Clyde has directed 29 of convergence-continuum's 37 productions as of mid-2010 and appeared in convergence-continuum's productions of Quills, Each Day Dies With Sleep, Tone Clusters, Icarus, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, Hot 'n' Throbbing, A Murder of Crows, Act a Lady, Freakshow, Finn in the Underworld and Dark Ride.

Clyde obtained a BS in biology from Bowling Green State University, an MS in oceanography from the University of Hawaii, and an MFA in theatre from Kent State University, where he currently works as adjunct instructor in the School of Theatre and Dance. He acted and directed for a couple of decades in far-away places.

Seventeen years were spent in Indonesia (Jakarta Players), the Philippines (Repertory Philippines in Manila), Hawaii (Filipino Repertory Company), Chicago, and NYC (actor, director, literary manager for the Off-Off-Broadway Flea Theater). When he returned to Cleveland, before founding convergence, Clyde worked with Cleveland Public Theatre as literary manager and director of the New Plays Festival.

Clyde, a NE Ohio native, says that living immersed in other cultures (and doing lots of theatre there as well) has informed his perspective on our American culture, performance practices and humanity in general. Yet, extraordinary as all these experiences were--working with the Peace Corps teaching high school science and math in Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo), working as a shrimp farming technologist and consultant in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Costa Rica and India--there's no place like home.

Clyde's home in Tremont adjoins The Liminis Theatre in which the convergence-continuum company performs. He graciously allows the company the run of his house, which opens directly into the theatre, and he has adapted much of his living space to be used in this way. It is a space with few distinct boundaries: entirely appropriate.

Colleen has been a convergence-continuum company member since 2004. She serves as lighting designer, board member, and occasionally, as stage manager, house manager, and photographer for the company. At convergence, she's designed lights for Hot 'n' Throbbing, Tales of the Lost Formicans, Poona the Fuckdog, Icarus and Demon Baby, Mr. Marmalade, Freakshow, Finn in the Underworld, Ouroboros, and Kimberly Akimbo.

Colleen obtained her BFA in production design and technology from Ohio University and her MFA in lighting design from the University of California, Irvine. After school she designed lights locally and nationally for theatre, dance, opera and concert tours. Local credits include convergence-continuum, dord., Cleveland Opera, Opera Cleveland, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Playhouse Square Center, Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theatre, Tri-C West Theatre, Beck Center, Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, The Fine Arts Association, and others. She is currently the Cleveland area Vectorworks user group leader. Colleen has taught lighting design and technology at Lakewood High School, Lake Erie College, Tri-C West, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, where she was resident lighting designer in 2007, and Kent State University in 2008-09. www.colleenalbrecht.com

Colleen loves convergence-continuum, lighting, and above all else, her husband Will and children Thomas, Abbey, and Leo!

Curt has been alternately charming and knocking out audiences at convergence since 2007, serving as actor, house manager, and set constructor/destructor. He has appeared as Alan in Demon Baby, Father Dewis in Buried Child, and, most recently, as The Translator in Dark Ride.

Curt earned his Bachelor's degree in video and film production from Ohio State University in 1984.

He's been involved in over 120 productions in the last 33 years, primarily as an actor, director and stage manager. Since relocating from Columbus in 1994, Curt has worked with most northern Ohio theatre companies, including Beck Center, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, JCC Halle Theatre, Lakeland Theatre, and the Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square. Since 2003, Curt has directed and co-produced an annual staged reading of a musical to benefit the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland and the Community AIDS Network of Summit County.

He works by day as a licensed property/casualty insurance agent. When he's not onstage or studying ancient Chinese texts, Curt fills his time by falling through lobby ceilings and stuff in an effort to show fledgling company members how property/casualty insurance might play a role in the ongoing drama of life.

Stephanie was con-conned into her first show here in 2009. She has served since then as penultimate stage manager, light/sound/video boards operator, set build/strike forewoman, sanity inducer, and vegan authority/chef for benefits and events. Credits include stage manager/light board for Quake, sound board for Big Love, stage manager/light board for Finn in the Underworld, Dark Ride and Say You Love Satan. One of her crowning achievements in culinary land: vegan red-devil chocolate wedding cupcakes served to the patrons of Big Love (before the massacre).

In 2010, Stephanie will triumphantly earn her BA in Dramatic Arts from Cleveland State University. She looks forward to moving on in pursuit of her Master's degree. Her con-con compatriots don't want to let her go, but they all lend their best positive vibes toward her future success.

Stephanie trained and worked for 3 years as a student assistant in the Tri-C Theatre Department, where she was involved in every aspect of technical theatre and learned much about the art of stage lighting.

For Stephanie, theatre is a true collaboration and she LOVES working with like-minded people who are all part of the same story. She has particularly fallen in love with the work that con-con produces and feels thankful and blessed to be a part of it. She likes that she can see every audience member from the light booth and watch them all during a show. "Looking into the faces of the audience is why I do what I do. Knowing that I am part of something that gets different reactions from different people is where my love truly lies."

When Stephanie is not backstage, this free spirit's colorful dread-head will most likely be found in her vegan kitchen. Think it can't be made vegan? Stephanie will show you otherwise. She believes in the healing power of nature and relies on hiking, camping and bonfires under the open sky to cheer up her day. Stephanie's trademarks are her laser focus, professionalism, endless cheerfulnesss, and soft raspy voice, the byproduct of a paralyzed vocal cord. She is a cancer survivor and refuses to let anything slow her down!

