CHARLES LYNN FROST [Alex] previously appeared in Plan-B’s THE LARAMIE PROJECT, for which he was named "Best Actor 2001" by Salt Lake City Weekly. Other regional credits include: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE  FORUM, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE IMAGINARY INVALID, THE FOREIGNER, GOD’S COUNTRY, GREATER TUNA and A TUNA CHRISTMAS.  He will complete the TUNA trilogy in 2008 with RED, WHITE AND TUNA.  Mr. Frost has appeared in numerous regional, national and local commercials as well as extensive voice work.  Film/television:  CON AIR and several episodes of HBO’s HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE SERIES.

Based in Salt Lake City, Mr. Frost works as a business leadership coach, change management consultant, systems analyst, and curricular/media director, having won numerous TELLY awards. He has served on the boards of Utah Pride Center (chair), Equality Utah, Utah Arts Council, The College Board, Kennedy Center Educational Arts Advisory Board, and Educational Theatre Association (president). He is a proud father of four, grandfather of two, has a white terrier named Deacon and expresses love and gratitude to his partner of five years, Douglas Lott.

JAYNE LUKE [Ruth] previously appeared in Plan-B’s ANIMAL FARM.  A native Utahn, she works as an actress, choreographer, director and producer in most of the major theatres in Utah.  Regional acting roles include KIMBERLY AKIMBO, BOY, THE BEARD OF AVON and BIG LOVE at Salt Lake Acting Company; DEATH OF A SALESMAN, PRESENT LAUGHTER, GRAPES OF WRATH at Pioneer Theatre Company; and many productions at Sundance Summer Theatre.  She has also choreographed many productions for Pioneer Theatre Company, most recently PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Film/television: BRIGHAM CITY, SPECIES and several episodes of TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.

Ms. Luke was artistic director of Sundance Summer Theatre from 1981-93 and has participated as an actress in both the Sundance Film and Theatre Labs. She is founder and artistic director of Walk-Ons, Inc. and producer of the Senior Theatre Project, which takes plays for, by and about senior citizens to residential facilities and senior centers in Utah.

JAY PERRY [Marcus] most recently appeared in Plan-B’s THE ALIENATION EFFEKT and the world premiere of FACING EAST. A native of Salt Lake City and graduate of University of Utah's Actor Training Program, he also trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Mr. Perry’s regional credits include THE TAMING OF THE SHREW and THE COMPLEAT WORKS OF WLLM SHKSPR (ABRIDGED) for Salt Lake Shakespeare; A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE for Pioneer Theatre Company; THE SEAGULL at The Rose Wagner; A THOUSAND CLOWNS at the Grand Theatre; and TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY, SLAM and two installments of RADIO HOUR for Plan-B Theatre Company.   Film/television: THE THREE FOLEYS for Weird Chief Pictures, RED LIGHT for Spy-Hop Productions, THE RIGHT TEMPTATION for HBO and, most recently, PECULIARITIES for Cue Media/Z-Axis Films and the 2007 season ad campaign for Ballet West. 

Mr. Perry would like to thank the director, Jerry Rapier and writer, Carol Lynn Pearson for the opportunity to be a part of this important work.

CAROL LYNN PEARSON [Playwright] is the best-selling author of more than thirty books and plays, including her classic GOODBYE, I LOVE YOU and her new book NO MORE GOODBYES:  CIRCLING THE WAGONS AROUND OUR GAY LOVED ONES.  Many of her poems have been widely reprinted in such places as Ann Landers’ column, CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, college literary textbooks and the compilation BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND.  Pearson has written numerous educational motion pictures, including the well-known CIPHER IN THE SNOW, as well as several plays and musicals, two commissioned by Robert Redford’s Sundance Summer Theatre.  She has performed her one-woman play MOTHER WOVE THE MORNING more than 300 times internationally.  The film version was named “one of the top 25 videos of the year” by BOOKLIST.  Her book CONSIDER THE BUTTERFLY was a finalist in the Inspiration/Spiritual category of the 2002 Independent Publishers Book Awards. 

Ms. Pearson’s prolific career as a writer, poet and performer has taken her all over the world.  Her latest stage play, FACING EAST, premiered at Plan-B Theatre Company in Salt Lake City in November of 2006.  She holds an MA in theater from Brigham Young University, is the mother of four grown children, and lives in Walnut Creek, California.  Visit her at www.clpearson.com.

