UARF Title
Under A Rainbow Flag has an excellent 10-person cast, and I will be introducing them to you over the next couple of weeks before the show opens. 

I asked them to provide a bio of their work, their thoughts about working on Under A Rainbow Flag, and some anecdotes from their theater experiences in which something has gone hilariously wrong.

Today, meet Sam Button-Harrison, Bobby Arnold, David Besky, and Luis Herrera.

And remember, previews for Under A Rainbow Flag start on March 21! You don't want to miss it. Get your tickets here now!  
UARF Final Poster

To purchase tickets on-line, please go here.
 
David Besky is proud to be an Artistic Ensemble Member with Pride Films & Plays and being in our first season.  Recently, he was seen in 42nd Street at Theatre at the Centre in Munster, IN as Pat Denning. At Circle Theatre, he appeared in Almost An Evening as God Who Loves. He played Gavin De Chamblay in Our Leading Lady at City Lit Theatre for Project 891 Theatre Company. For Hell in a Handbag Productions, he appeared in Rudolph, The Red Hosed Reindeer, Lady X, Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical, and TROGG, A Musical.  He has also worked at Illinois Theatre Center appearing in Enter the Guardsman, Babes in Arms, and Urinetown as Officer Lockstock.  Also, at Stage 773, he played George Hay in Moon over Buffalo for Glitterati Productions.  
   

My experience of working on Under a Rainbow Flag has been wonderful. Everyone involved has been so great to work with. I've worked on numerous productions of new work and this is the first time where there were never any major cuts. It's a good solid piece of work.

I was doing a production of Dracula in college and they used a bat on a wire to make it fly across the stage. Well, one evening when the bat was flying across the stage, all the wires came loose and fell on stage, along with the bat. I had to come on stage carrying a large silver tea set and walk down a flight of stairs while doing a monologue. Surprisingly, I didn't fall. But I looked like a contortionist trying to step around and through all these wires. Oh, and I did pick up the bat and put it on the service tray.

Sam Button-Harrison

 

Sam Button-Harrison last performed in

Assassins (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald) presented by Billy Pacholski. Other Chicago credits include Underscore Theatre Company's productions of Liberal Arts: The Musical (Brandon Milford), The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott), Roundhouse Productions' Predator: The Musical (Hawkins/Grandpa Dutch) and New Rock Theater's production The First (and Last) Musical on Mars (James).  As a BFA in Musical Theatre graduate from Drake University, he performed in such works as The Wild Party (Burrs), Urinetown (Bobby Strong), Safe (Ryan), and Macbeth (Macduff). He would like to thank the amazing cast and crew and hopes everyone enjoys our hard work! www.sam.buttonharrison.com 

  

One of my favorite things about working with a new musical is that the character I play and work I do is entirely my own. It's not influenced by any other actor's performance. Often times there's not even a recording to work off of. It's thrilling to think that I'm the only person in the entire world singing these songs and saying these lines.
  
I was once in a play where near the end of the first act, I had to have a cell phone call where another actor grabbed the phone out of my hand and stomped on it, crushing it to bits. One night, when the actor went to stomp on the phone, he just nicked the edge of it sending it flying out into the audience! Fortunately no one was hurt, but it narrowly missed the head of an audience woman. She wasn't angry, just thrilled to be part of an exciting mistake!

Bobby Arnold is overjoyed to continue his work with PFP and Rainbow Flag. He is a graduate of the Acting Specialist program at UW-Madison. Credits include Urinetown and Reefer Madness (Broadway World Chicago Award) with Circle Theatre, The Madness of Poe with First Folio, As You Like It (Silvius) and An Evening of Becketts with (re)discover theatre. Bobby is a company member with Circle as well as a founding member of (re)discover theatre. As always, much love to his parents, Amanda, Jason, and his (re)crew for always challenging, driving, and encouraging him in all outlets. Thanks to everyone for supporting this incredibly important piece of history that is rarely told!

 

Being involved with Rainbow Flag since the reading last year has really opened my eyes to how much growth can truly happen in just 12 months. Creating the characters last year, recreating them now, seeing the script evolve and the music deepen is an experience I will forever be grateful for; to be so involved in the process of finding this intriguing character (with Leo there to help me do so, also!) is not an opportunity an actor has every day! Plus, working with such an
overwhelmingly talented cast and artistic team is so refreshing when it comes to sharing this honest and beautiful piece of work.

  

I was in a production of A Chorus Line and in the opening dance number, I got a bit over-enthusiastic with my fan kicks; so much so that I literally lifted myself off of the ground and fell on my back. Luckily it (sort of) worked in the context of the show since I was "auditioning." Don't worry, I made the cut!

  

Another one was when I was playing Charlie in Merrily We Roll Along and I needed help with my quick change before the final scene, in which I need to be wearing pajamas and a robe. Because the change was so quick, I was supposed to underdress my pajama bottoms so while I put my top on, the girl helping me with my change could undo my pants and pull them down. I forgot to underdress them, so she pulled down my pants and she looked up and said, "Did you forget something...?" She was face-level with my underwear. Luckily, I had a robe to wear over it, so it wasn't too obvious (minus the huge draft that I was feeling while singing the last song!).

 

Luis Herrera is thrilled to be joining the cast of Under A Rainbow Flag. Some of his previous credits include Papa Ge in Once on this Island (Porchlight Music Theater), Ritchie Valens in The Buddy Holly Story (Timberlake Playhouse), Tom Collins in Rent, and one his favorite roles, the Engineer in Miss Saigon. He would like to thank his family and friends for always being there for him and supporting his everlasting passion for the craft. 
The experience that I have had with Under A Rainbow Flag has provided prospective on the struggle of soldiers in the 1940s. Furthermore, this experience has allowed me to dig deeper and be more aware of the struggles that my generation faces today.
During a production of Evita in which I was playing Che, while performing the waltz of Eva and Che the girl playing Eva tripped on her dress and when she fell she also brought me to the floor almost falling off the stage. She began to laugh, I finished the song and in character made it seem like I had thrown her to the floor. Needless to say, it wasn't a flattering experience.