Cast
Matthew
Instruments Played: Piano, Harp, Hand drums and percussion.
Performance Arts: Modern Dance, T'ai Chi, Chi Gong, Kung Fu, Stage combat (Rapier/Dagger, Broadsword), Acting/Improv, Stage magick (Bizarre Magic), Juggling, Poi, Storyteller, make-up.
Craft Skills: Composer / Arranger / Transcriber. Director, Conductor, teacher. Sewing, Set design, prop design/construction. Cooking.
Languages Spoken: French, German, Gaelige.
Mysterium: Ritual leader, Ecstatic techniques, Healing arts, Divination (Ogham, Tarot, Runes, Palmistry), and other lofty hidden arts and philosophies.
Interested in Learning: Swing dancing, Chocolate making.
Professional Credits: Assistant Conductor/Vocal Coach of Chicago Gay Men's Chorus. Freelance music director. Private voice studio since 1995. Played harpsichord with Chicago Sinfonietta. Has sung and acted in many productions around Chicago. His favorite role in Chicago was John Adams in 1776.
Myth and Fact: Matthew often dresses like a swashbuckler and is mistaken for an actual pirate. He is, in fact, a law abiding citizen with a penchant for retro clothes; VERY retro clothes.
Petrucia
Instruments Played: some percussion.
Performance Arts: acting, physical theatre, modern dance, samba and belly dancing, stilts, lyra, cloud swing.
Craft Skills: writing, sewing, knitting, prop construction, cooking, chocolate making.
Languages Spoken: Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
Mysterium: astrology, tarot, aromatherapy, healing arts, South American shamanism.
Interested in Learning: jumping stilts, pandeiro, cuica, didgeridoo, geomancy, more discipline and focus.
Professional Credits: her favorite credits include the role of Marguerite Gautier in Camino Real, two comedic erotic readings of Polly Frost’s book “Sex Scenes”, her physical theatre experiences with The Moving Dock, and the quantum physics professor she played in the feature Mass Romantic. Before moving to Chicago, she was a television host and reporter in her native country, Brazil.
Myth: As opposed to her brother, she is studious, has fabulous grades, and will definitely choose a career in intellectual academic achievement.
Fact: Her brother is the one with the doctorate degree.
Keith
Instruments Played: percussion, in particular drums and tamborine.
Performance Arts: acting, singing, writing lyrics, folk dancing, axe throwing, shotgun art.
Craft Skills: teaching, sewing, embroidery, wood chopping.
Languages Spoken: English, German, Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
Mysterium: divination (runes and ogham), rune magic (galdr), seidhcraft (Northern European Shamanism).
Interested in Learning: contact juggling, hammered dulcimer, fiddle, Old Norse, interpretive dance, tuba.
Professional Credits: PhD in history; adjunct professor of history, world religions, and mythology at several Chicago colleges and universities; librettist for The Eglantine, a one-act opera performed in New York in summer and autumn of 2005; actor in several Dale Guzmann productions in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early 90s -- favorite role: Pish-Tush in The Mikado.
Myth: Because of his strong fascination with Nordic Neopaganism and Shamanism, Keith fancies himself to be a modern-day Viking.
Fact: He has a penchant for wearing Renaissance garb (including tights) and makes a mean creme broulee.
Shannah
Instruments Played: bongo/djembe; piano/keyboards, various and sundry percussion (including things like spoons...).
Performance Arts: Voice; songwriting; music for film; lyricist; improv acting.
Craft Skills: Drawing (pencil/charcoal); commercial art letterforms and typography; macrame.
Languages Spoken: Tree; HeartSpeak; some Polish swear words.
Mysterium: Intuit/empath; sigil creation; divination (tarot, numerology, astrology, nature omens/portents of all kinds).
Interested in Learning: Harp; swimming; more Polish; addtional grace and tact.
Professional Credits: B.A. Marketing Communications (public relations/advertising); PR writer/consultant for the Portage Film Forum and The Silent Film Society of Chicago; freelance copywriter/editor. Worked in a non-profit public relations capcity for various arts, culture and education venues including: The Field Museum; Northwestern University and The Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
Myth: Shannah has at least one tattoo.
Fact: She was born a left-handed vegetarian.
Shivian
Instruments Played: Drums, Percussion, Triangle.
Performance Arts: Acting / Improv, Poi, Fire Whip, Storyteller.
Craft Skills: website & graphic design / development, set design / construction, stage makeup, photography, myth manifestation.
Languages Spoken: English, HTML
Mysterium: Modern Mythos, Divination (Tarot, Scrying, Runes), Astrology, Ritual Facilitation, and other mysterious crafts and techniques.
Interested in Learning: Sword dancing, Viola, Contact Juggling.
Professional Credits: Shivian is the creator of the popular neopagan comic Oh My Gods! - which is now in it's 6th year, with over 1,000 strips in it's archives, and books being produced bi-yearly. He has also written numerous several rituals which were held at large festivals and gatherings; created and held workshops on varities of topics and esoterica; and has worked as a designer with non-profit organizations as well as Mercedes Benz, Hyatt, 20th Century Fox, et al.
Myth: Shivian once worked directly for J. Edgar Hoover and Nancy Regan and was known as the "Dust Buster."
Fact: He can, often, find his way out of a paper bag.
Ruby Sara
Instruments Played: Recorder, Voice.
Performance Arts: Singing, Acting, Spoken Word.
Craft Skills: Spinning, Calligraphy, Herbalism.
Languages Spoken: English, Poetic English, Southern US English, Some Spanish, Honeybee.
Mysterium: Tarot, Southern Conjure/Hoodoo, Dreaming, Ecstatic Poetry, Liturgical Arts, Ritual Composition/Leadership.
Interested in Learning: Hoop dancing, Irish tin whistle, Blues harmonica, Juggling, Sleight-of-hand, Renaissance Hermeticism.
Professional Credits: Ruby Sara is a poet and essayist, a sometimes theologian, an always mystic, and a devotee of Dionysos, though not necessarily in that order. She has spent many years in various poetry communities, has participated in a number of open mic venues and poetry festivals, and competed at the National Poetry Slam in 2001. A free-lance book reviewer, Ruby Sara is also the author of the blog Pagan Godspell. Some of her most recent work can be found in the anthology Devoted, published by Scarlet Imprint. Ms. Sara holds a Masters degree in Theological Studies, and has academic interests in poetry, ecospirituality, eucharistic theology, and comparative mysticism.
Myth: Ruby Sara is Grand High Priestess of the terrible god Rotundus, Fearsome Parakeet of Doom, Lord of Cuttlefish, Devourer of Seedsnacks.
Fact: Ruby Sara thinks parakeets are intrinsically funny.
Mark
Instruments Played: Cello, Double Bass, Percussion.
Performance Arts: Acting / Improv, Musicals, Dance.
Craft Skills: Technical Direction, Welding.
Languages Spoken: English, American Sign Language, Frog.
Mysterium: Exploring the Earths Mysteries, finding a path through light and darkness.
Interested in Learning: Contact Juggling, Poi, Cooking.
Professional Credits: Arizoni Award (guest actor in a childrens musical), Disneyland Resort- Technical Services Focusing on Fantasmic and Small World Holiday, Resident Sound Board Operator (2 years) for Southwest Shakespear Company, Among his most memorable roles are Jesus (Godspell), Brom Bones (Legend of Sleepy Hollow) and Dauntless (Once Upon A Mattress).
Myth: Mark soes not have a Dragon living in his bedroom.
Fact: Mark is a desert baby.
Some cast photos by Shivian Balaris.