Company Bios
The Company
All BNW company members live in the borough of Brooklyn.
*Members of actors equity association. The union of professional actors and stage managers.
CYNTHIA BABAK*
(Associate Artistic Director, Actress, Playwright, Director) BNW Actress: “As You Like It” (Phebe), “The Importance of Being Earnest” ( Miss Prism), “To Kill A Mockingbird” (Stephanie Crawford), and many Salon Series readings. BNW playwright: “Too Much Candy” in fall 2010 Halloween Plays @ Company XIV, “Pig Tales” (co written w/Michael Huston), and “Snow” in the Salon Series. BNW Director: “The American Clock” January 2010 Fundraiser at the Old Stone House. She writes and performs comedy as Babes in the Woods w/Michael Huston, performing in many venues throughout the city. Her play, “Where I Dwell” was produced (2008)@ The Lanyard Theatre in Bath, Maine , and her play “In The Skin” was a semi-finalist (2007) for the O’Neill Playwriting Conference.
ALICE BARRETT MITCHELL*
(Actor / Stage Manager) Alice Barrett Mitchell-BNW-Heartbreak House, American Clock, Fuddy Meers, Fahrenheit 451, among others. Broadway-Jake’s Women with Alan Alda. Film-”Twelve” with Chace Crawford, “Brooklyn’s Finest” with Richard Gere, “Choke” with Sam Rockwell. TV credits include “Body of Proof”, “Mercy”, “New Amsterdam” and “Conviction”, as well as a long-running role on daytime’s “Another World.”
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EZRA BARNES*
(Actor / Director) Brave New World: Ezra played Walt Whitman in “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” Atticus in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” and appeared in “Fahrenheit 451.” Off Broadway: Far & Wide (Mint), Richard II (Pearl). Performances at many regional theaters (Hartford Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Pioneer Theater, Denver Center Theatre Company and others). Shakespeare on the Sound in Norwalk, CT: Founding Artistic Director, directed Macbeth, Midsummer Nightʼs Dream, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice. Played Prospero, Leontes, Chorus (Henry V), Friar Laurence, Hortensio, Aguecheek, Benedick. Film (the upcoming “Joshua”) and television (“Law & Order”, etc.). Co-Founder and Festival Producer, Westerly, Rhode Islandʼs Shakespeare in the Park festival. Graduate of Amherst College and the National Theatre Conservatory. Brooklyn resident, where he lives with his family and runs the Young Actors Workshop.
TARA BAST*
(Actor) Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451″ (Helen) Taraʼs film and TV credits include a leading role in “World Without Waves”, last yearʼs winner of the Santa Fe Film Festival available at www.worldwithoutwaves.com, ”Law and Order”, “SVU”, “Criminal Intent” and “Third Watch”. Stage credits include more than 50 plays including leading roles in the premiers of “Miss Golden Dreams”, Joyce Carol Oatesʼplay about the life of Marilyn Monroe, Jeremy Dobrish’s Off-Broadway production “Notions in Motion” and “Ampersand”.
CLAIRE BECKMAN*
(Founder / Producing Artistic Director / Actor / Director / Playwright) Brave New World includes: The Halloween Plays (“Doctor” in Too Much Candy) As You Like it (Director), The Crucible (Director), The Tempest (Director), The Member of the Wedding (Director), On The Waterfront (Director,) Fahrenheit 451 (Mildred,) Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (Adaptor/Director,) The Great White Hope (Ellie,) To Kill a Mockingbird (Jean Louise/Director,) The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn). Off Broadway credits include The Torchbearers at Drama Dept., Snakebit for Naked Angels, the title role in Bella Belle of Byelorussia directed by Christopher Ashley at the WPA, The Last Empress at Lincoln Center and Kevin Kline’s Hamlet at The Public. Regional credits include leading roles at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Asolo Theatre, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Capital Rep, GeVa, Syracuse Stage, The Pittsburgh Public Theatre, The Meadowbook Theatre and several Shakespeare Festivals including Lady Macbeth at Shakespeare on the Sound. Films includes The Tollbooth, the award winning The Wormhole, Revolution #9, Pollock, Fallout, The Door in the Floor starring Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger and The Thing About My Folks starring Peter Falk and Paul Reiser. Television credits include: Law & Order, Law & Order Criminal Intent, All My Children (Silver Kane), As the World Turns (Sabrina Hughes.)
