Happy Holidays Film

Clarissa Ryder....Mary Fae Smith
Thomas Levy....Jeff Whitlatch
Charles Edmund....Robert Walters
Margaret Lloiend....Brigitte Ashley
John Maher....Michael Sasso
Veronica Ryder....Katharine Stapleton
Lindsey/Britney....Marissa Crissfall
Alex Lloiend....Rae Panas
Isabel Edmund....Connie Thomas

Brigitte Ashley is currently a Junior level Theatre Major at Chapman University. She was born in Seattle Washington and lived in the town of Bellevue Wa. until relocating to Orange to attend school nearly two years ago.

Back in Seattle she was a company member of It's a Mystery Inc., a theatre production company that performs murder mystery shows on the Spirit of Washington dinner train. Along with performing as a member of the dinner theatre, she also stage managed an interactive Mafia Musical called "Fugedaboudit."

Brigittte is very passionate about theatre and the arts, and she hopes to make a career for herself as an actress. Along with acting she has also written several short comedic scenes including one that will be performed at Chapman University in an upcoming student Performing arts showcase!

Brigitte loves traveling and has been all over Europe, Egypt and the United States with her family. These adventures have instilled a great sense of adventure, patience, and character in Brigitte, not to mention humor “sometimes you need that humor aspect in order to make it through those tough spots in an Ashley family vacation.”

Brigitte is a very free spirited and happy person who is curious about life and places that it will take her. She is excited to be a part of Happy Holidays and is anxious to see the journey unfold.

Brigitte Ashley as Margaret Lloiend in Happy Holidays

Michael is a freshman Film Production student at Chapman University. He was born in Sandpoint Idaho and has lived most of his life in southern New Hampshire.

Michael has been involved in school and community theatre since he was eight years old. His favorite roles include Judas in Godspell and Billy Crocker in Anything Goes. Michael enjoys writing for the stage and screen. A year ago, he directed, produced, and played The Monster in his two-act play The Monster and the Metamorphosis. The work was a winner of the 2006 Young Playwrights Inc. competition. Michael and the seven other finalists spent a week in a New York City workshop this summer with professional playwrights.

Michael is, and has always been, passionate for theatre and film and plans to explore all aspects of these art forms during his college career and for the rest of his life. He plans to become a film and theatre writer and director. His interests include, among others, theological study, and he plans to incorporate religion in his future works.

Michael loves peanut butter, Samoa cookies, Mexican Food, Legos, and
Halloween. And he is thrilled to play an emo seamster in Happy Holidays.

Michael Sasso as John Maher in Happy Holidays

Jeff Whitlatch is left-handed Junior level Film Major who is currently attending Chapman University. He was born and raised in West Frankfort, Illinois and moved to Orange to attend Chapman University in 2004.

He began in church and school plays, and was acting in college productions by the age of 8. In high school, Jeff ventured out into other forms of performance off the stage. In 2002, he studied at Chicago’s Second City for writing and improvisation. In 2003, Jeff began working in animation voiceovers, playing the Rex the alligator in the trailer for the CG movie “Noah’s Ark.”

Although acting is his primary focus and goal as a future career, Jeff is studying film in order to learn the trade inside and out. He also enjoys screenwriting and directing on occasion.

Jeff’s interests outside of acting and filmmaking include music and sports. He enjoys singing and has been playing the piano and trombone from an early age. He also picked up guitar and mandolin in high school. He enjoys soccer, track and field, and plays a mean ping pong. Jeff also finds interest in automobiles, and currently works for an automotive research company in Orange.

Jeff is a generally laid back guy and enjoys joking around 86% of the time. He respects self-reliance and personal responsibility. He has a very moderate view on religion and politics, and enjoys discussing both (in the right setting, of course).

Jeff Whitlatch as Thomas Levy in Happy Holidays

Robert Walters (Charles Edmund) began his actor's journey at the age of 14. Upon seeing his older brother Alex in productions both in high school and at the University of California, Irvine, Robert decided to try his hand at it and went on to be a part of seven different productions at Capistrano Valley High School. Noteworthy roles included Zach in A Chorus Line and Hermann Van Daan in the Diary of Anne Frank.

Robert has also begun moving in front of the camera lens, starring in a student film called Exit Music as well as landing a Domino's Pizza spot as the Delivery Guy, a print ad for the Tag body spray campaign, and most notably a role on the pilot episode of CBS's Cold Case.

Currently a junior at Chapman University, Robert is involved in some in-depth study of the acting craft. He can be seen in an upcoming production of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde in a collection of one act plays performed November 15-19.

