Lauren Courtney Norman, May Festival 2010

Lauren Courtney Norman (as Kelsie, the yoga-loving cannibal who talks to squirrels) studied marine biology & acting at the University of Miami. During her time there, she worked as a laboratory assistant, exploring the field of Marine Geology for 3 years in accordance with her undergraduate studies in Marine Affairs and Ocean Policy and graduate studies in Aquaculture. However, the hundreds of hours she spent with the microscope did not completely satisfy her, so she decided she must add acting into her curriculum of nautical archaeology, and scientific research diving.

She started studying theatre and decided to pursue it as a career after finishing her degree. She spent time living in England during a study abroad program at the University of Essex and was cast in a production of 84 Charring Cross Road. On the day of her graduation, she gave a lecture to the Florida Archaeological Society. She was later offered a job on the spot as a park ranger, and although she was flattered, would not be caught dead wearing a ranger’s hat and polyester pants. She then turned her focused on acting. She was awarded a scholarship to study in New York City and never looked back.

She has portrayed characters ranging from serial killers to loving moms and worked in media ranging from print to stage to sound stage, and from screen to green screen.

Lauren is proud to say she is a full time actress and model. She has traveled to over 14 countries.

She currently lives in Manhattan with her hamster named Walker. Her converse are pink and she loves them. Check out her website at www.LaurenNorman.com

Daniel Maté, May Festival 2010

Daniel Maté (B.A., McGill, Psychology; M.F.A., Tisch/NYU, Musical Theatre Writing) writes music, lyrics, and book, in various permutations and combinations. He is the lyricist and co-bookwriter, with composer Will Aronson, of The Trouble With Doug, a modern comedic musical inspired by Kafka's The Metamorphosis (staged reading, Goodspeed Festival of New Artists '08; workshop production, CAP 21 Theatre Company, NYC, '09.) As a composer, his collaboration with lyricist Maggie-Kate Coleman has been featured as part of the York Theatre's NEO (New, Emerging, Outstanding) concert series. As a composer-lyricist, his song cycle The Longing and the Short of It was presented by Barrington Stage Company in August '09, curated and directed by Tony-winning composer/lyricist William Finn. Daniel's work has been performed at numerous NYC venues such as Joe's Pub and the Duplex, and his sold-out concert Marry Me, America at the Laurie Beechman in February 2009 was a Time Out New York "Critics' Pick." In addition he runs a custom songwriting service and teaches songwriting to young people. Daniel is the recipient of a 2006 Tisch Achievement Award and a 2010 Jonathan Larson Foundation Grant. He is also a two-time finalist for the New York City Hip Hop Karaoke Championship, a distinction of which he is most jiggy.

www.danielmate.com

Representation: Sarah Douglas, Abrams Artists, NYC

Eric March, May Festival 2010 Bio

Eric March is a composer/lyricist whose work has been performed at the New York International Fringe Festival (Granola! The Musical), Ars Nova (Songs About Real Life) and the Ensemble Studio Theatre, where he is a member of Youngblood, EST's group for emerging playwrights under 30. He is a member of the BMI workshop, a pianist and musical director for Chicago City Limits, Brodway's Next Hit Musical and ArtProv, and a former contributing writer for The Onion. His latest musical, "The Great American Deli Musical: Part I" will be read at the Schaerberle Studio Theatre at Pace University on June 21. Come!

Julia Meinwald, May Festival 2010 Bio

JULIA MEINWALD is an nyc-based composer. Her music for theatre has been heard at Lincoln Center (Disappeared at the Directors Lab), Ars Nova (Jack Perry is Alive and Dating), Joe's Pub (One Man Show), Prospect Theatre Company (Mapquest), the York Theatre (NEO5),and Barrington Stages (Bill Finn Presents Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists That You’ve Probably Never Heard of But Should.) Julia is a Dramatists Guild fellow, a resident artist with American Lyric Theatre and a proud participant in the composer librettist studio at New Dramatists. You can hear her music on the internet sitcom Inconvenient Molly as well to in the score to short films featuring Josh Gad (The Losers) and Mary Louise Parker (Wing Woman). She received her BA in Music from Yale University in 2005, and her M.F.A from NYU Tisch's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program in 2007. www.juliameinwald.com.

