²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp

Day Cast

(In order of appearance)

• Barbara DeMarco
  Sarah Corey
• Mike Thomas
  Elliott Kashner
• Tony Whitcomb
  Torin Lusebrink
• Eddie Lawrence
  Cory Cunningham
• Nick O'Brien
  Aaron Shields
• Mrs. Shubert
  Tracy Coffey

Night Cast

(In order of appearance)

• Barbara DeMarco
  Soneka Anderson
• Mike Thomas
  Nick Fruit
• Tony Whitcomb
  Jordan Ahnquist
• Eddie Lawrence
  Joseph Delguste
• Nick O'Brien
  Patrick Noonan
• Mrs. Shubert
  Anne Bowles

Understudies

Female Understudy: Francie Glick

Male Understudies: Cory Cunningham & Bob Lohrmann

Who’s Who in the Day Cast

Sarah Corey (Barbara DeMarco) (she/her) is over the moon (and under Isabel Czerny) to be returning to the salon!!!!! This and every performance are dedicated to the OG Randolph and Shearling Stage Manager/Resident Costume Designer extraordinaire, Scott Hammar. Off Broadway - A Letter to Harvey Milk, Love & Real Estate, Illyria. International Tour - Prospect Theater Company: Death For Five Voices. Selected Regional - Kennedy Center: Shear Madness, Huntington Theatre: The Band's Visit, Shakespeare Theatre Company: Much Ado About Nothing, Gulfshore Playhouse: The Refugees, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company: Much Ado About Nothing, Alabama Shakespeare Festival: In the Book Of, Gamm Theatre: Bad Jews, Theater J: Nathan the Wise, Love Sick, The Chameleon, Rep Stage: Songs for a New World, Falsettos, Olney Theatre Center: Oil, Arena Stage: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Tantrum Theatre Company: Rhinoceros, TheatreSquared: A Christmas Carol, Prospect Theater Company: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Barnstormers Theater: Nunsense, Oldcastle Theatre Company: Broadway Bound, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Around the World in 80 Days, Mountain Playhouse: Twelfth Night, One Golden Moment, Worcester Foothills: Evita, Sisters of Swing, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, The Public Theatre: Beau Jest, Love/Sick, SpeakEasy Stage: Caroline, or Change, New Repertory Theater: Lippa's The Wild Party (IRNE Award, best supporting actress), Lyric Stage: Meshuggah-Nuns!, Totem Pole Playhouse: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. TV: Swagger, Lady in the Lake, We Own This City. Proud graduate of Princeton University. Training: LAMDA, Shakespeare & Company. Reps: UIA Talent. IG: sscoreyny. Website: www.sarah-corey.weebly.com.

Elliott Kashner (Mike Thomas) REGIONAL: Everyman Theatre: Book of Joseph; Signature Theatre: Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill (U/S); Studio Theatre: Doubt: A Parable (U/S). LOCAL: 1st Stage: Almost, Maine; Adventure Theatre: Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse; Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, She Stoops to Conquer, Christmas Carol, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, and Wild Oats; The Hub Theatre: The Burn (Helen Hayes Nomination: Outstanding Supporting Actor); Keegan Theatre: Golden Boy. Molotov Theatre Group: Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe, Lovecraft Nightmare Suite, The Margins; Quotidian Theatre Company: Doubt: A Parable; WSC Avant Bard: The Misanthrope, The Bacchae. Elliott is Associate Director of Institutional Giving at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from George Mason University. He’s also a playwright; check out his profile on the New Play Exchange. In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his terrible dog and playing the piano. www.elliottkashner.com

Torin Lusebrink (Tony Whitcomb) is thrilled to return to the role of Tony for a third time since 2018, and this is his first time back in the spotlight since the pandemic. During the pandemic, Torin has been working as an Education Coordinator at Imagination Stage, and recording audio books in his free time. Torin is from Davis, CA and moved to the DMV in August, 2016. In the time that he’s been here, Torin has worked primarily with children’s theatre companies, such as the aforementioned Imagination Stage, Young Playwrights Theatre, and the Tools for Creative Teaching team at the Smithsonian’s Discovery Theatre. Just before the pandemic hit, Torin was touring the USA with ERTH's PREHISTORIC AQUARIUM as a dinosaur puppeteer. Other notable credits include dinosaur puppeteer in ERTH's DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE, Mother/ Puppeteer in THE NUTCRACKER with Puppet Theatre Co., and Matthew in EXIT, CAROLYN with Nu Sass.

