Faces, Exhibit S: Phonograph 2

Remember alllllllll the way back to Monday, when you were introduced to Austin as Phonograph 1? Well, that '1' was there for a reason. He's got a partner in crime, and her name is Danelle Wildermuth! As Phonograph 2 in The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party, Danelle is the other mastermind behind this whole menagerie of crazies. Watch in awe as she pulls the strings! Makes lions roar, scolds ostriches, buys a painting! So much to do, so much to do!

"Danelle Wildermuth is very excited to be joining The Nine for the first time. Chicago productions include Hangar 9 Theatre, Hobo Junction, Black Ensemble, and Village Players. Regional: The Lost Colony, Waterside Theatre, Great Plains Theatre, and Prairie Repertory. National Tours: Troupe America, Inc and Hampstead Stage. Much gratitude to Bries and the Nine for such an unexpected and great experience. Enjoy!"

Faces, Exhibit R: The Manager/Friend 1

Look at Anthony DeMarco! He's drinking a big ol' mug of beer! Could it be this is how he preps for his roles as Friend 1 in Peculiar Way and The Manager of the Eiffel Tower in The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party? (Disclaimer: this is not how he preps for his roles as Friend 1 in Peculiar Way and The Manager of the Eiffel Tower in The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party.) No, in reality, it's just that Anthony DeMarco is a fun-loving extra-wittical human bein'. Here, see for yourself:

"After a brief hiatus of several years, Anthony could not be happier than he is right at this very moment with where his artistic journeys have taken him. The past few years have seen him working at Mary-Arrchie Theatre, Lights Out Theatre Company, New Beast Theater Works, and Playing Space Theater as an actor, stage manager, director, and general roustabout. His talents are certainly many, but his passions are slightly more discriminating. Chiefly among those are the cast and crew and inner workings of The Nine, who have all made the past few months a joy to experience. He would also like to thank his mother and father and siblings and nephews, and all those who have supported his development - they happen to be worth their weight in gold... or platinum... or bird seed... or whatever the hell it is Glenn Beck advised DeMarx to purchase."

Faces, Exhibit Q: The Choreographer

I've been doing allllllllll this talking about dancing; I think it's about time I introduce the lady behind it all. Thanks to Lyndsey Rhoads, our Radio Silence choreographer, we have four, count 'em four, showstoppin' numbers by turns sultry, silly, somber, and infectious. (Yeah, infectious doesn't exactly start with an 's', but like Mama always said, alliteration can only take you so far, and then you're on your own.) So when we're shakin' or slidin' or stompin' or snappin' (there -- happy?) during the show, you know who gets the thanks!

"The pride of Ada, Oklahoma, Rhoads moved to Chicago after studying from birth at the Central Oklahoma Dance Center. The Senior Company Member of Chicago Dance Crash, Lyndsey has been performing with the company since 2004 and presented her choreographic debut, closing out the 2010 Duets for My Valentine Festival at a sold-out Park West."

Faces, Exhibit P: The Ostrich/Trouville Bathing Beauty/Art Collector/Radiogram 1

We've got another all-star character track on our hands, and this one belongs to Michelle Carlene Roth! First of all, she gets to play an ostrich on stage, which is hands down cool as ice. But she's not done yet! Mere minutes later, she returns as the Trouville Bathing Beauty for her very own solo dance number. Add a little Radiogram and Art Collector action, and you've got a regular Lady of 1,000 Faces. But you can call her Michelle.

"Michelle is thrilled to be working with this amazingly talented group of artists on the second installment of The Nine. Originally from Sioux Falls, SD, Michelle studied at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND where she earned her BFA in Theater before relocating to Chicago in 2006. After being seen as Latrelle in The Easy Street Players production of Sordid Lives, Michelle decided to take a hiatus from the spotlight and attempt stage management. She is currently the Managing Director of The Right Brain Project and has recently stage managed their productions of My Filthy Hunt, Halfshut, Pretty Penny andThe Modern Prometheus. Michelle is so incredibly excited to be back on stage and wants to thank Bries for the opportunity, her family for traveling all the way from SD to see her and especially Colby for encouraging her to get back on stage!"

