Shows: Mainstage
[ Coming Soon ] + Past Productions +
BIOS OF THE ARTISTS for HOW LATE IT WAS, HOW LATE
JAMES KELMAN (author of the novel)James Kelman's early fiction includes the short-story collections An Old Pub Near the Angel (1973) and Not Not While the Giro (1983), and the novels The Busconductor Hines (1984) and A Chancer (1985). He gained recognition in the U.K. with Greyhound for Breakfast (1987), winner of the Cheltenham Literary Festival Prize, and the novel, A Disaffection (1989), which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. How Late It Was, How Late (1994), won the Booker Prize for Fiction. In 1998 he was awarded the Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year for his collection of short stories The Good Times (1998). His most recent novel, Translated Accounts (2001), is set in an unnamed territory that appears to be under military rule. A collection of his plays, Hardie and Baird, and Other Plays was published in 1991. James Kelman lives in Glasgow with his wife. You Have to be Careful in the Land of the Free, a new novel, will be published in spring 2004
SARAH RICHARDSON (director)
Sarah is a founding member and Co-Producing Artistic Director for Rude Mechs. She has been a professional Director, Actor and Producer for over 15 years working in Austin, Atlanta, New York, and London. For Rude Mechs, she has performed in 7 of the company’s critically acclaimed productions and directed Kirk Lynn’s Lust Supper (“Outstanding Director,” Austin Critics’ Table) and Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry. In recent years, she has also directed Shakespeare’s R&J, Pride’s Crossing, and ‘ART' at Zachary Scott Theatre (Austin, TX) each of which received nominations from both the Austin Critics’ Table and the B. Iden Payne Awards for “Outstanding Director.” She was also recently selected as one of “Austin’s Most Valuable Players on the Stage” by the Austin Chronicle. Richardson holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Cornell University, an M.F.A. in Acting from UC at Irvine and completed her professional internship at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. Most recently, Sarah received a prestigious "New Generations" grant from Theatre Communications Group, which is awarded to assist the professional development of the "artistic leaders of tomorrow."
KIRK LYNN (playwright)
Kirk is a founding member, Co-Producing Artistic Director and Playwright-in-Residence for Rude Mechs. His scripts included: Pale Idiot, The Faminly Trilogy (Lust Supper, Crucks, and Salivation), and War. Lynn has served as playwright on all of Rude Mechanicals' performance composition pieces with Shawn Sides as director, which include curst & Shrewd: The Taming of the Shrew Unhinged, Lipstick Traces: a secret history of the 20th century, Requiem for Tesla, and their most recent collaboration, El Paraiso.
DIKRAN UTIDJIAN (Sammy)
Dikran Utidjian is a veteran actor who began his career in his native Britain and currently resides in Atlanta, GA. Trained at The Drama Centre in London, he has performed across the UK in Nottingham, Edinburgh, Traverse, Newcastle, among other cities. In London he has been seen at the Royal Court and the Royal National and also completed three seasons at Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow. In Atlanta, he has worked at The Alliance Theatre, Seven Stages, Theatre in the Square, Push Push Theater and The Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern where he also frequently directs. His film credits include Dealers, Murder on Line One, and most recently Black Knight with Martin Lawrence.
ROBERT NEWELL (Man)
Robert Newell has been involved with the Rudes since their inception in 1996, and is currently a company member. In addition to their very first production, Pale Idiot, Robert has appeared in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, !Gringo!, Ubu Roi, Prometheus Bound, Crucks, Big Love and the most recent staging of Requiem for Tesla, in which he played the title role. Robert has also worked regularly at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center, where his credits include The Illusion, The Laramie Project, The Pavilion, Dirty Blonde and Love! Valour! Compassion!. In the last two years he has been nominated for three Austin Critics Table Awards (winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy for playing Nikos in Big Love) and two B. Iden Payne Awards. Television credits include commercials for Time Warner Cable, Advance Auto Parts and the City of San Antonio, and an episode of the weekly series Busted on Animal Planet. His voice can be heard in the video games, Deus Ex 2 and Freelancer, and in several Japanese animated videos dubbed and distributed in the U.S. by ADV Films. Robert holds an M.A. in Communication from the University of Washington
LANA LESLEY (Woman)
Lana is a founding member and Co-Producing Artistic Director for Rude Mechs. Lana has performed in and produced fifteen original productions with Rude Mechs, including, most recently, El Paraiso, Requiem for Tesla, WAR, and Lipstick Traces, which has toured to such select venues as Walker Center for the Performing Arts, Wexner Art Center, UCLA, and On the Boards. In Austin, Lana has also worked with Salvage Vanguard Theatre (Cry Pitch Carrolls, Intergalactic Nemesis) and The State Theatre (Virtual Devotion). Lana’s voice over credits for ADVision (video animation) the “Dai Guard” series, the “Lost Universe” series, and the “Zone of Enders” series. Lana’s directing credits for Rude Mechs include her adaptation, Don B.’s Snow White, Prometheus Unbound Act I, and Grainings. Lana has received two awards and eleven nominations for her work as an actor, and most recently was selected “Best Actor/Actress” in Austin by the Austin Chronicle 2002 Readers’ Poll, and as one of “Austin’s Most Valuable Players on the Stage” by Austin Chronicle critics.
