Theatrical r�sum�



John Clayton Sherwood
Born July 25, 1950
5' 9 1/2" feet tall / Brown hair / Hazel eyes
West Grove, PA 19348
(610) 345-0936 (H) or (800) 323-7766 (W)
Contact by e-mail



John is an editor for the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal and is former opinion page editor for the Battle Creek Enquirer in Battle Creek,Michigan. and artistic director emeritus for the production company of The Victorian Villa Inn, a travelers' destination in Union City, Michigan. He also supervises the work of MysteryVisits.com, a performance group offering entertainment for all ages and environments.

THEATER EXPERIENCE
(L=lead role; M=major role; S=singing; W=script writer; D=director)


SHERLOCK HOLMES (L,W,D) -- More hours in this role than any other living actor. Portrayed Holmes at 221B Baker Street, London, UK, in August 1999. Original short plays "A Morning on Baker Street" and "The Final Toast," original mystery dinner "The Horrid Family," and original mystery-weekend formats "The Nameless Corpse," "The Crying Woman," "The Insidious Assault," "The Hateful Brothers," "The Two-Fold Enigma," "The Disruptive Villager," "The Unknown Voice, "The Vile Descendant," "The Curse of the Borgias," "The Duplicitous Agent" and "The Maniac Murders" -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (six to twelve times yearly,12-86 to 3-99; events now on hiatus.)

ELWOOD P. DOWD (L) -- "Harvey" by Mary Chase -- Marshall Civic Players, Marshall, MI (4-99 and 5-99)

RABBI WEISS, RIVAL MAGICIAN (L,W,D) -- "The Mysteries of Houdini" -- Original two-act play based on the life and magic of Harry Houdini -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (8-95 and 9-96); also SMV Summer Theatre, Marshall (8-98)

ELYOT CHASE (L,D) -- "Private Lives," by Noel Coward -- Mystery Visits, Marshall Civic Center (6-6-98)

PIRATE (S) -- "The Pirates of Penzance" -- Marshall Civic Players, Marshall (3-98)

MOUSEBENDER (L) -- "The Marshall Cheese Shop" skit -- Marshall Music Boosters Follies, Marshall (1-98)

HORATIO XERXES THORNYCROFT (L,W,D) -- "They Know Your Thoughts!" -- Original two-act re-creation of Victorian-era thought-readers, Union City (8 to 9-97)

"A" (L,D) -- "Village Wooing" by Bernard Shaw -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (7-97 to 8-97; and 6-95 to 7-95)

THE STORYTELLER (L,D) -- "A Scandal in Bohemia" -- Original one-man presentation of the famous story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (5-97 to 6-97; also 5-98 and 6-98)

ELYOT CHASE (L,D) -- "Private Lives," by Noel Coward -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (8-96 to 9-96)

BERNARD SHAW (L,D) -- "Dear Liar" by Jerome Kilty -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (7-96 to 8-96)

SHAKESPEAREAN READER (M) -- Verse reader for performances in Albion and Battle Creek, Mich., for choral work by Sir David Willcocks, "The Glories of Shakespeare," conducted by the composer, performed by the Battle Creek Boychoir and combined Battle Creek Community Chorus, Battle Creek Orchestra and Albion College Choir (2-96)

BERTIE WOOSTER (L,W,D) -- "Jeeves and the Nasty Business" -- original two-act play based on the stories of P.G. Wodehouse -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (7-95 and 8-95)

JEROME K. JEROME (L,W,D) -- "Idle Thoughts," original two-act monologue based on the writings of Jerome -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (5-95 and 6-95)

CHARLES DICKENS (L,W,D) -- Original abridgement/adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" read in six installments during Christmas banquet -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (Decembers 1992-97)

C.W. POST (L,W,D) -- Original one-man show "There's a Reason," for 100th anniversary of founding of Post Division of Kraft General Foods. Contracted by Heritage Battle Creek and Historical Society of Greater Battle Creek. Performed in Post's original office (9-94)

PETRUCHIO (L) -- Sequence from Wm. Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" -- Aquila Productions, Marshall and Union City (12-93 and 6-94 through 2-97)

MYSTERY GUIDE (W,D) -- Original mystery-dinner format, "The Missing List" -- performed for Turtle Lake Resort, Union City (6-94)

TOM FAIRCHILD -- "Sabrina Fair" -- BCCT, Battle Creek (5-94)

