (Mrs. Laurence Worthington Brown III ) I fell in love with theater at the age of 14, and my fascination has never stopped growing. From directing church plays, to performing in the Zaney Follies, to running follow spot for Godspell (ZCT), I still love it all. I have played Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors (ZCT), The Blue Fairy in Pinnochio (ZTP), and Marian in The Music Man (ZTP). This is actually the first play I have been in that has not included singing and I am having a great time. This is a wonderfully funny cast, onstage and off, and has been one of the best experiences of my acting career.
	Steve Stewart ( Buck ) Steven is an old timer in the theatre world. From grade school in Columbus to High School at Bishop Rosecrans where he and Daniel Von Gunten shared the stage for the productions of Brigadoon and The Happiest Millionaire. Steve is an Ohio University graduate from the college of Theatre and appeared in university productions of Peter Pan, The Birthday Party and The Front Page, along with numerous graduate student productions. He was also fortunate to appear in the Ohio State University production of The Importance Of Being Earnest and Hello Dolly with the Players Club of Columbus. He appeared in a Columbus community theatre production of Butterflies Are Free. In Zanesville he was seen in Love Rides the Rails and was cast in the Zanesville Community Theatre productions: Of Mice and Men and several years ago in the musical play Working. Last fall The Haunting of Hill House allowed Steve to dust off his acting skills as Dr. Montague. For over 20 years Steve’s voice talents have been used in the production of both radio and TV spots in the Mid-west for companies like Lazarus, Elder Beerman and Harts. His copy writing and radio voice work for the Z-Bus won a national award in the most creative category. Some may also remember that he was the manager of Secrest Auditorium. According to Steve, “ My true love is the theatre. It is the one place where for a short while you can forget about the world and just dream.”
	Phil Palmer ( Henry Baxter ) This is my first performance with ZCT, but it will not be my last. I began acting as a family activity at Zane Trace Players in the production of Pinnochio where I played the cunning Coachman. I followed that by playing Charlie Cowell, the anvil salesman, in The Music Man. Recently I played the grass skirt clad Luther Billis in South Pacific at Cambridge Performing Arts Centre. I have discovered that theater, along with being a commitment and hard work, has also been a great way for my family to spend time together
	Stefani Weaver ( Catherine Hughes ) This is one of many shows I've been involved in at ZCT. Each one different from the last. I always learn new things and have a lot of fun with each production. I am very happy to be part of this cast. I have lived in this area my whole life and hope to move to a bigger city to make theatre my profession. I have a degree in theatre from Ohio University, which has helped me become more professional and better at my craft. It will be very hard to leave this great theatre and the wonderful people here.
	Sean McClure ( Jack ) Sean is a 20 year old college student at Otterbein College . He has been away from the community theater scene for a few years. His credits include “Riff” in West Side Story, “Hortensio” in Taming of the Shrew, and countless other roles at Tri-Valley. I am very happy to have been given the role of Jack. It gives me something to focus my energy into while I am taking this quarter off. I would like to thank Melanie for all her support, not to mention a wonderful cast that has taught me so much about myself, and my wonderful parents for letting their child come home for a bit. Thank-you to everyone who comes to see the show, I hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to become involved in your local history, no matter how eclectic.
	Aaron Laube ( Palmer Motley, Jr ) has always loved acting and using his imagination to tell stories. He began acting at age 7 as a thief in Cambridge Performing Arts Center’s production of Oliver! . Other roles include: Winthrop in Music Man at CPAC, Tiny Tim in The Christmas Carol, ZCT’s Angel Tree production in 2005. Aaron has also had roles in Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny and The Saga of the Golden Horseshoe (or That Ain’t No Lady, That’s My Filly). He is currently attending the seventh grade at East Muskingum Middle School . Aaron enjoys karate and plays on the golf club team.