One of its seminal company members, Cliff serves convergence-continuum as primo actor and sound designer. Past roles include The General in Dark Ride, Tilden in Buried Child, Dr. Royer-Collard in Quills, Lloyd in Sincerity Forever, Reverend Tom in 7 Blowjobs, Jeep in Action, Mr. Barfly in Cleveland, The Voice in Hot 'n' Throbbing, and the Witchdoctor/Doctor in La Turista. He designed sound for Free Will & Wanton Lust.

Cliff obtained his BA and MFA from Kent State University and subsequently taught the Art of the Theatre course there, as well as an Acting I course at Akron University. Past gigs have included acting and/or serving as stagehand at various venues in Cleveland and Akron.

Of his artistic interests, Cliff says "I love Sam Shepard plays. I love convergence-continuum." Further, he is a proud member of the Cleveland Laborer's Local 310 union. He likes working outside and building things out of concrete; you can see some of his work at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Museum of Art (parking garage), and The Cleveland Clinic's new parking deck at E. 89th and Carnegie.

Cliff resides blissfully with his lovely wife, Julia Lynn, his sweet son, Anderson George, and a new bundle of joy scheduled to make his/her debut in time for the 2011 season.

Amy has been acting with convergence since its very first production of Quills, and has performed at the Liminis numerous times since. Acting credits include Quills, Sincerity Forever, 7 Blowjobs, Cleveland, Whirligig, Tales of the Lost Formicans, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, and Demon Baby, Ouroboros, and Kimberly Akimbo.

Amy received her BA in Theatre from Kent State University, where she met and studied with convergence's founders, Clyde Simon and Brian Breth. It was Clyde and Brian who persuaded Amy to move back to Cleveland from Chicago, where she was living and working. No stranger to hard work, Amy was doing repertory theatre prior to that at Philadelphia-area Hedgerow Theatre where she honed her Shakespeare skills, directed, taught, painted, cooked, cleaned and the like.

By day, Amy has the pleasure of working for Cleveland Public Theatre. She has performed at CPT as The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show, and most recently as Kathy in the beautiful Crashing Through Ceilings. She has also performed with Theatre Ninjas and the former Bang and Clatter Theatre Company. Amy hit the international scene in the NY-produced Intensive Care, which was featured in the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Amy believes in the power of storytelling and the importance of celebrating our connection to one another.

Lucy happily crossed the threshold into the convergence company in 2003. She proudly serves as actress, company manager, stage manager, scullery maid and sometime costumer; she is fully committed to this most unique company. Her performance credits at convergence include Dark Ride, Big Love, The Mineola Twins, Finn in the Underworld, Buried Child, Freakshow, Mr. Marmalade, In the Garden, Act a Lady, Hot 'n' Throbbing, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, Cleveland, Tales of the Lost Formicans, Poona the Fuckdog, A Murder of Crows, Icarus, States of Shock and Tone Clusters. She had a ball stage managing Ouroboros, Kimberly Akimbo, Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, Demon Baby and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, and costuming La Turista, Battery and And Baby Makes Seven.

Lucy obtained her BA in speech/theatre arts with a double major in English literature from Baldwin-Wallace College. She worked on an MFA in acting at Case Western Reserve University before leaving to gad about the South. She also completed a 2-year acting internship at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival (when it was still called that).

Lucy has performed locally with Theater Ninjas, Dobama Theatre, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Actors'Summit, Beck Center and other venues, and has worked as a guest artist for Tri-C West, the Poets' League of Greater Cleveland, and for various theatres up & down the eastern half of the country. Of herself, lucy says she ever seeks the human connection that transcends. She has worked as a newspaper editor, graphic designer, coordinator for the Metropolitan Opera, event planner, web application launcher/content manager, bartender, gospel singer, piano player, country club chauffeur ... in short, anything to make a buck.

Lucy is firmly ensconced on the west side of Cleveland with her husband of more than 3 decades, Jim Smith (also a company member), and scads of needy pets. She and Jim are proud parents to college-age braniac child-treasure, Jamie.

Scott is a professional actor living and working in northeast Ohio and a soon-to-be graduate of the Kent State University theater department, where he met Clyde Simon and discovered Convergence-Continuum. After experiencing the intimacy of the space and the rawness of the material, Scott knew that this was the kind of work that he wanted to do. So, when Clyde asked Scott to come audition for Big Love in 2009, Scott jumped at the opportunity. In fact, Scott has been involved with every production since then; mostly on-stage (Big Love, Finn in the Underworld, Kimberly Akimbo, Say You Love Satan), but also as stage manager, assistant director and costumer.

When Scott isn't working on shows or in classes, he is working his day job as an actor for Jesco. You may have seen him giving demonstrations inside some of Cleveland's major retail stores.

Scott is also represented by The Talent Group, where he most recently appeared in print ads for Dick's Sporting Goods, Evenflo and CCAC.

Check out Scott's website: www.ScottGorbach.com

Herb has served as a vital member of the convergence Board of Directors since 2005.

A Cleveland native, Herb is a happily successful business owner. His happiness is well-deserved. His illustrious credits include president of GLT Products, president of Speedline Corporation, president of Walton Plastics, Inc, and theatre reviewer for the Chagrin Valley Times. He has over 50 years of experience with acting, singing, directing and reviewing theater in the greater Cleveland area.

