NOTED THEATRE ALUMNI
Theatre at Dearborn High has had a strong tradition. The oldest continuous theatre group in the city of Dearborn, theatre performances have been going on at DHS since the turn of the 20th century. Dearborn High also has one of the oldest sanctioned International Thespian Society Troupes in the state of Michigan and in the USA. The theatre alumni presented here are individuals who continued in theatre beyond high school and have gone on to work professionally in the theatre and the performing arts.
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George Peppard (1946) George Peppard, Jr. (October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994) was an American film and television actor whom secured a major role early in his career when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in the early-1970s television series Banacek, but he is probably best known to younger audiences for his role as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-chomping leader of a renegade commando squad, in the 1980s television show The A-Team. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of building contractor George Peppard, Sr. and opera singer Vernelle Rohrer and graduated from Dearborn High School in 1946. From 1948 to 1949, he studied Civil Engineering at Purdue University where he was a member of the Purdue Playmakers theatre troupe and Beta Theta Pi. He then transferred to Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1955. Peppard made his stage debut in 1949 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. After moving to New York, Peppard enrolled in The Actors Studio, where he studied the Method with Lee Strasberg. His first work on Broadway led to his first television appearance, with a young Paul Newman, in The United States Steel Hour (1956). Peppard’s Broadway appearance in The Pleasure of His Company (1958) led to an MGM contract. Prior to a strong film debut in The Strange One (1957), he was discovered playing the illegitimate son of Robert Mitchum's character in the popular melodrama Home from the Hill (1960). His good looks, elegant manner and superior acting skills landed Peppard his most famous film role as Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn. This role boosted him briefly to a major film star. His leading roles in that film's wake included How the West Was Won in 1962, The Carpetbaggers in 1964 and The Blue Max in 1966. In the early 1980s, George Peppard re-emerged as a television star for his role as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith in the action adventure series The A-Team, acting alongside Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz. A life-long smoker, Peppard was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1992 and subsequently quit. Cancer never forced his retirement from acting, and Peppard completed a pilot for a new series in 1994 (a Matlock spin-off) shortly before his passing. Peppard died on May 8, 1994, in Los Angeles, California. Although he was being treated for cancer, his actual cause of death was chemotherapy-induced leukemia. He is buried in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan. |
Greg Phillip Viscomi (1980)Before he became the Director of Theatre for Dearborn High School, Mr. Viscomi spent a decade working as an actor, dancer, and singer and then later as a director and choreographer. A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music,Theatre and Dance, he holds his BFA in Musical Theatre as well as his MA degree in Theatre and Dance studies from American University in Washington D.C. Highlights among his stage credits include the leading role of "Yang Sun" in the American east coast and Washington D.C. premieres of the musical version of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan, which was featured on National Public Radio, the pre-Broadway workshop production of David: A Musical Fable, the New York staged reading of Bennett's Frankenstein, and in the original work We Will Be Remembered, written and performed (with First Lady Barbara Bush in the audience) to dedicate historic rooms in the National Treasury Building. Other touring and regional credits include "Nick" in The Guys, "El Gallo" in The Fantasticks, "John the Baptist" and "Judas" in Godspell, "Curly" in Oklahoma!, "Booth" in Assassins, "Dr. Gibbs" in Our Town, "Wykowski" in Biloxi Blues, "Miles Gloriosus" in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, "Bernardo" in West Side Story, "The Prince" in Cinderella, "Snoopy" in Charlie Brown, "Andrew" in Love Letters and performances on the stages of both the National Theatre and historic Ford's Theatre, both in Washington D.C. He also appeared in the films The Exorcist 3 and Avalon as well as doing commercial and voice over work. Honors include nomination for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship from the American College Theatre Festival, Outstanding Lead Actor honors from both the Adventure Theatre in Maryland and the Dearborn Press and Guide Newspapers, and inclusion in the City of Dearborn's Theatre Hall of Fame. |
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Michael Mosallam (1997)Mike Mosallam, DHS class of 1997, has lived on both the East (New York City) and West (Los Angeles) Coast ever since graduating from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor in 2001. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Musical Theatre) and shortly after made the move to “The Big Apple.” Later, he returned to academia to obtain a Teaching Certification, and a Masters from the Boston Conservatory (Directing) in 2006. In Boston, Mike created his highly acclaimed one-man show, MUSLIM: the Musical! The show, which looks at various stereotypes Arab-American/Muslims have faced since 9/11, has seen regional success after its debut and is currently in development for a National Tour. When not performing, Mike has produced and directed / choreographed over 40 major productions from coast to coast. He serves as the Artistic Director for MiPac (Michigan Performing Arts Camp) and the Arab American Comedy Festival (in Dearborn, MI). His work has been seen in major venues such as The Kennedy Center as well as Comedy Central in a variety of stage, film, and TV appearances. He executive produced the highly-acclaimed short film, CRIBZ: Arab-American Style. He has also worked as casting associate for feature films (recently, AMREEKA which debuted at Sundance '09). He has been asked to serve on panels and been a featured and guest interviewee on NPR, BBC World News Radio, Al-Arabya, Al-Jazeera, and PBS. Michael fondly remembers his Mainstage Dearborn High days when he played "Nathan Detroit" and "Nicely-Nicely" in GUYS AND DOLLS ('96) and "Riff" in WEST SIDE STORY (1997). He currently serves as Director of Film Initiatives for Wayne County. To learn more, visit www.reelwc.com.