	Lucille Morosco ( Tourist ) is a new comer to Zanesville Community Theatre. I am a member of the Greater Zanesville Singers, Church Choirs and Silver Threads. I have been in shows like "Barnum", "The Sound of Music" etc. I want to experience making new friends. The truth is I am a ‘Ham’.
	Martha Archer ( Tourist ) has been involved in quite a bit of theatre. She has done many shows at Maysville High School, where she has also been student director and choreographer. Martha has also directed and took a last minute part in a show at Grover Cleveland recently. She has also done a few shows here at ZCT. A senior at Maysville High School, she enjoys many activities such as soccer, ski club, choir, theatre, and Key Club among many other things. Martha is excited to be a part of this show, as she feels it is a great story.
	Production Staff
	Melanie Von Gunten ( Director ) Melanie and her long suffering husband Dan are part of the “old guard” at Zanesville Community Theatre, having been involved since 1977. In fact, daughter Jillian grew up in the Theatre and thought for a long time that the building was the west wing of her home. Now Jillian is the president of ZCT. Talk about feeling old! Melanie has served in nearly every capacity backstage for productions, except choreography ( that’s why Jillian took dancing) and lighting (again, something to do with coordination). Occasionally, she may be found on stage. Most often, she can be found at the hair station backstage doing “hair magic”. Director's Notes: This is Melanie’s fourth foray into directing at ZCT. Previously, she has directed The Mousetrap, Ten Little Indians, and Blithe Spirit. Melanie actually looked for The Ladies of the Sacred South for a couple of years before she finally made contact with playwright Raleigh Marcell.. The characters in Ladies remind her of some of her great aunts from Alabama as well as some ladies that belong to area organizations, all of whom she holds in great affection. Melanie hopes that these characters will endear themselves to you, and you will hold them in great affection, too.
	Daniel Von Gunten ( Assistant Director )
	Jillian B. Von Gunten ( Assistant Director, understudy Mrs. Laurence Worthington Brown III ) is currently a Political Science/Theatre major, History minor at Muskingum College (if you know her it makes perfect sense, if you don’t, it probably sounds a little odd), with plans to attend law school which she regards as the one way to act for the rest of her life and still feed herself. Jillian has been involved with theatre in general, and ZCT, where she currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors, in particular for her entire life. She has been a part of numerous shows with roles both backstage and in the “limelight”, her favorites being her performances as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Babe Secoli in Working, and Margot Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank.
	Rich Tolliver ( Set Designer )
	Carleton B. Underwood ( Lighting & Sound Designer ) has been involved with ZCT since the early 1970's in mostly technical capacities. Only once has he been found on-stage in front of an audience. To earn a living, he has been a gas station attendant, factory worker, student worker (Ohio University-Zanesville Library and OUZ R/TV Pgm), contract lighting, sound, and video (OUZ), AV/Media Tech (MATC/Zane State), AV Specialist, Systems Analyst, Network Administrator. The last 3, with the Dept. of MR/DD, State of Ohio. Through out it all – He's been involved with Theatre, Lighting, and Sound. Starting out in the 1960’s with reel-to-reel tape, razor blades and grease pencils and variable transformer dimming systems all the way to the 21st century with computer assisted sound and lighting where “cut-and-paste” is non-destructive…usually.. He has lighted Alex Haley, Dr. Ralph Abernathy, former Ohio Governor Richard Celeste, Terry Waldo, and others plus beauty pageants, musicals, plays, original works in the US and Canada (Book of Dreams by Barbara Lewis). He's had some of the best teachers in the business; some of them didn’t know they were teachers. The “jobs” he's had, to earn a living, have only fueled his love of theatre and the special joy you get from being a part of the greater team. There is nothing like the feeling you have when you look at a show and say, I helped make the audience understand, enjoy, and see the show which many people have contributed to. It isn’t me alone, nor is it others alone – it’s all of us working together. As a team. For something greater than the individuals involved. Since 1997, he has managed ZCT's web site. In the last few years, he has been instrumental in setting up ZCT's on-line and off-line box office systems with an on-line ticket vendor.