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OUR PRODUCTION TEAM

Steve Velardi (Director) feels privileged to be directing this company's first production. Past directing credits include Boys From Syracuse and Women and Wallace at Emerson College and Laughing Wild, Jake's Women, The Fantasticks, Sisters Rosensweig, and Anything Goes in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Thanks to all who helped make this production come together.

Seth Bisen-Hersh (music director) is a prolific composer, musical director and performer in NYC theatre. Seth has written four musicals: Trivial Pursuits (music), Pandora's Children (music), Meaningless Sex (music/ lyrics/ orchestrations, FringeNYC2003 Audience Favorite Award), and The Spickner Spin (music/ co-lyrics/ orchestrations (10 pieces!), FringeNYC2004 Audience Favorite Award). Seth has also written and performed three autobiographical cabaret acts consisting of original songs: And Then She Dumped Me (2003), The Gayest Straight Man Alive (2004), and Meaningful Sex (2005). He earned 2 Bachelors (Computer Science and Music) from MIT in 2001 and a Masters (Music Technology) from NYU in 2003. Seth is a member of AFM Local 802 has played for Broadway auditions and is on the waiting list to be a sub for a handful of Broadway shows. His recent and current projects include musically directing and arranging the vocal parts for Cocktails with Coward currently playing at Don't Tell Mama, writing a new children's musical for FringeNYC 2006, A Kid Like Me, and his next cabaret act for 2006, Neurotic Tendencies. For more information, please visit: http://www.geocities.com/sethbh42 .

Tony Montenieri (Choreographer) has performed in such show as Sweet Charity, West Side Story, The Fantasticks, Crazy for You, and On the Town. He has spent the past two years assisting playwright Eve Ensler. This experience has included assisting her on her Broadway show The Good Body.

Renee M. Bell (Costume Design) is currently working as the production manager in Brooklyn at Yvette Helin Studio LLC. She mostly recently was an associate costume designer on the Drama Desk award nominated show The Audience. Other NYC design credits include The Workroom at the Manhattan Theatre Source and Anything Goes with the Brooklyn Heights Players where is first worked with Steve. She also worked at Dodger Costume before it sadly closed as the Assistant Design Coordinator for the Radio City Spectacular. She holds a MFA in Design from the University of Iowa. To Mom- who never missed a show.

Robert J. Weinstein (Lighting Design) has been a professional lighting designer for theater and television in New York for the last 22 years. He is also the Artistic Director of The Sackett Group, Brooklyn's newest Equity theater, which opens it's season in July with Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer which Rob will direct.

Bill Wood (Sets) is a lifetime member of the Heights Players of Brooklyn Heights and serves on their executive committee. A resident director, actor, and set designer at the H.P., he also has many community, regional and off-broadway credits in these fields. In addition to design credits at the H.P., Gallery Players, and Wings Theatre, some of his shows include: Whoopdeedo Actors' Playhouse, Big Apple Betty Judith Anderson Theater, Frankie and Johnny Sanford Meisner Theater, Balm in Gilead Miranda Theater, hot.l Baltimore The Inner Space and many, many more. Twenty years is a long time in this business.

Ilana Becker (stage manager) is a recent graduate of Emerson College, where she received a BA in Theatre Studies with an emphasis in acting and dramaturgy. She spent her final semester as an undergraduate studying at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. In Boston, she recently produced Floyd Collins and served as dramaturg for The Cradle Will Rock and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. She has performed in numerous plays and musicals at Emerson College, Stagedoor Manor, in the Boston community, and in her native state of Florida. Thanks to friends, family, and to MWRA for welcoming this New York newbie.

purgasonproductions@earthlink.net