The fifth vignette in the "Brecht Line-Up"
playing June 18th, 19th, 24th, 25th, July 2nd, 9th, 11th
as part of "sUBVERsIVE sHORTs" 2010
STRONG SISTAHS
by B.M. Brown of Sherman Oaks, California
Directed by Kurt Schneiderman*
Starring
Pete
Johnson as "D.J."
Colleen Neumann as "Edith"
Sara Ball as "Monica"
Cindy Miller as "Julia"
Jessica Stuber* as "Yvonne"
Brenda Bridges as "Eva"
Lawrence Rowswell* as "Guard"
ABOUT THE PLAY.
"Strong Sistahs" is
a devastating day-in-the-life portrayal of the experiences of five women as
they wait for the chance to visit their loved ones in a minimum security
prison. ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT.
B.M. Brown is an
adjunct associate professor in the Los Angeles Community College District and
has taught English and further writing courses at Los Angeles Valley College
and other community colleges for the last ten years. Some of her classes include short story writing, mythology,
history of theatre, and playwriting.
She is a graduate of
the USC Master of Professional Writing Program.
Her one-act play The Lonely Bull was the winner of the
USC Sixth Annual One-Act Play Festival. This
play also received an Honorable Mention at the Dubuque Fine Art Players.
While at USC she studied with Jerome Lawrence (Inherit the Wind).
Under his auspices, she wrote Hannah’s Son, which
garnered ardent praise. Her short play Brave has been a
semi-finalist at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville’s Ten-Minute Play
competition and received an Honorable Mention at the University of Alaska
Native Plays contest. West Coast
Ensemble saw the production and staged reading of Myrna’s Mission
and MONROE…SHOCKS! (full-length American farce) respectively.
MONROE…SHOCKS! also received an Honorable Mention in
the McLaren Memorial Comedy Playwriting Competition at the Midland, Texas
Community Theatre. The ten-minute play The Seven Ages
of Fear was successfully performed at First Stage, Playwright’s
Express.
Strong Sistahs,
in its full length form was a
quarter-finalist in the Writer’s Network screenwriting competition.
She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, ALAP, and ICWP.  ABOUT THE CAST.
Pete
Johnson ("D.J.")
Please check back for Pete's bio.
 Colleen
Neumann ("Edith")
Colleen
is thrilled to be making her debut with Subversive Theatre. She holds a
BFA from the University of Maine, studied Shakespeare at King Alfred’s
College in England, and toured for twelve years with Children’s Theatre of
Maine. Favorite roles include: Edith Frank in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK,
Violet Venable in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (both with Ghostlight Theatre in
North Tonawanda), Helen Keller in MONDAY AFTER THE MIRACLE with
Oakland Civic Theatre, and Grandma in THE AMERICAN DREAM with Trium
Veridte Productions. She has also worked with Berkeley Reparatory Theatre and
Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco. This is for Cantor Susan.
 Sara
Ball ("Monica")
Sara
is a recent graduate of Niagara University where she received her BFA in
Theatre Performance and a minor in Religious Studies. As well as
participating in the sUBVERsIVE sHORTs, Sara will also be performing in
EX ONE (Gail) as part of the Buffalo Infringement Festival. You
may have recently seen Sara in NU’s productions of SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
(Miss Neville), ANYTHING GOES (Charity), THREEPENNY OPERA
(Molly, Reporter), CABARET (Fritzie), and TOP GIRLS (Jeanine).
She has also performed as a dancer in THAT’S TAP TOO! and at
DisneyWorld with Co.Dance. Sara wants to thank her mom, friends and
family for being a constant support!
Sara is also performing in the play DO/DON'T
DO, the second vignette of this Showcase's "Artaud"
Line-up. This is Sara's first time working with Subversive Theatre.
 Cindy
Miller ("Julia")
Cindy
Miller makes her theatrical debut on Subversive’s stage. She has never
performed before this production, but really enjoys the excitement that
theater brings. She has taken several acting classes in the Buffalo area
and is looking forward to displaying her talents in future performances.
What brings her to theater is a desire to explore her creative talents and
bring characters to life. She enjoys singing and dancing and finds the
challenge of a live show thrilling. She would like to thank the entire
theater family for welcoming her and hopes to learn more about acting in
future shows.
 Jessica
Stuber* ("Yvonne")
Jessica is a graduate of the Musical Theatre Program at
the University at Buffalo, where she starred in a number of their productions.
Professional stage credits include Irish Classical's BLOOD BROTHERS (2009).
With Subversive Theatre, Jessica has appeared in our
productions of WAITING FOR LEFTY
(2008), NICKEL AND DIMED
(2008), ...AND
THEY PUT HANDCUFFS ON THE FLOWERS. (2008), the vignette "Kangaroo
Court" (pictured left) as part of sUBVERsIVE sHORTs 2009,
and the world debut of WATERBOARDING
BLUES (2009). She has also provided costume design for NICKEL
AND DIMED, ...AND
THEY PUT HANDCUFFS ON THE FLOWERS.
and most recently OUROBOROS (2009).
Jessica is also performing in the play CLIMATE
CHANGE AND THE COURTESAN, the second vignette of this Showcase's
"Brecht" Line-up.
 Brenda
Bridges ("Eva")
Brenda
is a Junior at Buffalo State College. Strong
Sistahs is her first production performance off campus
and is excited for many more. She hopes to graduate in fall of 2012 with
a dual major Degree in Theatre and Media Production. Post graduation, she
plans to work with local theatres, radio and televisions stations, and film
producers. She would like to thank the director, cast, and crew for their full
support and patience along with her family by her side.
 Lawrence
Rowswell* ("Guard")
Larry
was last seen in ICTC's THE RELAPSE and in AWAKE AND
SING! ("Schlosser") with the Jewish Repertory Theatre. He
regularly plays ensemble and character parts at ICTC and elsewhere around
town.
A long-time member of our troupe, Larry's Subversive
Theatre stage credits include OUROBOROS,
FOUNDATIONS ("Joe
Dugan"), ...AND
THEY PUT HANDCUFFS ON THE FLOWERS. ("Katar"), PALACE
OF THE END ("David Kelly"), and -- most
recently -- HARVEST, to name only a few
.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR.
 Kurt
Schneiderman*
The Founder and Artistic Director of Subversive Theatre,
Kurt is very proud to see our sUBVERsIVE sHORTs program grow and
prosper the way it has!
Kurt has directed the lion's share of Subversive Theatre's
productions including PAUL
ROBESON SPEAKS OUT (2004), THE
EXCEPTION AND THE RULE (2007), ...AND
THEY PUT HANDCUFFS ON THE FLOWERS. (2008) and our Artie Award-winning
production of WAITING
FOR LEFTY (2008).
A voracious political playwright in his own right,
Subversive Theatre has produced the world debut of many of his original works
including WATERBOARDING
BLUES (2009), FOUNDATIONS
(2007), MOTHER
DIS-COURAGE (2005), and A
FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO SHOOT THE CZAR that was presented at
the 2004 Toronto Fringe Festival.
* = indicates members of the Subversive Theatre
Collective
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