A Company of Strangers
A Company of Strangers is the Theatre Ministry of Ecumenicon Fellowship, creating and presenting stories of myth, legend, and inspiration from many traditions.
Auditions: January 10, 24, 31, 2012 7-9 pm, DC Pagan Community Center, 1502 Massachusetts Avenue, SE, Washington, DC.
Rehearsals, February 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6, 13, 20, 27, STAY TUNED
Performance in Mini-Fringe Festival, Catonsville, MD (more info to follow), Sunday, March 11 - More to Follow
We are members of the DC GLBT Arts Consortium and GALA Choruses.
PERFORMANCE:
Martin Luther King celebration
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
7-10 pm (Free)
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church
201 4th Street, SE, Washington, DC
PERFORMANCE:
Strangers at the Gate
March 10 - 11, 2012
Part of Mini-Fringe at Women’s Expo
Catonsville, MD
rosanna-108@comcast.net
PERFORMANCE:
According to Us
(An All Seasons Ghost Story)
Friday, April 10, 2012 - Location TBD
PERFORMANCE:
GALA 2012
Choral Festival
Denver, Colorado
July 7-11, 2012
A pastor tells stories, Maggie hears voices, Nick has lost his memory, Simon will not come inside. A child remembers.
HOT FLASH: We have been accepted as Student Learning Public Service Activity by Prince George’s County and Northern Virginia public schools. Kids (11-18) may obtain volunteer service hours required for graduation through participation in this play. Call Charles Butler at 240-764-5748.
HISTORY
According to Us (a parabolic musical), was written during a blizzard in 1997 and has been presented about 40 times since, primarily in fundraising for the homeless and other ministries. Charles Butler is the playwright, composer, and current director. Rosanna Tufts is the arranger. Venues have included St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Greenbelt Arts Center, Artomatic, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, and Four Quarters Farm. Fund recipients include the Family Crisis Center, Inc. of Prince George’s County, Streetlights of Bethany, Charlie’s Place, and other homeless ministries. Press for pictures and how you can help.
We are looking for more events.
Passion of Persephone (A Rock Opera), is a recasting of the Persephone myth as a story of passion, redemption, and renewal. Leather and lace never sounded so good. Rosanna Tufts is the playwright and composer. The story was presented at the Capitol Fringe Festival in 2008 as a work in progress. Go HERE for more information. This is an adult-themed opera.
| OUTREACH_WHERE_HAVE_WE_HELPED? | SPONSORS_YOU_CAN_BE_HERE! | PERFORMANCES_WHERE_WILL_WE_BE? |
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PRIOR PERFORMANCES
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Greenbelt Arts Center St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church First Unitarian Church> Ecumenicon Fellowship Silver Spring Presbyterian Church |
SPONSORS Sponsors enable us to produce our show in various venues and pass through ticket sales to homeless and social service outreaches. Please help with your generosity. Sponsors will be linked to this website upon request. (All contributions sent to these buttons are fully tax deductible) All Good Foods |
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
CHAW MLK Celebration Mini-Fringe Festival According to Us GALA FESTIVAL Your theatre? |
| ___ROLE___ | ___PICTURE___ | _________BIO____________________________________________________________ |
| DIRECTOR |  Charles Butler Neto |
Charles Butler Neto (Playwright/Director/Composer) is a pastor, a singer and songwriter. He performed supporting roles with the University of Michigan theatre departments, and though he had no speaking lines, he was hooked. On the pastoral side, he has written a series of midrash performance poetry (Strangers at the Gate).
On the lighter side, he performed the role of the Fairy Queen (Alto) in Iolanthe. He wrote According to Us during a blizzard, and performed the role of Nick for its first performances. He has been both a church and community chorus soloist, including opera chorus with the Bel Canto Singers, and the Rock Creek Singers (Tenor/Counter-Tenor) of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. |
| DIRECTOR |  Rosanna Tufts |
Rosanna Tufts(Playwright/ Director/ Composer/ Arranger) (The Rector-2009 and 2011) in According to Us, (Persephone) in The Passion of Persephone /Playwright, Composer, Musical Director, Arranger) holds a Master’s degree in Music History from Peabody Conservatory. A soprano, she’s had a long career in classical music and musical theatre, appearing with Concert Artists of Baltimore, the Young Victorian Theatre, Municipal Opera, and several Baltimore-area churches.
