SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES - 2006

(Opened January 13th)

Archived Press Rooms:
▪ 2000 Production
▪ 2002 Production

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David Ojalvo
Ted Detwiler

Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

David Ojalvo
Ted Detwiler

Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

David Ojalvo

David Ojalvo

Rich Delia
David Ojalvo

Joe Patrick Ward
Dale Dickey
Gary Ballard

Joe Patrick Ward
Dale Dickey
Gary Ballard

Newell Alexander
Rosemary Alexander

Dave Kirkpatrick
Rich Delia

Scott Presley
Rich Delia
Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

Emerson Collins
Rich Delia
Ted Detwiler
David Ojalvo

 
Scott Presley

Chris Pudlo
T. Ashanti Mozelle
Scott Presley
Anthony Cherry

Delta Burke

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Delta Burke

Delta Burke

Delta Burke

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
David Ojalvo

Delta Burke and
Newell Alexander

Dale Dickey and
Leslie Jordan

Dale Dickey and
Leslie Jordan

Dale Dickey and
Leslie Jordan

Leslie Jordan

Stage credits include the original productions of Del Shores' Cheatin', Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got the Will?, Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies. He is featured in the movie versions of Sordid Lives and Daddy’s Dyin other films include Madhouse, For Heavens Sake and The Stray. On TV he’s worked on Arrested Development, Alias and is recurring on HBO’s Big Love. He is a principal member of the L.A. Mad Dogs, one of the industry's busiest voice-over groups (Crash, Shop Girl, Madagascar, etc., etc.). An ex-Texan, he plays “General Sam Houston” as the host of the Texas History Museum’s Texas Hall of Heroes at the State Capitol in Austin. He has produced and performed in 33 hour-long radio dramas for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage for PBS. Newell performed as Neil Young's opening act “Dan Clear” for 84 shows in 1983-84. He and his wife Rosemary have one shitload of kids and Grandkids.

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Rosemary stars in Del Shores' award-winning independent feature film, Sordid Lives, co-stars in Lakeshore Entertainment’s Madhouse, and is featured in Falcon Lair Films’ The Trip, as well as starring in Miles Swain’s short film, Monsters. Alexander co-stars in two other short films, Gregory Webb's Hamburger Helper and Lane Nishikawa’s Forgotten Valor and she has a featured role in Leslie Jordan's award-winning independent feature, Lost In the Pershing Point Hotel. She co-starred on ABC’s Dharma & Greg and has guest-starred on Martial Law and The Pretender. Other TV appearances include guest-starring on Designing Women, Chicago Hope, High Incident, Murder She Wrote, Days of Our Lives (recurring), General Hospital, Highway to Heaven, Dallas, Knots Landing and Passions.  In 2000 Rosemary created the role of the ‘Mothers’ (three different characters) in Del Shores’ Southern Baptist Sissies, which ran 16 months in Los Angeles at the Zephyr Theatre and won 22 LA drama-critic awards. In 1996-'97 she created the role of “Dr. Eve” and received a Drama-Logue award for performance in Del Shores' play, Sordid Lives.  She created the role of “Evalita” in the hit Texas comedy Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got The Will? at Theater-Theatre in Hollywood for which she received an LA Weekly Theater Critic's Award. In 1989 she won a Drama-Logue Award for her performance in Carolyn Kava’s The Early Girl at the Skylight Theater in L.A.,  and, in 1990, another one for her performance in Paul Zindel's And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little at the Zephyr Theater. 

Rosemary and her husband/partner, Newell Alexander, created Wells Fargo Radio Theater and have developed and produced 36 original hour-long historically accurate western radio dramas for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage.  In addition, Rosemary is a busy voice-over actress who does radio and TV spots, narrations and she also provides voice tracks regularly for feature films including Shark Tale, Van Helsing, The Ring II, Shrek, Castaway, Titanic, The Insider, Jerry Maguire, Erin Brockovich, Jumanji, Heat, etc., etc. She has also guest starred on several NPR radio dramas for Hollywood Theater of The Ear.    

Rosemary performed over a five-year period in the 1980s with the critically acclaimed comedy Improv group, Caltrans, at the Melrose Theater and in Los Angeles nightclubs.