JERRY RAPIER [Director | Costume Design] has been Producing Director of Plan-B Theatre Company since 2000, where he has directed MOLLY SWEENEY, THE LARAMIE PROJECT (first small theatre production in the US), MY LEFT BREAST (first English-speaking production not performed by the playwright), HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, ANIMAL FARM, PATIENT A, the revival of HEDWIG, the script-in-hand COLD and the world premieres of AMERIKA (which also played Toronto’s Fringe Festival) and FACING EAST (off-Broadway debut). 

Other regional credits include THE WATER PROJECT (Salt Lake Acting Company) and SIDE MAN and THE WHO'S TOMMY (Egyptian Theatre Company).  Film: PECULIARITIES.  Mr. Rapier has spent the last 11 ½ years with Kirt, the love of his life.

CHERYL ANN CLUFF [Sound Design] co-founded Plan-B in 1991 and is the company’s managing director and resident sound designer.  She has worn many Plan-B hats over the years and has appeared in many a show, most recently A PLACE IN THE SKY, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and ANIMAL FARM.  She directs and co-designs sound for the company’s annual RADIO HOUR on KUER radio.  Other sound design credits include A PERFECT GANESH, BASH: LATTERDAY PLAYS, TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY, PATIENT A, AMERIKA, MIASMA and FACING EAST.  She has also designed projections for FAHRENHEIT 451, ANIMAL FARM and the revival of THE ALIENATION EFFEKT.

Ms. Cluff is married to Todd Riesen and the proud mother of 1-year-old Charlie.

JENNIFER FREED [Stage Manager] is thrilled to be back in a New York as a stage manager after a 14-year absence.  In a theatre career spanning over 23 years, she has worked with Playwrights Horizons on WHEN SHE DANCED, MIRIAM’S FLOWERS, HYDE IN HOLLYWOOD, and one of her favorite shows, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND.  Ms. Freed worked at Manhattan Theatre Club on THE STICK WIFE, THE WASH and THE AMERICAN PLAN.  Back home in Utah Jen has been fortunate enough to work with Utah Opera on many grand operas, including AIDA, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, LUCIA, MACBETH, CARMEN, THE MERRY WIDOW and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.  Happily for Jen, she has found a home with Plan-B working on such shows as HIPPOLYTUS, POE 2000, MOLLY SWEENEY, A PERFECT GANESH, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS,  A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, ANIMAL FARM, AMERIKA, MIASMA and FACING EAST…to name just a few.

Ms. Freed is grateful to her “day job” for supporting her theatre habit that keeps her a happy healthy worker bee from 9 to 5.  She is also grateful to her parents for introducing her to the theatre at a very young age, as well as for all the support they have given to her in all aspects of her life.  FACING EAST is the most recent show that is, as always, dedicated to them.

RANDY RASMUSSEN [Set Design] is Plan-B’s technical director and resident set designer.  He has designed nearly every Plan-B set in the company’s history, including THE LARAMIE PROJECT, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (also revival) and the world premieres of AMERIKA, MIASMA, THE ALIENATION EFFEKT (also revival) and FACING EAST.

His first set design was for a high school production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, where he painted the entire stage blue, much to the dismay of the administration. He attended Southern Utah University, designing several student productions, learned to paint, learned to camp, and after graduation had the dubious distinction of being Assistant House Manager for the now Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival.                      

Mr. Rasmussen’s first professional theatre work was as a scenic painter for Pioneer Theatre Company.  His first set design for Plan-B was a production of MACBETH with no scenic budget.  For the University of Utah, he is currently technical director of Kingsbury Hall, managing a few hundred productions each year, including touring shows, rock shows, beauty pageants and children’s dance recitals.  He also designs scenery for University of Utah’s Lyric Opera Ensemble and Youth Theatre at the U.

In his off time he and a group of talented and energetic friends run a bar in Black Rock City, Nevada called the Velvet Soulmine.

