Tragedy: a tragedy

Bios

MEI LU BARNUM (Constance) NYC-based, Boston area raised, and Pittsburgh educated, Mei Lu is excited to be back with Barebones for her first virtual play. She was last seen in Barebones’ production of Dance Nation as Sofia. Past Credits: Grease (Pittsburgh CLO), Peter Pan (Pittsburgh CLO), A New Brain (Front Porch Theatricals), Sunday in the Park with George (Celeste #2), Coram Boy (Thomas Ledbury) BFA Point Park University. www.MeiluBarnum.com 

WILL ENO (Playwright) is internationally heralded play THOM PAIN (BASED ON NOTHING) had a year-long run at the DR2 in New York, produced by Bob Boyett and Daryl Roth, following a sold-out run at the August 2004 International Edinburgh Festival (Fringe First Award and the Herald Angel Award), and a subsequent transfer to the Soho Theatre in London. The play has been produced across the United States, as well as Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, Israel, Mexico, and many other countries. THOM PAIN (BASED ON NOTHING) was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Will’s play THE FLU SEASON received the 2004 Oppenheimer Award for the best debut production in New York by an American playwright. Will’s plays have been produced by the Gate Theatre, the SOHO Theatre, and BBC Radio, in London; the Rude Mechanicals Theater Company and Naked Angels, in New York. His plays are published by Oberon Books and Dramatists Play Service, and have appeared in “Harper’s,” “The Antioch Review,” “The Quarterly” and “Best Ten-Minute Plays for Two Actors.” Will is presently at work on an adaptation of Ibsen’s PEER GYNT. He is a Helen Merrill Playwriting Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, an Edward F. Albee Foundation Fellow, and was awarded the first-ever Marian Seldes/Garson Kanin Fellowship by the Theater Hall of Fame, as well as the Alfred Hodder Fellowship at Princeton. Will Eno lives in Brooklyn, New York.

BILLY JENKINS (Michael) is a Pittsburgh-based actor and a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps where he serves as a Sergeant Major. As an actor, he appeared in the TV series “Kill Point” with John Leguizamo, Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks and The Next Three Days with Russell Crowe. On stage, Mr. Jenkins has appeared in Barebones Productions of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s A Few Good Men, as well as Demaskus Theater’s production of Flyin’ West.

Mr. Jenkins is also a nonfiction and essay writer based in Pittsburgh. His essay “Going Home” won the essay award and is published in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. Volume 6, published by the Missouri Humanities Council. His work can also be seen in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors Volume 7. His stories “Banana Milk and Mystery Meat” and “Ebenezer” were  featured in Bricolage Theater’s Word Play. Jenkins is a City of Pittsburgh Firefighter with over 22 years of service. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University in 2015. jenkswc@yahoo.com

PATRICK JORDAN (Director) is a Pittsburgh-based actor, director, and producer. He is the founder and the artistic director of barebones productions. In addition to his role as artistic director with the company, Patrick has acted in the company's productions of Rules of Seconds, A Steady Rain, and Killer Joe and most recently, directed the extended-runs of The Legend of Georgia McBride and True West. barebones prolific body of work includes stage productions of: Glengarry Glen Ross, Take Me Out, Bug, The Motherfucker With the Hat, Lobby Hero, and many more. Patrick Jordan is a recipient of Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Performer of the Year. Patrick's film and television credits include The Dark Knight Rises, Mindhunter, She’s Out of My League, The Next Three Days, The Kill Point, Supah Ninja’s, Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Smart People, George Romero’s Deadtime Stories, and the upcoming series Rust opposite Jeff Daniels.

GABRIEL KING (John): You may recognize Gabe from his previous appearances with Barebones in True West, Lobby Hero, and Small Engine Repair. Elsewhere his New York Credits include: Half Moon Bay at Cherry Lane, La Brea at Clubbed Thumb, Henry V and Murrow’s Boys at Irondale, The Maids at The 4th Street Theatre, as well as Restoration Comedy and These Seven Sicknesses with Exit Pursued By a Bear of which he was a founding member. Regionally, he has starred in: Troublemaker, or the Freakin’ Kick-A Adventures of Bradley Boatright at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Comedy of Errors, House of Home, and Western Country at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Rock & Roll at Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. He holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama where he was the recipient of the 2010 John Arthur Kennedy Acting Award. 

ANDRE LOUIS provided the soundtrack for Tragedy: a tragedy, including the “They’re After You” Theme and “Car Chance.” Check out more of Andre’s music and performances on his YouTube Channel.

DAVE MANSUETO (Witness and Technical Director) is a Pittsburgh based artist and entrepreneur. Over the last year he has been streaming three times a week with Alone Together Pittsburgh. Past barebones shows include Rules of Seconds, American Falls and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Dave has appeared as one half of the improv duo Karel Mansueto, in the Rap Musical Pittsburgh Batman and often works in the world of podcasting.

DAVID WHALEN (Frank): David is excited to be back with barebones, having previously appeared in A STEADY RAIN, & directed TAKE ME OUT. Recently, he filmed CYRIL with Pgh Playwrights Theatre. David will be seen as George Washington in the film:  THE CONSTITUTION, a historical docu-drama coming out in 2022. He has performed in over 100 theatrical productions across the country, including over a dozen World & American Premieres.   Some of the theatres he has worked at include: The Guthrie, Roundabout Theatre, South Coast Rep (10 productions), Alley Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater (12 productions), Philadelphia Theatre Company, Center Stage in Baltimore, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (4 productions), Arden Theatre, Folger Theatre, Hartford Stage, Everyman Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Huntington Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Repertory theatre of St. Louis, Peoples Light & Theatre, Venice’s Bienalle Festival, Playmakers Rep, City Theatre Company (7 productions), Kinetic Theatre (9 productions), PICT (23 Productions),  among others.  AWARDS:  Performer of the Year by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, nominated and/or received:  KEVIN KLINE. BARRYMORE, & HELEN HAYES Awards.  Representative FILM & TV credits: “THE LOUDEST VOICE”, “AMERICAN PASTORAL”. “SOUTHPAW”, “THE LAST WITCH HUNTER”, “THE FAULT IN OUR STARS”, “JACK REACHER”, “UNSINKABLE”, “CHECKMATE”, “THE FIRST SEAL”, “61*”, “THE CHRISTMAS TREE”, “BLACK DAHLIA”,  “MY BLOODY VALENTINE”, “INDICTMENT: THE MCMARTIN TRIAL”, “WITHOUT WARNING”,  “THREE RIVERS”, “PENSACOLA”, “SILK STALKINGS”, “DIAGNOSIS: MURDER”.  www.davidwhalenactor.net