Patience — Other Information
Patience Plot Synopsis
Act I: The village maidens, despairing because their idol, aesthetic poet Reginald Bunthorne, is “coy and cares for none,” learn that Bunthorne loves Patience, the village milkmaid. Patience (who says she has never loved) announces that the 35th Dragoon Guards have returned to the village. This news fails to interest the newly “etherealized” maidens despite the fact that they were all engaged to these “fleshly men” the year before.
The dragoons arrive in fine martial style calculated to stir feminine admiration, only to find the maidens too engrossed with Bunthorne to notice them. Bunthorne, “alone and unobserved,” reveals the truth: he is only posing as an aesthetic poet in order to get attention. Patience, rebuffing him, seeks guidance from Lady Angela, who explains that True Love is always Unselfish. Angela’s inquiries reveal that years before, Patience had loved her playmate, a little boy. An attentive stranger turns out to be this very playfellow – Archibald (“The All Right”) Grosvenor, a genuine aesthete. Since loving so perfect a being would not require the unselfishness specified for True Love, Patience sadly rejects him.
The maidens provide an aesthetic escort for the disconsolate Bunthorne who (by the advice of his solicitor) has decided to “put himself up to be raffled for.” Interrupting the proceedings, Patience offers her hand to Bunthorne. The maidens seek consolation with the dragoons, until the arrival of the true aesthetic poet, Grosvenor, unleashes a feminine “Florentine fourteenth-century frenzy.”
Act II: Lady Jane alone remains faithful to Bunthorne, hoping she will “reap her reward” before her charms decline. Grosvenor, hotly pursued by the enraptured maidens, tries to convince them of the hopelessness of their passion. Giving them the slip, he meets Patience, who confides that True Love with Bunthorne is less than idyllic. Without the adulation of the maidens, Bunthorne, too is unhappy. Finding a staunch ally in Lady Jane, he resolves to beat Grosvenor “on his own ground.” Meanwhile, the Colonel, Major, and Duke have reached a similar conclusion and are bent on winning back the admiration of the maidens by adopting aestheticism. Angela and Saphir are properly impressed, although the question remains as to which lucky girl should win the “great matrimonial fish” – the Duke. Bunthorne, by means of dire threats, forces Grosvenor to become commonplace. The surprising result is a general unaesthetic “transfiguration” which leaves the discontented Bunthorne with only a “vegetable love.”
Historical and Individual References in Colonel Cavalry’s Song,
“If You Want a Receipt.”
The pluck of Lord Nelson on board of the Victory – Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Horatio Nelson (1758-1805): English naval hero. Under his command the British naval forces inflicted a major defeat on the French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson, who lost his life in the battle, is memorialized by a statue on an exceedingly tall pedestal in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Victory – Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar and still preserved as a museum ship at Portsmouth. To G&S fans she is best known as the prototype for H.M.S. Pinafore. Gilbert is supposed to have visited the Victory in 1878 and made sketches of the rigging and deck arrangements for his forthcoming nautical opera.
genius of Bismarck – Otto von Bismarck (1815-98): the creator and first chancellor of the newly united German Empire (1871). Before “the Iron Chancellor’s” time, the German people were divided among what Winston Churchill described as “pumpernickel principalities.”
the humour of Fielding, which sounds contradictory – Nearly all writers on the subject propose that this refers to Henry Fielding (1707-54), a London magistrate, playwright, and novelist, best known for his novel Tom Jones.
coolness of Paget about to trepan – Sir James Paget (1814-99), a British surgeon and pathologist who taught at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.
trepan – To cut a circular plug out of someone’s skull, preferably not your own.
a smack of Lord Waterford, reckless and rollicky – Presumably refers to the Beresford family, the Marquis of Waterford, in Ireland. The family had a reputation for daring and, often, notorious shenanigans. Henry Beresford, the third marquis, was killed in a hunting accident. Another made his mark as an admiral, and one was known as “the mad marquis.”
swagger of Roderick, heading his clan – There are several possibilities here. The strongest candidate, by far, is Sir Walter Scott’s Roderick Dhu, of “haughty mien and lordly air.” He was the overbearing Highland chieftain in Scott’s poem “The Lady of the Lake.”
the keen penetration of Paddington Pollaky – Most authorities agree this refers to a highly successful and internationally famous private detective whose office was at Paddington Green, London. His real name was Ignatius Paul Pollaky.
grace of an odalisque on a divan – A concubine in a Turkish harem. Strictly speaking, an odalisque was simply a female Turkish slave. Undraped odalisques reclining on divans were popular subjects of erotic paintings of the day.
Hannibal – Carthaginian general and great tactical genius who lived about 247-183 B.C. He is best known for leading his troops and elephants across the Alps to attack Rome. After many military successes in Italy he was finally defeated without ever taking Rome. He returned to Carthage but went into exile, where he died by his own hand.
skill of Sir Garnet in thrashing a cannibal – This refers to Sir Garnet Wolseley, who in the 1870s was the leader of successful military campaigns against native African leaders both in the Gold Coast and in South Africa. He was later made a viscount and now is generally referred to as Lord Wolseley.
Hamlet – “The melancholy Dane,” tragic protagonist of what many believe to be Shakespeare’s greatest play.