He lives with his gorgeous actress wife, Lauri (also a company member), in Chagrin Falls. He's well-known for his prodigious Sinatra-like vocal talents and MC/auctioneer abilities, which he exercises at con-con benefits and late-night parties for the company at his home.

Lauri joined the convergence company in 2003 as femme fatale actress, party nosh goddess and set build/strike stabilizer. She has graced the stage here in 7 Blowjobs, Free Will & Wanton Lust, Pterodactyls, A Murder of Crows, Act a Lady, and Finn in the Underworld.

Of herself, Lauri says convergence-continuum is the only theater where she performs. She feels fortunate to have such a creative and challenging place to take on new identities. Of Lauri, the con-con company says, "What would we do without your laugh?" Tiny face, silent scream :)

By day Lauri is a full-time realtor with Paul Blumberg and Howard Hanna. She lives in a gorgeous Chagrin Falls home with her dashing husband, Herb Hammer (a con-con Board member). She is a chef extraordinaire; she and Herb have generously treated the company to festive blowouts at their home which included lavish, delectable comestibles, copious, high-octane imbibibles and some pretty wild late-night karaoke.

Robert was on a collision course with con-con until he finally crashed and cozied up as a company member in 2009. He morphed effortlessly from one role to another as Cooper Trooper, the Psychiatrist, the Priest, and the Park Sweeper in Quake. At set builds/strikes, he wields a mighty hammer, guns a mean drill, and freely delivers erudite philosophical ruminations to delight the assembled troupe.

Robert obtained his BA in Philosophy from Yale University and his MA in Spanish from Middlebury College. He says his gift for acting comes from on-the-job training.

Robert debuted at age 30 as Argan in The Imaginary Invalid – a faculty player in a student production at Hawken School, where he taught for 36 years. Since then, he's performed with Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Middlebury College Language Schools, the Jewish Community Center, Cleveland Public Theatre, Maple Leaf, Rabbit Run, Chagrin Valley Little Theater (main stage and River Street), Beck Center, Clague Playhouse, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Notre Dame College, Tri-C Metro, TrueNorth, Willoughby Fine Arts (main stage and Black Box), the Hermit Club and convergence-continuum in plays by (among others) Hare, Wilder, Anouilh, O'Neill, Albee, Fugard, Shepard, Rice, Mamet, Brecht, Kushner, Goldsmith, Ayckbourn, Friel, Molière, Pinter, Stoppard, Chekhov, Sophocles, Beckett, and Shakespeare.

During the day, Robert manages an impoverished but very happy retirement: biking, film, music, theatre … sitting on the porch with a book and the neighbors' cat. He is proud father to up-and-coming actor and playwright Sebastian Hawkes Orr.

Tom added his wickedly witty pen and rye humor to the convergence repertoire in 2008. Armed with scripts he wrote and tailored for the con-con company and space, Tom serves as playwright, website manager, business manager, and grant writer, and is a prominent, mysterious figure at company events and benefits. His play Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, given its world premiere by convergence in 2008, was met with howls of delight.

Tom obtained a BA in creative writing from Ohio University, an MLS (master of library science) from Kent State University, and will complete an MFA in Playwrighting from Cleveland State University/NEOMFA in 2011. He is thus equipped to confidently guide eager students as head of digital library programs and managing librarian at Case Western Reserve University.

Though Tom has been known to push the envelope as a performer, he didn't pursue acting in college. But his interest in attending theatre ultimately guided him to his MFA work in playwrighting at CSU (Cleveland State University). To date, he has had the following plays produced: The Appalachian Trail and Only Sing for Me were staged at Cleveland State University's Factory Theatre in the 2004 and 2005 annual play

festivals; Tom also co-wrote Lost Prospect, which was staged at the 2006 Ingenuity Festival; and Know Your Future, staged at the 2008 Ingenuity Festival. His play A Howl in the Woods was a winning entry in Cleveland Public Theatre's Little Box competition in 2007 and in the 2008 New Plays Competition at convergence-continuum. convergence went on to perform the play in 2008 under the new name Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber. Tom's thesis play is tentatively planned for production at Cleveland Public Theatre in March of 2011. He is a member of the Theater Communication Group and the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc.

Of himself, Tom says he's a big fan of Sam Shepard and Tom Waits. And he likes to brew beer. He does quirky stuff in his free time like build an etching press for linoleum cuts. He also penned a book for young adults called The Secret of the Warlock's Crypt from which he just might create a screenplay. He toys with the idea of writing and illustrating books for his kids.

Tom lives in a snug Cleveland Heights home with his lovely wife Kirsten, daughter Elizabeth, son Henry, and a bunch of felines.

A seminal member of convergence, Geoff's vital creative influence has done much to shape the current company. He has been involved in almost every show in convergence's history. He serves here in the multiple guises of actor, director, Board Vice President, and set designer/construction ubermeister. He's exercised his formidable acting chops in 22 shows: The Unseen Hand, Each Day Dies With Sleep, La Turista, Sincerity Forever, Free Will & Wanton Lust, Hot 'n' Throbbing, Cleveland, Tales of the Lost Formicans, A Murder of Crows, States of Shock, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Poona the Fuckdog, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, And Baby Makes Seven, Icarus, Mr. Marmalade, Buried Child, Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, Mineola Twins, Big Love, Ouroboros, and Hunter Gatherers. He took the helm as director for Demon Baby, the award-winning Freakshow, Finn in the Underworld and Dark Ride.

