Levantine Cultural Center - Playwright Bios

THE NEW MILLENNIUM PROJECT

Responses to September 11^th, 2001

an anthology of short plays directed by Felix Pire

PLAYWRIGHT BIOS

SHORT PLAY by Heather Raffo

As a performer, Heather Raffo, who is of Iraqi heritage, has appeared Off Broadway: Over the River and Through the Woods, Macbeth, Merry Wives of Windsor and The Rivals. Regional: As You Like It, Othello, Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Burn This, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Fathers and Sons, Twelfth Night, and Pericles with the Old Globe Theatre MFA Program. Her London credits include the feature film Road to Nowhere and Hamlet at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Heather holds an MFA in Acting from USD, and received her BA in Literature from the University of Michigan. She is currently working on both a play and a screenplay about the lives of Iraqi women.

THE SCENE by Marc Ostrick

Marc Ostrick has most recently completed his first feature length documentary, WITHOUT A NET -- CREATING NYPD BLUE, a provocative portrait of the creative process of the co-creator and show runner of the series, David Milch. The film has recently won top honors with a platinum award at the Houston WorldFest, and is being distributed by Solid Entertainment. Becoming one of the first filmmakers to be commissioned by the digital entertainment world to create programming, Ostrick crafted two series for the popular short film content web site: EVEO.COM. A graduate of New York University’s film program, Ostrick has recently completed his next feature documentary, OPEN-HEARTED, about his own harrowing journey of preparing for, undergoing and recovering from open-heart surgery. Ostrick is a New York City native and currently resides in Los Angeles. This staged reading of THE SCENE marks Ostrick’s playwrighting debut.

HIRIPSIME THE COFFEE CUP FORTUNE TELLER by Lory Tatoulioan

Lory Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community dynamics. Tatoulian’s character studies, which define the core of her style, probe the behavioral dynamics within sub-cultures ranging from Californians’ relationships with their cars to issues of assimilation as an ethnic Armenian balancing contemporary culture with the voices of tradition. Tatoulian recently ended the seven city tour of her one-woman show, "Sitting Twisted, Taking Straight", which won Lory her New York off-Broadway debut. Lory’s theatre experience includes lead and supporting roles in "Lysistrata", "Joey and Maria’s Comedy Italian Wedding", "Skirker ", "This Is Not A Pipe Dream", and "Bye Bye Birdie". Miss Tatoulian, who earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University, has also trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and had the pleasure of studying with D.J. Sullivan. Lory is currently performing her current piece, "Cars", which is a comedic realization of Californians’ intricate relationship with that hunk of metal that fills the endless desire for yet another protective shell.

MUSLIM by Al Austin

Al Austin is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor. His fiction has appeared in a number of literary magazines, including Beyond Baroque, Caffeine, Bachy and Westwinds. He was the editor of PSA Magazine, Hollywood Magazine and Global Opportunity. His full-length play “The Amazing Brenda Strider,” which ran for six weeks in 2000 at Glaxa Studios, Los Angeles, was a Backstage West Critic’s Pick and received a Maddy Award for Excellence in Playwriting. Al was born in New Jersey, but has lived in Southern California since 1969. He currently lives with his

family in West Hills. He is a graduate of UCLA and has a Master’s degree in history from CSUN. Al is Project Director at Schneider Publishing in Los Angeles.

SHAKE A TREE TO SHAKE A TREE by Padraic Duffy

Padraic Duffy, a native of Los Angeles, ventured east to attend Princeton University, where he earned both an A.B. in English and a certificate in Theater. Upon his return to L.A in 1996, he worked in several capacities at Warner Bros. Studios, including as Audience Warm-up for sitcoms. He is now writing full time after an extended stint as Literary Assistant of the Mark Taper Forum. His full-length plays include TYM & BRIZZ, THE ILLUSTRIOUS BIRTH OF PADRAIC T. DUFFY, and FEET, which had its premiere at the Sacred Fools Theater Company in April of this year. He has had productions and readings at theaters throughout L.A., including Princeton Theatre West, The Playwrights' Group, A.S.K. Theatre Projects, The Sacred Fools' Theatre Company, as well as the Echo Theater Company, of which he is a member

TRAPPED by Shahid Nadeem

Shahid Nadeem is a well-known Pakistani playwright, who is presently in Los Angeles He was awarded the 2001 Feuchtwanger Fellow and a Getty scholar. His plays have been performed in Highways Theater and UCLA. During his stay in LA, Shahid has given talks about his work and the situation in South Asia at various universities and cultural institutions including UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, OTIS College, of Arts, ASK Theater and 18th Street Arts Complex. Shahid is the founder/Director of Ajoka, Pakistan's leading non-commercial theater, which has been in the fore-front of the struggle for human rights, secularism and peace in the region.He has also directed a number of drama serials for television. Shahid has been imprisoned several times for his writings and human rights activism. He has also worked as an Amnesty International officials in London and Hong Kong.