Elizabeth Boyke, May Festival 2010

Elizabeth is a sophomore musical theatre major at Syracuse University. In the fall of 2010, she will be performing in the SU Drama Department Faculty One-Acts. The 'Dress Shorts' portion of the 'From the Hip Festival' marks her NYC debut, with The British are Coming?... being her first playwriting credit. She'd like to thank Phil for ad-libbing with her for 8 hours to create their beautifully absurdist play. She would also like to thank Sonita for her wonderful direction, Ryan for being the greatest co-star a girl could ask for, everyone who has helped her with her first week in NYC, and her friends and family for being so loving and supportive.

Phil Blechman, May Festival 2010 Bio

Phil Blechman is currently a junior acting major at Syracuse University. His acting credits include Aesop in "Fables of Aesop", "Rocky Horror", and Evan in "Death of Superboy". He will be appearing as the palooka in "Palooka" by Tennessee Williams this fall in Syracuse. This is his NYC playwright debut. His play "The Unwritten Code" recently performed in Syracuse at the New Playwrights Festival and at the John Drew Theatre in East Hampton this past summer. He thanks everyone who thought of the idea "hey let's write a play in a day and then perform it". Big ups to you. Thanks to his wonderful partner in crime - Lizzy Boyke - Mom, Dad, Henry, Ed, and Bada. Hey Mr. Bear, we miss ya.

Laura Baron, May Festival 2010 Bio

"Laura Baron is a fearless actor," says NY Indie director Ian Fischer. Laura recently completed an acting project at the United States Military Academy in which she improvised with cadets completing their training with the USMA Negotiations Project. This summer she is slated to play a lead in the feature film "Love Stalker", to be shot in St. Louis. Also a classically trained vocalist, she's sung with such celebrated musicians as Bobby McFerrin and Sir David Willcocks. In her spare time she races motorcycles and practices yoga. www.laurabaron.net

Leah Henoch, May Festival 2010 Bio

Vinicius Vieira de Vieira, May Festival 2010 Bio

Vinicius Vieira de Vieira: Hello everybody, so nice to be part of the team, thanks for believing in me Jason ;) My friends better be reading this, and if you are, text me! Now!

Rivka Borek, May Festival 2010 Bio

Rivka Borek is thrilled to be making her Left Hip debut! She has performed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival and Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts. Training includes the National Theater Institute and Moscow Art Theater. This summer, Rivka will be traveling down to the Carolinian Shakespeare Festival to play Rosalind in As You Like It. B.A., Bard College at Simon's Rock Theater Performance and Playwriting.

Frank Cruz, May Festival 2010 Bio

Frank Cruz was born in NYC. He began playing drums at an early age. It was his love of music that lead him to acting.Being a singer songwriter he wanted to use his music to score film, and TV .So he figured he would give acting a try . He read a few books on acting and started auditioning.When he started to land some roles, he decided to get serious and enrolled at HB Studios.It was there where he discovered his love for acting and the theater.His latest album can be found at www.CraigCruz.com

Mim Granahan, May Festival 2010 Bio

Mim Granahan began writing plays at a very early age, and performing them for her mother with a cast of puppets. More recently, she has had ten of her one-act plays (Theatre Ghost, The Death Card, Out of Left Field, After the Curtain, Episode, Meet Me at Sunset, A Strange Serenade, Effigy, Parental Guidance Suggested, and Dash Diamond: Supernatural Detective ) produced in New York City, and is currently in rehearsals for her next one-act The Big Move. Mim has been selected as a finalist three times in WildSound’s One Page Screenplay competition. She has also written a full-length screenplay Anna Begins, and two short screenplays Painted Devil and Preview. As an actor, she has appeared in numerous classical and contemporary plays and several indie films, including The C.O.R.P.S., in which she co-starred with Jesse L. Martin. You can visit Mim’s website at freewebs.com/mimgranahan.

Lena Cigleris, May Festival 2010 Bio

Lena Cigleris just finished up a run with Endtime's Productions' Vignettes of the Apocalypse as Nomi. Other credits include: the national tour of James and the Giant Peach with Two Beans Productions, the regional tour of No Greater Love with the Xavier Players, and On the Town with the Staten Island Philharmonic. She would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support.

