Hershell Norwood's

BILLIE'S BLUES TONIGHT

AT MAMA'S JAM

at the

Players Club

16 Gramercy Park South

at

1 pm on Wednesday, March 19.

The reading is free, so please join us!


Hershell Norwood (playwright) has an M.F.A in acting from Brandeis and is currently working to complete doctoral degree in history/theory and acting/directing from Texas Tech University. His interests feature playwriting and developing a Black Aesthetic Theory for theatre. He spent growing years in the metropolitan New York and New England areas and currently resides with his wife and grand children in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Thierry Saintine, (director) recipient of a BA in Theatre and Speech from City College, author of My Heart's Talking (book of poetry) which won him the Lowell Fellowship Award, Diamond Lovers (screenplay) and BitterSoul (stage play), Mr. Saintine is currently pre-producing Diamond Lovers which will begin production this summer under his newly founded Struglife Productions.

Juliette Fairley was discovered by Spike Lee in 2007 when she was hired to play a principal role in Mayor of New York (M.O.N.Y), a TV pilot commissioned by NBC in March 2007, produced by Tom Fontana with Barry Levinson (Oz, The Jury). Prior to booking her breakthrough role, Juliette hosted Cha Ching Money Makers, a tv show that aired on the Discovery Channel. She played a principal role in a re-enactment Segment for A&E TV's Watching the Detectives, airing in April 2008 and appears in a McDonald's TV commercial on Spanish television. Miss Fairley recently wrapped a lead role in the stage play Mulatto's Dilemma, which was a semi finalist in the 2008 Strawberry One Act Festival. View press clippings and her show reels at http://www.juliettefairley.info/ and at http://www.imdb.com/.

Ken Dashow (Jack Hearald) is a fish-monger from Brooklyn who has actually fooled people into letting him act, write, and direct His play, “The Wingding Doodle Club,” is in discussions for an Off-B’way run after its successful debut at the N.Y. Fringe Festival. Ken can be heard each afternoon, 4-8 PM, on Q104.3, “New York’s Classic Rock,” where he practices his day job of spinning mounds of sounds platters-that-matter. You can also find-out other junk about him at http://www.dashow.com/, and http://www.q1043.com/.

Zeretha Jenkins (Mama Sadie) Multi-talented as an actress, author/playwright and producer, Zeretha Jenkins has acted in TV, film and theatrical projects including: American Adoption, Who’s the Man, NYPD Blue, Law and Order, The Rape of Leila Meshki, Dancin’ on Moonlight; and various commercials/videos: Dove’s Fresh Take with Alicia Keys; I Apologize with Anita Baker; Pfizer; MasterCard. Her book, Walking By Faith: An Afro-American Trilogy, is a collection of dramatic works. Her plays -- Trial of the Race and Illusion in Blue, were presented at the prestigious National Black Theatre Festival. As producer, she currently has two projects in development. For more information, visit: http://www.walkingbyfaithonline.com/ and http://www.efs-enterprises.com/.

Jermaine Small (John Levy) is a proud Howard University alumnus, originally from Atlanta, Ga. He has performed in numerous productions, ranging from TopDog Underdog to Black Eagles. He would like to thank God, AAPEX, his family, and friends.

Liliane Klein (Katie Rose) NYC: Me and My Girl (McGinn/Cazale Theatre, Musicals Tonight!), I Wanna Be Rosie (La Mama, E.T.C.), The Greeks (MET, IMUA!), Narrative Intervention (Here, IMUA!), Do I Hear $5 (St. Clements). Regional: Fat Pig (Speakeasy, *Elliot Norton and IRNE Award Nominee), A Streetcar Named Desire (Foothills), Love's Labours Lost (CFS), Cyrano de Bergerac (CFS), As You Like It (CFS), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Ivoryton), Dido (001 Gallery, Scratch Theatre), Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Broadhollow,) Nunsense (Acting Up Theatre Co.). National Tours: Titanic (Candlewood), Scrooge (NYSO), Cyrano De Bergerac (NTAE), The Little Prince (NTPA), Tikki Tikki Tembo & Friends (StorySalad). Liliane plays Terry the Turtle on Kid Fitness (PBS). Recording: Stage Stars GYPSY (Mama Rose). Training: Boston University (BFA). Member: AEA, SAG, CFS, NJ Rep, The Players. http://www.angelfire.com/folk/lilianeklein -- www.myspace.com/lilianeklein

Arlene Love (Narrator) Among Arlene's many theatre credits: Nominated Best Actress in a Full Length Production off-off Broadway by Spotlight On for Lunch at Armageddon by Richard Lay. Appeared as a nun and as a prison inmate on One Life to Live and as the evil maid in the Nicole Kidman film,Fur. Studied with Anthony Vincent Bova. A proponent of The Eric Morris System. AEA SAG AFTRA.

Jimmy Gary Jr (Bobby Tucker) is a former NFL football player and Graduate of West Virginia University. He has appeared in "LAW & Order", "Rescue Me", "All My Children" and a number of independent films. He has just completed filming "A Long Road to Nowhere" a feature film that will make its way into the public eye in 2009. He is freelancing with agents Karen Goldberg & Associates and The Krasny Office.

T. Bankole. The last twelve years T. Bankole has been involved in producing and directing film, documentaries, and made for television projects. In 2000 Bankolé co-produced and acted as assistant director on a film entitled Conversation Piece with partial monies given by Miramax films, In 2002 Bankolé produced and directed a made for television pilot for Vh1 entitled Verses, which involved Wyclef John as a co-producer, He was also involved with a Japanese film production entitled Collogue of Our Lives which premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. He has also produced and directed a numerous amount of plays that he secured, and controlled funding for under the auspices of the New Federal Theater, ran by Woodie King Jr. Noted actor Armon Assante and Italian legend Marrio Fratti were involved with a production of his entitled Parallel Lives. He has had the opportunity to work with great names, from actors, such as Ruby Dee to Dave Chappell and Aretha Franklin to John Legend. Over the years Bankolé has built great relationships with music video directors, producers and industry insiders, he is associate producer for The national Black theatre c/o NFT, http://www.newfederaltheatre.org/.

We would love to thank our sponsors: