Dr. Gary Stickel (Creator, Producer, Writer, Director)
Dr. Stickel received his Ph.D. in Archaeology from UCLA based on Swiss Neolithic underwater sites. The Greek Government gave him the honor to conduct an excavation at the legendary birthplace of Achilles (the main hero of the Trojan War) at a site called Achilleon. Since childhood, Dr. Stickel has loved Homer's great epic poems the ILIAD and the ODYSSEY, which lead him to create The Homeric Project. Other major projects that Dr. Stickel has conducted have included his excavation at the legendary "Lost City of the Inca" , Machu Picchu in Peru and his recent discovery of the Farpoint Site in Malibu, CA which has evidence of the first Clovis Culture site ever found directly on the West Coast of the Americas. The discovery of this site was announced to the world by the London Times who called Dr. Stickel "The Real Life Indiana Jones" (the latter is due to the fact that Dr. Stickel was the only actual Archaeologist who served as a consultant to Lucas Films for the development of the Indiana Jones character). Dr. Stickel is committed to the education of children of all ages around the world.
Teresa Armacost - Costuming
Period costuming is Teresa's passion! After receiving her degree in Fashion Design she honed her skills: (sketching, patternmaking, french draping, fitting and production) in the Los Angeles Garment industry. Then turning her energies to Costume Design she worked at a Los Angeles live entertainment studio, setting up their new costume department and creating new costumes. After this phase Teresa was a freelance Costume Designer and also worked on over 100 Touring Broadway performances as both non-union and IATSE member at large theaters in the Los Angeles area and in Georgia.
Her Costume Design credits include: Dr. Stickel's Ilios Ballet (Pepperdine Univ.) and The Odyssey (Mark Taper Auditorium, Los Angeles Central Library, The Bowers Museum, Santa Ana Calif.) Her community theatre costuming include: Cabrillo Music Theatre, at Thousand Oaks Civic Center, CA, and Athens Community Theatre, Athens Ballet Theatre and Savannah Community Theatre, Georgia. Her favorite projects include: A Little Night Music, Camelot, A Norman Rockwell Christmas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Nutcracker. her favorite Broadway Touring shows are: Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Disney's Beauty and The Best.
Odyssey Play Cast:
Homer: Kent Minault
Kent Minault has acted at many of the west coast's most prestigious theatres, including ACT, the Magic Theatre, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe in San Francisco; LATC, the CAST, the Kirk Douglas, the Odyssey, the Boston Court, and the Greenway Court in LA, as well as numerous regional venues. He is frequently seen in television commercials, and has appeared on prime time in Chicago Hope, Babylon 5, Ferris Bueller, and Tribes. Movie credits include Spaced Invaders, Downtown, Dreamer of Oz, and Brotherhood of Justice. He also starred in the Emmy-winning PBS Special The People vs. Dan White. Favorite roles: Alfred Morris in "Permanent Collection", Voltaire in "Light", F. Alexander in "A Clockwork Orange", Kunstler in "The Chicago Conspiracy Trial", Frank in "Kvetch", Irvin in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", Tilden in "Buried Child", Thomas Mann in "Tales from Hollywood," Bottom in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Frank Falzon in "The Dan White Incident".
He directed "Love Mad" for an extended run at the CAST, "Obsessions" at the Powerhouse and the Classical Theatre Lab's "The Iliad" at the 24th Street Theatre. He co-produced "The Tempest" and "Midsummer Night's Dream" for the S. Mark Taper Amphitheatre in Coldwater Canyon Park, and with his company, JACK, produced three short films all of which received honors at local film festivals and two of which showed his work in starring roles. And he recently directed "No Exit" for InterAct, and played the principal role of Jorgensen in the company's critically acclaimed production of "Other People's Money." He volunteers extensively with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, which has secured a commitment from LA to be completely off coal by 2025..
