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(Last Update: 22:54 PDT 11 March 2026 )
Other than a little Commedia dell'Arte with the Society for Creative Anachronism in the 1980s, I only started acting in February 2023, after I retired from 39+ years of being a professor. From years of classroom teaching, I knew that I could fill a room with my voice and that I was comfortable in front of an audience without a script, but I had no idea whether I could act. I was looking for a social activity, and I had seen how much my son had enjoyed acting (his main hobby for over 20 years), so I thought I'd give it a try.
| date(s) | title | producer | director | role(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in rehearsal) | Emotional Baggage (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Rollo |
| (in rehearsal) | Hi Tech (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Man |
| (in rehearsal) | Blue Sky with Approaching Storm (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Artist |
| 27, 28 Feb; 1, 6, 7, 8 Mar 2026 | Beyond the Bus (in Best of the Rest 2026) | Actors' Theatre | Simon Hayward & Evan Hunt | Tricks the Clown |
| 27, 28 Feb; 1, 6, 7, 8 Mar 2026 | The Fabulists (in Best of the Rest 2026) | Actors' Theatre | Simon Hayward & Evan Hunt | Pete |
| 21, 22, 23, 28+, 29+, 30+ Nov; 5, 6, 7, 12+, 13+, 14 Dec 2025 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Mountain Community Theater | Stephen Phillipps | Egeus (+ u/s Robin Starveling) |
| 21 & 27 Sep 2025 | Katharina of Strassburg | Dana Bagshaw | Matt Matthews | Matthis Zell |
| 7 Jun 2025 | long-form improv show | Good Enough! improv | Lauren Owen and Casey Robinson | |
| 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 26, 26, 27 Apr 2025 | Fortinbras (Lee Blessing) | Cabrillo College | Robin Aronson | Claudius |
| 24, 25, 29 Mar; 3, 14, 16, 23, 29 Apr 2025 | Telemarketer Torment (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Brian |
| 24, 25 Mar; 3, 16, 29 Apr 2025 | The Find (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Perry |
| 25 Mar; 14, 23 Apr 2025 | Miss You (David Austin) (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Man 1 |
| 22 Mar 2025 | long-form improv show | Good Enough! improv | Lauren Owen and Casey Robinson | |
| 9, 10, 11, 12 May 2024 | Harmony in Hollywood | Cabrillo Performing Arts Collective | David Hamilton | The Producer Ralph Bennett |
| 1 May 2024 | Water Conversations (staged reading) | ENVS course | Riley Hartmann | Sahara parent, San Francisco engineer |
| 20, 23 Mar; 6, 14, 15 Apr 2024 | Such a Good Listener (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Pauly |
| 20, 23, 25 Mar; 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 24 Apr 2024 | Check Please (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Guy, Matt |
| 20, 21, 26, 27 Jan; 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18 Feb 2024 | The Artist (in 8 tens @8, Part 2) | Actors' Theatre | Evan Hunt | Harper |
| 21, 23, 28 Apr; 12, 26 May; 2, 16 Jun; 21 Jul 2023 | Emotional Baggage (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | Rollo |
| 21, 23 Apr; 6, 12 May; 2, 6 Jun; 21 Jul 2023 | The Ferris Wheel (staged reading) | NextStage Productions | Sally Bookman | John |
| date(s) | title | producer | director | role(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2024–present | WeAudition | reader | ||
| 13 Dec 2024 | Coriolanus—"My Name is Caius Martius" (voice only) | Such Stuff as Scenes are Made On (podcast) | Alex Benarzi | myself, Coriolanus |
| 25 Feb 2024 | Romeo and Juliet (voice only) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Jamie Kelly, Alex Benarzi | Abram, Paris |
| 7 Dec 2023–30 Jan 2024 | Robotastic books (voice only) | narrator and all characters | ||
| 11 Jan 2024 | The Sandwich (my clip) | UCSC Film 196B | Sebastian J. Salazar | Wizard (supporting) |
I have recorded some practice monologues at https://tinyurl.com/Karplus-monologues. Constructive feedback in the YouTube comments (or via email) is welcome!
