Cathy Counts
Cathy Counts has studied acting, dance and voice and performed on Maine stages and in voiceovers, films, and commercials since she was four years old. Favorite roles include Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman and Mrs. Kendall in Elephant Man with the Theater Project in Brunswick; Marion in Safe Sex, Nanny in Uncle Vanya and Lita Encore in Ruthless, The Musical at Oak Street Theater (a Portland theater that was fated to become an office building); Aida in Over The River and Through The Woods and Princess Puffer in Mystery of Edwin Drood with Good Theater at the St. Lawrence in Portland.
This season Ms. Counts continued her work with Good Theater, appearing as Jack's Mother in Into The Woods and Clara in Hay Fever. As a member of Acorn's Naked Shakespeare ensemble, Ms. Counts performs scenes, sonnets and soliloquies in various venues in the Old Port. She also sings with the Immanuel Baptist Church on High Street in Portland, under the direction of Aaron Robinson.
This is her first Escapade with the Escapists and for the sake of "What are you doing?" she is hoping no one is the audience is named Zeke Xenon. A few years back (ahem!) Ms. Counts performed across Connecticut with the Storymime Players, an improvisational story-telling troupe, when she was studying theater at UCONN in Storrs. She also studied improvisation with David LaGraffe and Michael Howard at Acorn Studios in Portland.
This fall (2007), Ms. Counts will happily reprise the role of Lita Encore in Ruthless, The Musical with Good Theater. She lives in Catbird Cottage in South Portland with her parakeet, Heavens to Zebedee, her Japanese fighting fish, Sushi Blue, and Tipsy Tat, the Tuxedo Cat.
Brian Giles
Brian is an actor, standup comedian, archaeologist, natural-born ham, and reverend (we kid you not). He has wowed 'em at the Cumberland County Civic Center, the Comedy Connection, and at the Three Dog Night concert. When not marrying gay men -- to each other, that is -- he jaunts off to Nawlins to dig for old bones in the swamp. Right now, he's the guy directing your plane across the tarmac. No, we're not kidding.
Sheila Jackson
Not too long ago, Sheila decided to overcome her shyness by getting into performing. Before long she was crowned Portland's Funniest Professional at the Comedy Connection, and it was hard to detect any trace of shyness in her. When not walking the dog around Munjoy Hill, Sheila can be found going postal -- professionally -- or honing her hilarity skills with the Escapists.
Sheila is taking a hiatus from the Escapists, but is still generously letting the Escapists use her two-story garage as a clubhouse. Look for Sheila on a comedy stage or a Drag King show near you!
Chris Fitze
"I never thought of myself as funny," says Chris Fitze of his improv career, "but other people think I am - so I go with it." We are sitting alongside the river Seine drinking fruit cocktail and observing young lovers in the light Parisian air. Fitze, his 6’ frame shadowing the table, moves with the grace and elegance of a ripe kiwi, and we laugh easily at the odd assortment of people before us. "I mean, I had never really performed improv until college," he admits. But who can tell?
Born Christopher Sean Fitze in a small town in rural Ohio, Fitze attended many years of public schooling ("They let me finally leave after twelve!") before attending college in a small town in rural Indiana. He immediately joined the improvisational group Bavabhuti Billabong, which later became Pickles for Toes (underwear Lottery) and finally Controlled Catastrophe which he directed with close friend and personal trainer, Shawn Kobb (Kobb could not be reached for comment, having retired to a communist cloister on the outskirts of Beijing). Chris was an instigator in the troupes, leading them on expeditions to Chucky Cheese and performing at the presidential mansion. "We used to run around in bath towel togas and hit people with beanbag chairs. It was great!" he says, his brown eyes sparkling behind his spectacles, "I sure do miss that."
After college, Chris and his soon-to-be wife Jessica Eller (no relation) moved to a small city in rural Indiana. Chris began work at a zoo and learned much about monkeys. But his story really takes off when he took an improv class with the local community theater.
"The lawsuit hasn't yet been settled and I've been saddled with a gag order since 2001 in regards to talking about Chris." Says good friend and fellow improver Steve Martin, "I'm sure that Chris is sorry about the incident with the air hose at the DeMotte Shell station, but I don't care to talk about it at this time. But adds, "[off the record] Chris is a sly Improv performer: he keeps scenes flowing smoothly and keeps everyone in the same direction. But when you're about ready to take him and his skills for granted, he throws out an absolutely KILLER line. Whether he's a superhero who’s sad about how mundane his power is, or a very lonely pope in a movie theater, Chris will make even his fellow performers laugh." "Yeah, I’m pretty good at improv, I mean, our lives aren’t scripted for crap’s sake!" says Fitze, leaning back in his swivel rocker and taking a long drag off a dill pickle, "But sketch comedy is new to me. Viva La Escapists!"
Eric Worthley
Eric Worthley was born to exiled royalty, in a tent, on the vast tundra
of Siberia. Shortly after his birth his parents emigrated to northern
Maine to escape the infamous vodka famine of ’67. Eventually he left
his family’s new home and headed south with his only possessions: a
Swiss army knife, 3 Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem LPs, and a dogeared
copy of Ashida Kim’s book Secrets of the Ninja. He currently lives in a small cave just outside of Portland’s fashionable west end.
Ariel Francoeur
Ariel is an actor, director, and expert ticket seller. She journeyed from the little hamlet of Orwell, Vermont, to the big city of Portland to study theatre at USM. After much wonderful experience gained at college, Ariel has branched into the theatre world of the P Town. She is greatly enjoying "grown-up" life with the cat, and of course, without homework. Someday, however, she may take up homework once again.
Keith Anctil
Keith has been seen on stages from Boothbay to Boston, from Machias to Manhattan, and points in between. He is a founding member of the Acorn Naked Shakespeare ensemble, in the cast of the Theater Project's professional company, and artistic director of the Wescott Children's Theater Company in Westbrook. Keith spends his days as a middle school special educator.
R.J. McComish
R.J.’s directing credits include The Food Chain (Portland Stage Studio) and Naked in Portland (Wide Open Mind) as well as readings of John Cariani’s Almost Maine, Bill Donnelly’s Apocalypso, Laura Harrington’s Hallowed Ground and Ryan Teco’s Our Good Neighbor at Portland Stage Company’s Little Festival of the Unexpected. Other adventures include serving as assistant dramaturg on the Oregon Shakespeare festival’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers and assisting Louis Fredrick on his short film The Deal.
Jennifer McLeod
Miss Jenn is a big-time soprano, yet not a tremendous pain in the ass. When not singing with the Portland Symphony Orchestra or acting with the Good Theater Company or appearing on the History Channel, Jenn is hanging out with kids on television or honing her mad aria skillz. The able Ms. McLeod can also bring the funny.
Ryan Gartley
Ryan, a comedian/actor/rabid Sox fan, came into our lives when he played Wayne, the loveable yet deplorable schlub from Maine, in Naken In Portland. When not acting or making jokes, he is working his ass off in faraway locales -- which these days keeps him away from The Escapists, and makes us very sad. Nevertheless, he is an Escapist Emeritus, and we're keeping the whoopie cushion warm for him.
Christine St. Pierre
Another much-missed Escapist Emeritus, Christine is an opera singer and a congenital flirt who has sung/acted in such epics as Hair and Naked In Portland. In both shows she shed her clothes, knowing how to get attention. Now singing cabaret in New York City -- The Big Apple! The City That Needs To Get Over Itself, Already! -- Christine is busy honing her powerful soprano and preparing to give Patti LuPone a run for her money.