17 Jun KSF Artists of Choice: US Theatre Selection Panel
Having spent the morning meeting shortlisted applicants for the KSF Artists of Choice: US Music Category, we spent the afternoon moving on to KSF Artists of Choice: US Theatre Category. Working alongside us on the theatre panel we had a great range of high level theatre professionals, who you can read about below.
Tina Fallon is an independent theatre producer and creator of The 24 Hour Plays® which brings together extraordinary artists to create time-limited theatre around the world. Regular events include The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, The 24 Hour Musicals, and productions in London, Los Angeles, Dublin, Athens and Florence. Through collaborations with organizations like London’s Old Vic, The Del Sole Foundation, and Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Company’s productions have raised millions of dollars for charities worldwide.
Marcus Gardley won the 2014 Glickman Award. He was the 2013 James Baldwin Fellow and the 2011 PEN Laura Pels winner for Mid-Career Playwright. The New Yorker describes Gardley as “the heir to Garcia Lorca, Pirandello and Tennessee Williams.” In 2014, he was awarded the Chicago BTAA for his play The Gospel of Loving Kindness. His most recent work, The House that Will Not Stand was produced at Berkeley Rep, Yale Rep and the Tricycle Theatre in London. It was a finalist for the 2015 Kennedy Prize. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Jenny Jules is a British actress who’s theatre credits include: Father Comes Home From the Wars (Public Theatre, New York); Julius Caesar (Donmar, St Ann’s Warehouse); Ruined (Almeida, Arena Stage. Critics’ Circle Best Actress Award and Helen Hayes Outstanding Lead Actress Nomination); A Raisin in the Sun (Royal Exchange, MEN Theatre Award; Best Supporting Actress); Pecong (Tricycle Theatre, Time Out Award Best Actress). King Lear, The Homecoming (Almeida) Death and the King’s Horseman(National Theatre) Film includes: The Man Inside, A Short Stay in Switzerland. Television includes Law and Order, Skins and Kavanagh QC.
Neil Pepe is the artistic director of the Atlantic Theatre Company. He most recently directed David Mamet’s A Life In The Theatre on Broadway with Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight. He made his Broadway debut with the acclaimed hit revival of Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow. Atlantic productions include Ethan Coen’s Almost an Evening and Offices, David Mamet’s Keep Your Pantheon and American Buffalo and Jez Butterworth’s Mojo, The Night Heron and Parlour Song.
Kim Whitener is directing producer of HERE, one of New York’s most prolific producing organisations. Until 2007 Kim was an independent producer with her own company KiWi Productions. Her projects and clients have included The Builders Association’s Alladeen, Super Vision, and Continuous City, Martha Clarke’s The Garden of Earthly Delights remount, and several works with Big Dance Theatre.
Rufus Wright is currently playing Tony Blair and David Cameron in The Audience on Broadway and previously with Peter Morgan on the original Donmar Warehouse production of Frost/Nixon and the film The Special Relationship. Theatre credits include: Titanic (MAC); The 39 Steps (Criterion); The Empire (Royal Court); Mary Stuart (Donmar Warehouse and Apollo) and Journey’s End (Duke of York’s). His television work includes: ElemeNtarY; The Thick of It; Fanny Hill and Extras. Film includes: Quantum of Solace; Spy Game; the forthcoming The Face of an Angel and 45 Years.
KSF Artists of Choice is a pioneering funding and mentoring initiative for UK and US based emerging artists working in theatre, musical theatre, music, dance or film. Epitomizing KSF’s aim of ‘sending the elevator back down’ it will provide funding, year-round support and mentoring by industry heavyweights. Once we’ve completed shortlist interviews in the UK and the US, we hope to announce our award recipients by early July.