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Meet the 1776 Cast
AJ Ackleson (Courier)—is honored to be joining Keegan in this production of 1776, one of his favorite musicals. Currently a Freshman Musical Theatre major at Shenandoah Conservatory, AJ has just completed appearances in a Singing in the Rain workshop (Cosmo) and Assassins (Ensemble). He has also enjoyed performances in: Les Miserables (Enjolras), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander) and Meet Me in St. Louis (Lon). He would like to express his appreciation to his parents for allowing him to pursue his dream, and Mark Rhea for having faith in him.
Kevin Adams (John Dickinson)—Keegan credits: A Man for All Seasons (Norfolk), Death of a Salesman (Ben), Side Man (Gene), The Playboy of the Western World (Old Mahon), True West (Saul Kimmer), Tattoo Sky (Taylor), The Crucible (Thomas Putnam), The Hostage (Monsewer), Man of La Mancha, Dancing at Lughnasa, Twelve Angry Men; Keegan/Fountainhead collaborations: A Lie of the Mind (Baylor), Buried Child (Father Dewis); Source: Dark Matters (Eagin); American Century: Desire Under the Elms (Ephraim), Picnic (Howard Bevins), Moby Dick Rehearsed (Stage Manager), The Crucible (Jailer): Charter: Building a Boat.
Carolyn Agan (Martha Jefferson)—is delighted to be joining Keegan for her second production after appearing as Deirdre in Bold Girls last spring. She is currently a Junior Theatre For Youth major at Shenandoah Conservatory where she was recently in The Little Prince (The Snake) and in Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Germaine). Other favorite roles include: The Last Five Years (Cathy), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Twelfth Night (Viola). She would like to dedicate this performance to Reema Samaha and all the friends, families, and victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
Todd Baldwin (John Hancock)—returns to the stage of Keegan Theatre after taking several years off to help his wife raise their now five year old daughter Maggie and their three year old triplet sons, Billy, Sean and Tommy (who is named for Thomas Jefferson). Previous roles for Keegan include Fool for Love (Martin US/IE); Mount Olivet/Keegan: Noises Off (Lloyd the Director) and She Stoops to Conquer (Sir Hardcastle). Other previous roles include The Music Man (Harold Hill), The Male Animal (Tommy Turner) and Arms and the Man (Col. Bluntshi). While not on stage, he acts in a courtroom but particularly enjoys teaching Sunday School and church youth group. Mr. Baldwin wishes to thank God for all the blessings a man could ask for and his wife, Marcia, who is the most understanding, supportive and dearest friend a man could have.

Chris Borton (Robert Livingston)—returns to a favorite character who also hails from the state of NY. Recent roles include Managing Director/Ensemble (Blood Brothers), Napthali (Joseph ATD), Sparky (Forever Plaid) and Monsieur D’Arque/ Ensemble (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.) Solos with Voce Chamber Singers (with wife JoEllen) include Count Almaviva in a concert version of The Marriage of Figaro, Act II and the Judge in Trial by Jury.

Bob Cohen (Thomas McKean)—Bob started acting five years ago as Thomas McKean in a production of 1776 and he is pleased to be performing this role again in his Keegan Theater debut. Additionally Bob portrayed Brendan Byrne in The Weir with the Pub Players, several ensemble roles in My Fair Lady, and Hello Dolly; he has also performed in Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (Frank Church), Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), Rainmaker (Starbuck), in Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), Arsenic and Old Lace (Dr. Einstein ) and he’s just completed a production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Felix Ungar). After 20 years in the Navy Mr. Cohen now resides in Stephens City, VA working as a Senior Information Analyst with Syracuse Research Corporation. He wants to thank Mick, Mark and a great cast for an amazing experience.

