Cuckolds Cast
**Congratulations to Emily Abrams and Shannon Grounds, nominated for 2001-2002 Austin Critic's Table awards for Best Actress - Comedy for their roles in The London Cuckolds!**
Emily Abrams (Peggy Wiseacres)
Emily studies for her part daily as a 7th grade science teacher, and would like to note that she is ever so glad to no longer be an adolescent. She has also participated in numerous theater productions through the Shakespeare at Winedale program, The Austin Free Shakespeare Society, The Broccoli Project, Frontera Fest, and The Naked Spleen improvisational comedy troupe. She is a founding member of the Bedlam Faction and appeared as Nano the Dwarf in Volpone.
Allison DeFrees (Aunt)
Allison can do anything. No, seriously. She can. Since joining the cast of London Cuckolds, her new friends have been amazed by her abilities to wrestle, make puppets, dispense legal advice, write plays, and have a damn good time on stage.
Robert Deike (Mr. Dashwell)
Robert Deike, for some reason, has an insane agenda. He wants people to enjoy live theatre, rather than 'experience' it. Having stumbled upon performance by unwittingly signing up for the Shakespeare at Winedale program fifteen years ago, Robert has since been a member of the UT Theatre Collective, The Wheetzah Players, The Barefoot Players, The Public Domain, Different Stages, The Austin Free Shakespeare Society, and now a founding member of The Bedlam Faction. He played the role of Mosca in Volpone.
Hildreth England (Engine)
Hildreth loves creative free-loading, raunchy comedy, and belly-dancing. After undergoing dance and theatre training in Corpus Christi (Texas) and Paris (France), Hildreth fled to Georgetown in Washington, D.C., where she earned a degree in Foreign Service. Recently she arrived in Austin, playing the roles of Stephanie in rm 120's Betty in the Middle and Phaedra in Insane Root Theatre's Oenone. Hildreth would like to issue an apology to the French for massacring their language, and sends a huge love push to mom, dad, and the whole Bedlam herd.
Shannon Grounds (Arabella Doodle)
Shannon Grounds is thrilled to be working with the Bedlam Faction for the first time. Her skills are many, but sadly do not include writing clever bios (or juggling). She earned her degree in theatre from the University of Texas, and is currently a company member of the Hyde Park and Public Domain Theatre Companies. She has also worked with the Rude Mechanicals, the State Theater Company, Austin Scriptworks, Disciples of Melpomene, Alchemy Works and Different Stages. Recent credits include Cordelia in the Public Domain's King Lear, and Susie in Wit at the State Theater.
Travis Hale (Mr. Alderman Wiseacres)
T-rav first learned about the magic of performing as a student in the Shakespeare at Winedale program and as a member of The Austin Free Shakespeare Society. He has performed at The Globe Theatre, in London; the Swan Theatre, in Stratford; and the Orange Tree, in Richmond. As a founding member of The Bedlam Faction, he looks forward to being in many other productions where he can continue his passion for playing. He was last seen playing Corbaccio in Volpone.
Matt Kozusko (Valentine Loveday)
Matt Kozusko doesn't know exactly what he's doing but is happy to put off the decision as long as there's a play afoot. He is a founding member of the Bedlam Faction and a part-time Austinite currently completing a PhD in early modern drama. He was last seen as Corvino in Volpone.
Jaime Martin (Jane)
Jaime took a liking to theatre after a stint at Shakespeare at Winedale, where she played Celia in As You Like It and her favorite role ever, Peter in Romeo and Juliet. Currently, she enjoys playing with the Bedlam Faction, keeping a rein on Mike Nelson, and helping to raise a passel of cats.
Robert Matney (Ned Ramble)
Robert is a University of Texas graduate steadfastly using his philosophy degree as a Technical Support Agent at Apple Computers. In the past six years he has been a student in the Shakespeare at Winedale program, co-founded The Austin Free Shakespeare Society, worked with The Public Domain, The Colonial Shakespeare Company, Rude Mechanicals and also co-founded the happily, now-defunct Permanent Thisbe Theater Company. He is a founding member of the Bedlam Faction and appeared as Sir Politic Would-Be in Volpone.
Michael Mergen (Mr. Alderman Doodle)
Michael spends most of his time at the Off-Center as a company member of the Rude Mechs, but has also performed with other local groups such as Shakespeare at Winedale, the Colonial Shakespeare Company, and the Boxtree Players. He was last seen as Constantine in the Rude Mechs' Big Love.
Michael Nelson (Frank Townly)
Michael Nelson knows where "the line" is, but chooses to step over it on a regular basis; he is often grounded as a result. As an Austinite, he has acted in productions with Loaded Gun Theory, Shakespeare at Winedale, and he is the voice of Bo Hawke in Mark Lovell's animated film Vicious Cyclone. In addition, he aspires with cohort John Botti to rock your face (music-wise). He is a founding member of the Bedlam Faction and was most recently seen in Volpone as Peregrine and Bonario.
Shanna E. Smith (Eugenia Dashwell)
Shanna is a Ph.D. student in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Texas and also works as a statistical consultant and web page programmer. She has performed in 15 different Shakespeare productions in and around Austin including those by Shakespeare at Winedale, The Boxtree Players, The Colonial Shakespeare Company, and The Austin Free Shakespeare Society. She helped found the Bedlam Faction and played the role of Celia in Volpone.
Dan VanHoozer (Roger)
Dan is an alum of and was last seen at Shakespeare at Winedale. He also works with the Shakespeare at Winedale Outreach program, where talented children assist in pulling-out his hair. Their work and discovery have inspired him to continue his exploration of theatre.
Crew
Johnbo (Music)
Johnbo has wrangled live music for several plays in Austin since 1999, including The Austin Free Shakespeare Society's productions of Comedy of Errors, Henry IV: Part I, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the Bedlam Faction's Volpone. He's now getting into soundtrack production, collective arts marketing, and an almost fanatical devotion to the pope.
Jonathan Van Matre (Lights)
Jonathan likes to play with light. Sometimes he tries to catch it in boxes. He tried using nets, but for some reason that didn't work so well. He decided boxes are definitely the way to go -- with lenses on them, or actors in them.