CAST BIOSVictor Burke, Salli Saffioti, Carolina A. G. Filgueiras, David Leisure, Steven Shaw, Frank Ciraci, Yvans Jourdain, Ken Takemoto, Eddie Applegate, William Bassett, Jeanette O’connor VICTOR BURKE“Drew” Irish born, Victor Burke, made his stage debut with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, at the age of 13 in "The Devil's Disciple". From there, his stage career flourished with credits including "Bugsy Malone” at the Olympia Theatre, ”The Last Apache Reunion" at the Abbey and the Royal Opera House in Cork, "The Plough & The Stars" at the Andrews Lane Theatre, "Macbeth” and "Tarry Flynn" at the Tivoli Theatre, Sean O'Casey's "Juno And The Paycock" at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland and “Mysteries 2000” at the SFX Theatre, written specifically for Burke by Brendan Kennelly. Television and film roles have included seven seasons on the long running RTE series, "Fair City" playing Wayne Molloy, “Butterfly Collectors”, a 2 part drama with Pete Postlethwaite for Granada TV, recurring roles on “Upwardly Mobile” for RTE, “Northern Lights” by Paradox Pictures for RTE, “Homeboy”, a short film and a recurring role in the BBC series, “The Ambassador”. Burke received the Award for Best Actor in a Short Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival for his critically acclaimed role in “Turnaround”. Burke is also one of Ireland's leading voiceover artists having performed in radio plays for the BBC and RTE as well as over 350 national and international campaigns and commercials for Compaq Computers, BMW, Mazda, 7-Up, Coca-Cola, Levi's, Barry's Tea and Lyon's Tea, to name just a few. "Welcome to September" is Burke's first film in the United States. [top] SALLI SAFFIOTI“Lacy Hamilton” A native New Yorker, Salli Saffioti has made her mark in theatre, television, film and voiceover, steadily working between all fields since her start in New York in the early nineties. She has studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Playwright's Horizons and The Actor's Institute in New York and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Hunter College, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Ms. Saffioti has been a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre in both New York and Los Angeles and worked with several top theatre companies including the New Group, Tribeca Lab, Peccadillo and The Catalyst Theatre Company. She has appeared in countless theatrical productions on both coasts. At the Primary Stages, she originated the role of “Gidget” in “Dungeons” by Dave Paterson, a play that was subsequently published. In Fred Stroppel's “Actor!”, she played thirteen roles in its world premiere at the Egyptian Theatre as well as the critically acclaimed “Bitten By A Fly”, with Jenny O'Hara. She also originated the role of “Riki” in Richard Levine's “The Crystal Goblet” starring Dick Van Patten. Ms. Saffioti has had leading roles in over thirteen independent features and shorts including “Meat” (Telluride Film Festival) and “Christmas Angel” that was shown in several festivals throughout the U.S. She has a supporting role in the 2004 “A Day Without a Mexican”, directed by Sergio Aran. Television credits include guest spots and recurring roles on “The District”, “E.R.”, “Miss Match”, “8 Simple Rules”, “In the House”, “Tracey Takes On”, “The Agency”, “For Your Love”, “Chicago Hope” and “The Handler” to name a few. She works steadily in the world of voice-overs and can be heard regularly as the voice of Ikea, Shaw's Grocery and Star Market. Ms. Saffioti is currently workshopping her one-woman show, “Blue Collar”.
