Dan Ruiz Salvatura (Arles Struvie, et. al.) is excited to return to Thibodaux Playhouse playing ten wonderful roles all wrapped up into one play with a fantastic co-actor, director, and assistant director. Playhouse audiences may remember him from Sanders Family Christmas last summer, where he played Pastor Mervin Oglethorpe, a role which earned him People’s Choice Award and Best Supporting Actor. Locally, he has also recently played Father Flynn in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt at Houma Little Theatre, for which he also received the People’s Choice and Esther Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Visitors to the area’s newest theatre, Bayou Playhouse in Lockport, may also recognize Dan as Henri, the visiting French Cousin, from Anne Galjour’s Okra, directed by Perry Martin. A graduate of LSU with a BA in Theatre and an MFA in Directing from the University of Portland, Dan is currently a Talented Theatre teacher at Hahnville High School in St. Charles Parish. He would like to thank Paul and his late mother, Tura, for giving him the world.
Chris Buckel (Thurston Wheelis, et.al) Chris has been doing theatre in South Louisiana for nearly 20 year now, recently taking a hiatus to focus on his career and family. He has performed at several colleges in the area including Nicholls State University, Delgado Community College and Southeastern Louisiana University where he starred in Greater Tuna for the first time in 1995. He has also done community theatre in New Orleans at Le Petit and the old Bayou Community Theatre and is no stranger to the Thibodaux Playhouse where he was involved from 1997 to 2002. Some of his acting works include: How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Fiddler on the Roof, Second Time Around, Don’t Drink the Water, Lone Star, Murder at the Howard Johnsons and Cinderella’s Christmas Wish. He has also directed many plays including Barefoot in the Park, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Private Wars, Don’t Drink the Water and The Odd Couple (female version). He is reviving his role as Thurston, Aunt Pearl, Bertha, Rev. Spikes… which he performed over 15 years ago and says he has always wanted to do the role again one day.
Chris, originally from Metairie, resides in Thibodaux and has been married to Felicity Reulet of Chackbay for 6 years. The couple has two beautiful girls: Krisalyn (3 ½) and Keira Grace (2). They are expecting a third addition to the Buckel family in March. Chris is a graduate from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond with a B.A. in Communications and Theatre. He also has a M.Ed. from Nicholls State and a Ministerial Studies degree from Global University/Berean School of the Bible where he received his Ordination. He is currently director and campus pastor for an interdenominational ministry called Chi Alpha Campus Ministry at Nicholls State University. Chris thanks God for the ability to serve Him and utilize his gifts in this community. He hopes to continue to do theatre in some capacity in the area and has a long time goal to write a screen play based off a South Louisiana documentary that he and a friend compiled in 2000. Some other goals include writing a stage play and performing the Tuna sequels.
Sheela Plater (Director) - Sheela has served many years on the Board of the Thibodaux Playhouse and loves the challenge of being a director. Some of her endeavors have been Enchanted April, Rumors, Spitfire Grill, Nunsence, Arsenic and Old Lace, and many Children Theater productions. Sheela feels that this particular play has been a fine example of community theater at its best. There have been so many great volunteers who spent a lot of time and effort putting this show together, and their talents are too numerous to mention. She thinks everyone in the cast and crew had fun, and knows that they can all be proud of this production of Greater Tuna.
Randy Mayeux (Co-Director) – Randy is ecstatic about the showing of Greater Tuna, being that this is his first attempt at directing. The time management and stress levels are keeping him awake at night, but he would not give it up for the world. Randy would like to first and foremost thank Mrs. Sheela Plater for giving him the opportunity to work beside her for this show. Secondly, he would like to thank his cast and crew for all the fantastic work they are and will do during the run of the show.