Past roles include Cunegonde (Candide), Celia (Iolanthe), Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Papagena (The Magic Flute), Lalume (Kismet), Amahl (Amahl and the Night Visitors), and the Rector (creating the role in the first production of According To Us). She composed both music and lyrics for The Passion of Persephone, “the world’s first Bondage-and-Discipline Rock Opera,” which had a work-in-progress premiere at the 2008 Capital Fringe Festival. Musical and video excerpts are available at www.myspace.com/ passionofpersephonerockopera. |
ACTOR |  Ama Brown-Fenton |
Ama Brown-Fenton (The Rector) was last seen as the Understudy to Girale Takahashi at the Art-O-Matic performance of According to Us. at Joe’s Emporium, Ama made the transition from Ayana’s stage mom to The Rector. She is no stranger to the church nor the stage, having acted earlier in school productions of Lil’ Abner and Big River.
In addition, Ama has performed with the Christ Church Khoir Kids and was a featured soloist for the Concert Choir at Glenelg High School . As the Convention Planning Team’s Exhibits Coordinator, Ama has been excited to share A Company of Strangers with all of her Diocese of Maryland of the Episcopal Church friends. She has moved to Florida. |
ACTOR - AGENT |  Carrie A. Brown | Carrie A. Brown (Nun) is in her third production of According To Us. She has written and directed plays for educational and religious organizations, including the Organization for Black Episcopal Women in which she is an officer. She is heavily involved with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Airy, where we held our last performance. For many years, she has been a stage mother (Ama) and grandmother (Ayana Marie). She would like to thank Charles for his insightful script and for letting her have so much fun. Thanks to her family and friends for their support of this production. |
ACTOR |  Aref Dajani |
Aref Dajani(Simon) in According to Us, and Dionysus (Baritone) in The Passion of Persephone studies voice with Ana Castrello. He performed as Monostatos (Tenor) in The Magic Flute (Mozart) with the In Series of Washington. He performed as Don Octave (Countertenor) in The Stoned Guest (P.D.Q. Bach) with the Forgotten Opera Company of Bethesda. He recently performed at the St. Mark’s Players productions of Company (Sondheim). |
| ACTOR |  Ryan Dodson |
Ryan Dodson (Simon) acted in his first production of According to Us in 2010. He had acted in other plays with other companies, but this was the first singing role. He is now working in New York as an actor in several productions. | ACTOR |
 Ayana Fenton |
Ayana Fenton (Nick’s Granddaughter) performed her role as the child who watches everything. In addition to performing as Nick’s Granddaughter at the Art-O-Matic DC and Greenbelt Arts Center last season, Ayana has performed with A Company of Strangers in The Passion of Persephone (Tufts) as Eros. Ayana was last seen as Emily Best in The Best Little Theater in Town. Ayana has now moved to Florida. |
| ACTOR |  Maia Heard |
Maia Heard(Maggie the Elder) (Voice of Simon’s Mother) in According to Us was in her first production with A Company of Strangers in 2010 and sang the blues to haunting acclaim. Maia received an AA degree in musical theater from Dean College and, while there, she appeared in Pippin and has credits as Juliet’s nurse in Romeo and Juliet presented by the Folger Shakespeare Theater and has acted in the companies Everyday Theater and Arlington Youth Street Theater.
She was part of City At Peace in the Volunteer Theater Production and was a volunteer at Signature Theater, assisting in the set design. She plays violin, harp and piano and has appeared with the D.C. Youth Orchestra. Maia trained in ballet at the Academy of Theatrical Arts and the American Ballet Company. She is also proficient in jazz, tap, and modern dance, which she learned while studying at Dean College. |
| ACTOR |  Sabrea Lawrence |
Sabrea Danielle Lawrence(Maggie the Younger) (2010), in According to Us is entering her second production with A Company of Strangers. Growing up in Spotsylvania, Virginia, Sabrea (Brea) started singing at four years old in a traveling choir called “The Voices of Praise.” Living in a musical family, she sang in the children’s and adult choirs until age 17.
