| University
of Minnesota Duluth
Department of Theatre |
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Recent Happenings
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After Mathias Anderson finishes with Radio City, he will be
doing Cats in Chicago for three months, then following that up with
Hot Mikado, a 1940s swing dance/tap musical.
More and more theatres and colleges are interested in performing Adam
Hummel's The Movie Game. As of last count, these are the schools
and companies interested in producing the play this season: Ball State, University
of Sioux Falls, Grand View College, Generic Theatre Company, Missouri Western
State University, and Fort Hays State University.
Aimee Skold is now a music supervisor for The Young and
the Restless, listening to new music for possible inclusion on the show.
Amy Boeding ('01) has been doing a number of car commercials
in the New York area.
Amy Eicher made a Duluth appearance recently with her band,
Jack Gandydancer. The Pioneer Press said about them, "Their Little
Lotta Trouble is one of the best toe-tapping, girl-guy-squabbling local
ditties of the year."
David Nett and Shannon Nelson both appear
in plays produced by Lucid by Proxy Theater as part of the Los Angeles Edge
of the World Festival. The plays open October 10 and 11 and run throughout October.
For more information, go to www.lucidbyproxy.com/cotillion.shtml
and www.lucidbyproxy.com/irl.shtml.
Kate Horvath ('01) and Jordan Hall ('01)
are both in Macbeth, produced by Another Theatre Company and which
opens November 1 and runs throughout the month. They'll be performing at the
Common Basis Theatre on 46th and 8th in Times Square. For more information,
go to www.anothertheatre.com.
Good news from Garrett Glaser ('00). He was just in Philadelphia,
filming a couple of commercials for Giant Supermarkets. With luck, Garrett as
Mike the Giant will be the next great spokesperson.
Malia Long ('97) writes that the Gaia Collective will be presenting
the Midwest premier of Rick Robinson's School of Jesus Fish, a one-act
play that explores spirituality and the dark corners of the human mind. Performances
run November 9-16th at The Minnesota Opera Center. Call 612/210-6834 for ticket
information.
Jessica Paschke ('01) writes that things continue to go well
in New York. She is taking class and also studying voice with Liz Kaplan.
Recent alumni sightings in the Northland: Carrie Rossow, Gina
and Mike Mayer, Jason Page. All roads do indeed
lead to Duluth.
Kelly Nichols ('99) and Megen Musegades ('00)
are appearing in Gallathea at the Astoria Performing Arts Center from
August 22 to September 1.
Good news from Shannon Nelson ('97). She just booked her first
national commercial, for 7-Up. And, as if that isn't enough, she also got cast
in a production of Ferdinand Bruckner's Pains of Youth, which opens
in November. In addtion, the theatre she helped start two years ago is producing
two original pieces for the Edge of the World Festival in October. To check
out the theatre company, go to www.lucidbyproxy.com.
Amy Abts ('99) writes that she has recovered well from the
tumor removed from her wrist and that she goes on a short tour this fall to
support the compilation CD Chilly Women from the Northland, for which
she contributed a song, released by SPIN OUT. She records her next full length
solo release in January.
Mark Armstrong ('95) has two plays that he's directing opening
in New York. Dug Out, a new play by Nicholas Gray, opens July 25 for
the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab, and Raw Footage, a new play
presented by the Red-Handed Theater Company, opens august 9, with none other
than J. Garrett Glaser ('00). For ticket info for the first:
www.fringenyc.org, and for the latter:
www.redhandedtheatercompany.org.
Mathias Anderson ('98) is doing Chicago and Oklahoma
in Vermont for the summer. He'll then be winging his way to Dallas and Minneapolis
for the Radio City Christmas Show. He recently signed with the Dorothy
Day Otis Partners Agency.
A number of UMD actors from the class of 2002 are in Minnesota Rep this summer,
performing in Arsenic and Old Lace and Pippin. They include:
Andrew Bennett, Jason Cooper, Pegah
Kadkhodaian, and Jeffrey Petersen. Also in the cast
are Amanda Durst and Tom Karki. Love Letters
is also being presented, with Tom and Pat Isbell.
The word is that Brandon Breault ('01) did terrifically as
the title character in Macbeth in New York. Kate Ufema and a number
of graduates attended opening night.
- Jamison Haase ('98) is rehearsing the three-character Kenneth Lonergan
play This Is Our Youth in Los Angeles.
