The Story

The Mascot is a hilarious new coming-of-age story about a manipulative father, a starry-eyed son, and the craziness that ensues when a father’s pursuit of his unfulfilled aspirations torpedo the dream of his son. The play’s larger than life, quirky characters will quickly prove if there’s one thing they can win at… it’s losing!

Characters

Knute

(Sam Cordes)

Knute grew up in South Bend, Indiana, dreaming of studying theatre in southern California. He would like nothing more than to escape and pursue his love of performing. But his father has other plans. To find himself, Knute must take on his father, a leprechaun extremist, and discover his first love.

Dia

(Emma Carter)

Dia dislikes just about everything and everyone. The sophomore chooses theatre because it most closely matches her goal to become circus acrobat. She is a fashion slave to nun-inspired Goth attire, and lives in the convent off-campus.

Darby

(Matt Rapport)

Darby knows his XX from his XY chromosomes. He engineers most everything to fulfill the destiny that his only child will be a boy, and will become a legend if not as a college quarterback, then as even more prestigious: leprechaun mascot.

Dooley

(Hollis Wilhoit)

Dooley is the leprechaun incarnate hell-bent on becoming the mascot in his final year of eligibility. Dooley is paranoid that something or someone could jeopardize his grand plan. Dooley refers to himself in the third person.

Chaplan Reamus

(Coleman Crenshaw)

Born in the countryside of Ireland, Chaplain Reamus could have been a candidate for university president, but instead chose to be Chaplain for the school leprechaun. He is also a judge in the hallowed auditions for the cherished school mascot.

Astrid

(Jen Mays)

Astrid abandoned her budding musical theatre career to marry and join Darby for the glamor and glory of … South Bend, Indiana. Her sole fulfillment comes from nurturing her son Knute and secretly guiding his true aspirations, marriage be damned.

Cheerleader

(Alisa Lynn)

Alisa Lynn is very excited to be returning to the Living Room stage. Previously she’s been seen on this stage in Bed Play & Junk and most recently in Kansas City has been seen in Rigoletto with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. She is so excited to be a part of this powerhouse of a team, bringing this zany script to life.

Cheerleader

(Matthew Michael)

Matthew Michael is a actor, comedian, and musician from the KC area. Latest projects include The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the world premiere of The Battle of Franklin, at Studio Tenn. Slaughter House on the Prairie at Third Coast Comedy Club. As well as starring in videos with Elite Daily. Special thanks to his family, friends, DTH, and the Living Room Theatre.
Instagram: @official_matthewmichael

Cheerleader

(Jake Gillespie)

Jake Gillespie is a sophomore at The University of Kansas majoring in Theatre Performance. His past credits include Gabriel Law in When the Rain Stops Falling, Jean Verse in …And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, Leonard in Seminar, and Crick in Late, A Cowboy Song. He is also the Vice President of Outreach at KU Improv.

Creative

Playwright

(Jerry Hickey)

Jerry grew up in the house owned by legendary football coach Knute Rockne. His father and his father’s brothers all graduated from a university named Notre Dame. And against its better judgment, this esteemed university even awarded Jerry a bachelor’s degree.
But the play — Jerry’s first — is not about Notre Dame. Or leprechauns. Or even mascots. It’s a story of the resulting train wreck when a teenager’s aspirations conflict with his parents’ desire for him to fulfill their own unrealized dreams.
Jerry trained in playwriting at Chicago Dramatists and Victory Gardens Theatres, and performed in plays for Chicago’s Victory Gardens and Bailiwick Theatres. He is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild, and is a network playwright for Chicago Dramatists. Jerry holds a B.B.A. from University of Notre Dame, and an M.A. from Northwestern University.

Director

(Dr. Peter Zazzali)

Dr. Zazzali is a theatre director, actor, and scholar whose work is recognized internationally. A member of the theatre faculty at the University of Kansas, he has acted and directed in over 150 productions with institutions such as the Acting Company, Guthrie, George Street Playhouse, Western Australian Academy for the Performing Arts, Queensland University of Technology, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg, NJ Repertory Theatre, and New Jersey, Texas, and Utah Shakespearean Festivals. His scholarship has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and prominent theatre magazines such as American Theatre, Theatre Journal, and Theatre Topics, among others. His current book, Acting in the Academy: the History of Professional Actor Training in US Higher Education was published by Routledge in April of 2016. Zazzali holds a BFA (CalArts) and an MFA (University of Delaware) in Acting and a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies (CUNY Graduate Center). He is a member of Equity, SAG, and the SDC.

Artistic Team

Stage Manager: ALEX MURPHY, Composer/Arranger: JON ROBERTSON, Choreography: TRACY TERSTRIEP, Set and Lighting Design: DENNIS CHRISTILLES, Lighting Assistant/Programmer: ART KENT and JOSH AUSTIN, Projection Design: RANA ESFANDIARY, Costume Design: KELLY VOGEL, Casting Director: MANON HALLIBURTON, Technical Director: KYLE DYCK. Prop Design: CURTIS SMITH, Assistant Direction: DREW HAFLING, Assistant Stage Manager: TYLER BOYER, House Manager and Dresser: REBECCA MUNOZ.