BIOS

Kris Roth (actor/assistant director) earned an AA from Montgomery College in 2001 where she studied acting and directing and where she independently read, researched and wrote about literary and dramatic arts. In the Washington area she has performed for Cherry Red Productions, Momentum Dance Theatre, Venus Theatre and Montgomery College in Takoma Park and Rockville. As Shortstaxx--her burlesque alter-ego—she is a featured act at The Palace of Wonders' Weirdo Show and has performed with Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, The LobsterBoy Revue, the DC Gurly Show and at special events such as the DC Art Fair and Glitterama! Glitterama! Glitterama! for Fluid Movement in Baltimore. She began training with Theatre Du Jour in 1998 and has performed in Poor Oedipus, The Shadow, Last Minute, Ritual Play, and Self Accusation. She also worked as Assistant Director for There Is No More Firmament and directed Zoo Story.

B. Stanley (director) started acting at the age of 10 and continued to act in and direct plays through high school. He attended the BFA program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and founded Theatre Du Jour in Washington, DC in 1982. An actor, director, pedagogue, puppeteer, and performance artist, he has performed with The Living Theatre, Theatre Du Jour, Protean Forms Collective, The Hungry Fetus, The Puppet Company, Guillermo Gomez Pena, Cherry Red Productions and a myriad of unusual solo performances with his puppet, Ubu. From 1989 - 1993 he trained under Ingemar Lindh at the Institute for Scenkonst (Institute for Scenic Art) in Pontremoli, Italy, where his roles ranged from directing and acting to light design and pedagogy. He directs the performances of several poets, including Silvana Straw and Quique Aviles, creating performances combining literature, acting and multimedia. He is currently artistic/executive director of the District of Columbia Arts Center in Washington, DC, where Theater Du Jour trains and presents many of their works. He has directed every Theatre Du Jour performance except The Pig and Zoo Story, and performed in Bigger Than Life, Go, Blindness From Looking Too Hard at the Sun, Five Count, Ubu Cuckolded, Pygmalion, The Shadow, Poor Oedipus, Purlie Victorious and Zoo Story.

Jerry Herbilla (actor) began working with Theatre Du Jour in 2006 and has performed in There Is No More Firmament, Self Accusation, and Zoo Story. Amongst his main hobbies are music, the bar and talking high and mighty about stuff but never really doing anything.

Rachel Reed (actor/assistant director) has performed with several Washington, DC area groups, including Fraudulent Productions. She worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1996 through 1998, performing in Tower of Babel and Ubu Cuckolded. She returned in 2005 and resumed training, appearing in There Is No More Firmament, and assistant directing Self Accusation. She and her boyfriend spend most of their free time caring for five cats. Her grandmother calls her Kotki Matka—“Cat’s Mother”—in Polish.

Theatre Du Jour past members:

Valerie S.S. Taylor (technician, costume designer) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1983 – 1987 handling light and sound both at home and on the road. She worked on Bigger Than Life, Go, Compilations 1 – 5, and Blindness From Looking Too Hard At The Sun, for which she designed and created the extraordinary costumes.

Michael Horsley (technician) worked with Theatre Du Jour in 1986 – 87 as light and sound technician for Blindness From Looking Too Hard At The Sun.

Jenifer B. Deal (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1993 – 1994, performing in Tower of Babel and Five Count.

Anders Kallstigen (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour in 1993, performing in Tower of Babel.

Petra Vogt (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour in 1993, performing in Tower of Babel.

Kenneth Plant (musician) played Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet live with each performance of Blindness From Looking Too Hard At The Sun, 1985 – 1987.

Daniel C. Awkward, Jr. (actor) began his work with Theatre Du Jour in 1995 with The Spurt of Blood, and continued until 2003, performing in Tower of Babel, Pygmalion, Poor Oedipus, The Shadow, and Last Minute.

Joe (Ajax) Drayton (intern) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1984 into 1985 and contributed during performances of Blindness from Looking Too Hard At The Sun.

Amy Driesler (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1995 until 1997, performing in The Spurt of Blood, Tower of Babel, and Ubu Cuckolded. She was in the company that performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1996.

Tina K. Frantz (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1995 until 1996, performing in The Spurt of Blood and Tower of Babel. She was in the company that performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1996.

George Kaperonis (actor/writer/co-founder) was a major component of Theatre Du Jour from its beginning in 1982 through 1987. The early performances of the group were his short plays, poems and songs combined to create the larger, named performances. He wrote and performed in Bigger Than Life, Go, Blindness From Looking Too Hard At The Sun, and Compilations 1 – 4.

Becky Kemper (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1995 until 1997, performing in The Spurt of Blood, Tower of Babel, and Ubu Cuckolded. She was in the company that performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1996.

Martha Mendenhall (actor) started work with Theatre Du Jour with The Spurt of Blood in 1995 and continued, with breaks, until 2004. She performed in Poor Oedipus, The Shadow, and contributed to the creation of Ritual Play.

Lisa Miscio (assistant director/technician) started with Theatre Du Jour in 1985 as assistant director and technician for The Spurt of Blood; in 1998 she returned to work on Pygmalion and in 1999 directed The Pig. In 2001 and 2002 returned again to work as technician on Poor Oedipus and The Shadow.

Michael Price (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 1996 to 2001, performing in Ubu Cuckolded, Pygmalion, The Pig, Purlie Victorious, and Poor Oedipus.

Sian Richards (actor) worked with Theatre Du Jour from 2002 until 2005, performing in The Shadow, Last Minute and Ritual Play.

James K. Richardson (technician) served as light and sound technician, sometimes designer, from 2003 – 2006. He worked on Last Minute, Ritual Play, and There is No More Firmament.