BERTIE WOOSTER (L,W,D) -- Adaptation, "Jeeves and the Yule-Tide Spirit," from P.G. Wodehouse -- Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (yearly 12-85 to present)

REG (M) -- "Living Together," by Alan Ayckbourn -- Battle Creek Civic Theatre (1-94)

IVAN VASILYITCH (L) -- "The Marriage Proposal," by Anton Chekov -- Battle Creek Civic Theatre One-Act Play Festival, Battle Creek (7-93)

MOON (L) -- "The Real Inspector Hound," by Tom Stoppard -- MCP (5-90)

CARL-MAGNUS (M,S) -- "A Little Night Music" (Sondheim) -- MCP (3-90)

SHERLOCK HOLMES (L,W,D) -- Original play "The Adventure of Napoleon's Child" -- Aquila Productions, Marshall (88 and 89)

BRIAN (M) -- "The Shadow Box" -- Independent/Marshall (86)

GATCH, BOOK VOICE -- "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" -- MCP (11-85)

LAWYER -- "Deathtrap," by Ira Levin -- MCP (10-85)

DR. GIBBS (M) -- "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder -- MCP (84)

BILL RAY SR. -- "On Golden Pond" -- MCP (2-84)

REGINALD FITZAMBEY (L,D) -- "The Music Cure," by Bernard Shaw -- MCP/self (2-83)

ROSENCRANTZ (L) -- "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," by Tom Stoppard -- MCP (2-82)

PAUL FRIEDMAN (L) -- "6 RMS RIV VU" -- MCP (80)

BILLY CROCKER (L,S) -- "Anything Goes" -- MCP (80)

BILL/LUCENTIO (M,S) -- "Kiss Me, Kate" -- MCP (3-79)

ALBERT AMUNDSON (M) -- "A Thousand Clowns" -- MCP (10-78)

DR. BRADMAN -- "Blithe Spirit," by Noel Coward -- Kellogg Community College (7-78)

FOURTH MAN (M) -- "A Thurber Carnival," adapted from James Thurber's stories -- MCP (5-78)

RICHARD MERRICK -- "The Impossible Years" -- MCP (2-78)

JERRY COHAN (M,S) -- "George M!" -- MCP (10-77)

DR. DREYFUSS (M,S) -- "Promises, Promises" -- MCP (10-76)

DR. FINSDALE (M)-- "Li'l Abner" -- MCP (10-75)

BROPHY, GIBBS -- "Arsenic and Old Lace" -- MCP (3-75)

BRINDSLEY (L) -- "Black Comedy," by Peter Shaffer -- MCP (2-75)

HERO (M,S) -- "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (Sondheim) -- MCP (11-74)

FINCH (L,S) -- "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" -- Marshall Civic Players (hereafter MCP) -- (4-73)

HARRY McAFEE (M,S) -- "Bye Bye Birdie" -- Albion High Summer Players (8-72)

TIGER BROWN (M,S) -- "The Threepenny Opera," by Brecht and Weil -- Albion College (4-72)

OL' TIME PRESIDENT, FORSYTH -- "Indians," by Arthur Kopit -- Albion College (3-72)

DOCTOR A (L,W,D) -- "Mentalities" -- Original short play written for Albion College Experiments in Relevance, Black Theatre Seminar (12-71)

THE DUKE (M) -- "Huckleberry Finn," based on Mark Twain's novel -- Albion College and tour (2-71)

EZEKIEL CHEEVER -- "The Crucible," by Arthur Miller-- Albion College (12-70)

VERNON VITAL -- "Rules," by Richard Shoberg -- The Loft, Albion College (5-70)

POPPINJAY, DOCTOR, APPLEBY, BLACK, DOBBS -- "Catch-22," adapted by Sam Grossman from Joseph Heller's novel -- (First authorized staging) - Albion College (5-70)

PEASANT, TRIBESMAN -- "Narrow Road to the Deep North," by Edward Bond -- Albion College (3-70)

CURTIS -- "The Taming of the Shrew," by Wm. Shakespeare -- Albion College (3-69)

BOTTOM (M) -- "A Midsummer Night's Dream," by Wm. Shakespeare, Marshall High School (3-68)

Clockwise from top right: "Black Comedy"; "Jeeves and the Nasty Business"; The Victorian Villa's Sherlock Holmes; "The Real Inspector Hound." AT PAGE TOP: "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Harvey."