In addition to sharing a life in show business, the Alexander’s have also shared the raising of five children, and they now share 7 grandchildren.

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A member of Actors' Equity, he also belongs to Theatre 40 where he appeared in Little Murders, Escape From Happiness, Blue Silence and Two by Norman Corwin with Carl Reiner.  Other stage productions include: Off-Broadway in The Pilgrim's Progress, national tours with the Everyman Players in Sophocles' Electra and Shakespeare's The Tempest, the west coast premiere of Neil Simon's Fools, Theatre Banshee in Red Noses, the MET in Western Big Sky, Sacred Fools in Midnight Brainwash Revival, Gene Dynarski Theatre in Sweet Bird of Youth (with Ed Harris & Karen Kondazian), Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in The Winter's Tale (with Ellen Geer), the Actors Co-op in Light Up the Sky, The Enchanted Cottage and You Can't Take It With You (with Alan Young, directed by Chris Hart), Fountain Theatre in both Orpheus Descending (with Karen Kondazian) and Summer and Smoke (with Tracy Middendorf) which won the 1999 Ovation Award for best production.  Films: Blue Shark Hash, Easy Wheels, Party Plane, Broken Victory, Defending Your Life (with Albert Brooks), Murder in the First (with Kevin Bacon), Postal Worker (with Brad Garrett), Blue Desert (with Courteney Cox) and a short currently making festival rounds titled The Importance of Blind Dating (with Stephen Tobolowsky).  TV: Profiler, Living Single, ER, The Bates Motel, Police Story II, O. J. Civil Trial and for those with long memories Max Headroom.

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Terry came to Hollywood 31 years ago.   He grew up in rural East Texas and attended Stephen F. Austin where he studied journalism.   He won first place for sports-writing excellence from United Press International in 1969 as a reporter for the Tyler Morning Telegraph.  Arriving in Hollywood, he appeared on Police Woman in the first of his many detective roles.   Other TV credits include the popular series Mash and Dallas.   Film credits include the cult film classic UFOria.   Del Shores cast Terry as “Teddy Joe” in his play Cheatin', and later “Wardell” in Sordid Lives, as well as “Preacher” in Southern Baptist Sissies.   You might also recognize Terry from his more than 500 commercials, the latest as a hurricane victim for State Farm.

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The multi-Emmy nominated Burke will tackle three roles in the production, playing the mothers to sons who are each coming to terms with and questioning their faith and sexuality. 

Burke was last seen on Broadway in Steel Magnolias, playing the role of beauty salon owner “Truvy.”  Before that she made her debut on The Great White Way starring in Thoroughly Modern Millie as “Mrs. Meers.”

Delta Burke is best known for her portrayal as Suzanne Sugarbaker in CBS' "Designing Women" (1986), which ran for five seasons and for which she received two Emmy nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. When a teenager Burke represented Florida in the Miss America Pageant, and won a talent scholarship, which she used to attend a two-year study program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. She got her first television role within a month of her arrival in Los Angeles. She starred in the TV movie The Seekers (1979) (TV) and the series "The Chisholms" (1980). She had the leading role in "Filthy Rich" (1982) and a starring role in HBO's first weekly series, "1st & Ten" (1984). Through her own production company, Perseverance, Inc., Delta produced and starred in the ABC television series "Delta" (1992). She actually sang in the series and dyed her dark hair blonde for the role. She was reunited with "Designing Women" (1986) creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason when she starred in and produced "Women of the House" (1995), in which she reprised her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker. Much of Delta's time now is spent designing clothing and managing her New York company, Delta Burke Design, which is becoming very successful. She is married to actor Gerald McRaney.

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Anthony hails from St. Louis, MO, and has studied jazz, hip-hop, street dance and theatre at the University of MO-Columbia, Minnesota Dance Theatre and has over 15 years of dance and choreography experience. He has performed in a variety of stage, video and television productions. His credits include Prince’s CD-ROM The Beautiful Experience, Glam Slam’s Erotic City Cabaret and Richard Simmons' Blast Off! fitness video series. He has choreographed for Horst’s Aveda Congress, Girbaud Jeans and a variety of song, dance, special events and theatrical production, Tony Jarris's Tell Veronica, Del Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies. He currently is in production with a new musical and Special Events Cabaret, Creation Temptation (www.creationtemptation.com) and has been employed as a dancer for seven years with The Wayne Foster Orchestra and teaches his unique Hip-Hop-Jazz dance choreography at 24 Hour Fitness- West Hollywood. He is a “constant creator” who continues to deliver energetic and innovative performances!