The Stranger – The protagonist of a then well-known play of Augustus Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (1761-1819), translated from German into English by Benjamin Thompson and published and performed under the title The Stranger.
little of Manfred, but not very much of him – The most likely candidate is the gloomy hero of Lord Byron’s dramatic poem of the same name. This character, supposedly Byron’s self-image, lived as a recluse in an Alpine castle, haunted by remorse for his incestuous role in his sister’s suicide.
Beadle of Burlington – This is almost assuredly the beadle, or uniformed attendant, who maintains decorum in the Burlington Arcade off Piccadilly. The arcade is still very much in business and still maintains a corps of retired military officers who serve as beadles, uniforms and all.
Richardson’s show – In his book Sketches by Boz – Illustrative of Every-Day Life of Every-Day People, Charles Dickens describes this traveling theatrical troupe as he witnessed it at the Greenwich Fair: “This immense booth, with the large stage in front, so brightly illuminated with variegated lamps, and pots of burning fat, is ‘Richardson’s,’ where you have a melodrama, with three murders and a ghost, a pantomime, a comic song, an overture, and some incidental music, all done in five-and-twenty minutes.”
Mr. Micawber – A character in Dickens’s David Copperfield. He was a shiftless fellow, but always full of unjustified optimism.
Madame Tussaud – Marie Tussaud (1760-1850) was a Swiss who learned wax modeling in Paris and founded her now-famous London wax museum in the early 1800s.
fusible – Capable of being melted or liquefied.
pipkin – A small baked clay pot.
crucible – A bowl in which metals, ores, etc., can be melted.
The Patience Cast and Production Staff Biographies
The Principals
Sam Vinitsky
Reginald Bunthorne
Sam is quivering with rapturous thrills to be appearing onstage with the GSVLOC for the fifth time. His previous engagements with the company include playing CoCo in The McAdo, as well as several cover roles (the title role in The Sorcerer, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore). His favorite (non-GSVLOC) past roles include Vlad in Anastasia, Bobby in Urinetown, and the Cat in Honk. When not making silly faces onstage, you can usually find Sam making silly faces with his favorite niece (and nephew).
Mallory Rabehl
Patience
Mallory is delighted to be returning for her sixth consecutive production with the GSVLOC. This company has become a true source of joy in her life, and it is an honor to be playing Patience in this production. Mallory was first seen on the GSVLOC stage as Isabel in the 2022 The Pirates of Penzance, and most recently as Wee Jo in the Gilbert Cast of The McAdo. A 2021 graduate from Concordia College in Moorhead, Mallory sang in the Concordia Choir for three years, serving as the Student Manager in her senior year. She studied Music and Business (Marketing) and now works in the Minnesota Orchestra’s Development Department. Mallory also manages the tour for the Concordia Chapel Choir and serves on the GSVLOC Board. She is now doing a little bit of everything that she loves and is grateful to collaborate with the high-caliber musicians of this cast.
Joe Allen
Archibald Grosvenor
As a stage actor and opera singer, Joe has practiced, in his person, the principles of performance for a full fifteen years; (Theatre Latte Da, Minnesota Opera, Full Circle Theatre, Lyric Arts, Duluth Playhouse, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Collide Theatrical, Lakes Area Music Festival, et al.) He feels most at home with the GSVLOC, as this is his twelfth main stage production with the company in over a decade, from The Grand Duke (2014) he’s come now almost all the way around the G & S zodiac. Joe is most fulfilled when collaboratively co-creating with his body, soul, voice, and mind amongst his kith and kin.
Lara Trujillo
The Lady Jane
Lara has appeared in the Ordway Theater’s productions of In the Heights, and in My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, as well as at the Guthrie Theater, in 7th House Theater Company’s production of The Passage, at the History Theater in River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story and J.D. Steele’s Snapshots: Life in the City, at The Pantages in HAIR, in Joe Chvala’s production of Heaven at Park Square Theater, as well as in productions with Minnesota Opera, Mill City Summer Opera, Theater Latte Da, Teatro del Pueblo, Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, Artistry and Mu Performing Arts. Some of her favorite roles include The Witch in Into the Woods, Anita in West Side Story and Eva Peron in Evita. Lara directed and appeared in Full Circle Theater Company’s production of Atacama, at Park Square Theater. This is Lara’s sixteenth appearance with the GSVLOC, having performed in previous productions of Iolanthe, The Yeomen of the Guard, Utopia, Limited, The Sorcerer, Orpheus in the Underworld, The Mikado, Ruddigore, and The Pirates of Penzance. Lara has also appeared with the GSVLOC and the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, in concert versions of H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. She is immensely grateful to her husband, Stephen, and to her family and friends who continually offer her their love, support, and encouragement.
Eric Sorum
Colonel Calverley
Eric makes his return to the GSVLOC as Colonel Calverly in Patience. He previously played Antonio in 2017’s The Gondoliers. Eric has frequently appeared with the Minnesota Opera chorus, the Bach Society of Minnesota, and many other ensembles as a singer and director. After a hiatus from the stage after 2020, he auditioned on a whim for Shakespeare’s Macbeth with Classics Lost and Found community theater and was offered the lead role. Eric’s ambition for theater returned, and he is looking forward to future productions. Over the years you may have also seen him recommending a pack of craft beer to you at one of the great bottle shops in south Minneapolis. Most recently, Eric has worked as a web developer and continues to chase new opportunities in the field of software. He lives in the Powderhorn neighborhood with his wife, Kristina, and their dog, Joy.
