* our members *
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You’ve heard of toll booth, voting booth, phone
booth, and even an amorous cousin, the kissing
booth—now meet the nuttiest member of the Booth
family, Janet Booth. When “Jan-nut” moved from
her native Connecticut to San Francisco in 1984,
she thought it was to further her astrological career.
But when another astrologer asked her to write for
the San Francisco Comedy Times, her humor
hobby was spawned. After reviewing the Bay City’s
top comics, she shook the San Andreas Fault stand-
up circuit when she took the stage herself.
Returning to Connecticut after the ’89 earthquake,
Jan-nut studied improv with Barbara Jurgelas at
Billy Jack Café, and joined the troupe there. Now
Janet is the Cuff Link with the brightest stars!
Jewels Hadman. Mongrels seek her, ex-boyfriends
fear her. Her accomplishments are legion. She
has: Flown in a Lear jet. Met Wurzzel Gummage
(England’s Capt. Kangaroo). Jumped from a
moving car (in Gettysburg) to avoid an airborne
spider. Learned that when you chew wintergreen
lifesavers in the dark and they spark, that’s called
tricanluminescence. Improvised in several
countries on two continents. Was once mistaken
for Debbie Gibson in Boston, causing a minor
melee. Jewels found improv in college in
northeastern Maine, where the demand for improv
was dangerously low. She got into Cuff by scraping
the teeth of one of its members.
Dave Roucoulet comes to us to legitimize his
performance career, not that he’s done being a
clown, mind you, but he’s tired of being anonymous
behind greasepaint. Dave has performed in places
as diverse as comedy weddings, stage floor
boards, carpet (several thicknesses), community
theatre, ice/snow/frozen tundra, mud, mysterious
murder mysteries, and center stage at Lake
Compounce, where he was caught leading a fertility
ceremony.
Elijah Hunter is not a funny person. He's hardly a
person at all. When we found him he was still
learning how to use tools (learning how to chew on
them, that is). At least he wears clothing now. Elijah
is currently working on his last step in a one step
potty training program. Despite having a chittering
giggle and being excessively asiatic (25%), we have
kept him as a pet. If you see Eli and he's not
wearing his flea collar (an Irish hat), approach with
caution, he has not had all his shots.
In the age of instant gratification and self esteem,
Jim Motes is a man who believes in instant esteem
and self gratification. Having served for nearly a
dozen years on the Board of Directors for the
Connecticut Association of Rabid Actors, no one
else comes more highly qualified to drool, spit, and
hiss on the stage as Jim does. Two words: Dirty
Hippie. No, Jim actually rates three words: Damn
Dirty Hippie.
"What can I say, we felt sorry for Ken Aveline. And
he's a janitor and we needed someone to clean the
place after rehearsals," said Bernie, who asked not
to be identified. "Plus the fact that he makes a great
bean dip." In addition to Ken's cleaning and dipping
skills, he knows a plethora of songs from the
hippie generation, as well as a cadre of silly
characters from decades of entertaining small
children. Now he can do all these things on stage
and avoid arrest.
Enemy of low hanging light fixtures, hero to little
people in need of objects off the top self, Bernie
Leavy is a man who understands the finest points of
off-beige. Cuff prides itself on snagging Bernie
away from the cutthroat jaws of stand-up comedy—
although, you’ll still find the Bernster lurking
backstage promoting funny events. Bernie’s favorite
color is marinara.
