Nighttown Academy of Poetry & Letters
Cast Bios (Current as of 9/27/09)
Gail Bellamy, Ph.D., is the 2009-2010 City of Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate and the author of Cleveland Food Memories (Gray & Co.), Design Spirits (St. Martin’s Press), and two poetry collections—Victual Reality and Traveler’s Salad (Pudding House). She is past-president of the Poets’ & Writers’ League of Greater Cleveland (now The LIT) and earns her living as a magazine editor.
Margaret Bernstein just notched her 20th year as a reporter for The Plain Dealer. She received the 2008 Community Service Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and in 2000 was named National Big Sister of the Year. She was selected by the popular Three Doctors to write their latest book: "The Bond." She lives in Cleveland Heights with her husband Randy and their two children.
George Bilgere, a former winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, teaches at John Carroll University. His books of poetry include The Good Kiss, (winner of University of Akron Poetry Prize), Haywire (winner of the May Swenson Poetry Prize), and the forthcoming The White Museum, co-winner of the 2009 Autumn House Poetry Prize.
Regina Brett is a columnist for The Plain Dealer and a radio host on WCPN 90.3 FM. She was a finalist for both the 2008 and 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Her book, "God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours," comes out in April. In October, she’ll be inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame (which is housed at Nighttown).
Tony Brown will celebrate 10 years as theater critic for The Plain Dealer on November 1st. You can read his blog at cleveland.com/onstage.
Kathleen Cerveny has been active in the arts in Cleveland all her life: as a studio potter, art teacher, Coventry and Hessler Road Street fair organizer, university lecturer, arts organization board member, WCPN’s first arts producer and long time Director of Arts grant making for the Cleveland Foundation. Her creative life is now fueled by eight Fab Female poets who call themselves “Take Nine.”
Dan Chaon is the author of four books of fiction, including, most recently, the novel, Await Your Reply.
Mark Dawidziak has been the television critic at the Plain Dealer since 1999. His many non-fiction books include The Columbo Phile, Mark My Words: Mark Twain on Writing and, most recently, The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Dracula. Also a novelist and playwright, he is the co-founder of the Largely Literary Theater Company, dedicated to promoting literacy and literature.
Kathleen Fairweather used to produce documentaries for MGM. She was also the editor of International Documentary Magazine. She got sick of L.A traffic, moved a bunch of times and now lives in Cleveland Heights where she is working on her memoir, Shut Up and Write. She can be reached at Kfairweather@verizon.net, or on the web at www.Kathleenfairweather.com.
Dick Feagler is a graduate of John Adams High and Ohio University. An Army veteran, he became a general assignment reporter in 1963, a newspaper columnist in 1970, and a TV news commentator and interview host in 1974. In 1991 he won broadcast’s coveted Peabody & Du Pont? national awards. He has won 23 local Emmys and 21 first place awards for writing. He was elected to the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame in 1994.
Mansfield Frazier writes a regular column for http://www.CoolCleveland.com and is a contributing writer for The Daily Beast. He resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
David Giffels is a writer from Akron whose latest book, the memoir All the Way Home, is a winner of this year's Ohioana Book Award and was selected as one of Oprah's “Fantastic Summer Reads.” He teaches creative writing at the University of Akron and is on the faculty of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program. He also used to write for Beavis and Butt-Head
Michael Heaton has worked in journalism for 30 years at People Magazine in NY, at the San Francisco Examiner and at The Plain Dealer.
Meredith Holmes was the first Poet Laureate of Cleveland Heights (2005 to 2006). She is the author of Shubad’s Crown, a collection of poems published by Pond Road Press. Her poems have appeared in several anthologies, including Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems for Hard Times.
Carolyn Jack is an author and longtime arts critic, reporter, columnist and editor. Her four plays have been presented in Florida and Ohio and her short film, “Wall of Fame,” debuted as the opener for the 2009 Ohio Independent Film Festival. Now editor and CEO of Geniocity.com, Jack is currently working on her second novel.
Peter Lawson Jones is a Cuyahoga County Commissioner. He has also appeared in several local plays and a drama he wrote, “The Family Line”, was produced at Karamu Performing Arts Theatre, Harvard University and Ohio University and received a staged reading at the Beck Center for the Arts and the East Cleveland Community Theatre.
Ed Kelley currently serves as Mayor of Cleveland Heights. He is happily married with five wonderful children, a lifelong Cleveland Heights resident and staunch Democrat.
Scott Lax was born in Cleveland. He is a nationally award-winning novelist, film producer, and nonfiction writer. His novel, The Year That Trembled, was named one of 1998’s Milestones in Fiction by The Denver Post, which called it “powerful.” His second novel is forthcoming, and he is currently writing a third novel. He lives in Chagrin Falls with fiancé Lydia and a variety of children and animals.
