Phil Gallagher (Sidney Bruhl)

Phil has over 50 years of theatre experience on both sides of the Atlantic – performing everything from stand-up comedy (DC Comedy Studio), through musicals (King Arthur in Spamalot at Cockpit-in-Court), to Shakespeare (director/Claudius/Ghost in Hamlet at Spotlighters Theatre).

Originally from the UK, he has an MA from Cambridge University, has lived in Maryland since 2001 and became a US citizen in 2015.

Most recently he performed a one-man version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Spotlighters Theatre.

Favorite roles include The Foreigner (Froggy Leseuer), Moon Over Buffalo (George Hay), Pygmalion (Henry Higgins), The Hairy Ape (Long), Marx in Soho (Karl Marx), Equus (Martin Dysart), Incorruptible (Jack), Twelfth Night (director/Toby Belch), Gaslight (Inspector Rough), Lion in Winter(Henry II) - all at the Spotlighters Theatre.

Elsewhere, his performances include A Doll’s House (Torvald), An Ideal Husband (Lord Goring) both at Nottingham’s Robin Hood Theatre, Mr Wolf at Single Carrot (Mr Wolf), Harvey (Dr Chumley) at Vagabonds Theatre, Compleat Female Stage Beauty(Charles II), Superior Donuts (Arthur) both at the Fell's Point Corner Theatre, and Laura (Waldo Lydecker) at Cockpit-in-Court.

Matthew Payne (Clifford Anderson)

Education: Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) Summer Stanislavsky School 2015.  Film: Jordan - Thespian (Mindblank Productions). Directing: Garbage Quest (Baltimore Rock Opera Society) Fight Choreography: American Vamp (Baltimore Rock Opera Society) Lempira Oro Y Sangre (Baltimore Rock Opera Society)  Theater: Lioncourt - American Vamp (Baltimore Rock Opera Society) Roy Scheider - The Shark Is Broken (Vagabond Players) Sandy - Hay Fever (Cockpit in the Court)  Miller - Room Service (Vagabond Players) Vole - Witness For The Prosecution (Vagabond Players) Cheswick - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Vagabond Players) Matthew - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Vagabond Players) Chet - Dirty Pictures (Rapid Lemon), Riff Raff - The Rocky Horror Show (Haute Patooties)  Clov/George - Endgame/Voices in the Rubble (Rapid Lemon), Jonathan Harker - Dracula (East Lynne Theater Co.), Mr. Croup/Tooley - Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (Cohesion Theater Company), V. - The Mesmeric Revelations of Edgar Allan Poe (Submersive Productions), Marcel - Thirteen Dead Husbands (Cohesion Theater Company), Franz Kafka - The Trap (Ambassador Theatre Company). 

Stephanie Ranno (Myra Bruhl)

Stephanie is pleased to be returning to the stage after playing the role of Jess in Grand Horizons during Cockpit’s 2024 season. Prior to that she brought Marshal to life in the premiere of Witness Statements during Cockpit’s 2023 season. Stephanie’s regional theater credits include: Ensemble member in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat at The Wagon Wheel Theater (Warsaw, IN), and Ensemble member and dancer in Unto These Hills (Cherokee, NC). Stephanie's local credits include: Maria, Compleat Female Stage Beauty (Fell's Point Corner Theater); Agnetha Gottmundsdottir,Frozen; Caroline Saunders/Ellen/Betty in Cloud Nine, Myra and Myrna Richards in The Mineola Twins (Spotlighters). Other favorite roles include: Anne Boleyn, in the American Premiere of Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry (Mobtown Players); Claire, Proof (Cockpit in Court) Sally Talley in Talley's Folly (Theatre Hopkins); Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show (Catonsville); Columbia, The Rocky Horror Show(Spotlighters); Ariel in The Tempest, (Spotlighters), Meg Magrath in Crimes of the Heart (Cockpit In Court); Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Annapolis Summer Garden); and Rosencrantz in Hamlet (The Rude Mechanicals). Much love to her family and friends, and especially Brad-who made rehearsing this show possible.

John Dignam (Porter Milgrim)

John appeared in four previous Cockpit in Court productions: Arsenic and Old Lace (2017), Laughter on the Twenty-Third Floor (2018), And Then There Were None (2021), and Hay Fever (2025). Since late 2015, John has performed in more than three dozen plays with us and with these Baltimore area troupes: Vagabond Players, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Salem Players, YouHaveNoIdea.org, Memorial Players, Spotlighters Theatre, Laurel Mill Playhouse, Stand Up for…Theatre, Lumina Theatre Company, Strand Theatre Company, Dundalk Community Theatre, Just Off Broadway, and Woodbrook Players. John would like to thank Eric, Lisa, Will, Cathy, and the rest of the cast and crew for their support.