Geoff obtained his BA in theatre from Case Western Reserve University a few short years ago. Already, he's launched a film career, with lead credits in indie films Hellementary and With All Thy Getting, as well as roles in Telling Lies in America, Little Timmy, Third Person Plural, Making Space Nazi, and The Ignorance and Absence of Gerard. National commercial credits include Subway, National City Bank and Think Financial Student Loans; he has appeared in regional ads for Time Warner Cable, the Ohio Lottery and Eden Pure. He's represented commercially by The Talent Group.

Locally, Geoff has performed with convergence-continuum, Dobama Theatre, Beck Center, Cleveland Play House, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival and Cleveland Public Theatre.

When he gets "comfortable" enough, Geoff does a not-to-be-missed karaoke version of What's New Pussycat and can improvise hysterical curtain meow meow speeches and/or pinch-hit on demand for the lead singer during an onstage musical interlude.

Geoff is excited by the prospect of directing more shows in upcoming seasons. He continues to apply and fine-tune his excellent renovation skills by improving his home and his rental property (the House of Awesome). And now, in his own House of Awesome, he also has his lady-love and soon-to-be-wife Laurel (also a company member) living with him. Laurel enriched Geoff's household with her own lovely self and her cat, Penelope, who continues to fascinate his dog, Charlie, to no end.

Stuart began working with convergence-continuum in 2007 in Jordan Harrison's hit Act a Lady. Growing up in Cleveland Heights, his first play was a non-musical Wizard of Oz in middle school when he knocked over a prop tree as the Scarecrow. Throughout high school, he interned with The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival and performed with the Mayfield Road JCC's Playmakers Youth Theater in shows varying from The Diary of Anne Frank to A Chorus Line.

After graduating from Miami of Ohio in 2006 with degrees in Mass Communication and Film Studies, he returned to Cleveland where he pursues theater while finding various ways to pay the bills. Outside of The Liminis, Stuart has worked with Cleveland Public Theatre, Ensemble Theatre of Cleveland, The Bang and the Clatter, Fourth Wall Productions, The Cleveland Playhouse's Fusionfest, Lakeland Community College, and Dobama Theatre, where he is a judge for the Marilyn Bianchi Children's Playwriting Festival.

Stuart says of himself that he is "A sometime playwright." His work has been seen onstage at Oddyfest and Cleveland Public Theater's Little Box Series.

Stuart is brother to Geoffrey Hoffman, company member. When not onstage, you might find him watching too many movies and making chocolate-covered delicacies.

Eric Holmes joined the convergence Board of Directors in 2010. He has been a fan and regular attendee of convergence-continuum's productions since the inaugural showing of Quills in 2001. He manages the Fifth Third Micro Cap Value Fund for Fifth Third Asset Management and has lived in Cleveland since 1999. Eric earned his MBA in finance from the Rochester Institute of Technology and his BA in economics from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

A true god-send, Marq enhanced the convergence company with his talents in 2008. He's all over the map here, playing instrumental roles during set builds/strikes, in house management, as an actor in videos, and wherever his talents are needed as an MC or in other capacties at events and annual benefits. How did we get by without him? Marq's recent contributions include the successful productions of Big Love, Finn In The Underworld, Kimberly Akimbo, Dark Ride, and Hunter Gatherers.

Trained in electronic engineering and recording technology, Marq has served as musical director and composer, as well as boom-mic operator for several big, nationally distributed song-and-dance cablevision musicals. Additionally, he was involved in college radio, had a Cleveland cablevision variety show, owned and operated a recording studio on the side, and designed stage sound, setting up mics and running the board for various bands.

By day, he works as a sales engineer. By night, he's a rock musician. He's been in many bands, like Germ Free Adolescence, Kirkendahl Voyd (garnered airplay in 22 cities in the US and Canada), Babylon-A-Gogo, and The Ghosts of Whiskey Island. Marq also curates art shows at places like Doubting Thomas Gallery; and now for something completely different: for a feline-oriented show featuring art that includes fur-brushings from cats Ditto and Skrewball.

Of himself, Marq says, "I truly feel privileged in assisting this talented, free-thinking bunch in bringing quality alternative theatre to the Cleveland community! If you want Hello Dolly, go downtown; if you want something different, it's convergence-continuum!"

Laurel joined the convergence company in 2008 as an actress and has been wowing audiences ever since. She spearheaded the cast as Amalia in the award-winning production of Freakshow, and also performed as Lizzie in In the Garden, That Woman in Quake, Olympia in Big Love, and Wendy in Hunter Gatherers. She'll appear near the end of the 2010 season in the con-con production of Brainpeople by Jose Rivera. Equally adept with and without the benefit of her limbs, Laurel decorates sets, serves as linguistics coach, contributes her formidable social skills at company events, and throws some bodacious free-for-all parties to help the company blow off steam.

Laurel earned her BA in Linguistics from Brandeis University just outside of Boston, MA. She spent 5 years in NYC, where she finished the 2-year Meisner Program with William Esper and the 1-year Master Meisner Program, both at Esper Studios in Manhattan.

Laurel has performed at many theaters in the Cleveland area including Cleveland Public Theater, Dobama Theatre, Beck Center, Great Lakes Theater Festival, and The Bang & The Clatter. Notable performances include Jo in Boom, Rosie in Humble Boy and Christina in Red Light Winter. Around the country, she has performed as Madge in Picnic at the William Inge Theater Festival in Kansas, and in New York City at Gene Frankel Theater, Wings Theater, Dramatics NYC and the Producers Club.