Nancy S. Levin is the Director of the Heights Library System and she is extremely grateful and humbled by the support the community has shown the library.
Laura Lindauer is a regular on WCLV's "Mighty Wurlitzer Radio Hour. She holds a B.A. from the College of Wooster and an M.M. from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Laura has a wide range of performing experience ranging from opera, oratorio and art song to cabaret, musical theater and radio.
Karen R. Long grew up in Seattle, where she wrote bad poetry, which, blessedly, hasn't been published since she was 17. She now works as book editor of The Plain Dealer, a job she has held since 2005. She and Joe Frolik have three children and live in Cleveland Heights.
Nancy Maier is well-known in Northeast Ohio as a music director, vocal coach and accompanist. She is currently music director/coach of the acclaimed music theater program at Baldwin-Wallace College under the direction of Victoria Bussert. Nancy and Bill Rudman will bring their fourth-annual "Christmas Cabaret" to Night Town? Dec. 20-22 featuring singers Sandra Simon and Jared Leal.
Judith Mansour is the executive director of The LIT: Cleveland’s Literary Center and editor of MUSE. She joined the organization in June of 2007, coming from the MOCA Cleveland, where she worked as Assistant Executive Director for 2 years. She loves books, cats, and food.
Sarah May is a well known Cleveland theatre director. She is a winner of the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement in Theatre. Some of her favorite shows include Having Our Say and Paul Robeson at Ensemble, Grapes of Wrath at Dobama, Caroline, or Change at Karamu, and, at Beck Center, The History Boys and Frozen starring the great Derdriu Ring.
Kevin Mc Ginty? was born in Castlebar County Mayo. He is the host of Sounds of Britain & Ireland. He is also directors the Cleveland Irish Players Theatre Group.
Michael K. Mc Intyre?, who writes the “Tipoff” and “Laugh Track” columns for The Plain Dealer, is the son of a Plain Dealer truck driver who helped deliver papers with his dad and let the ink seep into his veins. He kind of wishes he was the son of an oil tycoon, but then again, oil has to be worse for you than ink if it seeps into your veins.
Phillip Morris has been a Plain Dealer Metro Columnist since 2007.
Maryann Nagel is a fulltime freelance actress performing on TV, film, stage and radio across the country. She narrates Cleveland Orchestra Rainbow Concerts, teaches/coaches acting for Playhouse Square Centre, The Dance Centre and Independent Studios.
Kristin Ohlson is the author of the memoir Stalking the Divine and a co-author of the New York Times bestselling Kabul Beauty School. A California-born, Cleveland-based writer, Ohlson has published articles, essays and short fiction in many publications. Her article about dining out in Kabul is included in Best American Travel Writing 2008.
Dee Perry is a native Clevelander. WCPN 90.3 FM has been Dee’s radio home since 1989. Dee is the host and senior producer for both the daily arts and culture radio show on 90.3, Around Noon, and the weekly arts and culture TV series on WVIZ/PBS, Applause. Dee loves to hang out in places where people appreciate wordplay, and libraries are at the top of her ‘go to’ list.
Fabio Polanco most recently performed the role of Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun" at Porthouse Theater. He also played Thenardier in the Broadway national tour of "Les Miserables," and in "Missionaries" at Brooklyn Academy of Music, "The Life of Galileo" at Berkeley Repertory and "Nine" at Cain Park. Fabio is assistant professor of theater at Ashland University.
Steve Presser graduated Cleveland Heights High and was pre-med at University of Michigan, worked at a racetrack, worked with the developmentally disabled, was a stockbroker, and now makes people happy. Loves his wife and kids!
Barbara Bisantz Raymond’s nonfiction book, The Baby Thief, has been published in the United States, Australia, and the U.K. Publisher’s Weekly named it a Best Book of 2007. She has written for The New York Times, USA Today?, Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping and other national publications. She is an adjunct professor at John Carroll University.
Brendan Ring was born in Ireland. After knocking about in New York City and meeting/marrying Siobhan, he took over Nighttown in 2001. Now on Down Beat’s List of the 100 Best Jazz Clubs in the World, Nighttown is also the home of The Press Club of Cleveland’s Journalism Hall of Fame. Brendan was recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts in 2007. He became an American citizen in 2008.
Derdriu Ring is an actress by profession and recent mother by choice to beautiful Rosie. Thank you to hubby Vince for building our stage this evening. It has been a pleasure working with Regina on this project. I hope it’s the beginning of more productions courtesy of The Nighttown Academy of Poetry & Letters. Wise up!! And keep supporting our public libraries and independent book stores.
Les Roberts is a Chicago-born writer, actor, critic, columnist, TV personality, musician and singer. Author of 24 books (23 mysteries); 2500 half-hours of network and syndicated TV; animal lover; movie fan; and cooking enthusiast. Lived in NYC, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Augusta, Georgia. Been a Cleveland lover for twenty years and hope to stay that way for twenty more.
