Jack
and Rochelle Cast
Jack
and Rochelle Cast
in Order of Appearance
Narrator/Partisan........................Seth
Cassell
Jack....................................
Aaron Amendola
Simon ......................................Vince
Ventura
Rochelle...................................Starlene
Beran
Tanya..............................Laura
Lee Brautigam
Fania.................................Jennifer
Bainbridge
Konrad.....................................Tom
Kolos, Jr.
Antoni.......................................Gordon
Palagi
Sofka.......................................Hannah
Strong
Dmitri/Polish Police Officer.........
Zeke Stewart
Political Advisor/Kurluta....
Marcus Muzopappa
Cila .............................Patricia
Cena Samreny
Lazar/Partisan ............Thomas
Kurt Fuchel, Sr.
Miriam/Partisan...........Eliana
Raizel Latterman
Sarah........................................Lynne
Franks
Julius........................................Jerry
Wienand
Cpt. Pielin/ Police/Partisan.........Grant
Bojarski
Stormtrooper...................................Colin
Snow
Rufheisen.........................Angelo
Gabriel Bruni
Jack
and Rochelle Cast: Biographies
Aaron
J. Amendola (Jack) is
a Junior at the Conservatory
of Performing Arts at Point
Park University pursuing a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre
Arts with a concentration
in Acting. Past credits include
Biskey in The Rover,
Lysander in A Midsummer
Night's Dream, and Leonard
in First Replacement: The
Musical. Aaron is an avid
writer, and has written a
Television series entitled
Get There which is currently
being produced by Point Park
University. After college,
Aaron plans on studying Drama
Therapy in graduate school.
Jennifer
Bainbridge (Fania) will
be a Junior Musical Theatre
major at Point Park University
this fall. Recent local credits
include Dorothy in 4.48
Psychosis, Gila in One
for the Road at Point
Park University, Kay Summersby
in For the Love of Ike
and Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie.
Starlene
Beran (Rochelle) is a
recent graduate of Point Park
University where she received
honors and a Bachelor of Arts
in Theater Arts. Her most
recent theater experience
includes Warrior by
Shirley Gee directed by Sheila
McKenna, Christmas Caroler
and Performer for RWS and
Associates Entertainment Inc.,
and her own written and directed
show Sunday Night Live
at St. John's Lutheran Church.
Grant
Bojarski (Captain Pielin)
recently played the Jury
Foreman in To Kill A Mockingbird
with Prime Stage. Grant
has also played Peter in Peter
Pan for Gemini Theater,
Frog in Alice's Adventure's
in Wonderland at Rage
of the Stage, and The Lion
in Dorothy and the Wizard
of OZ at South Park Children's
Theater. He was featured in
the short films Cubicle
as Jared, Short Cut
as Jessie, and in two music
videos for the songs Out
of Hand and Show Me
Your Best. This August,
Grant will play Sandy in Hayfever
at South Park Theater. He
attends Point Park University
where he will graduate with
a BA in Theater Arts this
December.
Laura Lee Brautigam (Tanya)
Laura's credits include
Mercy Lewis in The Crucible
with Prime Stage, Peggy in
The Taffetas with Jude
Pohl Productions, Give
the Dog a Bone in Indianapolis
along with Trumpet in the
Land, Grease, and Noah
A-Z in New Philadelphia,
Ohio. She recently graduated
from Huntington University
in Huntington, Indiana with
a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre
Performance and a minor in
music. While there, she played
Martirio in The House of
Bernarda Alba, Connie
Miller in 1940's Radio
Hour, Alice in Alice
in Wonderland, and Little
Red Riding Hood in Into
the Woods. Laura enjoys
working with children and
was a Theatre Facilitator
at the Parkside Summer Arts
Camp in Buffalo, NY.
Angelo
Gabriel Bruni (Rufheisen)
is a Pittsburgh actor and
musician who has appeared
in the Prime Stage productions
of Jim Thorpe: All-American,
Roberto Clemente: Measure
of a Man, The Secret Garden,
Treasure Island, The Crucible
and both readings of Jack
and Rochelle. In addition
to acting for the company,
Angelo also serves on the
Board of Directors.
