Bios:
Drew Staniland (Hedwig)
A recent transplant from Vancouver, Drew is happy to be starting fresh amongst the islanders with Western Edge Theatre. Originally from Prince George, he trained at Capilano College as well as the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City. He spent 3 1/2 years in and around New York working in theatre and film but he's now enjoying a simpler life on Gabriola. Drew has been seen at Western Edge as the Bogie character in Screen Play, in various roles in the world premiere of Night of Shooting Stars, and most recently as Felix Ungar in the Odd Couple. As well, in October he played Justin Trudeau in The Origins Theatre production of Fortunate Son in Vancouver and Kelowna, and appeared in Legends with the Vancouver Island Symphony at the Port Theatre in November.
Kathy McIntyre (Yitzhak)
Kathy Mcintyre began her singing career in her father's Richmond, B.C. recording studio, "singing into a hairbrush and pretending to be a rock-and-roll star." She traded hairbrushes for real microphones when she appeared with the Vancouver blues revue, NQR. Moving to Gabriola Island 15 years ago, she took a hiatus from the music industry to raise her son. Later she toured Vancouver Island with the pop combo Pojada, appeared with the quartet Gradantis + 1, performed a series of concerts with singer-composer Antonio Gradanti, and as a member of the trio Dig, which released its debut CD, "Another One of Those Days," in 2003.
Kathy made her theatrical debut in the Western Edge production of Supreme Dream, which she subsequently performed at Sunshine Theatre in Kelowna. She has also appeared in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and in a series of on stage radio plays produced by Ponomo Productions. She'll be seen with Ponomo as part of the Port Theatre's "Random Acts" series in March.
Antonio Gradanti (Musical Director)
Antonio Gradanti was born in Toronto and now lives on Gabriola Island. An accomplished musician, he has been composing professionally since the age of 12. He has performed widely as a solo artist, as well as with the Vancouver Island-based combo Pojada. As an actor, Tony played Mitch in Western Edge Theatre's hit production of Tuesdays With Morrie, and was both an actor and musical director for Western Edge's John and Jen, Ponomo Productions' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (taking the title role), and Island Musical Theatre's The Cotton Patch Gospel. Another regular in Ponomo's series of radio plays on stage, he'll appear with them as part of the Port Theatre's "Random Acts" series in March.
Frank Moher (Director)
Frank is the Artistic Producer of Western Edge Theatre. Previous productions for the company include Supreme Dream, The Mercy Seat, Some Random City, Tuesdays With Morrie, Boston Marriage, John and Jen, Sugar Daddies, Screen Play, My Name is Rachel Corrie, The Odd Couple, and numerous staged readings for the New Waves Festival. Other theatres at which he has directed include the National Arts Centre, The Banff Centre, and TheatreOne. Also a playwright, his plays have been seen across North America and abroad. Frank teaches in the Department of Creative Writing and Journalism at Vancouver Island University, and edits the online magazine backofthebook.ca
John Cameron Mitchell (Book and Lyrics)
John Cameron Mitchell is a Golden Globe-nominated American writer, actor, and director. Born in El Paso, Texas, he is the son of a retired U.S. Army Major General, and grew up on army bases in the U.S., Germany and Scotland. His first stage role was as the Virgin Mary in a Nativity musical staged at a Scottish Benedictine boys boarding school when he was 11 years old.
After studying theater at Northwestern University from 1981 to 1985, he made his professional debut in Huckleberry Finn in a 1985 Organic Theater adaptation at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. His first New York acting role was as Huck Finn in the Broadway musical Big River (1985). He created the role of Dickon on Broadway in The Secret Garden, and appeared in the original cast of the off-Broadway musical Hello Again. His first film role was in an improvised drunk-driving educational film called Just Along for the Ride (1983), in which he was killed on Hallowe'en while wearing a tutu. His first feature film role was as Drunk Teen ("Hey, dudes, where's the brewskies?") in One More Saturday Night (1986), written by and starring Al Franken.
In 1998, Mitchell wrote (along with composer Stephen Trask) and starred in the original off-Broadway production Hedwig and the Angry Inch, for which he won two Obie Awards. Three years later, he directed and starred in the feature film version of the play, winning the Best Director Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. His performance was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Both the play and the film were critical hits and have spawned cult followings around the world.
Stephen Trask (Music)
Stephen Trask is an award-winning American musician and composer. He was the music director and house band member at the New York drag club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone, as well as various drag queens. Trask's real-life band Cheater performed as Hedwig's band "The Angry Inch" in the original New York production. He received an Obie Award for the play and a Grammy award nomination for the movie.
He has also done two films with filmmaker Paul Weitz. He composed the score for 2004's In Good Company and American Dreamz, for which he also co-wrote the numerous songs the contestants sing. In addition, he scored the 2003 movies Camp and The Station Agent.