Cory Cunningham (Eddie Lawrence) is elated to be back at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp as part of the hilarious “Shear Madness” company. He is an accomplished actor, singer, and director with over 20 years of experience in the performing arts. Cory has graced the stages of renowned regional theaters across the country including ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, and Meadow Brook Theatre. He's been part of the "Madness" here at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp since 2017.

In addition to Cory’s extensive work on stage, he has built up an impressive list of on-camera acting credits in national commercials, industrials, short films, and interactive theater. He thoroughly enjoys utilizing technology as a tool for engaging new audiences.

Cory is a passionate creative collaborator who thrives on bringing stories to life. Whether immersed in an ensemble role or working one-on-one with a director, he approaches every project with professionalism, commitment, and good humor. Audiences appreciate his charismatic energy and emotional truth. Cory continues to challenge himself daily as he hones his craft and pushes artistic boundaries in new ways. He feels privileged to collaborate with such a wildly talented Shear Madness cast and hopes you’ll come back again and again to see the comic mayhem unfold in spontaneous new ways every night! For more: www.corycunningham.com

Aaron Shields (Nick O’Brien) hails from the small town of El Dorado, Kansas, where he grew up. He went on to study theater at American University, New York University, and the University of Southern California. He returns to the Kennedy Center after several years of playing Shear Madness in the windy city of Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, and Laguna Beach. Some of his favorite stage roles include Arnolphe in School for Wives, Cootie in Moonchildren, a skinny Sancho in Man of La Mancha, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, and Victor in Frankenstein. He starred in the Emmy Award–winning show PickUp the Beat on CBS. He has been featured in such films as Hoffa, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Perfect Strangers. He starred in the psychothriller film Crude Oasis from Miramax Pictures, in which he was the psycho, and can be seen in the soon-to-be-released film Riders. He was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award and received an Irene Ryan Award for acting in 1987. Love to family and friends.

Tracy DiiBon Coffey (Mrs. Shubert) Kennedy Center (debut), Regional Theater: Trinity Repertory Company (u/s Becky Nurse/Witch, Becky Nurse of Salem), Other Theaters: Contemporary Theater Boston (Harriet, Sticks and Bones), Stuttgart Theatre Center (Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire; Christine Penmark, The Bad Seed; Sour Kangaroo, Seussical!); Roxy Regional Theater (Nellie Collins, Floyd Collins; Sister Robert Anne, Nunsense 2). Tracy started acting professionally later in life, having spent her early years traveling the world and surviving deployments with retired Army spouse, Ross, raising three fabulous children (Taylor, Adam, and Ryan), and teaching math (BS in Math from JMU). In her spare time, she likes to workout, travel with her family and the cutest dog in the world, cheer on her favorite sports teams (Go, Dukes! Chiefs! and Black Knights!), catch up with her beautiful sisters, Shannon and Kim, volunteer, and read–a hobby she is working to parlay into a career in audiobook narration. Her performance is dedicated to Tom DiiBon. You would’ve loved this one, Dad.

Francie Glick (Production Stage Manager) has not only worked behind the scenes as a Stage Manager for Shear Madness; she has also appeared ON stage in the roles of Barbara DeMarco, Mrs. Shubert, and even Mikey Thomas! Other D.C. stage appearances include productions at MetroStage, The Washington Stage Guild, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The National Archives, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington Jewish Theatre, Harlequin Dinner Theatre, Gross National Product comedy troupe, Off the Circle Theatre Company, CT Rex Family Theatre and NCTE. Regionally Ms. Glick has performed with Cortland Repertory Theatre, Light Opera Company of Cape Cod, and Fredericksburg Theatre Company. She can be seen and heard on numerous television and radio commercials, video games, feature films, and TV series, both locally and nationally.

Who’s Who in the Night Cast

Soneka Anderson (Barbara DeMarco) couldn't be happier to rejoin the DC company of "Shear Madness"! She recently appeared in the production at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, CT, and has been performing professionally since the age of 8. Her most recent credits include "Passing Strange" (Sherry/Renata/Desi - Moonbox Productions) and "The Wiz" (Scarecrow - Lyric Stage Company of Boston). Although she hails from Detroit, DC has been her home ever since she earned her BFA in musical theatre from Howard University. She would like to thank her family for their support, especially her biggest fan (and husband) Nicholas.

Nick Fruit (Mike Thomas) is thrilled to be returning to Shear Madness. Some local credits include: Solas Nua Theatre: How to Keep an Alien (Justin); Round House Theatre: Master Harold… and the Boys (Hally), Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: A Midsummer Nights Dream (Demetrius), Romeo and Juliet ( Peter, Romeo u/s); Iron Crow Theatre: Cloud Nine (Joshua/Gerry), The Rocky Horror Show (Brad), The Zero Hour (Doug), The Wild Party (Ensemble); Cumberland Summer Theatre: Yankee Tavern ( Adam); Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: Love's Labour's Lost (King Ferdinand). Nick received a BFA in acting from Towson University.

