Acting
I have enjoyed acting since my first role as Sky Masterson in my high school's production of Guys and Dolls. After a long hiatus, I've played roles in local productions, mostly with Trumansburg's Encore Players Community Theatre.
Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
I’ve enjoyed several roles with Crime Solvers, including
Vincent St. Claire in The Return of Evil Charlotte on October 31, 2025
Jaques St. Germaine in The Revenge of Mustby Shrinkineds on February 17, 2015
Father Justin Nicholas O’Thyme in The Family That Slays Together on February 21, 2015 and October 8, 2015
Jack McCoy in the Trail of Tragedy on October 30, 2015
Billy Updike & Patrick Dupree at the Cornell University Cloud Forum Murder Mystery on November 6, 2019
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Caractacus Potts)
August 4, 2019 – The part called for memorizing ~205 lines, 11 songs, choreography (yes, dancing!) and blocking to go with all of it. It was an intense experience: incredibly rewarding and moderately stressful at the same time. By the time tech week rolled around, I was ready to run the show with a terrific cast, crew, and pit. Elizabeth and Xander both played in the pit band, making it doubly fun for me in the final, frenetic weeks. These are some photos from the production, courtesy of Renee Wilkinson (see the complete set).
Artifice (Payne Showers)
April 29, 2018 – I was cast as Payne Showers in Anne Flanagan’s Artifice. The play is a hilarious romp packed with intrigue, relationships, near disaster, and, well, art. For her work on Artifice, playwright Anne Flanagan won the Reva Shiner Award, the McLaren Memorial Comedy Award, and the Mountain Playhouse International Comedy Award. The story takes place at a farmhouse in upstate New York; the country home of gallery owner Maggie La Rue. Her recently deceased husband and popular artist Payne Showers (hey, that’s me!) has left Maggie in debt, forcing her to auction off his paintings in order to avoid bankruptcy. Showers’ untimely death causes his work to skyrocket in value. Two bigwigs from the city have been invited to view the collection, and Maggie is praying they will make substantial purchases. Then, Payne Showers comes home. As the plot unfolds, the ensuing chaos guarantees two acts full of laughter!
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been (Lionel Stander)
November 6, 2016 – This was a staged reading of the play written in the 1970s about the HUAC hearings in the 1950s where Hollywood actors, directors, producers and writers were summoned to Washington to “call out the Communist propagandists in the American Dream Machine of Hollywood.” Artists were forced to testify about associations going back 20 years. Such questioning resulted in the infamous Hollywood Blacklist. The damage done to the reputations of good men and women was immense and in most cases irretrievable. I had the pleasure of playing Lionel Stander in this staged reading under the direction of John G. Hertzler.
Out of the Blue (Dramatic Improv)
2016 – I had the pleasure of being a part of this amazing group of singers, actors and dancers. We got together in the Fall of 2015, rehearsed for 3-4 months, and had our debut performance at Lehman Alternative Community School in Ithaca, NY on January 21, 2016. I loved practicing and performing improvisation with this group, whether it be spoken, sung or danced.
The Music Man (Mayor Shinn)
August 2, 2015 – Mayor Shinn provided quite a bit of comic relief during this performance. His bluster and bombastic lines made him a pleasure to play!
Spoon River (Various Characters)
April 12, 2015 – Spoon River was satisfying on so many levels. I enjoyed getting to know my monologues, and then knowing the nuances of speech that could change their intonation in a heartbeat. Add in some entertaining costumes and each character sprung to life on the stage. An immensely fun production, and ironically one where I had no lines with any other characters! Bryan Root of Motherlode Pictures created a fantastic film of the production, and I’ve excerpted my roles below.
Franklin Jones 11:30-12:06
Indignation Jones 22:15-23:43
Enoch Dunlap 48:25-49:32
Many Soldiers 54:30-55:52
Knowlt Hoheimer 58:25-59:04
Song - Hard Times Come Again No More 1:32:30-1:35:45
Oliver! (Bill Sykes)
August 3, 2014 – Bill Sykes stretched my vocal talents, requiring a rough-around-the-edges, intimidating performance. I’m not that person in real life, so having to be rather terrifying, especially with kids around, was an acting assignment indeed! I additionally enjoyed playing Bill Sykes opposite my son, who played Oliver in this production!
Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson)
March 31, 1991 – I began to come out of my shell as a junior and senior in high school. After singing Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All (yes, really) in my audition, I landed the role of Sky Masterson, opposite the immensely talented Christine (Emsley) Cole as Sarah Brown.