The Circus of Vices & Virtues (Summer 2002)

Leah James Abel [performer]
Leah James Abel currently teaches dance at HB studio in Manhattan while earning her BA at Hunter College in Political Science and Dance.  She has been trained mainly in Modern, Improv, International Folk Dance, Hula, Jazz and Physical Theater.  A rookie to the Circus, Leah James now better understands her purpose and future plans, again.  Aloha to all !!!

David Bartlett [performer]
David Bartlett trained in theater at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and was seen most recently in The Shoemaker’s Prodigious Wife at Hunter College. The Circus of Vices & Virtues is David’s clowning and stilting debut.

Patricia Beyhaut [performer]
Acting training: Neighborhood Playhouse and Stetson’s Studios. Last project: ‘Wife’ in The Shoemaker’s Prodigious Wife at Hunter College.

dj fflood [music/sound design]
Richard Malcolm Wright aka dj fflood has been a dj for over 15 years. He has been working his magic in New York City warehouses, clubs, lounges and bars, as well as in Kingston, Jamaica, and various places along the East Coast. He scored Mellini Kantayya's play "Intimacy Issues", deejayed for the "Not In Our Name" anti-globalization/war/erosion of civil liberties rally, and has been involved in numerous other artistic and activistic collaborations. He will be heading out to San Francisco to pursue a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies this fall.

Sarah Gancher [director]
Sarah Gancher is a director, playwright and jazz musician, clown-trained at Stellapolaris Circus in Norway and San Francisco Mime Troupe. Most recent NYC work: composing and performing music for Desire Caught By the Tail (HERE Arts Center) with Curious Noise Theater, of which she is a founding member. This summer she'll be revising a new full length play, Lovebird with a Mirror, to be produced by Curious Noise next winter.

Timmy Jones [asst. lighting design/l.b.o.]
Timmy Jones, aka Jimmy Tones, is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University. He is a freelance DJ and theatrical sound designer with New York-based Strange Bird Laboratories. This winter, he looks forward to designing sound for The Loveliest and Saddest Landscape.

Rachel Kramer [performer]
Rachel Kramer has performed with Circus Amok for the past 3 seasons, and is very happy to be half of the Kourageous Kiplingers.  She has worked with Judith Shakespeare Co, Los Banditos Chocolates, the Czech-American Marionette Theatre, and as a clown, improvisor, stiltwalker, hooper & youth circus coordinator and teacher.  Rachel currently studies trapeze with Tanya Gagne, and has trained at the National Shakespeare Conservatory and Actors Movement Studio. Thank you to everyone who is teaching me about the different kinds of strength.

Maria Litvan [performer]
Maria Litvan studied acting at the Col.legi del Teatre in Barcelona,  and graduated in Theater and Film from Hunter College. She is the co-founder of Vertiginosas (islands) and her work includes Obsessions, Borderline,  Les Cinc Pometes,  He Dit Dues!;  Julia Vs Julia (16mm film,) Lines (16mm film,)  Under Influence (16mm film,) Invisible (16mm film.)

Harvest Moon [performer/choreographer]
The Sultry Siren of Burlesque, Harvest Moon has performed burlesque for the past six years. Her burlesque troupe, the Cantankerous Lollies, is based in San Francisco. In New York, Harvest can be seen every Saturday night at the Fez and the Slipper Room. When not in the air, Harvest can be found doing her famed hula-hoop contortions.

Maia Ramnath [performer/choreographer]
Maia Ramnath has worked with Merce Cunningham Repertory Group, Jill Sigman, Pat Catterson, Rachel Cohen, Nuvole Dance Theater, Company Appels, and Chalasa Performance Company. Her work has been seen at the Cunningham Studio, University Settlement, the Stable, and the Construction Company. After 7 frenetic years of multi-tasking in NYC as a dancer, activist and graduate student, Maia is moving to Santa Cruz to begin a PhD in history this fall.

Melissa Riker [performer/choreographer]
Melissa Riker is a freelance modern dancer and aerialist, she is artistic director of The Kinesis Project, a movement/theatre company and works as a choreographer and movement coach for plays.  The Kinesis Project curates and co-produces Moving Estrogenius, the dance portion of the annual Manhattan Theatre Source Women's Work festival every September.  Melissa is a member of Torque Dance and Murray Spalding Movement Arts and has worked with Carmen DeLavallade, Paul Estabrook, Jackie Villamil, Darrah Carr, Artichoke Dance, Sharon Fogerty, Capoeira Brazil NYC, Manhattan Taiko, Sandy Chase/Fluid Film and others.   Melissa is inspired by dance that moves, flies and talks, thanks to Kate Magram and Torque for the kick in the flight direction.

Bronwyn Sims [performer] Bronwyn Sims is an actor, acrobat and aerialist. She was last seen in the downtown theater production of Pains of Youth at Access Theatre. Bronwyn has also worked at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge MA; the Speakeasy Theatre Co.; and the National Black Theater. In addition to her B-film credits, Bronwyn has appeared in the Sopranos (television) and in Next Stop Wonderland (feature film).

Joanna Sherman [director]
Joanna Sherman is the Artistic director of the MacArthur Award-winning Bond Street Theatre Coalition, an experimental theater ensemble which focuses on creating new works around political and social themes. With Bond Street Theatre, she has traveled throughout the world performing, directing, teaching and creating community-based theater projects. She recently returned from Pakistan where she performed in the refugee camps on the Afghan border. Joanna is also an accomplished musician, actor, dancer, clown, maskmaker, acrobat, juggler, and has been a panelist and speaker on women in comedy and theater at symposia on theater nationally and internationally.

Ben Spatz [lighting design/technical director]
Ben Spatz is a performer and director of radical experimental theater. He has come to New York City in search of fellow travelers, and has worked recently with the North American Cultural Laboratory, the Intergalactic Anarchist Convention, and Yelena Gluzman's Science Project.

Sonia Werner [performer]
Sonia Werner trained at Sarah Lawrence College, Michael Howard Studios, and L’Ecole International de Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Currently she is acting in two short films and is a member of The Dance Theatre of Westchester.

Jeff Wills [fight choreographer/performer]
Jeff Wills (EMC) had his first scrape with circus last spring in "Significant Circus" at the Manhattan Theatre Source, but you may have seen him last in "Dinner at Dario's" in various venues of Manhattan. He would like to thank Kate for her connection(s), his family for their fealty, and Princess Pascha for her precious passions.

Ruth Juliet Wikler [producer/dramaturg/project director]
Brain trained at Barnard (NYC); brawn trained at Circomedia School of Contemporary Circus and Physical Performance (Bristol, UK). Most recent project, the seed of Vices & Virtues: The Bruegel Triptych (September 2001), co-directed with Claudia Orenstein (Hunter College). Also aerialist, employee of Arts International and free-lance writer on contemporary circus and physical theater.