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- Amy Eicher recently sent photos of her band Jack Gandydancer, performing
in and around the Twin Cities. Although perhaps I'm not qualified to say,
they looked to be "the bomb." (hip talk for good)
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- Angela Sommerfeld writes: "On june 14th (next friday) at 7pm
EST on ABC (channel 7 out here) I am going to be on EXTRA! talking
about this new show called The Revengers. It's a totally online casting
process and they interviewed me and two other actresses for the show. So go
to www.the-revengers.com and vote for
me! Or put your own headshot up there and vote for yourself. Next weeked too,
the 13,14 and 15 of june I will be performing in the LICAP's (long island
city arts project) Festival of Short Works called Springfest 2002. It's at
7:30 on Thurs and 8pm on Fri/Sat. It's at the Foundry which is at 42-25 Vernon
Blvd in LIC. Take the E/R/F train to Queens Plaza, walk west, entrance is
on 9th street between 42nd and 43rd aves. For reservations or more info call
212-726-1969 or email thelicap@aol.com or visit www.licap.org.
Finally, I am working on All My Children for four days next week so that means
that I'll be on the air about a month from then. I won't know the exact dates
until I get on set so watch my website for dates and details. http://sommerfeld.50megs.com."
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- Valerie (Buel) Vedder ('99) and hubbie Timm Vedder (UMD med
school, but honorary theatre major) recently celebrated their one-year anniversary.
Congratulations Timm and Val!
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- Kelly Nichols ('99) is appearing in Mantis, produced by the
Gallery Players of Park Slope as part of their Black Box Series. The show
runs June 13 through 16 and is an evening of short and one-act plays.
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- 2002 UMD graduates in performance are: Andrew Bennett, Jason Cooper,
Katie Froehlich, Katy Helbacka, Pegah Kadkhodaian, Angie Martin, Angie Petree,
and Dave Strong. Please welcome them to the real world!
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- Garrett Glaser ('00) just appeared in She Must Composer Herself,
an operatic comedy written and directed by Emily Charlotte Conbere, at the
Present Company Theatre in NYC.
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- UMD once again fared well at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The Movie
Game was very well received, and it was announced that with this fifth
production to Washington, only one other university in the country (Boston
University) has been chosen to travel to the Kennedy Center more often. In
addition, Adam Hummel ('01) won the Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award,
and, in the Irene Ryan competition, Andrew Bennett ('02) was the first
runner-up for the Mark Twain Comedy Acting Award, and Dave Strong ('02)
was named Best Scene Partner. Also great fun to see a veritable gaggle (if
you will) of former UMDers: Bobby Willis, Chris and Sara Boldon, Kate Horvath,
Amy Boeding, Megen Musegades, Amanda Durst, and Tauni Reinschmidt.
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- Did you catch the "Today" show on Wednesday, April 10? If so,
you caught Jordan Hall ('01) as Professor Frank Lee Forensics hob-nobbing
with Al Roker about Jordan's Court TV tour. It was very funny, and Al Roker's
parting words were, "I love this guy," as he put a strangle-hold
on Jordan. This week Al Roker; next week Matt and Katie. Stay posted.
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- Andy Nelson ('01) just got cast at a West Virginia theatre for summer
employment. He'll be doing a melodrama, followed by Oedipus.
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- Shannon Nelson ('97) is as busy as ever, currently being considered
for several important roles for film and TV. In addition, she's doing readings
for three different theatre companies, including Ferdinand's Bruckner's Pains
of Youth for Gary Marshall's theatre in L.A.
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- Chris Boldon ('99) has just launched a web design site, at http://www.praying-mantis.org.
"If you want a site designed, drop me a line (of course, UMD students
and alumni get a discount!).
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- The UMD Showcase, presented March 25 and featuring 13 recent graduates,
went very well, according to various reports. One agent reported it was the
most professional showcase he'd seen!
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- Mark Armstrong ('95) is living and working in New York City, where
he is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and the Hypothetical
Theatre Company. Recent directing credits include List, The Ballad of Samuel
Elbert Dodson Jr., Not a Word to Mother (Hypothetical), The Diet Doctor
(Ensemble Studio Theatre), Mono a Mono (Vertical Player Repertory),
The Long Goodbye (Hartford Stage) Secret Things (Lincoln Center
Directors Lab) and many workshops and readings of new plays. Mark received
his MFA from Arizona State University, where he was the William Dobkin Directing
Fellow and studied with Marshall W. Mason.
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- Kelly Nichols ('99) continues to do stand-up comedy throughout Manhattan,
including a regular gig at Stand-Up New York.