WILLIAM BRENNER
Brave New World credits include Giles Corey in The Crucible, Gonzalo in The Tempest, District Attorney Cameron in The Great White Hope, many appearances in the Salon Series readings. Off-Broadway: Incident at Vichy (Jewish Rep); David Edgar’s Mary Barnes (New York premiere); Visions of Kerouac; Marathon ’33 (Lion Theatre Company).
Regional theatre: Denver Center Theatre Company (Kent in King Lear, title role in Julius Caesar, many others); Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Shakespeare Festival of Dallas; GeVa Theatre, Rochester; Shakespeare on the Sound, others. Mr. Brenner, a baritone who sings with the chorus Grace & Spiritus of Brooklyn, holds a graduate degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and is a resident of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
ISIDORE ELIAS
With BNW: Boatswain in “The Tempest”; Ragosy and El Jefe in “The Great White Hope”; half a dozen salon readings, most recently Brewster and Kapush in “The American Clock.” Other recent appearances: Golden Fleece Ltd., Vertical Player Rep, HB Playwrights, Hadley Players, Lark Ascending. Performs his vaudeville act, “Bucky And His Friends,” at various NYC venues. Monologist-for-hire. His plays and musicals have been produced in the US, Canada and Europe. Honors: NYSCA, BMI Foundation, Carbonell Awards, Royal Theatre Carré (Amsterdam), Cross-The-Pond Productions (London). Long-time member of the Lehman Engel-BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. Alumnus of the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop. As a teacher, designed and moderates the Musical Theatre Unit of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre.
DAVID FRUTKOFF*
(Managing Director / Actor) is very proud to be part of such a scrappy and energetic Brooklyn-based company. David grew up in the Boston area and has acted in theaters in Boston, Chicago, LA (briefly!), and New York. David has performed in numerous Brave New World productions, including The Crucible (Reverend Hale), The Tempest (Stephano), Fahrenheit 451 (Aristotle), The Great White Hope (Goldie), and over a dozen readings in the BNW salon series. David appeared in over 20 shows while living in Chicago, including Death of a Salesman (Goodman Theatre), Travesties, The Misanthrope, and Once in a Lifetime (Court Theatre), Merry Wives of Windsor (Chicago Shakespeare), Assassins (Apple Tree Theatre), Company (Pegasus Players), Our Town and Smash (Bailiwick), Crime and Punishment (Writer’s Theater). David received his acting training at the Circle in the Square Theater School. David happily lives in Brooklyn with his wife Patty.
EMILY GLINICK*
(Production Stage Manager) Off-Broadway: “County of Kings” (Public Theater), “The Metal Children” (Vineyard Theatre), “Things of Dry Hours” (NYTW), “Looking Up!” (TNC), “Semi-Permanent” (Audible Productions). Workshops of “A Minister’s Wife,” “Dogfight,” “When I Come to Die” (Lincoln Center Theater) and “Prophecy,” “The Bacchae,” “Furtiva Lagrima” (Public Theater). Regional: “Far East,” “Bad Dates,” “Intimate Apparel,” “Trying,” “Nobody’s Heart” (Stamford Theatre Works); “Paris By Night,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Richard III,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “But For The Grace…” (Trinity Repertory Company), “Master Class,” “Lost in Yonkers” (Paper Mill Playhouse), “Macbeth,” “The Cherry Orchard,” “Twelfth Night,” “Ah, Wilderness!,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Death of a Salesman,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Vaidehi,” and “Variations on a Theme” (Chautauqua Theater Company), “A Lond and Happy Life” and “Shoe Story” (NYSAF). Stage manager for international tours of “County of Kings” (Sweden, The Netherlands, South Africa). Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
KARL GREENBERG
(Founding Member / Playwright / Actor / Musician) Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451″, “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Boo Radley) Karl has appeared at Don’t Tell Mama, Stand-Up NY, Roses Turn; The Village Gate, The Improv and 5&10 No Exaggeration, among others. Regional credits include “Moby Dick,” “Fifth of July,” “Can Can,” “Rebbeca” and “The City.” Stock includes “Cabaret,” “Kiss me Kate” and “The Fantastics.” Karl received his MFA from Brooklyn College and is a member of the writers group at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. He trained as an actor with Michael Howard and James Price. He also does industrials and is a contributing writer for Brooklyn Rail. His play “For Real” had its world premiere at The Flying Bridge Community Arts in 2002 and will be remounted at the 78th Street Theatre Lab in the fall of 2003. Karl and his family live in Brooklyn.