Hannah Pantano
The Lady Angela
Hannah is thrilled to be returning to the GSVLOC after performing in H.M.S. Pinafore in 2023! She is so grateful to be sharing the stage with these wildly talented and kind humans. Life is short and unpredictable, and the stories we tell together help us live in the moments we have and make sense of the rest. Hannah has worked with Yellow Tree Theatre, Skylark Opera, Ashland Productions, and many other theatres across the Twin Cities, with favorite roles including Titania in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical, and Rosalind in As You Like It. She spends the rest of her time trying to keep up with her two boys (and drinking lots of coffee in the process) and sewing custom wedding wear and clothing. All her heart goes to her husband and best friend.
Adam Arnold
Major Murgatroyd
Adam returns to the subversive world of the GSVLOC after performing this past fall as “that big guy” in The McAdo. Additional onstage credits include Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Minneapolis Musical Theater, Umbrella Collective, The Phipps, Artistry, College Light Opera Company, and Chanhassen Dinner Theaters. Enamored by the illimitable connections between theater and mental health, Adam founded Blank Slate Theatre in 2006, spending eleven years there as Artistic Director, collaborating with ability and culturally diverse adolescents (all of whom are somehow now adults) to produce over two dozen theater pieces centering on themes of mental health and social change, including the award-winning Disordered [thy name is teenager], and Bottom, a play on child sex trafficking. Adam ardently considered a career as a military man until he realized he could serve his country in other ways, like dancing onstage with an oversized flower.
Natalie Dulka
The Lady Saphir
Natalie is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist who has created, performed in, and directed productions across the metro area at Lyric Arts, Lakeshore Players Theatre, Raison d’Etre Opera, and more. They recently debuted their solo comedy cabaret, Chronically Single. Outside of the theatre, Natalie is a professional church vocalist, pet sitter, and IT project manager. The hustle, as they say, never stops. To keep up with Natalie’s various projects and passions, follow them on Instagram @nataliedulka or check out the website they pay $23/month for: nataliedulka.com
Graham Remple
Lieutenant, the Duke of Dunstable
A native of the Twin Cities, tenor Graham is so excited to be returning to GSVLOC in this production! He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Concordia College in Moorhead, where he was a member and Student President of The Concordia Choir under the direction of Dr. René Clausen. During his time at Concordia, Graham participated in the NATS vocal competition where he was a two-time finalist, and he portrayed Herr Frank in the school’s first ever opera production: Die Fledermaus. After completing his undergraduate studies, he moved to Evanston, Illinois where he attended Northwestern University, and began his Master of Music in Voice and Opera Performance. There, Graham studied under W. Stephen Smith and learned several operatic roles. Notable roles include: Eisenstien in Die Fledermaus, Il Pastore in L’Orfeo, Fabian in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You, and Rodolfo in La Bohème. After completing his Master of Music degree in the spring of 2022, Graham moved back to the Minneapolis area and became a member of the Minnesota Opera Chorus. Since joining Minnesota Opera, he has been involved in their productions of La Fille du Régiment and L’elisir d’Amore. This spring, Graham will once again be in the chorus for their production of The Barber of Seville!
Mary Kettlewell
Lady Ella
Previously featured as Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore, Princess Zara in Utopia, Limited, and Wynn Somme in The McAdo, Mary is ecstatic to perform in her fifth GSVLOC show! Mary holds a Bachelor of Art in Music from the University of Missouri Columbia (2016) and a Masters in Voice Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder (2018). Originally from Columbia, Missouri, she has performed across the Midwest and beyond with Opera in the Ozarks, Opera NEO, Missouri Symphony Society, Boulder Bach Festival, Loveland Opera Theater, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Inversion Ensemble, LOLA – Local Opera Local Artists, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin, the American Traditions Vocal Competition in Savannah, Georgia, Opera Reading Project, VocalEssence, and Lakes Area Music Festival. Outside of the world of music, Mary is a passionate arts administrator and serves as Director of Academic Administration at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is also an experimental crafter, foodie, mediocre cribbage player, plant mom, and aggressive cornhole enthusiast.
Dean Laurance
Mr. Bunthorne’s Solicitor
Dean thought he had retired for the last time after The McAdo last fall, but he forgot the role of the Solicitor in Patience which requires very little stage time and a little singing only in the Second Act Finale. The part is little more than a supernumerary, but was ideal for him for it gave him a chance to be on stage one last time without having to endure many three hour rehearsals which taxed his endurance at age ninety. In asking for this role, it was the first time that he ever specified, “Principal Only.” He closes his career after performing for almost forty-six years, starting with the GSVLOC’s founding in 1979.
The Ensemble
Claire Bias
Claire is so excited to join the GSVLOC for her fourth show: this time … ON stage as a singer! Previously, Claire served behind the scenes as the Wardrobe Supervisor for the GSVLOC, including The McAdo, Utopia, Limited, and H.M.S Pinafore. Claire is from Alden, Minnesota and received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Concordia College, Moorhead in 2020. As a poor college student, Claire served as a dresser and stitcher for the Lyric Opera of the North’s productions of Les Uncomfortables, Rigoletto, and Don Giovanni. A thespian at heart, Claire has been involved in music and theater since childhood. Claire was fortunate to sing Alto 1 in The Concordia Choir for three years under Dr. Renè Clausen. She has sung professionally with The Fargo-Moorhead Opera (Alcina, Die Zauberflöte, The Pirates of Penzance, Die Fledermaus) and Lyric Opera of the North (Don Giovanni). Two of Claire’s great loves are music and brains, which create her chosen career path as a Music Therapist! Claire is currently working towards earning her Master’s degree and board-certification in Music Therapy at Augsburg University. Claire also teaches early childhood music at The MacPhail Center for Music.
