Mine is Yours Theatre Company Stages R&J at Theatre of NOTE, Now thru 11/16

Mine is Yours Theatre Company presents R&J, a gender-reversed Romeo and Juliet, at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood for two weekends only! Playing tonight, November 7-16th, 2014.

Director Abby Craden is fired up and remarks: "We have discovered Shakespeare's poetry transcends time and gender and offers us the opportunity to experience R&J as a new play -- modern and feminist. It challenges us to question our traditional ideas about masculinity, femininity and sexuality and what is universally human in all of us."

"By using the text and reversing only the genders, the play takes on a whole new meaning and dimension," philosophizes Alan Blumenfeld, playing Nurse. And Cynthia Kania, playing Sister Laurence, chimes in, "Our gender reversed Romeo & Juliet gives a new route for a familiar journey -- the emotional rest stops and plot points are the same but unexpected values and new meanings arise when the opposite gender says the same words."

The Montagues, and in particular Romea, are wild and Bohemian. The Capulets are traditional and religious, led by a hot-headed woman and her reticent, timid husband. The most chaste and devout of the Capulets is young Julian. The feud between these families is deep-seated, and the violence simmering in the streets of Verona can no longer be ignored. And that's all before the play even begins.

Get tickets online at www.MineisYourstc.com! Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for groups of eight or more (Discount Code: MIYGROUP).

ALAN BLUMENFELD* (NURSE): As a professional actor for the past 40 years, Alan has a long history of work in film, television and theater. Some of his credits include: Theatricum Botanicum: Cecil/Nate, Equivocation; Gloucester, Lear; Lavatch, All's Well; Frank Gulick, Tone Clusters; Mangan, Heartbreak House; Wolff, Royal Family; Falstaff, Merry Wives of Windsor (LA Drama Critics Circle Award); Autolycus, Winter's Tale; Matt Friedman, Talley's Folly (with his wife Katherine James); many others. A Noise Within: Matamore, The Illusion; Scrub, Beaux Strategem; Morty, Awake and Sing (Ovation Nominee Best Production, LADCC Nominee Best Revival 2010); Pa Ubu, Ubu Roi; Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream Hollywood Bowl; many others. South Coast Repertory Theater: Felix/Beaupertuis, An Italian Straw Hat; David, A Feminine Ending; Eddie Brock, Born Yesterday. Odyssey Theatre: Mr. Peachum, Three Penny Opera; Jean, Rhinoceros (Drama-Logue, Garland Awards). Broadway and First National Tour: Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor. TV: more than 300 guest starring roles including: Shameless, Murder in the First, Arrested Development, Castle, Parenthood, Heroes (recurring). Film: The Interview Righteous Kill, In Her Shoes, The Ring, Heartbreakers, Bob Buss 2gether for MTV, Tin Men.

HAYLEY BROWN (PARIS): Since graduating from USC's School of Theatre, Hayley has appeared in various productions around L.A. including: As You Like It & The Cherry Orchard with City Shakes, The Dining Room with The Promenade Playhouse, A Midsummer Night's Dream & Measure for Measure with Theatricum Botanicum, and Love & Terror with The Living Corps. She co-founded Mine is Yours Theatre Company & appeared as Viola in their first production of Twelfth Night.

CHARLES M. HOWELL IV (CAPULET'S HUSBAND): Most recently played Polonius in Hamlet. He has worked with many of the people in this company at the Theatricum Botanicum, in The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Measure for Measure, where his Barnardine was hailed by the L.A. Times as a "first-rate comic performance." He has won three Emmys as a writer and producer on the animated TV shows Pinky & the Brain and Animaniacs, under executive producer Steven Spielberg.

KATHERINE JAMES* (CAPULET): Before L.A. - A.C.T, Little Fox Theater, Berkeley Stage, Ashland, P.C.P.A. L.A - Theatricum: Member since 1985 - Winter's Tale, Talley's Folly, Lysistrata 2003, Heartbreak House, Tone Clusters. Actor, Writer, Director for Seedlings Program. Other L.A.: Globe: Twelfth Night, Theater Theatre: Waiting for the Parade. Artistic Director of Free Association Theatre. Proud member of AEA, MFA A.C.T. Check out katherinejamesplays.com. Smitten by Alan Blumenfeld. For Daddy, who instilled an eternal love of the Bard.

CINDY KANIA (SISTER LAURENCE): MFA in acting from the University of Southern California. L.A. premieres - Edmond, Women Behind Bars, Immaculate Heart, Bleacher Bums. Theatricum Botanicum - Macbeth, Tone Clusters, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing. Cindy is Theatricum's Youth Programs Manager; noted youth acting teacher/director there and at numerous L.A. schools and studios. She has appeared on many TV shows, films, and commercials; partner at the Sport of Acting with her husband, Vinny Guastaferro.

