by Ross Maxwell

directed by Aimée Hayes

8pm Curtain Thursdays thru Saturdays
7pm Curtain Sundays

Special Opening Night Benefit Performance
Monday, September 13th . Tickets $20
Party begins at 7pm . Show at 8pm

In a fractured Southern Gothic style, Ross Maxwell weaves an eccentric story of American mythology, obsession, love and memory, set amidst an impending hurricane. Years ago, the only clue left behind for Trudy and her precocious thirteen-year-old Zoë when her husband abandoned them, was a postcard with the word "Croatoan" scrawled upon it. Trudy, who has transformed herself from a Native American into a bizarre mix of sexualized matinee idols, has tried to forget the past, while Zoë eagerly awaits each new cryptic postcard from her father. When a mysterious young hitchhiking bible salesman arrives in search of this same man, he forces Zoë to choose between history and a future of her own. Also caught in the hurricane's path is Trudy's boarder, Clinton York, an African-American doctoral candidate in search of the last funeral song of the Gullah people and Jarrel, the handy-man doggedly trying to save their doomed beach home.

Featured in the cast: SARA BARNETT*, CHAD BECKIM, SEKOU CAMPBELL*, BRENNAN ROBERTS*, ALYSSA SIEMON*

Assistant Director: JAMI WISEMAN
Lighting Design: JAMES BEDELL
Costume Design: JESSICA TREJOS
Sound Design: BRENNA SAGE
Dramaturgy: LISA SILBERMAN BRENNER
Production Stage Manager: JAMI WISEMAN
Production Manager: NICK LEAVENS

Biographies:

ROSS MAXWELL (playwright) was born in Scotland and raised in Oregon. He is a member of Youngblood, the playwrights collective through the Ensemble Studio Theatre. Maxwell is also a member of the Partial Comfort Theatre Company. Recent productions include: "PEDESTRIANS" and "SUICIDAL FAGS AND THE DEATH OF GOD," both in Vital Theatre Company's Vital Signs New Works Festival. "PEDESTRIANS" was selected for the Samuel French Competition. His new full-length play, "HIS OCCUPATION", was commissioned by Purdue University and will be produced in March 2005. Maxwell received his B.A. in English at the University of Oregon.

AIMÉE HAYES' (director) artistic work at Vital includes: co-producing Vital's 2004 summer season and directing for "MAKE NICE? MY ASS!…", starring in "IDIOT'S DELIGHT" (OOBR Award), directing pieces in "THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON…", adapting and directing S. Mrozek's "THE MARTYRDOM OF PETER OHEY"; and directing Ross Maxwell's "PEDESTRIANS" which went on to the Samuel French One-Act Competition. She has also directed at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville and their Humana Festival; the Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, the University of Mississippi, the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, University of Alabama, and Tulane University.

Cast & Crew:

JAMI SHEREÉ WISEMAN (Production Stage Manager/Assistant Director). This is Jami's 3rd production with the Vital Theatre Company. She has worked with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and the New Harmony Theatre.

SARA BARNETT* (Zoe). Sara Barnett has been seen in New York in DIANA OF DOBSON'S (Mint Theatre) and ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE (SoHo Rep) as well as at numerous regional theatres. She has performed improv comedy in the city's UCB and PIT theatres. TV and FILM: "Law and Order: SVU", "Sex and the City", upcoming Dayquil commercial, and "Happy Now" (2004 Cannes Film Festival winner).

CHAD BECKIM (Avery Jay). Recent theater: PLAY, WHICH WOLF IS WHICH, AMERICAN MA(U)l, BOOTY CANDY and CRAFT. Training: Maggie Flanigan at William Esper Studios; BFA in Theater from Utica College of Syracuse University. Chad is a co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Partial Comfort Productions.

SEKOU CAMPBELL* (Clinton). Sekou is an alum of Columbia University's graduate acting program, making his Vital debut. Credits include: MACBETH (Banquo) at the Classical Theatre of Harlem (BTF) featuring Ty Jones & Arthur French; RICHARD 3 (Buckingham), Andrei Serban dir. at LaMaMa ETC; BLACK-EYED BROTHERS (Rodent) featuring Mos Def; INSURRECTION: HOLDING HISTORY (Hammet), Timothy Douglas dir. at BTF; New Jack City.

BRENNAN ROBERTS* (Jarrel). With the Vital Theatre Company: THE MARTYRDOM OF PETER OHEY (Old Hunter). With the Deptford Players: ROMEO AND JULIET (Chorus/Prince/Peter), MACBETH (Banquo), CASTRO'S BEARD (Madison), JULIUS CAESAR (Caska), HOW HE LIED TO HER HUSBAND (Her Husband), JOURNEY'S END (German Soldier); and most recently, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (Tranio) at the ArcLight Theatre.

ALYSSA SIEMON* (Trudy). Credits include: Mrs. Cherry in IDIOT'S DELIGHT at Vital Theatre, multiple roles in IN A STRANGE ROOM at the Brick Theatre, Christine in A DOLL HOUSE at Wings Theatre, Edward IV in HENRY VI PT. 2 AND 3 at Judith Shakespeare Company.

Design Team:

JAMES BEDELL (Lighting Designer). James has been designing lighting in NYC for the last 4 years. Recent FringeNYC credits include LULU: A NEW MUSICAL (Lucille Lortel), APOCALYPSE: BOOK ONE! (The Puffin Room). Other works include: The HELL FESTIVAL (The Brick Theater); The Looking Glass Theater's Spring Director's Forum; CAMINO REAL and KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN (both at Pace University).

BRENNA SAGE (Sound Designer). CROATOAN is Brenna's first project with Vital Theatre Company. Sound Design/Composition: FOURPLAY, smatter theatre ensemble in NY; A WOMAN ALONE, LARRY AND THE WEREWOLF, BLOOD RELATIONS in Portland, OR. Music Direction: Off-Broadway: AMERICAN GIRLS REVUE, American Girl Place. Off-off Broadway: DON'T CALL US, Chess. Pianist: GYPSY, NUNSENSE. www.brennasage.com

^ Member, Actors Equity Association.