TWIN TELEPATHY by Nzingha Clarke

Nzingha Clarke worked as a film editor for 13 years and has recently turned to writing. For the last eleven years she has divided her time between Los Angeles, Amsterdam, London, Paris and New York and has only recently become a full time LA resident. Currently, she is simultaneously trying to complete a book of short fiction (her first book) and turning one of her stories into

a screenplay for a French director. This is the first work she has written for the stage.

PEACE by David Lewison

David Lewison: David’s theatre pieces have been performed at companies including Theatre Neo, Company of Angels, Zeitgeist Theatre, and the Turnip Theatre Company in New York. A graduate of NYU and AFI, he also co-wrote the award-winning comedy short, “Dora Was Dysfunctional.” His appearances as an actor include the ABC television series “My Wife and Kids” and the upcoming Paramount feature “Vanilla Sky.” He lives in Los Angeles.

ON BORDERS by Joshua Zide

Joshua Zide is a student at Stanford University and a Jew of Eastern European descent. His involvement in theatre ranges from performance to design, and "On Borders" is his first script. Joshua grew up in South Florida and never truly felt like he belonged in his surroundings, and so

borders have been very influential in his life. He would like to express his most sincere gratitude to Ammiel Alcalay for his invaluable guidance and support as well as for introducing him to the writings of Samir Naqqash and the issues faced by Levantine Jews in general.

TOY SOLDIERS by Barbara Genovese

Barbara J. Genovese is a research assistant at RAND in Santa Monica. The monologue “Toy Soldiers” evolved from an L.A. Times photograph, and also a concept piece and proposal submitted to RAND’s Criminal Justice Department after the September 11^th attacks, in an effort to draw attention to the 300,000 children (aged 18 and under) in 36 countries fighting in 30 wars worldwide. Ms. Genovese is a member of Wordsmiths, a playwrighting group held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center and sponsored by the L.A. Cultural Affairs Department; she is also a member of a theatre ensemble which performed a piece titled “Consanguinity ” at the Met Theatre for the recent Edge Fest 2001 Theatre Festival.




