The Great Unknown (2010)

Broadway: Billy Flynn in Chicago, title role in Dracula; The Musical, Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show  (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), The Boys form Syracuse , Scar in The Lion King, School for Scandal, The Sisters Rosenzweig. National Tours: Urinetown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Touring Broadway Award). Off Broadway:  Jeffery, Beau Jest (Outer Critics nomination), Richard III, Othello. Recent Regional Credits: Private Lives and Travesties (Long Wharf,CT Critics Circle Award), Compleat Female Stage Beauty (Old Globe), Captain Hook

Thomas Wesley Stewart recently graduated from Oklahoma City University where he studied voice under Dr. Frank Ragsdale.  He is very excited to be making his New York City debut with this wonderfully talented cast and crew.  Some of his past favorite roles include, Danny Zuko in Grease, Sammy in The Wedding Singer, and Matt in The Fantasticks.  He would like to thank his family, friends, and CTG for their love and support.  Thomas is married to actress Jessica Stewart.

Kristin Maloney’s New York credits include: The Streets of New York (Irish Repertory Theatre, Drama League Performance Nominee), The Glass Blowers (New York City Opera/Glimmerglass Opera), Back Home: The War Brides Musical (NYMF, York).  Kristin also appeared in an extended run of the musical Talk of the Town at Algonquin Hotel's famed Oak Room, where she played wit/critic/poet Dorothy Parker to critical acclaim. Regional favorites include Musical of Musicals – the Musical! (Cape Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Meet Me in St. Louis (Esther-Westchester Broadway Theatre & Gateway Playhouse), I Love a Piano, Spitfire Grill, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie-Gateway) and Red, Hot & Blue! (Goodspeed Opera House). Kristin toured Europe with Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene) and Evita (Eva Peron alt.). Kristin holds a B.A. from Cornell University.  She is a proud member of the BMI/Lehman Engel Workshop (Lyricist), the Dramatists’ Guild, and Actors Equity Association. www.kristinmaloney.com

Dan Amboyer is thrilled to work with this fantastic team. Dan most recently played Aeneas opposite Billy Porter in an all-male staged reading of Dido, Queen of Carthage. Off-Broadway/New York: Orlando in As You Like It, Bash'd, Play About the Naked Guy, Orange Lemon Egg Canary, and For the Love of Christ. Regional: Tom Rockwell in The Eclectic Society (Walnut Street Theatre), Mealunes in Le Grand Meaulnes (Quantum Theatre), Kenickie in Grease (The Muny), Lank in Crazy for You (North Shore Music Theatre), Godspell, A Christmas Carol (Meadow Brook Theatre), Doctor Faustus, Henry IV, Romeo & Juliet, My Fair Lady, and Camelot (Utah Shakespeare). TV: "Law & Order," "All My Children." BFA: Carnegie Mellon '06. Thank you to Harden-Curtis and my friends and family. danamboyer.com

Graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.  Theatre includes:  Nick(u/s) in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin (B’way National Tour/West End), Corny Collins in Hairspray (Gateway Playhouse), Peter Sellers in US premiere of Ying Tong: A Walk With the Goons (Wilma Theatre), Waiting for Lefty (American Theatre for Actors), The Comedy of Errors (Boomerang Theatre Company), Grease and Twelfth Night (Portland, OR).  UK/Europe:  German tour of Death of A Salesman, UK Premiere of Serenading Louie (GBS Theatre/RADA), Love’s, Labour’s, Lost (Shakespeare’s Globe Education).  TV/Film: “I Shouldn't be Alive,”  “Doctor Who,” The Road to Guantanamo, The Tiger and the Snow, Hallo Panda.  Steve is also a composer and songwriter.  He is thrilled to be involved with NYMF and grateful to work with such a creative posse!  www.stevenbeckingham.com.

A proud member of Actor's Equity, Bobby Daye's career has crossed into stage, film, tv and radio. Broadway credits include Shrek the Musical, The Color Purple, The Lion King, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Dreamgirls and The Wiz. Off-Broadway and tours include Pageant, La Cage Aux Folles, Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Everything's Ducky to name a few. As a songwriter he penned the theme song to the ABC-TV soap LOVING which was performed by Johnny Mathis as well as written and/or arranged a few songs for Carols for a Cure including the Shrek holiday song ALL I WANT 4 XMAS on Carols For A Cure 11. He has appeared on Law and Order and ED. You can also catch Bobby in numerous television commercials as well as hear his voice on radio voiceovers such as the 'husband and wife' series of LOWE'S and CHASE.