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- Malia Long ('97) sends the latest news about the Gaia Collective
and its upcoming performances. The Gaia Collective is celebrating Women's
History Month with Wendy Wasserstein's beloved play, Uncommon Women and
Others. Performances will run March 2nd March 9th at the Minnesota
Opera Center. As a group of 20-something women, The Gaia Collective has a
special connection to the story Uncommon Women and Others. Close
friends and University of Minnesota Duluth graduates Malia E. Long
(Artistic Director), Jen Thill (Stage Manager), and Shannon Lee
(Costume Designer) have all spent the last few years discovering life as professional
women in today's society. They are looking forward to using their choices
and insights to bring the nine women of Mount Holyoke College to life. Also
involved with the production are Brad Bone (scenic design), Sam
Chafos (graphic design), and Summer Hagen in the cast.
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- A UMD Actors tightcircle has been formed, joining UMD acting alums with
current seniors in performance, as a place where students (and alums) can
ask and answer questions about the business of acting. So far it's been a
big help and highly informative. To view some of the discussions, click
here. If you're not on the tightcircle but would like to be, e-mail Tom
Isbell.
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- In case you didn't hear, we had great success at the recent regional Kennedy
Center American College Theater Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. For the second
year in a row, a UMD student won the Irene Ryan acting award (Andy Bennett),
and two of our student designers won awards, meaning they will also travel
to Washington in April. And the climax of the week was the performance of
Adam Hummel's The Movie Game for an audience of 1200. It all
went very well and the show is on hold for Washington.
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- J. Garrett Glaser ('00) (formerly Garrett Glaser) is now a proud
member of SAG, thanks to his recent New York Lotto commercial. This follows
his widely played Starburst commercial.
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- Big news from Malia Long ('97). She and Bryan are engaged to be married
and looking at a June, 2003 celebration. Congratulations, Malia!!!!
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- The Movie Game, written by Adam Hummel ('01), had its Dudley
Experimental premiere in December, and one reviewer called it "screamingly
funny." It has been chosen to be performed in Lincoln, Nebraska in January
as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Seen in attendance
at various performances were Jordan Hall ('01), Amy Abts ('99)
and Kelly Nichols ('99). There will be two benefit performances on
January 19 for $20 a ticket.
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- Recent additions to New York City: Kate Horvath ('01), Jessica
Paschke ('01), and Brandon Breault ('01). Good luck; we're keeping
fingers crossed.
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- I had coffee recently with Angela Sommerfeld when she was in town.
She has made numerous appearances on various soap operas and is now living
and thriving in New York.
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- Word on the street is that Timm Vedder ('99) is incredibly busy being
a doctor in Hawaii, working longer hours than that Noah Wylie guy on E.R.
Nonetheless, he and Valerie and her family managed to snorkel at
Hanauma Bay on Christmas Eve.
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- Jon Lamb ('01) toured Japan with a production of Our Town
in the fall. The production originated in Wisconsin.
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- Valerie (Buel) Vedder ('99) played Eliza Doolittle in a production
of My Fair Lady in the great state of Hawaii. The reviews said "she's
the right blend of cockney toughness and porcelain elegance with a dazzling
Katharine Hepburn smile. Vedder also has a lovely voice that carries all of
her songs and a sharp sense of comedy that enlivens her two-act feud with
Higgins." To see a photo of the charming Ms. Vedder, click
here.
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- Susan Shehata ('97) just got cast in the Mystery Cafe's new show,
"Now The Bad News." The Mystery Cafe is an interactive comedy dinner
theatre that has been in Minneapolis. for about 14 years. She was also promoted
to Assistant Director of the Brave New Institute, which is the Brave New Workshop's
(formerly known as Dudley Riggs) improvisation school.
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- Brad Bone ('98) recently completed a three-city fashion tour with
Brooke Shields where he played the "Karokee Guy" in Fash Bash for
Marshall Fields. The Chicago Sun Times wrote him up as being the most entertaining
part of the show.
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- Recent grad Brandon Breault ('01) appeared as Longaville in Love's
Labor's Lost and was also featured prominently in Coriolanus at
the Illinois Shakespeare Festival this summer. Reports are that he distinguished
himself very well. Way to go, Brandon!
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- Jamison Haase ('98) is appeared in Comedy of Errors at Sacred
Fools Theatre in L.A., at the corner of Melrose and Heliotrope. Catch him
if you can.
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- Chris Kohlof ('97) made his second appearance on The Young and
the Restless on July 12. He first appeared on the show in May.