Jordan Ahnquist (Tony Whitcomb) is excited to be joining Shear Madness here at the Kennedy Center for the first time after performing the show in Boston, CT and Off -Broadway in NYC. A few favorite credits include performed When Pigs Fly, Tartuffe, Big River, Silent Sky. Regionally Jordan has worked with Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Florida Studio Theatre, Barnstormers, Lyric Stage, Speakeasy Stage, Central Square Theatre and The Gamm among others. Jordan holds a BA in theatre from Muhlenberg College. www.jordanahnquist.com

Joseph Delguste (Eddie Lawrence) is immensely grateful to be part of Shear Madness. His work as an actor, director, and stunt performer has led to adventures all over the world, performing indoors, outdoors, on rooftops, on fire, on an ocean liner, in a zoo, and now for you. Off-Broadway in New York: Ripper (Elektra Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (Davenport Theatre). Regional: Moon Over Buffalo (Cape May Stage), Dracula, Titanic (Courthouse Stage), The Three Musketeers (CT Free Shakes), Much Ado About Nothing (Rude Grooms), Love's Labours Lost (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), All for One (Busch Gardens Williamsburg). MFA: STC's Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University. www.josephonstage.com

Patrick Noonan (Nick O’Brien) just finished a run of Party People with the Actor's Theatre of Louisville and is excited to be rejoining the DC "Madness." A proud veteran of the longest running non-musical in America, he has starred as Nick in Shear Madness in numerous cities across the country, including the entirety of the OFF-Broadway run. Other Off-Broadway credits include Almost, Maine and Perfect Crime. Favorite roles include Edgar in Irman Vep, Evan in Hard Cell (World Premiere), and King Arthur in Spamalot. Recent TV: Succession, FBI, Bull, Blue Bloods, And Just Like That, The Last O.G., Raisin Kanan, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, The Good Fight, The Blacklist, several Law and order s , The Sinner, Mindhunter, Friends From College. Films include: Jules, West Side Story (2021), The Post, The Princess Diaries, The Half of it, Choose. Look for him in the upcoming movie Eileen (Starring Anne Hathaway) in December.

Anne Bowles (Mrs. Shubert) is thrilled to be working with Shear Madness. Broadway credits: Inherit the Wind, Collected Stories, reasons to be pretty. Off Broadway : Make Believe (Secondstage, dir. Michael Greif) . Television credits include: The Good Wife, Turn, House of Cards, Law & Order: SVU, FBI: Most Wanted. Regional credits include: Eureka Day (Asolo Rep), On Golden Pond (Florida Rep), Love Factually and Twist Your Dickens (Kennedy Center/Second City) , Of Mice and Men (Cincinnati Playhouse/St. Louis Rep), Steel Magnolias, The Heiress (Pioneer Theatre), Picnic (Baltimore Centerstage), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey). DC Credits include: Ford’s Theatre, 1st Stage, Folger Theatre, Studio Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Olney Theatre, Theater J and others. BA Catholic University and graduate of The Second City Conservatory. Anne would like to thank her husband, Dan, and her family for their constant support and love.

Francie Glick (Understudy, Assistant Stage Manager) returns to Shear Madness having performed the roles of Barbara DeMarco, Mrs. Shubert and Mikey Thomas. D.C. stage appearances include productions with MetroStage, The Washington Stage Guild, The National Archives, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington Jewish Theatre, Harlequin Dinner Theatre, Gross National Product comedy troupe, Off The Circle Theatre Company, CT Rex Family Theatre and NCTE. Regionally, Ms. Glick has performed with Cortland Repertory Theatre, Light Opera Company of Cape Cod and Fredericksburg Theatre Company. She can be seen and heard on numerous television and radio commercials, video games, feature films, and television series, both local and national.

Cory Cunningham (Male Understudy) is elated to be back at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp as part of the hilarious “Shear Madness” company. He is an accomplished actor, singer, and director with over 20 years of experience in the performing arts. Cory has graced the stages of renowned regional theaters across the country including ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, and Meadow Brook Theatre. He's been part of the "Madness" here at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp since 2017.

In addition to Cory’s extensive work on stage, he has built up an impressive list of on-camera acting credits in national commercials, industrials, short films, and interactive theater. He thoroughly enjoys utilizing technology as a tool for engaging new audiences.