HANNAH PELL (BENVOLIA): Hannah has played Feste in Twelfth Night for Mine is Yours, Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor (directed by Nick Hutchison), a nun in Measure for Measure, a servant in Heartbreak House (Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum), Tiger Lily/Ump in Looking Glass Land (West Valley Playhouse), Hannah Pitt/Ethel Rosenberg/Henry/Oldest Living Bolshevik in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, Olga in Three Sisters (both at the Powerhouse Theater), Pope Joan/Louise in Top Girls, and Girl in Boy's Life (Shiva Theater). BA in Drama from Vassar College.

WENDY PIGOTT (MONTAGUE/APOTHECARY): Actor/Singer/Songwriter/Producer. A Grammy-winning songwriter and producer with songs on multi-platinum selling albums worldwide. Company member of Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum. Studied Theatre and Media Arts (LAVC). Holds B.A. (Hons) in English (Warwick University). Theatre: Lear, Merlin, Equus, Importance Of Being Earnest (Lady Bracknell), Anything Goes. Film: Heaven's Rain, Frienemies, Disney/Pixar's Brave audiobooks (VO). Written and sung on Disney's Tinkerbell, Princess And The Frog, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Woody Allen's Oscar-winner Blue Jasmine.

TAYLOR JACKSON ROSS (MERCUTIA): Taylor Jackson Ross is a Los Angeles born actor and has worked in theaters from Topanga to Glendale. She has been working with Theatricum Botanicum for the past four years. Most recently she has performed as the Duchess of Albany in the gender-reversed Lear, and as Judith in Equivocation, both with Theatricum.

MARY ELLEN SCHNEIDER (ROMEA): LA Theatre: Olivia/Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night (Mine is Yours, Hollywood Fringe Encore! Award Winner), Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theatricum Botanicum). NY Theatre: Irina in Three Sisters and Moth in Love's Labor's Lost (directed by Andrei Serban), Phoebe in As You Like It (Classic Stage Company), Lady Anne in Richard III, Nina in The Seagull and The Pupil in The Lesson (ColumbiaSTAGES). She's thrilled to be a part of Mine is Yours' second production: R&J! She holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University. Visit www.maryellenschneider.com for more info.

CAITLIN STEGEMOLLER (PRINCESS): Caitlin is beyond thrilled to be a part of this incredible cast. Caitlin is a graduate from The University of Arizona and got her BFA in Musical Theatre in 2013. She most recently performed in Theatricum Botanicum's season, getting the chance to work on three of The Bard's plays. Some favorite roles include Carla in Nine, The Nurse in The Sunshine Boys, and The Baker's Wife in Into The Woods. Huge thanks to Abby and the whole creative team for this opportunity. Check her out at www.caitlinstegemoller.com.

PAUL TURBIAK* (JULIAN): Paul Turbiak has appeared onstage all over Los Angeles- including The Geffen Playhouse, LATC, the Colony Theatre, A Noise Within, Actors Co-op, Son of Semele, and REDCAT. He is a company member at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, where he has performed in numerous productions, most recently Equivocation by Bill Cain. He holds an MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts, and a BA in Theater from Gordon College.

SARAH KAY WATSON (TYBALT): Sarah received her MFA in Acting from UCLA's department of Theater, Film and Television. A member of the Los Angeles Theater Ensemble and Ark Theater Company, and affiliated with Sierra Madre Playhouse. Favorite roles include Elna Danner in Adeline's play, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and Rachel in Good Prisoner. R&J is Sarah's debut with Mine Is Yours Theater Company. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support.

ABBY CRADEN* (DIRECTOR): Abby Craden is a Resident Artist with A Noise Within and long-time company member at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum. Her directing credits include the world premiere of Plastic Crystal at The Open Fist Theatre, assistant director of The Cherry Orchard at Theatricum, as well as many showcase scenes. She is very excited to direct R&J as her first full-length Shakespeare. She is an award-winning stage actress and most recently played the "Bastard" in Theatricum's critically acclaimed Lear. She has also worked in regional theatres in Portland, Palm Springs, Santa Fe and Santa Barbara. Her voice can be heard in national commercials, animation, video games and over 100 audio books.

MINE IS YOURS THEATRE COMPANY: Born out of a few actors who met during Theatricum Botanicum's amazing summer stock in 2012, Mine is Yours is growing steadily with the support of a strong audience following and killer artists! They started with a 6-actor-and-1-musician production of Twelfth Night that was so well-received in its first run in January, that they brought it to the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June, and won an Encore! Producers' Award and an extension in July.

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

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