Joe Cronin (Stephen Hopkins) played Robert Livingston in a production of 1776 celebrating America’s bicentennial in 1975. Since that time, he has appeared with many companies in New York and throughout the Washington area, including Arena Stage, Theater J, the National Players, Olney Theater, Rep Stage, Interact Theater, Everyman Theater, Washington Shakespeare Company, Washington Stage Guild, and Spooky Action Theater.He has most recently performed with the American Century Theater: MacBird! (MacBird), Paradise Lost (Gus), The Time of Your Life (Nick), plus roles in Moby Dick Rehearsed, Machinal, Robber Bridegroom, The Seven Year Itch and Dear World. Mr. Cronin has an MFA in acting from the Catholic University of America.
James Finley (Thomas Jefferson)—
is excited to be working for the first time with the Keegan Theatre, and welcomes the honor and challenge of playing one of the most well-known statesmen and patriots in American history. He has recently been seen on the area stage in Thoroughly Modern Mille, Footloose, and The Full Monty. He’d like to thank his parents for their constant and continued support, and his good friend Kari for providing the impetus to seek this opportunity. “We in America do not have a government by the majority. We have a government by the majority who participate.”–Thomas Jefferson
John Robert Keena (George Read)—is a current student of Musical Theatre at The Catholic University of America. He happily makes his Keegan debut with this production of a show which he has always hoped to perform in. He has most recently been seen in Romeo and Juliet (Prince Escalus), Aida (Mereb), and the premiere of The Perfect Game (Edwin Ruggles). Some favorite shows that he has been lucky enough to participate in include Les Miserable (Enjolras), An Ideal Husband (Lord Goring), Hair (Claud), and Lend Me A Tenor (Max). He would like to thank Mark Rhea for allowing his this opportunity, and the entire cast for so graciously accepting him a wee bit into the run.
Rick Kenney (Ceasar Rodney)— gladly debuts with the Keegan Theatre in a role he has played twice before, most recently at West End Dinner Theatre in 2003. A graduate of Catholic University ’s Drama Department back in the last century, Mr. Kenney has acted, directed, and fooled around backstage in various Northern Virginia companies since 1980. His other favorite musical roles include the title role in The King and I, Charles in Pippin, Herbie in Gypsy, Company (David), and CHESS (Walter). He’s played principal characters in a bunch of tuneless plays, too, from children’s theatre to Shakespeare, and directed the musical Working and the comedies Da and The Taming of the Shrew in Herndon, Virginia, where his day job is teaching speech and drama to seventh graders at Rachel Carson Middle School .
Rich Klare (Samuel Chase) has been involved with many theaters in both Maryland and Virginia in both acting and production roles. His most recent appearances on stage include, Elden Street: The Iceman Cometh (Pat McGloin), The Weir (Jim); Reston: The Laramie Project (Fr. Schmitt); Vienna: Henry II, The Lion in Winter. Mr. Klare has also produced many successful productions at Elden Street including Love! Valour! Compassion, The Rocky Horror Show (WATCH award winner), The Invention of Love (Ruby Griffith Award winner), Dinner with Friends, Boston Marriage, and WIT, (Ruby Griffith Award winner) at Silver Spring Stage in Maryland.
Mike Kozemchak (swing)— is thrilled to be working with Keegan Theatre again and to be part of this wonderfully talented cast. Recent credits include, with Keegan: A Man for All Seasons (William Rope), The Hostage (Russian Sailor), The Crucible (Cheever), The Playboy of the Western World (Shawn Keogh), Death of a Salesman (Stanley) and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Visitor/Elvis); Signature: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Jacek/Bass); Renegade Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott).
Jon Lawlor (Leather Apron)—is in his first show with The Keegan Theatre. Previous musical acting credits elsewhere include: Godspell, Once Upon a Mattress, and Grease among others. Currently he is composing music, working as a photographer, and an actor. 
Robert Leembruggen (Benjamin Franklin)—Previous Keegan Theatre roles include: A Man for All Seasons (Common Man), The Tempest (Prospero), Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (Big Daddy), The Field ("Bull" McCabe), The Taming of the Shrew (Grumio), Man of La Mancha (Sancho), The King of Mackie Street (Frankie McKeown). Roles in previous productions include: Cyranno de Bergerac (Cyranno), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Falstaff), The Three Muskeeters (Athos), Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch), Hamlet (Claudius). Other Regional Theatre productions include, Shakespeare Theatre Company: The Comedy of Errors (Balthasar); Olney Theatre: St. Joan (La Hire); Rep Stage: The Seagull (Shamraev). Training: Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University. Rob is a Member of Actor’s Equity.

Randahl Lindgren (Roger Sherman)—
is delighted to join the cast of 1776 in his Keegan Theatre debut. Mr. Lindgren’s musical theatre credits include Camelot (King Arthur), South Pacific (Emile de Becque), Sound of Music (Captain Von Trapp), 1776 (John Dickinson ), Oklahoma! (Jud Fry) and A Christmas Carol-The Musical (Ebenezer Scrooge). Other roles include On Golden Pond (Norman Thayer, Jr.) with Heritage Theatre Company and The Andersonville Trial (General Mott) with The American Century Theatre.

Bruce Lugn (Josiah Bartlett)—his involvement with Keegan Theater began in 2004 when his daughter, Emilia was in the cast of the Keegan production of The Crucible. Since then he has been a behind the scenes guy, stocking concessions and supplies for Keegan performances. He is pretty good with a vacuum cleaner and working the box office. Mr. Lugn is an amateur historian of American history, so this is right up his alley. 1776 is his debut on stage and he is relishing every moment. Mr. Lugn thanks his wife, Alessandra and his daughters and stepson for their encouragement.

