Lyle the Crocodile

Croc on the Block in Bay Area Children’s Theatre Production

The Primms are terrified to find a crocodile in their bathtub in a production of LYLE THE CROCODILE, presented by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre (BACT), playing weekends, October 7 - 28, at the Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley.  

In this fun-filled, action-packed stage adaptation of the popular children’s stories by Bernard Waber, Lyle, played by physical comedian, magician, and acrobat Calvin Kai Ku, soon charms Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their son Joshua with his winning ways.  But not all the neighbors appreciate the newest member of the Primm family, especially not cranky Mr. Grumps, who is determined to pack Lyle off to the zoo!

Adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling, with music by Michael Koerner, LYLE THE CROCODILE is directed by Felicity Hesed, who returns to BACT after directing Emil of Lonneberga and performing as the Ringmaster in Circus Adventure.  Hesed has gathered a talented cast of young artists who add a new dimension to Lyle’s adventures with juggling, acrobatics, and other circus skills. (See artists, below.)

LYLE THE CROCODILE plays Saturdays and Sundays, October 7 – 28, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The show is recommended for ages 4 and up.

Artists

Director Felicity Hesed is assisted by  William Campbell(lighting designer), Maria Castro (stage manager),Kendell Evans (choreographer), Felicia Lilienthal(costume designer), Julia Norton (music director), Serina Serjama (set designer), Sandy Small (sound designer), and Daniel Yelen (props designer).

Cast members:

Jessica Chisum (Mrs. Primm) is a BFA graduate of the Cornish College Acting Conservatory in Seattle, WA. She has appeared in numerous productions in Seattle, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area; her favorite roles include Chloe in Arcadia at Theatreworks, Rose in Dancing at Lughnasa at Big Idea Theatre, and Geraldine in What The Butler Saw at The Empty Space. Chisum makes her East Bay debut in Lyle the Crocodile. Chisum is also a published playwright and founder of ZOOTOH Dance Collective. 

Calvin Kai Ku (Lyle the Crocodile), physical comedian, magician, and acrobat, was last seen at BACT in Circus Adventure. He has performed at the prestigious WuQiao Festival of Circus in China; corporate events in the U.S., including eBay, Swissnex and Bread and Roses; the San Francisco Symphony; and the Circus Center in San Francisco. His new passion is spreading laughter through his work in San Francisco hospitals with the Medical Clown Project.

Paul Loper (Mr. Grumps) makes his BACT debut with Lyle the Crocodile. Locally he has performed at Berkeley Playhouse, NOHspace, the Garage, Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 848 Community Space, the James Howell studio, Venue 9, the Bayfront Theatre, several conventions, with the Quixotic Players, and in flash mobs, site-specific work, and installation art. Elsewhere, this spring he was the lead in The Glimmer, an original one-act play, in New York.  In the 1980s and 1990s Paul danced and choreographed professionally throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, Scandinavia, and Israel. 

Anthony Pinggera (Statue, Fireman, Croc), a 2011 graduate of Vassar College, can be found in various circus shows around San Francisco. Most recently, he performed at the Picklewater Free Circus Festival as part of the Fontina and Gruyere Show. He also volunteers as a therapeutic clown at the University of California, San Francisco, as part of ClownZero. This is his first BACT production.

Paul Plain (Hector P. Valenti) has had an extensive career in Bay Area theatre, working in education and with young people. His most recent roles include Aida (Zoser) with Stage One Theatre in Newark , Hairspray (Male Authority Figure) with Broadway by the Bay, The Rocky Horror Show(Dr. Scott, Eddie) with Altarena Playhouse, and national tours of Grease, Camelot, and West Side Story.

Anna Smith (Ms. Nitpicker) previously appeared with BACT as Ms. Pinkerton in Pinkalicious, and will be reprising this role in the special holiday performances.  A local teaching artist and actor, Smith has been seen onstage with Ray of Light Theatre, Shotgun Players (Beardo), Town Hall Theatre (Scrooge!), and Woman's WIll (Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream), among others. Smith’s teaches in the theater programs at the California Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, and Town Hall Theatre, and in a budding drama program with Collins Elementary in her hometown of Pinole.

Audrey Spinazola (Joshua) came to the Bay Area from Boise, Idaho, to follow her dream of becoming a clown: After graduating from both The Clown Conservatory and the Flying Actor's Physical Theater Conservatory, she co-founded a theater space in San Francisco where she is currently creating, performing, and teaching. She also teaches circus at San Francisco's Circus Center, volunteers as a therapeutic hospital clown with Clown Zero, and performs with the musical duo Carl and Beatrice.   

Sam Tillis (Mr. Primm) makes his BACT debut with Lyle the Crocodile. He has recently appeared in such serious plays as Bones (Daniel), Dr. Faustus (Valdes), and The Coast of Utopia: Voyage (Ogarev); in such silly plays as A Midsummer Night's Dream (Demetrius) and The Oh No! Inferno (Damte); and in the borderline case of the Pear Slices 2012 (various roles, including a con man, a lawyer, and Henry David Thoreau). When not impressing children with his acting prowess, Tillis enjoys ping-pong tournaments and recreational beard growing.

Sabrina Wenske (Fireman, Guard, Croc) is a recent graduate of the Professional Training Program at Dell'Arte International 2012. While there, she created many original characters, such as a toothless Pantalona, a tap-dancing vaudevillian prissy, and a masked sacrificial frog. Wenske received much of her theatre training at the University of California, Berkeley, while also pursuing a BA in Renaissance history. Her favorite shows include Into the Woods, Noisense, Othello, and The Skin of Our Teeth.

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About Bay Area Children's Theatre

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts. 

How We Carry Out Our Mission

• Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences


• Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children’s books


• Engage pre-kindergartners in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them


• Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage


• Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets and touring productions at local schools, libraries and community centers


• Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide


• Introduce children to the joy of performance with classes, workshops, and summer camp theatre programs

Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.