By Neil Wechsler
Theater for the New City, The Johnson Theater, 155 1st Ave, New York, NY • September 26, 2011
Directed by Hal Brooks
Produced by Lila Dupree
We are not as smart as we seem.
GRENADINE is the fantastical story of a man’s quest for love in the company of three devoted friends.
Featuring Bob Adrian, Larry Block, Brennan Brown, Bruce Dow, Melissa Miller, Jonathan Randell Silver, Monique Vukovic, John Warren, Margaret Woodard
“The questions the play asks and the answers it proposes are provocative; the play stretched my mind.” -Edward Albee
BIOS
Neil Wechsler (playwright): lives in Buffalo, NY, with his wife, Anne, and their two children, Max, 5, and Sasha, 3. His play GRENADINE won the 2008 Yale Drama Award. Edward Albee was the judge. The play was published by Yale University Press. It was The Drama Book Shop Play of the Week, October, 2009. It premiered at Road Less Traveled Productions in Buffalo (2009). It has received student productions at SMU (2010) and UNC-Chapel Hill (2011). Neil is currently working on an adaptation of Ibsen’s EMPEROR AND GALILEAN, which will open at Torn Space Theater in Buffalo, March, 2012.
Hal Brooks (director): directed Nilaja Sun’s Obie Award Winning No Child , Will Eno’s Pulitzer Finalist Thom Pain (based on nothing) and Mona Mansour’s Urge for Going (Public Theater), and served as creative consultant on Colin Quinn’s Long Story Short directed by Jerry Seinfeld. Regional: Six Years (Humana), Back Back Back (Dallas Theater Center), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Two River), My Name is Asher Lev (Marin). Other New York:Valparaiso and The Flu Season (Rude Mechanicals of New York), What Then and Precious Little (Clubbed Thumb). Hal is the Associate Artistic Director of the Ojai Playwrights Conference, a member of LCT Directors Lab, a Drama League Fellow, a recipient of the NEA/TCG Program for Directors, and Artistic Director of the Cape Cod Theatre Project. Upcoming: Tigers Be Still (Dallas),The Whale (Denver). Current: Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano (The Pearl Theatre, NY).
Bob Adrian (actor 1): NY Theatre: Macbeth (Roundabout); The Wound of Love, Small Potatoes (Houseman); The Cavern (CSC); The Vocal Lords (St. Clements) NATIONAL TOUR: Doubles. EUROPEAN TOUR: West Side Story. REGIONAL: Forum (Conversations With My Father–Newark Star-Ledger Award); Northlight (Buying Time); Dorset (Crossing Niagara); Stamford Th. Works (Cobb); Vineyard (Broadway Bound); Milwaukee Shakespeare Fest. (Henry 1V Part 2) FILM: 12 Monkeys, The Cowboy Way, Jungle Fever, Basketball Diaries, Killer Instinct. (Identical, A Wife Alone, Sacrificial Freshmen-soon to be released) TV & RADIO: CCTV Miniseries (War for China’s Fate); BBC (Moby Dick, Glowboys); New York Soaps, Radio adaptations of de Maupassant and Edgar Allan Poe.
Larry Block (grove): first appeared in New York City as The Boy, in Sam Shepard’s LA TURISTA at The American Place Theatre. His most recent stage appearance was as the older man, Kris Kristopherson, in The Actors Studio production of Eugene O’Neill’s ANNA CHRISTIE. In between he has been in many plays and films and television episodes and, most notably, Joe Frank’s radio shows on NPR. His work includes ANGELS IN AMERICA, GYPSY, WONDERFUL TOWN, MASH, BARNEY MILLER, COMING ATTRACTIONS, THE LOMAN FAMILY PICNIC, KOJAK, TWELFTH NIGHT, PERICLES, LARGO DESOLATO, BARETTA, CHARLIE’S ANGELS, SHAMUS, BAIT, HEAVEN CAN WAIT, FRIENDS AND STRANGERS, LAW AND ORDER, THIRD WATCH, and most recently as Gary Garrison, in the upcoming NBC series SMASH.
Brennan Brown (sconce): New York stage credits include: Ethan Cohen’s Offices and Harold Pinter’s The Room, both at the Atlantic Theater;The Persians and Right You Are, both at the National Actor’s Theatre; Major Barbara, The Roundabout; The Second Man and Museum, Keen Company;Asylum and Fair Fight, Naked Angels; Disconnect, Working Theater. Regional credits include: Richard III (title role) and The Imaginary Invalid at Yale Repertory Theatre; A Time To Kill, Arena Stage; Edgardo Mine, Hartford Stage;Absolution, American Repertory Theatre; The Winning Streak, George Street Playhouse. Films include: State of Play, John Adams (HBO), I Love You Phillip Morris with Jim Carrey, Detachment, and Turn the River. TV credits include:Ugly Betty, Damages, Gossip Girl, Masterpiece Mystery: Miss Marple (for the BBC), Person of Interest, Monday Night Mayhem (TNT Feature), numerous Law & Orders (regular, SVU and Criminal Intent), Kidnapped, The Education of Max Bickford, Deadline, and All My Children. MFA: Yale School of Drama.
