THE COUSINS GRIMM (2007)

Ted Sod is the author of STEALING (O’Neill Theatre Center Music Theatre Conference; New City Theatre, Seattle; Seattle Group Theatre); DAMAGED GOODS (Alice B. Theatre, Seattle); SALON (ANNEX Theatre, Seattle); THE KISS (Alice B. Theatre); NOT SUNSET BOULEVARD (Alice B. Theatre); A RUDE AWAKENING (Broadway Performance Hall, Seattle); SATAN AND SIMON DESOTO (Cal Arts Theatre School/published by Heinemann Books) and THE LOST ART OF CONVERSATION. LOST ART was recently named a finalist for the Abingdon Theatre Company’s Christopher Brian Wolk Award. He co-wrote and directed LUCKY TO BE ME at the O’Neill Theatre Center’s Cabaret Conference. He is currently writing the librettos for GAY GRIMMS and 27, RUE DE FLEURUS.

He has also written short plays: A DAY AT THE BEACH (Love Creek Productions and other 10-minute play festivals); CLEAVAGE and ORCAS IMPROMPTU. His plays for young audiences include: MAKE ME PELE FOR A DAY (Seattle and Dallas Children’s Theatres); THREE WISHES (Seattle Children’s Theatre); and CONQUEST OF FEARS (George Street Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre).

1n 1996, Sod produced, wrote, and acted in CROCODILE TEARS, an independent feature film, based on his play “Satan and Simon DeSoto�. CROCODILE TEARS is available on video and DVD at selected Blockbuster Video Stores and through Culture Q Connection (www.cultureconnection). It was recently sold to Starz Q cable. He produced, wrote and directed TWILIGHT DANCE, a documentary about senior citizen ballroom dances, in association with KCTS, a PBS affiliate in Seattle. Sod was awarded Washington State Arts Commission’s 1992 playwriting fellowship; and has received grants or residencies from PEN Center USA, The Berrilla Kerr Foundation, Art Matters, Artist Trust, The Edward Albee and Blue Mountain Foundations and the Seattle and King CountyArts Commissions. He is a member of the BMI librettists’ workshop, The Dramatists Guild, and SSD&C.

Dan Martin & Michael Biello have collaborated for over 25 years, creating a unique body of critically and popularly acclaimed work in musical theatre. Productions include Breathe in Richmond VA in 2005, at the 2004 Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival, and at SNAP! Productions in Omaha (Nominated for 8 2003 TAG Awards) and Q - the Songs of Martin & Biello at the 2002 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (Winner Philadelphia Weekly’s Best Original Music, 2002-2003 Theatre Season). Martin & Biello’s work has enjoyed popular and critical success in Chicago, where Bailiwick’s production of Breathe ran for 10 weeks and won the 1999 After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work, and where Q ran for 9 weeks in 2000. In April 2004 Breathe was presented at Chicago’s prestigious ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop.

Biello & Martin’s songs have been widely performed - from LaMama to Lincoln Center, on ABC, PBS, and on a variety of recordings. Selected highlights include: a 2001 performance of Table 3 by Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall; a 2000 GLAMA nomination for Best Theater Song (You Do Not Know Me); a performance of their anthem What We Believe is Right at the 1993 March On Washington for an audience of 300,000 people; and The Dance, a 1992 film version of which has been screened worldwide.

Martin & Biello are the co-founders of OUTMUSIC - the international LGBT musician’s network of which Martin is the current Board chair. In December 2004 they were honored with induction into the GLBT Hall of Fame along with the likes of Harvey Fierstein, Billie Jean King, Jerry Herman, Armistead Maupin, Gertrude Stein and Oscar Wilde!

