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At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, Cody began his career on stage. His work at CSU garnered him several Irene Ryan Nominations, a departmental Best Actor award, and an award of Highest Distinction at the Research and Creative Symposium, for his self-created performance art. Cody helped foster and co-produced CSU Theatre Sports (now Clownbox Productions), still one of the most successful improv troupes in the Colorado. In addition to over 100 improv shows, some favorite Colorado performances include Shep in Café Theatre's performance of Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar and Grille, Gogo in Blackbox Theatre's production of Waiting for Godot, Bo in Bas Bleu Theatre's production of Bus Stop, and Snug in Openstage Theatre's performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 2000, Cody left the Rocky Mountains to move to Chicago, where his big shoulders would blend in. His work as a trolley-driving tour guide gave him a crash-course in Chicago history, and allowed him to work his way through the famed Second City Conservatory. Cody was working professionally as an improviser and in children's theatre when he joined Caveman in 2004. Some favorite Chicago productions include Dr. Matt Breen in The Free Associates' improvised parody of ER called BS, Miles Ruleous in Hero Zero, and various roles in Boston Chamber Theatre's National tour, Encore! Between Caveman performances, Cody is continuing to develop other aspects of his career, appearing in national commercials (Buffalo Wild Wings), voiceovers (Coors), and feature films (Eden Court). Cody also brews his own beer and builds saunas. He also enjoys Twizzlers; discount furniture, and most things Dutch. Cody would like to send his Thanks and Love to his family, who have always been supportive of his work: His mom and dad, the original hunter/gatherers, his brother Noah, a hip-hop neanderthal, and his sister Elly, redefining the goddess. The Play’s the Thing Playback.com January 2005 Defending the Caveman By Rob Becker West Port Playhouse, St Louis Who’s defending the caveman now? Cody Lyman, that’s who. This Colorado native has enjoyed continued successes as a comedian and entertainer including a stint with the Second City Conservatory in Chicago, the Boston Chamber Theatre’s Encore, and as Darth Vader in the award-winning independent film, The World According to Darth. Cody has taken over the one-man show Defending the Caveman. This impressive two hour, one-man play (in one act) has been enjoyed in St. Louis at West Port Plaza’s Playhouse. The cozy venue seems quite appropriate to house such an intimate encounter with the ever-puzzling truths behind the sexes. Rob Becker’s Defending the Caveman is an internationally renowned comedic play, and has been since its unveiling in 1991. As the longest-running solo Broadway play, it now boasts both a New York street name—Caveman Way—and an honorary “Caveman Day” on July 18, as declared by former mayor Rudolph Guiliani in 1996. Though presented through the eyes of a man, no stone is left unturned in the quest to understand the separating differences that lie between man and woman. Set in the present, our guide, Cody Lyman, takes us back in time to consult with his medium, the prehistoric man, to better understand how we have become so different in nature and tendencies and, most importantly, why. Judging from the audience response, men and women alike will readily enjoy and even agree upon the topics encountered. From channel surfing to dinner parties, both sides of this proverbial gender coin are humorously investigated and analyzed. Lyman’s performance is indeed flawless and exceptionally friendly. Be sure to bring your significant other to see Defending the Caveman soon at the West Port Playhouse. Perhaps all of those trifle quarrels that have barred your mutual understanding will be left behind after this experience Lyman: an affable "Caveman" You don't have to believe in evolution to see remnants of prehistoric man in Cody Lyman's performance of Rob Becker's updated stand-up classic, "Defending the Caveman" in the swank Black Box Cabaret in the New Denver Civic Theatre. Lyman moves easily from spear-toting hominid to sensitive guy in explaining how the instinctive differences between men as hunters and women as gatherers translate into contemporary behaviors. To the tribal mind, the difference in skills called for in performing these critical tasks is clear: To hunt, men need to focus on one objective, make a plan, silently pursue their prey, and kill it; to gather, women need to multitask, take in the whole jungle, pick out the right plants, sample them and choose the appropriate offerings. In Becker's hilarious script, the contrast between these approaches can be seen in everything we do, from watching TV to driving a car, from the way we relate to members of the same sex to the way we relate to members of the opposite sex. Take shopping, for example. A man will wait until he wears out his favorite shirt before he goes looking for a new one. He'll focus on finding a suitable replacement, and when he finds it, he buys it. That's that: Hunt over; shirt dead. A woman will go shopping without knowing specifically what she's looking for. She'll take in every available option, debate the pluses and minuses at leisure, and then may buy something along the lines of what she already has, in case she needs a different color. She'll continue until her basket is full. The funny thing about all these extrapolations is that they seem to make perfect sense, as witnessed by couples in the audience who exchange knowing glances while Lyman runs down the misunderstandings that result from the clash of these two cultures. After an opening video that establishes Lyman's credibility as a married man who experiences the normal run-ins with his wife, he draws in his audience with an affable style, expressive facial and body movements, effective voice control and excellent comedic timing. Given the continued popularity of books and magazine articles that presume to reveal the secret to understanding the battle of the sexes, it's easy to see why "Defending the Caveman" became the longest-running solo play in Broadway history. It offers sage advice encapsulated in a barrel of laughs. Even Jungians, who find individual synthesis of masculine and feminine characteristics essential to personal integration, can appreciate Becker and Lyman's illustrations of what we've inherited from our ancient jungle counterparts. Let's hope the recognition of these instinctive gender patterns leads to an evolution in our behavior, both domestically and globally. Contact us at: For international licensing of please contact
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