Seth
Cassell - no bio available
Lynne
Franks (Sarah) Lynne recently
appeared as Jean Louise Finch
in To Kill a Mockingbird.
She has also performed at
The Coach House and Weathervane
Playhouse in Ohio. Locally,
Lynne credits with Open Stage,
Little Lake Theatre, The Upstairs
Theatre, City Theater Partners
Project, South Park Theater,
and The Red Barn Theatre in
Allison Park. A Donna Award
recipient from The Pittsburgh
New Works Festival for Best
Supporting Actress, her favorite
roles include Adelaide Childs
Frick in the world premier
of Pandemonium, Mrs.
Antrobus in The Skin of
Our Teeth, Lizzie Curry
in The Rainmaker, Nettie
Cleary in The Subject was
Roses, Lizzie Borden in
Blood Relations and
Annie Sullivan in The Miracle
Worker.
Thomas
Kurt Fuchel, Sr. (Lazar
Schleiff) returns for his
fourth production with Prime
Stage Theatre this season.
He previously appeared in
The Diary of Anne Frank,
To Kill a Mockingbird
and The Crucible. He
has also appeared at Open
Stage Theatre and South Park
Theatre. This summer, Thomas
will play in Noel Coward's
play Hay Fever at South
Park Theater. Some of his
favorite works in Pittsburgh,
New York and elsewhere include
Man of La Mancha, Fiddler
on the Roof, and Tartuffe.
He studied Dramatic and Music
Theater at Cincinnati University
- College Conservatory of
Music and at Heidelberg.College,
and acting under Ira Rosenberg
in New York City. Mr. Fuchel
is a practicing criminal trial
lawyer.
Tom
Kolos, Jr. (Konrad) Jack
and Rochelle marks Tom's
third collaboration with Prime
Stage Theatre having appeared
in The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe, and
Tuck Everlasting. Additional
credits include Death in Death
Takes a Holiday for Duquesne
Red Masquers, Cain in Children
of Eden at Stage 62, and
Matt in The Crumple Zone
for Clovenhoof Productions.
Tom will complete his degree
in Theatre Arts at Point Park
University's Conservatory
of Performing Arts this fall.
His next role will be as Arthur
Holmwood in Dracula: The
Dragon Prince for Rage
of the Stage Players.
Eliana Raizel Latterman
(Miriam) Elli returns
to Prime Stage having previously
appeared in A Little Princess,
I Never Saw Another Butterfly
& Terezin Promise, and
Tuck Everlasting. Elli
has performed in many local
productions including Bethel
Park Heritage Players'
Bye Bye Birdie and as
Duffy in Annie for
McKeesport Little Theater.
She has also played in Fiddler
on the Roof, Jesus Christ
Superstar at Bethel Park
Heritage Players, Jesus
Christ Superstar, Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,
and The Sound of Music
at Genesius Productions, and
in Casper, The Wizard of
OZ, Annie, and The
Music Man at Pittsburgh
Civic Light Opera. An 8th
grade High Honors with Distinction
student at Pleasant Hills
Middle School and three-time
participant of the Pennsylvania
Music Educators Association
District Chorus, Eliana studies
voice under Lisa Milazzo Gojokovich.
Marcus Muzopappa (Political
advisor, Kurluta, and Nazi
radio voice) Marcus returns
to Prime Stage having last
appeared in The Crucible
this fall. Recently, he directed
Little Shop of Horrors
for the Old Schoolhouse Players.
Marcus has been with The Old
Schoolhouse Players since
1994. He is a 2005 Donna Award
recipient for Outstanding
Lead Actor for the Pittsburgh
New Works Festival.
Gordon
Palagi (Antoni) Gordon
is a Junior at Lincoln Park
Performing Arts Charter School.
The most recent production
he was in was Lincoln Park's
Our Town, where he
played George Gibbs. He was
just recently cast in the
upcoming Rage of the Stage
production. Gordon has been
acting and performing since
childhood and aspires to become
a professional actor.
