Neil Simon's "Fools"
Neil Simon's "Fools"
Neil Simon's "Fools"
Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He’s landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives, he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and people milking upside down to get more cream. The town has been cursed with Chronic Stupidity for two hundred years, and Leon’s job is to break the curse. No one tells him that if he stays over twenty-four hours and fails to break the curse, he too becomes stupid. But he has fallen in love with a girl so stupid, she has only recently learned how to sit down.
~ Courtesy Concord Theatricals
Production Staff
Director - Ryan Dever
Producer - Brian A. Palmer
Board Representative - Randi Honkonen
Assistant Director - Kate France
Stage Manager - Arizona Hamm
Lighting Designer - West Gorenz
Sound Designer - Shannon Daly
Properties Designer - John V. Quigley
Costume Designer - Amy Groseclose
Cast
Leon Tolchinsky - Dallas Ray-Macke
Sophia Zubritsky - Kallen Alsdorf
Dr. Nikolai Zubritsky - Richard P. Wilson
Lenya Zubritsky - Kim Akins
Count Gregor Yousekevitch - Brian A. Palmer
Snetsky - Sonny Panzica
Yenchna - Caroline Rose Thoma
Mishkin - Kate France
Slovitch - Dylan Sedam
Magistrate - Phil Gasper
Thank You
Aethereal Jest Arts Council would like to extend a special "Thank You" to the following groups and individuals:
Greater Columbus Arts Council
Eric Myers
Jordan Sauer
Andy Batt
Company
Kim Akins
Lenya Zubritsky
Kim is a longtime veteran of community theater in Northeast Ohio. She is honored to be a part of this cast and is grateful to the Aethereal Jest Arts Council staff for this opportunity.
Kallen Alsdorf
Sophia Zubritsky
Kallen is happy to return to Aethereal Jest for this zany comedy. Like Sophia Zubritsky, she enjoys drinking water, reading next to the drapes, and taking singing lessons (although her instructor looks different from Sophia’s). Kallen is a member of eMBer Women’s Theatre, whose mission is to bring women’s stories to the stage. She is also a cast member for Murder and Merriment and performs in improvised mysteries all throughout Ohio and the greater Midwest region. Past Aethereal credits include Anne Shirley from “Anne of Green Gables” and Towns’ Guy from “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood.” Thank U and 3njoy thee shoe!
Shannon Daly
Sound Designer
Shannon (she/her) is thrilled to return to Aethereal Jest after sound designing “The Reluctant Dragon” earlier this year. She has also been a part of shows onstage and backstage with Imagine Productions, Gallery Players, CPAC Players, King Avenue Players, Worthington Community Theatre, and The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio. Favorite credits include Adult Woman in “Spring Awakening”, Stage Manager for “Ride the Cyclone”, Sound Designer for “Big Fish”, and Rehearsal Stage Manager for “Good Grief”. When she is not onstage or backstage, she runs a weekly newsletter featuring local shows and audition opportunities at cbustheatrenews.substack.com.
Ryan Dever
Director
Coming Soon!
Kate France
Assistant Director, Mishkin
Kate is both Mishkin and the Assistant Director for this production. Most recently, she played a few roles in the Young Writers Festival at MadLab and some of her other recent roles include: Ida in “The Villain Wore a Dirty Shirt” [Weathervane Playhouse], Dragon in “The Reluctant Dragon,” Sharon Kettering in “Holier Than Thou,” Rachel Lynde in “Anne of Green Gables” [Aethereal Jest Arts Council], and DJ in “Normies” [MadLab Theatre]. She would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their enduring support and willingness to watch her be silly on stage.
Phil Gasper
Magistrate, Sheep, Cow
Phil will be portraying the role of Magistrate in tonight’s performance. This is the first production that he has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include Theatre Reset’s Play Festivals 5 and 6, and “The Geographical History of America” at New York City's Red Room Theater. Phil would like to thank his wife, their cat, and The Brehs.
West Gorenz
Lighting Designer
Coming Soon!
Amy Groseclose
Costume Designer
Coming Soon!
Arizona Hamm
Stage Manager
Arizona served as the stage manager for this production. This is the third production that she has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. She has a diverse background in theatre, with experience in acting, technical design, and stage management. One of her favorite productions was "The Importance of Being Earnest" [Shelly Riggs Director] in which she portrayed Lady Bracknell and designed the lighting! More recently, she was the stage manager for "The Rich and the Destitute" [Mark Tomsic Writer/Director]. In addition to her theatre work, Arizona is a poet and spoken word artist, having performed her pieces at various events, most notably at the Lancaster Festival Art Walk.
Randi Honkonen
Board Representative
Coming Soon!
Brian A. Palmer
Producer, Count Gregor Yousekevitch
Brian will be portraying the role of Count Gregor Yousekevitch in tonight’s performance. This is the first production that he has performed with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include Michael in “The Boys in the Band” [Performing Arts Creative Ensemble], Roland Maul in “Present Laughter” [Curtain Players], and Prince Dauntless in “Once Upon a Mattress” [Little Theatre Off Broadway]. Brian would like to thank Anthony, Jordan, and Shana.
Sonny Panzica
Snetsky
Sonny is excited for the premier of his first ever show with Aethereal Jest! He's been performing in the Columbus community theater scene since 2017 with other companies like Cyclodrama, the Room Upstairs Theater, and PACE. He didn't get the chance to perform in his high school's production of "Fools", so this feels like a full circle moment for him. We hope you have a great time!
John V. Quigley
Properties Designer
John has been props mastering in Columbus since 2021. His past credits include New Herring Theatre's production of “These Shining Lives” (2021) and “Anton In Show Business” (2023), “Good People” (2024), and “Bothered and Bewildered” (2025) with The Tipping Point Theatre Co.
Dallas Ray-Macke
Leon Tolchinsky
Coming Soon!
Dylan Sedam
Slovitch
Dylan will be portraying the role of Slovitch the Butcher in tonight’s performance. This is the third production that he has done with Aethereal Jest Arts Council. Past credits include Ensemble in “Little Shop of Horrors” [Little Theatre off Broadway], Guard/Juror 4 Understudy in “Twelve Angry Jurors” [Aethereal Jest Arts Council], and Henry David Thoreau in “Little Women of Orchard House” [Aethereal Jest Arts Council] and will be doing Props for On Golden Pond in early 2026 [Little Theatre off Broadway]. Dylan would like to thank his fiancée Drew for always being his biggest supporter.
Caroline Rose Thoma
Yenchna
Caroline is a Southern Illinois native and has fallen in love with the Columbus theatre scene. She has worked with OG Productions, Theatre Reset, XX Sketch, and LTOB. She was last seen as Michael in Aethereal Jest's "An Act of God." She would like to thank her parents, Mary Jo and Skates, for their constant support, from two states away. And of course, she wants to thank her cat, Kodak, who is her muse.
Richard P. Wilson
Dr. Nikolai Zubritsky
This is Richard’s first time performing with Aethereal Jest and he is having wonderful fun with his role as the village doctor. Richard has been acting since high school, playing roles both comic and serious. Recently he played Selig in “Gem of the Ocean” with Trinity Theatre, Borachio in “Much Ado About Nothing” with Pickerington Players, and Grandpa in “You Can't Take it With You” with GCP Players. Richard’s other loves are his wife, Anne Grove, and the Bahá'í Faith, which teaches the importance of education and the arts
Board of Directors
Brian A. Palmer, President
Shana French, Vice President
Anthony Reitzel, Treasurer
Tina Palmer, Secretary
Randi Honkonen, Director at Large
Chris Makar, Trustee