LAND WARRIOR by Mary Humphrey Baldridge
Synopsis: LAND WARRIOR is a powerful anti-war play, told from the wife’s point-of-view. When her husband returns, bringing the war – and the ghosts of war -- home with him, she becomes, inevitably, a victim of collateral damage.
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Jessie Cirko ....................Kimberly Nordstrom
Marian Roberts ................... Colleen Wallnau*
Lt. Andy Cirko ..................... Matthew Hansen
Brendan.................................. Chris Duncan
Directed by: Harold G. Baldridge*
Stage Directions by Garrison Hopewell*
Kimberly Nordstrom (Jessie) is thrilled to have been asked to be a part of LAND WARRIOR the 2nd reading in Just Kidding Theatre Company, INC's first Spring amd Summer Reading Series. The whole series has been in the works over the past year and she is excited to finally see it come together. Theatre credits include: Living Dead in Deadmark (Juliet), Dog Sees God (CB's Sister) and Cactus Flower (Toni). Film credits include: Is Anybody Listening? (Riley) , Misdirection (Stacy) and Infection (Karen). Thanks to Mary Baldridge for writing such a wonderful piece of work, Mr. B for directing, her family for their constant love and support throughout it all and finally her main date man for making her feel strong when She has felt her weakest. Can't wait to see what will be next for JKTC and which play will be put up in the upcoming 2015 season.
Colleen Wallnau (Marian) Colleen Smith Wallnau has worked in the professional theatre for over 30 years on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally and internationally. Broadway; Crazy for You, Off-Broadway; Joseph Papp Public Theatre (Through Darkest Ohio), SoHo Rep (On The Verge), Peccadillo Theatre (Beggar on Horseback), and the Mint Theatre (The Flattering Word andOroonoko) among others. Regional theatre; Paper Mill Playhouse (An Ideal Husband), Asolo Repertory Theatre (The Dark of the Moon, The Winslow Boy, The Dining Room) and Meadowbrook Theatre (A View from the Bridge) among others. Colleen holds an MFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, is on the faculty at the Neighborhood Playhouse Scho of the Theatre, and is a proud member of Actors Equity. She is married to Carl Wallnau, Artistic Director of the Centenary Stage Company, where she recently played the role of Gwen in the staged reading of Mary Baldridge’s play “Fata Morgana” as part of their Women’s Playwright Series.
Matthew Hansen (Lt. Andy Cirko) would like to thank Kim, first and foremost, for the incredible opportunity to assist JKTC in developing its upcoming production, and he would also like to thank the amazingly talented people who contributed their talents to this process. Matthew Hansen is also the playwright of ‘An Appeal to Heaven' and director/(Dan) for 'Cause;Effect.' Past credits include Barnette in Red Monkey Theater Group’s ‘Crimes of The Heart,’ Christian in Hudson Shakespeare Company’s ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ and Gravedigger in JKTC’s ‘The living Dead in Denmark.’ He would like to thank Danielle for her constant love and support. Matthew Hansen is a graduate of Pace University and The William Esper Studio. www.mhwetsel.com
Chris Duncan (Brendan) Chris is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse, School of the Theatre, class of 2006. Since graduation he has performed on stage and film and is also a singer/songwriter, playwright, novelist and painter. He is very excited about revisiting "Land Warrior" and is grateful to Mary Baldridge as well as Just Kidding Theatre Company for this opportunity.
Harold G. Baldridge (Director) Executive Director of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre 1980–2012; currently Executive Director Emeritus. Meisner and Shakespeare acting teacher, set and lightingdesigner, theater director. Prior to the NP, Mr. B was Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, the major regional theatre in Calgary, Canada for six years, where he directed 30 productions, including The Condemned of Altoona, Equus, Hamlet & Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (played in repertory), The Threepenny Opera, The Seagull and Jacques Brel…From 1965-72, he was A.D. of the Woodstock Playhouse. NY, where he directed between 55 and 60 productions, including West Side Story, …Marat/Sade, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Six Characters in Search of an Author, and The Importance of Being Earnest, featuring Diane Keaton in her first professional role. His credits as director and designer include Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off Broadway and other regional theatres. For six years in Calgary, he and his wife, playwright Mary Humphrey Baldridge, ran their own productioncompany, Baldridge Productions, Ltd. Currently teaching Shakespeare at The Acting Studio, Inc. Just finished directing Fata Morgana by Mary Humphrey Baldridge as part of Centenary Stage’s annual Women Playwrights Series. Is very pleased to be part of the beginning of Just Kidding Theatre Company. Bravo, Kimberly Nordstrom!