CORY THORELL [Lighting Design | Props Design] is Plan-B’s company manager and resident lighting/props designer.  He has lit Plan-B’s productions of THE LARAMIE PROJECT, BASH: LATTERDAY PLAYS, AMERIKA (also Toronto’s Fringe Festival), MIASMA, FACING EAST and the revival of THE ALIENATION EFFEKT, also designing props for the last four.  He co-designed and directed HIPPOLYTUS and A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK (also Der Lesbisch-schwules Kulturhaus in Frankfurt, Germany, giving Plan-B its European debut).  Mr. Thorell co-designed sound for THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and is the co-sound designer and foley artist for Plan-B’s annual RADIO HOUR on KUER radio. 

Mr. Thorell has worked professionally in the performing arts since 1985.  For 10 years he was properties master for Utah Symphony & Opera.  Since 1999, he has been properties master for Ballet West where he built new productions of ROMEO & JULIET and MISS JULIE; participated in the Cultural Olympiad as part of the 2002 Winter Olympics with AFTERNOON OF A FAUN; and traveled to the 2004 Edinburgh International Festival with OFFENBACH IN THE UNDERWORLD.

Mr. Thorell holds a BFA in Theatre, is an IATSE journeyman, and resides in Salt Lake City, where he sits on the advisory board for the Human Rights Education Center of Utah and is an adjunct instructor of theatre at Salt Lake Community College.

BRUCE WAYNE BASTIAN [Producer] received a BA in Music Education and an MA in Computer Science from BYU. After leaving BYU, Mr. Bastian and his faculty advisor, Alan Ashton, decided to take a chance and started a small software company offering word processing software on mini computers. In 1983, soon after the IBM Personal Computer was announced, Mr. Ashton and Mr. Bastian rewrote their word processing product to run in the PC world. That product was named WORDPERFECT.

His foundation, the B.W. Bastian Foundation, has adopted a policy of only supporting organizations that wholeheartedly embrace the principle of equality. Bastian funding places a strong commitment on programs and organizations that benefit, encourage, and preserve the rights of individuals, and promote equality for the GLBT community. Bastian’s foresight and generosity have provided more personal and financial support to Utah’s GLBT organizations than any other single individual. He is also a major donor for several national GLBT organizations.

Because of his belief that the arts inspire people to be their true selves and open their lives from inside, Bastian has been a supporter of many Utah-based performing arts organizations, including Plan-B Theatre Company. His funding also includes environmental organizations, wildlife funds and homeless shelters. Political committees and candidates nationwide have been recipients of his funding. AIDS research and GLBT groups have greatly benefited from Bastian dollars.

Bastian assumes a national political voice as he works on the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign in Washington D.C. His lobbying efforts and co-chairmanship of the initiative to defeat the Federal Marriage Amendment demonstrate his dedication to educating the masses regarding gay civil rights issues. Bruce is currently traveling extensively in this capacity and is speaking, fund-raising, and educating as he works for equal protection and equal rights under the law for GLBT Americans and their families everywhere.

PLAN-B THEATRE COMPANY [Producer] is an award-winning, non-profit theatre company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Plan-B was founded on a shoestring in 1991, incorporated in 1995, and until a few months ago didn’t even have an office.  Since 2000, Jerry Rapier has served as Producing Director with Cheryl Ann Cluff as Managing Director.  The company has received more Salt Lake City Weekly Slammy/Arty Awards than any other organization [26], including ‘BEST LOCAL PRODUCTION’ six years running:  THE LARAMIE PROJECT [2001], MY LEFT BREAST [2002], HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH [2003], ANIMAL FARM [2004], TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY [2005] and the world premiere of Aden Ross’ AMERIKA [2006].

Plan-B’s world premiere production of A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK traveled to the Der Lesbisch-schwules Kulturhaus in Frankfurt, Germany [2005].  The company’s world premiere production of AMERIKA was featured in Toronto’s Fringe Festival [2006].  FACING EAST is Plan-B’s off-Broadway debut.

Plan-B actively develops new plays by Utah writers with its annual SLAM and SCRIPT-IN-HAND SERIES, furthering a commitment to the development of new plays addressing social issues by Utah writers.

Plan-B will offer two world premieres by Utah writers during the upcoming 2007-2008 season:  EXPOSED by Mary Dickson, about Utah’s strange history with nuclear testing; and THE END OF THE HORIZON by Debora Threedy, about Everett Ruess' mysterious 1934 disappearance in the desert of Southern Utah.