Anton Wasowicz, Me, Steven Vlahos

On March 24 @ 12 NOON, my play ANIMAL will receive a public reading at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto as part of the New Ideas Festival.   Today I introduce the two actors who will be playing the male parts.

Anton Wasowicz as Daniel/Cliff Shepherd

Above, on my left is Anton Wasowicz who will be playing the parts of Daniel Shepherd and Cliff Shepherd.  Daniel is the brother to the main character, Raina.  Cliff Shepherd is Raina and Daniel’s father.  Daniel grew up in a house with his older, mentally unstable sister Raina, who was emotionally and physically abusive toward him.  He left the house in his late teens and as the play opens, Daniel returns to the same home where his sister is having a massive breakdown.  Anton will also portray the part of Cliff Shepherd – a father and husband who remained a positive force in his household despite the dysfunction around him.

When I first heard Anton audition and then had him return for call backs, I was immediately struck by a vulnerability in him that I felt tapped into Daniel’s character/state of mind/his sadness.  I look forward to digging deeper with Anton as he discovers the many layers that make up Daniel.

Steven Vlahos as Griffin Shepherd/Mark

On my right is Steven Vlahos who will portray Griffin Shepherd and Mark.  Mark is a minor character – a former boyfriend to the the lead character Raina.   He, like Raina, is a mentally disturbed young man who was bullied in high school.

The other part Steven plays is the role of Griffin Shepherd,  son of Raina.  When the play opens, he joins Daniel in visiting his mother at a point where her life is totally unraveling.  Griffin has few lines and mostly communicates through gestures.  One of the many qualities about Steven I noticed during his audition was how expressive he is, which is essential  for the part of Griffin (as well as for Mark who is a hyper individual, teetering on the edge of insanity).  There’s a fearlessness in the way Steven approaches these parts, which will grow stronger as we progress through the rehearsal process.

So there you have it.  These two gentleman along with the two actresses I introduced last week (Alexandra Milne and Michele Dodick) will make up the cast of Animal for the public reading.  Visit the production page of the Animal reading HERE to find a complete list of the the cast and creative.