Robert Banks
Robert is a tenor, newly moved back to Minnesota after six years in Georgia. This is his debut with the GSVLOC, singing in the ensemble and covering The Lieutenant, the Duke of Dunstable. Robert has performed in three different productions of The Pirates of Penzance and is very excited to be diving into more of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon.
Tom Berg
By day, Tom teaches constitutional law and intellectual property law at the University of Saint Thomas. Like many other lawyers over the decades, he has an affinity for the absurdly logical mind of the failed barrister W. S. Gilbert. Tom’s thirst for attention has been unquenched by performing to law students in the classroom, and he joined the GSVLOC in 2008, appearing in several full productions and summer concerts, including turns as Sir Joseph Porter (H.M.S. Pinafore), Major-General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance), Pish Tush / Chris Tush (The Mikado), Scaphio (Utopia, Limited), and the Notary (The Grand Duke). His other recent roles include the Major-General in The Pirates of Penzance (Cross Community Players), Jacey Squires (barbershop first tenor) in The Music Man (Rosetown Playhouse), and the Tour Guide in the world premiere of Cole Porter’s (reconstructed) The Ambassadors Revue (Minnsky Theater). With his wife Maureen Kane Berg (stage director of GSVLOC’s spring 2024 production of Utopia, Limited), Tom co-directed an all-lawyer comedy troupe in Chicago; he co-composed the music for Maureen’s musical comedy, Got It Made, which has played in the Twin Cities and across the country; and their latest musical (with another collaborator), A House Divided, has had productions or staged readings in Philadelphia, Lexington, Kentucky, and the Twin Cities. Their other major collaborative productions are two grown sons, Brendan and Aidan.
Jancyn Bindman
Jancyn is thrilled to be joining the GSVLOC for Patience! She was ensorcelled with Gilbert and Sullivan ever since her father, shocking I know, made her watch Kevin Kline as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance at the impressionable age of eight. Jancyn immediately set about memorizing the entire libretto while acting out the show in her bedroom, and has attempted to catch the show live whenever possible. She attended Michigan State University to study opera, and would like everyone to know that she’s from the west side, not the east, so as to give her more street cred. Although there was a break in her performing career, Jancyn came back to the stage in 2024 with the roles of Hermia (us) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Babette/Belle (us) in Beauty & the Beast with Rosetown Playhouse, and finished out the year playing Ruth in Blithe Spirit whom she made go mad by the end of the show, so fun!
Katelyn Breen
Other than a few musicals in high school, this is Katelyn’s first real show! She studied music in college and performed in the Macalester Chorale, Macalester Concert Choir, and the Minnesota Chorale. By day, Katelyn works in software development. Outside of work and music, she enjoys traveling, cooking, learning languages, and reading. Katelyn is thrilled to be taking part in Patience.
Kelly Danger
Kelly lives with her two spectacular children, and three predictably enigmatic felines in New Brighton. Yes, her last name really is Danger, and no, she is not a superhero, nor villain (depending on who you ask). This is Kelly’s sixth (and a half) appearance with the GSVLOC, and she is honored to be reprising her recurring portrayal of Third Soprano on the Left from the 2019 production of The New Mikado, the tragically truncated 2020 production of Ruddigore, the remounted production of Ruddigore in 2022, 2023’s The Sorcerer, and 2024’s The McAdo. Other roles of note include, Mrs. Blushington from GSVLOC’s production of Utopia Limited in the spring of 2024, Athena the Android in Artificial (2019 Fringe), Tessie Turra in Gypsy (Lakeshore Players), Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady (Morris Park Players), the titular role in Mary Poppins (SACT), Woman-Who’s-Skirt-is-Too-Tight-to-Get-up-the-Stairs in Rhinoceros (TRP), and First Sea Otter in Mrs. Wilcox’s Fourth Grade production of the original play, Sea Creatures of the Pacific Northwest (She totally got an A on that project and got to wear her friend Laura’s grandmother’s fur coat which was amazing, even though she still sort of feels bad for all those mink). Originally from the Seattle area, Kelly never ceases to marvel that she is fortunate enough to continue treading the boards with such a tremendously talented company.
David Eckenrode
Being the shy retiring type, Dave found release in the theatre when just a lad in Junior High in Maryland and continued throughout his school years. Once in Minnesota, he performed at the Renaissance Festival in the mid 70’s and the early 80’s. He returned in 2003, but this was short-lived, as he then moved to England for three years. Whilst in England, he joined the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus and had the privilege of portraying Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, his first real taste of G&S. Having returned to the colonies, he once again returned to the Renaissance Festival as part of an a cappella madrigal group, The Court Revelers. But the lure of G&S drew him to the GSVLOC in 2008, before doing much more work at the Renaissance Festival as well on other stages throughout the Twin Cities, most notably with Theatre 55. He is excited to return to GSVLOC after a long absence.
Jeff Erickson
Jeff is honored to be returning for his eighth (ninth, if Ruddigore counts twice!) show with the GSVLOC, having most recently appeared in The McAdo, as Pischtusch, and Utopia, Limited, as Sir Bailey Barre. You may have also seen him in The Most Happy Fella, with Skylark Opera Theatre, and My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins), with Morris Park Players. In his free time, Jeff enjoys singing (obviously), playing video games more than he should, playing the piano less than he should, watching terrible reality shows, and not using his Computer Science or French degrees in any way whatsoever. Jeff is also very flattered that you think he looks twenty-two.