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Bree Rafferty (1997)Bree Rafferty graduated from DHS in 1997. During her high school career, she starred in numerous productions. Among them were roles as Maria in West Side Story, Antigone in Antigone, and Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls. Bree then went on to study at Wayne State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. She was lucky enough to study under the tutleage of renowned soprano Frances Brockington. Additionally, Bree had the honor of starring in many Wayne State University Opera productions, including Hansel and Gretel and Gallantry, and played the role of Rapunzel in Into the Woods at the Bonstelle Theatre. She also earned a teaching certificate in Music Education while at Wayne State University. After graduating, Bree lived in Manhattan for two years, where she worked on a pilot for the E! channel, did extra work for film and television, promotional modeling, and of course did her fair share of waiting on tables! She has also performed as a soloist with the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, and continues to study voice & piano and perform locally. Bree is currently back in the Detroit area working as a Kindergarten through 8th Grade Vocal Music Teacher. She adores her students and is thrilled at the opportunity to influence lives through the performing arts. |
Jennifer (Schofield) McPherson (1997) Since her graduation from DHS in 1997, Jennifer McPherson has worked extensively as a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University with Bachelor degrees in both Communications and Theatre for the Young, she served on the faculty of the Jeanie Zimbalatti School of Dance for over a decade teaching classes in all dance disciplines with an emphasis on jazz and tap, and choreography numerous dances for annual dance recitals. Currently the resident choreographer for the Dearborn High Theatre program, she has choreographed their musical productions of Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Damn Yankees, Hello, Dolly!, Kiss Me Kate, and 42nd Street, winning the Dearborn Press and Guide's PAGE Award for Outstanding Choreography for the latter two. Mrs McPherson trained extensively in the metropolitan Detroit area at the Noretta Dunworth School of Dance and Sheryl's chool of Dance and while a Dearborn High School Thespian, appeared in productions of Our Town, Antigone, See How They Run, Guys and Dolls, and West Side Story, serving as the dance captain for the latter two. Upon her graduation, she earned the DHS Theatre Production Award for her work as a student choreographer. Married to Mr. Zach McPherson, they are the proud parents of Olivia and Wyatt.
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Brent Bradley (2000) |
Matios Simonian (2001)Matios Simonian graduated from DHS in 2001. During his years at DHS, among other roles, he was seen onstage as, Billy in 42nd Street, Ernie Cusack in Rumors, and Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!. He earned his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University in 2005. At WSU he appeared in numerous productions at both the Bonstelle and Studio Theatres. Among his favorites were Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Histangua in A Flea in Her Ear. In 2004 he had the opportunity to study acting abroad at The Moscow Art Theatre. Since 2006 both he and his wife Danielle have lived and worked as actors in Chicago. Matios is a company member with Imagination Theater, a social issues, touring theater company. In 2008, he had the opportunity to return to Dearborn with IT and perform for students at Bryant Middle School. He recently appeared on the Athenaeum Theater stage where he originated the role of Ayaz Marhoni in Haram Iran.
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Rob Sulaver (2002)Rob Sulaver is a professional actor in New York City. He has acted for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, as well as various off-broadway playhouses in New York. Rob was awarded best actor in the FVSA Film Festival of 2006 for his work in “Stockholm, Wisconsin". Rob was also awarded all-state honors for his comedic acting in 2005 by the National Society of Arts of Letters. Rob’s favorite roles include Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep in A Few Good Men and Carl in Dealer’s Choice. Rob recently made his national television debut playing the title role of boxer Billy Miske in Billy Miske: Dead Man Fighting. Rob was a part of Dearborn High's Class of 2002 and earned a BFA in Theatre Performance and a BA in English from the University of Michigan. For more information, visit robsulaver.com.
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