Cast & Crew

Carl Brandt Long (Santa Claus) was last seen as Billy in Grain of Sand’s Raising Cane, for which he also directed the fights. Carl is proud to have directed Grain of Sand's first production, Hamlet: Reframed. Other acting credits include Three Sisters (Constellation Theatre), The Mistorical Hystery of Henry (I)V (WSC Avant Bard), Romeo and Juliet (Richmond Shakespeare Festival), Secrets and Hypothermia (Madcap Players), and Macbeth (Push/Pull Theatre). www.carlbrandtlong.com.

Kyle McGruther (Tooth Fairy) has been mistaken for someone of Mediterranean descent surprisingly often; he blames/thanks his aggressive stubble, luxuriant bed of chest-hair and oft-saturnine aspect (see: stubble). At last, this genetic trick will work to his advantage rather than bewilderment. Having previously portrayed Laertes in their Shakespeare in the Pub: GraHamlet, Kyle is excited for his first full production with Grain of Sand, alongside people he respects and trusts enough to be appear with while wearing little wings and … little else (see: chest-hair). Relevant credits include Richard²: Medieval Storyland & Ballad of the Red Knight (Red Knight Productions), Richard: Living Out (GALA Hispanic Theatre) and Dirk (close enough) The Curious Case of Veronica Pepperpot (HopeOperas2014). www.kylemcgruther.com

Amal Saade (Rita) is thrilled to return to Grain of Sand after appearing as Charlie in Tell Tale for Summer and Fall Fringe '13. Other acting credits include work with Theater J, Gala Hispanic Theatre, Olney Theatre, Source Theatre Festival, Young Playwrights' Theater, and Taffety Punk Theater Company. She also played Dancer in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues and would like to confirm that Vixen is NOT in a ballyhooed slut. Amal is a graduate of The Theatre Lab School's Honors Acting Conservatory and an acting company member with Synergy Playback. Many thanks to Sara and Santa Claus for this opportunity!

John Stange (Rudolph) pretty much just performs in bars these days, most recently in two (!) runs of LiveArtDC's smash hit R+J: Star Cross'd Death Match, and in Annapolis Shakespeare Company's The Imaginary Invalid; he also has a filthy habit of organizing playreadings in pubs. You might have seen him on a normal stage as Babbybobby in 1st Stage Theater's production of The Cripple of Inishmaan, or heard him on WAMU 88.5 as part of Lean & Hungry Theater's live broadcasts of The Scarlet Letter and Julius Caesar. John has previously performed in Grain of Sand's award-winning Fringe productions Hamlet: Reframed (Claudius) and Tell-Tale (Parker), as well as the pitchfork-and-frying-pan legend that was Raising Cane (Saul). John is a company member at Grain of Sand and at Lean & Hungry Theater, and a loyal graduate of the The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts' Honors Conservatory, 2009. johnstange.net

Charlie Taphanel (Beo W. Elf the Musician) is excited to be working with so many familiar faces in his second major theater production, and has enjoyed getting elfed up and learning so many Christmas tunes. Previously, he played the Soundpost in Liveart DC's two run production of R+J: Starcross'd Deathmatch, and is currently playing shows around the DMV area and preparing to record his debut EP.

Heather Whitpan (Marjorie Claus) has been working in the DC theater scene for about 10 years. Heather is the co-founder of a company, LiveArtDC, which focuses on a collaborative playwriting process. Heather wrote and starred in LiveArtDC's first play I <3 Hummels which opened to stellar reviews in the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival. Recent projects include playing Felicity in American Ensemble Theater's Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them, costuming Molotov Theatre Group's Julius Caesar, an Adaptation, and lead writing and producing for Frozen Penguin Production's webseries Confab. Heather is thrilled to be working with Grain of Sand Theatre and thanks Dennis and Jon for their never-ending love and support..

Sara Bickler (Director) is the Managing Director of Grain of Sand. Recent directing credits include a staged reading of Thomas Jefferson and George Mason Draft the Declaration of Independence for Grain of Sand and assistant directing the Theatre Lab's production of Rags. She has appeared onstage with Grain of Sand as the Queen in Raising Cane at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival and as Gertrude in Hamlet: Reframed at the 2011 Capital Fringe Festival. Sara is a 2009 graduate of The Theatre Lab's Honors Conservatory.

Matt Hanf (Playwright) is a nationally and internationally produced playwright from Elk Grove, CA, a small suburb of Walmart. He is thrilled and honored to be working with the wonderful artists at Grain of Sand Theatre. He would like to thank his wife for all of his best lines, his kids for never letting him forget that his main purpose in life is to be a baseball backstop and Barbie babysitter for his kids.

Clem Trott (Fun-Size Stage Manager) is really looking forward to working with Grain of Sand on this hysterical production. Recently graduated from Shenandoah University's stage management program, Clem was last seen stage managing Pallas Theatre Collective's The Taming of the Shrew and LiveArtDC's R+J: Star Cross'd Death Match remount (ASM for Fringe run). Next year, she looks forward to being the resident stage manager for Pallas's 2015 season. (And, she's super excited she gets to wear an elf costume.)