Alternate Theatre

.: About the Show

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF BILLY THE KID
by MICHAEL ONDAATJE

No figure from the Old West has inspired more imaginations than William "Billy the Kid" Bonney, the outlaw who was famed for killing 21 people ("one for each year of his life") before Pat Garrett but a bullet in his head in 1881. Michael Ondaatje, the award-winning author of The English Patient, weaves a lushly poetic, riotously comic, and harrowing play out of this amazing true life story. Director Kareem Fahmy paints an epic portrait of American society in the 1880s. Part love story, part musical, part suspense thriller, Billy the Kid's story is one of fame, friendship, and the inevitability of death.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Kareem Fahmy Director	Hailing from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Kareem has directed nearly twenty productions in the U.S. and Canada. Montreal directing credits include the Canadian premieres of Naomi Iizuka's Language of Angels and Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus, Patrick Marber's Closer, and Constance Congdon's Tales of the Lost Formicans. In New York: Judith Thompson's Lion in the Streets (Abingdon Theater), Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class and Bertolt Brecht's Drums in the Night (Schapiro Theater), The Way To Begin (Horace Mann Theater), and Anton Chekhov's On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (Schapiro Studio). Kareem is the founder and Artistic Director of The Alternate Theatre, which is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary with this production of The Collected Works of Billy the Kid. Kareem is graduating from Columbia University with an MFA in directing.
Jeffery Eisenmann Sets	Jeffery Eisenmann studied set design with Danila Korogodsky at California State University Long Beach. His recent designs include Curse of the Starving Class with The Alternate Theater and Diary of a Chambermaid with Dramahaus New York. Assistant design credits include Die Voegel at Spoleto Festival USA and The Ring Saga with The Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh. His work has exhibited in London, St. Petersburg Russia, and the Prague Quadrennial (2003). He is delighted to be working with The Alternate Theater Company and thanks Kareem for the collaboration.
Scott Bolman Lighting	Off-Broadway: Happy Days (Classic Stage), Moonlight Room (Beckett Theater). New York: Harvest, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Way to Begin, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Sonnets for an Old Century, 2 Josh, St. Fatso's Lament, I Am Not Peter Pan. Regional: Taming of the Shrew, Fighting Words (Yale Repertory Theater), Bedroom Farce, Seussical, Art, Educating Rita, Rumors (Hope Summer Rep). Dance: Map (Shen Wei Dance Arts, Lincoln Center Festival); Attracted to Accidents (KTDance), Journeys Down the River (Acorn Dance).
Lisa Renee Jordan Costumes	Lisa's costume design credits include Suicide, Anyone? (Off-Broadway) The Witching Hour, and Triangle (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Dr. Faustus: Occult Remix, Eccentricities of a Nightingale, Uncle Vanya, A Dream Play, Drums in the Night, .the Kid, Sweeney Todd, Ghosts, Murder on the Air, The Telephone, The Medium, and Hell & Heaven. Assistant design credits include Bernarda Alba (Lincoln Center Theatre), Chita Rivera: the Dancer's Life (Broadway), Tough Titty (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and Measure for Measure (American Player's Theatre). She received her MFA in Costume Design from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.
