CLEVER RACHEL By Moses Goldberg – adapted from the book by Debby Waldman and other traditional sources A Children’s Theatre production by Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia Sunday, December 16 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm JCCNV, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031 – www.jccnvarts.org – 703.537.3000
MEGAN GRAVES (Rachel) is pleased to join the Clever Rachel ensemble. Recent credits include: Taking Steps (Constellation Theatre Company); Staring at the Sun (Flying V); Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice (Virginia Shakespeare Festival); Peter Pan: The Boy Who Hated Mothers (No Rules Theatre Company); Dr. Dolittle (Imagination Stage; Helen Hayes nomination); after the quake (Rorschach Theatre Company); In the Forest, She Grew Fangs (Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival/Washington Rogues). Megan received her BFA in Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory.
JACQUI FARKAS (Silka) earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts from Point Park University. Pittsburgh credits include: The Gift of the Pirate Queen (Point Park University), Five Children and It (Pittsburgh Playhouse Jr.), and Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Bricolage Theatre). D.C. area credits include: Chicago (Little Theatre of Alexandria), Prophets and Madmen (Silver Spring Stage), Stage Door (American Century Theater), and Biblical Girl (The Lab at Convergence). She would like to thank her husband for his constant love and support. (www.jacquifarkas.weebly.com)
JUSTIN MOHAY (Lev) has been performing for audiences in the D.C. metropolitan area for the last six years and was most recently seen in A.J. Rhodes Entertainment’s production of ECCE part of the D.C. Capitol Fringe Festival as Caiaphas. A local graduate of CUA 2010, he holds a B.M. in Musical Theatre with a subconcentration in Drama. Favorite past roles include Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, Charlie Brown in …Charlie Brown, John the Baptist/Judas in Godspell, and Audrey II (puppeteer) in Little Shop of Horrors.
SCOTT GAINES (Shlomo) is thrilled to be a part of the JCCNV Performing Arts Series with Clever Rachel. Most recently seen as Bob Crachit in A Christmas Carol at the Jenny Wiley Theatre in Kentucky, Scott's regional credits include Ellard Simms in The Foreigner, Mr. Tumnus/Peter Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Jonathan Harker in Dracula. Thanks to Dan and Leslie, fellow cast and crew, family, and Nick!
EBEN KUHNS (Jacob): DC Area: Company of the Rose: Maryland Renaissance Festival (Master Francis Bryan), Studio 3: Rapunzal (Prince), Sinbad: The Untold Story (Sinbad), Miss Electricity (Freddy), Workhouse Theatre: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), Vpstart Crow Productions: The Mousetrap (Det. Sgt. Trotter), Imagination Stage: Callisto 5 (Jem). Richmond: VCU Mainstage: Dead Man's Cell Phone (Dwight). Shafer Street Alliance Laboratory Theatre: No Loitering (Dan). Education: BFA in Theatre Performance, Virginia Commonwealth University.
SHERRY BERG (Hindy, et al) was previously seen in Flora, the Red Menace at 1st Stage, Working at The Keegan Theatre, and Stage Door at The American Century Theater. She has also worked with Spooky Action, Landless, The Disreputables, and Nu Sass. Recently, she provided her voice to Graphic Audio's Civil War Adapted. Her dream role is to play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and is working on having it be produced this summer. ‘What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul’ – Yiddish Proverb. www.sherryberg.com
DAN KIRSCH (Co-Director) joined the JCCNV as Cultural Arts Director in January after a six-year stint as Executive & Artistic Director of Diversionary Theatre, San Diego’s LGBT Theatre. At Diversionary, he commissioned and directed the premiere of the Harvey Milk tribute play Dear Harvey by Patricia Loughrey and Thomas Hodges, and also directed the play at the 2010 FringeNYC Festival. At Diversionary, he also directed The Busy World is Hushed and commissioned and produced the family musical The Daddy Machine.
LESLIE A. KOBYLINSKI (Co-Director) is the Artistic Director of First Draft at Charter Theater dedicated to developing new plays and audiences. Favorite directorial credits include: Parfumerie (1st Stage), Jack and the Bean-Stalk (1st Stage), Live! Girls! Organize! (World Premiere, DC Fringe), The Last Days of the Killone Players (World Premiere, Keegan Theatre), The Director: The Third Act of Elia Kazan (World Premiere, Round House), Portrait of a Madonna & Suddenly Last Summer (Keegan Theatre), Side Man (Keegan Theatre), An Ideal Husband (Fountainhead Theatre) and Shakespeare in Hollywood, (Asst. Director, World Premiere, Arena Stage). A DC native, Leslie has guest directed and overseen the development of over 25 new plays.