A WALL APART

LORD GRAHAM RUSSELL (MUSIC AND LYRICS) is the songwriter and a founding member of the group Air Supply. Their hit songs and twenty three albums have charted for five decades throughout the world. Billboard magazine recently honored the band in the top 100 most successful groups of all time. While still performing over 130 live shows on five continents with Air Supply every year, Graham is now dedicated to composing for the theatre, where he began his career starring in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975. This is Graham’s third musical score and first project with Sam and Craig. Graham has been a resident of Utah for 25 years.

SAM GOLDSTEIN, PH.D. (BOOK) has served as Executive Producer, Consultant and Writer for a number of film, documentary and industrial projects including the award winning documentary Tough Times, Resilient Kids, Winslow the Christmas Bear, Why Won’t My Child Pay Attention and It’s Just Attention Disorder.  With Craig he has co-written nearly a dozen film scripts including the 2017 winner of the True Story Screenwriting Contest, Passing Through.  Sam has authored over 50 books including The Power of Resilience, Raising Resilient Children and Billy and the Rockhounds.  A Wall Apart is his first musical collaboration with Craig and Graham.

CRAIG CLYDE (BOOK) has appeared in over sixty major films and national television programs for all the major networks — as well as numerous stage roles as an actor. He was “Cornelius Hackl” in the original national roadshow production of “Hello Dolly” starring Dorothy LaMour. A member of Actor’s Equity and the Screen Actor’s Guild he has written and directed both feature film motion picture and television dramas. His twenty-one feature films include “Miracle Dogs” which starred a then unknown Josh Hutcherson, “The Derby Stallion” which starred the also then-unknown Zach Efron and “The Last Mustang” which starred Miranda Cosgrove of the “I-Carly” cable series. His production of “The Christmas Wish” starring Kristy Swanson was the highest rated program for the Hallmark Channel in 2012. His most recent is “Storm Rider.” “A Wall Apart” marks his debut writing for the stage.

KEITH ANDREWS (DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER) is a NYC-based director and choreographer. He directed the National Tours of The Full Monty and Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah. Keith has directed and choreographed regional theater all around the country including the Regional Premieres of Rock of Ages, The Wedding Singer, Spamalot and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Keith also directed the World Premiere of Cold as Ice, the first book-musical performed entirely on ice. His 2015 production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the New London Barn Playhouse won six New Hampshire Theater Awards, including Best Director, Best Choreographer and Best Musical. Other recent regional productions include The Full Monty, Saturday Night Fever, The Rocky Horror Show, The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Young Frankenstein, My Fair Lady, Avenue Q, Side Show, Barnum, Sweet Charity, Urinetown, The Pirates of Penzance and many more. Keith’s play directing credits include The Dining Room, Dirty Blonde and The Triangle, a benefit for the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Memorial. Keith also directs musical theater showcases at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.

MARKUS POTTER (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/DEVELOPED WITH) is a NYC based director, and the producing artistic director of NewYorkRep. Markus recently directed Stalking the Bogeyman off-Broadway at New World Stages (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, NYtimes critics pick), London’s Southwark Playhouse (Off West End Award nomination for best production and direction), Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods by Tammy Ryan at The Portland Stage Company, Why You Beasting by David Don Miller (Best of FringeNYC – Time Out NY critic’s pick), Weston Playhouse, North Carolina Stage Company, NJ Rep, and the Pasadena Playhouse. As actor: Guthrie Theatre, Long Wharf, Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theatre, Denver Center, Tour of Death of a Salesman with Christopher Lloyd. Markus received his MFA from Columbia University and has taught and guest directed at many MFA/BFA programs around the county including the Guthrie, The Denver Center, and Adelphi University. He is currently a mentor to the MFA playwrights at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Next: Ovation nominated Church and State at off-Broadway at New World Stages, opening March 5th, 2017.

GAYLE D. WAXENBERG (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) – Gayle’s career began on Wall Street where she managed the marketing and corporate communications for a premiere investment bank. During her 11 years there, she won a multitude of awards for the creative and strategic campaigns she directed. A born advocate, she left the for-profit sector and committed her self to raising awareness for those less fortunate. Combining her extensive business experience and philanthropic work, she began giving “voice” to the different communities she serves. Recognizing the power of the stories she captured, she launched the Telling Company in 2012 as a forum for telling real-life stories influencing social change through art. She has now brought The Telling Company to NewYorkRep becoming a founding member with Markus Potter. Her first play, A Bitter Pill, premiered in 2016 at the Hudson Guild Theater, as part of the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival. Gayle also produced the mulit-award winning film Influence, and the London production of Stalking the Bogeyman, which received an Off-West End (Offie nomination) for best production and direction. Produced readings included Ben Elton’s Olivier award winning play, Popcorn, starring Sharon Stone and Stacey Keach. She is proud to have launched and produced a community based program of readings, Thought Bubbles, to bring new theatrical work free to people who may not otherwise have access.

JONATHAN IVIE (‘JIVIE’) (MUSICAL DIRECTOR/ARRANGER) – Jonathan Ivie comes to “A Wall Apart” having recently music-directed Lord Graham Russell’s musicals “Lost in Love” and “Sweet Dreams”. As a NYC resident since early 2012, he has performed on Broadway (“Rock of Ages” – keyboard/conductor), at the NYMF festival (“Crude: the Musical” – 2016), off-Broadway (“50 Shades: the Musical”; “Ha! the Musical”; “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812”), and is currently the music director for the national tours of “Rock the Presidents” (Childsplay) & “Odd Squad LIVE!” (Mills Entertainment), as well as the touring music director for LA-based vocal sensations The Company Men. He is the author of “Rob Ford: Rock Star”, a musical comedy about the late mayor of Toronto, and his debut album “Pisces” is currently in the final stages of production. Jivie lives with his wife Katie and Raja the Basset hound in Hell’s Kitchen.

MICHAEL RICO COHEN (GENERAL MANAGER) – Rico has been the General Manager of NewYorkRep/The Telling Company since 2013, and has worked on the Broadway and touring companies of A Bronx Tale, Fully Committed, Amazing Grace, Matilda, Evita, Chaplin, American Idiot, Billy Elliot, and Bonnie & Clyde. Additional credits Signature Theater Company, Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, and Berkshire Theater Festival.