Scott A. Gorman
This is Scott’s fifth show with the GSVLOC, and he is thrilled to be back, but he’s wondering why you’re reading the bios, instead of talking with the person you came with. Talk with them now; you can’t talk during the show! But if you’re still reading, recent roles include the daft leader of the McAdo clan in The McAdo (with the GSVLOC), Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore (with the GSVLOC), Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Musical, Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance (with the GSVLOC), and Patsy in Spamalot! Scott currently works as a pastor for a church plant in Uptown, a voiceover and on-camera actor, as well as a freelancer in the digital marketing space. Additionally, he has worked with several other Twin Cities ensembles, such as: Minnesota Opera, Opera 101, The Dale Warland Singers, Minnesota Chorale, and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Surrounded almost entirely by females for the better part of his married life (his wife and four daughters), he now makes his home in the southwest suburbs, with his wife Valerie, and a tiny green ball of avian energy…a parakeet named Zipadee.
Stephen Hage
Stephen’s lifelong passion for Gilbert and Sullivan began in the eighth grade when he was cast as Sir Joseph Porter in his middle school’s production of H.M.S. Pinafore and it’s carried him through the years to this, his forty-seventh appearance in a G&S production … but then, who’s counting!? In addition to appearing on stage, he also serves the GSVLOC as its Producer. Stephen has also performed on stage with Artistry, Mill City Summer Opera and Minnesota Opera. He is active in the Twin Cities’ vibrant film community and has appeared in numerous feature films, short films, commercials, and music videos, in roles ranging from principal, to supporting, to background. By day, he is responsible for Human Resources for the Orion Associates organization of companies, which he does with a wonderful staff of Human Resources professionals, all the while enjoying far too many cups of coffee. Stephen dedicates this, and all that he does, to his wonderful children, Lyndsay, Madeleine, Maya, and Liam … and to his lovely and loving wife, Lara.
Liza Hartshorn
Liza (pronounced Lee-za) is excited to be making her GSVLOC debut and collaborate with so many incredible people and talented artists. Some of her previous roles include Lucy in Bright Star (Saint Croix Art Barn) and The Ghost of Christmas Past / Martha Crachit in A Christmas Carol (Saint Croix Festival Theatre). Liza grew up surrounded by music, singing in choirs and solo competitions as well as playing piano and flute. She found a renewed love for theater after working in the production department of the Rarig Center while attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she graduated from in 2021. Outside of performing, Liza finds a creative outlet in her work in the fields of social media management, video editing, and graphic design. In her free time, she enjoys ballet, thrifting, and finding the best coffee shops wherever she goes.
Tiara Hoque
This is Tiara’s first show with the GSVLOC. In addition to singing with GSVLOC, Tiara is involved in various other theatre companies, takes voice lessons at MacPhail, and has sung in youth programs and choruses with the Minnesota Opera. She had studied voice with various teachers, including Zuther Sheridan, Sara Sawyer, and Erin Livingston. The youngest cast member of Patience, she is delighted to be a part of this show.
Amanda Jensen
Amanda is so excited to be a part of her first show with the GSVLOC! Though she has been active in choirs in the metro area, she hasn’t taken on any acting roles since her musical theater experiences in high school. As an avid theater fan and attendee of shows all around the metro area and beyond, Amanda is beyond thrilled to be making the move from the audience to the stage! She feels truly blessed to be surrounded by so many talented members of the cast and crew, some of which she even recognized from previous performances she attended. When she is not singing, she spends her time as both an educator in the metro area and as a graduate student of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.
Laura LeVoir
This is Laura’s first show with the GSVLOC and she’s thrilled to be working with the best in the biz in this cast. A Minnesota kid through-and-through, she is living the dream as a full-time singer and teacher and works wherever she is paid. A graduate of The Juilliard School (BM ‘14), Rice University (MM ‘18), and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory (DMA ‘23), Laura decided she hadn’t had quite enough school and is moving to London in the fall for an artist diploma program at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama. This show is serving as great preparation for her British adventures!
Richard Rames
Richard enjoys “singing choruses in public” and has appeared in the chorus of almost every performance of the GSVLOC at the Conn Theater since the first production of Patience in 1980. He also sings regularly in other groups, including the Saint Mark’s Cathedral Choral Society, Crescendo Community Chorus, and singing along with his player piano. This is his fifth production of Patience.
Lowell Rice
Patience is Lowell’s five and a halfth show with the GSVLOC (he was in the 2020 and 2022 Ruddigore productions among others), and he’s excited to keep adding more! Always drawn to joyful and hopeful theater, Gilbert and Sullivan’s works have had a soft spot in his heart since seeing a production of The Pirates of Penzance in Kindergarten. Mostly recently, Lowell worked with Albino Squirrel Productions playing Mario, Darunia, and King Zora in MNtendo Live at the Phoenix, 2D Con, and Twin Cities Con. He’s worked with quite a few companies since graduating from Bethel University, including Theater 301, Really Spicy Opera, Open Window Theatre, RGK Modern Indian Dance Academy, and the Zephyr Theatre. Lowell puts his Theatre Arts degree to good use by helping legislators with computer troubles, and filling every hour he can playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends (special shoutout to the Strahd Skwahd and the MNtenD&D crew).