NYMF debut! Looking forward to a great adventure! Previous credits include the 1st National Tour of Sweeney Todd (Tobias), Tom Sawyer in Big River (STONC), Enoch Snow Jr. in Carousel (Barrington Stage Co.), Dennis in Smoke on the Mountain (Cotton Hall Theatre), Huck Finn in the Adventures of..., Stuart Smalls in Band Geeks (Ars Nova). South Carolina native, New Yorker at heart, degree from NYU’s Steinhardt School. edmundbagnell.com

Celia lived in England for a decade and has worked extensively on the West End in London and across the UK on national tours. West End credits: Essie/Dance Captain in the OLC of PARADE (Donmar Warehouse, directed by Rob Ashford), Narrator in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (New London Theatre), Dance Company in English National Opera’s production of CANDIDE (London Coliseum). Touring credits: Anita Alternate/Dance Captain in WEST SIDE STORY (directed by Joey Mckneely), The Havana Girl in GUYS AND DOLLS (directed by Michael Grandage, choreographed by Rob Ashford), u/s and played Ellen in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of MISS SAIGON (directed by Laurence Connor). Other fun work: OLC recording of PARADE, commercial for Carmax, taking her clothes off 2 years in a row for BC/EFA’s fundraiser BROADWAY BARES, keeping her clothes on for lots of play-readings and cabarets. Celia is very happy to be back in New York and very very happy to be a part of this production. www.celiameirubin.com

National Tour: Buddy (Ordway Music Theatre). NY Theatre: Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (Mrs. Bob) at The Gallery Players; The Audience (Drama Desk nom, Best Musical) and All the Way Home with Transport Group (Associate Artist); I, Claudius, Live! with Theatre Askew; Reddy or Not: A Musical Comedy Tribute to Helen Reddy (co-creator, co-star), FringeNYC and various venues. Regional theatre includes Weston Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, Depot Theatre, Human Race Theatre Company, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival (founding member). TV/Film includes As the World Turns and Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding. Original comedy and music at www.JoannaParson.com.  

Kelli graduated with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre from Brigham Young University where she also spent time teaching jazz for the University’s dance program. Kelli’s favorite performing credits include, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1st National Tour), High School Musical (North Shore Musical Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Tuacahn Center for the Arts), Peter Pan (Brockville Arts Center), Broadway Backwards- featuring Florence Henderson (Vivian Beaumont- Lincoln Center), Tony Bennett/Paul Anka Gala Concert (featured dancer) and Cyndi Lauper’s music video, Into the Night Life! (featured dancer). Kelli is the founder/choreographer for two children’s theatre companies, The Groove Train Performing Company (Canada) and Broadway Danz (San Pedro Sula, Honduras). Kelli is proud to be joining the talented cast of The Great Unknown. A special thank you to Alison Franck, Bob Blume of Step Forward Entertainment and everybody at Carson Kolker Agency. Love to her family and Sandy for their never ending love and support.

Colin was last seen on stage Off-Broadway playing George Washington in We The People, America Rocks! Other credits: The Goddess Wheel, Hart to Hart (Avery Fisher Hall with Robert Goulet). Regional theatres: The Weston Playhouse, MSMT, The Ogunquit Playhouse, The Media Theatre and The Weathervane Theatre. He also appeared as Woody in Disney's Toy Story -The Musical. He wants to thank The Mine, his friends and family, roommate Egon, as well as the cast and creative team of The Great Unknown especially Diana! Shout his kid sis Molly.

Off-Broadway: CARMELINA (York Theatre Co.), LETTERS FROM INDIA (Musical Reading, Urban Stages).  Regional: “Fonzie” in HAPPY DAYS, THE MUSICAL (Gateway Playhouse), DREAM A LITTLE DREAM: THE NEARLY TRUE STORY OF THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS (Florida Stage), THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Seven Angels Theatre) (Westchester Broadway Theatre), THE MIKADO, URINETOWN THE MUSICAL (Weston Playhouse).  Eli is also an accomplished music director and orchestrator.  B.F.A. Musical Theatre, University of Michigan.  Undying love to friends, family, and teachers.  "Ponce, you my man! 'Dem Oats!"