Table reads are unrehearsed readings of the script, often interspersed with directors' or dramaturges' notes and repeating parts of scenes after the notes. The Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre and Bard's Inn reads on Discord are straight through with minimal notes with fixed casting, generally with first-come-first-served assignment of parts, usually aided by PlayerPart to cluster roles. The reads labeled "Of" are on Google Meet with one other actor, with parts assigned dynamically (sometimes even switching mid-scene, if there are more than 2 characters). The other table reads are broken up over several days, often with different casting on different days. The Santa Cruz Shakespeare table reads are fundraisers, with those reading giving more than those just listening. The Saturday Shakespeare group has an hour of scholarly lecture/discussion, followed by an hour of reading for 4 weeks, followed by a viewing of a video of a performance on the fifth week.
| date(s) | title | producer | director | role(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 & 10 Mar 2026 | Native Gardens (Karen Zacarías) | Of | Frank & Virginia | |
| 8 & 15 Feb 2026 | Romeo and Juliet | Bard's Inn | I–III: Sampson, Citizens, Prince, Paris, Nurse; IV–V: Lady Capulet, 2nd Servingman, Peter, Balthasar, Montague, 1st Watch | |
| 14 Feb 2026 | Midsummer Night's Dream | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Theseus, Oberon, Peaseblossom | |
| 31 Jan & 12 Feb 2026 | The Melville Boys (Norm Foster) | Of | Lee & Loretta | |
| 1 Feb 2026 | Cymbeline | Bard's Inn | Posthumus, Kady, Lucius, Guiderius, Attendant, First Brother | |
| 10, 17, 24, 31 Jan 2026 | Henry IV, Part 1 | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Henry IV I.1, I.3; Falstaff II.4; Bardolph III.3, 4.2; Hotspur 4.1; Worcester 5.1, Douglas 5.3 | |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Fertile Ground (Jennifer O'Grady) | Of | trading off all roles | |
| 11 & 18 Jan 2026 | The Taming of the Shrew | Bard's Inn | Acts I,II:Tranio, 1st Huntsman, 1st Player, 2nd Servingman; Act III: Petruchio; Acts IV,V: Petruchio, Bianca | |
| 10 & 16 Jan 2026 | Skin Flick (Norm Foster) | Of | trading off all roles | |
| 21 Dec 2025 | The Comedy of Errors | Bard's Inn | Duke, Dromio of Syracuse, Pinch | |
| 16 Dec 2025 | The Lover (Harold Pinter) | Of | Sarah | |
| 2 & 9 Dec 2025 | Chimps (Simon Block) | Of | Mark & Gabriel | |
| 2 Nov 2025 | Macbeth | Bard's Inn | Macbeth | |
| 26 Oct 2025 | The Winter's Tale | Bard's Inn | Leontes, Mariner | |
| 12 & 19 Oct 2025 | Coriolanus | Bard's Inn | Coriolanus | |
| 4, 11, 25 Oct 2025 | Richard II | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Bolingbroke I.1; Bushy I.4; Northumberland II.1,3,IV.1; Green II.2; York V.2; King Henry V.3; Servingman V.4 | |
| 28 Sep & 5 Oct 2025 | Antony and Cleopatra | Bard's Inn | I–III: Enobarbus, Pompey; IV: Antony | |
| 21 Sep 2025 | Julius Caesar | Bard's Inn | Casca, Trebonius, Publius, Third Plebian, Lucilius, Varro, Clitus | |
| 20 Sep 2025 | Becket: or the Honour of God (Jean Anouilh) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Henry | |
| 14 Sep 2025 | King John | Bard's Inn | Philip Faulconbridge/Bastard | |
| 30 Aug & 7 Sep 2025 | The Columnist (David Auburn) | Of | all roles (taking turns) | |
| 31 Aug 2025 | Richard III (Acts 4 & 5) | Bard's Inn | King Richard | |
| 6 & 13 Aug 2025 | The Motherfucker with the Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis) | Of | all roles (taking turns) | |
| 27 Jul & 3 Aug 2025 | Henry VI, Part 2 | Bard's Inn | Acts I–III: Cardinal, Duchess, Peter; IV–V: Whitmore, Cade, Young Clifford, Warwick | |
