WALI JAMAL: The SESSION

Wali Jamal’s play, “The Session” is the result of his participation in Bricolage’s Urban Scrawl: B.U.S., wherein six playwrights are given a scratch pad, snacks, and some quarters to ride a bus from one end to the other, jotting down sites and occurrences along the way. He is an actor, playwright, and director who has recently performed in Corp Values at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. He has been named Best Supporting Actor for his role in Rob Zeller’s “The Kitchen,” produced as part of the Pittsburgh Playwrights’ Theatre Festival in Black & White. In 2005, Wali was named Best Director for “The Other Side,” by Bob Gorczyka.

Wali would like to thank Mark Southers, Ted Hoover, Judy Meiksin, and Ms. Kim El.


PAULA MARTINAC: THEIR TOWN



Paula is the author of three published novels—Chicken, Home Movies and the Lambda Literary Award-winning Out of Time. She is also a journalist who has published three nonfiction books on lesbian and gay culture and politics, including The Lesbian and Gay Book of Love and Marriage and a biography of singer k.d. lang, which was recognized by the New York Public Library as one of 1997’s Best Books for the Teenage. Paula’s plays have also appeared in the New Works Festival and previous Pittsburgh Pride Theater Festivals. She is a graduate of Chatham College with an M.A. degree from the College of William and Mary.

Paula would like to thank SPEC, Katie Hogan, and Ted Hoover for being so astute.


RYAN M. MCKELVEY: BEYOND DIRT KNEES



Ryan holds a B.A. degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was awarded first prize in the 2004 Writers’ Café/Prosody WYEP poetry contest, and second place in the 2003 Three Rivers Review poetry contest. In the theater, Ryan is most comfortable on stage: memorable Pitt Rep productions include Fool for Love, Twelfth Night, Rashomon, and The Insect Play. Currently, Ryan simply lives and writes. He may teach English in Asia over the next year, and hopes to be accepted into an MFA program in the future.

Ryan thanks his family & friends, and dedicates this play to all those souls (living & passed) who have brought him closer to the stage. Be well.


CAROL MULLEN: CALL GIRL

Playwright Carol Mullen is making her fourth appearance in the Pittsburgh Pride Theater Festival. She has also had her work produced by the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, the Triangle Theater in Boston, and Off-Off Broadway at the Emerging Artists Theater. Later this summer, two of her plays will be featured in the second annual Stage Q Shorts Festival in Madison, Wisconsin.

Carol extends huge kudos to SPEC and her sweetheart, Reed.


AARON JEFFERSON TINDALL: ANDA A HAPPY NEW YEAR!



Aaron is a junior theatre arts/English writing major at the University of Pittsburgh interested in playwriting and stage management. He has also written for Pitt’s Redeye Theatre Project, and many other scripts that have never been seen anywhere but the inside of his trash can. A.J. appeared as James in last year’s “Is That A Gun In Your Pocket…?”

A.J. thanks his fantastic roommates and playwright buddies for numerous readings. He hopes to see you at the show!