About The Company:
RICHARD COTOVSKY, Artistic Director | Email: rich(at)maryarrchie.com
Richard Cotovsky is the last of the founding members of Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. He started in theater studying at the University of Illinois where he took an introduction to theater class and was to attend 3 theatrical performances and incidently saw the original production of American Buffalo at the St. Nicholas Theatre.
After that he was totally immersed in the theater community. He continued studying at the UICC and later went on to study at Wisdom Bridge Theatre and Victory Gardens Theatre. He studied with Paul Sills and Joesephine Forsberg at Second City.
He first worked in the legitimate theater with a group called Blackbird Theatre. With this group he was in a production of two plays Renegade, Farwell and Pistoleer. When Renegade, Farwell was taken to Los Angeles, Cotovsky was left behind to manage the theater facility and he attempted to produce Gas Mask 101 by Arlene Cook. This attempt failed due to many complications.
Rich has appeared in and/or directed over 50 productions with Mary-Arrchie and has numerous other credits in the Chicago theatre and film community.
CARLO LORENZO GARCIA, Producing Director | Email: carlo(at)maryarrchie.com
Carlo serves as Producing Director of Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co., where his stage work includes CHERRYWOOD, BURIED CHILD, MOJO, GAS MASK 101, BEGGARS IN THE HOUSE OF PLENTY, BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER, and HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND. Carlo directed the highly acclaimed OUR BAD MAGNET and MUD PEOPLE. Carlo is an artistic associate with Greasy Joan & Co. and his previous work with GJ include: THE MISANTHROPE, WOYZECK and SUENO. He is also an artistic associate with Collaboraction, where he performed in THE PULL TOY (AND HIS PAISAN). Other Chicago credits, include work with Teatro Luna, The Free Associates, and Walkabout Theater at Lookingglass. Carlo just completed work on the indie feature HELIX starring opposite of Alexa Vega (Spy Kids) and Austin O'Brien (Promised Land). For more information please visit www.carlogarcia.com. For more information on his "Living Philanthropic" project please visit: www.livingphilanthropic.com
DANIEL BEHRENDT, Company Member | Email: daniel(at)maryarrchie.com
Work with Mary-Arrchie
includes Beggars in the House of Plenty and Gas Mask 101 at Abbie Hoffman Festival, Our Bad Magnet, and Bartleby The Scrivener. Previous Chicago credits include The Misanthrope with Greasy Joan & Co. and Titus Andronicus with Court Theatre, as well as Hamlet with Signal Ensemble and Einstein's Dreams with Moving Dock.Dan received a Bachelor of Science degree in acting from Illinois State University and is also a graduate fromthe School at Steppenwolf.
BRAD BUKAUSKAS, Company Member | Email: brad(at)maryarrchie.com
Brad is the youngest company member of Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company. His credits at Mary-Arrchie include Colin in Saved, Hula in Gas Mask 101 for the Abbie Hoffman Theatre Festival and Silver Johnny in Mojo. Some of his other Chicago credits include Gary (Steppenwolf Theatre), Be More Chill, Journey's End, Letters Home, A Boy in the Girl's Bathroom (Griffin Theatre), Naz in Mercury Fur (Broken Compass) and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet Wake up Dead (Bentlight Theatre). Brad holds a B.A. in Acting from Columbia College Chicago. Brad can be seen in the indie feature WERE THE WORLD MINE.
JOE COURT, Company Member | Email: joe(at)maryarrchie.com
HANS FLEISCHMANN, Company Member | Email: hans(at)maryarrchie.com
Hans Fleischmann (Director) served as the Producing Director for Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. until re-locating to LA to pursue film, having last directed Sam Shepherd's 4-H Club and the critically acclaimed BURIED CHILD. Acted in a successful run with Griffin Theatre's JOURNEY'S END. Hans won a Best Supporting Actor awarad for his work in the midwestern premiere of Neil Labute's A DARK DARK HOUSE. Favorite acting credits from last year include; BLASTED with A Red Orchid Theatre & COWBOY MOUTH with Mary-Arrchie. Hans has also had the pleasure of working with these fine theatre companies; The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Co., Madison Repertory Theater, Walk-About Theatre, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He dedicates his work on THE CARETAKER to the loving memory of Bob Ruhl. Hans received a guest starring role on the new A&E drama THE BEAST and has re-located Los Angeles for work.Rudy Galvan, Company Member | Email:
DERECK GARNER, Company Member | Email: dereck(at)maryarrchie.com
Dereck is proud to be apart of Mary-Arrchie. M-A credits include MUD PEOPLE and CHERRYWOOD. He has most recently been seen on stage in Chicago with the Big Picture Group and in Kill The Old and Torture their Young at Steep and prior to that in several productions at Miami University of Ohio where he studied thatre arts and performance. He would like to thank to his amazing family and friends for their unending support.