Anthony Rohr
This is Anthony’s eighth production with the GSVLOC. His most recent performances with the company include Princess Ida in 2018 (Prince Hilarion), The Mikado in 2019 (Frankie Poo), Ruddigore in 2020 (Richard Dauntless), and H.M.S. Pinafore in 2024 (Ralph Rackstraw). Other recent credits include La Traviata (Alfredo) and the Viardot Cendrillon (Le Prince Charmant), both with the Opera Reading Project. Hailing from the exotic State of Iowa, Anthony holds a degree in Opera Performance from Luther College and has been on stage since his childhood. He now lives in downtown Minneapolis with this tiny black cat, Bruce. You may also see Anthony performing with the Minnesota Chorale with Minnesota Orchestra and in opera cabarets around Minneapolis.
Alessio Tranchell
Alessio is a conductor, composer, and tenor, transplanted from the east coast to Saint Paul. This is his second mainstage production with GSVLOC, having last appeared in the spring 2018 production of Princess Ida. After such a long hiatus, perhaps a production of Arthur Sullivan’s oratorio The Prodigal Son would have been a more appropriate return, but Tranchell is excited to be working with this fantastic company once again! When he isn’t in front of choirs, composing, or on stage, Tranchell can be found writing and recording for his side project band Broken Head, a 90’s Brit-pop inspired group streaming on all major platforms.”
Angela Walberg
Angela is happy to return to the GSVLOC after being seen in The McAdo and Utopia, Limited. She has been seen in various companies such as The Ordway, Skylark Opera, Artistry, Theatre in the Round, Minneapolis Music Theatre, Really Spicy Opera, The Zephyr Theatre, Frosted Glass Creative and Theatre Coup D’Etat. Favorite past roles include Lily in The Secret Garden, Mother in Ragtime, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Sharon in Master Class, Petra in A Little Night Music, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot!, Rapunzel in Into the Woods and Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. Angela has also been seen in local commercials and even produces theatre from time to time! You may also catch her at a baseball game as she is frequently a National Anthem singer for the Saint Paul Saints baseball team! Thank you for supporting the arts!
Holly Windle
This is Holly’s fifth time around with Patience, as she was in the GSVLOC’s first production in 1980. As that was (let’s do the math) forty-five years ago, it’s fortunate that “lovesick maidens” can encompass a wide range of ages. Holly has for decades played younger than her age, but now enjoys the occasional juicy old lady role (Theatre in the Round, Threshold Theater, and Daytrippers Dinner Theatre). In simulations for the U of MN Law School, she portrays a variety of characters. And as actor fodder for a playwright’s group, she gets to read parts that cover a variety of ages, genders, and life forms.
The Production Staff
Gary Briggle
Director
Gary is very grateful to return to the GSVLOC for his fourth production, following the successes of The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer and H.M.S. Pinafore. Inspired by coachings with John Reed, O.B.E., of D’Oyly Carte fame, he has been staging Savoy Operas since 1980, won the prestigious Carbonell Award for his direction and performance as Bunthorne in Patience, and has performed the role of Major-General Stanley in over twenty productions! Gary is a graduate of Saint Olaf College (where he first played the role of Frederic, the pirate apprentice, in 1971) and began his professional career with The Minnesota Opera. In 1982 he embarked on the peripatetic life of a freelance artist, performing with regional theatres and opera companies nationwide, frequently in G&S operas. Locally, he has worked with The Ordway Center, History Theatre, The Jungle Theatre, Frank Theatre, Nautilus Music-Theater, Park Square Theatre, CTC, Artistry, Minnesota Orchestra, SPCO, Music Saint Croix, VocalEssence, etc. and was interim artistic director for Skylark Opera. He is currently the executive director for Raison d’Etre Opera, and will produce the Virgil Thomson/Gertrude Stein opera, The Mother of Us All, about Susan B. Anthony, at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis in May. Upcoming: Director for Counted As Mine at The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Visit raisondetreopera.org .
Dr. Randal A. Buikema
Music Director / Conductor
Randy is delighted to be music directing his thirteenth show with the GSVLOC. He has thoroughly enjoyed preparing these fine musicians in the cast and orchestra and collaborating with the first-rate artistic staff, production staff and crew. Randy’s education credits include a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Vocal and Instrumental Music from Augustana College; a Master of Arts degree in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from Western Illinois University; and a Doctor of Music Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Iowa. Randy has taught at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Grinnell College, Drake University, and Iowa State University, and has served as an evaluator for the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Program. He has music directed numerous productions throughout the Mid-west and in Thailand. Two unusual projects of note are music directing West Side Story in Bangkok (set in Bangkok), and music directing, staging, and costuming his own cabaret adaptation of The Threepenny Opera for the Westminster Fine Arts Series in Des Moines, Iowa.
Kevin Lindee
Stage Manager
Kevin is excited to debut with the GSVLOC as Stage Manager for this production of Patience. He is not a stranger to the stage as his twenty-five plus years of past performances include singing, acting, dancing, and being an instrumentalist. Kevin’s passion for performing arts has transitioned to become ‘the man behind the scenes, serving as a choreographer, an assistant director, and more passionately, serving as the stage manager to various theater companies around the Twin Cities for the past ten plus years. In addition to theater, he is a busy guy juggling two additional jobs including managing a coffee shop and operating his own boutique dessert concierge catering company called “Ganache: Desserts and Confections.” If free time is remotely an available thought, let alone an option within his daily schedule, Kevin enjoys staying busy by trying new restaurants, playing tennis, and international traveling.
