In February 1980, Crooke gave his stage debut in the play Bal (
Richard Nelson's loose adaptation of
Bertolt Brecht's play
Baal with
James Belushi in title role) which was staged at the
Goodman Theatre in
Chicago. In October of the same year he was cast as Swiss Cheese, the youngest son of Mother Courage in
Sharon Ott's adaption of Brecht's play
Mother Courage and Her Children at the
Milwaukee Repertory Theater in
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. In 1981 he was seen as Lackey (a musketeer) in
Cyrano de Bergerac at the same theatre. In 1984, he met director, screenwriter, and playwright
David Beaird with whom he collaborated at the films
The Party Animal (1984),
My Chauffeur (1986),
It Takes Two,
Pass the Ammo (both 1988),
Scorchers (1991), and
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005). Crooke was also seen in Beaird's stage plays
Scorchers (1985 in the role of Jumper at the Equity Waiver Theater in Los Angeles) and
900 Oneonta (1999 in the role of Dandy at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles). In addition Crooke played guest roles in television series including
Key West (created by Beaird),
Matlock,
Melrose Place,
ER,
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
JAG,
Angel, and
Charmed. ==References==