BEN GRIMES (Boy)
Ben is thrilled to be working with Rude Mechs for the first time. Ben moved to Texas from Chicago two years ago. While in Chicago, he appeared in the world premiere of Rewrites by Lee Blessing. He has worked with several companies in Austin, St. Louis, Little Rock, and Chicago; and was a founding company member of the Little Rock based theatre company, Moment to Moment Productions. Ben received his B.F.A. from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis.
ROBERT S. FISHER (Sound Design)
Robert S. Fisher has been involved with theatre performance and study for over fifteen years now. As a sound designer, Robert has designed and engineered for numerous productions like Fish (Aunt LuLu Plays); Bash, True West (dirigo group); The Ladee Leroy Show (Café Armageddon); as well as Perdita, Quake, Vigil, Marion Bridge, Blur, House, and Raised By Lesbians all for Hyde Park Theatre for whom he is the resident sound designer. He spends his days as first recording engineer at Amity Island Studio for ADV Films, Austin and his work has been seen on The Cartoon Network and AnimeCentral. Robert has spent an equal amount of time as a musician of various disciplines and currently plays with Bigamy Sisters along side fellow Rude Mechanical Robert Pierson. As an actor he has performed in the Rude Mechanicals' productions Incubus Archives, Requiem For Tesla, & War. He has also appeared in productions such as Blah, Blah, Blah (Refraction Arts/Bayou Radio); Celebrity Crush, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot & The Metamorphosis (Refraction Arts); The Possibilities & Betrayal (Public Domain); The Soldier Dreams (Subterranean Theatre Co); & Arcadia (Different Stages). Currently he is assembling the script for and will be directing 300 Plays About Vladimir Putin for Rude Mechanicals in December as well as designing sound for the upcoming production of Lowell Bartholomee's Middle of the Night (dirigo group). He is proud to be a company member of Rude Mechanicals, the dirigo group, The Subterranean Theatre Co., and Hyde Park Theatre.
COLIN LOWRY (Video Design)
A full time video producer for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Colin’s media production company - line dash media - is involved in video production training, medical videos, underwater video and spot production. Some design credits include Jouét (Zachary Scott Theatre, The Actors’ Theatre of Louisville), The Laramie Project, Hedwig and Limonade Tous Les Jour (Zachary Scott Theatre), 7 Rooms to the Soul, Pexo, Circle, and Shoulder to Shoulder (Ariel Dance Theatre), The Little Prince (State Theater Company) and Requiem for Tesla (Rude Mechs).
MADGE DARLINGTON (Technical Director/Scenic Design)
Madge is a founding member and Co-Producing Artistic Director of Rude Mechs. For six years she was Program Coordinator of the Shakespeare at Winedale Program at the University of Texas at Austin, where she worked as an actor and assistant director on more than twenty-five Shakespeare productions. For Rude Mechs, Madge directed the first ever staged adaptation of Shelley's Prometheus Unbound. She has also appeared in leading roles in Pale Idiot, Salivation, and In the House of the Moles. Recent credits include Rude Mechanicals' Big Love, Requiem for Tesla (Technical Director), and several projects for the Department of Theater and Dance at The University of Texas: Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, (Technical Director), Mozart's The Magic Flute, (Assistant Technical Director), Yacov Sharir's Automated Body Project (Technical Director). Madge is an M.F.A. candidate in Technical Design in Theatre at The University of Texas at Austin.
SHAWN SIDES (Dramaturg)
Shawn is a founding member and Co-Producing Artistic Director for Rude Mechs and has been a performer, director, and producer in Austin and New York for the past 13 years. In Austin, Shawn conceived and directed the first Rude Mechanicals performance composition, curst & Shrewd: The Taming of the Shrew Unhinged. Other directorial work with Rudes includes: Crucks, Part II of Kirk Lynn's acclaimed Faminly Trilogy ("Outstanding Movement", Austin Critics' Table); Lipstick Traces ("Outstanding Director of a Comedy" Austin Critics' Table and the Austin Circle of Theatres&Mac226; B. Iden Payne Awards); Requiem for Tesla ("Outstanding Director of a Drama", Austin Critics' Table); and El Paraiso ("Outstanding Musical", Austin Critics' Table). Shawn was selected as "Best Director in Austin" by the Austin Chronicle 2002 Readers' Poll, and as one of "Austin's Most Valuable Players" by Austin Chronicle critics. Shawn holds an M.A. in Theatre from New York University.