American Buffalo Bios

"American Buffalo" Bios

Mark Zeisler (Director) is honored to be making his directing debut with “American Buffalo”. As an actor, Mark has been seen at Elm Shakespeare as Claudius in Hamlet, Malachi Stack in The Matchmaker, Leontes in The Winter’s Tale and Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure. Other acting credits include: Broadway: A View From the Bridge, Brooklyn Boy (u/s). Off Broadway: Eurydiceand The Sex Lives of our Parents at Second Stage, The Accomplices at The New Group, self-defense with New Georges, Circle Mirror Transformation (u/s) at Playwrights Horizons, Modotti at The Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row. Regional: Major Barbara, Road to Nirvana, The King Stag, The Homecoming, Once in a Lifetime and The Caretaker with American Repertory Theatre; The Tempest, The Seagull, The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, Dracula at Actors Theatre of Louisville; Big Love (Louisville, Berkeley Rep, Long Wharf, Goodman, BAM Next Wave Festival 2001); Othello, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Arcadia at Alabama Shakespeare Festival; eurydice at Berkeley Rep and Yale Rep; The Black Dahlia andThe King Stag at Yale Rep; The Homecoming, Tranced ,The Seafarer, A Picasso at Merrimack Rep; Measure for Measure at The Folger Theater (Helen Hayes nom.); A Picasso at City Theatre; A Doll House at The McCarter; Art at The Hangar Theatre;; Julius Caesar at Philadelphia Drama Guild, Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Geva, Romeo and Juliet at Baltimore Center Stage, Yankee Tavern at Florida Stage. Television: All three Law and Orders, The Good Wife, Rescue Me, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Pan Am, New York Undercover, many soaps. Film: Torch Song Trilogy, Random Hearts, Shaft, The Thomas Crown Affair, Two Weeks Notice, Head of State, Revolution #9, Pervetigo and After School (2008 NY Film Festival Entry). Mark is a graduate of the acting program at SUNY Purchase. 

James Andreassi* (Teacher) is the founder and Artistic Director of The Elm Shakespeare Company. He has performed at theatres across the United States, including the Actors Shakespeare Project, the Long Wharf Theatre, the American Repertory Theatre, the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, the Cleveland Playhouse, the Rep. of St. Louis, the Three River Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare & Co., the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and the Pioneer Theatre Co. among many others.  Mr. Andreassi has played such roles as “Anthony” in Anthony and Cleopatra, "Petruchio" in The Taming of the Shrew, "Bazarov" in Brian Friel's adaptation of Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, “Iago” in Othello, “Falstaff” in Henry IV, part 1, “Benedick” in Much Ado About Nothing, "Claudius" in Hamlet, "Athos" in The Three Musketeers, "Rocco" in Saturday, Sunday, Monday, “Touchstone” in As You LikeIt, Argan in The Imaginary Invalid and the title roles in Macbeth, Richard III and Robin Hood.

Ryan Barry*(Bobby) Ryan is thrilled to be returning to Elm. He was last seen in the roll of Clown in The Winters Tale in Edgerton Park. Off Broadway: Treasure Island (Irondale Center), In the Summer Pavilion (Upcoming 59E59)  New York: As Wide As I Can See (HERE Arts Center) In the Summer Pavilion (New York International Fringe, *Best Actor Winner), The Temp (SoHo Playhouse), Reading Under The Influence (Bank of America Festival), Romeo and Juliet (QAS) Regional: Travesties w/ Sam Waterston (Long Wharf Theatre), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Shakespeare and Company), Grease (Barrington Stage Company), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Hubbard Hall). Ryan's voice can be heard on several national commercials as well as on the Independent Film Chanel.

Tracy Griswold* (Don) is very happy to be back with the Elm Shakespeare Company, having played Camillo in last year’s production of The Winter’s Tale.  Most recently, he played Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at Virginia Stage Company.  He played Gower  in Henry V for The New York Classical Theatre, appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of All My Sons and Off-Broadway in various productions with The Negro Ensemble Co.  Tracy has toured North America with The Graduate and A Soldier’s Play.  Regional credits include Cincinnati Playhouse (Macbeth, Other People’s Money), Long Wharf Theatre (Dinner at Eight, A Dance Lesson, Crazy Horse and Three Stars), Studio Arena Theatre (Twelve Angry Men, Wait Until Dark), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Dracula) and Capitol Repertory Co. (The Grapes of Wrath) among others.  This performance is dedicated to M.E.G. and Rob O'Reilly.