| 30 Jul 2025 | The Indian wants the Bronx (Israel Horovitz) | Of | all roles (taking turns) | |
| 10, 25, 30 Jul 2025 | Intimate Apparel (Lynn Nottage) | Of | all roles (varied by scene) | |
| 2 & 10 Jul 2025 | Almost, Maine | Of | various roles | |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Henry V | Bard's Inn | King Henry (Acts III–V) | |
| 27 Jun 2025 | Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang | Of | all roles (varied by scene) | |
| 18 Jun 2025 | Tuz & Solly by Eric Moore | Of | Tuz | |
| 8 & 15 Jun 2025 | Henry IV, Part 1 | Bard's Inn | Prince Hal, Ostler, Northumberland, Messenger, Sir Michael, Second Messenger | |
| 9 Jun 2025 | Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley | Of | Danny | |
| 29 May & 2 Jun 2025 | Liselotte in May by Zsolt Pozsgai | Of | Liselotte, Ludwig, Roland, Niklaus, Man in Black Tuxedo (swtching by scene) | |
| 1 Jun 2025 | Richard II | Bard's Inn | King Richard | |
| 19, 26, 29 May 2025 | Angels in America by Tony Kushner | Of | all roles (varying by scene) | |
| 11 & 25 May 2025 | Troilus and Cressida | Bard's Inn | Acts I, II: Ulysses, Alexander, Thersites, Cassandra; Acts III—V: Aeneas, Nestor, Menelaus, Thersites, Cassandra, Helen, Calchas |
|
| 16 May 2025 | New-Found-Land by Tom Stoppard | Of | Bernard | |
| 16 May 2025 | Tucumcari Tonite! by Philip Middleton Williams | Of | Tony | |
| 12 May 2025 | Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph | Of | alternating: Ilana, Andy, Suresh | |
| 26 Apr; 3, 10 May 2025 | Midsummer Night's Dream | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | First Fairy 2.2, Bottom 3.1, Puck 3.2 & 4.1, Theseus 4.1 & 5.1 | |
| 7 May 2025 | Tape by José Rivera | Of | Attendant | |
| 7 May 2025 | Beauty by Jane Martin | Of | Carla | |
| 7 May 2025 | Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph | Of | alternately Doug and Kayleen | |
| 4 May 2025 | All's Well That Ends Well | Bard's Inn | Lafew, King, First Soldier | |
| 2 May 2025 | Misreadings by Neena Beber | Of | Ruth | |
| 2 May 2025 | Trying to Find Chinatown by David Henry Hwang | Of | Benjamin | |
| 2 May 2025 | Forty-minute Finish by Jerome Hairston | Of | Ike | |
| 30 Apr & 2 May 2025 | Closer by Patrick Marber | Of | All 4 roles in different scenes | |
| 24 Apr 2025 | Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron | Of | Ross Gardiner (Act 1), Mr. Green (Act 2) | |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason | Of | Olivia | |
| 6 Apr 2025 | All's Well That Ends Well | Bard's Inn | Lafew, King, First Soldier, Diana | |
| 3 Apr 2025 | Matt & Ben by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers (2 hours) | Of | Matt | |
| 30 Mar 2025 | Timon of Athens (3 hours) | Bard's Inn | Apemantus, Second Senator, Lucius' Man, First Stranger, Servant, First Friend, Caphis, Cupid, Fourth Senator, Jeweler, Lucilius, Second Bandit, Second Servant, Soldier, Third Senator, Third Servant, Varro's Second Man, Ventidius | |
| 12 & 13 Mar 2025 | Last of the Red Hot Lovers | Bard's Inn | Barney | |
| 23 Feb & 9 Mar 2025 | Richard III | Bard's Inn | Buckingham, Archbishop, Brackenbury, 2nd Messenger, Blunt, Ghost of Henry, Ghosts of Princes | 22 Feb 2025 | Much Ado About Nothing (3 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Leonato, Don John, Seacoal |
| 2 & 16 Feb 2025 | Cymbeline | Bard's Inn | Queen (through III.4), Iachimo, Messenger, Arviragus, Lord, 2nd Captain, 1st Brother, stage directions | |
| 9 Feb 2025 | The Worker (Walter Wykes) | Bard's Inn | Messenger, stage directions | |
| 11 Jan–8 Feb 2025 | Timon of Athens (11 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Timon 1.1, 1.2, 4.3 (201–), Isidore's Man, Lucullus, Sempronius, Varro's 1st man, 2nd Senator 3.5, 1st Friend, 1st Servant, Soldier 5.3, First Senator 5.4 | |
