[linked names go to the cast member's websites or blogs.] Frances played the parts of Dr. Pierson in Act 2, and the news anchor, Hideko Koi, throughout the drama. She was born in the village of Kapoho, on Big Island, Hawai'i, where her dreams of someday becoming a famous writer were hatched in an outhouse she used to escape from doing the dishes and voraciously consumed literary works such as Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Frances is an internationally known author educator and lecturer, with many awards for her volumes of poetry, books on writing and caregiving, a children's series "Wordsworth the Poet", and several personal memoirs.

David Landrey is the narrator who introduced us in Act 2 to the serious consequences of the invasion of our democracy by Trump and the dark forces of the Destructionists who now threaten to end the American experiment in a new form of governance. Not far from the belly of the beast, David spent nearly forty years teaching at Buffalo State College (later part of the SUNY system), obsessing about Melville and his whale. So much so that David has likely plunged deep enough into the belly of the whale to tell you exactly what it had for lunch. He also is a poet of some note who studied with Charles Olson and can be credited with helping to midwife post-modern poetry into our common lexicon and consciousness.

David Eisenberg played the part of Dr. Barnhardt, a paleo-archeologist searching deep in our origins for the answers to why we seem to be the most destructive species on the planet. David has served as the director of DCAT for more than thirty years, and organization dedicated to improving methods of building that are more aligned with needs to steward a healthy and sustainable environment. DCAT focuses on changing building codes which are outdated and obstruct using newer materials and technologies that would substantially reduce our carbon footprint.

Red Slider played the roles of Carl Phillips, the principal narrator and commentator, and other minor characters. He wrote, directed and produced War of the Trumps, and is solely responsible for its contents, and any of the many the work exhibits. Playwriting, sound editing and the technical competence it took to build this website, are not among the skills he claims to possess. When asked why he undertook the project, lacking any experience in this type of endeavor, he responded, "Like the guy who jumped naked into a bunch of cactus, it seemed like good idea at the time." The reasons for going ahead with the project, despite its many difficulties, were three: to inform, to encourage people to vote, and to entertain. Red Slider writes poetry, short stories and essays and does chores around his modest home in Northern Californaia.

Jerome Rothenberg generously contributed his verses from "In the Shadow of a Mad King" which head all of the sections of this drama. To say he was an acclaimed poet who work is known throughout the world and the founder of study of ethnopoetics which brought the poetry of all cultures and peoples into our common view and appreciation would hardly begin to describe his many contributions to poetry, poetics and humanity. His passing this year has brought an inexpressible sorrow to us all. But it was his kindness and generosity and a giant embrace that left no one out that most distinguished him. That, as much as his work, will ripple out to distant shores for many generations to come.

Sadie Rothenberg's Mad King illustrations, which are shown in thumb nails all over the drama, were taken from Jerome Rothenberg's "In the Shadow of A Mad King-Lies", recently published by Granary Books. She graduated from the Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2016, and has worked as an illustrator and costume designer for a number of performing arts organizations including The Old Globe, Sesame Place, Sea World and the Lamb's Players Theater. She currently lives in Encinitas, California. Her work is really quite amazing, ranging from delightful, child-safe illustrations to very scary, dark ironic sarcasm. How Sadie managed to sneak into the Mad King's court, snap the photo realism in the works on our pages and escape alive is a complete mystery. But that she did, we are assured, and most grateful.