BRIAN AVERS (Professor Cope)
Broadway: Tom Stoppard’s Rock N Roll, directed by Trevor Nunn; Martin McDonagh’s Lieutenant of Inishmore. Off-Broadway/Regional: Edgar in King Lear at The Public Theater, with Kevin Kline; Don/Franklin in Itamar Moses’ Completeness at Playwrights Horizons, and Max Garrett in Gina Gionfriddo’s Becky Shaw at South Coast Repertory, both directed by Pam MacKinnon; lead roles in ART, Black Comedy, and The Violet Hour at Barrington Stage. Film: Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia, In Lieu of Flowers, and Gigantic, opposite Paul Dano & Zooey Deschanel. TV: “Golden Boy,” “Blue Bloods,” “Castle,” “The Closer,” “Medium,” “Person of Interest,” “Life on Mars,” “Numb3rs,” “Law & Order,” and recurring character Mike Renko on “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Brian’s first feature film as director, The Weekend (starring fellow explorer Carson Elrod), is scheduled to release this summer. MFA: NYU; recipient of the AV Global Fellowship in the Arts.
MAX BAKER (Sir Bernard Humphries)
Was recently seen on Broadway as LeBret in Cyrano DeBergerac with Douglas Hodge, also as Raganeau in Cyrano DeBergerac with Kevin Kline. He was in Jerusalem (Broadway & West End) and Mother Courage (Public). Off-Broadway: Abigail's Party, Comedians, Howard Katz, Goose-Pimples, What the Butler Saw. Film: Newlyweds, Pirates of the Caribbean II, Constantine, The Island, Life or Something Like It, Nice Guy Johnny, The Time Machine. TV: “Chicago Fire,” “Medium,” “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue,” “3rd Rock.” Max is also a playwright and founding member of indie band eelwax jesus.
STEVEN BOYER (Professor Walling)
Broadway: I’m Not Rappaport. Recent Off-Broadway: Modern Terrorism (Second Stage), Hand to God (OBIE Award, Ensemble Studio Theatre), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Encores), Motel Cherry (Clubbed Thumb), The Ugly One (Soho Rep), School for Lies (Classic Stage Co), The Coward (LCT3), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (The Public). TV/Film: upcoming Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street, “Louie,” “Person of Interest,” “Law & Order,” “Ed,” Did You Hear About The Morgans?, The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best. Training: Julliard. Member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre. Steven also stars in a new independent sitcom pilot from Emily Chadick Weiss, “The Share.” Learn more at www.TheShareSitcom.com.
ARNIE BURTON (Beebe/An Irish Assassin)
Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher, The 39 Steps, A Free Man of Color, Amadeus. Off-Broadway: The Temperamentals (Drama Desk Award, ensemble), Peter and the Starcatcher (NYTW), The Merchant of Venice/The Jew of Malta (TFANA), Mere Mortals (Primary Stages and commercial run), The Last Sunday in June (Rattlestick and commercial run), The Venetian Twins, The Cherry Orchard (Pearl Theatre). UK: The Merchant of Venice (RSC, Stratford). Regional highlights include I Am My Own Wife (Kevin Kline Award, best actor, St Louis, Helen Hayes Nomination best actor, DC), All in the Timing (Geffen Playhouse, L.A), The Santaland Diaries, The Seagull, The Taming of the Shrew (Old Globe), The Mystery of Irma Vep (Berkeley Rep). Also The Alley Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Co, The Huntington, Berkshire Theatre Fest. TV: “Frasier,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “White Collar,” “Blue Bloods,” “Life on Mars,” “6 Degrees,” “Hope and Faith,” “Caroline in the City.” Film: The Invention of Lying, Igby Goes Down, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Game 6.