In addition to her stagework in Cleveland, Laurel acted opposite Donnie Wahlberg in The Kill Point miniseries on Spike TV. She has also been featured in commercials for the Ohio Lottery, Bed Bath & Beyond, American Greetings and Fisher Price, to name a few.

Originally from Cleveland, Laurel returned home in 2006 after living and working in Boston and New York City. When not on stage, Laurel can be found spending time with her other love, Geoffrey Hoffman (also a company member).

Chris serves as playwright, friend and constant supporter at convergence. His powerful play Spawn of the Petrolsexuals was given its world premier here during the 2007 season. A post-apocalyptic look at America, Petrol tells the story of Life After Oil and how mankind (d)evolves.

In December of 2010, his play APORKALYPSE! will premier at convergence. The play emerged from a workshop he completed with Mac Wellman at the Flea Theater in New York in 2007.

Chris' plays have appeared at Cleveland Public Theatre (Sexually Explicit Material, The Mind Field, Theories of Relativity), and Dobama Theater's Night Kitchen (Murder in Mind, Loud Americans: A Punk Saga). His play The Mad Mask Maker of Maigh Eo premiered in March 2006 at CPT's Gordon Square Theatre and received an Honorable Mention in the Northern Ohio Live Awards of Achievement. His one-act play, Last Light, was performed at the West 78th Street Theatre Lab in New York. He has also directed at various venues, including The Bang & The Clatter Theatre Co., Charenton Theatre Co., CPT, Dobama's Night Kitchen, IngenuityFest, Karamu House, Theater Ninjas, and The Ohio Theatre.

Chris has worked a freelance writer since February of 1988. He has published more than 3,000 articles in numerous regional and national publications.

Chris lives with his lovely wife Patrice in Shaker Heights.

Mark serves as resident musician, composer, actor, sound designer, sound board operator and occasional cactus. He can put almost anything in the audible universe to music. While fretting wickedly on a guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly and the spiders on the back porch, he’ll jive us that we’re voodoo and then lay us to waste with an over-the-edge riff. Performance credits include States of Shock, Poona the Fuckdog, A Murder of Crows and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. He served as composer for Poona the Fuckdog and Act a Lady, and co-sound designer for Demon Baby.

After earning a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Mark went on to work as a musician on performance art projects and in the rock-n-roll industry. Signed to Mafia Controlled Artists (MCA) Records with the band Screwtractor, he is now performing with the tikilicious band Babylon-A-Go-Go (now The Ghosts of Whiskey Island) and is chomping at the bit for something new and cool.

Mark is a founding member of Morticia's Chair which just released it's fourth album called "Trampled By A Muse" available on i-tunes

Tom happily melded his enormous talents with the convergence mix in 2006 as an actor extraordinnaire & not-to-be-outdone video designer. His acting credits here include Poona the F#$% Dog, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Demon Baby, Mr. Marmalade, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, Quake, Buried Child, Kimberly Akimbo, and Hunter Gatherers. Video design credits include Buried Child, Quake, Big Love and Dark Ride.

Tom earned his BA in English from Case Western Reserve University. Since then, he has performed throughout Northeast Ohio with many companies including The Beck Center, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Theater, Cleveland Public Theater, Willoughby Fine Arts and others.

Tom is the Point Man for LESS Productions, LLC. He and his company have produced media for a diverse range of companies and audiences. LESS Productions' mission is to capture inspired stories that teeter between grime and gloss. LESS also has a bias toward sustainability-oriented projects. Their documentary, PolyCultures: Food Where We Live, has enjoyed international acclaim and attention. Tom and his company have a lot they can teach us about keeping our earth and ourselves alive and vital.

Tom lives in Cleveland with his girlfriend, Natalie, actress and pastry chef of formidable talents, and 4 dogs (wonderful, beautiful, soulful beasts). Tom hopes to produce and release 3 independent narrative projects in the next year. Check them out at www.lessproductions.com. And stay tuned for the romps up against the Big Green Screen, a screechy-fun part of the over-the-top parties he & Natalie stage. And hey. Throw in the simultaneous 4-way, synchronized blasts of The Flaming Lips doing "A Machine in India." Stand in the middle and you are a part of one of the most amazing experiences on the face of the earth.

Sarah joined the convergence fold in 2008. Since then she has contributed her luscious awesomeness as actress, showgirl, party maven, set build/strike dancer and roust-about, and sometime house manager. She performed as The Girl in Freakshow, Helga in Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, Margaret in Ouroboros (a two-way ride performed in both directions during the 2009 season), and most recently as Deep Sea Edna in Dark Ride.

Sarah completed a year of theater studies at Wright State before quitting to pursue a BA in English at John Carroll and honor her love of words.

She's worked in a number of different capacities with Dobama's Night Kitchen, Bad Epitaph Theatre Company, CPT, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, The Dirty Shakespeare Company, Theater Ninjas, Fourth Wall Productions, Beck Center, The Fine Arts Association, Red Hen Productions, The Bang and The Clatter Theatre, and, she says, "anywhere else that will take me."

During the day she works as an Office Princess, but she says that's not relevant.

Of herself, Sarah says, "I hate writing bios. I have lots of 'really good ideas.' I love horrible things. I dance when I'm excited. I overuse the words awesome, really and seriously. I think my true calling is playing robots. I specialize in end-of-the-party costume changes. I like to have adventures."

