CAST AND CREW
Jack of Diamonds
LEW ROOKER - Jack
Lew Rooker is delighted to be returning to EMH and the Ooley Theater and working with several old friends. He was seen here last season in "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" Recent favorite roles include Father in "Open House" (Big Idea), Sir in "The Dresser" (Resurrection), Grandpa in "You Can't Take it With You" (Falcon's Eye), Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" (City College), and Pontius Pilate in "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" (Theater One). My character has died in several recent productions. I'm hoping for a better outcome tonight. Wish me luck!
DEBORAH SHALHOUB - ROSE
This is Deborah’s fifth time (hopefully not last!!) working with Elise & EMH Productions; so tickled to be reuniting with Corey and thrilled to work with this great cast of long-time and new friends in Jack of Diamonds. Three-time Elly Nominee, Deborah recently appeared in the EMH production of Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will?, Calendar Girls and Funny Little Thing Called Love at The Chautauqua Playhouse; directed Elise and a wonderful cast in An Almost Perfect Person and created one of her favorite characters, Babcha, in Kitchen Witches.
I dedicate this one (as always) to L&A & my Sweet B, my family and PJ & Gregg, who would have loved seeing ‘Ant Deb’ on stage…being silly. |
KATE MURIS - Blanche
EMH Is Delighted to have Kate in this really great cast! Kate started singing and acting when she was three and earned a BFA in Performance and Theatre History. She has performed all around the region, receiving an Elly nomination for dual roles in For Me and My Gal, and another for Mrs. Higgins in Pygmalion. Some favorite roles are Diana in California Suite and Constance in The Madwoman of Chaillot, and most recently as Connie in Exit Laughing. 
GEORGANN WALLACE - FLORA
Georgann is very happy to be making her EMH Productions debut with Jack of Diamonds. Some of her other recent area appearances include Birmingham Blues (Southern Discomfort Productions), Doublewide Texas and Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (Main Street Theatre Works), The Glass Menagerie (Delta Drama), The Book of Liz (Resurrection Theatre), The Clearing and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Ovation Stage), Permanent Collection (Celebraton Arts) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Sacramento Theatre Company).
ELISE HODGE - Nurse Harper
It is such a great honor to be on stage with this funny and fun and wonderful group of artists. Truly it is a joy to be able to get up on stage and act alongside this team. This role is nothing but fun and I can't wait for you all to see it.
Past credits include Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?, Sex with Strangers, An Almost Perfect Person, String of Pearls, 68 Words (one woman show), After Hours, Fragile Things, Down the Road, Moving Mountains, and Liar. |
RYAN BOYD - Barney
Ryan began his acting career in the world of stand-up, but traded one stage for another by leaving the mic stand to pursue his first love of acting in theatre, and hasn’t looked back since.
Before returning to his hometown of Sacramento, Ryan studied voice production, modern theatre and acting for the screen in San Francisco where he was awarded the roles of Rugby in A Flea in Her Ear, and of Arnold in Women of Ibsen. Some of Ryan’s most notable roles were in San Francisco’s West Coast premiere of the Tony award-winning play – All The Way, wherein he played the three important roles of Senator Everett Dirksen, Agent Cartha DeLoach and Congressman Howard Smith. Another favorite was that of Rick in A Fish Without a Bicycle, which was showcased in the Fringe Festival of Marin. Over the summer Ryan filmed his first feature film, Finn and Marco, set to be released later this year. Ryan recently filmed a TV pilot and a Netflix Original Series earning his eligibility to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG); a dream he is happily pursuing. Ryan would like to thank his family and friends for always making him feel like a star! Stay tuned – Ryan is just getting started! 
CHAS WEISS - Wilf/Mortimer/Policeman
Chas is, once again, thrilled to be working with Elise Hodges and this
marvelous cast. Chas appeared in Elise Hodge’s production of ‘After Hours” playing the part of Georgie. Other roles have included Porter Padget, Alistair Stanley and Jake in Chautauqua’s production of “A Funny Little Thing Called Love” as well as Juror #10 in The Actors Workshop production of “Twelve Angry Jurors.” Chas lives in Sacramento and enjoys home improvement projects, travel, and theater. |
EMH PRODUCTIONS:
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR - Elise Hodge
I am so thrilled to be directing alongside my cohort Corey Morris. His support and wonderful sense of humor have been a mainstay at EMH and so we are excited to fully collaborate on this production! As a producer and the director, I have always attempted to bring though provoking, intelligent, or funny and fun pieces to the stage. This will be a night of big laughs and I can't wait for everyone to see it unravel. Telling a story is always a journey, so join us on this one as we gear of up for a night of the Golden Girls Gone Wild, so to speak!
Full Past credits can be viewed here on this site but here are some of my favorites: My Fellow Creatures, After Hours, Moving Mountains, Dinners with Augie, Goodbye Freddy, These Lonesome Roads, Inversion, String of Pearls, Look Back in Anger, Down the Road, Liar, Sex with Strangers, Becky Shaw (Big Idea Theatre), Fragile Things. |
DIRECTOR - Corey Morris
This is Corey's Second Time Directing with EMH and his 4th production with me. I first met Corey when I directed the play Moving Mountains where he played the love interest for a much older woman. Since then he's been a huge supporter and we got the share the stage in the play Goodbye Freddy as husband and wife! Last year he directed Dadddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will? for a completely sold out run. It was so popular we brought it back for one more weekend later that year!
Pleased to have Corey working with me on this fun and funny show. More on Corey to come! |