KEVIN HOGAN
BNW Rep: The Halloween Plays, The Crucible, American Clock, A Perfect Wedding; NY theatre: Impossible Marriage (Roundabout Theatre, w/ Holly Hunter), Such Things Only Happen in Books (Keen Company), Gun Club (Hypothetical Theatre Co.); Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), McCarter, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Theatreworks, among others. Film: Frank the Rat (2009 Palm Springs Film Festival). TV: Law and Order; Old Stone House: A Christmas Carol (solo adaptation)
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AMY ILIAS
(Founder / Associate-Artistic Director / Designer ) Brave New World: Set Design for “The Great White Hope,” “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Amy is the Art Director at ABC Carpet & Home. She has worked as a designer and consultant in the home furnishings industry for many years, and is a liscensed designer for Sasaki and Rosenthal. Other clients include Target, Crate & Barrel and KaravanHome. She is on the Board of Directors of the ABC Home and Planet Foundation, abchomeandplanet.org. She has designed scenery and costumes for The Dreama Players and The Neighborhood Theatre for Kids. She graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University and has been a proud Brooklyn resident since the1980′s.
CHRIS LINDSAY-ABAIRE*
(Actor) Brave New World: Numerous salons. Chris has performed in New York at LaMaMa ETC, HERE, Dance Theater Workshop, FEZ and Vital Theater Company, among others, and regionally at the Fulton Opera House and Fleetwood Stage. TV: “Law & Order: SVU”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Ghost Stories” and NY soaps. Film: “Sunshine”, “Growing Pains”, “Valentine’s Day”, The King of the Magicians” and “Static”, which have been shown at the Boston International, New York International, Orinda International, ZoieFest, and Cleveland International Film Festivals, among others. This is Chris’ third Brave New World Salon Series season and she’s thrilled to be a part of it.
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CATHERINE MANCUSO
Brave New World: The Crucible (Mary Warren), The American Clock (Lucy, Lucille, Harriet), The Member of the Wedding (Janice), A Perfect Wedding (Meridee), Fahrenheit 451 (Emily Bronte). Catherine currently works at Edge Studio and is training towards her first voice over demo reel. She has also recently performed on film with InByTheEye. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Catherine is proud to be a member of Brave New World.
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JOHN EDMOND MORGAN*
(Founder / Associate-Artistic Director / Actor / Director / Fight Choreographer) Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451 (Montag) “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (MTA conductor) “The Great White Hope” (Fred/Coates/Ensemble), “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Bob Ewell), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (Algernon). New York stage includes: “I Vermin” “The Last Empress” at Lincoln Center, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, “Sure Thing” at Soho Rep, the title role in “Zastrozzi” at The Basic Theatre, a staged reading of “The Grand Tour” for the Jewish Rep. directed by Stuart Zagnit, and Peck in “How I Learned to Drive” as a guest artist at Brooklyn College. Regional credits include “Sideman” at Florida Rep, “Candida” at Pennsylvania Stage, “Master Harold and the Boys” for Portland Rep, “Romeo and Juliet” at the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and “Hamlet” as a guest artist at Northern Michigan University. Television appearances include “All My Children” and “As the World Turns.” John has performed in and choreographed fights for numerous Shakespeare Festivals and independent films. Also for The Basic Theatre he directed “Downtown” at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, and he has directed for The Neighborhood Theatre for kids in Brooklyn. Teaching credits (acting and stage combat) include NYU, Webster University and Northern Michigan University. He teaches stage combat in the theatre department at Brooklyn College. John and his family live in Brooklyn.