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Emerson has relocated from Dallas, Texas to join the cast of Southern Baptist Sissies.  He appeared previously in the role of Benny with the Uptown Players in Dallas.  His other theatre work throughout Texas includes productions with the Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Dallas Children’s Theater, Casa Manana, Granbury Opera House, Lyric Stage, WaterTower Theatre, Classical Acting Company and others.  His most recent roles include: Jonathan in the Regional Premiere of Alan Menken and Tim Rice’s King David, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Ponyboy in The Outsiders, Joseph in Joseph…Dreamcoat, Eric in An Inspector Calls, and Hans Brinker in Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates.  He received a 2004 Column Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for the role of Dickon in The Secret Garden.  Emerson graduated Phi Betta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Baylor University.  He would like to thank Del for this incredible opportunity to be a part of creating art that encourages understanding.

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Rich is a native of New York City and has been acting since the age of six.  He pursued his dream from this young age by appearing in local stage productions and school plays.  He then attended an acting intensive at Carnegie Mellon and graduated from The University of Florida with a BFA in drama.  While in Florida Rich received accolades for several of his stage performances including Lost in Yonkers and A Streetcar Named Desire, both at The Hippodrome State Theatre.  After college he returned to New York City and began to work in television, booking roles on Saturday Night Live and All My Children.  He began to study with renowned acting teacher Susan Batson and his work with her led to a string of blazing performances in Off-Broadway productions, including a suicidal heroin addict in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie, a schizophrenic in Paved Roads and a terminally ill AIDS patient in Equal Time.  Upon returning from an acclaimed run of The House of Yes at The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Rich decided to move to Los Angeles.  His stage credits here include The Blank Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights Festival and The Gangbusters Theatre Company’s Balm in Gilead.  Recent TV appearances include American Dreams and Strong Medicine, and he has completed several independent films.  He would like to thank Del for this opportunity and for giving a voice to those who have none. 

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Ted was born in Indiana and raised in South Carolina.  He grew up on a surfboard and turned pro and 16.  Shortly after, he injured his ankle and during recover time, he found theatre.  Two years later he found himself at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU where ballet and tap replaced Bali and Australia.  After graduating with the NYU Outstanding Actor Award, he moved to L.A.  Through a mutual friend he ended up on the set of Ned & Stacey where he met Del Shores (who was a producer on the series), and a friendship started.  Soon after, he appeared in a national Levi’s “Nice Pants” ad campaign.  He has starred in numerous musicals and plays.  TV credits include Crossing Jordan, Sliders and Hyperion Bay.  His film credits include: Must Love Dogs, The Ring 2, After Sunset, Chasers and Blood Money.  Ted played “T.J.” in the last L.A. production of Sissies, is thrilled to be back.

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Her Feature Film work includes: Domino (directed by Tony Scott), The Pledge (directed by Sean Penn), The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love, The Journey of August King, Sordid Lives, and most recently Our Very Own which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.  On Television, she was ‘Opal McHone’ in the CBS series Christy and later reprised the role for PAX’s special event movies. She has numerous guest-star appearances including ER, Frasier, CSI, The X Files, City of Angels, King of the Hill, Close to Home, Gilmore Girls, Numbers and most recently as “Patty the daytime hooker” on the break-out new hit series My Name is Earl.  TV movies include Cagney and Lacey: Together Again and Prison of Secrets.

New York theatre credits include the Broadway production of Sir Peter Hall's The Merchant of Venice (with Dustin Hoffman) and extensive work in the off-Broadway companies Playwrights Horizons, The Signature Theatre Company, and Manhattan Punch Line where she was an artist in residence with the comedy troupe for three years.