Sarah can tell you the plotlines and casts of at least a million different films and give you a Siskel/Ebert rundown of each one's strengths and weaknesses. She lives in the House of Awesome on the west side of Cleveland (owned and renovated by Geoffrey Hoffman, a con-con company member), where she and her roomie host regular, seriously hip parties. Lots of dancing, giggling, high jinx and, well, awesomeness. Really.

Introduced to the convergence-continuum team as a percussionist, performing the sonic explosive soundtrack for States of Shock on a mix of drums, percussion and the guts of an old upright piano (which now resides in a Tremont neighbor's garage), Bill continues his relationship with the group as convergence-continuum's graphics guru.

A graphic designer and illustrator by day, Bill has produced the delicious postcards that arrive in your mailbox over the past couple of seasons.

Having just received his PhD in art and debauchery, Bill is now known as "The Doctor," the host and branch owner of the world famous Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, where cabaret meets art school. Check out Dr. Sketchy's at www.drsketchy.com and Bill's branch at www.drsketchyakron.com.

Also, you can learn a bit more about Bill, his design and art work at www.billsartanddesign.com.

Marcia joined the convergence company in 2009 as an actress, house manager, set raiser/leveler and all-round ray of sunshine. She received glowing reviews for her touching performance here of the extremely difficult role of Kimberly in Kimberly Akimbo and performed the loopy role of Eleanor in Big Love with gleeful abandon. She serves cheerfully in the capacity most needed at any given moment, including uber-Mom, provider of sweets, manager of moral support, you name it.

Marcia prepared herself for a life onstage by studying with Tom Fulton and at Cleveland State University. Over the years, she has performed with several theaters throughout Northeast Ohio, including Actors' Summit, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theater, Clague Playhouse, Beck Center for the Arts, Cassidy Theater, Chagrin Valley Little Theater, Aurora Community Theater, and others.

For the past 30 years, Marcia has served as Special Events Planner for downtown Cleveland projects, previously coordinating the City's Annual Holiday Program, implementing the Ice Skating Rink on Public Square (featured Disney and American Greetings characters, performances by local ice skating clubs, weddings on the ice and more), Cleveland's Summerfare Program, Parties-in-the-Park, Celebration Square to Square (a huge Festival which closed down Euclid Avenue from Public Square to East 30th Street each summer for 12 years, and people still ask her about); and more recently the Annual Warehouse District Street Festival, the Warehouse District Holiday Tour, Gateway Neighborhood's Walk & Dine, the Historic Downtown Cleveland Luncheon Forum…and more.

Besides performing in theater, which is her first love, Marcia enjoys acting in films, commercials and industrials, as well as playing patient simulation roles. During the summer of 2010, she acted in a film shot in Cleveland, The Squad, directed by Robyn Griggs, and acted in an original play, Personals Uncut, at Kennedy's in Playhouse Square. She enjoys opportunities which allow her to mix her special events career with her theater experience, as she did while portraying Mrs. Alfred Kelly for the Historic Gateway Neighborhood's excellent summer "Take A Hike" program in 2009 & 2010.

Of course, Marcia feels her biggest blessing is her family: husband (high school sweetheart, retired stockbroker) Larry; three wonderful children (Shari, Eric and Adam and their great spouses); and importantly, life's most wonderful gift…treasured grandchildren…Justin, Alex, Britney, Jared, Chase and Jacob!

Cory designed his way into the collective convergence heart in 2006. He wears lots of hats here: lighting designer, video designer, sound and light operator, bartender … and during the 2011 season adds director to the list as he takes the helm for (aptly enough) The Museum Play. He has designed lights and/or video for A Murder of Crows, Buried Child, Say You Love Satan, Brainpeople and APORKALYPSE!.

Cory attended Kent State University from 2004-2007. His education paved the way for him to work as a freelance scenic and lighting designer and/or technical director at Ensemble Theatre, Near West Theatre, Heights Youth Theatre, Brush High School, Aurora Community Theatre, convergence-continuum (of course), Laughter League and Karamu, and as a lighting technician for Royal Caribbean Cruises.

By day Cory serves as Media Services Manager for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Some of his favorite responsibilities include staff photographer and videographer for museum events.

Bursting with creative energy, there is no challenge Cory won't take on. He is an indispensable, super-charged contributor to the convergence continuum.

Tyson joined forces with convergence in 2008 as dynamic actor, stalwart at set builds/strikes, ubershoulder for the weary to rest against, sage advisor, hug meister, the best damn pig candy crafter beyond the threshold... and most anything else anyone needs that scheduling conflicts will permit him to do. His acting credits here include Ranger Roger Over in Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber and The Bouncer in Say You Love Satan..

His education includes Findlay College; Wright State University; more workshops, seminars and "classes" than can be counted on fingers and toes even with the help of friends; oh yeah, and doing a lot of theater over a 38-year span of life experience.

Tyson currently serves as the executive/artistic director of The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival. During the '80s he served as artistic director of the Off Off Broadway Theatre Co. in Denver. He has acted, directed and/or designed for dozens of academic, community, semi-professional and professional theater companies in both Ohio and Colorado.

When not patrolling the perimeter or hanging from trees, Tys is an exotic bird handler. Polly want some pig candy? :)

Of himself, Tyson says he's A HUGE Fan of convergence-continuum. He is Honored to be a part of the con-con family and flattered to be a member of the company. (Especially when writing a bio in the third person singular three days after the deadline ;)

Michael dodged into the convergence company in 2008. He serves as actor, set build/strike strongman, lore monger, wry jokester and global friend. His acting credits here include Dodge in Buried Child and Mr. Zendavesta in Dark Ride.