Cory is a passionate creative collaborator who thrives on bringing stories to life. Whether immersed in an ensemble role or working one-on-one with a director, he approaches every project with professionalism, commitment, and good humor. Audiences appreciate his charismatic energy and emotional truth. Cory continues to challenge himself daily as he hones his craft and pushes artistic boundaries in new ways. He feels privileged to collaborate with such a wildly talented Shear Madness cast and hopes you’ll come back again and again to see the comic mayhem unfold in spontaneous new ways every night! For more: www.corycunningham.com

Ann Barkin (Production Stage Manager, she/her) is thrilled to be returning to "Shear Madness" after doing it regionally in CT. Off Broadway: "Off Peak" (59E59), "Mornings at Seven" (Theatre at St. Clement’s), "Sistas" (St. Luke’s), "MsTrial" (New World Stages), "This One’s for the Girls" (St. Luke’s), "Education" (59E59) and "The Strangest" (NYTW, 4th Street Theatre). Ann has also worked regionally on a number of productions, some notable are: Pericles (NY), The Play That Goes Wrong (New Orleans), Anything Goes (CT), A Dolls House Part 2 (NY) and Joseph and the (...) Dreamcoat (CT). She has also toured nationally with the Rockin' Road to Dublin, worked internationally with Royal Caribbean and even worked at SeaWorld San Antonio.

Bob Lohrmann (Artistic Director, Male Understudy) has played all the male roles in Shear Madness in DC, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland. He, with director Bruce Jordan, literally wrote the book on directing Shear Madness. He is a charter company member of The People’s Light Theatre Company, where he has appeared in principal roles in more than 35 productions, including Holy Ghosts, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Charley’s Aunt, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, 1000 Clowns, Lenny, Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, As You Like It, Marat/Sade, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Roshomon, La Ronde, Our Town, Inherit the Wind, Precious Blood, Wait Until Dark, and The Good Woman of Setzuan. He directed the acclaimed one-man show The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me in Washington and Don’t Dress for Dinner in Lake George. In the Philadelphia area, Mr. Lohrmann has performed at the Wilma Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, the Wilmington Grand Opera House, Bank Street Theatre, and Locust Street Theatre, as well as Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Additionally, he has appeared in dozens of commercials and industrials and several feature films. He was the announcer for the Nickelodeon kids show “Finders Keepers” (…tell em’ what they’ve won, Bob!). His Philadelphia-based production company, Bob… writes, casts, and produces commercials and industrial training films and created and published the highly successful The Actor’s Casting Guide. His comedy sketches have been performed at the Manhattan Punchline in New York.

Marilyn Abrams (Cranberry Productions) (original Co-Producer) and Bruce Jordan (Cranberry Productions) (original Co-Producer/ Director) are the owners and creators of Shear Madness, the longest running play in American theatre history. These two New York actors anticipated the trend toward interactive theatre and acquired the world rights to Scherenschnitt a serious murder mystery by Paul Portner, and turned it into a rollicking comedy. In 1978/1979 they workshopped it in Lake George, New York, where Jordan directed and created the role of Tony Whitcomb, the salon proprietor, and Abrams created the role of Barbara DeMarco, the gum chewing manicurist. From this small beginning, this exuberant duo has leap frogged around the world keeping audiences laughing with the ever changing topical humor and up to the minute improvisation. Jordan directs and maintains the quality of the productions and Abrams handles the sales, licensing, and marketing. While Boston retains the long run lead, Washington, D.C. and Chicago are close behind, making Shear Madness the triple crown of comedy champs in the USA. Shear Madness has had over 200 productions worldwide and has been translated into 35 foreign languages. Countries such as Greece, Poland, France, Argentina, and scores of others have chalked up record breaking runs on their own turf. Abrams and Jordan have many accolades to their credit, such as the Paris Moliere Award for Comedy (equivalent to our Tony), the Mystery Writer of America Raven Award, and the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award, and many many others. Shear Madness is the only play to win the Charlie Chaplin Award for Comedy, given by the National Comedy Hall of Fame. This producing pair is excited about its latest venture, eight simultaneous productions now running in China. Sydney Australia follows in 2024 in time for that city’s 2025 Theatre Festival. A long way from its Lake George beginning.

Terms and Conditions

All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

Shear Madness is the longest-running play in the history of American Theater!

Thank You to Kennedy Center Supporters

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Board of Trustees

The National Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors

Washington National Opera Board of Trustees

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp President’s Council

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp International Committee on the Arts

President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts

National Committee for the Performing Arts

National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Circles Board

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Community Advisory Board

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp Corporate Fund Board

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp 50th Anniversary Committee

Corporate Donors

Individual and Foundation Donors

Endowment Gifts, Bequests, and Legacy Donors

Building the Future Campaign Donors