The Lady's Not for Burning
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Richard, an orphaned clerk...................................John Benkovic
Thomas Mendip.................................................Ken Allison
Alizon Eliot......................................................Laura Russell
Nicholas Devize.................................................Glen Hochkeppel
Margaret Devize, mother of Nicholas........................Sally Cusenza
Humphrey Devize, father of Nicholas.......................John Bordeaux
Hebble Tyson, the Mayor......................................Rick Kenney
Jennet Jourdemayne...........................................Susan Talbott
The Chaplain....................................................H.B. Strecker
Edward Tappercoom, a Justice...............................Bill Byrnes
Matthew .........................................................Rick Kenney
BIOGRAPHIES (alphabetical order)
Kenneth Allison (Thomas Mendip)
Ken received an M.F.A. in Theater from the University of Iowa. He last appeared as Sir
Peter Teazle in TAP’s The School for Scandal. Recent roles include the daffy
and sweet Charlie Baker in MTA’s production of The Foreigner, Reverend Parris
in ACT’s The Crucible, Bernard Nightingale in TAP’s production of Arcadia,
and Robert in Don’t Dress for Dinner LTA. He has appeared at ESP in such
family fare as Kvetch and Morticians in Love. Love to Marthanne.
John Benkovic ( Richard, the Mayor’s Clerk)
A Herndon native, John has studied at the Actors Studio Conservatory in Washington, DC;
in Miami with John Fionte; and in LA at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. He starred in two
independent films, Limitless and The Alarm, and had a featured role in a
safe sex public service announcement. He has previously appeared in ESP’s Morticians
in Love, Death of a Salesman, and Taming of the Shrew where he played
Nathaniel but may be best remembered as the scantily dressed cop.
John Bordeaux (Humphrey Devize)
John is glad to be back on the boards after a multiyear hiatus. He last had hair this
dark (naturally) as the lead in BCP’s To Gillian on her 37th
Birthday and as a jogging yuppie in BCP’s I’m Not Rappaport. Other
work includes the Castaways’ Plaza Suite and BCP’s Godspell.
He’d like to thank the Director for calling him "Doctor," and the Stage
Manager for feeding him lines and blocking cues ever since she bewitched him on their
wedding day.
Bill Byrnes (Edward Tappercoom)
Bill was seen in ESP productions of Night of the Iguana, Freedom of the City ,
and Medea. Bill recently played the disaster-prone company manager
in the VCT production of Lend Me a Tenor, but claims his real-life efforts at
producing ESP’s Night of the Iguana and GFP’s Crossing Delancey
were considerably less troubled. He helped bring alive the words of Shakespeare,
Vaclav Havel, Aristophanes and A.R. Gurney in recent productions of Much Ado About
Nothing, The Protest, Lysistrata and Love Letters.
Sally Cusenza (Margaret Devize)
Sally has been on the ESP stage many times as a member of the Writers Realm playwrights
group that reads new plays here four times a year. She is a member of AFTRA &
SAG and can be seen lurking around in reruns of Homicide either as a dead body or a
cop. She has been on the cutting room floor of many major motion pictures all bent
on the attempted destruction of the capitol city, and has also been active in the D.C.
area theaters for 13 years. Most recently, audiences in this area may have seen her
as Julia in Lend Me a Tenor and Mrs. Medlock in Secret Garden at RCP.
She thanks husband, Paul, and daughters Amy & Sarah for their support.
Glen Hochkeppel (Nicholas)
Ever since he wove a furry swatch through ESP’s Hair, Glen has happily
called ESP his home theater. He has revisited as often as possible – most recently in
Grapes of Wrath and Steambath – and again feels fortunate to be working
alongside such talented performers. He also wishes he’s flossed more as a young man.
Rick Kenney (Mayor Hebble Tyson)
Rick celebrates 10 years with ESP, having started in 1990 in the role of Orsino in Twelfth
Night. Since then, in this space, he’s played at least 14 different characters,
directed four times, and worked backstage when allowed in a variety of odd roles. Favorite
credits include directing ESP’s premiere musical, Working, Da, and The
Taming of the Shrew; playing Prospero in The Tempest, the Ghost in Hamlet,
Walter in Chess, Tumnus the faun in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, and Herbie in Gypsy. Rick is a graduate of
Catholic University’s drama department and a veteran of nearly 20 years in local
community theatre. RCP fans may remember him as the King in The King and I.
Laura Russell (Alizon Eliot)
ESP audiences may remember Laura as Ophelia (Hamlet), Terri (Lady of Fadima),
or most recently as the downtrodden Erna Prindle in The Runner Stumbles. Laura has
appeared onstage or worked tech in twelve ESP productions over the last four years, and
has also performed with RCP, GFP, Oatlands Carriage House Theatre, and the Washington
Shakespeare Company. She would like to thank her sons Mat and Alex for their patience and
cooperation during rehearsals and Brad for his unflinching honesty and support.
H.B. Strecker (Chaplain)
H.B. was seen at ESP in 1997 as Rosencrantz in Hamlet, and Jed Jenkins in Fifth
of July. He appeared in the 1998 Hallmark Hall of Fame production The Love
Letter, and as Major Rathbone in The Learning Channel’s docudrama Plot To Kill
Lincoln. Look for him as the attending physician during a childbirth scene for an
independent film entitled Wicked Spring scheduled to be released for the September,
2000 Telluride Film Festival in Toronto. He sends a special thank you to his niece, Maire
Margaret Shaughnessy, for teaching me how to properly hold a violin.
Susan W. Talbott (Jennet Jourdemayne)
Susan returns for her second production with ESP. She recently played Sister Rita in The
Runner Stumbles. Susan received her formal training at Westmont College in Santa
Barbara, CA and in England at the Oxford School of Drama, but has been acting since
childhood. Susan (regretfully) lived in LA for several years before (coming to her senses
and...) returning to her homeland, Northern Virginia. She returned to the area three years
ago to be closer to her delightful family, meet her saintly husband, and to discover an
area booming with bold artistic theatre.