In Los Angeles, Dickey has worked closely with writer/director Del Shores in productions of Daddy’s Dyin' Who’s Got the Will?, Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies, and most recently The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife.  Other LA stage work includes The Women with Theatre Neo, Conquest of the South Pole with the Odyssey Ensemble and The Body at the Matrix

Her performance as "Velma" in Horton Foote's Laura Dennis earned her a Dramalogue Award for Outstanding Performance.  Dale has appeared in Regional Theatres across the country. Most notably: Paper Mill Playhouse (To Kill a Mockingbird, with George Grizzard), and The Clarence Brown Theatre (starring opposite David Keith in The Rainmaker). Dale was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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Bill is a recent transplant to California. He grew up in the Texas Panhandle, and holds a bachelor's degree in English and theatre arts (a double major) from Texas Tech University and a master's in creative writing from New York University. Bill performed many roles in New York, and continued to hone his acting skills with the Austin Shakespeare Festival and the Vortex Repertory Company in Austin, Texas. When he is not acting, Bill writes fiction and rides his pinto cowpony Rocky in the beautiful San Gabriel Foothills. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with Del Shores, of whom he is a longtime admirer. Bill is indebted to Mr. Kerry Moore of Muleshoe, Texas, who has been a lifelong mentor. He sends his thanks to his wife, Susan, who has the voice and soul of an angel.

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Emmy nominated actor, LESLIE JORDAN stepped off a Greyhound bus in 1982 from the hills of Tennessee, said “hello” to Hollywood and has never looked back. With hundreds of television shows, films and commercials to his credit, he has become a familiar face on the entertainment scene.  Audiences will recognize him from his performance as “Brother Boy” in the feature film Sordid Lives .  In addition to numerous guest-starring appearances on television, he can be seen in recurring roles on Boston Legal, Will and Grace, and Reba.  He is starring in the ABC Family movie Chasing Christmas, which will air this holiday season.  On stage, Mr. Jordan won the Ovation Award, The Garland Award and The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his portrayal of “Preston ‘Peanut’ Leroy” in Southern Baptist Sissies.  His autobiographical one-man show, Like a Dog on Linoleum, ran for six months at the Elephant Asylum in Los Angeles, at the Bailiwick Theater in Chicago, and this spring will be returning to the 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta, where it ran to sold out houses this past summer.  Mr. Jordan has also enjoyed considerable success as a writer. His play Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far ran to sold-out houses in Los Angeles and had a successful seven-month run Off-Broadway in New York.  His screenplay Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel won the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival's Production Grant Award, and is currently being distributed by Northern Arts Entertainment.

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Dave is very pleased to make his Los Angeles stage debut with Del Shores Productions and performing at the Zephyr. In 2004, he played “T.J.” in the New Conservatory Theatre Center’s production of Sissies and received a Dean Goodman Choice Award for Principal Performance. Other previous credits include work at the California Shakespeare Theater, Marin Fringe, several other productions at the New Conservatory including Salam Shalom - A Tale of Passion, The Last Sunday in June, and completed Double Spaced - A Berkeley Comedy, an indie feature, playing a young alpha male nerd.  David is a Cincinnati native, and an Ohio State University alumnus.  He would like to thank Del & Jason for believing in him, his mom, Elise, Nar & Boo for their love and support.

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T. Ashanti received a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Southern California.  He has performed in numerous theatrical productions throughout Los Angeles and London.  His favorite roles include: “Feste the Clown” in The Twelfth Night, “Belize” in Angels in America: Perestrokia, “Guy Smith” in In the Boom Boom Room, “Duke Vincentio” in Measure for Measure and “Othello” in Othello the Moor.  In addition to acting, Ashanti is a gifted dancer, writer, clothing designer and stylist.  Ashanti would like to thank his mom for all of her love and guidance, his family, friends and the wonderful cast for all of their support.

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David was last seen in the critically acclaimed play, Eat Me for which he was nominated for an L.A. Weekly award. New York credits include: Down Hearted Blues with Jenifer Holiday at the Chelsea Playhouse, The Heidi Chronicles at the Gloria Maddox Theatre, The Witness at the Chernuchin Theatre, The Life of Ben Caldwell at the Shomberg. Film/TV include: As the World Turns, official 2003 selection: Tom Clay Jesus. He would like to thank Del for his support and generosity as well as the opportunity to work with this wonderful cast.