Bruce Dow (prismatic): Now in his 12th season with the Stratford Festival, Bruce plays Herod in Des McAnuff’s production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (moving to the La Jolla Playhouse, November 2011). Last season, he appeared as Trinculo in THE TEMPEST, starring Christopher Plummer (filmed by Melbar Entertainment and Bravo! for release in Cineplex Theatres across Canada; now on DVD); and, as Speed in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Broadway credits include featured roles in: JANE EYRE, THE MUSIC MAN and ANYTHING GOES (benefit Lincoln Center Theater). In 2010, Bruce enjoyed a successful run as Pseudolus in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM for Mirvish Productions (Toronto). In 2004, he was nominated for a Dora Award (Toronto’s TONY®) for his performance as Pirelli in SWEENEY TODD. He has appeared in leading roles across Canada and the U.S. www.brucedow.com
Lila Dupree (producer): was awarded the Henry Evans Traveling Fellowship from Columbia University in order to facilitate the creation of an original musical production in the township of KwaMashu in Durban, South Africa. NYC acting credits include: Named, Rising Phoenix Rep and Young, Ars Nova (both Lucy Thurber World Premieres); All Over, Linda Gross Theater (Staged Reading) and 14th St. Theaterlab; The B-File, 78th St. Theatre Lab; AMidsummer Night’s Dream, Abingdon Theatre. Regional: Main Street, Collected Stories, Barefoot in the Park all with Acadia Repertory Theatre. Film/TV: The Golden Boys with Bruce Dern and David Carradine (Roadside Attractions). Directing Credits include: KwaMashu Dreams, Ekhaya Multi Arts Center, Durban, South Africa; Freedom Train, Columbia University (collaboration with award-winning playwright Katori Hall). Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Atlantic Acting School (NYC and LA). B.A., Columbia University. Co-founder and Artistic Director of The Common Tongue.
Melissa Miller (actress 2): Melissa Miller recently appeared opposite F. Murray Abraham in The Merchant of Venice (TFANA-national tour). Other recent credits: Jason Grote’s Civilization (Clubbed Thumb), The Tenant(Woodshed Collective), I Never Sang for My Father (Keen Company), Richard III (NY Classical). She made her Broadway debut in Tartuffe (Roundabout Theatre). Television: Ed, All My Children. Vassar College (Phi Beta Kappa), RADA (Certificate). www.melissamiller.org.
Jonathan Randell Silver (actor 2): just got back from Boston where he led the cast of Shear Madness at the Charles Playhouse. Other recent NYC and Regional theater credits include: Harpo Marx in The Most Ridiculous Thing You Ever Hoid! [NYMF award for Best Ensemble]; The Fantasticks! (Long Wharf Theatre); Robin Hood Prince of… Monsters! (Irondale Theater); Charlotte’s Web (TheatreWorks USA); Under Milk Wood, Threepenny Opera (Williamstown); Peter Pan & Wendy (A.R.T.); a current cast member ofAccomplice: NYC. Film/TV: Keeping the Faith; Jack; Dear John; Bored To Death. Jonathan received a BA in Theater Arts & Art History from Drew University and a certificate of higher education from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Monique Vukovic (actress 1): Theatre: The Vineyard Theatre & New Georges: God’s Ear; The Roundabout Theatre: u/s Holly Hunter in Beth Henley’s Impossible Marriage; Cherry Lane Theatre: Housebreaking; Ontological & Atlantic Theater 2: Buddy Cop 2; Tom Noonan’s Paradise Theatre: Peter & Vandy (Vandy) (Drama Desk Nomination Best Play), Room 314, Losing Ground, I Want You To, People Die that Way, Mouth Pieces; Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre: Iphigeneia at Aulis (Iphigeneia), The Cherry Orchard, Much Ado About Nothing, The Idiot; Moonwork Productions: Bound in a Nutshell (Ophelia), Hamlet (Hamlet), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), The Diviners. Film: Room 314, Losing Ground, The Orangepaper, The Mike Champagne Show, The Audition, The Story, Remains.
John Warren (pyx): has been acting professionally for over fifteen years in a wide variety of theatre, film and voiceover work. John has appeared in over forty professional stage production, spanning from Shakespeare, Dario Fo, and Ionesco to Beckett, Wilde and Miller, to name a few. He hopes to continue growing as an artist and working (hopefully) for many years to come.
Margaret Woodard (stage directions/stage manager): is a graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting 3 year Day Conservatory in NYC. She also studied at LAMDA in London. Previous roles include Gwendolen inThe Importance of Being Ernest, NYC, Sei in Trojan Women, NYC, Masha inThe Seagull, NYC, and Abigail in The Crucible, NY.