Robert Walters as Charles Edmund in Happy Holidays

Mary Fae Smith is a 20-year-old ambitious and aspiring young actress from the heart of America. She is the only daughter of Rod and Teresa Smith and has an older brother and a younger brother and many other very close relatives from the small town of Woodbine, Iowa. She is a third year student of Chapman University and is on schedule to graduate this May with a degree in theater performance. She is an active member of her church and enjoys learning new things about herself and others through her education, her career opportunities, and her faith.

Even though Mary’s generic name may seem to come right out of a classic reader from the 1950's, she is far from the typical stereotype. Her name may seem to indicate a traditional young woman looking to get married and have 2 children and settle down in her dream home with a white picket fence and a dog. Unlike her name, she is rather unique and non-traditional. Most people who know Mary wouldn’t dare try to fit her into any “traditional” stereotype.

Mary has great passion for everything that she does. She doesn't just do a job or task; rather, she becomes a part of the job or task at hand.

Mary's goals after graduation involve the unpredictable whirlwind that is the pursuit of a successful and rewarding acting career!

Mary Fae Smith as Clarissa Ryder

Katharine Stapleton has returned to her first love of acting after having raised her two girls healthy and happy to their teenage years. Although She trained at the Yale School of Drama and at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, she credits acting coach Harry Mastrogeorge in Los Angeles for her renewal as an actress. In August of 2006, she ventured forth into the world of filmmaking. It was a very different world where actors could generate their own work through casting agencies on the Internet. But was there enough to do for an older woman? She sent her photo and brief resume out on everything possible. Soon she was going on audition after audition, getting jobs and shooting films with students and independent producers non-stop.

She finished twenty projects by the time she came in to read for Veronica in January of 2007. And, there, she saw a role that thoroughly touched her - a person with depth and dimension. “Veronica was a real woman, a frustrated mother, an ex-wife, a single career mother. There was so much to the script.” She felt an immediate connection with Mary as Clarissa. It was hard to miss the energetic and determined spark in the room . “It just fit. It’s my most complete experience as an actress on film to date,” she says. “I love being a part of this story, the actors, and the crew. It’s unbelievable what Sassy has accomplished making this film.”

Rachel Panas is a freshman theatre major at Chapman University. Originally she is from Lake Oswego, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. Rachel likes to be called Rae because she feels it is a more personal name for her. Aside from her passion for acting, she enjoys dancing, singing, playing frisbee, and chillin with the best people on Earth.

Connie Thomas was formerly a print model for agencies in San Diego but has always been an actress at heart. Although she enjoyed success in the print world, with shots showing up in Rolling Stone magazine and other various publications, she aspires to be a working actress in television and film while residing in San Diego.

Connie’s family includes her husband of six years, three children and her dog,Trixie. Connie is also involved in the married couples ministry at her church in San Diego.

Connie would love to meet James Spader on the set of Boston Legal one day but until then she plans to keep gaining experience on the set and in classes in pursuit of the acting career she’s always wanted.

Marissa Crisafulli is a 21 year old junior at Chapman University and is honored to take part is Sassy's first full length film.

Marissa has been performing her whole life, dancing throughout southern California and starring in many theater performances. Marissa also loves being in front of the camera, and recently launched her modeling career in L.A.

Devon Marcel Clark III grew up in Plum Borough, Pa which is a suburb of the olden day steel town Pittsburgh. At an early age he was intrigued with the characters that he saw in movies and his vast imagination led him to many day time imaginary play sessions. As he grew up he was also very athletic and was a star soccer player. At the age of 14 he was playing on three different soccer teams and traveling all over eastern united states. In high school he played varsity soccer and was asked to be on an Olympic Development soccer team. It was also in his highschool years that he was introduced to theatre. He had a hard time juggling rehersals with his demanding soccer schedule and decided to quit the Olympic Develpment team to participate more in theatre. He starred in numerous highschool plays including The Wizard of Oz playing the comedic character of Scarcrow.

After highschool he went to Penn State University where he decided to study Business Management and Logistics to eventually follow in his fathers footsteps as a business owner. During this time he continued acting and was cast in a small role in the New York Film Festeval Comedy winner "Speilburg." This was his first film experience and feel in love with film. One week after finishing his sophmore year at Penn State he decided that acting was his passion and picked up and moved to LA. He began studying different methods of acting intensively at The Actors Edge Academy and is currently a member of The Groundlings School of Improv. Since being in LA he has landed numerous Starring and Supporting roles in films, a couple TV guest stars, and a National Commerical. He has a very bright future ahead of him and he is on the right track to success!