Garrison Hopewell (Stage Directions) That Garrison Hopewell, he's a funny one, he is. Graduating from Ithaca College with his BFA in Musical Theater, he has spent the past two years exploring the world of voice over, hiding in the shadows of the 1940's elevators of Sleep No More and honing his craft as the everyman everyone wants to drink with for beer commercials commercials on TV/Online. This is Garrison's first time working with Just Kidding Theatre Company and he is thrilled to be a part of this year's Summer Reading Season. (Follow his adventures @GarisonHopewell).
Mary Humphrey Baldridge (Playwright) New plays include Fata Morgana, which received reading in January (The Barrow Group and FAB Women) and will receive reading in April at Centenary Stage, NJ where it is a 2014 Finalist of the Susan Glaspell contest. The COLD HOUSE will be featured at 2014 FemFest, Winnipeg, Manitoba and I have just finished THE LEGEND OF JOHN WARE. My published and produced plays include The Photographic Moment, GENESIS: The Mary Shelley Play, Ruth & Robert & Robert & Ruth and The Revenge of the Dinosaur Lady (2009 Finalist in the Mountain Playhouse International Comedy Playwriting Contest). I am so pleased the Just Kidding Theatre Company is presenting this reading of Land Warrior, which was a 2010 Finalist of Centenary Stage Company’s Susan Glaspell contest. The play is especially important to me. MHB: Playwright, poet and short story writer. Published and produced in the USA, Canada and Australia. Founding member, Playwrights Guild of Canada. Lifetime member Dramatists Guild NYC.
Synopsis: LAND WARRIOR is a powerful anti-war play, told from the wife’s point-of-view. When her husband returns, bringing the war – and the ghosts of war -- home with him, she becomes, inevitably, a victim of collateral damage.
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Jessie Cirko ....................Kimberly Nordstrom
Marian Roberts ................... Colleen Wallnau*
Lt. Andy Cirko ..................... Matthew Hansen
Brendan.................................. Chris Duncan
Directed by: Harold G. Baldridge*
Stage Directions by Garrison Hopewell*
Kimberly Nordstrom (Jessie) is thrilled to have been asked to be a part of LAND WARRIOR the 2nd reading in Just Kidding Theatre Company, INC's first Spring amd Summer Reading Series. The whole series has been in the works over the past year and she is excited to finally see it come together. Theatre credits include: Living Dead in Deadmark (Juliet), Dog Sees God (CB's Sister) and Cactus Flower (Toni). Film credits include: Is Anybody Listening? (Riley) , Misdirection (Stacy) and Infection (Karen). Thanks to Mary Baldridge for writing such a wonderful piece of work, Mr. B for directing, her family for their constant love and support throughout it all and finally her main date man for making her feel strong when She has felt her weakest. Can't wait to see what will be next for JKTC and which play will be put up in the upcoming 2015 season.
Colleen Wallnau (Marian) Colleen Smith Wallnau has worked in the professional theatre for over 30 years on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally and internationally. Broadway; Crazy for You, Off-Broadway; Joseph Papp Public Theatre (Through Darkest Ohio), SoHo Rep (On The Verge), Peccadillo Theatre (Beggar on Horseback), and the Mint Theatre (The Flattering Word andOroonoko) among others. Regional theatre; Paper Mill Playhouse (An Ideal Husband), Asolo Repertory Theatre (The Dark of the Moon, The Winslow Boy, The Dining Room) and Meadowbrook Theatre (A View from the Bridge) among others. Colleen holds an MFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, is on the faculty at the Neighborhood Playhouse Scho of the Theatre, and is a proud member of Actors Equity. She is married to Carl Wallnau, Artistic Director of the Centenary Stage Company, where she recently played the role of Gwen in the staged reading of Mary Baldridge’s play “Fata Morgana” as part of their Women’s Playwright Series.
