Meet the Friends of the Groom
Tom Long
Tom Long is the Executive Director, playwright, and chief storyteller for Friends of the Groom. He has been a performer for Public Educational Television, and has served as a consultant in youth work and theater for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, the Cincinnati Library, and a number of schools and social agencies throughout Ohio. Tom has an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Cincinnati. His religious plays and musicals have been published by Baker's Plays, Chorister’s Guild, Hal Leonard Publishing, Hope Publishing, and the National Christian Education Council of Great Britain. His work has won the Christians in Theatre Arts sketch writing and one-act play writing competitions, two Telly Awards, and a Dove Award nomination.
Jocelyn Sluka
Jocelyn Sluka is the Managing Director of Friends of the Groom and a full-time performer and workshop leader with the company. In her thirty years as a professional actor and singer, she has worked with a variety of regional and educational theaters including the Hollywood Free Theatre, the "Stephen Foster Story," and in touring productions for US troops stationed in Germany, as well as serving for 10 years as the Drama Director for First Christian Assembly Church. She also teaches acting classes for Curtains Up, a conservatory for young actors which she co-founded in 2005. As a member of AFTRA and SAG, she appears in national and regional commercials, films, and print ads, as well as doing voiceover work. Jocelyn has a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky.
Colleen Ison Scheid
Colleen Scheid joined Friends of the Groom in 1985. She has been a drug abuse prevention coordinator for Clermont College and for Clermont County Youth Services, where she wrote, directed, and acted in educational shows for school classrooms. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and has a Masters degree in counseling from the University of Cincinnati. She has written a number of books of plays for the church published by Standard Publishing and Contemporary Drama Services.
Juli Peterson
Juli Peterson was the founding professor of the Defiance College Theater program. She toured as Guenivere in "Camelot" for 2 years with Willingham Productions in South Florida, and was a company member of The Miami Opera Company. She has also performed in “Everything in the Garden" with Edward Albee at the Ensemble Theater in Cincinnati, and has been featured in productions of “The Fantasticks", "Runaways", "I Do, I Do!", "Side By Side By Sondheim", "Irene", and in the operas "Albert Herring" and "Riders to the Sea". Juli has a BFA in Theatre from Otterbein College and an MFA in Musical Theatre from Miami University in Coral Gables, FL.
Susan Jung
Susan Jung is Director of Theatre at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and has performed with Friends of the Groom since 1999. She has taught musical theater, dance, and acting at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s preparatory department, has taught at over ten musical theater camps, and directed the Friends of the Groom Youth Team for two years. Susan has also performed professionally with Cincinnati Children’s Theatre and The Showboat Majestic; and was choreographer for an award winning production of “Chicago” at Cincinnati Music Theatre. She has appeared in several regional and national commercials and print ads, and has done commercial voice-over work. Susan has a B.A. in Theatre from Northern Kentucky University.
Jim Jung
Jim Jung has a heart for all things theatrical, whether it’s on stage or backstage. During his 5 year stint at Northern Kentucky University, he performed and worked backstage for over fifteen productions. Since then, he has directed plays, designed sets, and executed all aspects of lighting and audio/visual for such groups as Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Wyoming Players, and Crossroads Community Church. Currently, you will find him working for Prestige AV & Creative Services in Cincinnati, OH (and, of course, performing for Friends of the Groom). Jim holds a B.F.A in Musical Theatre from Northern Kentucky University, and joined Friends of the Groom in 1999.
