September 19 — 20
Ned Newley doesn’t even want to be governor. He’s terrified of public speaking; his poll numbers are impressively bad. To his ever-supportive Chief of Staff, Ned seems destined to fail. But political consultant Audrey Vance sees things differently: Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office. Unless the public is looking for the worst candidate to ever run for office.... A timely and hilarious comedy that skewers politics and celebrates democracy.
Meet our director and cast
Jerry Colbert (Director / A. C. Peterson)has once again gathered a stellar cast of performers who ignore everything he tells them. One of a director's challenges is to get out of the actors' way and let them do what they want; they're going to anyway, so why stress. Fortunately, the actors are generally more competent than he is, so it works out. The one exception in this case is the actor playing A. C. Peterson. I'm not too sure about that guy, but I'd run out of options. My wife, Tobi, has demanded I mention her in this bio. I'm also to recognize my cats, Max and Penny Lane, even though I don't think they care.
Tonya Bludsworth (Paige Caldwell) is a Charlotte actress, director, writer and Casting Director whose love for this crazy entertainment industry spans over 20 years. She is super excited to be back at the Storefront Theatre for a staged reading after previously appearing in “2 Across”. Other theatre highlights include Monica in the World Premiere of The Great Beyond by Steven Dietz and Mona in Oslo. Some directing highlights include: The Play That Goes Wrong, Lonely Planet, The Importance of Being Earnest and Eureka Day.
Pat Heiss (Narrator) is pleased to return to The Storefront Theatre stage where it’s always fun to perform for its appreciative audiences. She has been part of the Charlotte and regional theatre scene for years, and recently performed in Shakespeare in Love at CPCC, Sister Act at Matthews Playhouse, and in Bob’s Your Elf at Storefront. She has been the Board President at Theatre Charlotte, and has received numerous awards for her theatrical appearances and contributions to the arts.
Liz Hyde (Audrey Vance) is delighted to be back at Storefront as she loves doing Reader's Theatre. This past year she was seen in Mean Ladies and The Aurelia Women's League Flower and Garden Show Gala Planning Committee. More recently, in her hometown of Gastonia, Liz performed with Storefront favorite, Eleanor Wixson in The Waverly Gallery. Other recent shows include Titanic, Godspell, and Murder on the Nile. For 17 years, Liz toured the country with Menopause the Musical, including several months with the Las Vegas cast. Next up, Liz will be seen in the concert version of Les Miserables at First United Methodist Church Theatre in Gastonia. She is very grateful to Judy and Jerry for this opportunity and to her husband, Marc Hyde for his unwavering support!
A veteran performer who first took the stage at the age of six, Kasey Latham (Louise Peakes) is happy to be working at Storefront with this great cast, director, and producer. Since coming back to the stage after a lengthy hiatus, Kasey has appeared as Lillian Troy in I Hate Hamlet with the Union County Players, Emma Cristano in Over the River and Through the Woods at Theatre Charlotte, and Bertha in Elyse Williams’ Rocking Chairs. She particularly enjoyed the role of Olga in Storefront’s Theatre People last season. Kasey is a freelance editor, living in Charlotte with her husband and their neurologically challenged cat, Willoughby.
Jordan Marmara (Ned Newley) is a Curriculum Coach for UCPS and is based at Cuthbertson High School. When he’s not teaching teachers, he spends time cooking, petting his dogs, and hoping his wife will finish her craft projects. Being a car enthusiast, he recently launched a podcast, “The Drivers Line”, about all things sports car related. Jordan is excited to be back at Storefront.
Karissa Maxwell McKee (Rachel Parsons) is thrilled to be back at Storefront Theatre following her debut in last season’s We Like Short-Shorts 10-minute play festival and reading for the role of Margot in Theatre People, or the Angel Next Door. Her other stage credits include starring in Theatre Charlotte's production of Every Brilliant Thing and Over The River and Through the Woods (Caitlin O’Hare), QC Concert’s The Cher Show (Lady), and Post Mortem Players’ upcoming production of Maison des Horreurs: An Evening at the Grand Guignol (Paula Maxa).
Brandon Samples (Dave Riley) has appeared in Storefront's 1963, Rose's Dilemma, The Tangled Skirt and We Like Short-Shorts in recent years. He has been fortunate enough to perform with several other theatre companies in the Charlotte area. Brandon appeared in ATC's productions of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike as well as Bad Jews. He also performed in Theatre Charlotte's The Normal Heart and CPCC Summer Theatre's Over the River and Through the Woods and Boeing Boeing. Brandon received his BA in Acting from Lees-McRae College and he currently resides in Davidson with his wonderful wife, Jena, and their dogs.