Odysseus: Lane Wray
Lane received acting training at East Carolina University, the New Actors Workshop in New York (with Mike Nichols) and at Ellen Greer's Master Class at the Theatricum Botannicum. He has appeared in fifty some odd plays throughout the years, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Mid Summer Nights Dream, and The Glass Menagerie. His film credits include: the "Curse of Lizzie Borden II: Prom Night", National Lampoon's "Pledge This", and "The Traveler" (with Bill Paxton and Mark Walberg). He has a short film coming out at the end of the year (2014. His good theater credits include: "Toughing Slumaria" (at the New York Center Stage), "The Outsiders" (National Theater for Performing Arts), and "Hamlet". He's really grateful to have met Gary and everyone involved for the lessons they have taught him. Giving it up to the classics!
Penelope: Erin Desmond
[biography]
Antinous / Poseidon: Matt Marder
Matthew Marder was born in rural Pennsylvania and moved to Philadelphia when he was 12. After attending Princeton University and graduating with a major in Film/ Literature, Matthew received an MFA from AFI in Screenwriting. He now directs, produces, writes, and acts full-time in L.A.
Telemechus / Hermes: Jason Kurth
Born in San Diego, California and lived there through college at San Diego State University. Studied sociology there for 5 years and moved to LA to get into the entertainment industry. Two years later I own a small production company and run sound recording free Lance while modeling and acting on the side. Aspirations to be the next Christopher Nolan.
The Cyclops / Eumaeus: Eric Betts
[biography]
Athena: Smantha Miller
[biography]
Circe / Calypso: Courtney Davies
[biography]
Zeus / Teresias / Eurylochus: Guille Branco
[biography]
Eurycleia / Narrator: De Ann Marie Odom
De Ann is an actor, voice talent, and writer now residing in Los Angeles. She recently relocated to the bright and sunny shores of Southern California after many years in the wet splendor of the Pacific Northwest. She is a proud member of Women in Film and Fierce Backbone Theatre Company. Favorite past plays include Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Steel Magnolias, Dial M for Murder, Behind the Laughter, See How They Run, Blithe Spirit, Little Mary Sunshine, The Boy Friend, Stories from Winnie the Pooh, Tartuffe, The House of Blue Leaves, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Calm Down Mother, and new works like Boise is the Paris of Idaho, One Afterlife to Live, Murder, She Drank, and Gorgeous. Happiness includes weekly motion picture matinees (at actual movie theatres, hey!), vintage costumes and props, making 48-hour short films, Gus Van Sant silent takes (she got to perform them while working on his film, Restless), Ethel Mermanating, I Love Lucy, Elvis, prairie tales, falling off stages while doing stand-up comedy (um, and other occasions), and once performing as a tap dancing, roasted chicken for Intel. www.deannmarieodom.com.
Previous Casts:
Eurycleia: Barbara Summers
Homer: Terry Opp
Terry was trained at a number of different acting workshops, including the LA Comedy Connection Improve Group. His films include: "Make 'Em Laugh" and "Grim Prairie Tails" from MCA Universal. His television credits include "The Young and the Restless" and "Every Moment Counts". Theater productions have included "Fibber McGee and Molly" at the AFTRA / Autry Theater and "Alcoholics Unanimous" at Theater Row Hollywood.
Penelope: Jesse Holcomb
Jesse's film credits include: "Here We Go", "Voodoo", and "Woman in the Mirror". Her television appearances have included: "Glee" and "Dead of Night". She has been in theater productions of "Jennifer Anniston Stole My Life", "Death is not an Option", "Uncle Vanya", and "Hair". She has had training at the Improv at UCB and Film / TV On-camera Technique with Christinna Chauncey.
Athena: Victoria Cruz
Victoria was born in New Jersey and was raised outside of Detroit, Michigan. She moved to Los Angeles, shortly after graduating from Hope College, where she was involved in many theater plays and productions. She studied at Playhouse West Reparatory School which was co-founded by Jeff Goldblum and Robert Carnegie, where she went through the entire program and also the improve program where she was performing weekly. She also studied at the Upright Citizens Brigade here in Los Angeles. Her most recent projects include various commercials, and movies such as "Reach", "Model Home", "Raze", and was just cast in Harvest Season. She is very excited to be a part of the Odyssey play and was thrilled to get the role of Athena. She would like to thank her husband, Tim, for his never ending support and her manager and best friend Hector Tinoco of Tinoco Management.