Jim Wann (Composer/Lyricist) is the principal author/composer of Broadway’s Tony-nominated (Best Musical) Pump Boys and Dinettes in which he appeared, originating the role of “Jim”. The London production of Pump Boys received an Olivier nomination for Best Musical, and the Toronto version won Canada’s Best Musical (Dora Award). The longest-running musical in Chicago theatre history, Pump Boys continues to be produced across the country and around the world, most recently in South Korea.
Off-Broadway, Mr. Wann co-wrote (with Bland Simpson) Diamond Studs: The Life Of Jesse James, A Saloon Musical; Kind Mackerel & The Blues are Running: Songs And Stories Of The Carolina Coast (with Mr. Simpson, Don Dixon, and Jake Mills); and The People Vs. Mona: A Musical Mystery Screwball Comedy (with his wife Patricia Miller). The new Mona cast recording (JAY Records, London) features Marc Kudisch, Christiane Noll, Lillias White, Natalie Toro, and Ron Raines. Songs from King Mackerel and its cd followup, Wild Ponies, are performed annually in concert by the Coastal Cohorts (Wann, Simpson, and Dixon), now in their 25th year of fundraising for environmental and arts organizations.
On September 25, 2010, the premiere of Mr. Wann’s New Bern Romance, commissioned by the Carolina Chamber Music Festival, will commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Bern, N.C. The song cycle features baritone Ron Raines.
Mr. Wann has recorded a cd of Johnny Mercer songs (Pardon My Southern Accent, Vol. 1) and one of his own songs (Vol. 2), and acted as host of Farmer’s Almanac TV, a “green” lifestyle series on PBS nationwide. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar and member of the Order Of The Golden Fleece, the University’s honor society dedicated to unity, harmony, and service.

William Hauptman is the author of Big River, a musical adaptation of Huckleberry Finn written in collaboration with the late Roger Miller, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.  His other plays--Heat, Domino Courts, and Gillette--have won Obies and LA Drama-Logue Awards, among others.  He also writes fiction, and  his first published story appeared in The Best American Short Stories. He has gone on to publish a collection, Good Rockin' Tonight--which won the Jesse Jones Award for Best New Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters--and a novel, The Storm Season. He has also published articles in The Atlantic Monthly, Texas Monthly, New York Magazine, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. He has taught play writing at Yale, the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, at Brooklyn College, and has written many screenplays for the studios. He has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment, and is a graduate of the University of Texas and the Yale School of Drama. His website is williamhauptman.net.

Patricia Miller has worn many hats in the world of professional theatre as an actor, writer, producer, and administrator.  Ms. Miller was raised in Vidalia, GA.  She graduated from the University of Georgia with a BFA in Theatre and has a Masters in Arts Administration from New York University.  

 As an actor (member of AEA since 1974), she has worked in New York City, toured the country and Canada and appeared in regional theatre.  Her acting credits include:  VANITIES, (Off-Broadway) and the National Tour of CRIMES OF THE HEART.  She was the founder and artistic director in 1990 of a national playwrighting conference, The Gathering at Bigfork, in Bigfork, Montana.  Ms. Miller studied with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof and Stella Adler.  Her writing credits include THE PEOPLE VS MONA, written with husband, Jim Wann, which enjoyed a sold-out engagement Off-Broadway in 2007.  They also created JIM’S GARAGE, which premiered at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina in 2002.  In 2005, Miller and Wann toured with their theatrical concert, PARDON MY SOUTHERN ACCENT.   Ms. Miller produced Jim Wann’s KING MACKEREL & THE BLUES ARE RUNNING at the Westbank Downstairs Theatre in 1995, and served as Executive Director for the show at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC in 1996.  As a theatre administrator, Ms. Miller was Managing Director for the Westbank Downstairs Theatre in New York City’s Theatre Row District, and Managing Director for INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York City’s oldest Hispanic Theatre and art gallery.   Ms. Miller has served as a panelist for NYSCA and the Georgia Council for the Arts.  She was President of the Tybee Island Fine Arts Commission and currently serves on the Tybee Island Better Hometown program, a downtown revitalization effort that is a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  On Tybee Island, she has produced KING MACKEREL with the original NY cast as a benefit performance to raise money to save the Post Theatre, CELEBRATE TYBEE a celebration of Tybee’s 125th birthday and, most recently a successful monthly concert series, THIRD THURSDAYS ON TYBEE.

