The HEAD!!! That Wouldn't DIE!
by pug Bujeaud and the TAO theater collective
CAST
pug Bujeaud(She/they)
Director
pug was bitten by the theater bug all the way back in first grade with her memorable performance as The Narrator, in "An Evening of Mother goose". She spent the next 25 years performing as an actor and giving tech support to local theaters.
She's now a director and playwright based out of Olympia Washington. pug is currently the Artistic Director of Theater Artists Olympia, which she helped found in 2003.
pug has directed over 70 plays up and down the I-5 corridor from classics such as Inherit the Wind, to new works like The King in Yellow.
In addition to Head!!!, pug has adapted many of Shakespeare plays for student production, co-written a musical adaptation of Night of the Living Dead, and wrote The Culling a play for the Covid era.
Xander Layden (He/him)
Bill Cortner
Xander is delighted to get back to the lab and work with some of his favorite folks. Recent productions include Lorca in a Green Dress (Tacoma Little Theater) Deathtrap, Sweeney Todd, and Pride and Prejudice (Harlequin Productions) as well as The Mystery Plays, The King in Yellow, and The One Act Play That Goes Wrong (Theater Artists Olympia). Some favorites include Equivocation (St. Martin's), Cinder Edna (Olympia Family Theater), Night Must Fall (Olympia Little Theater), Hamlet (SPSCC), The Rocky Horror Show (Lakewood Playhouse) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harlequin Productions). He's grateful to share the stage with his love Kadi once more.
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Lesley Gordon (She/her)
Jan
Lesley is ecstatic to be part of this zany production as her debut with Theater Artists Olympia! You may have seen her in Center Stage’s Miss Holmes this winter or as Emma by Jane Austen in the previous season. She has performed Shakespeare in the park with GreenStage and bravely sang Sondheim in Sunday in the Park with George at SPSCC. Her most enjoyable role was as the mischievous Bogle in Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at Lakewood Playhouse. She would like to thank her husband, family and friends for their love and support.
Gabriel McClelland (He/him)
Kurt
Gabriel has been involved with theatre in the south sound for over 30 years. Last seen in the double shot theater festival for Tacoma arts live. And before that in The Seafarer at Lakewood Playhouse. He has been seen at Harlequin in Rock n Roll 12th Night and Cymbeline, at Theatre Artists Olympia in Titus Andronicus and Seven Ways to Get There. He has performed at Tacoma Little Theater in the Weir, and at Tacoma Musical Playhouse in West Side Story. He would like to thank everyone in this beloved theater community for creating such wonderful culture and art. He would like to thank pug Bujeaud for her continued belief in his ability. And thanks to his family and friends for their love and support.
Heather R. Christopher (She/her)
The Hostess
Heather R. Christopher (The Hostess)
Heather is delighted to revisit the lab once more. Some favorite past roles include Hertha Ayrton in Theater Artists Olympia’s, The Half-life of Marie Curie, Sandra/Florence in The One Act Play that Goes Wrong, Wren Robin in Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche, Rebecca Marshall in Playhouse Creatures, and Fanny Cranberry in On the Verge.
Heather can also be found teaching Pilates and QiGong (www.perennialpilates.com), singing made-up songs to her three adorable dogs, and entertaining other people’s children as a member of Juice Box Theatre.
John Charters (He/him)
Dr Corman Cortner/???
John directed Shakespeare at Lakewold Gardens for the last two summers. He has directed and performed in productions all around the country. In Los Angeles, he performed and directed plays for Arroyo Repertory Theater, CSULA, and the Natural History Museum. He spent ten years performing for Nevada Shakespeare in the Park at Henderson Nevada. In Olympia he has performed at Harlequin, Performed and directed with Theater Artists Olympia, and performed at the Olympia Family Theater.
Victoria Austin (She/her)
Cassandra
Victoria recently performed in TAO's The King in Yellow. Born into a family of artists and entertainers, Victoria has been performing all her life. She studied theater at Cornish, later expanding to film, music,
and writing at UW. Recent local performances include A Christmas Carol and The Revolutionists with Harlequin Productions. One Slight Hitch and One Christmas Eve with OLT, and several cabarets and variety acts with SRO, to name a few. Beyond that, she’s got some cats, some squirrels, some ducks, and many jokes. She invites you to wear your mad cap for the show and throughout life!