Faces, Exhibit O: The Stage Manager

Annnnnd, Retro Monday continues with part 2 of 2 and our stage manager, Mark Hurni, the sanest man in show biz. Mark also stage managed for Part One: subUrbia and he's back again, despite my seeming insistence on always forcing him to be a part of the onstage action. Mark's the yin to my crazy, and also knows all about the google stuff -- calendars and sites and spreadsheets and things that I should be checking much more than the one time when I'm initially set up for them. (Shhhhh!)

Mark's a big part of the reason that each part of The Nine hasn't melted into a puddle of disorganization and defeat. Give him big ups, eh?

"Mark is very excited to be working with The Nine, again. Most recently, he’s designed lights for the Signal Ensemble’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Aftermath, The Ballad of the Sad Café and Six Degrees of Separation, as well as Right Brain’s Modern Prometheus. His Chicago stage manager credits include the Nine’s first installment of subUrbia, the independently produced Sandoval at La Costa Theatre, Bohemian Theatre’s Gross Indecency and Right Brain’s A Devil Inside. Thanks to the cast for making this a fun experience. Thanks to Bries for including me in this great project. And thanks to Rach for her support."

Faces, Exhibit N: Phonograph 1

We took Easter off (hey, it's not every day that giant bunnies hand-deliver chocolate and jelly beans), so we're gonna make it up to you with an extra special two-fer of Retro Monday! First, you may remember Austin D. Oie as Tim in Part One: subUrbia. He was drunk, angry, and a bigot there. Here, he's a phonograph. Normally, you'd think playing an inanimate object is a pretty major step backward, but it worked for the dinosaurs on The Flintstones! No really, though -- the Phonographs (there's another who you'll meet her soon enough!) are the hub of The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party. Everything, and I mean literally everything, happens because of them.

That's right; we've put the machines in charge. Are we fools? Have we not seen Terminator? Are we spelling our own doom? Probably not. BUT WHO KNOWS?!?

"Hi friends!

Part Two of the Nine. Last time it was SubUrbia. I was angrytown. Now its Eiffel Tower Wedding Party. This time, I am crazytown. I'm an actor. Church/Pullman, WA (Red Tape Theatre), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Project 891), The Man Who Was Thursday (New Leaf Theatre), Some Show I Haven't Yet Been Cast In (Steppenwolf Theatre Co). I take photos too. They're everywhere. I generally don't have people take their clothes off though. I dunno... I mean, don't get me wrong... that's pretty cool. I have some friends that like to do that. But I like taking photos of other things. Like people with clothes ON. Usually acting. Or headshots. I do those too. You wanna see? www.austindoiephotography.com Fair warning though, there isn't any nudity. So you'll have to seek that elsewhere. Let's see... what else... shout out to Meghan Reardon. This is show #5 for us. I think thats what? The cardboard anniversary? We're registered at 7-11. So, ya know... pony up. And don't be stingy with the fake cheese on that fake hot dog.

Love,

Phonograph 1"

Faces, Exhibit M: The General

What can you expect from a fine upstanding military man in Cocteau's world? Life lessons about mirages, epic orchestrated combat stories, fierce lion battles, and resurrection. If you know of a better character arc, I'd like to see it. And you lucky bastards get the pleasure of watching Dennis Newport take this crazy journey as The General in The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party, but only if you grab your ticket quick before they disappear! Do it to it!

"I've come far from my first role as a courtier in an Off-Off-Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, where a homeless man ran the lights and a cat wandered to and fro on the set during crucial scenes. It's all been up from there. I'm grateful to be back on the North Side with The Nine -- thanks to Bries for the opportunity. What a great cast and crew! Thanks to Kathy -- I will be home soon. I want to dedicate this performance to my grandchildren, Nate, Rodger, Aislyn, and Logan. May they inherit the best of all possible worlds. For complete resume go to www.dennisnewport.com ."