DON STEPHENSON most recently directed a OF MICE AND MANHATTAN at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, TITANIC at The MUNY Opera and THE 39 STEPS at The Flat Rock Playhouse. He directed the critically acclaimed productions of OLEANNA, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, THREE TO GET READY, and the hit musical comedy DOCTORS AND DISEASES at the historic Barter theatre. His production of DOCTORS AND DISEASES subsequently moved Off-Broadway to the Players Theatre. Other New York directing credits include BUCK SIMPLE (Garrick Gaities), WHEN PIGS FLY (Kaufman Theatre), GOLDEN VOICES  (Symphony Space), OLD FLAMES (Theatre Studio Inc.) and a workshop production of MY TIME OF DAY:  THE LETTERS, LYRICS, AND MUSIC OF FRANK LOESSER. Regionally, Don has directed productions of THE DESPERATE HOURS and THROUGH ALL KINDS OF WEATHER, both at the Clarence Brown Theatre and SLEEPING BEAUTY at American Stage Festival. As an actor, he was most recently seen on Broadway in ROCK OF AGES where he played the role of Hertz Kleinman. He starred as Leo Bloom in the TONY award winning Broadway production of THE PRODUCERS, and before that played Victor in the TONY Award winning revival of PRIVATE LIVES. Also on Broadway he created the role of Renfield in DRACULA and created the role of Charles Clarke in the TONY Award winning production of TITANIC. Don later returned to the show where he played radioman Harold Bride. Other Broadway credits include Leo Frank and Mr. Peavy in the original company of PARADE at The Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Bingo Little in BY JEEVES at the Helen Hayes Theatre, Dickie Clarke in PARDON MY ENGLISH, and he appeared as Frank Lippencott in the revival of WONDERFUL TOWN at Lincoln Center. On television he has appeared on UGLY BETTY, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS (pilot), NOW AND AGAIN, ALL MY CHILDREN, AS THE WORLD TURNS, LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, LAW AND ORDER,  LAW AND ORDER: SUV, BY JEEVES, and played the role of David Jordan on the soap ANOTHER WORLD. A native of Chattanooga Tennessee, Don holds a B.A. from University of Tennessee.  He is married to actress Emily Loesser and they have four children.

Liza Gennaro choreographed the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of The Most Happy Fella and the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress starring Sarah Jessica Parker. She has choreographed extensively in regional theaters across the country including: The Guthrie, The Old Globe, Hartford Stage, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, The Goodspeed Opera House, and collaborated with Stephen Flaherty and Frank Galati on their chamber musical Loving, Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein for the About Face Theater in Chicago. She choreographed the 30th Anniversary tour of Annie and Roundabout Theater Company’s Tin Pan Alley Rag (2010 Outer Critics Circle Nomination, Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical). In addition to her choreographic career Liza teaches at Barnard College and holds a master’s degree in Dance Studies from New York University. Her essay,“Evolution of Dance in the Golden Era of the American 'Book Musical'” will appear in The Oxford Handbook of the American Musical, later this year. Her essay “’Broken Dolls’: Representations of Dancing Women in the Broadway Musical” can be read in the online Journal Bodies of Work, http://www.bodiesofwork.info/Bob%20Fosse.html.

Diana Glazer is a New York based director, producer, casting director and creative consultant with expertise in new music theater works. She has worked on the Broadway productions of Chicago, La Cage Aux Folles and Soul of Shaolin and the Asian tours of Aida and Fame. Diana is the President & CEO of DiStar Productions and is the Casting Director at Prospect Theater Company.  She currently works with Ira Weitzman, producing music theater projects at Lincoln Center Theater and also recently served as Artistic Coordinator at the Weisslers'office.  Credits: Directing: Onward (59e59), Act IV Cabaret (Weston Playhouse), Birth Day (Hudson Guild), Assassins, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, & How To Wake Up. Producing: A Political Party! (Sage), green eyes (Fringe), Angels Twice Descending, Camp Out (the cell), A Mikvah (Fringe).  Past: Nederlander Worldwide, MTC, Primary Stages, Harden-Curtis, Weston Playhouse, & Mason Street Warehouse. Diana's musical Birth Day, co-written with Larson Award winner J. Oconer Navarro, won the New Works prize at Emerson College.  Currently: Chinglish(by David Henry Hwang), Petropolis (with Navarro), The Morning After/The Night Before (Lortel/Fringe 2010), MovingMidway and many more.  Diana served as a undergraduate teaching assistant in the theater department at Northwestern University, from which she graduated. www.diglazer.com

