Grief: A Love Story - Actors Bios & Photos
Grief: A Love Story - Actors Bios & Photos
Our Actors Bios & Photos
Sharon Martin
In 2022, after a long hiatus, Sharon returned to the stage to perform in two original musicals: “Grieving Aaron” and “The Bisley Boy”. In another chapter of her life, her performance credits included: “Songs for a New World” (Idle Contemplations); “Myths and Hymns” (The Prince Theater); “Baby Case” and “The Baker’s Wife” (Arden Theater); “Side by Side by Sondheim” and “Hello Again” (Delaware Theater Company); “Nunsense” (Westmont Theater).
Christopher Patrick Mullen
“A first-rate actor” (New York Times) “A force of nature” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “CPM” is a People’s Light artist with a BA in Theatre and Dance from his beloved alma mater DeSales University.
His 44 years in theatre have included collaborations with: The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Arden Theatre, Lantern Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Baltimore CenterStage, Retro Productions, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Florida Studio, Syracuse Stage, St Louis Repertory, Centenary Stage, Chester Theatre Company, and Proctor’s Theatre among others. He is a People’s Light veteran of some 30 productions (1989-2020).
Notable credits include the first national tour of West Side Story, and the Off-Broadway revival of Milan Stitt’s The Runner Stumbles.
His original comedy ChipandGus (co- written and performed with John Ahlin) has played several U.S. theatres, and was lauded as one New York and Edinburgh’s BEST OF FRINGE in which the Mullen/ Ahlin acting team won “Best Ensemble!” — Favorite roles include: Jamie Tyrone (at BST!), Hamlet, Pericles, Leontes, Mercutio, Edgar, Duke Orsino, Casca, Proteus, Feste, Aguecheek, Jaques, Touchstone, Prince Hal, The Porter, Malcolm, Costard, Trinculo, “Narrator” in Craig Wright’s The Pavilion, “Jon” in Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (by Hannah Moscovitch), and “Larry” in Grieving Aaron (by Larry Hirschhorn); Notorious appearances on FBI and Law & Order (multiple life sentences). — CPM teaches masterclasses and does private coaching: ChristpherPatrickMullen.com
Missy Baldino O’Brien
Missy Baldino O’Brien (Mame/Gloria) holds a BA in Theatre from St. Francis University. Off-Broadway credits include What’s a Nice Country Like You Doing in a State Like This? (The Actor’s Playhouse), Salon (Diva Callas – Duo Theatre) and The Seagull (Narrator – Jewish Rep. Theatre). Regional theatre credits include Sr. Hubert in Nunsense (Valley Forge Music Fair opposite Edie Adams and Society Hill Playhouse), Annie in Speakeasy (Claridge, AC), Claire in Bare, the Musical (GLTF), Abigail Adams in 1776 (Lenape Performing Arts Center), Red, White, and Blue (Battleship NJ – Best of SJ), Agnes in I Do, I Do, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, The Narrator in Children of Eden, Aldonza in Man of LaMancha, Doris in Same Time, Next Year and many more productions during her 13 years as repertory cast member of L’ART Repertory Theatre Company later known as The Westmont Theatre Company. Recently she had the privilege of playing Marla in Larry Hirschhorn’s show Grieving Aaron. Missy is the Music Minister of Unity Church of Christ in Mount Laurel, NJ. Missy is honored to be part of this extraordinary expression of love and healing.
Peter Schmitz
Peter Schmitz is a Philadelphia area actor and dialect coach. Locally, he has worked with the Walnut Street Theatre, Act II Playhouse, the Wilma, the Arden, InterAct, and many others. He has also worked and taught at theaters in New Haven, St. Louis, Minneapolis/St. Paul and New York City. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Temple University’s Department of Theater. Lately, he had been researching and writing about the deep and fascinating history of theater in Philadelphia. Listen to his podcast Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia. Find it on any podcasting app, YouTube, or his website www.AITHpodcast.com! Peter’s book, also called Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia, will be published later this year.
Izzy Criscuolo
Izzy earned her B.A. in Musical Theater at DeSales University where some of her favorite roles included Williamina Fleming in Silent Sky and Mrs. Webb in Our Town. Most recently, she completed a long run at Bird-In-Hand Stage playing Rosie Taylor in the musical, The Confession. Izzy is excited to be making her Philadelphia debut at this year’s Fringe Festival and working with some of her favorite people!
You can learn more about Izzy at https://www.isabelcriscuolo.com.
Johnny Dumgools
Johnny is super excited to make his Philly theatre debut! Previous work includes Henry IV Part 2 (Pistol, Bullcalf), The Tempest (Musician, Caliban understudy) and Much Ado About Nothing (Conrad, Don Pedro understudy-performed).
He is thrilled to be performing alongside his fiancée Alaina and would like to thank her for her love and support!
Joshua Kachnycz
Josh is a local actor and fight director. Quintessence Theatre Group: Lennox/cast swing (Macbeth), Nathaniel Wheatley (Written by Phillis). Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre: Hamlet (Hamlet, educational tour), Sebastian (Twelfth Night), Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). PAC: Mortimer (Mary Stuart).
Josh spent six seasons as a stunt performer and/or director at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Fight direction for: Father Comes Home from the Wars (Quintessence Theatre Group), Pirates of Penzance (Mauckingbird Theatre Co.), Kiss Me Kate (Act II Playhouse).
All my love to Elise.
Alaina Hurley
Alaina is a recent graduate from DeSales University with a BA in Acting for the Stage and Screen. Some of her favorite roles from the past are Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gwendoline in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky. Alaina is extremely excited to be working with such a talented group of people. And a special shoutout to Johnny for being such a great partner on and off the stage.
Christopher Sapienza
Christopher is thrilled to be joining the cast of Grief, A Love Story. Recently he starred as Barry Glickman in The Prom at The Media Theatre. He has been fortunate to originate roles in the premier companies of Children of Eden at Mill Mountain Theatre and Something Wicked This Way Comes at Delaware Theatre Company. Other performance credits span the gamut from singing backup for Linda Eder (Keswick Theatre) and Andrea Bocelli (Wells Fargo Center), to staring in Disney Cruise Line productions. He has been seen on the stages of Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre Co., Arkansas Rep. Theatre, Human Race Theatre, Fulton Opera, Gateway Playhouse, Bristol Riverside Theate.
TV/Film: Dispatches from Elsewhere, Law and Order – SVU, Fringe, Unbreakable, 12 Monkeys. Numerous credits for audiobook narration with Audible and commercial voice-over. Christopher is a well-established photographer in the Philadelphia area www.wise-man-productions.com. Visit Christopher at www.christophersapienza.com or follow him on Instagram/Thread @sappyactor.
Robert Drigant
Robert is going into the 6th grade at Carl’s Sandburg Middle School in Levittown, PA. He is involved in many extracurricular activities and loves the outdoors. He plays viola and is in choir. He plays soccer and baseball. He has performed in such productions as Bye Bye Birdie, SpongeBob SquarePants and the Descendants.