MIKE ZIZKA (Vanya) has performed in or directed more than 100 theatrical productions in Connecticut. Venues have included the Warner Theatre, Little Theatre of Manchester, Goshen Players, Hole in the Wall Theatre, Farmington Valley Stage Company, Park Road Playhouse, Connecticut Theatre Company, Theatre Guild of Simsbury and Producing Guild. He has also been an on-air pledge-drive personality for CPTV and WNPR for more than 20 years. Recent on-stage credits include: A Number (Salter), Arsenic & Old Lace (Einstein), Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot), Moon Over Buffalo (George), The Game’s Afoot (Felix), And Then There Were None (Wargrave), Two By Two (Noah), Anything Goes (Moonface Martin), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (George), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Ira Stone), 1776 (John Adams), The Drowsy Chaperone (Feldzig), Camelot (King Arthur), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (McMurphy) and Amadeus (Salieri). This is his debut with the Castle Craig Players.
BARBARA GALLOW (Sonia) first appeared at CCP as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. She has performed throughout the state in such shows as Rear Window (Hartford Stage), I Hate Hamlet (Somers Village Players), Calendar Girls (LTM), 20th Century Blues and Morning’s at Seven (Farmington Valley Stage), The 39 Steps (Suffield Players), Noises Off (CT Theatre Company), King Lear and Macbeth (Flock Theatre). Her primary theatrical home, though, is Hole in the Wall Theater where she has acted in shows including The Trouble With Space Cannibals, Heartless, Marjorie Prime, Champagne & Licorice, Keely & Du, School for Manners, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Winter’s Tale, Tartuffe, Twelfth Night, Eleemosynary, Equus, and The House of Blue Leaves. By day, Barbara can sometimes be seen as English housemaid Lizzie Wills at the Mark Twain House. She is thrilled to be back at CCP with such a glorious cast and crew!
ADRIANNE GIAMMATTEO (Masha) has been actively involved in theater since she received her first role as a Hershey Chocolate Kiss when she was 7 years old - obviously, she nailed it! Her favorite roles have been the Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Jan in Grease and Bloody Mary in South Pacific. She has directed and produced over 14 shows with Southington Summer Youth Theater, including Once on this Island, Footloose, and Jekyll and Hyde, and has performed in Godspell and Into the Woods with Southington’s Summer Stage, and with various improvisational comedy groups in Connecticut, Philadelphia, and New York City throughout her career. Adrianne teaches 3rd grade in West Hartford, and is ecstatic to make her debut with the Castle Craig Players. A huge thanks to her beloveds: Oliver and Lisa, and the entire cast and crew for all of the laughs - you are all beyond talented and charming! She would like to dedicate her performance to her parents and her bestie Kirk, who continue to be her biggest fans, and her two fabulous daughters, Alessandra and Gia Antonella, as a reminder to always do what you love and...JUST LIVE!!!
STEPHEN KOEHLER (Spike) is thrilled to be returning to the Castle Craig Players stage. A graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, he now works as a Benefit Calculation Analyst at LifeWorks in Hartford. Some of his favorite past roles include Anthony in I and You, Benjamin in The Yellow Boat, Gabe in Next To Normal and Snoopy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. He’d like to thank Oliver, Katie, and the cast for this great opportunity and experience.
ELISA ALBERT (Nina) is thrilled to make her CCP debut! Excited to be back on stage after a few years’ hiatus, Elisa draws on her comedic expertise from her SCSU Theatre Minor, and roles such as Lead Detective in The Murder Mystery Dinner Show, the boisterous Lucienne in the slapstick farce, An Absolute Turkey, and an alumni of Never Say No improv troupe. Alongside comedy, Elisa thrives in all things Shakespeare, praising her actor intensive workshop experience at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, and performance as Starveling in Elm Shakespeare Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She lovingly thanks Castle Craig Players’ talented, generous team, and her friends and family for their endless encouragement!
LISA CARROLL (Cassandra) is an English/drama teacher turned school librarian who will be starting a new journey in the fall as the theater teacher at the new Bristol Arts & Innovation Magnet School. She has been at the helm of the Southington Youth Summer Theater since 1988 and is thrilled to be sharing the stage with one of the OG Summer Theater staffers, Adrianne Giammatteo. She feels such pride to be directed by SYST alum & former staffer (and her godson) Oliver Kochol - you’ve come a long way! Thanks to the cast for making me laugh out loud! All my love to Tom, Brendan & Maggie.
OLIVER KOCHOL (Director) has been involved with Castle Craig Players since 2014. He has been involved with many productions in varying roles over the years. He previously directed Almost, Maine, and co-directed Who’s Holiday and Next to Normal with Ian Galligan. He would like to acknowledge the cast for lending their creativity, talent, and humor to this show, and to everyone at Castle Craig Players for their help! Special thank you to his family for always being there and Justin for his love and support.
KATIE KIRTLAND (Assistant Director) is so excited to try her hand at assistant directing alongside Oliver. Past credits include Completeness (Molly), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Stage Manager), Next to Normal (Production Stage Manager), Almost Maine (Glory/Marvalyn/Rhonda), Gypsy (Dolores/Renee), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily) and Lend Me A Tenor (Maggie). She’d like to extend special thanks: to Oliver, for offering her the opportunity to try something new; and to the entire cast & crew, for all their hard work.