Lily is pleased to be making her NYMF debut.  Backstage credits include: Hair and various readings at the Public; Platinum and Control: the play (FringeNYC); Hater (Ice Factory); The Small (Clubbed Thumb); Trav'lin (York Theatre); The Really Big Once, A Family of Perhaps Three, Ten Blocks on the Camino Real (Target Margin); The Australia Project, Meg's New Friend (The Production Company); Fahrenheit 451 (Brave New World Rep); Sweet Storm (Theatre Row); Uncivil Wars (the Kitchen); Voice & Vision; Polybe + Seats; Cape Cod Theatre Project; Karen Finley's Impulse to Suck (Cooper Union); and Meredith Monk's Songs of Ascension (BAM and touring).

Marcie A. Friedman just recently returned to New York after serving as Production Stage Manager on the Kennedy Center’s national tour of Nobody’s Perfect, a musical for children that was simultaneously sung, in American Sign Language and open captioned. Select New York credits: Lincoln Center Out of Doors, 50 Words (MCC Theater), Raised by Lesbians (FringeNYC), Honor, The Blue Flower, Museum Pieces (Prospect Theater Company), and The Family Fiorelli (NYMF '07). Regional: Media Theatre, Vermont Shakespeare Company, Human Race Theatre Company, two seasons with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and four seasons with the People's Light & Theatre Company. Proud member Actors' Equity.

James was the associate production manager for three years at the Atlantic Theatre Company and has assisted with production management at many theaters including Theatre Row, 59E59, Atlantic Stage II and PS122. When not production managing James is a theater director, focusing on work that fuses drama with dance and music. He also works for the American Theatre Wing. This is his first year working at NYMF.

Wayne Barker just returned to New York from orchestrating Mark Bennett’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream score for La Jolla Playhouse. Wayne performed for five years with Chicago City Limits, New York’s most prestigious improvisational comedy theater, and with Harry Prichett and John Cameron Telfer created the interactive Radio Active Theater which was heard on WFMU and WKCR. His symphony pops work has been played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago, Minnesota, San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Pittsburgh symphonies, among many others. Wayne served on the staff of the HBO Family series “A Little Curious” and his music is heard in virtually every episode. Wayne arranges for and plays in the seven-piece Raymond Scott Orchestrette, serving up Scott’s one-of-kind chamber swing on their CD Pushbutton Parfait.  In 2000 Wayne began his long association with international megastar Dame Edna Everage, as her on-stage pianist for her North American tours, leading to her return to Broadway in Back With A Vengeance! for which Wayne also wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics with Barry Humphries. He has also appeared with Dame Edna onstage at the Metropolitan Opera and in the Strelna, the summer mansion of the Russian President. Wayne’s songwriting for Edna includes “We’ve Made The Most Of Melbourne” (finale of the 2006 Commonwealth Games) and “Fifty On The Stage” sung for Her Majesty the Queen at the 75th Royal Command Variety Performance, and most recently on Broadway (the catchy “I’m Forcing Myself To Like Michael Feinstein”). He is currently developing an original musical Live! Nude! Girl! (NYMF, 2009) with Donna Kaz and this spring the New York Theater Workshop will present Peter & The Starcatchers, for which he composed the score. Also coming: Common Criminals and Wayne Barker And Other Musical Curiosities, featuring the Victory Meat Extenders. He is a member of Local 802 and The Dramatists Guild.

Ritt Henn is an award-winning songwriter who has released 3 CDs of original music (available at iTunes) and produced 212 episodes of "ManBassBoxTV" (as seen on TV in NYC and on the web at YouTube). Previous forays with Jim Wann: The People vs. Mona (including leading the band for the York Theatre production and the ensuing cast album), Jim's Garage (premiered at Flat Rock Playhouse, NC), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Los Angeles). Other theater: Shockheaded Peter (Off-Broadway), Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway, First National Tour), Forever Plaid (Beverly Hills). Film/TV: Across the Universe, for which he had his face painted orange and carried a sousaphone, and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," in which he portrayed an alien bassoonist. As a sideman, he's accompanied Chuck Berry, Tom Jones, Buddy Rich and Martha Reeves, though unfortunately not at the same time. This fall, he will be performing the role of God (who is, of course, a bass player) in the debut of Mary Liz McNamara's The Good Girl, as part of Musical Mondays at the Snapple Theater. RittHenn.com

