Washington DC Tour - OCTOBER 2015


Coco Blignaut (Saint Teresa and Playwright)Born and raised in South Africa, Coco Blignaut studied Theater at The University of South Africa, and had her first break through in Cape Town as the lead in Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding, playing the bride. She traveled all over the world as a backpacker, surviving on little money, but enriching her soul greatly. In Paris, she studied French and Theater at La Sorbonne. She played Sandy in a French version of Grease at the legendary Le Trianon in Pigalle, on London stages she played Nina in The Seagull, Salome in Oscar Wilde's Salome and sang in the infamous jazz club, Hollywood Savoy in Paris.Her introduction to The Method was with Jack Waltzer in Paris. She studied with him for four years and had a breakthrough in the understanding of the sacred craft of acting. In Los Angeles, she studied for two years at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and played Agnes in Agnes of God, an experimental Nina in The Seagull being nailed to a cross, and Masha in Chekov's The Three Sisters at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood. More highlights on stage have included Abby in Eugene O'Neill's "Desire Under The Elms, The Nun in The Madman and the Nun, Helen in Athol Fugard's Hello and Goodbye. Playing Maggie in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, she wore a catsuit and cracked a whip to tame a blindfolded Brick. On film she has played a modern Mary Magdalene in downtown Los Angeles in a black and white film called Iscariot, a gypsy fortune teller in a silent film, The Kid, and Death coming to a young man on acid in Death Valley, in a film called Starburst. Coco has adapted God's Gypsy from a New York Times beselling author, Barbara Mujica's book, Sister Teresa and has been lecturing on it and performing at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Other venues scheduled for performances in 2015, are The Gala Theatre and Georgetown University Theater in Washington DC. An off-Broadway venue in New York is available for a production at the end of 2014. Coco is a published children's author, with her South African book, My Bantu Blankie, available on amazon and everywhere else. Her second children's book, a modern rendition of Puss in Boots which takes place in Provence, will be released at the end of 2014. She has written three full length screenplays, of which her piece d'oeuvre, The Book of Daniel, about a modern day mad prophet in Los Angeles, is slotted for filming in 2016. Coco wants to extend her deep gratitude to an incredible cast and crew, loyal and gifted, and to her director, the indomitable Jack Heller. And finally, to Lili Haydn, a genius violin player and singer, who is attached to God's Gypsy to compose and perform her bohemian, gypsy music of extraordinary Spirit! thank you for your patience and selflessness. You are the real deal.
Coco Blignaut is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio.



Laura Dooling (Sister Angelica) grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. She attended Vassar College in upstate New York, where she studied Film and Drama, and appeared in various productions including Hurlyburly, Unwrap Your Candy, and Agnes of God. She spent a year studying acting for film at Prague Film School in the Czech Republic, and began her professional career acting in several independent productions while abroad. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she continued to work in independent films. A newcomer to LA, Laura is thrilled to be a part of the God's Gypsy family. 





Edison Park (Father Braulio) (Executive Producer) is a proud life time member of The Actors Studio and a devoted member of The International Dae Myung Martial Arts Federation. His acting training is through the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, where he studied with the Tony Award winning director, Mel Shapiro. For the past 17 years he has been studying with the great Salome Jens. Film credits:  Iron Palm, played Master Kim. Theatre credits:  UCLA Productions of King Stag, The Cherry Orchard, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Kentucky Cycle. Professional Theatre Productions:  Saga Munchie (one man show), the lead in Ockum's Razor, A Majority of One. Edison Park is a Master of the martial arts, and comes from a long lineage of Masters. Edison is in deep gratitude to his gifted cast members and the unstoppable production team of God's Gypsy. 






Angela Nichols (Princess of Eboli)

Biography coming soon







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Katherine Whitney (Princess of Eboli) a graduate of Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy, Kate has loved the theatre since high school where she had her first role as Rizzo in the musical ‘Grease’.  She went on to play such roles as Stella in Streetcar Named Desire, Maggie in Dancing in Lughnasa, and Carol in a California tour of Oleanna.  Kate also produced and starred in the Los Angeles premiere of Patrick Marber’s Closer at the Bootleg Theatre. She then took on two of Shakespeare’s leading ladies, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Hermia in Midsummer Nights Dream at the Ford Amphitheatre. Kate was asked back to LACC as an alumni guest where she played the role of Cunningham in the provocative piece Last Days of Judas Iscariot which then travelled to the Odyssey Theatre for a run of packed houses. Kate’s path took a turn to writing and directing where she worked for Plus Entertainment, a small distribution company where she wrote and directed several films including the festival winning urban rockabilly feature Smile Now Cry Later. Most recently Kate has jumped back into acting with her role of Suzanne in producer Robin Schoor’s feature Inner Demons chosen for this years LA Film Festival. Kate is thrilled to be on stage with such incredibly talented, passionate and wonderful people.


