Cast Biographies
CHRISTIAN GRAY (Tom Wingfield) happily makes his OPFT onstage debut, where he assistant directed Of Mice and Men (dir. Belinda Bremner). He recently played Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet at First Folio Theatre, where he is an Artistic Associate. He is also an ensemble member of ShawChicago, and has performed with over a dozen Chicago area companies, including Court Theatre, Remy Bumppo, and Writers’ Theatre. Regional credits include Fort Worth Shakespeare (TX), Kentucky Repertory, and Pennsylvania Stage Company. Recent film/internet/commercial credits: Plastic (FPPI Films), Reclamation (NTG Productions), Normal (Rule 42 Productions); a webisode series Classholes (Red City Productions); Horseshoe Casino, Stein Garden and Gifts, Sprint/Nextel (spec). He will next play Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Oakbrook. Love to Lydia!
BELINDA BREMNER* (Amanda Wingfield) For Oak Park Festival Theatre: The Chorus in Henry V, Director of Dancing at Lughnasa, Of Mice and Men, Faith Healer, (Director and Author of) Mrs. Coney (Kennedy Center Prize winner) and Midwinter’s Tales (benefit for OPFT and Walk In Ministry December 3 and 4, 2011), Richard III (summer 2012). For ShawChicago: Co founder, director of John Bull’s Other Island, Midwinter’s Tales, etc, actor in over 30 productions and outreaches. Jeff winning actor at Goodman, Court, Northlight, Briar Street, Stories on Stage, Body Politic (founding Ensemble member), and St. Nicholas. Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University faculty for over twenty years. Proud member of AEA, SAG, and AFTRA. This is for Ben and Lucy who know.
ZOE PALKO (Laura Wingfield) has been acting and doing improv around the Chicago area in various theatres over the past few years and has most recently been seen in The Women (Circle Theatre), You Can’t Take It With You (Village Players), Love’s Labours Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (Oak Park Festival Theatre). Her other favorite credits include Ella Hammer in The Cradle Will Rock, Cecily Pigeon in The Odd Couple, Mandel in Playing for Time, Mortimer in The Fantasticks, Witch MacBeth, Elly/Ellard in The Foreigner, Ashby in Am I Blue and Bernadette in Raised in Captivity.
LUKE COUZENS (Jim, the Gentleman Caller) is thrilled to make his debut performance with Oak Park Festival Theatre. Luke is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Recent Chicago credits include Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet (First Folio Theatre), Leonard Cowherd III in Letters Home (Griffin Theatre), Page Otirian in Some Air (Nothing Without A Company), and War & Peace: a dance theatre short (Viaduct Theater, in collaboration with Redmoon & Collaboraction).