CARSON ELROD (Luigi)
Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher, Reckless, Noises Off. Off-Broadway: All in the Timing (Primary Stages), Comic Potential, House/Garden (MTC), Measure for Measure, All’s Well that Ends Well (NYSF), Cavedweller (NYTW), Oliver Twist (TFNA), Waiting for Godot (NYFringe). Regional: Yale Rep, Shakespeare Theatre, DC (Battis Award Winner), Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, Center Theatre Group, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Shakespeare and Company. TV: “30 Rock,” “Law & Order: CI.” Film: Kissing Jessica Stein, The Wedding Crashers. Princess Grace Award winner. AEA since 2000. BA-KU. MFA-NYU Grad Acting.
DAVID FURR (Harry Percy)
Received the 2012 St. Claire Bayfield Award for his performance as Orlando in The Public Theater’s critically acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park production of As You Like It. Broadway: Jack Worthing in the Tony-nominated revival of The Importance of Being Earnest, Accent on Youth, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Cymbeline, King Lear, The Rivals; Natn’l Tour: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Off-Broadway: Equivocation (MTC). David has also appeared at many leading regional theatres across the country. Among his television appearances are “Elementary,” “Person of Interest,” “The Chicago Code,” “The Mentalist,” “Private Practice,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Good Wife,” “CSI: Miami” as well as pilots for AMC, FOX and HBO. Film: Evening, The Importance of Being Earnest in HD, Anche Se E Amore, Non Si Vede (Italian), KillIng Lincoln. Webseries: Jersey Shore Gone Wilde.
JOHN McMARTIN (Professor Sloane)
Received Tony Award nominations for Into the Woods, High Society, Show Boat, Sweet Charity and Don Juan (Drama Desk Award) and is a 2009 inductee to the Theatre Hall of Fame. Other Broadway credits include Anything Goes, A Free Man of Color at LCT, Grey Gardens (Drama Desk nomination), Is He Dead?, Follies (original company), The Great God Brown (Drama Desk Award), Pleasures and Palaces and Artist Descending a Staircase among others. Off-Broadway includes Saturn Returns (Lucille Lortel nomination), Indian Blood, The Visit (with Chita Rivera), Little Mary Sunshine (Theatre World Award), Julius Caesar, The Misanthrope (The Public), High Spirits, The Little Foxes, A Little Night Music, Absurd Person Singular and others. Film credits include No Reservations, Kinsey, The Dish, Who’s that Girl, A Thousand Clowns, All the President’s Men, Legal Eagles, Blow Out, Sweet Charity, Pennies From Heaven, Native Son to mention a few. Television credits include “Law & Order,” “Oz,” “Tales of the City,” “Frasier,” “Sisters,” “Murrow,” “Separate but Equal,” “Coach,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Citizen Cohn,” “The Golden Girls,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” among many others.
LORENZO PISONI (Lucius Fretway)
Broadway: Equus (Broadhurst Theatre), Henry IV (Lincoln Center Theatre). Off-Broadway: Golden Age (MTC), Measure for Measure, All's Well That Ends Well (NYSF, Public), Humor Abuse (MTC, co-creator, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie, Outer Critics Circle Awards), The Devil's Disciple (Irish Repertory Theatre), Election Day (Second Stage, Lucille Lortel Nomination), Last Dance (MTC), As You Like It (The Public), Much Ado About Nothing (NYSF/The Public), Troilus and Cressida (Theatre For a New Audience). Regional: The Injured Party (South Coast Repertory), The Great Gatsby (The Guthrie Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre), Tuesdays With Morrie (Seattle Repertory Theatre), The Tempest (The McCarter Theatre), The Illusion (Shakespeare Festival of NJ), The Gamester (ACT, Bay Area Critics Nomination), Arms and the Man (BSC). Film and TV: Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son, The Adjustment Bureau, "The Good Wife," "Law and Order: CI," "All My Children," "South of Pico." Other Credits include: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lincoln Center/ NY Phil), Pickle Family Circus, Cirque Du Soleil. Education: Vassar College. www.Lorenzopisoni.com
JENNIFER WESTFELDT (Phyllida Spotte-Hume/Countess Glamorgan)
