Jason Guy has suffered greatly in over 60 professional productions, from Shakespeare to tap dancing (sometimes both at once), and everything in between. This litany of abuse has taken him to three continents, nine countries, and 49 of the United States.

He was poisoned (as Hamlet) and beaten (Malvolio) with the National Shakespeare Co.; betrayed (Brutus) and beheaded (Buckingham) at the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse; and flogged, twice, (as both Dromios) by the Hamptons Shakespeare Festival. Not content with just two roles, Jason played all the male characters in “Turn of the Screw” at Tri-State Actor’s Theatre (in which he was, coincidentally, smothered to death).

In plays by living authors, he was wrongfully accused in “Doubt” (State Theatre of WV), vomited on in “God of Carnage” (Cape May Stage), and survived the greatest affront known to man - other Actors - as Lloyd in “Noises Off” (Tent Theatre).

At River City Rep, Mr Guy got his ears boxed - twice - first in “Art” and just recently in “Boeing Boeing”; full disclosure, this wasn’t so bad as Robert spends so much of the show kissing a string of beautiful women ...

In a blissfully welcome turn of events, he beat, pummeled, and tortured someone else in the Flea Theater's long-running “Back of the Throat”, Directed by Jim Simpson.

At Arkansas Rep, Jason lost a finger - as characters of both genders - in “The 39 Steps”; returning as The Chorus in “Henry V”, he escaped slaughter, pain, and degradation, but found 300 lines of solo verse the loneliest punishment he’s ever experienced onstage. So far.

Last summer he survived (barely) the onslaught that is “The Cmplt Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abrdgd)” at Colonial Theater, during which he longed to be rescued by famine, plague, or death.

Turning to musicals in hopes of lighter fare, Mr Guy was fired daily (“42nd Street”, Europe), punched repeatedly (“West Side Story”), and soaked nightly (Don Lockwood in “Singin' in the Rain”, twice). He previously believed that the Korean tour of “Annie” was adequate preparation for working with children, but as The Great and Powerful Oz himself (Northern Stage), Munchkins proved otherwise.

Jason was born in the pinky of Michigan, grew up on the coast of Maine, and lives in New York City where he is amazed you’ve read this far. He greatly looks forward to working at your theater company, provided there is a large body of water nearby ... or you’re willing to bring one in.

“Doubt” (Father Flynn)

Greenbrier Valley Theatre

Directed by John Briggs

Photo Waylon Lemasters