MADAFI PIERRE
(Actor) Brave New World: “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”, “Fahrenheit 451″ If Adam had a daughter with Josephine Baker, and had her baptized by Charlie Chaplin, her name would be Madafi. Madafi Pierre is an actress, singer and songwriter. She, along with her band, has performed at some of New York’s hottest venues such as the legendary Blue Note, S.O.B.s, Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe and Central Park’s Summer Stage. This coming February, she will play Gloria in the comedy “Tambourines of Glory” by Langston Hughes, and on March 8 she will be back at the Blue Note. Her new CD “No Lie Relaxer” is scheduled for January 29.
ELEANOR RUTH*
(Actor / Board Member) Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451″ (Mrs. Hudson) “Great White Hope” and “To Kill a Mockingbird; BNW readings: “Much Ado About Nothing”, “Waiting for Godot”, “Hotel Paradiso” and “Lysistrata. NYC credits include “Angela’s Flying Bed” (Bed), “Sister” (Mother), “Ladies at Play” (Celeste), “Steinway Grand” (Mrs. Broderick), “Cruma” (Nagayo), “No Conductor “(Antonia) and “Dubliners” (Evaline, Maria). Regional credits include “House of Blue Leaves” (Bananas), “How the Other Half Loves” (Fiona), “Witness for the Prosecution” (Janet Mackenzie), “Hamlet” (Gertrude), “Macbeth” (Lady Macbeth), “Once Upon a Mattress” (Aggravain), “Little Mary Sunshine” (Mme.Ernestine) and “Side By Side By Sondheim”. An accomplished singer and puppeteer, Eleanor has appeared in casual venues (i.e. cabarets and bars) throughout the U.S., and has toured extensively with Robert Rogers, Puppet Projects and Starry Night Puppet Theatre. She is also a long-time member of the OBIE-winning Threshold Theater Company, and is especially pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the fabulous Brooklyn arts community in her former position as Program Coordinator for Brooklyn Arts Council.
CAROLINE RYBURN*
BNW: The Halloween Plays, The Crucible (Ann Putnam), The American Clock, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, and The Children’s Hour (Mrs. Tilford) at the Epic Passion Play Icon Series.. Off-B’way: Largely/NY with Bill Irwin (City Center), Emily Dickinson in Letter to the World (Lamb’s), and Dorothy Parker in No Song of an Ingenue (Dramatists). N.Y.C. stage: Hamlet, Midsummer Night’s Dream (Piper Theater), The Vagina Monologues (Mills Th.), The Yellow Wallpaper (92nd St Y). National Tours: Gypsy (June), Fiddler (Chava), and No No Nannette (Betty). Regional: Company (Sarah), Oklahoma (Ado Annie), “Twelfth Night” (Viola), and “Member of the Wedding” (Frankie) among others, and abroad at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Algonquinnites and Hollywoodaze. TV/Video credits include the Good Housekeeping Learning Series for Children. Caroline has worked with children of all ages teaching music, drama, dance, and movement classes.
JOE SALGO*
(Actor) Brave New World: “The Great White Hope”(Reporter, German Soldier), “The Importance of Being Earnest.”(Lane, Merriman), Numerous salons. A native Brooklynite, Joe is an alumnus of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Check out some of Joe’s music at myspace.com/joesalgomakesnoise.
