Various roles, including Calamity Jane, Merry Wives of Windsor, Children’s Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Shadow Box, London Suite, Andre’s Mother, The Wizard of Oz, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet,  A Skull in Connemara, The Housekeeper, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Playboy of the Western World, The Matchmaker, Harvey, Dancing at Lughnasa, etc.
     Many thanks to the cast and crew on our Backwater Blues adventure. Thank you to all who are always there for me; for your friendships, love and support. A Bhrian and a Lacey, gra agus meas a bheith agat ar dhuine.

Blessings to you, our fantastic audience, who have taken time in your lives to see our show. Wishing you an enjoyable night of entertainment and fun!
     With love, for my wonderful and dear Mother, Muriel.

Tom Doyle (Marvin, torn by unrequited love and ready to give it up.)
Tom Doyle is proud to be making his debut at Compass Theatre, pioneering the role of Marvin. Though he studied drama and voice in high school and junior college, it was not until earlier this year that he returned to the stage. His first endeavor was the role of Phillip in Diversionary Theatre's production of Corpus Christi. Then, he was honored with a lead role (Mitch) in the west coast premiere of Yank! the Musical at Diversionary.
     Tom has also been a karaoke DJ for the last three years in San Diego, and, recently got his feet wet in the world of performing at corporate events in A Salute to our Troops with Bollotta Entertainment. Tom has been lucky enough to be surrounded by very talented people and is anxious to witness an amazing run of this show. Thank you Christine.

Anthony Simone (Rock, tough guy who cares about no one else, till . . .)
Anthony is currently a senior at San Diego State University majoring in Theatre and Psychology. He is truly honored to be making his Compass Theatre debut with such a wonderful cast and artistic team.
     He was last seen in White Dog Theatre Company's production of Your a Good Man, Charlie Brown as Snoopy. Other theatre credits include: Hathi in Jungle Book, Billy Boy Bill (I'm not Sorry!) in Urinetown, Ensemble in In the Beginning, Oberon/Thesus in Midsummer Nights Dream at SDSU; Male Quartet in Bye Bye Birdie for SDMT; Late Night Cabaret, Marisol, and Midsummer Night's Dream at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Looking into the future Anthony is excited to be in Songs For a New World at SDSU.
      Special thanks to Dr. Simas, the Larlhams, "Total," friends, and family for the unconditional support that you have given me throughout the years. "I love you guys!" -- "Fucken Dream!"

Shaun Tuazon (Arnie, full of dreams and hope despite everything.)
"I've had a blast creating this role and am blessed to have had the chance to work with such a talented group of people."
     Shaun was born and raised on an island called Alameda in the San Francisco Bay. He is a graduating senior at SDSU where he was last seen (no shorter than yesterday) in Urinetown, the Musical as Tiny Tom. Favorite roles include: Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Nathan Detroit in Guys & Dolls. Other credits include: Zombie Prom, The Grapes of Wrath and In the Beginning at SDSU; Bye Bye Birdie and Guys & Dolls at Alameda Civic Light Opera; The Taming of the Shrew, Guys & Dolls, Alice through the Looking Glass, and Cinderella at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda.Up next: Songs For a New World at SDSU!
     Thanks to family, friends, cast and crew for all the love and support!

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THE CREATIVE TEAM

Lindsey Duoos Gearhart
     Director
Lindsey Duoos Gearhart most recently directed Stone Soup Theatre Company's critically acclaimed production of Tick, Tick, Boom! (The LAB at APA/10th Avenue Theatre).  Other directing credits include Songs for a New World (Village Gate Theatre) and the West Coast Premiere of The Bubbly Black Girls Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Pico Playhouse), for which she received an NAACP Award nomination.
     As an actor, Lindsey has been seen locally at North Coast Repertory Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions, and San Diego Musical Theatre.  She holds a B.A. in Theatre from University of Southern California and an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University.

Rick Shaffer
     Music Director & Arranger
Classically trained in piano, composition, orchestration, and musical theater, Rick has studied at both Carnegie-Mellon University and Purdue University, where he received his MFA and served as faculty musical director-in-residence from 1977-1981.
     Before relocating to San Diego, Rick worked as an arranger/composer, actor/singer/dancer, director, choreographer, studio musician, accompanist and musical director in New York City's theater, cabaret and opera communities. Since his arrival in San Diego, Rick has remained in demand as a performer and musical director, and has won numerous awards for his musical and theatrical skills.  Most recently, Rick served as musical director for Scripp Ranch Theatre's acclaimed production of  I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
     Next on the horizon, Rick will be both appearing and playing piano in Diversionary Theatre's holiday show, Scrooge in Rouge, followed by his musical direction of Coronado Playhouse's 2009 production of The IT Girl.

Alisa Williams
     Choreographer
Alisa Williams is excited to be a part of the production team for Backwater Blues in her first show at Compass Theater. She has been working in theater for eighteen years as an actress and choreographer. She was last seen in Onstage Production’s Cabaret where she both choreographed and played Sally Bowles.
     She has worked with a number of other theaters including Scripps Ranch, Starlight, PowPac and  is a resident artist and instructor with Such N’ Such Productions.
     She would like to thank her family for all of their help during the show. Much love to her husband and their beautiful daughter for supporting her time away at the theater.

Michael Thomas Tower
     Composer, Co-Librettist, Co-Lyricist
Although Michael Thomas Tower has lived in California most of his life, his work often reflects the poetry and quirkiness of the folks of his native Texas. While the location of Toad Lake, the fictional site for Backwater Blues, is never defined, one might guess that it lies somewhere in the entanglement of those southern roots.
     After many years of acting, singing and directing, Tower turned to playwriting about 20 years ago under the mentorship of the late Wendell Keith Phillips while an acting student of the esteemed Jean Shelton in San Francisco. His plays have been produced, among other places, in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and San Diego. Short plays most recently produced in San Diego include "To Hear a Distant Tune," "A Certain Unsoundness of Mind," "Bertie May Taggart's Dagfackit Dog," and "Knowing When" which plays at North Park Playwright Festival the same weekend Backwater Blues opens.

David M. Newcomer
     Co-Librettist, Co-Lyricist
Born and raised in Massachusetts, David M. Newcomer has lived in other places across the country including Washington State and New Mexico. He currently lives in Maine with his partner of three years.
     David has been writing since childhood. He studied music and drama at the Royal Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Lake Wales, Florida.  He has had amateur acting and theater experience, and directed several children's productions at a private school in Massachusetts. Backwater Blues is his first venture into professional playwriting. Working with Michael T. Tower has been a joy and delight for him, and he looks forward to continuing the collaboration in the future.
     One of the things that David has hoped to accomplish with Backwater Blues is to get away from gay stereotypes, and portray gay men as real people with real lives and loves.