Tim Lynch (Joseph Hewes)—Keegan shows include A Man for All Seasons (Thomas More), Death of a Salesman (Ben [IE]), Portrait of a Madonna (Nick), The Crucible (Rev. Parris), Translations (Jimmy Jack Casey). A co-founder of the American Century Theater, he appeared as Ishmael and Starbuck in two of the company’s productions of Orson Welles’s Moby Dick Rehearsed and Kendall Nesbitt in Lady In The Dark. Film and TV credits include work for Castlerock productions, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, and the NBC series, ’Homicide: Life on the Streets.’ Mr. Lynch can also be heard through the Library of Congress Books on Tape series.
Daniel Lyons (James Wilson)— acting credits withKeegan include: The Crucible, The Island of No Man at All, The Field, Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Renegade Theatre: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Creative Opera Ensemble: The Mikado, The Victorian Lyric Opera: The Gondoliers, The Mikado, The Arlington Players: The Ruling Class. Adventure Theatre: The Secret Garden , Excalibur, One Bad Apple. Directing credits with The Keegan Theatre: The King of Mackie St., The Victorian Lyric Opera: The Mikado & Princess Ida. Also Chalice Theatre, and Our Lady of Mercy School . He has Produced with Keegan: Hamlet - and with Chalice Theatre: Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, Oliver!, Anything Goes. Television Credits: John Adams – HBO miniseries - ’America’s Most Wanted, and Homicide. Education: Kansas University - The Birmingham School of Speech & Drama - The Drama Centre London .
Richard Montgomery (Jonathan Witherspoon)—graduated from Tarleton State University with a BFA in Theatre in 1992. Acting credits: Keegan Theatre: Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Freddy), A Streetcar Named Desire (Steve Hubbel US/IE), Dancing at Lughnasa (Gerry). Chicago: various roles and productions with Teatro Vista, New Mercury, The Actors Center, Center Theatre, Circle Theatre, Charybdis as well as appearing with The Dallas Childrens Theatre, and The Ohio Light Opera. Rich has also been Production Tour Manager for three Keegan Theatre tours of Ireland. When not working, he spends his free time adoring the Minx.
Colin Smith (McNair)—
is a graduate of The National Conservatory of Dramatic Art and The Actors Repertory Theater. Most recently he performed as Tarquin in The Rape of Lucrece at Washington Shakespeare Company, Peter in Desire Under the Elms at American Century Theater and as an understudy for Charter Theater’s premier of Short Order Stories. He was a guest artist at NCDA for McBett and Three Sisters. As a member of ART he performed in The Impossible Marriage, Murder in the Cathedral, and the premier of Late Bloomers and Glory Days. He is also a graduate of St. John’s College .
KJ Thorarinsson (Charles Thomson)—
is a graduate of The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and The Actors Repertory Theater. Most recently he preformed as The Minstrel in The Princess and the Pea at Charter Theatre, Ensemble in 365 plays in 365 days at Odyssey Productions. As a member of ART he performed in Les Liasons Dangerouse (Valmont), Fen (Frank), Summer Brave (Hal) and the world premiere of Our Lady of Sandwich (Pastor). Mick Tinder (John Adams)— Recent Keegan credits include Faith Healer (Teddy) and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Sagot); Mr. Tinder has also played John Proctor, Paul Bratter, Deputy Governor Danforth, Marcus Lycus, Asher, Potiphar, Bobby, Nathan Detroit, Finbar Mack, Sagot and Jack Mullen. He has served as director, executive producer and/or stage manager for various productions of Tartuffe, The Crucible, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Thieves, Next, School for Wives, Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, The Rose Tattoo, The Seagull, Finian’s Rainbow, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Amal and the Night Visitors and 1776. Still, it is always a great joy to return to harass the Congress in his favorite role of Mr. Adams.
Patricia Tinder (Abigail Adams)—
is thrilled to again be working with her husband, Mick. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from GMU where she graduated with highest honors and studies voice with Jackson Sheats. Thank you Mark Rhea. Doug Wilder (Richard Henry Lee)— is a graduate of The Conservatory and the Conservatory’s advanced acting program Actor’s Repertory Theatre. He has been seen in over 30 productions in the Washington DC area as well as Nationally in the National Tour of "Tom Sawyer" the musical. He has been seen locally at Charter Theatre, Theatre on the Hill, Wayside Theatre, and NowThis Improv Company among others. Some of his favorite shows include the world premiere of Late Bloomers and Glory Days (Russ), The Impossible Marriage (Jonesy), The Father (Adolph), The House on Pooh Corner (Winnie), The Imaginary Autopsee (Arlequino), Hamlet (Claudius), Othello (Lodovico), Black Coffee (Inspector Japp), Lying in State (Wally), The Devil and Billy Markham (Narrartor), and many others including cabaret and improv shows. Mr. Wilder is a member of the improv and comedy band Silly Songs with Silly Guys, and the improv group The Planeteers.(Russ), (Jonesy), (Adolph), (Winnie), (Arlequino), (Claudius), (Lodovico), (Inspector Japp), (Wally), (Narrartor), and many others including cabaret and improv shows.
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