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FRANNY SILVERMAN*
(Actor / Director) BNWRep: As You Like It (Rosalind), Heartbreak House (Ellie); The American Clock (Doris, Edie); Fabulation (Stephie, Rosa); Three One-Acts (Director). Selected New York Credits: Six Seeds: The Persephone Project (Space on White), Between Two Worlds (HB Playwrights), Strangers (Ontological-Hysteric), Alice in Wonderland (Queens Theatre in the Park), Coupling Heuristic and The Curse of the Horned Babby (Estrogenious). Regional includes: Human Race Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Northwoods Theatre Company. Franny has a BFA in Acting from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory – CCM. www.frannysilverman.com
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CHRISTINE SIRACUSA*
(Founding Member / Actor) BNWRep: As You Like It (Audrey) The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor) Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (Irish Mom/Park Slope Mom) To Kill a Mockingbird (Maudie Atkinson), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily). BNW Salons: A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella) A Doll’s House (Nora) An Ideal Husband (Gertrude) NY Theatre: Sincerity Forever (Judy) directed by Loretta Greco for the Mac Wellman Festival, Finnegan’s Farewell (Colleen), When the Bough Breaks (Mary), Trelawney of the Wells (Avonia Bunn) at TACT. Regional theatre: Dot/Marie in “Sunday in the Park with George” at The Arden in PA, “Rough Crossing” at The McCarter in NJ, the title role in “Cinderella” at The Olney in MD. Summer Stock includes: Absurd Person Singular (Eva) All in the Timing (Dawn) Engaged (Belinda) and Harvey (Myrtle Mae). Christine received a BA in Drama (magna cum laude) from Catholic University and trained at The Stella Adler Conservatory and the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger. She has studied voice in NY with Maryanne Challis, Scott Barnes, and Steven Lutvak.
SCOTT VOLOSHIN*
(Actor) Scott spent much of his adult life in Denmark. There, he performed with various theatre companies, acting in both English and Danish. In New York he co-founded Boon Theatre, where he was chief dramaturge, composer and a resident actor. He is now composing a sci-fi rock opera, Fertility, which will be produced this November (09’) at Players Theatre. Scott is currently employed as an actor in the Off-Broadway production of Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding. He is also co-producing the resurrection of the Grand Guignol (the French Theatre of Horror) to open in October of 2010.
ZACHARY WILLIAMSON
(Founding Member / Production Manager / Sound Designer) Zachary is a professional sound designer, living in Brooklyn, New York. Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451″ “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” “The Great White Hope”, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Recent New York designs include The Colleen Bawn, Peg o’My Heart and Bedbound (Irish Rep), I Vermin (NYC Fringe), For Real (78th St. Theatre Lab), The Nualas (Irish Arts Center), Misterman (Origin) and House of Blue Leaves (Two River). He has also been associate designer for the national tours of The Full Monty and Kiss Me Kate (Networks). Additionally, he has designed shows for Virginia Stage, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Opera, Queens Theater in the Park, Vermont Stage, Pennsylvania Center Stage, Dublin Fringe Festival and the School for Visual Arts in New York.
He has also worked with the Norfolk Governor’s School for the Arts where he taught as a guest-artist and has designed sound for seven productions. Zachary is the house audio engineer at New York’s John Jay Theater where he works with such groups as Lincoln Center, Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the Joffrey Dance Company, the A & E Channel and Comedy Central. He is also a member of United Scenic Artists, the union for theatrical designers.
STUART ZAGNIT*
(Founding Member / Actor) Brave New World: Numerous Salons, Inaugural Pier Show. On Broadway, Stuart created the roles of Goldberg in The Wild Party and the Mayor of Whoville in Seussical. Off-Broadway credits include Mr. President, Retribution, The Public Theater’s A Dybbuk, All In The Timing, the original Little Shop Of Horrors, Lucky Stiff, and he was critically acclaimed for his performances in The Grand Tour and Kuni-Leml. National tours: Crazy For You, Applause, Falsettos, Into The Woods. Regional theatres include Enter Laughing (Berkshire Theatre Festival), and Sound of Music (Sacramento Music Circus). Television: Five featured appearances on the three Law & Order shows and numerous commercials and voice-overs. Independent feature: Jingle Hell. He resides in Brooklyn with his family.