Patricia
Cena Samreny (Cila Schleiff)
returns to Prime Stage after
playing Mrs. Van Daan in the
recent production The Diary
of Anne Frank. Her credits
include the off Broadway production
of Homeseekers, the
soap operas The Guiding
Light and As the World
Turns as well as films
and Television commercials.
Locally, she has performed
with the Pittsburgh Playhouse,
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre,
University of Pittsburgh,
Open Stage Theatre, and the
Old Schoolhouse Players. She
holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts
from Point Park University
where she studied theater.
Patricia has also studied
acting under Warren Robertson
and Michael Laibson in New
York City. Her favorite roles
include Bella in Lost in
Yonkers and Rachel in
Jonathan. She is also
a freelance personal trainer,
palates and yoga instructor
in the Pittsburgh area.
Colin
Snow (Polish Police Officer,
Stormtrooper, Partisan)
has been doing voice-overs
for two years with Darker
Projects Productions and BrokenSea
Audio, popular online audio
drama organizations. Current
credits include Commander
Brent and Dr Milo in BrokenSea
Audio's rendition of Planet
of the Apes novels, and
Ralph in the Darker Projects
rendition of Autumn.
Colin is a freelance computer
technician.
Zeke
Stewart (Dmitri) is a
Sophomore Musical Theater
major at CAPA high school.
For Pittsburgh Musical Theater
in collaboration with the
Richard E. Rauh Conservatory,
he has appeared in Grease
as Kenickie, A Lyrical
Christmas Carol as Young
Scrooge, and Les Misérables
as Enjoras.
Hannah
Strong (Sofka) is currently
a Sophomore at Woodland Hills
High School. She is a member
of the Chamber Choir, Varsity
Soccer Team, Student Council,
and the G.A.T.E program. Hannah
has studied piano for ten
years, dance for nine years,
voice for six years, and acting
for two years. Hannah's acting
credits include Into The
Woods, Working, Pippin, Disney's
High School Musical, and
Pirates of Penzance with
the Pittsburgh Savoyards.
Hannah is a two-year member
of the Jr. Mendelssohn Choir.
Most recently she participated
in District Choir, was selected
as an alternate in Acting
for the Pennsylvania Governor's
School for the Arts, and was
accepted into the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music's Vocal
Academy for High School Students.
Vince
Ventura (Simon/Dialect and
Voice Coach) recently
completed his Bachelor of
Arts degree. in Musical Theatre
at Point Park University.
This marks Vince's second
time working with Prime Stage
as an actor, and his seventh
time as a dialect and voice
coach. You may remember him
from last season's A Little
Princess, where he played
Mr. Carrisford. Vince has
performed with Pittsburgh
Civic Light Opera in Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat, the Pittsburgh
Playhouse REP in Mother
Courage, The Jewish Theater
of Pittsburgh in Maazel,
Open Stage Theatre in Guantanamo,
Klasikos Theater in Ubu
the King, the Pittsburgh
New Works Festival where he
received the 2005 Donna Award
for Outstanding Supporting
Actor, and he spent ten months
in the Pittsburgh cast of
Tony 'n Tina's Wedding.
Jerry
Wienand (Julius) A veteran
of more than 40 years in local
theatre, his Prime Stage credits
include Kris Kringle in Miracle
on 34th Street and Bob
Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird,
Uncle Henrik in Number
the Stars, Branch Rickey
in Most Valuable Player,
Danny Murtaugh in Clemente:
The Measure of a Man,
and Ivan Ivanovich in Snow
Girl. This past year,
Jerry was recognized by the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as
one of the two best leading
actors in suburban theatre
for his portrayal of George
in Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf at the Theatre Factory
and the African American Council
on the Arts selected him as
the Best Minority Actor for
his portrayal of Cap'n Cotchipee
in Purlie Victorious
with New Horizon Theatre.
Jerry practices law with the
firm of Wienand & Bagin in
Pittsburgh.
Jack
and Rochelle Cast: Biographies