Current musicals in development include Gay Grimms with book writer Ted Sod and David’s Heart with book writer Beth Blatt. Biello and Martin are members of The Dramatists Guild and the BMI/Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theater Workshop in New York. To learn more â€" visit www.BielloMartin.com

Dan Martin & Michael Biello have collaborated for over 25 years, creating a unique body of critically and popularly acclaimed work in musical theatre. Productions include Breathe in Richmond VA in 2005, at the 2004 Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival, and at SNAP! Productions in Omaha (Nominated for 8 2003 TAG Awards) and Q - the Songs of Martin & Biello at the 2002 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (Winner Philadelphia Weekly’s Best Original Music, 2002-2003 Theatre Season). Martin & Biello’s work has enjoyed popular and critical success in Chicago, where Bailiwick’s production of Breathe ran for 10 weeks and won the 1999 After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work, and where Q ran for 9 weeks in 2000. In April 2004 Breathe was presented at Chicago’s prestigious ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop.

Biello & Martin’s songs have been widely performed - from LaMama to Lincoln Center, on ABC, PBS, and on a variety of recordings. Selected highlights include: a 2001 performance of Table 3 by Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall; a 2000 GLAMA nomination for Best Theater Song (You Do Not Know Me); a performance of their anthem What We Believe is Right at the 1993 March On Washington for an audience of 300,000 people; and The Dance, a 1992 film version of which has been screened worldwide.

Martin & Biello are the co-founders of OUTMUSIC - the international LGBT musician’s network of which Martin is the current Board chair. In December 2004 they were honored with induction into the GLBT Hall of Fame along with the likes of Harvey Fierstein, Billie Jean King, Jerry Herman, Armistead Maupin, Gertrude Stein and Oscar Wilde!

Current musicals in development include Gay Grimms with book writer Ted Sod and David’s Heart with book writer Beth Blatt. Biello and Martin are members of The Dramatists Guild and the BMI/Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theater Workshop in New York. To learn more â€" visit www.BielloMartin.com

Michael Bush was most recently the Director of Artistic Production for the Manhattan Theatre Club, where last season he directed BASED ON A TOTALLY TRUE STORY. He has been associated with MTC for almost 25 years and served as its associate artistic director from 1990 till 2002. He left MTC in 2002 and served as the producing artistic director of Charlotte Repertory Theatre thru 2004, after which he returned to MTC. During his tenure with MTC, he helped artistically guide more than 150 new plays and musicals including the Tony Award winning LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, PROOF, and DOUBT, both of which won the Pulitzer Prize. Other shows of note include RABBIT HOLE, THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE, SIGHT UNSEEN, THE WILD PARTY, PUTTING IT TOGETHER, LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART, SYLVIA, and A CLASS ACT. During his tenure at Charlotte Repertory Theatre he presented Hilary Swank in THE MIRACLE WORKER, Penny Fuller in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and directed Emily Skinner in the 20th Anniversary production of PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES. He also directed and co-wrote the book for the musical LET ME SING starring Andre DeShields and Marla Schaffel which was co-produced with George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey and Charlotte Repertory Theatre. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center Cabaret and Performance Conference. Other recent directing credits include last fall’s NYMF production of THE BALLAD OF BONNIE AND CLYDE. Future directing projects include MURDERERS for the Philadelphia Theatre Company, THE STORY OF MY LIFE for CanStage in Toronto, and STORMY WEATHER at The Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia.

Jeff Caldwell moved to New York City four years ago after fifteen years of living and working in Seattle. He graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, earned a Master’s in Opera Direction at Indiana University, moved to Seattle to begin doctoral work in opera production, yet somehow fell in with the musical theater crowd. Since arriving in New York he has played keyboards in the pit of THE PRODUCERS, rehearsal piano and keyboards for the SNOOPY concert at Symphony Space starring Sutton Foster, the Easter Bonnet Competition, and played for classes and productions at NYU’s Tisch School and CAP21 programs. He has sung in the chorus of HAROUN AND THE SEA OF STORIES and LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST at New York City Opera and will sing in their upcoming production of CENDRILLON. In Seattle he regularly divided his time between performing and music directing, as well as teaching and vocal coaching. He was also a highly regarded musical theater educator and taught for the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program, Cornish College of the Arts, and the Seattle Children’s Theatre Young Actor Institute. He will be joining the faculty at Juilliard this fall and is currently a voice teacher and staff pianist at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.