Previous music directing credits include productions of "Nickel & Dimed," "The Last Five Years" and "Sweeney Todd." Performance credits include (New York) BRAG! Vaudeville Festival and "When Push Comes to Shove" with Trust Your Gut Productions; (West Coast) productions of "Peter Pan," "Gypsy," "Jesus Christ Superstar" "Oliver!," "Death of a Salesman" and "Carmen" and "La Boheme" with Portland Opera. A versatile composer, songwriter and lyricist with two albums of original songs available, Mark's work has appeared in films and on stage and his lyrics have been set to music for chamber and choral works. Mark is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop (Composer) and is the composer/lyricist of "Tangled: A New Musical by Alexandra H. Rubin & Mark Sanderlin." MarkSanderlin.com.

Ilana is thrilled to be working with Nick once again and to be making her first foray into NYMFland with this team! She previously worked with Nick on A Tribute to Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach at Symphony Space (AD, dramaturg) and Tim and Scrooge at Queens Theatre in the Park (ASM). Ilana has also had the pleasure of serving as assistant director to Terry Kinney (reasons to be pretty, Broadway & MCC), Jonathan Silverstein (I Never Sang for My Father, Keen Company), and Randy White (Underneath the Lintel, Summer Solo Series at Soho Playhouse). Directing credits include Young Playwrights Festival at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Daniel Maté’s The Longing and the Short of It (Disney/ASCAP Workshop), Pigeons, Knishes and Rockettes (FringeNYC ’10), Ugly Couples in Los Angeles (Samuel French Festival), Series 6.2: Paint on Canvas (FringeNYC ‘09), Jekyll & Hyde in Concert to benefit the NY Society of Ethical Culture, Samurai Sword… with Crosstown Playwrights, Erik Christian Hanson’s Sweetheart, Rumana Habib’s YAABA and several staged readings, workshops and cabarets. She is extremely excited to be starting Grove, a theatre company in its fetal stages, with co-artistic director Michael Padden. www.ilanabecker.com 

Melissa Heller has credits as a producer, general manager, stage manager, special projects manager, writer, and more.  She has worked on the Broadway productions of Oleanna and Shrek The Musical; the Off-Broadway productions of Avenue Q, Altar Boyz, My First Time, and The Awesome 80s Prom; as well as the National and International Tours of Sweeney Todd and The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands, respectively.  Melissa works as the Assistant to the President at Davenport Theatrical Enterprises where she recently oversaw development of the new AT THE BOOTH™ iPhone app. An associate of DiStar productions, and based in NYC, she is currently working on a multitude of festival shows for the 2010 season.

Justin Huebener is a New York based producer/actor/special projects manager. Justin graduated with latin honors from Washington University in St. Louis with majors in Drama and Dance and was the recipient of the John G. Jutkowitz Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performing Arts. Currently an Assistant Producer with DiStar Productions, Justin has previously appeared in the national tour of CATS and has worked with theatres such as Stages St. Louis, The MUNY, Theatre at the Center and Step Theatre Company. When he is not “putting things together” Justin works in the real estate group of a leading global alternative asset management and financial services company…which is actually much more exciting than it sounds on paper.

Benjamin Otto is a New York based Producer/Director. He graduated from Fordham University with a major in English and a minor in Creative Writing. Ben has worked with the Flea Theater, The Arden Theatre Company, The Public Theater and with St. Ann’s Warehouse. Ben is the current General Manager of La Compagnia De' Colombari under the Artistic Direction of Karin Coonrod.

Brenden has been on the staff of Lincoln Center Theater for numerous shows including South Pacific, Joe Turner’s Come & Gone, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, Happiness, and all LCT3 productions as well as the upcoming productions of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, A Free Man of Color and War Horse.  Brenden has also worked with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, UglyRhino: a micro-season, FullStop Collective, Roots & Wings Theatricals and is a very proud graduate of Penn State University.

Spiff plays over 20 instruments. He is known for his one-man-band antics, in which he juggles up to six instruments simultaneously without using loops or other technological trickery. Favorite acting roles: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Goodspeed Opera House), Fame on 42nd Street (off-Broadway & Nation Tour), Cyrano de Bergerac (Fulton Opera House), Godspell (Walnut Street Theater), The Buddy Holly Story (multiple regional productions), Pump Boys & Dinettes (Carousel Dinner Theatre). Visit www.spiffwiegand.com to hear and watch Spiff in action.