SUSAN JODRY, Publicity | Email: susan(at)maryarrchie.com
Susan appeared in SCREWTAPE with Mary-Arrchie among other Chicago credits.
TODD LAHRMAN, Company Member | Email: todd(at)maryarrchie.com
Work with Mary-Arrchie Theatre include THE CARETAKER and BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER.
His appearances with Profiles Theatre include Men of Tortuga, autobahn and The Glory of Living.
Other Chicago credits include Jolly at the Goodman Theatre, Communicating Doors with the Buffalo
Theatre Ensemble, Line at Oracle Theatre, The Search for Odysseus with the Simple Theatre Company, The Jenkins Farm Project with Beserra Dance Theater and The Giver at Apple Tree Theatre. Todd has also performed at the NYC Fringe Festival with Striding Lion's production of Billy the Mountain. Other Striding Lion productions include: The Giver, IL Met by
Moonlight, and City Beautiful. Todd attended Ball State University where he studied theater and creative
writing. He is a former Airborne Ranger and has studied The Michael Chekhov Acting Technique with
Mala Powers and Jack Colvin.
KARL POTTHOFF, Company Member | Email: karl(at)maryarrchie.com
Karl was born and raised in the heart of the" Illinois River Valley" area,and has resided in Chicago since 1980.Karl's credits at M.A. have included LONE STAR, DETECTIVE STORY, SCREWTAPE, WILD DOGS, a brief but notable appearance in SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS, BURIED CHILD, A PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER, BEGGARS IN THE HOUSE OF PLENTY, KILLERS, 4-H CLUB, and MODIGLIANI as " the waiter". Karl is also co-founder of the notorious "Kitchen Sessions".
GAVIN ROBINSON, Company Member | Email: gavin(at)maryarrchie.com
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Gavin moved to Chicago in 2006.
Beginning as an intern, he has been working with Mary-Arrchie for over
three years now. While with the company, he has been heavily involved
with the last few Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Theatre Festivals as
either an actor, light board operator, garbage man, organizer, or
ticket taker. After beginning his studies at Louisiana State
University, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Acting at Columbia
College Chicago in 2008.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. was established in 1986 and is currently in its 26th full season of theater. We are committed to producing theater as an ensemble including actors, directors, and designers who are intimately involved in the process.We approach material, published and original, dealing with the fears and passions of the human condition involving characters who are often misunderstood, societal outcasts, and victims of their own exile. We have garnered a reputation for making risky choices by embracing challenging material for both our audience and the artists involved. We are dedicated to bringing light to controversial subjects and presenting alternative viewpoints of these subjects giving our audience different information to consider as they walk away from the theater.
Examples of our work include Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape, David Greig's Europe, our original adaptation of Edward Louis Wallant's The Pawnbroker, our ever popular production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and our multiple Jeff cited productions of Brian Friel's The Freedom of the City and John DiFusco's Tracers.
All of these productions have helped heighten our visibility in the theater community and have stayed true to our vision and mission. We want to continue to be as diverse and original with our choices as we can be. Our decisions as to what plays to produce are always based on what social, psychological, and/or philosophical thoughts they provoke.
Above all criterion is the quality of the writing. If we are working on a new play, we hone it and shape it with heavy involvement from the playwright. If we are working on an established play, we find our own personal edge, which adds another level to the material to keep it fresh and exciting for audiences familiar with the piece and inspiring for those who are unfamiliar. Other productions of ours that exemplify these attributes can be sighted on our enclosed company history.