Visit Our Calendar Sign Our Mailing List Contact Us Home				THE NEW MILLENNIUM PROJECT Responses to September 11^th, 2001 an anthology of short plays directed by Felix Pire PLAYWRIGHT BIOS SHORT PLAY by Heather Raffo As a performer, Heather Raffo, who is of Iraqi heritage, has appeared Off Broadway: Over the River and Through the Woods, Macbeth, Merry Wives of Windsor and The Rivals. Regional: As You Like It, Othello, Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Burn This, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Fathers and Sons, Twelfth Night, and Pericles with the Old Globe Theatre MFA Program. Her London credits include the feature film Road to Nowhere and Hamlet at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Heather holds an MFA in Acting from USD, and received her BA in Literature from the University of Michigan. She is currently working on both a play and a screenplay about the lives of Iraqi women. THE SCENE by Marc Ostrick Marc Ostrick has most recently completed his first feature length documentary, WITHOUT A NET -- CREATING NYPD BLUE, a provocative portrait of the creative process of the co-creator and show runner of the series, David Milch. The film has recently won top honors with a platinum award at the Houston WorldFest, and is being distributed by Solid Entertainment. Becoming one of the first filmmakers to be commissioned by the digital entertainment world to create programming, Ostrick crafted two series for the popular short film content web site: EVEO.COM. A graduate of New York University’s film program, Ostrick has recently completed his next feature documentary, OPEN-HEARTED, about his own harrowing journey of preparing for, undergoing and recovering from open-heart surgery. Ostrick is a New York City native and currently resides in Los Angeles. This staged reading of THE SCENE marks Ostrick’s playwrighting debut. HIRIPSIME THE COFFEE CUP FORTUNE TELLER by Lory Tatoulioan Lory Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community dynamics. Tatoulian’s character studies, which define the core of her style, probe the behavioral dynamics within sub-cultures ranging from Californians’ relationships with their cars to issues of assimilation as an ethnic Armenian balancing contemporary culture with the voices of tradition. Tatoulian recently ended the seven city tour of her one-woman show, "Sitting Twisted, Taking Straight", which won Lory her New York off-Broadway debut. Lory’s theatre experience includes lead and supporting roles in "Lysistrata", "Joey and Maria’s Comedy Italian Wedding", "Skirker ", "This Is Not A Pipe Dream", and "Bye Bye Birdie". Miss Tatoulian, who earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University, has also trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and had the pleasure of studying with D.J. Sullivan. Lory is currently performing her current piece, "Cars", which is a comedic realization of Californians’ intricate relationship with that hunk of metal that fills the endless desire for yet another protective shell. MUSLIM by Al Austin Al Austin is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor. His fiction has appeared in a number of literary magazines, including Beyond Baroque, Caffeine, Bachy and Westwinds. He was the editor of PSA Magazine, Hollywood Magazine and Global Opportunity. His full-length play “The Amazing Brenda Strider,” which ran for six weeks in 2000 at Glaxa Studios, Los Angeles, was a Backstage West Critic’s Pick and received a Maddy Award for Excellence in Playwriting. Al was born in New Jersey, but has lived in Southern California since 1969. He currently lives with his family in West Hills. He is a graduate of UCLA and has a Master’s degree in history from CSUN. Al is Project Director at Schneider Publishing in Los Angeles. SHAKE A TREE TO SHAKE A TREE by Padraic Duffy Padraic Duffy, a native of Los Angeles, ventured east to attend Princeton University, where he earned both an A.B. in English and a certificate in Theater. Upon his return to L.A in 1996, he worked in several capacities at Warner Bros. Studios, including as Audience Warm-up for sitcoms. He is now writing full time after an extended stint as Literary Assistant of the Mark Taper Forum. His full-length plays include TYM & BRIZZ, THE ILLUSTRIOUS BIRTH OF PADRAIC T. DUFFY, and FEET, which had its premiere at the Sacred Fools Theater Company in April of this year. He has had productions and readings at theaters throughout L.A., including Princeton Theatre West, The Playwrights' Group, A.S.K. Theatre Projects, The Sacred Fools' Theatre Company, as well as the Echo Theater Company, of which he is a member TRAPPED by Shahid Nadeem Shahid Nadeem is a well-known Pakistani playwright, who is presently in Los Angeles He was awarded the 2001 Feuchtwanger Fellow and a Getty scholar. His plays have been performed in Highways Theater and UCLA. During his stay in LA, Shahid has given talks about his work and the situation in South Asia at various universities and cultural institutions including UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, OTIS College, of Arts, ASK Theater and 18th Street Arts Complex. Shahid is the founder/Director of Ajoka, Pakistan's leading non-commercial theater, which has been in the fore-front of the struggle for human rights, secularism and peace in the region.He has also directed a number of drama serials for television. Shahid has been imprisoned several times for his writings and human rights activism. He has also worked as an Amnesty International officials in London and Hong Kong. TWIN TELEPATHY by Nzingha Clarke Nzingha Clarke worked as a film editor for 13 years and has recently turned to writing. For the last eleven years she has divided her time between Los Angeles, Amsterdam, London, Paris and New York and has only recently become a full time LA resident. Currently, she is simultaneously trying to complete a book of short fiction (her first book) and turning one of her stories into a screenplay for a French director. This is the first work she has written for the stage. PEACE by David Lewison David Lewison: David’s theatre pieces have been performed at companies including Theatre Neo, Company of Angels, Zeitgeist Theatre, and the Turnip Theatre Company in New York. A graduate of NYU and AFI, he also co-wrote the award-winning comedy short, “Dora Was Dysfunctional.” His appearances as an actor include the ABC television series “My Wife and Kids” and the upcoming Paramount feature “Vanilla Sky.” He lives in Los Angeles. ON BORDERS by Joshua Zide Joshua Zide is a student at Stanford University and a Jew of Eastern European descent. His involvement in theatre ranges from performance to design, and "On Borders" is his first script. Joshua grew up in South Florida and never truly felt like he belonged in his surroundings, and so borders have been very influential in his life. He would like to express his most sincere gratitude to Ammiel Alcalay for his invaluable guidance and support as well as for introducing him to the writings of Samir Naqqash and the issues faced by Levantine Jews in general. TOY SOLDIERS by Barbara Genovese Barbara J. Genovese is a research assistant at RAND in Santa Monica. The monologue “Toy Soldiers” evolved from an L.A. Times photograph, and also a concept piece and proposal submitted to RAND’s Criminal Justice Department after the September 11^th attacks, in an effort to draw attention to the 300,000 children (aged 18 and under) in 36 countries fighting in 30 wars worldwide. Ms. Genovese is a member of Wordsmiths, a playwrighting group held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center and sponsored by the L.A. Cultural Affairs Department; she is also a member of a theatre ensemble which performed a piece titled “Consanguinity ” at the Met Theatre for the recent Edge Fest 2001 Theatre Festival.