Bill Rudman is director of The Musical Theater Project and host of the radio programs "Footlight Parade" (broadcast on WCLV and syndicated on 70 public stations) and "On the Aisle" (heard around the country on Sirius XM Satellite Radio). He also produces and hosts the concert and cabaret series "The Song Is You!" Bill and Nancy Maier will bring their fourth-annual "Christmas Cabaret" to Nighttown on Dec. 20-22 featuring singers Sandra Simon and Jared Leal.
Michael Ruhlman has been a freelance journalist and writer for more about 20 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Gourmet, Saveur, and Food Arts. His non-fiction books include The Making of a Chef, The Soul of a Chef, and Walk On Water, and House: A Memoir. His most recent book is Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.
When Mary Doria Russell lost her job at CWRU, it felt catastrophic. Five novels, eight literary awards, and two movie deals later, she is proof that “Living well is the best revenge.” The Sparrow and Children of God are science fiction. A Thread of Grace and Dreamers of the Day are 20th century historicals. Coming soon: Eight to Five, Against, a Western.
Karen Sandstrom is studying illustration at the Cleveland Institute of Art. She was a reporter and editor at the Plain Dealer for 18 years and her short fiction has been published in several Ohio literary journals.
Afi Scruggs has written for print, radio and online. She blogs for www.trueslant.com. She's written three books, and is working on a children's novel that is set in the South during the Civil Rights struggle. She's also an accomplished musician.
Debra Adams Simmons is the managing editor of The Plain Dealer. She has spent nearly 25 years as a journalist. Prior to joining The Plain Dealer, she was editor and vice president of the Akron Beacon Journal. She’s also worked at the Detroit Free Press, The Virginian-Pilot, The Hartford Courant and the Syracuse Herald-Journal.
Joan Southgate is 80 years old and a retired social worker and community organizer. In 2003, she wrote In Their Path the story of her 519 mile Underground Railroad walk and founded Restore Cleveland Hope Inc., the grass roots organization who’s Underground Railroad Education and Resource Center will be located in the pre-Civil War Cozad-Bates House in University Circle.
Peggy Spaeth is the founding director of Heights Arts, a nonprofit community arts organization that will be 10 years old in 2010. Heights Arts believes that the arts are essential to community life, and that our community is uniquely creative. This is where arts live.
Laura Taxel’s writing has appeared in local and national newspapers and magazines for almost 30 years, and was selected for the annual anthology Best Food Writing in 2004, 2006, and 2008. She’s the author of Cleveland Ethnic Eats, a guide to northeast Ohio's most authentic ethnic restaurants and markets.
Thrity Umrigar is the author of four novels and a memoir. She is an associate professor at CWRU and the 2009 winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize.
Hector Vega
Stuart Warner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor at The Plain Dealer and The Akron Beacon Journal, now teaches journalism as Case Western and is an editor for aol.com/news. His first book, JOCK, is due out next year.
Dr. Mary E. Weems is a poet, playwright, imagination-intellect theorist and member of Black Poetic. She is a lifelong liver-in and lover of Cleveland and an Assistant Professor of Education in the Dept. of Education and Allied Studies at John Carroll University.
Loren F. Weiss is 83 years old. Shaker High class ’44; BS in Mech. Engineering & Naval Science and letter in Golf at U. Wisconsin; 43 years in the Die Casting industry; Chairman, American Die Casting Institute 83-84; President, Oakwood Country Club 84-85; 3700 hrs. as an instrument-rated pilot; Cleveland Hts. Poet Laureate 2006. Love fishing, golf, the Indians, and Lita…my wife of 57 years.
Helen Welch has appeared with the Blossom Festival Orchestra, the Akron Symphony, and the Columbus and Cleveland Jazz Orchestras, among many others. Notable venues include Severance Hall, the Palace Theatre in Playhouse Square and the Chautauqua Institute. Her well-loved holiday show returns to the Akron Civic Theater (backed by the Columbus Jazz Orchestra) on Dec. 19, and to Nighttown on Dec. 17 and 18.
Ron Wilson is a professional actor, stage director, playwright, musician and visual artist. Over the past few years he has renewed his work as a realistic figurative artist pursuing his artistic studies in Paris. He can often be seen at The CMA drawing statuary. He also serves as the Chair of the Dept. of Theater & Dance at CWRU and is the Director of the CWRU-Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program.
Carlo Wolff is a freelance journalist who writes for consumer and trade publications. He specializes in book reviews, music criticism, stories about the hotel industry, and travel articles. He has been involved in three books; the latest is “Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories” (Gray & Co.). Wolff, his wife Karen Sandstrom and their two children live in South Euclid.
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