Kadi Burt (She/her)
Dixies/Samantha/Angela
Kadi returns to the stage after several years away, joyful to find it's just as she left it, full of beautiful moments, fascinating people, a healthy dash of fear, and countless surprises. Over the years Kadi has performed in or worked behind the scenes in many productions in the area including; American Idiot, The Miracle Worker, Spamalot, The Odd Couple, A Year With Frog and Toad, and A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd (Lakewood Playhouse), Dracula, Dial M for Murder, Macbeth, The Laramie Project (Tacoma Little Theater), The Improbable Peck of Plays (TAO). Kadi would like to thank pug and the TAO collective, as well as her family for their unwavering support. Most of all she would like send her love to Xander and thank him profusely for being absolutely nothing like Bill in real life. ‘’
Katelyn May (She/her)
Donna/Blaze
Katelyn is thrilled to be back on stage after a recent break. She has been acting in the Puget Sound Area for the past twenty years. Most recently, she could be seen as Emilie in The Moors (SPSCC), Blanche in Bunbury (OLT), Rita in Flora and Ulysses (OFT), Murphy in Suite Surrender (OLT), and several others. Katelyn would like to thank Collin for his continued support in her theatrical endeavors.
Natalie Sawyer (She/her)
Emcee/Dude 2
Natalie is ecstatic to make her long-awaited comeback to the stage after over a decade. Before this break, Natalie performed in the southern California region before moving to the magnificent PNW. Her prior credits include Jamie Wellerstein in 'The Last Five Years', Judas Iscariot in 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and Seymore Krelborn in 'Little Shop of Horrors'. In this new phase of her life, Natalie can’t wait to dive into the challenges and traditions that come with live theater. She is overjoyed to be collaborating with TAO and this fantastic Cast/Crew.
Kris Sawyer (She/her)
Stagehand/Dude
Kris is tickled to be a part of the ensemble cast in The Head 2.0! This is her first ever musical, and her third show since moving to Olympia in 2022. Previously working with TAO in "The Mystery Plays" and OLT in "The Bold, the Young, and the Murdered".
She thanks her loving wife, Natalie, and ALL of her friends and "family" for their support. "We ALL do better, when we ALL do better!" Thanks to pug and TAO for putting on such creative and dynamic shows; please sit back, enjoy, and laugh with us!
Chuck Meares (He/him)
Rusty
At 14, Chuck wanted to become a NFL football player. Then his older brother asked him to go join an acting school together. He’s been acting/role playing/ storytelling ever since.
He never became a NFL football player. He’s been in so many productions at this point he stopped keeping count years ago. He had been in over 40 productions, theater, film, storytelling in various venues by the age of 29. All in Atlanta and the State of Georgia. Since the early 2000's in the PNW, He has appeared in about that same number (if he includes the appearances of Captain Patch the storytelling Pirate.) Like he says, he stopped counting.
Alicia Lucia Garcia (She/her)
Ensemble
Alicia is thrilled to be on stage with Theater Artists Olympia! She has only started to be on stage last year in the The Miracle on 34th Street and the Cinderella musical at Standing Room Only in Yelm. She would like to thank her mom, dad, friends and the continued support from the local theaters.
Marko Bujeaud (He/him)
Chorus
Marko is a founding member of TAO and has been a fixture of Olympia theatre for almost 30 years. He was the Technical Director of Harlequin Productions until his retirement a few years ago. He has been on stage for TAO in Book of Days, Cannibal! the Musical, A Bucket of Blood to name a few. Backstage he has had his hand on practically every show that TAO has produced in one way or another. He would like to thank his family for their love and support and neverending patience.
Chrissy B. Hive (They/them)
Nurse Nancy
Chrissy is very enthusiastic about participating in what will be their first ever production, after being merely an invested consumer since high school. Though they've participated in classes, they have yet to take part in a production - until now. Chrissy spends their time writing stories with the hope of one day publishing novels. They also enjoy playing TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons with their friends. Telling stories has always been an important part of Chrissy's life, and is what drives them to try new things. They are grateful for their partners, and all their undying support, as they take their first step into the arena of theatre.