Mimi Jefferson, May Festival 2010 Bio

Mimi Jefferson (Lola) is thrilled to be working with Left Hip Productions. Favorite roles include Rabbi Jules Feinman in The Boychick Affair, Alice in Caryl Churchill’s Heart’s Desire, 9-count–em-9 roles in DeCADence with her theater company, Rising Sun and Yenta in Fiddler On The Roof. Oy! Film: Rogue In Londinium, My Brother’s War, Nothing For Christmas, ParAmour, Closure, The Reward. TV: Teachers, winner of the 2008 NYTV Festival Audience Choice Award. Thank you to Bob Teague and Rosebud Ben-Oni for the opportunity to work on this beautiful play.

Elliott Mayer, May Festival 2010

Elliott was recently seen as Gloucester in King Lear at the Gallery Players, and Shylock in the Inwood Theatre production of Merchant of Venice. NY credits include “The Odd Couple” (Murray), and “The Dreamer Examines his Pillow” (Daddy). Regional credits include: “Brighton Beach Memoirs” (Jack), “Kiss me Kate” (2nd Gangster), “A Doll’s House” (Krogstad), and the outdoor drama “Tecumseh” (Tenskwatawa). TV: “Guiding Light”, “All My Children, “As the World Turns”, “Law & Order”, and a Barry Sonnenfeld pilot, “Play or be Played”. Alumni: AADA and the Atlantic Theatre. Elliott is a proud member of Actor’s Equity

Brianna Oppenheimer, May Festival 2010 Bio

Brianna Oppenheimer was born in Pasedena, CA. She attended New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Coronado School of the Arts, and studies with Richard Scanlon. Some of her past favorite roles include the Queen, from Alice in Wonderland, Madame de la Grande Bouche, from Beauty and the Beast, and the Woman from Mexico, in Tres Salvajes. In addition to acting she also enjoys astrology, singing, dancing, and her little kitten smudgey. She would like to thank her Dad, her sister, Jenna, her always-supportive roommate, Peter, her best friend Dorothy, Sue, and her biggest fan, her sister, Elyse, who is smiling down from heaven.

Justin Hoch, May Festival 2010 Bio

Justin Hoch: happy to be here and working with Left Hip. Growing a beard was the best thing that ever happened to his career. You can see the back of his head as Tom Youk opposite Al Pacino in the now-airing You Don't Know Jack on HBO and his entire body covered in white in a recent commercial for Google Chrome. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he never acts like William in real life. Thanks for coming! http://www.justinhoch.com

Greg Moss, May Festival 2010 Bio

Greg has been a member of Left Hip Productions since 2009. As a playwright, his two plays, Buried and Paper Tiger were featured in previous From The Hip festivals, the latter winning the festival in Central Park. He also served as stage manager for Left Hip's productions of Laundry & Bourbon and Lone Star. In addition, Greg has performed as an improviser all over the city and appeared in the film Rising Up: The Story of The Zombie Rights Movement. He is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and a lifelong New Yorker.

Olivia Schlueter-Corey, May Festival 2010 Bio

Olivia Schlueter-Corey is a California native transplanted to New York's theatre world nearly 3 years ago. Recently credits include Public Space Public Voice's production Her Train of Thought and A Midwinter's Tale with Point of You. Previous Left Hip productions include Nikita and The Amaranthine Thread. Thank you to Left Hip for helping women playwrights' voices be heard!

Jason Lord-Surratt, May Festival 2010 Bio

Jason Lord-Surratt- Director, Playwright, Co-Founder of Left Hip
If you have not met Jason Lord-Surratt than you have not met a passionate member of the artistic community. Jason Has been involved in theater for over twenty five years. Involvement that has led him to many off-off broadway shows as well as off broadway. Jason is a director, a playwright, an improviser and everyonce and a while an actor. Jason Lord-Surratt is a founder of LeftHip Productions and is proud to include his free approach to creation in this wonderful company's misson. Jason is a flawed human being that attempts to share his flaws with the world in order to make it a more enlightened. He is also a perfect specimen of a man that should have volumes written about him. All tongue and cheek aside. Enjoy yourself and be confident that you are supporting your friends, family and future artists. Enjoy.