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Scott hails from a small town in Kentucky called Somerset.  He is a "REAL LIFE SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSY!"  He attended acting school in New York at the New Actors' Workshop, where he studied for two years with Mike Nichols and Paul Sills.  When he moved to LA eleven years ago, a former teacher at his acting school gave him a list of people to contact.  One of them was a guy by the name of Del Shores.  They talked several times about a play that Del was writing about four boys growing up gay in the Southern Baptist church.  You probably see where this is going by now. 

Scott is extremely proud to be a part of this production as he realizes its importance.  He is also very proud that his beautiful husband, Anthony, is a part of this production as the choreographer and an Ikette.

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Chris was born in Detroit and performed in many plays in the area: The Late Great Me, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Cheaper by the Dozen.  He then moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and was cast in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Over the next two years, he did numerous student films and recurred on Malcolm in the Middle.  In 2003 he got his first starring role in Queer Mates which ran for three months.  He has since studied with Brian Reise and now is at the Groundlings school of improv, chasing his real passion.

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L.A seemed like the last place to end up for a small town Kansas boy, but it’s funny how fate works out.  After graduating from a class of 49 students, Tim made his way to college on a football scholarship.  When a knee injury ended his career, he stumbled into the theatre department at the University of Missouri and found his true calling.  After doing several plays at the university, Tim went to New York for a summer break.  There he auditioned for a casting director who convinced him to move to L.A.  Shortly after arriving, Tim booked the lead in a film that took him to Africa for several months.  Tim has continued to stay busy.  He recently finished shooting a film titled Denying Yoko, and will soon be seen playing Annette Bening’s son in Mrs. Harris, due out in 2006.  Tim would like to thank his family for their unrelenting support and Del and the rest of the Shores production family for giving him the opportunity to get back into the theatre and work with such a talented group of people.

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Ann most recently appeared as “Betty” in Defying Gravity for The Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, CA, where she for which she received a Robby nomination. Previously, she appeared in a 10-month run of Del Shores’ play, Southern Baptist Sissies, both in Los Angeles and Dallas, Texas. Her portrayal of “Odette Annette Barnett” garnered her a Robby Award, a Maddy award, as well as the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a nomination for The Ovation Award.

L.A. theatre-goers have also enjoyed her in other award-winning productions such as BD (for which she received a Drama-Logue award and the Robby Award for Best Actress in a Drama), How the Other Half Loves, Steel Magnolias, The Glass Menagerie, Daughters of the Lone Star State and another Del Shores’ comedy hit Sordid Lives in which Ann played “LaVonda Dupree”, a role she reprised in the award winning film also starring Olivia Newton-John, Delta Burke and Beau Bridges. It has achieved an enormous following in Palm Springs bordering on cult-status. Some of Ann’s other film credits include: Father of the Bride II, The Fantastics, It Takes Two, Soulman, and The Jagged Edge. TV guest appearances include: Las Vegas, Sex, Love & Secrets, JAG, Passions, and Mad TV. You can look for some of her movies-of-the-week on the Lifetime Network: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story, She’s No Angel, and Willing To Kill – The Texas Cheerleader Story.

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Joe Pat is thrilled to be back “in church” with Del!  He created the dual roles of “Brother Chaffey” and “Houston” in the original 2000 production of Southern Baptist Sissies (as well as musical-directed the show).  He also collaborated with Del on the award-winning play The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife (2003 Ovation Nominee), composing the show’s songs, co-writing the lyrics and appearing onstage as the pianist.

Joe wrote the songs to the cult hit musical Judy’s Scary Little Christmas (another Ovation Award winner) which has enjoyed sold-out engagements in Los Angeles, Portland, Des Moines and Chicago.  The original cast album was recorded a few months ago.