Tinia Moulder
Choreographer
Tinia is thrilled to make her GSVLOC debut as the choreographer for Patience. This is her first production with the company, and collaborating with this creative team and cast has been a joy. She draws on her extensive experience as an actor / singer / dancer (The Guthrie, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, the Ordway Center, Mixed Blood Theatre, The History Theatre, Children’s Theater Company, Old Log Theatre, Six Points Theatre) to create movement and dance as a choreographer. She has a passion for working with student actors and has directed and choreographed at many area schools and colleges, as well as professionally at the History Theatre ( A Servants’ Christmas, 20 Days to Find a Wife, Dirty Business, and the Ivey Award winning, Glensheen). As a graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, with a B.F.A. in Musical Theater, Tinia was first introduced to the genius of Gilbert and Sullivan as a student when she auditioned for a production of Iolanthe — which she found delightfully fun. Years later she met up with G&S again in the Guthrie’s productions of The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore. She is thrilled to once again step back into this wonderfully topsy-turvy world.
Wendy Waszut-Barrett, PhD
Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist
Wendy is an artist, author, and theatre historian. She is thrilled to be back, working with the GSVLOC. Past productions include The McAdo (2024), H.M.S. Pinafore (2023), The Sorcerer (2023), The Pirates of Penzance (2022), Patience (2002), H.M.S. Pinafore (2001), Yeoman of the Guard (1999), and The Pirates of Penzance (1998). Upcoming productions include the rarely-staged Artaserse (Leonard Vinci) for the Haymarket Opera Company, Chicago. Wendy is the founder of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a Minnesota-based company specializing in the preservation and replication of painted illusion and stage machinery for historic theaters and historically inspired productions. For over thirty years her passion has remained the preservation of historic stage settings and scenic art techniques. Recent projects include new scenery for the Tyne Theatre & Opera House in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. Her current research, writings and projects are posted to www.drypigment.net, and the Facebook group “Dry Pigment.”
Andrew Barrett, DMA
Stage Carpenter
Andrew is returning for his fourth show with the GSVLOC! His handiwork was previously seen in The McAdo last fall. In addition to carpentry, Andrew’s talents include performance and vocal instruction. He has worked in the Twin Cities for the past three decades as a performer, conductor, designer, director, music director, voice teacher, and producer. Andrew has performed internationally as well as locally with Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Skylark Opera, Exultate, Singers in Accord, and Sonomento – too many shows to list. Andrew loves his job as the owner of Barrett Music Studio, helping to chart a love for music in the areas of vocal technique, health, and performance practice as well as piano technique. Barrett Music Studio offers performance opportunities for its students through monthly Studio Class, and plotting quarterly performances with a live band, as well as annual musical productions. Information about these events can be found at www.barrettmusicstudio.com.
Barb Portinga
Costume Designer
Barb hails from Minneapolis where she has been making her living via her varied costume skills since graduating from Augsburg College in 1990. Barb had her on-the-job training at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre where she is a cutter/draper and tailor for each main stage show. Barb’s design work has been seen at over forty theaters throughout the Midwest, from California to Door County, Wisconsin. Her work can frequently be seen at Metro/MCTC and Cedar Summerstock. Barb is the proprietor of Portable Costumes and has recently partnered with Andrea Gross to form Rubble&Ash, a design and production team. She is a founding member of The Costume Collective, LLC.
Carl Schoenborn
Lighting Designer
Carl is very excited to be working with the GSVLOC for a sevethth time, especially to be collaborating with many old friends. He spends most his days on the lighting staff at Children’s Theatre Company, but also finds time to design lighting and scenery around the Twin Cities, from high schools and colleges to professional theaters. Carl graduated from Saint Olaf College, where he has spent sixteen years designing for the music department’s Lyric Theater and Opera class. He is also a founding member and resident designer/Technical Director for Gremlin Theatre in Saint Paul. Carl is a proud member of both the stagehand and actor unions.
Laura Long
Props Designer
Laura is a Twin Cities-based theatrical director, music director and actor. With a background in Technical Theatre, as well as K-12 Education, she strives to provide opportunities for students to become leaders and helps them to cultivate a love for the performing arts, as well as develop skills in acting and technical theatre. Laura strongly believes in celebrating diversity and has received formal training in transformational leadership, cultural diversity, LGBTQIA+ studies, as well as gender & women’s studies from Saint Cloud State University. Though Laura loves being on stage, her true passion is directing. She has been the principal director/ performing arts program facilitator at North Branch Area High School since 2017, including advising the school’s tech club, which trains high school students and provides opportunities for technical theatre application. During her time at North Branch Area High School, Laura has expanded the performing arts opportunities, including opening up leadership positions for high school students as part of production teams for shows as well as spearheading the efforts to create programming for middle school-aged students as well as opportunities for alumni. More recently, she has expanded her experiences by contracting for several performing arts companies around the Twin Cities area as a Director, Music Director and Props Designer. Laura continues to search for new opportunities to learn, grow, and become a better human through the performing arts.
