Biographies

 

Norman STEHR (AMIR KAPOOR)

 

Norman Stehr, this is his third appearance on a stage and already being part of the Project’s family, is an acclaimed actor, musical performer and writer. His first professional engagement brought him to the Hamburg State Opera when he was only 10 years of age.  Norman is celebrating his 40th anniversary on stage since then.  Shows include: 2013/14Theater // an der Rott, Sweeney Todd, Rolle: Sweeney Todd, Regie: Karl M. Sibelius. 2010 Sommerfestspiele Wunsiedel/Luisenburg, ROCKY HORROR SHOW,Rolle: Frank‘N Furter, Regie: Hardy Rudolz. 2009 Theater Wechselbad, Dresden, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES,Rolle: Jacob, Regie: Wolf Dieter Gööck. Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, Rolle: Jacob, Regie: Helmut Baumann. Ensemble Theater Wien, DIRT (Englisch) (Robert Schneider), Rolle: Sad, Regie: Joanna Godwin-Seidl. Stadttheater Wien, CABARET DER VERLORENEN SEELEN (Siméon/Laviosa), Rolle: Lullaby, Regie: Th.Schende. 2008 Ensemble Theater Wien, THE MEETING (Englisch), Rolle: Malcolm X, Regie: Joanna Godwin-Seidl to name a few.

 

After almost twenty years in Austria, successfully performing as well as directing quite a number, he moved back to Germany, where his current home is based in Berlin. His career includes TV, Film and other forms of artistry, such as painting. As a classical trained actor and singer, his goal was mainly to perform on stage as the most fulfilling form, pursuing his craft and characters. Norman now splits his love into two. This of course includes more work on screen, where he now sees a variety of opportunities that left him cold over many years. Norman is very much looking forward to performing the part of in this amazing play by award winning playwright Ayad Akhtar.

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Bronwynn Mertz Penzinger (EMILY KAPOOR)

 

Bronwynn was born in the USA but grew up in Australia. She received her theatre degree from Murdoch University and since then has been working internationally as an actress for both stage and screen, she is also an impro player/ teacher/ director, CliniClown, Voice-over Artist, and more!She has lived in Vienna since 1992 where she performs in both English and German (often simultaneously!) with the English Lovers, the Vienna Theatre Project, TAG All Stars, amongst others. Since 2002 she has been a regular collaborator and participant in countless major international impro-theatre festival/ensembles. Since 2006 she has been part of the Orcas Island Project, an international theatre ensemble, focussing on improvisation performance research and experiments.  Her greatest inspirations come from her sons Zackery and Jeremy, her partner Roland and the love and laughter they find in life.

 

Dave Moskin (ISAAC)

 

Dave was born in New Jersey and grew up in New York City. He’s returned to Vienna’s English Theatre once again in CHICKENSHIT, after playing Richard Ehrlich in 2012’s Time Stands Still.

 

As a child performer he was in numerous theater and television productions including Oliver, Gypsy, the national company of The Rothchild’s and The Grassharp and Seesaw on Broadway.

Musical theater credits include Berger in Hair at the Raimund Theater, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, Footloose, Jekyll & Hyde, Vince Fontaine/Teen angel in Grease, and the Big Bopper in Buddy the Musical in Essen, Germany. Dave also sang the Rock Tenor part in Leonard Bernsteins Mass with the Tonkünstler Orchester NÖ at the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the Festpielhaus in St. Pölten.

 

Theater Productions in Vienna include Jamie in Territory, Ben in IZ, Leon/Nick in Speaking in Tongues, Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Christmas Carol, Charlie in Over The Threshhold, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Frank in How the Other Half Loves, Winston in 1984, Richard Ehrlich in Time Stands Still and Martin Sterneck in Gabriel Barylli’s Chickenshit(Butterbrot)

 

He is also the Producer of, and plays “Jake” in The Blues Brothers Are Back, touring Europe and appearing most recently in the Wiener Stadthalle.

 

Film credits include Tootsie, The Godfather, Manhattan, Im Weissen Rössl 2013 and Good Morning Kabul.

 

Lynne Ann Williams (JORY)

 

The Berlin born American singer and actress has been performing for more than 25 years.

 

At 16 she moved to the U.S., went on to study musical theater in New York where she began her acting career. Finally work led her back to Germany where she performed in pieces like: Cinderella passt was nicht, Hair, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors and the Rocky Horror Show. In recent years she has performed at the Theater der Jugend in Vienna in pieces: Wie verliebt man seinen Vater, Just So, Alice, Wie man unsterblich wird and Unendliche Geschichte II.

 

She sings soul and jazz in her own projects, teaches voice, plays the flute and piano and is a lyricist. Lynne also speaks German and Spanish.

 

David A. Rodriguez (ABE  and Director's Assistant):

 

The Venezuelan performer studies Musical Theatre at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität since 2011.

 

Theater credits include James in Descent into youth, Odysseus in The Odyssey, Feelgood in Success, Jim in Chatroom at the William Kirk Theatre. Salvatore in Das Vergnügen, verrückt zu sein. Musical/Operetta credits include Spieler in Tango-Oper Azrael, Merkur in Orpheus in der Unterwelt, Aldolpho in the Austrian premiere of The Drowsy Chaperone at KONS Theater. Chino in West Side Story at the Felsenbühne Staatz. In Phantom of the Opera at Wiener Ronacher and in Jesus Christ Superstar at Stadttheater Baden.

 

He is also author of the critical theatre play “Descent Into Youth”, which had its Premiere in January of 2011 in Vienna, Austria.

 

Joanna GODWIN-SEIDL (Director)

 

The actress and director studied theatre in the United Kingdom. She has been running VIENNA THEATRE PROJECT since 2006.

 

THE LAST FIVE YEARS was her solo musical debut at the Theater Drachengasse. German language theatre credits include directing MÄDCHEN MIT DEN SCHWEFELHÖLZERN (Ronacher Theater);, HAUTNAH (Patrick Marber) for Theaterverein Vision (OFF Theater) and MORD IM MUSIKANTENBEISL (Asst. director - Theater Drachengasse). Recent acclaimed musicals include ORDINARY DAYS, TICK TICK..BOOM! She has a solid repertoire often choosing plays with social & political content; PLENTY (VIS Theatre), DIRT (Theater am Petersplatz) and THE MEETING (Black History Month/Theater am Petersplatz) to name a few. After the critically acclaimed TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (Theater Drachengasse Bar & Co) she  went on to star in 4.48 PSYCHOSIS at the Dialog im Dunkeln. Most recently she directed the award-winning musical  [TITLE OF SHOW]. 

 

As well as acting, directing and producing, Joanna lends her voice to commercials and documentaries. She is committed to further productions in 2015 to be announced. She is indebted to the audience, her family and the company team for their support. www.joannagodwinseidl.com.

 

What the Papers Say!

 

"This is one of the rare plays that one wishes were longer. Akhtar covers a lot of ground in just under 90 minutes in both plot and thought-provoking themes and ideas.....It's as if he didn't want to dwell too long on the crash site he had orchestrated for his flawed and deeply human characters." Entertainment Weekly.

 

"In the years since it was first produced here, the play’s exploration of the conflicts between modern culture and Islamic faith, as embodied by the complicated man at its center — a Pakistani-born, thoroughly assimilated New Yorker — have become ever more pertinent. The rise of the so-called Islamic State, and the news that radicalized Muslims from Europe and the United States have joined the conflict raging in Syria and Iraq, brings an even keener edge to Mr. Akhtar’s engrossing drama." New York Times