Upcoming Performances Past Performances ART History Artistic Director's Corner

THIS IS THE PLAYERS PAGE OF THE RENO, NEVADA AGELESS REPERTORY THEATRE (ART) George E. Randolph has performed in theatre around Nevada since 1972. He has done Shakespeare in Susanville, a Renaissance Faire in Ely, Moliere in Lovelock, and melodrama on the raked stage of an old upstairs hall in Dayton, Nevada. Some of his favorite roles include Norman Thayer in "On Golden Pond" and Willie Clark in The Sunshine Boys, both with ART. Another favorite was Reno Little Theatre's "Crucifer of Blood," a Sherlock Holmes compilation, in which he played Dr. Watson. George has been a member of ART since 2007. "With ART, I'm not limited by my age or physical appearance in the roles available. This past season I've been a 75-year-old Vaudevilian, and a 23-year-old psychiatric patient. And the audience accepted me in both roles!" --George Randolph *** Sandra Orloff has been "on the boards" since the age of 5, when she began her many years of stage and local TV and variety show appearances, singing, dancing, acting, and studying in Cleveland, Ohio. Following time out for marriages and family, with additional studies in Theatre Arts at Cleveland State University, she was featured in such plays as "Spoonriver Anthology," "Peg O' My Heart," "Box and Quotations from Chairman Mao," and "Gypsy," throughout the Northern Ohio Area. More recently, she played Yente in a full-scale production of "Fiddler on the Roof" in Fallon, and she is currently active in many readers' theater productions for Ageless Repertory Theatre. Last spring she endeared herself to Reno/Sparks audiences as Sylvia the dog in "Sylvia." Watch for a reprisal of that role during Reno's Artown 2008. "Acting has always been my most favorite activity - the rehearsals with caring people and the performances in front of appreciative audiences. ART gives me those opportunities." --Sandra Orloff *** Betty Johnson was one of the original members of Ageless Repertory Theatre when it was started in 2001. She has been in many productions, but her favorite role was that of Betsy in “The Octette Bridge Club.” She shocked her proper Irish Catholic sisters and delighted the audience with her performance of Salome’s Dance of the Seven Veils – complete with pasties! Before moving to Reno, Betty was a member of the Santa Clara Board of Directors, a repertory theatre group in Santa Clara, California. “The ART group is fabulous. We are given the opportunity to be someone else, step outside ourselves, for a few hours.” --Betty Johnson *** Ron Smith’s love of theater may have started at Mission High School in San Francisco where he played the lead in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Gondoliers.” He moved to Reno in 1960 and spent much of his professional life in commercial and public broadcasting, using his voice in a variety of ways. Ron is a major player in Sheep Dip productions both onstage and backstage, both as emcee and performer. He has played character roles in all forty-four shows since 1965. His favorite roles include the Cowardly Lion in a political spoof on “Wizard of Oz” (Sheep Dip) and Bill in ART’s production of “On Golden Pond.” “ART gives me a chance to play character roles opposite very experienced players.  I love the camaraderie between the players and our loyal audiences.  And I don’t have to memorize my lines!” ---Ron Smith *** Pat Smith has always been comfortable in front of audiences – dancing as a child, singing in choirs, speaking and teaching seminars, and acting (especially comedies). In 1962 she was a member of the Linfield Vesper Players which traveled and performed in northern California. In 1980 she joined husband Ron Smith in the Sheep Dip Show, playing many roles including “Martha Stewed.” She has been executive director of Sierra Arts. A highlight in Pat’s creative experience was the writing and publishing of a book, Who Are You, And What Have You Done With My Mother?...remembering a mother’s remarkable life and descent into dementia.  “Ron and I joined ART a year ago.  I love entertaining appreciative audiences and becoming different types of characters.”  ---Pat Smith *** Julie Auer earned a BA in Theatre from Valparaiso University in Indiana, then an MA in Theatre from Indiana University. She was a member of the Brown Co. Theatre in Nashville, Indiana and IU’s Showboat Majestic, which played on the Ohio River. Julie has taught everything from Early Childhood intervention in the Peace Corps to pre-school at a Chicago children’s shelter to University – “. . . And I used theatre in all of them!” In the five years she has lived in Reno Julie has performed with Nevada Shakespeare Company and in many Ageless Repertory productions. Her favorite role was the lead in “Mrs. Malaprop,” and audiences loved her portrayal of gentle, gullible Opal Kronkie in “Everybody Loves Opal.” “I love being a member of the ART family.  And I don’t have to memorize lines!” ---Julie Auer *** Len Overholser is a veteran of community theatre. While he made his living as a banker in California, he had his fun singing, acting and directing. He was active with the Salinas Performing Arts and the Western Stage Company, both in Salinas, California; the King Dodo Playhouse in Sunnyvale; and Center Stage in Gilroy. Shortly after he and wife MaryJean retired to Reno in 2001, Len joined the newly-formed Ageless Repertory Theatre. Presently he manages, directs, and performs in many ART productions. He has also performed with Nevada Shakespeare Company. “I’m always striving to improve as an actor, taking diverse roles, from a 13-year old to a 77-year old and everything in between. As a director it’s rewarding to watch the growth of new actors to our group.”  ---Len Overholser *** Sharon Maddux joined ART in the spring of 2007 after retiring from 40 years of teaching in the public schools. Except for a supporting role in “Ask Any Girl” in high school, Sharon’s only acting experience was with a reader’s theater group in the Unitarian Church in Lubbock, Texas. As a teacher, she loved doing reader’s theatre, choral reading, and radio plays with her students. Her favorite roles since joining ART have been Jessie Mae in The Trip to Bountiful and Sara Lee Turnover in Cheatin'. “My favorite part of teaching was reading aloud to children. I loved using my voice to create the characters and build the drama.  I get the same satisfaction being part of Ageless Repertory Theatre.”  ---Sharon Maddux *** Cleb Maddux joined ART after his wife Sharon volunteered him for a role, and it turned out that he liked it. He had also participated in reader’s theater when they lived in Lubbock, Texas. Before he became a teacher in the late 60’s, Cleb was a D.J. for two small-town radio stations in southern Arizona and a Top 40 radio station in Tucson, Arizona. He is currently a Foundation Professor at UNR, where he teaches a number of statistics courses. “Performing on stage has some similarities to being a university professor:  you’d better make it interesting or you’ll put your audience to sleep.”  ---Cleb Maddux *** AnneMarie McTaggert was a professional singer and pianist for over fifty years. She has performed with various community theatre groups in the twenty-eight years she has lived in Reno, including the Vintage Players, Joseph Galata’s Group, and Ageless Repertory Theatre. Her favorite roles include Isabel in “Golden Age,” and Ethel in “On Golden Pond.” AnneMarie has traveled extensively in the United States and in Europe. In addition to the performing arts, her volunteerism in health and religious fields is an important part of her life. “I enjoy the interaction with other cast members (of ART productions) and I value the professionalism of everyone.” ---AnneMarie McTaggert *** Alicia Marsella moved to Reno after performing in various theatre companies throughout the Bay Area for over thirty years. She has portrayed varous musical roles from Miss Hannigan in "Annie" to Mother Abbess in "Sound of Music." Her dramatic roles include Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf" and Ethel in "On Golden Pond." “I enjoy the non-traditional casting in Ageless Repertory Theatre. It's been a fun way to make friends in a new town.” ---Alicia Marsella *** Bob Smith has been a theatre-goer since his teens. He performed with the Cirque Theatre in Seattle in 1950. He has worked as a radio and TV announcer. He and wife Terry moved to Reno in 1980 but only joined the Ageless Repertory Theatre in 2007. He has enjoyed roles in A Bench in the Sun, Everybody Loves Opal, and The Girl in the Freudian Slip. “I've been a salesman of one sort or another all my life. You could say I've made my living talking. I enjoy ART - it gives me a chance to work with other people who share my love of theatre” ---Bob Smith *** Mary English has vast experience in theatre, beginning at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She was also with the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre and a member of the Quantico Players at the Marine Base in Quantico, Virginia. Her training in radio production has served her well in creating roles in reader’s theatre. Her favorite place in the theatre is backstage as stage manager, working sound or running flats. She has been involved in the Sheep Dip Show for fifteen years as actor, prop manager, and stage manager. Mary has been a member of ART for six years, both as a performer and as a director. “I love the challenge of developing and portraying a character using voice.” ---Mary English *** JoAnne Conley has been a Reno resident for 55 years (in five acts). Most of her theatrical experience has been as a voice-over actor in radio, TV, and video narration. In 2000 she appeared onstage for the first time as Ruth Ann Barnes in Faith County and was hooked. She has performed with Community Players in Grass Valley, California and Readers Theater in Nevada City. Her favorite role was Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez in Charlie's Aunt. “I moved back to Reno last year after being away for 18 years, and was thrilled to be introduced to ART. It is a good way to meet some wonderful people and good actors and channel my inner Diva. I have found that age gives me the confidence to pretend (act) in public. ” ---JoAnn Conley *** Melinda Whitney joined Agless Repertory Theatre in the spring of 2009. She recalls her one and only acting experience, many year ago, in which she was paralyzed with fear and forgot her lines. She became a teacher and expressed herself by reading to her students and "hamming it up."       "I like being part of a group of interesting and interested people (ART) and sharing the enjoyment of a performance. And, I like not having to memorize lines!" --Melinda Whitney *** Gene deRuelle has been in the motion picture and television industry for over 35 years as an assistnat director and unit production manager. Gene graduated from Del Mar Media Artis classes in commercial acting and voice over artistry. He has done small acting roles in various motion pictures (act him!) and voice overs in several productions. Since joining ART in the spring of 2008, he has performed several roles, most notably the dead hustance in Nagel Jackson's "This Day and Age."         "It's just fun to be part of Ageless Repertory Theatre. You get to be around nice people." *** Eileen Hacker has lived in Truckee, California for 29 years, where she taught elementary school. She shared her love of reading and theater with her young students, many of whom went on to pursue theater as a profession or avocation. She was active in community musical theater in Truckee. Her favorite roles were Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, and Miss Hannigan in Annie.   "I enjoy finding the person I am playing and making it 'real' for the listerner. It is a pleasure to be on stage with such talented actors." ---Eileen Hacker *** Kate Fotopoulos - Kate has worked on stage, film, radio, and television for decades (everything from Shakespeare to Sondheim to science shows) in Chicago, Denver, and overseas.  For several years she directed staged readings for winners of the Moondance International Film Festival writing competitions. Her favorite roles used to be the dramatic ones, but now she much prefers playing in comedies.  She also enjoys "guerrilla theatre," where plays are written, rehearsed, memorized, and performed all in one day.  Kate's non-theatre life has included directing national and international non-profits, as well as working in holistic health and education.  She will begin serving as a docent for the Nevada Museum of Art in fall of 2010.       "To hell with blocking.  Just let me sit in this chair..." ---Kate Fotopoulos *** [Upcoming Performances ] [Past Performances] [The Players]] [ART History ] [Director's Corner ] Please direct questions to:lromjo@charter.net URL of this document: http://webpages.charter.net/agelessrep/players.html