Chris Harcum
(Playwright)
Chris Harcum was named one of NYTHEATRE's People of the Year and his play, Green, was published in the Indie Theatre Now Best of 2011 Collection. His full-length plays include G. Dot’s Revenge, Trading Lunches, Rabbit Island, Milk & Shelter, Instant Gratification and The Devil in Ms. Spelvin. Chris co-adapted and played the title role in a modern version of Moliere’s The Hypochondriac. As a solo performer, he has created and performed Green, Some Kind of Pink Breakfast, Gotham Standards, Anhedonia Road, Mahamudra, The Monster and the City, Weight and Weightlessness and American Badass (0r 12 Characters in Search of a National Identity). Along with his play We Haven't Told Anyone About This, these pieces have been published on Indie Theatre Now. American Badass was also published in the Plays and Playwrights 2009 anthology and The Best of the Frigid Collection. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times and NYTHEATRE. As a teaching artist, he has worked with Neighborhood Playhouse Junior School, the Leadership Program, University of Virginia, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, CUNY Creative Arts Team, Queens Theatre in the Park and Transport Group. He is co-writing the screenplay for Meet the Hammernickys, a feature-length comedy, with the director Jason Cusato. Chris is a member of Actors’ Equity, Dramatists Guild and the League of Independent Theater. www.chrisharcum.com.
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Aimee Todoroff
(Director)
Aimee Todoroff is a New York based actress and director. She has performed at venues across the country, was the recipient of the Sinclair Foundation Award for Excellence in Performance and is proud to have been a part of several Obie Award winning productions. Her directing work has been seen throughout NYC at locations as varied as traditional theatres, bars and found spaces. She has directed for Primary Stages, ArtEffects Theatre Company, The Metropolitan Theatre Company (2011 Obie Grant recipient), and others, and has helmed the world premieres of works by Chris Harcum (Green, We Haven’t Told Anyone About This Yet), Nora Vetter (Details), Cusi Cram (Jump) and the East Coast premiere of Martin Blank’s The Law of Return. Aimee is the co-founder of the independent theatre company Elephant Run District. Links to information about Aimee’s latest projects and selected reviews can be found at www.aimeetodoroff.com.
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Ethan Angelica
(Performer)
Ethan Angelica (Alex) is so excited to be working on RABBIT ISLAND. NY credits: PEG O' MY HEART (MITF Best Musical), THOSE WHISTLING LADS (Spotlight On! Award, Outstanding Actor), HONESTLY ABE (Mint Theater). Regional: Theatreworks/USA (7 tours), Guthrie Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, American Folklore Theatre, Lake Placid Center for the Arts. BFA from NYU/CAP21. Huge thanks to Chris and Aimee for this extraordinary show!www.ethanangelica.com
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Mariko Iwasa
(Performer)
MARIKO IWASA was born in Kanagawa, Japan. She graduated Nihon Art University of Art. Her major was Theater acting. She is an Actress and dance performer in Japan. She did many performances, mainly Theater (musical, straight play, and dance performance) around Tokyo. She was a Tokyo Disneyland count down parade dancer in 2003. After graduating university she kept performing.She came to NYC in 2007. She wanted to try to convey to foreign people how her energy and personality are.....!!!! And meet new people!!!!! Also she was looking for good dance lesson. She found and met many exciting, crazy fun people in NYC !!!!!! New York City is still exciting to her. Fortunately she has done many performances in NYC. Two to three years ago she found a SlapStick class in NYC that was a new world of entertainment in her life :) She started to learn clown acting, physical comedy, some simple juggling etc... She had a shift change a little bit. Recently, she is performing at Variety shows, mainly. She performed at the Galapagos open variety show, New York Down Town Clown Revue, Whoa Wednesday etc. Most of her performance's stuff, she makes by herself. Anyway, anyway. She is so glad and excited to perform with Rabbit Island. It is challenging, really. By the way, everyone, she still wants to make more friends? Thank you. MARIKO IWASA
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Carrie Heitman
(Performer)
Carrie has appeared Off-Broadway, regionally, and traveled extensively performing in the UK, Poland, Russia and Malaysia. Selected favorites include: Emma in Phallacy (w/Simon Jones), Sarah in The Man Who Came to Dinner(dr. Michael Sexton), Mary Beth in A Prayer For Owen Meany (U.S. Premiere PRC), Alice in Hobson’s Choice (dr. Blake Robison), Metamorphoses (dr .Joe Haj), Goneril (us) in King Lear (dr. Mark Wing-Davey), The Mystery Spot(dr. Holly Hughes) TV/Film: Lipstick Jungle, Contracts (dr. Roni Ezra, Oscar Nominee Helmer & Son) 10 Days to Paradise, A Piece of Cake, The Patriot.