A professional actor for more than 30 years, Michael has appeared in more than 100 roles in 20 Cleveland area theaters. He was a long-time resident company member of Ken Albers' Actors Company (7 seasons), Cleveland SignStage Theatre (18 years) and was once a Hermit Club stage regular.

Screen credits include roles in Jeff Yanik's short, The Telltale Heart, Theater Ninjas' stage production of Heddatron, Autumn Haze Pictures' short, Visit China, and in To See the Moon in the Morning Sky and The Forgotten Ones, independent films produced by Peter Fields' Little Beth Entertainment.

While at SignStage, where he served variously as actor, director, artistic director, marketing director and general manager, Michael was staff coordinator and production director of its nationally-acclaimed NCAH Children's Summer Experience in Sign Language Theatre, and project director of its US Department of Education-sponsored Instant Theatre Residency Program. He also spearheaded the theatre's award-winning USIA-Arts America tours to Czechoslovakia, Jordan and Russia. In 1992 the SignStage Board of Trustees honored Michael for his "Outstanding and Enduring Artistry, Service and Dedication."

Awarded Best Character Actor at Wabash College, where he received his AB in English, Michael is an MFA/Acting Graduate of CWRU. At CWRU he was a scholarship student, recipient of the Hines, Brooks, Kelso Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Department of Theatre, and a summer intern at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He has studied with The Living Stage Theatre Company, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, and The National Theatre of the Deaf. He has served as a college Instructor of Acting and Director, and as Director at a variety of area theaters.

Michael currently appears daily in the role of manager at Cleveland Heights' historic dwelling and bed-and-breakfast, The Alcazar. Sunguidess beauty Juliette – mystic seer, songbird actress, and burgeoning playwright and theater director – is his wife and life-unifier, and Nova-the-basset hound's enabler. Beloved children are in Akron, Chicago and Taos. Thank you, Universe!

Chuck serves convergence as a board member. He stays out of trouble (well, most of the time) by engaging young people and teaching them the myriad facets of live performance as associate professor in the Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance. He also works as a professional actor and vocal coach.

Chuck’s professional affiliations include Actors Equity, SAG, AFTRA, VASTA and AAUP.

Jim joined the convergence company with his wife, Lucy, in 2003. He serves as President of the Board Directors, set designer, key player at set builds/strikes, house manager and all-round contributor to con-con shows and events throughout the season.

Jim's set designs for convergence-continuum include Charles Mee's Big Love, Sam Shepherd's Buried Child, Edwin Sanchez's Icarus, Dan Therriault's Battery and Words and Weirds, an evening of one-acts including Joyce Carol Oates' Tone Clusters and Mac Wellman's Whirligig. His designs have also been featured at the Cleveland Play House, the Halle Theater at the Mayfield Jewish Community Center, Berea Summer Theater and Oberlin College.

He received a BA in speech and theatre arts from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, an MFA in production technology from Ohio University, and an MA in theatre history and criticism from the University of Georgia. Teaching credits include theater production at Oberlin College, where he served as Technical Director, and Berry College. Other gigs as technical director include the Williamstown Theater Festival, Colorado Shakespeare Fes-tival and the Cleveland Play House. Jim is bass soloist for the Lakewood United Me-thodist Church choir, and sings bass and lead in several local barbershop quartets.

He lives with his wife of 3 decades, Lucy (con-con company manager and actress), a bunch of hell-driven pets, and occasionally their daughter Jamie (when she comes home from international gad-abouts or college to visit). At parties, he gets the group mojo going by sitting down at the baby grand and improvising requests. The joyful voices ring in the treetops long after the party's over and the troupe has disbanded.

Of himself, Jim says that he loves to play piano and sing. He works as an accompanist and rehearsal pianist for various groups in the area, sings with a wacky group of barbershop dudes, and serves as bass soloist for a church in Lakewood. He did just about everything BUT sing for the Metropolitan Opera in NYC—worked as administrator, stagehand and supernumerary.

Jim lives in Lakewood with his wife, lucy (also a convergence company member) and a bunch of four-footed companions.

Petite Lauren burst through the boundaries of ordinary theatre and joined the convergence company in 2007 as one of its most versatile actresses. She also serves with grace, tenacity, beauty and an infinite sense of fun as set builder/painter, Vegas showgirl, house manager extraordinare, and company hug queen. She receives all the good-natured jibes about her stature with a kiss and a grin. Her credits here include Ingen in Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, Lucy (a 4-year-old) in Mr. Marmalade, Shelly in Buried Child, Thyona in Big Love, Debra in Kimberly Akimbo, the Waitress in Dark Ride, and Pam in Hunter Gatherers. She'll appear as Bernadette in Say You Love Satan during the 2010 season.

Lauren earned a BFA in Theater Performance from Ohio University. She is currently working on a Master's degree in Middle Childhood Education at Ursuline College to enhance her already impressive teaching talents and help others to develop their creativity and imaginations.

Locally, Lauren has acted at local theaters including the Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cleveland Public Theater, Fourth Wall Productions, Cleveland Play House, Dobama Theatre, Motive for Murder, and Cleveland Shakespeare Festival.