Joe wrote the music and lyrics for Leslie Jordan’s off-Broadway show Hysterical Blindness & Other Southern Tragedies, which ran for seven months at the Soho Playhouse in NYC, then played in L.A., Richmond and Fort Worth (in a production Joe also directed).  Joe Pat wrote the book, music and lyrics for the satirical musical The Grave White Way (2001 Ovation Nominee), at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood.  Other L.A. songwriting credits include She’s a Handful, In Sherwood and Plum Pink Pedicure.  He has written songs for several films in development at Warner Brothers, and was the head writer/songwriter for the NPR comedy broadcast Propaganda Radio. 

Joe’s current musical Fools For Broadway (for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics) is currently being workshopped by the acclaimed Directors Company in New York.  His numerous original songs have been sung by many Broadway vets, including John Raitt, Loretta Devine, Jason Graae, Davis Gaines, Ken Page, Harry Groener, Stephen Schwartz, Sharon McNight, Billy Porter, Susan Egan, Mary Bond Davis, Valarie Pettiford, Gregory Jbara and Billy Barnes.  Joe is a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild.

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Dorinda hails all the way from New Jersey by the way of Kentucky.  The Kentucky part is from her Mamma.  Dorinda has studied in New York City at such conservatories as Stella Adler and William Esper and many more that would bore you to death.  Dorinda also has done work here in LA with the 68 Cent Crew and the Actor’s Showcase.  She is so excited and honored to be part of a Season of Shores.  She would like to thank Del and Jason for this opportunity.  She would also like to thank Mom, Dad, Kimberly, Wendy, Abigail, Kira, Lou, Katerina, and Annabelle.  Also to my girls - Katherine, Sonja, and Heather.  Without all of you, I would not be there.  Follow your dreams.  

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Anthony hails from St. Louis, MO, and has studied jazz, hip-hop, street dance and theatre at the University of MO-Columbia, Minnesota Dance Theatre and has over 15 years of dance and choreography experience. He has performed in a variety of stage, video and television productions. His credits include Prince’s CD-ROM The Beautiful Experience, Glam Slam’s Erotic City Cabaret and Richard Simmons' Blast Off! fitness video series. He has choreographed for Horst’s Aveda Congress, Girbaud Jeans and a variety of song, dance, special events and theatrical production, Tony Jarris's Tell Veronica, Del Shores' Southern Baptist Sissies. He currently is in production with a new musical and Special Events Cabaret, Creation Temptation (www.creationtemptation.com) and has been employed as a dancer for seven years with The Wayne Foster Orchestra and teaches his unique Hip-Hop-Jazz dance choreography at 24 Hour Fitness- West Hollywood. He is a “constant creator” who continues to deliver energetic and innovative performances!

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Kathi has worked at theatres all over from Sacramento to Los Angeles.  This includes: the Odyssey, Wallenboyd, Japanese American Theatre, Ventura College Opera Workshop, CAST, Zephyr, Electric Lodge, Stella Adler, LATC, Met, PRT, Hayworth, Hudson, Rubicon in Ventura, and Santa Barbara Ensemble Theatre to name a few. She is the resident Lighting Designer at The Fountain Theatre in Hollywood.  She earned her Equity card for stage-managing Edith Stein at the Zephyr in San Francisco.  She has stage-managed, designed lights, been part of a running crew, assisted directors, emceed and almost anything else that needs to be done. Her experience covers theatre, musicals, nightclubs, dance, comedy and special events.

A recipient of multiple awards that include LA Weekly, Backstage West, LADCC and two Theatre LA Ovation Awards (4 nominations), LADCC Angstrom Award for Career Achievement in Lighting Design and LA Weekly Award for Career Achievement.

Kathi is thrilled to be part of Del's year at the Zephyr and to bring the Sissies to light at The Zephyr for a third time.  Looking forward to all the sordid lives to follow.

Jason is Vice President of Development for Del Shores Productions. He and Shores have several pilots in the works. One of these, Intersections, is being developed in conjunction with Cary Brokaw (Angels in America, Closer).
 
Through the years, Jason has also produced and co-produced a variety of concerts and benefits throughout California, including a sold-out rock show in Hollywood headlined by rock/soul diva Debby Holiday, and fundraisers in Palm Springs and L.A. benefitting Sloan Kettering and cancer research.
 