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Joel Nagle
(Performer)
Joel Nagle (SAG-AFTRA-AEA) actor, writer, filmmaker. Selected stage, TV and film appearances include: The Straitjacket, Kernel Of Sanity (Audelco Award nomination, Outstanding Ensemble Performance); M21/Bellevue, South Delancey, Henry’s Lunchroom, The Trials of MS. Katherine and Second (Plays and Playwrights 2005; Guiding Light (CBS) & All My Children (ABC), and the films The Challenger, Entropy, Say Nothing and Last Words of the Holy Ghost which has recently screened at several film festivals including: Lucerne International Film Festival in Switzerland, Aguilar Film Festival in Spain, LA Shorts Fest, Austin Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Driftless Film Festival, Coney Island Film Festival and the Big Apple Film Festival. Many thanks to Aimee, Chris, everyone involved in this production and my life coach, B.Y.O.B.
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Mel House
(Performer)
Mel House is excited to join the Elephant Run District team on RABBIT ISLAND. She got a taste for this magical group while collaborating on All My Sons and Uncle Vanya. She has worked in NYC and around the globe at Playwrights Horizons, Red Bull Theater Company, Ohio Theatre, New Georges, Baltimore’s Centerstage, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mel has been seen on One Life to Live, Rescue Me, and in the films Nicky Newark, 4960, Missy, Plus One, and The Film You Did Not See. She is a founding member of The DrawingBoard and a graduate of the University of Exeter’s School of Drama and the William Esper Studio. She thanks Vander and Iziah for their love, support and flexibility!
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Laura Butler
(Performer)
Laura is a New York-based actress and singer-songwriter. She trained in London with Trestle Theatre, Theatre de Complicite, Actors from the London Stage, Royal Shakespeare Company, and The New Globe. In addition to New York, she has performed with The Human Race Theatre Company, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Wexner Center, and The Dorset Theatre Festival. She has appeared in numerous films and television shows on NBC, ABC, HBO, USA Network, and MTV. She has performed in music venues all over New York, and recently released her first album, "Crushing Blue Cupcakes," a jazzy-folk delicious blend with the warmth of Norah Jones, uniqueness of Joni Mitchell, phrasing of Billie Holiday, versatility of Judy Garland, and poignancy of Edith Piaf. www.laurabutlernyc.com
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Maryvel Bergen Frida
(Lighting designer)
Maryvel is thrilled to be working with Chris and Aimee again, after most recently lighting We Haven’t Told Anyone About This. Other recent designs include Woman of Manhattan for the Iron Jaw Company, Festival of the Vegetables (2010) at the Metropolitan Playhouse, and King Lear for ShakespeareNYC. Maryvel is especially happy to be back with Frigid, after collaborating with Chris for American Badass for the 2008 Festival.
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Scott Garapolo
(Sound Designer)
Scott Garapolo, born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, earned a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Miami before moving to New York City. He has freelanced here, and toured nationally, as a drummer with seemingly countless bands for the last fifteen years. He now splits his musical time behind the drums and in the producer's chair, producing bands and singers and also composing music for theater, commercials and websites. Currently he is developing a deep passion for speaking of himself in the third person. Please stop by and visit at iamadrummer.com.
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Heather Olmstead
(Stage Manager)
Heather Olmstead* (Stage Manager) is tickled pink to be joining Elephant Run Productions again for another funtastic show. She has worked professionally at a handful of theatres in Ohio as well as Metropolitan Playhouse, La MaMa ETC, The Frigid Festival, The Fringe Festival and Theatre Askew's Youth Performance Experience in NYC. When not wearing black and lurking in the shadows she is playing with yarn. Much love to her family and friends for supporting her theatre habit, especially Kevin.
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