Story
Drawn from Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick, Ishmael tells the tale of a country schoolteacher who signs on to a whaling trip with a captain he's never met. A shape-shifting actor and a multifaceted musician conjure a funny, thoughtful, harrowing play about one man’s drive to see the world and another man’s insatiable quest to destroy it.
Cast & Creative
Writer: Leo Geter, adapted from Herman Melville's Moby Dick
Director: Michelle O'Neill
Cast: Jack Weston as Ishmael
Music: Jim Parker
Tech Supervisor/Production Stage Manager/Lighting Designer: Heidi Eckwall (heckwall@yahoo.com)
Artist Representative: David Marty (davidmarty@gmail.com | 218-259-8215)
Leo Geter
Leo Geter started off in the world of acting, appearing in over 30 film and television series as well as many theatre productions. He has directed plays in New York, Los Angeles, Colorado and Minnesota. For the past eight years he has written many teleplays for TNT’s “The Closer” and “Major Crimes” where he also worked as Executive Producer and director. He holds an MFA in Film from New York University. Special thanks to George Sutton for putting the Ishmael team together and taking care of us every step of the way.
Michelle O'Neill
Michelle O’Neill started her career in NYC, where she studied at the Julliard school and worked as a professional appearing on Broadway, television, films and theaters across the country.
Michelle moved to the twin cities in the early 2000s and has since acted in over 26 productions at the Guthrie Theater where she also directs, teaches, and creates programs that enrich young people's understanding of theater. as a director, her favorite projects have been Uncle Vanya, A Month in the Country, Twelfth Night and The Diviners. Since 2004, Michelle has held the position of an adjunct professor at the university of Minnesota where she directs and teaches students.
Jack Weston
Twin Cities-based actor/singer/songwriter Jack Weston has been performing professionally since he was 16 years old. Theatrical roles include: Jesse James in The Story of Jesse James, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Fredrick in Pirates of Penzance.
In addition to acting, Jack has released three CD's of jazz standards and original compositions, written commercial jingles, and performed voiceovers for radio. He has performed both as a solo artist and with his band at clubs and small concert venues throughout the Midwest. Jack originated the role of Ishmael in the 2015 Minnesota Fringe Festival production of White Whale.
Jim Parker
No stranger to Ishmael’s wanderlust, Jim has played for literally hundreds of community dances and performed and taught workshops at festivals and venues around the state, throughout the Midwest, and internationally. An avid student and practitioner of American folk music styles, Jim toured with The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers for 10 years, and has been delving into the music and dance of Central and Eastern Europe for many years through his involvement with the Ethnic Dance Theatre Folk Orchestra and several affiliated ensembles. As a composer for puppet theatre, Jim has scored and performed works for In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, Public Domain Productions, Magic Lantern Puppet Theatre, and Little Coyote Puppet Theatre.
Special Thanks
Michael L. Snow, Producer
Nate Sipe and Kevin Kniebel, Musicians/Additional Original Music
John Zirkle, Executive/Artistic Director of Warren Miller Performing Arts Center
Hector Cortes, Founder/Owner of Hecco.co
George Sutton