Andrew Papadeas Sound & Music	Andrew holds two degrees in music composition and writes for a variety of genres including theatre, film, electronica, hip hop, and instrumental music. Past theatre credits include Drums in the Night by Bertholt Brecht, Lion in the Streets by Judith Thompson, Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard, In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel by Tennessee Williams. www.trughost.com
Courtney Todd Dramaturgy	Courtney is a 2 nd Year Dramaturgy MFA student at Columbia. She has worked with the Alternate Theatre on Lion in the Streets and Curse of the Starving Class. Other productions include Henry IV Parts I & II (Dallas Shakespeare Festival), Glass Menagerie and Mother Courage (Columbia), and Winter's Tale and A Doll's House (SMU). Special thanks to Gary and Cheryl; without their love and support, I would never be who I am today.
Nicole Holst Choreography	Nicole Holst is an active dancer/choreographer based in New York City, who is originally from Lodi, California. She has performed in works by such noted choreographers as Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and Anna Sokolow, among others. After dancing professionally in both L.A. and New York, Ms. Holst has decided to focus primarily on developing her own choreography, and is currently performing and producing her own shows. She will be premiering an original dance theater piece entitled, "Never Give a Lady a Restive Horse", a satirical comment on Victorian culture, at the Merce Cunningham Studio this fall. For more information, including a full resume and booking information, you may check out her website at www.nicoleholst.com.
Rob Evans Musical Direction	Rob has studied at The Tennessee Williams Center in Sewanee, as well as The Stella Adler Acting Studio & Michael Howard Studios here in New York. He has enjoyed such roles as Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls, Edmund in King Lear, and Tom in The Glass Menagerie. Rob recently made his film debut in Heaven's Fall, which premiered at The South by Southwest Festival in Austin.
Brian Boerner Graphics	Brian has been a designer, writer, editor, penciller, colorist, art director, and production artist in the comics industry for (among others) Archie, DC, Harvey, Marvel, and Topps. Titles he's worked on include The X-Files, Xena: Warrior Princess, Duckman, Mars Attacks, Casper, Richie Rich, Marvel Masterworks: X-Men, Batman, Star Trek, Slimer, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and The All-Star Companion. Outside of comics he has written, edited, designed, and/or art directed print projects including books, magazines, trading cards and CDs about Patrick Stewart's A Christmas Carol, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Raiders of the Lost Ark, both GhostBusters films, the War of the Worlds radio show 50th Anniversary, Heavy Metal the Movie, "The Shadow" Chronicles, Superman on Radio and even Grease 2 (at least he got to meet Michelle Pfeiffer). The Collected Works of Billy the Kid is the first time his work will appear on stage.
Andrea Wales Stage Management	Andrea is a second year stage manager at Columbia University. The Collected Works of Billy the Kid is her third collaboration with director Kareem Fahmy. Other productions include Scapin and Tartuffe at CSC, a reading of Timbuktu directed by Richard Schechner with Paul Auster and Frank Wood, and Intrigulis at the LAByrinth Barn Series. Thank you to this wonderful cast for making me laugh everyday these past few weeks. To the SM 6 - what now?
Elizabeth Reed General Management	Elizabeth is a 2nd year Theatre Management and Producing MFA student at Columbia University. She is looking forward to heading out into the "Real" world and working on her thesis.