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Robin has been a free-lance musician for the past 25 years in a career that includes: Broadway, concert, and T.V. credits,  Broadway and National tours of "Smoky Joes' Cafe" and "Big River". Off-Broadway,"Once Around the Sun", and "Behind the Beat".T.V.commercials:"Meow Mix"," I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Concert work: The Mamas and Papas,Darlene Love,Phoebe Snow, Donna Summer, Meredith Monk

Hailed by Billboard Magazine as  “a singer's singer”, Liz has performed on esteemed stages from the Newport Folk Festival to Carnegie Hall.  Her voice and compositions have been heard on countless jingles as well as TV and film soundtracks. This fall Liz will be releasing her fifth CD entitled “The Edna Project” - a collection of the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay set to music by Queler and her husband Seth Farber.  For more information visit their web site: www.redwallrecords.com. Liz also tours with Grammy nominated children's rock band "Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could".

Martin T. Lopez is a NYC based scenic and costume designer for theatre, opera & dance.  Recent projects include the set for Penelope at Manhattan School of Music and the sets and costumes for the American Premiere of Telemann’s Orpheus at Wolf Trap Opera, both directed by Lawrence Edelson.  Other opera designs include three ”Pocket Operas” by John Eaton, including Travels With Gulliver and Salome’s Flea Circus also directed by Lawrence Edelson and Pinocchio directed by Rhoda Levine.  Recent costume designs include Julius Caesar at Shakespeare on the Sound, directed by Ezra Barnes, The Interview at Chester Theatre Company, directed by Victor Maog and Trailerville and Uncle at Blue Heron Theatre, both directed by Wayne Maugans.  As an assistant costume designer Martin has worked with Susan Hilferty on the costumes for the American tour of Wicked and Martin Pakledinaz  on The Pajama Game at Roundabout Theatre.  Martin recently served as associate costume designer to costume designer Robert Perdziola on the new musical “Ace” at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA.  He was one of 6 designers chosen as a recipient in the 2004 NEA/TCG Career Development Program and recently presented his winning production design concept for Florencia en el Amazonas as part of the Director Designer Showcase at the Opera America conference.  

Brought 2 U from the Lone Star State, Christopher has designed locally and elsewhere 4 the following: Purelements: An Evolution In Dance, The Family Tree Collective, C. Eule Dance Company, Shades of Truth Theatre Company, The Kumble Theater for The Performing Arts, Restoration Dance Theatre Jr. Co., City Attic Theatre Co., The Milk Can Theatre Co., Hot City Theatre Co. and  The Relavations Group 2 name a few.

He is Spicy Thrilled 2 B part of this production team. Special Thanks goes out 2 the Edwards and Vernon Clan 4 their love & Keys.

Jean Marie is thrilled to make her NYMF debut with The Great Unknown.  Regional credits include Children and Quartermaine’s Terms at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.  Jean Marie graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a B.A. in Theatre and Classical Civilization.

Alison Franck was the Resident Casting Director for Paper Mill Playhouse for 10 years. She has cast over 50 productions for Paper Mill Playhouse,including the Broadway transfer of I’m Not Rappaport, starring Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen, directed by Daniel Sullivan. Regional:Pirates! (Goodspeed/Paper Mill), Hairspray, and Les Misérables (North Shore) and 2007’s mini-tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TUTS/Paper Mill Playhouse/North Shore/TOTS). Recent: National Tour of Ain’t Misbehavin’ starring Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis and the premiere National Tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Independent film: Broke Even (Best Drama, 2000 NY Independent Film Festival).

Mark has served as literary manager for New Professional Theatre since 2000, working with such writers as Keith Josef Adkins, Katori Hall, and Colman Domingo. In 2009, he was dramaturg for NYMF’s production of Mark Robinson’s Marrying Meg. He has also worked as a theatre writer for a variety of publications, including Back Stage, American Theatre, and Prologue (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s subscriber magazine). Mark is a graduate of the dramaturgy program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

Rebecca A. Frank recently moved to Boston where she is the Special Assistant to the Executive Director at ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage.  Rebecca is an attorney and theatrical manager and producer with numerous production credits. She had a solo entertainment law practice in New York and served as Programs Co-Chair for the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.  She received her JD from New York Law School, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Media Law & Policy Journal and was awarded the Media Center Award for Excellence in Media Law.  Rebecca received her MFA in Theatre Management and Creative Producing from Columbia University and her BA from Mount Holyoke College.