CAROLINA A. G. FILGUEIRAS"The Woman in the Painting" Carolina A. G. Filgueiras was born and raised in Brazil
and fell in love with acting while living in London. After spending two years
in Europe, she arrived in "La La land". [top] DAVID LEISURE “Elliot Faydo” David Leisure began acting while studying drama at Grossmont College and San Diego State University. Following graduation, he worked for two seasons in the professional theater production of Feiffer's "The Trial of the Catonsville 9" at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and also performed in "The Boys in the Band," "Pal Joey" and "Lenny." After moving to Los Angeles, Leisure made his screen debut in the role of a Hare Krishna devotee in the hit comedy film, "Airplane!" Leisure is probably best known for two notorious comedic roles, that of the inveterate liar, "Joe Isuzu," of the Isuzu automobile commercials and 7 seasons on the hit television series, “Empty Nest” playing the next-door neighbor, “Charlie Dietz”. Other film and TV movie appearances include “Ten Things I Hate About You”, “Airplane II: The Sequel”, “Brady Bunch, The Movie”, "If It's Tuesday, It Still Must be Belgium," “You Can't Hurry Love”, "Perfect People", "Goddess of Love" and “Elvis Has Left the Building”, currently in postproduction. Notable, television guest appearances include “V.I.P.”, "Married...With Children”, “General Hospital”, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”, “Power Rangers”, “Diagnosis Murder”, “Caroline in the City”, “The Wayans Brothers”, “Touched by an Angel”, “Renegade”, “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”, “Blossom”, “Hart to Hart”, and "Alf." Leisure, a passionate golfer, enjoys spending his free time on the gold course.
STEVEN SHAW “Old Man” Steven Shaw was born in Brooklyn, New York where he did things that kids from Brooklyn, New York did. Sports were high among those pursuits with girls coming later but topping the list quickly after puberty. At seventeen, he was invited to try out for the Detroit Tigers, a perennial last place baseball team. At the end of the workout, Show Business seemed the wiser choice. In his early twenties, after a brief stint as an actor, he took over the running of the New York Shakespeare Festival/ Public Theater prop department for Joseph Papp and built it into the largest regional theater prop department of its time. He worked on the premieres of “Hair”, John Guare's musical version of, “Two Gents”, “No Place To Be Somebody”, “That Championship Season”, (the last two Pulitzer Prize winners) among other contemporary plays, and twenty-six of Shakespeare's works. After leaving the festival he turned to stage managing on Broadway for “The Wiz”, “Deathtrap,” Sly Fox”,” Orpheus Descending”,” Sunday In The Park With George” (another Pulitzer winner) and “Death And The Maiden”. As a stage manager, he was able to observe the technique of such directors as Arthur Penn, Sir Peter Hall, James Lapine, Gene Saks and Mike Nichols and the craft of such actors as, Robert Preston, Vanessa Redgrave, Glenn Close, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman and George C. Scott. It was during the run of “Sly Fox”, Larry Gelbart's hilarious take on Ben Jonson's, “Volpone”, that George C. Scott optioned a script of Mr. Shaw's. The script, “Grimby” went on to have a longer life in a series of options, than it probably would have had as a film. Since turning to acting six years ago, he has been seen on such television series as “Life With Bonnie”,” Still Standing”,” King Of Queens”,” Will & Grace”,” Scrubs”, “Alias”, “Grounded For Life”,” Arrested Development”, and ” American Dreams”. On stage he has appeared in, “A Delicate Balance” at the Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara, “Tribute” in Long Beach and “Something Cloudy Something Clear”, “Atheist In All Of Us”, “Being Of Sound Mind”,” Johnny Morran” and “The Day Room” here in Los Angeles. He can be seen in the soon to be released films, “Johnny Morran”, “Stripped Down” and “Fixed”. He has lived in Los Angeles since 1992 with his wife Diana and continues to play softball despite her many objections.