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- Shannon Nelson ('97) shot a horror film, TheCampusHouse.com,
in June. She's in the entire film and - get this! - she doesn't die. Husband
David Nett ('96) also appears in the same film. She appeared on ER
during February and as an aide to the First Lady (Stockard Channing) on West
Wing during May. Both episodes appeared during the highly important sweeps
months.
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- After closing The Laramie Project last month at the Illusion Theatre
in Minneapolis, Kourtney Kaas ('98) is now appearing in Baby with
the Bathwater.
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- Valerie Buel and Timm Vedder (honorary theatre alum) were
married June 2 in a beautiful ceremony in St. Paul. Some of the UMD theatre
alumni in attendance were: Amy Eicher (looking very chic in a newly
shaved head), Malia Long, Amy Boeding, Chris and Sara Boldon, Kelly Nichols
(straight from New York), Adam Hummel, Jordan Hall, Amanda Durst, Amy Boeding,
Kate Horvath, Jessica Paschke, Angie Martin (soon-to-be graduated), Denise
Dawson, and Shannon Haas. Bridesmaids included Melanie Summer,
Elizabeth (Olson) Brod, and soon-to-be-graduated Pegah Kadkhodaian.
A good time was had by all.
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- Chris Boldon was recently awarded proficiencies in rapier/dagger,
unarmed combat, and broadsword weapon styles and given the title of Actor/Combatant
by the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). So if anyone needs any
fight choreography in their lives...
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- In March, Susan Shehata was featured in Against My Better Judgement...A
Variety Show. Also in the cast was husband Dan Kronzer.
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- The aforementioned Susan Shehata and Dan Kronzer recently
traveled to China to see classmate Nick Grady.
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- Jim Formanek is working at the Jim Henson Company and recently shot
an independent film with Nick Freeman. If you want to check it out,
go to www.burninggalileofilms.com.
Look for F-Stops.
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- E-mail Addresses
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- Amy Abts
- Warholbaby@aol.com
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- Mathias Anderson
- mjbdwy@yahoo.com
- Service: 212-340-1294
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- Mark Armstrong
mrexcitement44@hotmail.com.
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- Amy Boeding
amyboeding@hotmail.com.
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- Brad Bone
Brad.Bone@target.com.
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- Chris and Sara (Schmidt) Boldon
schmildon.nyc@verizon.net
or sara.magoo@verizon.net (Sara)
or cc.boldon@verizon.net (Chris)
Web pages: Sara: www.sarasb.com. Chris:
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- Valerie (Buel) Vedder
valerievedder@yahoo.com
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- Shana Croll
shanawana@prodigy.net.
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- Amy Eicher
amy.eicher@fallon.com.
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- Jim Formanek
jformanek@henson.com.
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- Garrett Glaser
jgmgiii@hotmail.com.
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- Jordan Hall
jojomama55@hotmail.com.
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- Jamison Haase
jhaase1@hotmail.com
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- Brenda Hattingh
- brendahattingh@hotmail.com.
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- Kate Horvath
northstarchild@hotmail.com.
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- Adam Hummel
- adamhummel@hotmail.com.
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- Chris Kohlhof
- chris_kohlhof@spe.sony.com
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- Malia Long
- malia@mnopera.org. Or write:
2800 Grand Ave., #206, MLPS, MN 55408. To contact the Gaia Collective, type:
thegaiacollective@yahoo.com.
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- Julie MacIver
- juliemac_29@yahoo.com
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- Gina Mayer
- ginamayer@hotmail.com.
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- Megen Musegades
mmusegades@hotmail.com.
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- Andy Nelson
- ajnanima@hotmail.com
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- Shannon Nelson
cressida10@yahoo.com.
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- Kelly Nichols
- knichols2001@yahoo.com
- Web page: http://www.k-nichols.com
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- David Nett
- troilus1@lucidbyproxy.com
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- Jessica Paschke
- jessicaPaschke@hotmail.com.
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- Carrie Rossow
- carrster@yahoo.com
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- Susan Shehata
- susanshehata@hotmail.com.
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- Matt Skaja
- senor1218@hotmail.com.
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- Aimee Skold
- aimee.skold@tvc.cbs.com
- Tony Sofie
- asofie@aol.com
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- Angela Sommerfeld
- lika57@hotmail.com
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- Julie Unulock
- generalspanky_ju@yahoo.com
and jdunulock@bresnanlink.net.
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- Timm Vedder
Web page: www.umn.edu/~tvedder. Email:
tvedder@yahoo.com
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Link to Mark
Harvey's index of design/technical alumni
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If you have information to add, please e-mail Tom at:
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tisbell@d.umn.edu.
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Return to Tom Isbell's Home Page