Richard Lief - (Producer)
D. Min , Canon for the Arts at St. Paul's
Cathedral.Richard has served as ordained priest in the Episcopal Church for 34 years. This
is his fourth year as Director of the Cathedral
Center for the Performing and Visual Arts. His ministry has included work in
Wilmington, DE., Palos Verdes Estates, CA and as Rector of St. David's Episcopal Church,
San Diego for twenty years. He has directed, produced and acted in a number of dramas
including "Charlie Brown," "Wind in the Willows, ""Eleanor,"
"Murder in the Cathedral," "Daniel the Leper," "Hard Candy"
and most recently, "Amahl and the Night Visitors." Canon Lief is also a sacred
dancer and has recently formed the Cathedral Dance Troupe.
Robert Dahey - (Director)
is excited To be making his debut at St. Paul's
Cathedral. Since beginning his theatre career in 1997, he has performed, designed,
and directed for a number of theatre companies including Academy of Performing Arts, Asian
American Repertory Theatre, Asian Story Theatre, Black Ensemble Theater, California Center
for the Arts Escondido, Carlsbad Playreaders, Fritz Theatre, Hahn Cosmopolitan Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, North Coast Repertory
Theatre, San Diego City College, San Diego Repertory Theatre, SDSU, UCSD and University of
Redlands. Whew. He was recently seen as Blessing in "The Waiting
Room" at the North Coast Repertory Theatre and as Sangsang in "Strugglin
Truths" at the Culy Theatre. He is currently directing two shows for the Actors Alliance's Actors Festival where he
serves on the Board of Directors. He is also working with Disney Imagineering in
creating a new character for their feature live show for Tokyo DisneySea. During the
day, he makes his living as a "Teaching Artist" for the North Coast Repertory
Theatre School while commuting up to LA for auditions and his big break. He would
like to thank Russell and T.J. and the rest of the production crew for their guidance and
patience through my grueling rehearsal sessions.
Russell Copley - (Gideon le Roux)
is very glad to return once again to the Great Hall.
He last performed here in Murder in the Cathedral and last year he directed the
Cathedral Players in Hard Candy. Russell is a native South African having
toured nationally with South Africa's leading
comedian Pieter Dirk Uys's hit show Just Like Home, enjoying long spells as the
Baxter Theatre and Market
Theatre. He wrote The Knock on the Door and produced and directed it in Cape
Town, London and at La
Mama Theatre in Melbourne. Russell graduated from Dublin University with an MA
in Modern Drama Studies. In 19932/3 he wrote a thesis on The Politics of Athol
Fugard. Russell has been in America for
four years and has so far directed and produced Entertaining Mr. Sloane at St. Cecilia's, and acted in Arcadia, Abundance at
NCRT, A Time to Heal, Finding the Sun, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew,
and Vox-Son of Man. He has also starred on TV in The Tiger Woods
Story, and was recently cast in Eighteen Wheels of Justice. Film credits
include Dustdevil and Brave, directed by Richard Stanley. His current
obsession is to play King Harry in Henry V. Russell dedicates his performance
to his wife Carla, who has been the inspirational driving force behind their world tour.
TJ Johnson - (Martinus Zoeloe)
has been acting on San Diego stage for almost 20
years. He has toured with the "National Theater for Children" and was
Guest Artist in the 1998 Children's production of "Big River." He has
received critical acclaim for his performances as Troy Maxson in "Fences" and as
Hoke Coleburn in North Coast Repertory Theatre's production of Driving Miss Daisy.
In 1991, T.J. received a Dramalogue Award for his portrayal of 73 year-old Blues man
Claybourne in "Stories about the Old Days." He has appeared on the San Diego Repertory Theatre stage several times
including dour appearances in the "Christmas Carol" and featured role in
"Ruby's Bucket of Blood." Some other highlights include "Pill
Hill" for Teatro Mascara Magica" and "12 Angry People" for the Black
Ensemble Theater. Currently, T.J. is working as a Teaching Artist for the North
Coast Repertory Theatre School. He is involved in Outreach Teaching Drama in the
North County School System and acting as mentor to students interested pursuing acting as
a career. Finally, it is very important to thank my friends and my mentors, Joe Powers and
Floyd Gaffney. And I love my Mama.
Jennifer Tyrer - (Stage Manager)
is thrilled to work with Russell (Abundance),
T.J. (Driving Miss Daisy) and Robert (Auntie Mame) as their stage manager again. She has
stage managed all over San Diego, at the Fritz and Diversionary and the North Coast Repertory Theatre. She would like to
thank her Mom for support and dedicate her work on Playland to the memory of Doug
Reger. Rabbits.