CAST:

Nathan Blew	(William "Billy the Kid" Bonney) Recent Regional: You Can't Take It With You (NJ), Pericles (DC), Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth (MA), Winter's Tale (NY). Recent OOBR: Lion In The Streets (Alternate Theatre), I, Claudius Live! and Bald Diva (Theatre Askew). Many, many thanks to Kareem for his tireless patience and support, to this wonderful cast and crew for making every rehearsal a joy, and to his finacée Juliann for filling each day with wonder and inspiration.
Rob Evans	(Billie Wilson, Azariah F. Wild, Deputy J.W. Bell, Musical Director) Rob has studied at The Tennessee Williams Center in Sewanee, as well as The Stella Adler Acting Studio & Michael Howard Studios here in New York. He has enjoyed such roles as Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls, Edmund in King Lear, and Tom in The Glass Menagerie. Rob recently made his film debut in Heaven's Fall, which premiered at The South by Southwest Festival in Austin.
Vivia Font	(Celsa Gutierrez, Comic Book La Princesa) Credits Include: NYC: La Tempestad (Miranda, Ohio Theatre), Faust (Gretchen, Blue Heron Arts Center), Loves Labours' Lost (Tribeca Playhouse), Regional: Shrew Tamer (Northern Stage), New Kid (George Street Playhouse), The House of Bernarda Alba (McCarter Theatre). Vivia recently made her television debut as Nash Brennan's nurse on One Life to Live. She obtained a BFA from NYU Tisch. She gets her biggest kicks performing interactive childrens' plays with Only Make Believe and is the Latina spokesperson for the Men's Health Network. She is happy and honored to be a part of this talented ensemble.
Steven French	(Patrick Floyd Garrett, Comic Book Toro Cuneo) New York: Gunny in One Man's War (Triad Theatre). Regional: Cassio in Othello (Hartford Stage), Mike in A Moon For The Misbegotten (Long Wharf Theatre); Salieri in Amadeus, Malvolio in Twelfth Night and title role in Henry V (Monomoy Theatre). Education: BFA, The Hartt School.
G.R. Johnson	(Tom O'Folliard, The Reporter, Deputy John W. Poe) New York: La MaMa E.T.C., Mint Theater Company, Fringe Festival, Circle East, and Vital Theater Company. Regional: Wilma Theater (Philadelphia), Huntington Theater (Boston), Alabama Shakespeare, Charlotte Repertory, Meadow Brooke Theatre (Detroit) and Florida Studio Theatre. Summer stock: Williamstown (Act One), Flat Rock Playhouse, Centennial Theater Festival and Dorset Theatre Festival. B.A., Oberlin College; M.F.A., Temple University.
Kyle Knauf	(Charlie Bowdre, Deputy Thomas Emory, Comic Book Billy the Kid, Pete Maxwell) Kyle is a graduating from Columbia 's MFA program in May. He just finished his Masters' Thesis, (The Moliere Cycle: Scapin & Tartuffe) which transferred from Columbia University to be co-produced by Classic Stage Company for a limited Off-Broadway run. Other credits include: I, Claudius as Piso, Theater Askew, Lie of the Mind as Frankie, Riverside Theater Columbia, Secret History of the Lower East Side (Off-Broadway) En Garde Arts, directed by Matt Wilder, The Obie-winning production of Benten Kozo as Benten Kozo, BAT Theater Co., directed by Jim Simpson, and Mac Wellman's Cleveland as Panda Hands, The Flea Theater. Many thanks, to Mr. Fahmy for including me with these wonderful people in a world of cowboy poetry. And as always to Megan and Sayre who keep me on the right side of law.
Melissa Miller	(Sallie Chisum) Broadway: Tartuffe (Roundabout), Dirty Dancing (workshop). Former member of the Bats (Flea Theatre), including work with Mac Wellman, Jim Simpson, Len Jenkin and Leigh Silverman. Workshops and readings at: Classic Stage Company, New Georges, Rattlestick Theatre, Keen Company, Red Bull Theatre. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Williamstown Theatre Festival, NJ Rep. Television: NBC's Ed, ABC's All My Children. Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College.
Tony Neil	("Dirty" Dave Rudabaugh, Deputy Jim East, Deputy Thomas McKinney, Comic Book Cougar) New York credits include the Executive in Platinum Travel Club at New Perspectives Theatre, Father Keenan in Sniper at Center Stage Theatre (WC & J Productions), Tom in Time of Your Life with the Chain Lightning Theatre Company, and appearances with the Rattlestick, Irish-American, and Vortex Theatre companies. Regional credits include Carthaginians, Biloxi Blues, Ah, Wilderness!, Major Barbara, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. Trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he played Antony in Antony and Cleopatra.
Ryn O'Connor	(Angela Dickinson) Ryn has appeared most recently in the Columbia Graduate Directing productions of A Streetcar and The Cherry Orchard. Previous productions as a company member of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts include Pains of Youth, Fifth of July, and A Doll's House.
Doug Simpson	(John Chisum, Comic Book Announcer) Doug hails from Illinois. He spent some years in Chicago before moving here, working with such theaters as Steppenwolf, Wildlife, and Moveable Feast. In New York he has performed at Looking Glass, Cherry Lane Alternative, and quite a bit with Spring Theatreworks, of which is a proud founding member. Doug also made with some wisecracks in the recent VH1 show "Embarrassing Moments 2".