She worked as an actor/teacher for the Great Lakes Theater Festival for four years, interned in the Education Department at The Cleveland Play House, served as Teaching Artist at The Cleveland Play House and Weathervane Community Playhouse, worked as a substitute teacher, and her favorite job to date: dressed up in full costumes to play various mascots such as Dora the Explorer and Wendy (from Casper and Wendy).

Lauren hopes to one day help out or, better yet, start up a drama club at the wonderful school she ends up teaching for. And, of course, she will insist on her future universe to allow her to continue acting.

Of herself, Lauren says she is an avid runner and lover of all things healthy and harmonious. convergence-continuum is one of the most, if not the most, poignant and fullfilling theaters she has ever worked with.

Rob gleefully threw in with the convergence company in 2007, where he has served as Lighting Designer and Serious Hipster ever since. Credits here include shedding glorious illumination and death-destroying, truth-seeking dark on Dark Ride, Big Love, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals and The Mineola Twins.

A graduate of Kent State University, Rob also works as a freelance lighting technician, lighting designer, stage manager and moving light programmer in and around the Cleveland area. Recent credits include stage manager/moving light programmer for Rent, Secret Garden and The Wiz; stage manager for Sweeney Todd with Near West Theater; and gigs with Live Nation Worldwide and Tri-C Western Campus, where he's designing lights for their 2010 production Taming of the Shrew.

Rob is absolutely wild about Terrii (also a company member) and when the two of them are around, the specials spark and kooky mayhem ensues.

Bobby joined convergence in 2007, delighting audiences as a primo actor and resident bluesman extraordinaire, appearing in Spawn of the Petrolsexuals and Big Love. He composes, sings, plays a compellingly earthy guitar with overtones of the ethereal while mentoring the company in the art of selling a song, and struts his stuff at set builds, contributing a crucial screw where needed and abandoning himself to the joy of creating.

Bobby obtained his BS from Ohio University in 1979 and his MS from Cleveland State University in 1987. Both degrees have served him well in the arts forum.

He has appeared in productions for the Dobama Theatre, Karamu Mainstage & Youth theatres, Cleveland Playhouse, Cesear's Forum, Ensemble Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, The Beck Center and The Wallpaper Project. He also croons the blues regularly at various local venues.

Forever young, Bobby resides in Shaker Heights with his gorgeous wife Barbara, cardiologist supreme. When Bobby isn't learning the Italian dialect or dodging daggers onstage, he and Barbara throw some pretty spicy company hot tub parties. Y'think we can fit all 37 of us in there if we squeeze? ;)

sade took the convergence merry pranksters by storm in 2006 and has worked on nearly every show since then. She is a one-woman, walking kaleidoscope and a vital part of the convergence company. She serves in a great many capacities, among them Event Coordinator; Costume Designer; Lighting, Sound and Video Operator; Stage Manager; Sound Designer; Accordian Coach; Video Production; Musician; Occasional Performer; Vegetarian Chef; Glass Walker and Faerie Goddess. Her credits at convergence as of mid-2010 include Tales of the Lost Formicans, Poona the Fuckdog, Icarus, And Baby Makes Seven, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Spawn of the Petrolsexuals, Act A Lady, Demon Baby, A Murder of Crows, Mr. Marmalade, Freakshow, Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, The Mineola Twins, Big Love, Finn in the Underworld, Ouroboros, Kimberly Akimbo, Dark Ride, Hunter Gatherers and Say You Love Satan.

She attended Cleveland State University, where she created her own major in production and performance, a conglomeration of video, theatre, broadcasting, graphic design, computer design and dance.

sade's exuberantly colorful past (her present is pretty colorful too) includes late-late-night work as a DJ for WRUW 91.1 FM and occasional freelance DJ work, performance art (she appeared in the first-ever Performance Art Theatre at CPT), work with the Church of the SubGenius, organizing the Starwood Festival in western New York, puppetry, lecturing, performing with a gothic band (Barrowfae) and a world-folk duo (Dragonfly Reel), creating and performing in a magic/sideshow act (Xaotika) during which she walked on glass ... really ... facilitating various Rants and Raves, and creating faerie-themed costume accessories and original faerie artwork for her business, Thee Faerie Ring Arts and Crafts.

Of herself, sade says, "I wasn't exactly born in a trunk, but close." She lives with her bright red accordion amidst an explosion of art pieces, music that spans at least 6 decades, curiosities and seriously interesting clutter in Cleveland, with Ohio City on one side and the red light district of Detroit Ave on the other. Stop in sometime for a cool view of downtown Cleveland, a serenade on the accordion, or maybe just a few fresh-baked brownies.

Terrii pole-danced her way into the heart of convergence in 2008, where she serves as lighting designer, goth goddess and fountain of wild energy. She defined the dark shadows and blinding bursts of sulphuric, godlike gossamer here with her lighting designs for In the Garden, Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber, Quake, and Hunter Gatherers.

Terrii can be found all around Cleveland, OH doing what she loves best as a freelance lighting designer and stagehand. She is currently employed at Tri-C East as a theatrical technician, and also works as a stagehand with Live Nation Worldwide at both the Time Warner Cable Amphitheater (aka Tower City) and The Nautica Pavilion. She has served at the Near West Theatre for the last year as assistant stage manager and assistant lighting designer. Odds are if you're driving through Tremont, so is Terrii.

She and her man-love, Rob (also a company member) burn rubber and create all kinds of hip-stir on their drives through the hood.