Opus
By Michael Hollinger
January 27-29 & February 3-5, 2011
The world-class Lazara String Quartet is struggling to prepare for their highest-profile performance when they decide to fire their brilliant, yet mercurial, violist. When a young woman is hired as the replacement, her gifts inspire them to attempt a musical feat of epic proportions.
The rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise, personalities clash, and the musicians are forced to tackle life, love, and the ephemeral nature of their work.
"a taut, smart, thoroughly entertaining drama about that most rarified of heady glories, the string quartet"
—Newsday
"Opus plays all of its notes with an utmost precision and delicacy"
—New York Post
A former violist, now playwright, Michael Hollinger chose to write about a world he's very familiar with in Opus. He is also the author of Tooth and Claw, Red Herring, Tiny Island, Incorruptible, and An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf all of which premiered at Philadelphia's Arden Theatre Company and have subsequently been performed around the country. Mr. Hollinger is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Villanova University.
Jeralyn has directed over 15 plays for Actors' Theatre, starting with it's first season in 1980, as well as many more in local theaters. Jeralyn holds two Grand Awards to her credit, in addition to a lifetime of acting in local and community theater. She holds a BA from Cornell University and has studied in colloquia with world-class directors at Columbia University, University of Washington, and the University of Illinois.
Steven has been acting in local theatre since the age of 13 when he appeared as the Fire Eater in Community Circle Theatre's Lollipop Players production of Pinocchio. Among his many other credits are Jody in Lonely Planet, Mr. Noakes in Arcadia and Mercer in Boy Gets Girl, all for Actors' Theatre. Other roles include Reuven in The Chosen and Benny in The Value of Names for Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids and Mr. Keseberg in Devour the Snow (for which he won a Grand Award) and Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer for Heritage Theatre. He has also appeared on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre stage as Sam in Crossing Delancey.
Lauren is extremely grateful for the opportunity to return to the stage as a part of this production and be surrounded by such greatness-- she hopes some of it has rubbed off on her. Lauren studied theatre at Aquinas College and currently fills the role of props manager for Aquinas and Circle Theatre.
Ralph spent 15 years in main-stage theatre in London, Madrid, Hong Kong, and Edinburgh before moving to Los Angeles in 1997 to develop a career as an on-camera actor. Major motion picture credits from Hollywood include the studio comedy Mr. Woodcock, with Billy Bob Thornton, Susan Sarandon; Jewel of the Sahara, with Gerard Butler; A Lot Like Love, with Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet. As a voice talent, Ralph's biggest success to date is as series regular Walter "Angel of Death" Dollneaz in blockbuster animé hit Hellsing. His voice can also be heard in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, in Revolution Studios' Thirteen Going On Thirty, and as the narrator for the 10-Year Anniversary edition of Jean Reno's The Professional . Recent theatre in Grand Rapids includes An American Daughter (for Jewish Theatre); Frozen (for Actors' Theatre); The Lieutenant of Inishmore (also for Actors' Theatre); On Golden Pond (for Circle Theatre); and as James Whistler in a biographical exposition supporting the Whistler exhibition at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. In 2010, Ralph completed a co-starring role in the movie Setup (with Bruce Willis, Curtis "Fifty Cent" Jackson, and Ryan Philippe, filmed on location in Grand Rapids) and, in 2009, in the movie Alleged (with Brian Dennehy, Sen. Fred Thompson, and Colm Meaney, filmed on location in Flint, MI). Ralph would like to recognize all the hard-working theatre professionals who make theatre possible in Michigan and a sincere Thank You to you, our audience, for supporting our creative efforts. Your continued support of what we - and all local artists do - is integral to a vibrant revival of the fortunes of our state. [
Greg's relationship with Actors' Theatre started in 1992 when he appeared in the Fred Sebulske directed Marvin's Room with his son, Joe. Since then, Greg has performed in more than 16 Actors' productions, most recently in last season's The Drawer Boy in which his performance as Angus was recognized with a Grand Award nomination. He was also an actor and member of the devising team on the ground breaking world premiere of Seven Passages: The Stories of Gay Christians. He reprised his roles on the filmed version of "Seven Passages". (Still available on DVD) Among his other favorite Actors' work include Tent Meeting, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Urinetown: The Musical and The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Greg served on the board of Actors' Theatre for 17 years and is currently taking a hiatus. Among his many accomplishments, Greg has been nominated for eight Grand Awards and has won twice for his work in The Cripple of Inishmaan and in Circle Theatre's The Vast Difference. Plus you may have seen him recently on TV as a green haired football fan in a Metro Health commercial. He was also seen on the Emmy Award winning hit children's TV show, "Come on Over" and had a small role in the upcoming film "Things Fall Apart" starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. "Thank you Jeralyn for trusting me with this challenging role and to my fellow cast members for keeping it real. Also my biggest thank you goes to my daughter and son-in-law for giving my wife and I the best Christmas present…..news of a 2nd grand baby!"
Mike has appeared in more than 60 productions at Civic, Circle, Actors, Heritage, Jewish Theatre, Grand Rapids Opera, and other theatres throughout Michigan. He has won Grand Awards for his performances in Denial and The Crucible. As a writer, Mike has had several one-act and full length plays produced in Grand Rapids and as far away as Washington State. He co-wrote the award-winning film documentary, "The Reckoning". And his book with fitness specialist Sean Foy, titled "The 10 Minute Total Body Breakthrough," is in bookstores across the country and on Amazon.com. Mike dedicates his performance in Opus to his Mom and Dad who both passed away a few months ago.