FRANK CIRACI “Buck” Born in Canton, Ohio, Frank Ciraci attended the University of California, Riverside majoring in theatre. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he moved to New York where he studied with Stella Adler, Paul Austin and Deborah Headwall. Ciraci was a long standing member of the Actor's Collective Theatre Group and the Ensemble Studio Theatre, performing in many Off Broadway productions, including “Journey of the Fifth Horse”, “Bleacher Bums”, “It's Called the Sugar Plum” and “Lovers and Other Strangers”. After relocating to Los Angeles, Ciraci has been a busy working actor with feature film credits including “Burning Passion “ (Sundance, 2000) and “Neon Signs”. He originated the role of “James” in the successful, sold out, eight month run of Steve Monroe's “Serious Games” at the Ensemble Studio Theatre which won the L.A. Weekly Theatre Awards Production of the Year . Frank has also been seen in hundreds of national and regional commercials for Federal Express, Wrigley's Spearmint Gum, Chex Cereal, Buick, Hertz, Bally's Total Fitness, and Boarshead Ham to name but a few. Ciraci currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Millie and their daughter Emma. [top]YVANS JOURDAIN “Phillip” Yvans Jourdain is a graduate of Rutgers University and received his Masters Degree from Arizona State University where he studied with director Marshal Mason. In New York and regionally, he has played leading roles in plays as varied as "Macbeth", "Cymbeline" with director Mark Lamos, "The Passion Of Dracula", "To Kill A Mocking Bird", "A Few Good Men", "Twelve Angry Men" the award winning ensemble production of "For The Love Of Freedom" directed by Ben Guillory, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", "American Book of the Dead", "Camino Real", the musical "Dorian" and recently "Box" at the NY Fringe Festival. Yvans has appeared on "Will & Grace", "Thieves", "Alias", "Judging Amy", and "The Shield". Thank you to Scarpaci/Kelly Production for casting me in their film and for a wonderful experience. To the Creator, I'm forever grateful. [top] KEN TAKEMOTO “Gi Ze Ju” Ken Takemoto is a native of Hawaii and was an art teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 35 years. A few years before retirement, Takemoto decided to pursue the performing arts by taking classes at the East West Players and gaining experience in acting, costume design, and props. He has worked as Property Master and Costume Designer for over 40 theatrical productions. His stage credits include “Sisters Matsumoto”, “Follies” Twelf Nite O' Whateva” and “Taste of Kona Coffee”. Television performances include “The Bernie Mac Show”, “Six Feet Under”, ”Angel”, “JAG”, “Even Stevens”, “Son of the Beach”, “Seinfeld” and sixteen appearances in sketches on “The Tonight Show”. His film credits include “Snow Falling on Cedars” and “LA Dicks” along with several independent shorts and features. [top] EDDIE APPLEGATE“Hank” Eddie’s career in show business originated in his home state of Pennsylvania as an apprentice at the famous, Bucks County Playhouse, where he learned from such professionals as Walter Matthau, Don Murray, Sidney Blackmer and Walter Slezak. Eddie then moved to New York to pursue an acting career. Stage roles up and down the East Coast were followed by appearances on many television shows, including such classics as “Robert Montgomery Presents” and “Kraft Television Theatre”. A leading role in the Broadway play, “The Fair Sex”, propelled Eddie into a long list of TV commercials. But it was his role as “Hugo Peabody” in Gower Champion’s national tour of “Bye Bye Birdie” that led to a feature role in the motion picture, “A Ticklish Affair”, which starred Gig Young and Shirley Jones, and many TV appearances on shows including “Dobie Gillis”, “The Lucy Show”, even a dramatic role in “Gunsmoke”. Then, a comedy pilot was picked up by ABC, which gave Eddie an opportunity to create the role that would bring him international recognition, that of Patty Duke’s boyfriend, “Richard Harrison,” on “The Patty Duke Show”. The show went off the air three years later, and with the exception of a season as “Willy Wilson” on the NBC series, “Nancy”, Eddie dealt with a reality that so many TV actors must face, he was so identified with the character of “Richard”, he found difficulty being accepted in other roles. So, Eddie jumped into the sales business becoming general manager for two different companies. Later, he served as production manager and coordinator for the filming of General Motors and Volkswagen commercials. Subsequently, Eddie had a colorful 10-year career as a Hollywood Talent Agent. Today, he has returned to his roots as an actor. In 1989, his appearance in the “Patty Duke Reunion Movie” on CBS had him reprising his role as Richard Harrison, leading one critic to note, “…Applegate has grown to be the Richard Harrison we hoped he would be. Confident. Assured. A superb performance.” Recent roles include “Dr. Frank Gibbs” in “Our Town”, the wild alcoholic “Redlitch” in “Bell Book and Candle” and “Sir Henry” in the “Hollow” at the West Valley Playhouse. Recent film roles include the Archbishop in William A. Bakers,’ “Exorcism”, and a film delayed and waiting “SFG Power in Manhattan.”