The Cyclops / Eumaeus: Matthew Callari
Matthew is receiving training at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and also at the Method Acting and Comic Improv schools. His film credits include: "Leave Your Friend at Home" and "The Head Monsters". His theater credits include: "Bye Bye Birdie" (playing Conrad Birdie), "Oklahoma!", "Man of La Mancha" (Don Quixote), "Sleepy Hollow" (Ichabod Crane) and "Twelfth Night".
Circe / Calypso: Sahba Keihani
Sahba Keihani was born in Tehran. She started her artistic activities from childhood in school theatres. At the age of 16, she acquired the second place in acting at the national level and she completed acting apprenticeship for one and a half year under the guidance of several theatre masters. At the same time she was producing and writing for the children theatre at "Tehran Children Culture Center." Sahba left Iran to Europe on 2002 and worked in a Persian television channel, "Jame-Jam, WAVE-TV," for five years starting 2003 as a host, director and executive producer which added to her depth of knowledge and experience. Her last work is a short film that she directed in 2012 under the name of "sayeh sang" (Shadow of the Stone) which has participated in several festivals around the world and has won the Honorable Mention in the 2014 Women's Voices Now (WVN) Film Festival, Los Angeles! She has recently completed her graduate studies in Business Administration and has resumed her studies in acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Los Angeles!
Telemechus / Hermes: Kyle McAuley
Ever since he was a child, Kyle loved the stage so it was no surprise when he attended the highly respected Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre. While living in Seattle, Kyle was involved in a number of productions including "Much Ado About Nothing" where he played the witty Benedick and "Anonymous" in which Kyle played a polish immigrant. After graduating, he made the brave move to LA to pursue his passion for acting. In addition, Kyle found that song writing was something that came naturally to him so he began a career as a rap artist both writing and performing his heart-felt music. You can currently catch him singing his heart out with the very inspirational Los Angeles Hip Hop Choir.
Antinous / Poseidon: J.R. Russell
J.R. reiceved his training at Azusa Pacific University, Actors Workout Studio, and the Mary Hill Performing Arts Academy. His film credits include: "Bobby Fischer Live", "Days of Light" and "Beautiful Wave". His television show credits include: "Scrubs", "Catch 21" and "Greek". Theater plays include: "A Christmas Charol", "Robin Hood", "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible".
Zeus / Teresias: Rob Putansu
Rob received his training at many places, including the Advanced Improv, the Acting for Film School, Method Acting, and at Scene Study. His film credits include: "Celebrity Crime Files", "Dragnet of Spies", "Nothing to Lose", and "The Fairy Forest". He has performed in theater productions of "Captain Buffalo", "The 59ers", and "Almost Maine".
Elizabeth Del Sol (Athena)
Elizabeth Del Sol has been trained in acting at Texas A&M University, at the American Conservatory Theater and at the New York Film Academy. Her film roles have included "Chronicles of Fear" and "Snow White." Her TV roles have included "PSA-Bandit" with Elliot Gould and "The Breaks." Stage roles "Louder I Can't Hear You" and "Noah and the Great Auk." In addition to The ODYSSEY, she recently starred in the play "The House of Bernardo Alba" by Lorca.
Karen Pellant (Penelope)
Karen Pellant got her B.A. from the U.C. L.A. School of Theater, Film & Television. She was also trained in Shakespeare at King's College in London where she performed as Ophelia in Hamlet and as Lady MacBeth in MacBeth. Her roles for television have included "The Bold and the Beautiful" and the "Tracy Ullman Exposed Show". Her lead film roles have included "Murdered Sleep", "Sordid Lives", "Dark Focus" and "The Last Supper". She has also performed in the ancient Greek plays "Medea" and "The Trojan Women". as well as most recently Gwendolyn Pigeon in Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple”.
Karen recently wrote, produced, and starred in the short film “Lora Rox” which received a bronze medal award from the 2009 Park City Film/Music Festival.
Joey Puerto (Telemachus, Hermes)
Joey Puerto is twenty years old and therefore the youngest in the cast. He is the same approximate age as Telemachus in the original poem. He was recommended to the Homeric Project by the Hollywood Actors Studio. This is the first play in which Joey is performing. He is excited that it is based on the classic epic story and he relishes the both the roles of the exuberant son of Odysseus and the messenger of the gods Hermes.
