Zoo: Controversial Documentary
Cast of Characters
Russell Hodgkinson (H)
Regional theatre credits include Prior Walter in the Southeast premiere of Angels in America, Yvan in Art, and Mordred in Camelot with Terrance Mann. He appeared opposite Mercedes MacCambridge in Harvey and originated the role of Benn Gunn in the musical Treasure Island. He moved to Seattle in 2003 and made his theatrical debute as Uncle John in The Grapes of Wrath at Initiman Theatre and most recently was seen in the world premiere of Broken for You at the Book-It Repertory theatre.
Film credits include Tim Burtons Big Fish, Tough Luck with Armand Assante and Lynn Sheltons award winning We Go Way Back, which premiered at Slamdance 2006.
Richard Carmen (Mr. Hands brother)
Richard got the acting bug early while in a grade school play and was always inspired watching his brothers friend Danny, in all the High School and K.U. plays he did. After many various jobs, at age 20, he joined the Army and after marrying, having a son and divorcing, ended up in San Francisco where he met his longtime girl friend Nok Kyung Kwon. Deciding to follow his dream to act, he enrolled at the Jean Shelton Actors Lab, studying continuously for many, many years and later sought additional training with Actor/Teacher Cliff Osmond, both of which he credits as huge inspirations.
Seeking more opportunities, he moved to Vegas then LA. After working on many, many independent and student films and commercials over the years, he felt uninspired and decided to move to the Seattle area to settle down and buy a bar they knew was for sale in the hopes of doing more theatre there.
Since moving Richard has been finding better film roles and working with directors that inspire him. He can be seen in many films coming out of the Seattle area. Look for him in the recently released horror film Bloddy Mary and other projects soon to be released or at film festivals.
Jenny Edwards and John Edwards, Hope For Horses (HFH)
Hope For Horses (HFH) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that takes in Neglected, Abandoned and Abused (NAA) Equines (horses, minis, hinnies, mules, donkeys).
Our normal intake event is 1-10 starved, beaten, crazy, withdrawn, parasite depleted, sometimes critically injured horses. We rehabilitate them mentally and physically. Sometimes this takes years. When they are ready we find foster care and then adopt them to carefully screened homes. It is not unusual for us to spend thousands of dollars on a horse that we adopt out for $675. We usually have 25-35 horses in care at a time.
These are rarely grade horses (poorly bred). They are frequently horses that once were worth tens of thousands of dollars (we have had 2 thoroughbreds that at one time were worth over $1M). They have been mishandled, injured, tossed aside. We can usually fix them. sometimes with spectacular results. In the 6 years we have been in business we have become very good at this.
Often horse rescues are back-yard affairs, people trying to dodge taxes, horse traders, or well-meaning individuals. Some groups are well organized but choose to be more aggressive and confrontational when it comes to law enforcement and their traditional lack (or inability) to respond to horse complaints (long history nation wide).
We have overtly chosen to work cooperatively with animal control, law enforcement and prosecutors to get horse abuse recognized for the crime that it is. We have had 3 people attend the law enforcement academy and Jenny is on the board of the Washington Animal Control Association (WACA). We hold seminars for Animal Control Officers (ACOs) to teach them about horse abuse and safe horse handling. HFH has become instrumental in getting felony horse abuse prosecutions started in Washington State.
Our goal is to act as the professional, nonprofit horse rescue for the Pacific Northwest. The problem requires that we grow to the point where we can handle 300-500 horse a year. We expect our role in ZOO to help us do that.