WILLIAM BASSETT “Mr. Taskey” William H. Bassett is known to film, television and theatre audiences both in New York and Los Angeles. His Broadway credits include “Epitaph For George Dillon”, “Step On A Crack” and “Moonbirds”. Bill's most recent Los Angeles theatre appearances were in The Actor's Alley at the El Portal Theatre in “Murder By Moonlight”, The Los Angeles Repertory's “King Lear” and Sir Peter Hall's productions of “Measure For Measure” and “Midsummer Night's Dream” at the Ahmanson. Previously, “St. Joan” at the Ahmanson, “Major Barbara” at the Taper, “Conversations With My Father” at the Doolittle and “Heartbreak House” at the Westwood Playhouse. For the Los Angeles Repertory Company, he has appeared in their productions of “Back To Methuselah”, “The Hostage,” “Dear Liar” and “Misalliance” and as Claudius, The Ghost, The Player King and The First Gravedigger in their six-actor “Hamlet”. Film credits include “House Of 1000 Corpses”, “1776”, “The Karate Kid”, “Towering Inferno” and “Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes”. Bassett's television career began opposite Lee Remick in Hallmark Hall of Fame's “The Tempest” with Sir Richard Burton, has included contract roles on “Days Of Our Lives”, “The Young And The Restless”, and “General Hospital”, and most recently appearances on “The Invisible Man”, “Dharma & Greg”, “3rd Rock From The Sun” and “Sabrina The Teenage Witch”. [top] JEANETTE O’CONNOR “Lucy” Born in Syracuse, New York, Jeanette has worked extensively in film, TV, and theatre in L.A. and will soon be working for director Cameron Crowe in his new film, “Elizabethtown”. She has appeared in numerous other films including “Landspeed“, playing the role of “Shady Gray”, opposite Billy Zane, “Ma Baker” in “Blacklot Murders” starring Corey Haim, the coffee shop Mama with Richard Grieco in “Final Payback”; the beaten down alcoholic in “Discord”, (a festival winner, and soon to be released film), plus Vampire Lady in “Bloodhead”, directed by Christopher Coppola; “In the Line of Fire”, she can be seen picking up Clint Eastwood at the piano bar. Frequently, playing on your premium channels, she can be seen in such films as “Extramarital”, “Motel Blue”, “Below Utopia”, “Grill in the Cadillac”, “Drop Zone”, and “Arizona Heat” to name a few. Numerous TV credits include “Boston Public” “Cold Case”, “Dragnet”, “CSI”, “The Shield”, “3rd Rock from the Sun”, “The Closer”, “The New Love Boat”, “Maggie”, “The Pretender”, “Beverly Hills, 90210”, ”Larry Sanders”, and “Baywatch Nights”. (as Jeanette says, “hmmmm, strange, most all have been cancelled”) You can look for her upcoming MOW, “Helter Skelter” on CBS and watch for re-runs of “Mother Knows Best”, an MOW with a starring role-playing Grant Show’s Mom. No stranger to Soaps, she’s portrayed various characters from Ministers to Love Crazed Ladies. And recently she can be seen in the loony bin talent show in the cult favorite “Passions” as well as the Spa gal, Glorianne on “Days of our Lives”. Theatre credits also include the comedy “Gangster Planet” starring opposite David Groh and Taylor Negron at the Egyptian Arena Stage in Hollywood. [top] |