PLAY DIRECTION/WRITING

"THE MYSTERIES OF HOUDINI" (L,W,D) -- Original two-act play based on the life and magic of Harry Houdini -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City, MI (8-95 and 9-96), SMV Summer Theatre (8-98 and 9-98)
"THEY KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!" (L,W,D) -- Original two-act play based on the methods and performances of Victorian-era "thought-readers." -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City, MI (8 to 9-97)
"JEEVES AND THE NASTY BUSINESS" (L,W,D) -- Original two-act play based on the stories of P.G. Wodehouse -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City, MI (7-95, 8-95, 7-96)
"IDLE THOUGHTS" (L,W,D) -- Original two-act monologue based on the writings of Jerome K. Jerome -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City, MI (5-95 and 6-95)
"SIX WORDS" (W) -- Short one-act based on the story by Lew Gillis -- Actors and Playwrights Initiative (API), Kalamazoo, MI , cash award as best one-act play (7-95)
"THERE'S A REASON" -- Original one-act monologue based on the life of C.W. Post, written for 100th anniversary of founding of Post Division of Kraft General Foods. Contracted by Heritage Battle Creek and Historical Society of Greater Battle Creek. Performed in Post's original office (9-94)
Original plays "A MORNING ON BAKER STREET" and "THE FINAL TOAST," original mystery dinner "THE HORRID FAMILY," and original mystery-weekend formats "THE NAMELESS CORPSE," "THE CRYING WOMAN," "THE INSIDIOUS ASSAULT," "THE HATEFUL BROTHERS," "THE TWO-FOLD ENIGMA," "THE DISRUPTIVE VILLAGER," "THE UNKNOWN VOICE," "THE VILE DESCENDANT," "THE BORGIA CURSE," "THE DUPLICITOUS AGENT" and "THE MANIAC MURDERS" -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (six to twelve times yearly, 6-87 to present; contracted through mid-1999.)
"BRIBES" (W,D) -- Original script, API, Readers' Theatre, Kalamazoo (92); Battle Creek Civic Theatre One-Act Play Festival, Battle Creek, MI (7-93)
"STILL SAFE" (W) -- Original script, API, Kalamazoo, Festival of Short Plays (92)
"IN THE NAME OF THE BEE" (W) -- Original one-act monologue based on the works of Emily Dickinson -- The Victorian Villa Inn, Union City (8-92); Dawn Treader Bookshop (9-92)
"SHERLOCK HOLMES'S OTHER WOMAN" (W) -- Original script, API, Kalamazoo, Readers' Theatre (91)
"THE ART OF COARSE ACTING" (W,D)-- Original script, MCP banquet (80)
"A BICENTENNIAL REVUE" (W only) -- Original script, MCP (76)
"THE GUTTERSNIPES (A Musical Revue)" (W) -- Original script, Albion College Earthstage contest; third place (73). Cash award and published in Earthstage by Albion College's theater department.
"DAY EIGHT" (W,D) -- Original script, Albion College play-direction final-exam production (4-72)
"SHE FAINTED AGAIN" (D only) -- Washington Gardner Junior High School production, Albion (71)


VIDEO, FILM and AUDIO performances, direction and writing
SHERLOCK HOLMES (S) -- Mystery sequence for "Country Inn Cooking," Maryland Public Television, at Victorian Villa Inn, Union City, MI (95)
"Kentucky and the Underground Railroad," consultant and on-camera interview regarding the "Crosswhite Incident," Kentucky Educational Television, Marshall, MI (99)
MANAGER TRAINEE (L) -- "Good Management," management-training film, Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI (82)
"W.K. Kellogg Foundation 50th Anniversary Celebration" (W), audiovisual presentation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (78)
"LOSS" (W,D), short film for play direction program, Albion College, Albion, MI (71)
"A TYPICAL DAY AT THE MEN'S GERMAN HOUSE" (W,D), 15-minute film for German language program, Albion College, Albion, MI (70)
PYRAMUS (L) -- "Pyramus and Thisbe" sequence from Wm. Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Albion College, Albion, MI (69)
"TOBOR" (W), short film for Basic Ideas program, Albion College, Albion, MI (68)
"Feminine Fancies," live performance of magic act, WKZO-TV, Kalamazoo, MI (65)
ALSO: Numerous performances as magician on various stages and in various venues throughout Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Branch, Jackson, Hillsdale and Barry counties in southern lower Michigan, including local radio and television interviews and demonstrations.

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PROFESSIONAL RESUME

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