Mauricio Mendoza (Father Javier) completed three seasons as a series  regular on Showtime’s Resurrection Blvd, as well as one season on the series,  "Angeles", and a bilingual soap opera, Hacienda Heights. Selected TV/film credits include: Hearts of Man, La Sorpresa del Katch, Confessions of a Gangster, A Gangster’s Word, La Guapa, Law and Order LA, Hit The Floor, The Nine Lives of Chole, Judging Amy, 24, King of Queens, NCIS, Lincoln Heights, Cold Case, Days of our Lives, Everybody Hates Chris, Sueños de Fama, and Blow. Selected theatre credits: In The Heights, Water & Power, School of the Americas, Nine, Into the Woods, Zoot Suit, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Evita, Much Ado about Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, Lalo  Guerrero, Fastasma, Romeo and Juliet, Cesar and Ruben. He often shares the stage with his twin brother Carlos Mendoza in The New Mambo Kings, which he and Carlos cocreated. He serves as Executive producer on the web series, Encounters www.theofficialencounterwebseries.com and just completed a film which he starred in and Executive Produced with his soon to be wife Yeniffer Behrens "After School" www.theafterschoolfilm.com thru their film company TRUE FORM FILMS.


Pat Satcher (Inquisition/Cantor) has been working in and around theater and film for most of adult life in LA. Working on the assumption that experience is the best education, he engage in learning as much about theater to support his understanding of being a playwright. Working in the background with such luminaries as Peter Brook and John Casavettes, he has managed to understand the scope of the art of film and stage. As an observer at the Actor's Studio he had the pleasure of not only listening to the concepts of scene work, but also participate in productions directed by Ulu Grossbard and performed by Al Pacino. And behind the third curtain of 
his life he sings as a choir member of the First Congregationalist Church of Los Angeles.



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Electric Lodge, Venice - 2014​


The World Premiere 2013 Cast


 

Coco Blignaut (Saint Teresa) has been an actress since she played Mother Mary at the age of six in a church play, when she told Joseph off in front of the whole audience because he was picking his nose. Since then, Coco has been taking wild risks on and off stage all over the world. She has played over 25 leads in theatre plays, including Salome in Oscar Wilde's Salome in London, Nina in The Seagull in London, Sandy in Grease in Paris and The Bride in Blood Wedding in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, Los Angeles and New York, and has developed and work-shopped God's Gypsy on their stage for the past three years.  She is the devout disciple of acting coach Salome Jens, and wants to thank Cathleen Leslie and Penny Allen from The Actors Studio for helping her develop God's Gypsy, and for Martin Landau in believing in God's Gypsy. Coco wants to also extend her deep gratitude to an incredible cast, loyal and gifted, and a huge thanks to the dynamic production team.  Finally, a deep thank you to her beloved rock violinist idol, Lili Haydn, who composed for and performs her powerful music in God's Gypsy. Lili is not only a genius, but a beautiful, solid and very patient person.



Tsulan Cooper * (Sister Angelica)  is a theatre trained American actress who is a native to Los Angeles.  Cooper is making her professional debut in her most recent film project shot in Florida, where she developed the role of Sue Kingston (opposite J. LaRose) in the feature film “Wind Walkers” starring Rudy Youngblood,  Zane Holtz, and Kiowa Gordon, scheduled for release in 2014.  Earlier this year, she contributed to the short film comedy “Jerry and Tom.”  Theatre recent/favorite credits include The Lady Aoi, Mrs. Rokujo @ Luna Theatre; Hana-Ko, Lady Hana-ko @ Luna Theatre; and, Our Beds are Crowded, The Woman @ The Write Act Theatre.  She has participated in numerous staged readings @ The Greenway Theatre in support of original plays in development at the Playwright/Directors Unit of the Actors Studio.She is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio and a member of SAG-AFTRA.  Graduate of the film program at the Lee Strasberg Film and Theatrical Institute. Cooper trained at the Stella Adler Theatre and has a professional classical-jazz dance background.Cooper resides in Los Angeles where she is cast in an upcoming western feature film. Ever enjoying new horizons that deepen her artistry, she recently auditioned for and was accepted into the vocal program at The California College of Music.