On the literary front, Jason is the author of a new book Unlock the Box.  Collaborating with actress/photographer Rosemary Alexander ("Dr. Eve" from the film version of Sordid Lives), Unlock the Box extends the artistic measure of the written word into visual photographic media.
 
Jason will also produce the film version of Southern Baptist Sissies, joining forces with Shores, producer Victoria Alonso, and five-time Emmy Award winning producer Alice West ("Picket Fences", "LA Law", "The  Practice",  "Ally McBeal") under their new production company Far From Right Productions.

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Jeff has been a nationally exhibited and collected painter for over twenty years.  He has created sets for plays in Chicago, New York and most recently Los Angeles where he has garnered attention for his work on plays as diverse as Sight Unseen, Cheyenne and “Sylvia”.  In addition, his backdrops have graced the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Time.   Jeff lives in Hollywood with his wife, author/illustrator Courtney Watkins, and Tate.  www.jeffrobinsonartist.com

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Sonja hails from Marietta, GA, and left a marketing career in San Francisco where she was cast in the play Echoes.  She studied acting at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, and with Ed Hooks in San Francisco, CA.  She made her move to LA 3 years ago and has since starred in the indie films, Beneath The Mississippi and Banana Moon.  She starred in the Audience award-winning Life for a Life and US Air Marshalls for the 78-Hour Film Festival.  Sonja is a proud member of the 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company.  The love of her life is Jonathan.  She became is mentor through her work with the orphanage Holly Grove.

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has worn many hats (not to mention wigs and heels) in recent Del Shores productions. He appeared several times as "Benny" in 2002's run of Southern Baptist Sissies and served as Costume Designer for The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife. He is most excited to tackle his latest roles of Stage Manager and Costume Designer for a “Season of Shores” at the Zephyr Theatre. As an accomplished actor and singer, Craig appeared (as "Miss Bible Belt") in the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of Pageant. His costumes for Trailer Trash Housewife garnered local praise and were nominated for an NAACP Award. Craig is humbled, flattered, and honored to be a part of the Del Shores Productions family. He is constantly awed and inspired by the talent, spirit, and energy of this amazing ensemble of players... and he looks forward to the journey ahead with each of them... every "sordid" minute of it.

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Joe Pat is thrilled to be back “in church” with Del!  He created the dual roles of “Brother Chaffey” and “Houston” in the original 2000 production of Southern Baptist Sissies (as well as musical-directed the show).  He also collaborated with Del on the award-winning play The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife (2003 Ovation Nominee), composing the show’s songs, co-writing the lyrics and appearing onstage as the pianist.

Joe wrote the songs to the cult hit musical Judy’s Scary Little Christmas (another Ovation Award winner) which has enjoyed sold-out engagements in Los Angeles, Portland, Des Moines and Chicago.  The original cast album was recorded a few months ago.

Joe wrote the music and lyrics for Leslie Jordan’s off-Broadway show Hysterical Blindness & Other Southern Tragedies, which ran for seven months at the Soho Playhouse in NYC, then played in L.A., Richmond and Fort Worth (in a production Joe also directed).  Joe Pat wrote the book, music and lyrics for the satirical musical The Grave White Way (2001 Ovation Nominee), at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood.  Other L.A. songwriting credits include She’s a Handful, In Sherwood and Plum Pink Pedicure.  He has written songs for several films in development at Warner Brothers, and was the headwriter/songwriter for the NPR comedy broadcast Propaganda Radio. 

Joe’s current musical Fools For Broadway (for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics) is currently being workshopped by the acclaimed Directors Company in New York.  His numerous original songs have been sung by many Broadway vets, including John Raitt, Loretta Devine, Jason Graae, Davis Gaines, Ken Page, Harry Groener, Stephen Schwartz, Sharon McNight, Billy Porter, Susan Egan, Mary Bond Davis, Valarie Pettiford, Gregory Jbara and Billy Barnes.  Joe is a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild.

Southern Baptist Sissies is Del Shores' fifth installment of Texas-based comedic plays with heart.  The play originally opened at the Zephyr Theatre on September 21, 2000.  It will reopen on January 13th (previews begin January 6, 2006) to launch A Season of Shores - the revival of all six Shores plays.  The GLAAD Award-Winning Southern Baptist Sissies has made L.A. history - as the longest running play on the Zephyr Theatre's stage.  The theatre celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2006.

