Meet the Cast of Making God Laugh

The last show the Nebraska Rep will open this season is Making God Laugh.  Here is the cast for this show.

Virginia Smith - Director

This is my 9th year as the Artistic Director of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. As I've so often said, I have the best job in the midwest! And it's wonderful to be able to bring these five terrific new plays to you this summer! My Rep directing credits include God of Carnage, Church Basement Ladies, Vino Veritas, Santaland Diaries, Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, Metamorphoses, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, Omnium Gatherum, Crimes of the Heart and Dinnertime which was performed at the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Theatre Festival in New York City and in Krakow, Poland. Other favorite productions include The Voice of the Prairie at the Podium Festival in Moscow, Romeo and Juliet for Oak Park Festival Theatre, and Ride Down Mount Morgan, Hamlet, Judevine, and Marisol for Equity Library Theatre. My work directing for Still Point Theatre Collective, a touring company based in Chicago, has been seen across Europe and the U.S. I'm the Head of Graduate and Undergraduate Directing at UNL, and run our M.F.A. Program in Directing for Stage and Screen. My musical adaptation of Local Wonders, former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser's book by the same name, had a successful run in Chicago 2011 and the Lied Center in 2012.

Melissa Epps -- Ruthie

Melissa Critchfield Epp – Is returning for her 8^th NRT season.  A graduate of UNL Theater department it was on this stage that Melissa began her professional journey.  Some of her favorite roles include Meredith from STEAMBATH, Flo in PICNIC and Nancy Twinkle in LITTLE MARY SUNSHINE.  She also loved being on stage with fellow alums as Sister Woman in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.  As a former member of SAG and Equity, her career has ranged from coast to coast including, recording, commercial, voice over work and film.  She had a starring role in Ted Lange’s award winning Indie film FOR LOVE OF AMY and is featured in the UNL’s film departments project DIGS directed by Donald Petrie.  For several years she and husband Mark produced children’s music, television and film projects.

Their two kids Ryan, a Chef and Ashley, an aspiring actress/singer are currently pursuing their own arts in New York City and the world.  A special thanks to her mom, Joyce, who continues to shine and help guide her artistic expression, to her loving soul mate Mark, and to the two best kids in the world.  Oh yeah, and their dog Bailey!  

Alan Knoll - Bill

Alan Knoll is a St Louis-based actor, and he's thrilled to return for another season at the Nebraska Rep; last year he was seen as Jeeves in Jeeves Intervenes and Phillipe in Heroes.  Other favorite roles include George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Riverfront Times 2010 Best Actor),  Max in Laughter on the 23rd Floor,  Graham in A Chip in the Sugar,  and all the residents of Bedford Falls in This Wonderful Life, named St Louis' best one-man show in 2011. Thanks to Virginia for the chance to return to Lincoln, and to his wonderful wife Laurie McConnell for her love and support.

Becky Key Boesen - Maddie

Becky is an actor, director and playwright.   Becky’s most recent play, What the Wind Taught Me was commissioned and debuted at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in March 2013 and will tour the state of Nebraska through the Lied Center’s Arts Across Nebraska program in the fall.   Becky recently directed Much Ado About Nothing for Flatwater Shakespeare and is looking forward to directing Nocturne for the Rep’s Destination Series.  She is a recipient of a Mayor’s Arts Award and was selected as one of Lincoln’s 2013 “Top 20 Under 40” for her leadership in the arts community.  Becky teaches acting and playwriting at Doane College and is currently writing her first full-length screenplay, titled Celia Skates.  Becky is overjoyed to return to Nebraska Repertory Theatre this summer – she last appeared on the NRT stage as Becky Foster in Becky’s New Car.   Thanks for supporting live theatre!

Dan Rodden - Tom

Dan happily returns to Lincoln for his second season, where NRT audiences will recall his performances as Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps and Steve in Becky's New Car.  His career has allowed him to perform for theaters across the U.S. and Canada.  Last fall, he had the honor of playing the iconic role of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird at Cardinal Stage Company in Bloomington, IN.  Other selected credits: Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha (Guest Artist - Normandale Community College, Bloomington, MN); Felix, The Odd Couple (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Antipholus of Syracuse, The Comedy of Errors (Oak Park Festival Theatre); Dr. Adams, Marrying Terry (Nightingale Group); Charles, Blithe Spirit; Mortimer, Arsenic And Old Lace; Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (New American Theater), IO Chicago; Texas Shakespeare Festival, and Cidermill Playhouse. Back home in Chicago, he performs frequently with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago in numerous classical staged readings, including Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Antonio in The Duchess Of Malfi.  Dan resides with his talented wife, actress Gail Rastorfer, whom he met a number of years ago while touring with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan.

Mark McCarthy -- Rick

Mark McCarthy is proud to make his Nebraska Rep debut.  

Previous Roles: 

• Hampton Theatre Company: How the Other Half Loves
• Shadowland Theatre Company: Dangers, Of Electric Lighting,The Seafarer
• International Mystery Writers’ Festival: Sherlock Holmes: the Final Toast (Dr. Watson)
• Illinois Theatre Center: Moonlight and Magnolias 
• Mercury Theatre (Chicago): King O' the Moon 
• Denver Center Theatre Company: The Rivals 
• Portland Center Stage: The Rivals, Macbeth, As You Like It
• Notre Dame Shakespeare: Tamking of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing 
• Heart of America Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream 
• Kansas City Rep: Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Tempest,The Deputy, Julius Caesar, The Imaginary Invalid.  

Mark has played hapless people in several cheesy TV movies and independent films. He voices over a

hundred characters in the audio book version of Alan Brennert’s new novel Palisades Park. He’s also a

stage combat choreographer and published playwright. He lives just outside New York City with his wife,

the brilliant and talented Hollis McCarthy.