Edison Park (Father Braulio) (Executive Producer) is a proud life time member of The Actors Studio and a devoted member of The International Dae Myung Martial Arts Federation. His acting training is through the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, where he studied with the Tony Award winning director, Mel Shapiro. For the past 17 years he has been studying with the great Salome Jens. Film credits:  Iron Palm, played Master Kim. Theatre credits:  UCLA Productions of King Stag, The Cherry Orchard, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Kentucky Cycle. Professional Theatre Productions:  Saga Munchie (one man show), the lead in Ockum's Razor, A Majority of One. Edison Park is a Master of the martial arts, and comes from a long lineage of Masters. Edison is in deep gratitude to his gifted cast members and the unstoppable production team of God's Gypsy.





Carole Weyers (Princess of Eboli, Seamstress Ines, Various Nuns) A Belgian native, Carole is extremely excited to make her Los Angeles stage debut in God's Gypsy. International theater credits include Jalousie en Trois Mails, Incendies, and she made her West End debut in Tell me... Lies.TV and film credits include Finding Focus, The Invader, The Owner and she has been chosen to play the lead in the film adaptation of the popular Belgian comic book "Caroline Baldwin". Carole studied at the IAD (Institut des Arts de Diffusion) then LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) and currently studies with Howard Fine.






Abbe Rowlins (Seamstress Cati/ Sister Maria/ Dona Dolores/Various Nuns) is excited to be back on stage  .Most recently seen in  the critically acclaimed “On Holy ground “  as “The mother of the Holy war” at the met theater  “Theory of Silence” at the Eclectic theater and as a member of The Unknown theater co was in Brenda vardas “liquid “ and Ionesecos The killing game and Kingdom come ,The story of The Incas .She has worked with the eclectic theater co ,The Atwater Playhouse and Theater Phoenix .She has appeared in many independent films most recently Daniel m turcans “Creature Comforts “and shane woodsens Barracuda and The short film “out of breath “ . She studied acting with Lelia Goldoni and at the Lee Strasberg theater institute a constant creative force she likes to paint bhangra dance is also narrating audiobooks and forever fascinated by movement teaches pilates around los angeles She also created Dog-ma petsitting enterprises and is inspired by all the love!




Jeanne Witczak (Seamstress Juana/Dona Barbara/Various Nuns) is truly blessed and honored to be a part of the phenomenon of God’s Gypsy, having spent part of her childhood living in a convent.  As an adult, having her passion for great acting inspired by Lee Strasberg, she studied acting and scene study at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute for four years.  Her teachers there were and are accomplished members of the Actors Studio, including Cathy Leslie, Marc Marno, Hedy Sontag, and Hildy Brooks.  She has had leading roles in several productions produced by David Lee Strasberg for the Group at Strasberg, such as Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Summer And Smoke, Three Sisters, Ubu Roi and Toska.  Prior to her acting career, she attended the University Of San Diego and received her Bachelors in Business Administration and her Masters in Business Administration.  A gifted raconteur and competitive public speaker, she aspires to use her acting and business talents in the world of politics as well one day.  She thanks Coco and Edison for the opportunity of a lifetime, Joel for his unwavering guidance, her cast mates for their divine inspiration, and her family of friends for their undying support.  She dedicates her performance to her Mother and her Aunt, whom she loves so very much, for their gifts of love, spirituality, and God.  For the Sisters who raised her…




Pat Satcher (Don Alonso/Inquisitor/Cantor) has been working in and around theater and film for most of adult life in LA. Working on the assumption that experience is the best education, he engage in learning as much about theater to support his understanding of being a playwright. Working in the background with such luminaries as Peter Brook and John Casavettes, he has managed to understand the scope of the art of film and stage. As an observer at the Actor's Studio he had the pleasure of not only listening to the concepts of scene work, but also participate in productions directed by Ulu Grossbard and performed by Al Pacino. And behind the third curtain of his life he sings as a choir member of the First Congregationalist Church of Los Angeles.




David Haverty (AEA) was recently in RYAN IS LOST, Directed by Battlestar Galactica and Defiance director Michael Nankin, at Theatre of Note during the Hollywood Fringe Festival and was nominated for the Spirit of the Fringe Award for Best Male Performance, which will be a Spotlight Production at Sacred Fools Theater in April 2014. Also he was in SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL LAMPOON produced by Matty Simmons, as Bottom in Groovelily’s rock musical of A LITTLE MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM, Kurt Billie in Orgasmico’s DOOMSDAY CABARET (BEST OF FRINGE & BEST MUSICALS 2012), Albert in Sacred Fools Gothic Rock Musical, CARNEVIL. See more about David at DavidHaverty.com. David is beyond honored to join this cast and bring Coco's play to life.