An actress and filmmaker, Jennifer Westfeldt most recently wrote, produced, starred in and made her directorial debut in the indie hit Friends With Kids, released by Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions in March of 2012. Friends with Kids was a breakout hit at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival, and boasted a stellar cast including Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Chris O'Dowd, Ed Burns, Megan Fox and Jon Hamm. Jennifer is perhaps best known for co-writing and playing the title role in her first film, the 2002 indie favorite Kissing Jessica Stein, released by Fox Searchlight, for which she received an Indie Spirit Nomination for Best First Screenplay, the Golden Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and a Special Jury Prize for Writing and Acting at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, the Audience Favorites Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival, Best Feature at the Louisville Jewish Film Festival, and the GLAAD Media Award. Jennifer’s second feature as an actress/scribe, Ira & Abby, marked her first solo screenwriting effort. Ira & Abby won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Jury Prize for Best Feature at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Additionally, Jennifer won the Best Actress Award at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival for her performance as Abby. The film was acquired by Magnolia Pictures and was released to critical acclaim in the fall of '07. A veteran theater actress, Jennifer has starred in over 25 Off-Broadway and regional productions. She made her Broadway debut in 2004's Wonderful Town, directed by Kathleen Marshall, for which she received a Tony nomination, a Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, and a Drama League Award. More recent stage work includes the world premiere of Joe Gilford's Finks at the Powerhouse Theater, opposite Josh Radnor and directed by Charlie Stratton, the world premiere of Cusi Cram's A Lifetime Burning at Primary Stages, directed by Pam Mackinnon, Three Sisters at LA Theaterworks, and the world premiere of Stephen Belber's The Power of Duff at the Powerhouse Theater, directed by Peter Dubois and opposite Greg Kinnear. On the small screen, Jennifer recently appeared as Meredith Reed in the final season of Fox's "24". Other television credits include Grey's Anatomy, Notes From the Underbelly, Children's Hospital, Judging Amy, Hack, Numbers, Snoops, Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place. Jennifer divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.
MARC BRUNI (Director)
Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside), Pipe Dream (Encores!), Fanny (Encores!), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), In the Mood (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Spelling Bee (Paper Mill/PTC), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Paper Mill), Such Good Friends (NYMF Award), High Spirits (York Mufti), Glimpses of the Moon (Oak Room) and for the St. Louis MUNY: The Music Man, Sound of Music (Kevin Kline Nominations), Legally Blonde, My One and Only, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Associate on fifteen Broadway shows including Nice Work... and Anything Goes.
NELL BENJAMIN (Playwright)
Co-wrote the score to Legally Blonde The Musical with composer Laurence O’Keefe, for which they received a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk nomination. Nell’s disturbingly free adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, called Pirates! (or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’d) ran at the Goodspeed Opera House, the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Huntington Theater and will be playing at the MUNY this July. Nell wrote lyrics for Sarah, Plain and Tall, originally developed by TheatreworksUSA. Sarah played at the Lucille Lortel Theater, Off-Broadway and at Dallas Theater Center in 2009. Nell and Larry were nominated for a 2005 Drama Desk for Best Book of a Musical for Cam Jansen (also developed by Theatreworks USA) and won an L.A. Ovation award for their first collaboration, The Mice. They are currently working on an opera which will premiere at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts on May 3rd. Her work for television includes the last and weirdest season of "Unhappily Ever After," Animal Planet’s "Whoa! Sunday with Mo Rocca," and the new "Electric Company." Nell is also working on a musical adaptation of Because of Winn Dixie with composer Duncan Sheik. She holds an M.Phil. from University of Dublin, Trinity College and a B.A. from Harvard University. She received the 2003 Kleban Foundation Award for lyrics and a 2003 Jonathan Larson Foundation Grant.
DONYALE WERLE (Scenic Design)
Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher (2012 Tony Award), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2011 Tony nom.). Off-Broadway & regional: The North Pool (Vineyard), Bare (New World Stages), Allegiance (Old Globe), The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre for a New Audience), Once on this Island (Paper Mill Playhouse), Jollyship the Whiz Bang (Ars Nova), Lincoln Center, The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop. Obie, Lucille Lortel and Hewes awards. Co-chair of the Pre/Post Production Committee for the Broadway Green Alliance.
