Arne Zaslove

Arne Zaslove is a Fulbright scholar and was the first American to study at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. There he absorbed a deep understanding of masks and of physical theater. His specialty in clowning and improvisation grew through his apprenticeship at Carnegie Mellon with commedia dell'arte master Carlo Mazzone-Clementi. His talents have been called on by Cirque du Soleil, David Shiner(of Fool Moon), Graciela Daniela (director of The Glorious Ones), Teatro Zinzanni in Seattle, and Pomp, Duck and Circumstance in Berlin.

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Arne has directed and taught in many regional theaters and universities across the U.S. and Canada. During his 20-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle, his updated Shakespeare productions and 17 versions of The Big Broadcast (a tribute to the golden age of radio) were especially popular with audiences for their sensitive interpretations and inventive flair.

Mike King has been a courtroom lawyer for over 30 years, primarily appearing in appellate courts both in Washington and around the country. He has no Southern credentials, but then neither did Mathew Harrison Brady (Williams Jennings Bryan), who hailed from Nebraska. Mike was born in a small town (Colville), and raised in a city (Spokane) that felt very much like a small town. He got his A.B. from a school near Boston, and his J.D. from the University of Washington. Mike did not discover the stage until late in life, but has since been making up for lost time, appearing in several Hit & Run productions including The Realm of Whispering Ghosts: If Truman Met Einstein, in which he appeared as President Harry Truman—a role he has taken on the road to Rotary Clubs throughout the Puget Sound. Mike has been married for 34 years to Nancy Neraas (also an attorney, but one who keeps her distance from the courtroom). They have three adult sons, Anders, Peter, and Marten.

As a teenager, I attended a 3-week seminar with Joseph Campbell ("The Power of Myth," "The Hero with a Thousand Face"), traveling around northern France in search of the Holy Grail. A fascination with stories and characters has always been at the core of my life, and Campbell's urging to "follow your bliss" has been my guiding principle.

Following that bliss led me to study at Yale, balancing late nights directing and acting in one show after another, with afternoons curled up in the medieval atmosphere of the reading rooms in Sterling Library. It led me to meet and work with many talented professionals, and some screen luminaries, as an actress and dialogue coach in Hollywood North. And it led me to the miraculously rewarding adventure of marriage and motherhood.

My focus now is on writing plays (and plays with music), in which imagination and "what if?" are more important than mining daily reality. "Making up stories and acting them out" has been my passion since childhood, and I am always ready for the next adventure. If you have a story that needs to be told or edited, or an event that needs to be brought to life, please contact me at claire@zaslove.com.

Engerman has been composing and arranging songs for theatre and cabaret productions since 1975. Highlights include Ronnie Bwana - Jungle Guide, The Big Bad Wolf (and How He Got That Way), Ming the Rude (The Empty Space), The Ballad of Mary Reade (The Bathhouse Theatre), Prince Brat and The Whipping Boy (Seattle Children's Theatre). Cabaret shows featuring his songs and arrangements include The Fabulous Sateens, The Sirens of Swing, and Eunice and Regina Dine and Dish. He also served as music director for the long-running hit Menopause - the Musical at ACT. He recently completed yet another project, Italy on the Half Shell. His latest musical, A Necklace To Die For, based on a true story involving Marie Antoinette, is in development, along with a version of Mother Goose ... for adults.