BASS FOR PICASSO
By Kate Moira Ryan
Directed by Ike Schambelan

CAST: Mary Archbold, Kimothy Cruse, Anita Hollander, Felice Neals, Terry Small, and Nicholas Viselli.

Scenic and Lighting Design – Bert Scott
Costume Design – Christine Field
Sound Design – Alden Fulcomer
Fight Director – J. David Brimmer
Stage Manager – Kimothy Cruse
Assistant Stage Manager – Brooke Elsinghorst

Kimothy Cruse began his theater career as a professional actor at the age of 9 and has gone on to work as a director, producer and writer on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in film and television .  Some of his credits include: Broadway: The Little Foxes with Elizabeth Taylor & Maureen Stapleton (Assoc. Director), All Over Town (Ass’t. Director). Off-Broadway: The Threepenny Opera with Bea Arthur, Charlotte Rae, George S. Irving, Bob Cuccioli & Donna McKechnie , Portraits, Perfect Crime, Mary Todd…A Woman Apart, A Servant Of Two Masters, The Return Of The Prodigal, I Knock At The Door and Pictures In the Hallway, Best Foot Forward, Fanny, Weird Romance, That Time Of The Year, The Times and  Yank!. With TBTB he has been the PSM on Romeo & Juliet, The Cocktail Hour, Middle Ages and A Nervous Smile. Regional: On A Clear Day…with Robert Goulet (Ass’t. Dir.),
Pal Joey with Dixie Carter and Elaine Stritch (Ass’t. Dir.), Sadie Thompson with June Havoc (PSM), Colette with Leslie Caron (PSM), Come Back, Little Sheba with Donna McKechnie (PSM) , Mary Todd…A Woman Apart, The Poetry Of Pizza, Footloose, Jekyll & Hyde, 42nd. Street,  Cabaret, South Pacific, Aida, The Full Monty and How The Other Half Loves (PSM). Mr. Cruse has directed over 60 productions in his career and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.

Anita Hollander has worked throughout Europe & America, premiering works at Carnegie Hall, Playwrights Horizons, London’s West End and NY Shakespeare Festival. A Helen Hayes Award nominee, she originated the title role in John Belluso’s Gretty Good Time at the Kennedy Center. Her original solo musical Still Standing was presented at The White House and Off-Broadway. TV appearances include Law & Order, OZ, The Sopranos, BBC’s From The Edge.  Stage roles include Emma Goldman in Ragtime, Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, Blanche in Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Grizabella in CATS. Theatre Week Magazine awarded her Best Director of a Musical for The Goodbye Girl. Recently, Anita appeared in TBTB’s production of A Nervous Smilein Zagreb, Croatia, Infinity Dance Theatre’s Body of Work (Joyce Theatre Soho), Nunsensations (Surflight Theatre), In Security (3LD Theatre), and the movie Handsome Harry (Tribeca Film Festival). Anita serves on the AFTRA National Board and is National Co-Chair of the tri-union I AM PWD campaign. www.anitahollander.com

Felice Neals (Pilar) makes her return to the theater in Bass for Picasso. During the past few years she has been pursuing a career in documentary filmmaking and screenwriting, while appearing in various play readings, including Bass for Picasso. Performances include: Private Property: Playwright’s Horizons and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fefu and Her Friends: Hourglass Theater Company. Film includes: The Lost Words, Dir. Scott Sunders. Acting training includes: The Ensemble Studio Theater, New Dramatists, Henry Street Settlement with Phillip Hayes Dean, Michael Howard Studios and The Working Playground Theater Company.

Kate Moira Ryan's recent projects: Her play, based on Ann Bannon's bestselling pulp novels from the 1950's, THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES, written with Linda S. Chapman and directed by Leigh Silverman, is currently running at Brava Theater in San Francisco. Winner of a 2008 GLAAD Media Award, THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES played Off-Broadway at 37 Arts and is published by Dramatists Play Service. Ms. Ryan's 25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER, written with and for Judy Gold enjoyed a long-running Off-Broadway engagement, winning a 2007 GLAAD Media Award and earning Ms. Gold a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Actress. A book based on the play was released by Hyperion/Voice and recently nominated for a Quill Award. This past December, Ms. Ryan's MOMMIE QUEEREST, a second collaboration with Ms. Gold, premiered at Washington, D.C.'s Theater J to sold out audiences. Other current projects include an adaptation of Moscow playwright Olga Mukhina's TANYA TANYA, which premiered in December at Towson University and was directed by director Yury Ournov; and THE WEATHERMEN, a musical written with composer David Clement.

Director Ike Schambelan has been a theatrical director, teacher and critic for 45 years. He has a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a Doctor of Fine Arts from Yale Drama School. He has directed at the Long Wharf Theatre, the Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The New Dramatists, Equity Library Theatre, the Pittsburgh Public Theater and the George Street Playhouse; and has directed many productions for Theater Breaking Through Barriers. He is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and of Actors' Equity.  As founder and Artistic Director of Theater Breaking Through Barriers, he has built it for 30 years into an Off-Broadway company recognized for doing first-class art. Previous productions include revivals of works by Shakespeare, Shaw and Gurney and new plays, including New York premieres of THE RULES OF CHARITY and A NERVOUS SMILE by disabled playwright John Belluso.

Terry Small is very excited to be working with Theatre Breaking Through Barriers. He holds a MFA degree in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. His studies have led him far and wide, from California to Florida, London, and New York.  Most recently he was seen as Barney in TBTB’s production of The Middle Ages. Some favorite roles include John Brennan in Coyote on a Fence; John Merrick in The Elephant Man (The Emergent Theatre); Tobias in What Remains; and Creepy in Losing Your Marbles (Tax Deductible Theatre); Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew; Mr. Smith in The Bald Soprano, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and of course Coyote in a one person show / mime extravaganza called Full Circle. He’s extremely pleased, to be apart of this cast and show. He would like to thank his wife, Kelly, for her continuing love and support. 

Nicholas Viselli A core company member since 1997, Nick has appeared in numerous shows and readings with TBTB. He was seen last season as Brian in the NYC premiere of John Belluso's dark and compelling "A Nervous Smile". He was also fortunate to re-create the role at the 6th Blind in Theatre Festival held in Zagreb, Croatia this past October. Other notable company credits include:  TBTB's wildly popular production of A. R. Gurney's The Cocktail Hour; TBTB's highly acclaimed Romeo and Juliet; the NYC premiere of John Belluso's The Rules of Charity; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Hamlet; Ted Hughes' adaptation of Seneca's Oedipus; Dial “M” for Murder; When I’m 64; Brecht On Brecht; Murder In Baker Street; Misalliance and Gorky's Vassa. Nick is also an administrative associate with TBTB, aiding in grant writing and fundraising and has served as the company's sound designer in numerous productions.  In New York, Nick has also worked with the Pearl Theater, Performers Access Studio, the Oasis Theater and The Riverside Shakespeare Co., to name a few. Nick will also be seen this spring, co-starring opposite Jackie Mason in the upcoming feature film, One Angry Man.