Personal Stuff and Photos

Here's where all the vanity comes out. Okay, all the other stuff is pretty vain, too, but in a more vocational vein. This vein is really vain.

Jan and I have been married since 1983. That's almost 2000 years by my watch.We have no children of our own, except for each other, which means that we could pick up and leave if we get really fed up with it all, so watch your step. We do have eight nieces and nephews, six siblings, the normal number of parents, and about a dozen or so other people we seem to have picked up over the years. Don't think we get off cheap at Christmas and Hannukah.

We live in a modestly small brick house in a somewhat quiet older neighborhood in Silver Spring, MD. It's just the two of us, and we don't need much room, and we really don't want too much to take care of, so it's just right. She cleans, I cook. I like cooking, probably because I don't have to do it for a living, and I've gotten pretty good at a few things. I wish I had more time to get creative and learn new dishes and styles, but if I did have more time, I probably wouldn't spend it cooking. I'd probably sleep.

We don't go out a lot, but when we do we like very expensive restaurants, especially when they're worth it. Great cooking is worth spending money for. We try to arrange to find the best restaurants we can, wherever we go. The last few years we've spent a few days in Canada during the summer at the wonderful Shaw Festival in Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario. We see amazing theatre and eat at very good restaurants and stay in beautiful Inns with excellent service. If you don't mind spending the money for an exceptional vacation, drop me an e-mail and I'll give you a rundown. This year we're adding a few days at the Stratford Festival, also in Ontario, and making a full week of it. We'll let you know how that is, too.

We also go to community theatre festivals when we can, and have been to the last few AACT National Festivals. Check out the section on Arts Advocacy for more about that.

Well, now that you're thoroughly bored, I'll get on with some pictures and associated information....

The Webmaster's Picture Gallery & Scrapbook

• From "The Goat, or, Who Is Sylvia?" at Cedar Lane Stage, Spring of '07. Michelle Trout, Brady Kirchberg, Ted Culler, and myself.
• You can look through my 50th birthday photos, in 2004, which feature a lot of the folks in the rest of my scrapbook.
• Just a couple of pictures from "The Seagull" at Quotidian Theatre Company. Backstage, and onstage with one of my favorite actresses, Michelle Osherow.
• Me. Onstage from "The Constant Wife" in 2000
• Jan and I with Bob Kafka at the awards reception at AACTFest 2001 in Harrisburg, PA. (With Sandy Doherty on my right.)
• Jan and I at AACTFest 97 in Grand Rapids, MI.
• My cast and crew from Lost in Yonkers at Sandy Spring.
• A getting fat picture of yours truly from "The Scarlett Letter"
• A younger and skinnier self with lovely Nicolette (Stearns) Levchenko, from "Seascape With Sharks and Dancer"
• The cast and crew of the magical "Midsummer Night's Dream"
• The luscious Cathy Simpson astride Nick Sampson from that show.
• One of my favorite publicity shots from "Midsummer" of Sarah Lyman Kravits

  We had, in 2000, a ten year reunion party for the Midsummer Night's Dream family. I thought I should share a few pictures.

• The always gorgeous Melory Ryan, ever beautiful Sarah Lyman Kravits, and the also beautiful Keith Levchenko.
• Gifted Garth Kravits.
• Roger Stone and Sheila Hyman
• The (almost) whole lot of us being entertained by one of the numerous children.

  Lori Murray Sampson brought some photos over from various plays we'd both been involved in. These are mostly live and so the focus is definitely a little off on some.

• The first time we met was doing a short piece called "Constantinople Smith" at Cedar Lane. It was the third time I'd done the show, her first. We're both a whole lot younger here, but we still got a nice kiss.
• The very first show I produced for The Alliance Theatre Workshop was a beautiful little allegorical piece called "The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket". A cast publicity photo. The classroom scene. Lori and Chris Russell as the title character. His death scene also featuring Paul Handy.
• A great cast shot from "She Stoops To Conquer" at Montgomery Playhouse. (Oy, how skinny he was. On the left.) And a shot of Lori with Malinda (Davis) Smith as the female leads.
• The cast of The Alchemist at Cedar Lane Stage.

  Looking through some more old stuff:

• A cast photo from "Wild Honey" at Silver Spring Stage.
• A gorgeous set Jan and I built for "True West" at Montgomery Playhouse.
• The cast of "Shakespeare's Women," directed by Tom Fenton.
• And where a lot of our memories and friendships began: The Fan Club, from "Lady Windermere's Fan" at MP.
• A memorable picture from "A Man For All Seasons" for Sandy Spring. (The first full-length play I directed.)

  A few shots from "Uncommon Women and Others" at Cedar Lane. A director couldn't ask for a more talented, (and beautiful,) cast.

• From the left: Natalie, Benny (hiding), Carmela, Melory, Holly, Jean, Katie, Judy and Kate.
• Benny teaches the girls something about life at Mount Holyoke.
• Melory and Kate being stunning together.
• Holly shows Jean and Kate how it works.