Duncan Little Theatre´s production of RUMORS by Neil Simon, October 1999

Biographies

We are pleased to introduce the veterans and newcomers who make up this special ensemble (in order of appearance)

Cast

Sharon Burum (Chris) is a veteran performer and director and holds degrees in theatre arts and education. Previous credits include the role of Yenta the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof, Mama Wheelis in Daddy´s Dyin´, Who´s Got the Will?, Betty in The Foreigner, director of Greater Tuna, The Mousetrap, Nunsense, and The Curious Savage. Sharon has also directed several school plays and melodramas, and has served often as stage manager. She shares her love of theatre with children and youth as the coordinator of DLT's Teen Theatre program and as a teacher of Spanish and drama at Duncan Middle School.    She currently serves as budget/finance chairman on the DLT board and as vice president for the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association. Sharon will direct DLT´s next production, A Tuna Christmas.

Dwyann Dalrymple (Ken) is a veteran of many DLT productions, both on-stage and off. Recently, he portrayed George Hay in Moon Over Buffalo and Hucklebee in The Fantasticks. He has also played the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz, Major Frank Burns in M*A*S*H, Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace, and Sgt. Almond Joy in Ft. Sill to the Rescue, to name a few. Dwyann often travels abroad with his job as a scientific advisor for Halliburton Energy Services. He is treasurer of the DLT board.

Chera Tally (Claire) is appearing in her first show with Duncan Little Theatre. Previous roles include Flirt in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and Nikki Crandell in Musical Comedie Murders of the 1940s, both for Lawton High School. Chera was also in Cameron University´s production of The Miracle Worker and directed "Dorothy in Wonderland" for LHS. She currently lives in Duncan.

Bruce Bradley (Lenny) is a newcomer to Duncan Little Theatre, but he has a wide variety of acting experience. Stage roles include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Cameron University; Bernardo in West Side Story, and Wykowski in Biloxi Blues, both at Lawton Community Theater; El Gallo in The Fantasticks at the University of Oklahoma; and Danny Zuko in Grease at Oklahoma City University. After working at Quartz Mountain Summer Arts Institute, Bruce landed the role of a stuntman in The Last of the Mohicans. Other television and movie work includes small roles in The Stand, "Saved by the Bell," Showgirls, Another Stakeout, City Slickers II, and Casino, which, because of the opportunity to work with Martin Scorcese, has been his penultimate acting experience to date. Bruce currently resides in Marlow.

Christine Womack (Cookie) has previously appeared as Florence in The Curious Savage, Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense, Mrs. McCarthy in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Elaine in Arsenic & Old Lace, stage manager in A Trace of the Trail, and crewmember for The Fantasticks. Christine teaches Algebra II at Duncan High School and serves as first vice-president on the DLT board. She is a National Tandy Scholar and member of Assumption Catholic Church.

Gary Templeton (Ernie) is a member of the DLT board and is appearing in his eighth role in a DLT production. He portrayed Titus in The Curious Savage, the father in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Teddy in Arsenic & Old Lace, and Cooky in A Trace of the Trail. Other roles include Froggy in The Foreigner, Bellomy in The Fantasticks, Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof and Col. Jessup in A Few Good Men. Gary works at the Halliburton Energy Institute and is also an ordained minister with All Saints Episcopal Church.

Brian Jeffries (Glenn) is making his first appearance with DLT, but is a veteran with Lawton Community Theater on-stage, backstage, and as a member of the Theatre Guild. His favorite roles include Jesús in The Odd Couple (Female Version), Howard in Moon Over Buffalo, Dad (Frank Gilbreth) in Cheaper by the Dozen, Cherdyakov (the sneezer) in The Good Doctor, and Clive in See How They Run. Brian is the Communications/ Central Scheduling Supervisor at Comanche County Memorial Hospital and hails from Missouri.

Penny Hart (Cassie) is making her first appearance in a DLT production. She is a junior at Duncan High School where she is a first-year drama student. Her memberships include LRC, Immanuel Baptist Church, Reflections Show Choir, and recent participation in the All-Region Honor Choir. Penny is the daughter of Randy and Linda Hart and is employed with Carmike Cinema 6.

Roy Grabman (Officer Welch) has participated in over 20 DLT productions as an actor or crewmember. He first appeared as a butler in The Importance of Being Earnest. Major roles include President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Annie, Zolie in Girl Crazy, and Major Metcalf in Mousetrap. As an active member of Toastmasters International, Roy serves as secretary/treasurer of the Duncan Toastmasters Club and is ranked as Able Toastmaster. He is an avid model railroader and is employed as a logistics specialist with Halliburton.

Aaron Kaspereit (Officer Pudney) is a junior at Duncan High School where he is a member of the competitive speech team. He is currently preparing the role of Axel Magee in the upcoming DHS drama department play, Don´t Drink the Water, to be performed on November 11. This is his first appearance with Duncan Little Theatre.

Crew

Dr. James Brock (guest director) holds three degrees in theater: BA in Speech and Drama from Cameron University, MFA in Acting and Directing from Oklahoma University and a Ph.D. in Theater Communications with an emphasis on playwriting from Southern Illinois University.

Jim began his theater career as a professional actor/dancer/choreographer in New York City appearing in two Broadway shows, Mike Todd´s As The Girls Go and Peep Show. >From there he performed in three TV series—Jackie Gleason´s "Cavalcade of Stars," Chico Marx´s "College Bowl" and Don Ameche´s "Summer Theater"—several TV specials, and night club performances.

Two years of compulsory military duty put an end to Jim´s professional career. While in the Army at Ft. Sill he re-met and married Beverly Whitener. After Jim´s discharge, they moved to Odessa, Texas where they lived for the next sixteen years. In Odessa, their three children were born, and Jim taught acting and dancing. It was here that he first became active in community theater, an avocation that has continued for over 40 years.

Returning to Lawton Oklahoma in 1969, Jim went back to school, earned his degrees and spent twenty years teaching speech and drama at Tomlinson Junior High. After retiring from the Public School System, he has taught several "movement" courses throughout the state as well as evening courses on theatre at Cameron University.

Through the years, Jim has continued writing and has eight plays for youth in publication as well as various articles and essays. Through the years he has been commissioned to write several musicals and historical dramas, the most recent of which is a historical play about the early days of Lawton entitled Just a Little North of Texas. The play is to be produced in conjunction with Lawton´s centennial in 2001.

Jim is often in demand as a director with Lawton Community Theater and other groups. These productions include Evita—Cabaret Dinner Theater, Fiddler on the Roof—Walters Little Theater, No, No, Nannette—Chickasha Community Theater, and these LCT productions: Mame, Harvey, Wait Until Dark, Pippin, A Man for All Seasons, Trip to Bountiful. Rumors marks his first work with Duncan Little Theatre.

LaVonna Funkhouser (stage manager and production team) is a veteran performer and crewmember, having appeared in or worked in over a dozen shows. Favorite roles include The Mute in The Fantasticks, Tibia in The Wizard of Oz, and Miss Willie in The Curious Savage for DLT, and Little Boy in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off! at SWOSU. She earned her BA in English from SWOSU and is employed with Metamor Documentation Solutions. LaVonna produced Moon Over Buffalo last spring, and she is the programs and tickets chairman on the DLT board. This is her first time as stage manager.

Full Crew List