Del Shores

Joe Patrick Ward

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Tate Taylor, Michael Taylor Gray, Sam A. McConkey, and Robert Lewis Stephenson

Southern Baptist Sissies marks Del Shores' fifth installment of Texas-based comedic plays with heart.  The play is scheduled to run from September 21, 2000 through June 24, 2001 at the Zephyr Theatre.

Del Shores

Joe Patrick Ward

Written and Directed by Del Shores, Southern Baptist Sissies reunites several cast members from his soon-to-be released feature film Sordid Lives, including Leslie Jordan, Ann Walker, Rosemary Alexander, Newell Alexander, and Robert Lewis Stephenson. Tate Taylor, Sam A. McConkey, and Michael Taylor Gray are brought into the Shores’ family, completing the flawless casting. Joe Patrick Ward has been tapped as musical director. Southern Baptist Sissies is the story of four gay men raised in the Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. We are first introduced to Mark (Stephenson), our storyteller, who wants to try and change the world, but how? He is conflicted because he knows that hate, preached in the name of the Lord, is sometimes done with good intentions, by good people who simply think they are doing the right thing. Our second “sissy” tries not to be one at all. After a brief relationship with Mark, T.J. (Taylor) decides to suppress his true self, for one that the church embraces. Benny (Gray), our third and “the biggest sissy” of them all (who embraces his homosexuality with perhaps a bit too much fervor), decides to explore his true self -- through the eyes and clothes of some of today’s biggest country divas! Andrew (McConkey) is our last and most troubled “sissy.” Throughout the play, Mark recreates their childhood sermons and beautiful traditional hymns, all while challenging the Preacher (N. Alexander), his mother (R. Alexander), and ultimately himself. Interspersed throughout the play, we are introduced to a couple of hysterical, yet tragic alcoholics (Jordan and Walker) that amuse and entertain with their banter – yet ultimately question many of the same things as Mark. Most questions are left unanswered, but he is able to release some of his own hate, and in Mark’s world, hope begins to be whispered everywhere.

April 12, 2002

 Southern Baptist Sissies marks Del Shores' fifth installment of Texas-based comedic plays with heart.  The play is scheduled to run from April 19, 2002 – June 9, 2002 (The original production ran at the Zephyr Theatre from September 21, 2000 through June 24, 2001).

Del Shores

Joe Patrick Ward

Written and Directed by Del Shores, Southern Baptist Sissies reunites several cast members from feature film Sordid Lives, including Leslie Jordan, Rosemary Alexander, Newell Alexander, Dale Dickey and Robert Lewis Stephenson. Completing the cast for the 8-week limited engagement are Ted Detwiler, Tommy Woelfel, and Scott Presley.  In addition, Joe Patrick Ward is back as musical director.

 Southern Baptist Sissies is the story of four gay men raised in the Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. We are first introduced to Mark (Stephenson), our storyteller, who wants to try and change the world, but how? He is conflicted because he knows that hate, preached in the name of the Lord, is sometimes done with good intentions, by good people who simply think they are doing the right thing. Our second “sissy” tries not to be one at all.  After a brief relationship with Mark, T.J. (Detwiler) decides to suppress his true self, for one that the church embraces. Benny (Presley), our third and “the biggest sissy” of them all (who embraces his homosexuality with perhaps a bit too much fervor), decides to explore his true self -- through the eyes and clothes of some of today’s biggest country divas! Andrew (Woelfel) is our last and most troubled “sissy.”  Throughout the play, Mark recreates their childhood sermons and beautiful traditional hymns, all while challenging the Preacher (N. Alexander), his mother (R. Alexander), and ultimately himself. Interspersed throughout the play, we are introduced to a couple of hysterical, yet tragic alcoholics (Jordan and Dickey) that amuse and entertain with their banter – yet ultimately question many of the same things as Mark. Most questions are left unanswered, but he is able to release some of his own hate, and in Mark’s world, hope begins to be whispered everywhere.

Scott Presley, Tommy Woelful, Ted Detwiler, and Robert Lewis Stephenson