ANITA YAVICH (Costume Design)
Broadway: Venus in Fur, Chinglish, Anna in the Tropics. New York: All in the Timing (Primary Stages); Orlando, New Jerusalem, Texts for Nothing (CSC); The Submission, Coraline, The Wooden Breeks (MCC); Golden Child, Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature); Measure for Pleasure, Kit Marlowe, The Winter’s Tale, Civil Sex, Pericles (The Public); Macbeth, Coriolanus, Svejk (TFANA). Opera: Cyrano (La Scala, Met, Royal Opera); Les Troyens (Met); Three Tales (tour); Salome, Fidelio, Die Walküre, Das Rheingold (Washington Opera); 2006 Obie.
PHILIP ROSENBERG (Lighting Design)
Off-Broadway credits: Cactus Flower. Regional credits: Kennedy Center, La Jolla, Ford’s Theatre, Guthrie, The Old Globe, TheaterWorks, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Manhattan School of Music, Portland Stage Company, TACT, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Dorset Theatre Festival, Bay Street Theatre, Two River Theater Company, George Street Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse. Over the past 12 years Philip has served as associate lighting designer on over 35 Broadway plays and musicals.
DARRON L WEST (Sound Design)
is a Tony and Obie award-winning sound designer whose work for theatre and dance has been heard in over 500 productions nationally and internationally on Broadway and off. His other accolades for sound design include the 2010 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, the 2006 Lucille Lortel and AUDELCO awards, the 2004 and 2005 Henry Hewes Design Award, the 2012 Princess Grace Statue and the Entertainment Design magazine EDDY Award.
LAURENCE O’KEEFE (Composer)
Wrote/co-wrote music/lyrics: Legally Blonde (Olivier Award; Tony and Drama Desk nominations); Bat Boy The Musical (Lortel, Richard Rodgers and Outer Critics Circle awards); Sarah, Plain and Tall; Cam Jansen; The Mice. TV/film includes “The Daily Show,” “Make ’Em Laugh,” “Johnny and the Sprites.” Next up: Heathers (L.A., September 2013). Larry is deeply grateful to have lived for several years with both The Explorers Club and Nell Benjamin. Nef bei mwah haa’ru mweno Nell.
TOM WATSON (Hair & Wig Design)
is head of the wig and makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera. He has designed wigs for more than 55 Broadway productions. Current and recent Broadway designs include Annie; The Big Knife; The Assembled Parties; An Enemy of the People; Picnic; A Christmas Story; Harvey; Million Dollar Quartet; Rock of Ages; Wicked; How to Succeed…; The Addams Family; Promises, Promises; South Pacific; Sondheim on Sondheim; and Sunday in the Park with George.
ANGELINA AVALLONE (Make-up Design)
Broadway: Cinderella, The Assembled Parties, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Trip to Bountiful, Rock of Ages, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Chaplin, Golden Boy, Golden Age, Venus in Fur, Anything Goes, Memphis, Other Desert Cities, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, The Addams Family, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, The Little Mermaid, The Color Purple, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Gypsy, Young Frankenstein, The Light in the Piazza. Upcoming: Big Fish.
MICHAEL McGOFF (Production Stage Manager)
Broadway: Next to Normal, Butley, Cymbeline, Festen, Edward Albee’s Seascape, The Rivals and Wicked. National tours: La Cage aux Folles, Next to Normal and Rent. Four great productions in Central Park for The Public, 16 Off-Broadway shows and many regional credits. Happy to make his MTC debut. Thanks to Kate and Danny, my great SM team.
KATE McDONIEL (Stage Manager)
is pleased to have joined MTC for The Explorers Club! Recent credits include national tours of La Cage aux Folles and Flashdance The Musical and the acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of Our Town at the Barrow Street Theatre. Thanks to McGoff, and to my parents for their support!