Playing the piano and directing her choir, Brea is an active figure in the art community, often painting works of art for local Virginia schools’ art classes. She has a passion for art, as well as singing, and has been looking forward to becoming a part of this theater family. She has been welcomed with open arms and all are pleased that she is a part of A Company of Strangers. |
| ACTOR |  Judy-Lynn Lawson |
Judy Lawson(Production) in According to Us is an Alto with the Prince George’s Community Society. Beginning at the age of seven, Judy sang in the church (junior) choir, graduating to the adult choir at 13. In high school, she was a founding member of the Drama Club and appeared in Brett Hart’s How the West Was Won, Sweet Kentucky Sue, and Lani Smith’s It’s the Lord’s Thing, as the Doubting Thomas character asking the musical question, “Are You Listening, Lord?” She is now working behind the scenes producing the program for this show. |
| ACTOR |  Fancy P. Cline |
Frank/Fancy Leonard(Nick 2009, 2010, Maggie the Elder, 2011) in According to Us is from a high school performance as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady in Ohio, and understudy in summer stock for Tevya from Fiddler on the Roof, Frank brought a rye wit as an old professor to two performances. Now her new self, Fancy, is Maggie the Elder. He worked in lights in Ohio, now she is under them. She is a Tenor with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performing as The Mirror in their production of Snow White, and Ms. Fancy P. Cline performing as Ms. Lovett (The Worst Pies in London) in the Awards Club of Washington. Frank received vocal instruction from Ron Freeman. |
| ACTOR |  Elicia Moran |
Elicia Moran(Maggie) in According to Us, Aphrodite in The Passion of Persephone has been acting for a while both in the theatre and on film. She has done a commercial in the area and various shows. Some of her favorite performances include Barbara Pitts in The Laramie Project, Ms. Bedwin in Oliver and Leila in Iolanthe. Elicia also teaches children acting classes with InterAct Story Theatre’s “Creative Kids” which she greatly enjoys. |
| ACTOR |  Michelle Mullany |
Michelle Mullany(Homeless Child/Maggie the Younger 2011) is an experienced actor in area productions. She is a veteran of A Company of Strangers, performing in The Passion of Persephone (Tufts) at the Capitol Fringe Festival in 2008. This past production she merged her role as a homeless child with that of Maggie the Younger, the voice of an abused child facing a lonely adulthood. She has appeared in numerous other stage productions including, Honk Jr., Seussical Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., A Christmas Carol, and the lead roles of Kate Shelley in The Legend of Kate Shelley and Sadako Sasaski in A Thousand Cranes. Her credit also includes Local TV, Film and Voice Over. |
| ACTOR |  Leonard Musta |
Leonard Musta (Homeless Man) in According to Us made his acting debut in Margaret Sears’ production of Hand of the Cause of God, William Sear’s On Fire with the Faith in the lead role of Steve presented at Desert Rose in Glay, Arizona. His training was at St. Andres in North Yale, Canada. He dedicates this performance to his son Ethan and daughter Avi. |
| ACTOR |  Girale Takahashi |
Girale Takahashi(Nun, Simon’s Mother, Nick’s Granddaughter)(2009) has performed with the Prince George’s Choral Society (with Director Ron Freeman) at the White House in celebration of the holidays. She was a part of the Morgan University Choir under the late Dr. Nathan Carter with performances at Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Kennedy Center. Girale is a sololist in the Washington Music Makers performing classical arias, sacred music, and spirituals. She is a member of the choir and soloist with the Unity Center of Light (Bowie, MD) directed by Dimitar Nikolov. Girale studied voice with Jerome Barry, Director of the Embassy Series. She held her debut recital with her repertoire coach George Peachy in 2009. |
| ACTOR |  Christopher Zito |
Christopher Zito aka CZ Burke (Jesus/Leper/Homeless Father/2008) is a graduate of the Catholic University of America’s drama department. Favorite roles have include Gilgamesh in Gilgamesh who saw the deep (Ivan Karamazov); Ivan and Adolf in The Last Man in Hell; Hunter in Hunter’s Rising, and Harry Padington in Beggar’s Opera. He has gone on to performances in New York City, and will be performing in September at the New York Comedy Club. |