Cathy Herlinger (Helga Ten Dorp)

I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to play a variety of roles from the dramatic to the comedic during my many acting years. Favorite dramatic roles include Princess Natalia Dragomiroff in Murder on the Orient Express; Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Birdie in The Little Foxes; Chelsea in On Golden Pond; Elaine in Night Watch; Sister-Woman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; and, Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, to name a few. Favorite comedic parts include Vera Charles in Mame; Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo; Mrs. Soames in Our Town; Queen Elizabeth in Handbagged; Pick-A-Little Alma Hix in Music Man; and, Ernestina Money in Hello, Dolly. Bless all the directors who took a chance on me! Through it all, I have had the constant help of my husband, Allan, and daughters, Isabelle and Natasha, who have pitched in to quiz me on my lines, page after page, scene after scene, and critique my acting and vocal choices so that I could do my best to put on a good show for people who are so kind enough to be attending the performance! A BIG thank you to my family for all of their steadfast support!     

Eric J. Potter (Director)
Is excited to be back at Cockpit in Court after directing “Peter and the Starcatcher” last summer. Eric starting his Cockpit career back in 1980, when he was in the ensemble of “Guys and Dolls”. He is no stranger to the Cockpit audiences or the Baltimore Theatre Community. He has directed over 50 shows in the Baltimore area. He has directed such shows as; “Sweet Charity”(Cockpit), “Nice Work if You Can Get It” (Cockpit), “Always Patsy Cline” (Dundalk Community Theatre), “Sunset Boulevard” (Cockpit), “Next to Normal” (Vagabond Players) “The Will Rogers Follies” (Cockpit) and “La Cage Aue Folles” (Harborlights Dinner Theatre) to name a few. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing cast and production staff for “Deathtrap”. By day Eric is a Sr. Administrative Manager in the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University.

Lisa L. Boeren (Stage Manager)

Lisa recently became the Administrative Support Assistant to the Director of the Arts after spending almost 25 years as the Box Office Manager for CCBC. Lisa brings over four decades of dedicated service to the Baltimore theatre community, marked by her extensive expertise in stage management and technical production. Throughout her career, she has overseen hundreds of productions across various esteemed venues including Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre, Dundalk Community Theatre, and Phoenix Festival Theatre, among others. Her roles have ranged from stage management and technical operations to prop management, costume coordination, and more, demonstrating her versatility and commitment to ensuring flawless production execution. She has been the Administrative Manager for Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre for the last fifteen years. Lisa’s passion for theatre extends beyond technical proficiency; she has been instrumental in fostering collaborative environments, working closely with staff, administration, and boards of directors to enhance audience experiences and drive operational excellence. Lisa holds certifications in budgetary development, leadership management, and crowd management, as well as a Non-Profit Organization Management Workforce Certificate from CCBC, underscoring her proficiency in organizational management and operational oversight. Her dedication to theatre and community enrichment continues to inspire and elevate the arts scene in Baltimore.

Wil Crowther (Costume Designer)

Design credits include Iago's Plot for The National Theatre of Weimar,Hammers with The Independent Eye, Joe Turner's Come and Gone with Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre , Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Iron Crow Theatre, multiple Young Playwrights Festivals with Baltimore Centerstage, thirty five years of productions with Stevenson University including The Trojan Women, Cabaret, The House of Bernarda Alba, Once Upon a Mattress, The Seagul and The Three Penny Opera just to list a few. For Cockpit Wil designed Sunset Blvd. The Unexpected Guest and Disaster, the musical.Wil has served as the costume shop craftspetson at Baltimore Centerstage since 1996.

Cathy Kratovil (Properties Manager)

Cathy has been with Cockpit in Court for 9 seasons and loves bringing the world of each show to life—one prop at a time. She currently serves as the Advisory Committee secretary and enjoys being part of the creative buzz behind the scenes. Along with props, Cathy designs posters, creates content, and snaps photos and videos during rehearsals and production weeks. By day, she’s the Communications Coordinator for CCBC, where Cockpit makes its home.

David Martin (Technical Director)

Martin is an alumni of CCBC and Towson University, where they received their Bachelor's degree in Theatre Design and Production. They went on to receive their MFA in Technical Direction from Carnegie Mellon University, where they served as project manager for Carnegie Scenic.