2007-2008 INAUGURAL SEASON: THE FAMILY DYNAMIC

CAST - The Waiting Room by Samm-Art Williams

	Rob Demery (Riley Innes) “That Guy” Rob Demery is a native of Flint, Mich. He began his 14 years of acting when he was 9 years old. Rob has had extensive theatrical involvement since becoming serious about pursuing his career as an actor. From initially believing that his fame was to emanate from his unique and soulful talent as a rap lyricist/performer or his all-star skills on the basketball court, Rob Demery has found his niche in acting and the possibilities are limitless. Developing his skills as an actor is his only concern. Although he completed an internship with The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) under the direction of Curtis King, he is strengthening his craft even further being selected for the three-year professional internship program with The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, under the direction of Ron Himes. Some of Rob’s stage credits includes: Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil, Fences, Konvergence, Ceremonies In Dark Old Men, Othello, The Watsons Go To Birmingham, Before It Hits Home, God’s Trombones, Dearly Departed, The Creation, and Jelly’s Last Jam. Rob thanks God every day for recently healing his mother from cancer. “She is my chief supporter and without her guidance I wouldn’t have made it thus far in life. Number one woman plus number one fan equals my mom, Martha Demery.” Find out more about Rob Demery at www.robdemery.com.
	Eddie Webb (Patrick "Uncle Pat" Innes) Eddie came to St. Louis from his hometown, Port Arthur, Texas. He was born into a musical family of eight sisters and three brothers. He got his theatrical start, performing dinner theatre while in the military. After being discharged he moved to St Louis and was cast in the Black Rep production of Raisin in the Sun as Walter Lee. His other stage credits include Ain’t Misbehavin’, Othello with The St. Louis Shakespeare Company, Fences, Damn Yankees as Joe Boyd and The Yellow Boat for which he originated the role of “Eddy” with the internationally known Metro Theater Company. Webb has also loaned his talents to Ralph and Bonnie Green’s, Unity Theatre Ensemble, New Line Theatre and has been featured many times on radio and television. Webb is just thankful for another opportunity to share his many blessings. “Thank you for another day’s journey,” Amen.
	Rita Washington (Jessie Innes James) Rita is a native of St. Louis, and a graduate of Webster University. Having majored in Theatre Arts, which enriched the foundation for performing, she has also acquired skills in arts education and administration. With over 35 years of experience, Rita has been fortunate to work with some of the most outstanding arts organizations in St. Louis, such as Metro Theater Company, Young Audiences of St. Louis, and The Black Rep, among others. She is also delighted to be performing in St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s inaugural season. Currently, Rita is pursuing a renewed interest in special education and is a para-educator in the Special School District.
	Chuck Lavazzi (Gordon MacInnes) Although immensely pleased to be making his first appearance with St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Chuck has been appearing on stage for longer than he’s willing to acknowledge in public. Locally, he has worked with Act Inc, Stray Dog, New Line, West End Players, the Rep and St. Louis Shakespeare, among others, in roles ranging from Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Most recently he appeared as Don Vito Corleone in the NonProphet Theater’s St. Louis premiere of Corleone: the Shakespearean Godfather. He’s the producer for the arts calendars and performing arts reviews at KDHX-FM as well as the host/producer of Stage Left (a musical theatre podcast at www.stageleft.org), the local correspondent for Cabaret Scenes magazine and a guest columnist for the Post-Dispatch. He’s also rumored to be a technology professional at AT&T, but that hardly seems plausible.
	William Roth (Casey MacInnes) William has been working on St. Louis stages for over 25 years, including The Classic Theater Company, River City Players, Magic Smoking Monkey, Midnight Productions, the Goldenrod Showboat, the International Hemmingway Festival, HotHouse Theatre and Muddy Waters. During that time, he spent six years with the Orthwein Theatre Company, appearing in several shows, including The Grapes of Wrath, Our Town, ER, Emergency Room and Harvey. And over the past 15 years he has appeared in countless St. Louis Shakespeare productions, including Richard III, Metamorphoses and, most recently, Antony and Cleopatra. He can be seen next in St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s The Late Henry Moss, by his favorite playwright, Sam Shepard.
	Roman James (Hannah Blake) Roman makes her hometown debut as Hannah Blake in The Waiting Room. Prior to returning to St. Louis, James completed the last leg of a national tour for the hit stage play The Bachelorette Party produced by Will Smith. James, who resides in Los Angeles and Atlanta, has appeared in numerous commercials for such brands as Visa and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, starred as The Lady in Blue in Ntozaku Shange's For Colored Girls and several independent films. She would like to thank her daddy, James Williams, Aunt Monica and Ron Himes of The St. Louis Black Rep for making this experience a pleasant one.
	Choyce Johnson (Cookie Whitaker) Choyce is a native St. Louisan. Early in life she displayed a talent for acting while performing in her mother’s church plays. She discovered her love for theatre and began to write, direct and perform in plays for local community churches. Choyce’s professional career started when she was cast in a pilot filmed by Steven Byrd Productions. She performed in several local films and modeled for the print ads. She has worked with several local theatre companies such as The St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, The Remnant Playhouse, First Run Theatre and Soundstage Productions. She has performed as a storyteller for the St. Louis County and City public libraries and local community schools. She is excited about being a part of St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s introduction to the St. Louis theatre community. She feels honored to be cast in another production with her friends from The St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre. She has a husband Lorenzo and two beautiful children, a daughter (Zhanna) and a son (Cornelius).
	Candice Jackson (Rachael Johnson Lewis) Candice is blessed to be appearing in the premiere season of St. Louis Actors’ Studio. She is a native of East St. Louis where she received most of her training. She earned her B.A. in theatre from a nearby university, which she refuses to name in order to avoid self-incrimination. She appeared in university productions of Ain't Misbehavin' and Iron. She experienced her co-directing debut with Soundstage's production of Stormy Monday.