Matthew Hansen (Lt. Andy Cirko) would like to thank Kim, first and foremost, for the incredible opportunity to assist JKTC in developing its upcoming production, and he would also like to thank the amazingly talented people who contributed their talents to this process. Matthew Hansen is also the playwright of ‘An Appeal to Heaven' and director/(Dan) for 'Cause;Effect.' Past credits include Barnette in Red Monkey Theater Group’s ‘Crimes of The Heart,’ Christian in Hudson Shakespeare Company’s ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ and Gravedigger in JKTC’s ‘The living Dead in Denmark.’ He would like to thank Danielle for her constant love and support. Matthew Hansen is a graduate of Pace University and The William Esper Studio. www.mhwetsel.com
Chris Duncan (Brendan) Chris is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse, School of the Theatre, class of 2006. Since graduation he has performed on stage and film and is also a singer/songwriter, playwright, novelist and painter. He is very excited about revisiting "Land Warrior" and is grateful to Mary Baldridge as well as Just Kidding Theatre Company for this opportunity.
Harold G. Baldridge (Director) Executive Director of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre 1980–2012; currently Executive Director Emeritus. Meisner and Shakespeare acting teacher, set and lightingdesigner, theater director. Prior to the NP, Mr. B was Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, the major regional theatre in Calgary, Canada for six years, where he directed 30 productions, including The Condemned of Altoona, Equus, Hamlet & Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (played in repertory), The Threepenny Opera, The Seagull and Jacques Brel…From 1965-72, he was A.D. of the Woodstock Playhouse. NY, where he directed between 55 and 60 productions, including West Side Story, …Marat/Sade, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Six Characters in Search of an Author, and The Importance of Being Earnest, featuring Diane Keaton in her first professional role. His credits as director and designer include Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off Broadway and other regional theatres. For six years in Calgary, he and his wife, playwright Mary Humphrey Baldridge, ran their own productioncompany, Baldridge Productions, Ltd. Currently teaching Shakespeare at The Acting Studio, Inc. Just finished directing Fata Morgana by Mary Humphrey Baldridge as part of Centenary Stage’s annual Women Playwrights Series. Is very pleased to be part of the beginning of Just Kidding Theatre Company. Bravo, Kimberly Nordstrom!
Garrison Hopewell (Stage Directions) That Garrison Hopewell, he's a funny one, he is. Graduating from Ithaca College with his BFA in Musical Theater, he has spent the past two years exploring the world of voice over, hiding in the shadows of the 1940's elevators of Sleep No More and honing his craft as the everyman everyone wants to drink with for beer commercials commercials on TV/Online. This is Garrison's first time working with Just Kidding Theatre Company and he is thrilled to be a part of this year's Summer Reading Season. (Follow his adventures @GarisonHopewell).
Mary Humphrey Baldridge (Playwright) New plays include Fata Morgana, which received reading in January (The Barrow Group and FAB Women) and will receive reading in April at Centenary Stage, NJ where it is a 2014 Finalist of the Susan Glaspell contest. The COLD HOUSE will be featured at 2014 FemFest, Winnipeg, Manitoba and I have just finished THE LEGEND OF JOHN WARE. My published and produced plays include The Photographic Moment, GENESIS: The Mary Shelley Play, Ruth & Robert & Robert & Ruth and The Revenge of the Dinosaur Lady (2009 Finalist in the Mountain Playhouse International Comedy Playwriting Contest). I am so pleased the Just Kidding Theatre Company is presenting this reading of Land Warrior, which was a 2010 Finalist of Centenary Stage Company’s Susan Glaspell contest. The play is especially important to me. MHB: Playwright, poet and short story writer. Published and produced in the USA, Canada and Australia. Founding member, Playwrights Guild of Canada. Lifetime member Dramatists Guild NYC.
* Members of Actors' Equity