| 26 Jan 2025 | Merry Wives of Windsor, Acts IV and V | Bard's Inn | Ford, Fenton, stage directions | |
| 9 Nov 2024 | Macbeth (2.5 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Malcolm, 1st Witch, Angus 2nd Murderer, 2nd Apparition, Lady MacDuff, Gentlewoman, Lennox (Act V only), Young Siward | |
| 12 Oct–2 Nov 2024 | Much Ado About Nothing (11 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Don Pedro 2.3, 3.2, 4.1 Beatrice 3.4, Borachio 4.2 | |
| 9–23 Oct 2024 | Midsumer Night's Dream (10 hours) | Santa Cruz Shakespeare | Alicia Gibson | Peter Quince 1.2, Demetrius 3.2 (45–180), Puck 3.2 (418–492), Flute 4.2&5.1 |
| 5 Oct 2024 | Julius Caesar (2.5 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Cassius | |
| 21 Sep 2024 | Midsummer Night's Dream (2.75 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Bottom | |
| 7 Sep 2024 | Titus Andronicus (2.5 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Aaron, Lavinia, Martius, First Goth | |
| 22 Jul 2024 | Most Seeming Virtuous Queen (Langman) (2 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Hamlet | |
| 29 Jun 2024 | Apartment 3R (Zirolli) 1 hour | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Lion | |
| 29 Jun 2024 | The Bear (Chekhov) (45 min) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Grigori Stepanovich Smirnov | |
| 1 Jun 2024 | Richard II (3.5 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Gaunt, Mowbray, Aumerle, 2nd Herald, Green, Ross, Man, Exton, Keeper | |
| 26 Apr–18 May 2024 | Hamlet (11 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | 1.2 Hamlet, 2.1 Polonius, 3.2 Hamlet (through the Mousetrap) 5.1 Claudius, 5.2 Osric | |
| 20 Apr 2024 | Hamlet (4.5 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Claudius, Gravedigger | |
| 6–20 Mar 2024 | As You Like It (10 hours) | Santa Cruz Shakespeare | Rebecca Clark | 1.1 Oliver, 2.1 First Lord, 2.7(—line 80) Jaques, 4.2 First Lord, 4.3 Silvius, 5.4 Duke Senior |
| 9 Mar 2024 | The Frogs (2 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Dionysus | |
| 2 Mar 2024 | Measure for Measure (3 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Angelo, Abhorson | |
| 20 Feb 2024 | The Bear (Chekhov) | Cabrillo Theater Arts 31 | Grigori Stepanovich Smirnov | |
| 20 Jan–17 Feb 2024 | Pericles (10.5 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Pericles, 1st sailor, 2nd sailor, 2nd gentleman, Cerimon, Boult, Helicanus, Gower | |
| 13 Jan 2024 | The Lion in Winter (James Goldman) (4 hours) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Richard, stage directions | |
| 7–10 Jan 2024 | Henry VI Part 2 (5 hours) | Shakespeare 2024 (Discord) | Gloucester, 2nd petitioner, Horner, 1st Gentleman, Iden, Clerk, Saye, Clifford, York, Bevis, Brother, Messenger, 1st Citizen | |
| 6 Jan 2024 | Becket: or the Honour of God (Jean Anouilh) | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Becket | |
| 1–3 Jan 2024 | Henry VI Part 1 (6 hours) | Shakespeare 2024 (Discord) | Gloucester, Exeter, Porter, Charles, Warwick, Scout, 3rd Servingman, Porter | |
| 9 Dec 2023 | Twelfth Night | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Malvolio, Sebastian, Servant | |
| 2 Dec 2023 | Three Sisters | Shakespeare Online Repertory Theatre | Chebutykin, Ferapont | |
| 11 Oct 2023–25 Oct 2023 | Hamlet (10 hours) | Santa Cruz Shakespeare | Charles Pasternak | 1.2, 1.3 Polonius; 3.3 Claudius; 5.3 Gravedigger |
| 7 Oct 2023–4 Nov 2023 | As You Like It (11 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Jaques, Touchstone | |
| 22 Apr–20 May 2023 | King Lear (11 hours) | Saturday Shakespeare (Aptos) | Burgundy, Edgar, Fool |