Jean Orbison Van Heel
Assistant Music Director / Rehearsal Pianist
Jean a local collaborative pianist and music director, who has worked with Artistry, Children’s Theater, Shoot the Glass Theatre, Eat Street Players, as well other community theater and school theater programs. She loves her GSVLOC family, and is grateful that they seem to like her, too! Jean’s current GSVLOC family includes her biological family, brother John and sister-in-law Holly, who have left their roles on the stage to become fellow pit members (on clarinet and flute, respectively). Welcome to the double decker hideaway!
Malka Key
Assistant Stage Manager
Malka first saw a Gilbert and Sullivan show at age ten and was thrilled with the excuse that memorizing patter songs offered her to speak very quickly and without pausing for breath. When she moved to Minnesota for graduate school, she googled “Minneapolis Gilbert and Sullivan” and found a company that she and her friends decided was probably pronounced “gzz-vlok.” She volunteered herself to do “anything but sing,” and she has now spent nineteen shows with the company doing just about that. By day, Malka is a speech-language pathologist for Saint Paul Public Schools. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Chris, and their cat, Orzo, who gets up to all kinds of precious nonsense.
Brianna Sullivan
Assistant Stage Manager
Brianna has been on stage with the GSVLOC since before she was born (The Pirates of Penzance, ’86). Now, thirty-eight years later, she is happy to be backstage again for this production of Patience. Brianna’s backstage career began with running a follow spot for Orpheus in the Underworld, ’00. Brianna was also the Dresser for the production of The Mikado in ‘07. This is Brianna’s second time backstage for Patience. Brianna has completed the Gilbert and Sullivan canon as an Assistant Stage Manager with the GSVLOC. She is a graduate in dance from Perpich Center for Arts Education – The Arts High School. Brianna hopes you enjoy this classic rendition of Patience much as she has enjoyed working on it.
Liam Trujillo Hage
Follow Spot Operator
Liam made his first appearance on the GSVLOC stage, before his birth, in the company’s 2010 production of The Sorcerer, well hidden under his mother, Lara Trujillo’s, generous Victorian costume. He made his first appearance on stage, in person, along with his mother, in Mill City Summer Opera’s production of Sweeney Todd. Liam appeared in Act I as a boy being sentenced to death for stealing and then opened Act II as a different boy who unknowingly ate his father, who had been baked into one of Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies! No … Sweeney Todd really isn’t a children’s show! Liam went on to appear in the GSVLOC’s 2017 productions of The Gondoliers and Orpheus in the Underworld, Joe Chvala’s production of Heaven at Park Square Theater, and Minnesota Opera’s productions of Albert Herring and Carmen. He is also active in the Twin Cities’ vibrant film community and has appeared in numerous films, in roles ranging from principal, to supporting, to background. Liam is excited to be involved in this production as a member of the production crew, while his mother and his father are on stage. His father, by the way, has recovered quite nicely from being baked into one of Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies! Thanks for asking!
Jo Pasternack
Wardrobe Supervisor
From the first time Jo heard The Pirates of Penzance, she was stricken with “G&Sosis,” a malady that causes strange, compulsive behavior. For example, while listening to G&S recordings, Jo, an alto, sings all the parts. In Dallas, she was a founding member of the now defunct Texas Gilbert & Sullivan Company, where she was either a sister, a cousin, or an aunt, a townsperson, and a ward in chancery, but never a fairy. Unfortunately, the disease appears to be hereditary, as her adult children have both sung in G&S productions, as well as her late mother! Since 1999, Jo has been a groupie, costume person, and sometime/summertime chorus member in the GSVLOC. A retired small animal veterinarian, Jo is up to the demands of being Wardrobe Supervisor. In this position, her tasks run mostly to perform surgery to cure the ills to which the costumes are susceptible: popped buttons, ripped-out hems, split seams, and more. This year, Jo is pleased to share these tasks with fellow aesthetic Nat Koch.
Lorine Menzhuber
Orchestra Manager
Lorine, with her bow poised and spirits high, embarks once more as the Orchestra Manager and violinist with the GSVLOC. Patience proudly marks her twenty-seventh voyage alongside her dearest troupe. Alas, life cannot be solely comprised of the offbeat rhythms she skillfully navigates as principal second violinist. By day, Lorine is a Sales Specialist with Brookdale Senior living, responsible for sales support throughout the state of Minnesota. When not managing the orchestra, playing violin, or helping seniors and their families, she transforms into the masterful ringmaster of the Menzhuber Family Circus and is the proud mom to Evelyn and David. Other favorites are napping, coffee, true crime podcasts and her husband, Nick.
Steve Schellenberg
House Manager / Ticketing
Steve has been part of the GSVLOC since the 2004 production of Iolanthe, playing oboe in the sky pit for twenty subsequent shows. He abandoned the woodwind terrace in 2022 and took on the role of Ticketing and House Manager. Despite Steve’s own limited vocal ability, singing runs deep in his family, with a son and daughter-in-law being professional opera singers, a wife who was a “Four-Year-Old Singing Sensation” and two dogs that occasionally sing in harmony (or agony) with his oboe. His principal other distinction is that he’s a licensed AKC dog judge, a role that quite inexplicably appears absolutely nowhere in Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, despite its obvious potential for Gilbertian ridicule. To prove that you actually read this bio, ask Steve to show you the t-shirt that he’s wearing tonight!
GSVLOC Company History
|
Since its founding in 1979 by Dick Fishel and Jim Hart, the company has produced all the Gilbert and Sullivan shows: In November 2025, the GSVLOC will present Iolanthe. |