THANKSGIVING PROGRAM

Poet, playwright, composer, and experienced trial lawyer Julian Henry Lowenfeld is acknowledged to be one of the greatest living translators of Russian poetry into English, and also a celebrated authority on the life and work of Russia's national bard, Alexander Pushkin. Julian's book, My Talisman, The Poetry and Life of Alexander Pushkin (a combined anthology of Pushkin's verse and biography of Russia's most beloved poet), illustrated by Pushkin's own drawings, received the Russia's prestigious Pushkin Medal in 2020 for “outstanding literary achievement,” as well as the Petropol Prize for Literary Achievement. It was the first time the medals had been awarded to a foreigner, despite the increasingly dark political climate in Russia.

Julian has lectured and performed his translations of Pushkin at the Russian Academy of Sciences, in concert at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, at the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg,, at Moscow's MosKontsert Theatre, at the United Nations, New York, The Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., Trinity College, Dublin, the Performing Arts Center of the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Boston Public Library, the Philadelphia Public Library, Pushkin House, London, the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, Lehigh University, The First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, The Russian Cultural Center, Washington, City Hall, Anchorage, AK, Anchorage Public Library, University of Alaska, Fairbanks,The Museum of Russian Art, The Tsvetayeva Musem, Moscow, the Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg, the Yesenin Museum, Moscow, and numerous other venues. He has performed his translations and been interviewed at length by the Voice of America, BBC World Service, Rain TV, Echo of Moscow, and many other media. Besides translating the Pushkin, he has also translated verse by Lermontov, Tyutchev, Blok, Mandelshtam, Tsvetayeva, Akhmatova, Yesenin, Mayakovsky, Rilke, Goethe, Heine, Hugo, Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Lope de Vega, Machado, Martí, Pessoa, Vinicius de Moraes, Leopardi, Ungharetti, Dante, Catullus, Ovid, and Horace.

Besides Thanksgiving, Julian has just completed the script and score for Even Love's a Melody, a musical adaptation with his verse translation of four plays by Alexander Pushkin. He is also in the process of finalizing his complete verse translation of Eugene Onegin, along with footnotes and commentaries. Julian is also known for his translations of Pushkin's Fairy Tales, as well as Pushkin's long narrative poem The Bronze Horseman, a profound meditation on despotic power, madness, and the danger of humanity's hubristic detachment from nature. A unique four volume DVD set of Russian cartoons, entitled Animated Soviet Propaganda, translated and partially edited by Julian won a New York TImes Critics' Choice award in 2006.

Other works by Julian include the novella Rose-Colored Glasses (a love story framed within an almost farcical courtroom drama), the dark one act comedy Kafka for Beginners, and an anthology of Julian's own poems, mostly about love, entitled Nonetheless.

Katie McHugh is an award-winning international theatre director, producer, and educator specializing in devised and experimental theatre and the development of new work. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of Yonder Window Theatre Company, based in New York. Katie holds a BA in Theatre from Florida State University and an MFA in Directing from The New School for Drama. She is the Founding Director of the Southeastern Teen Shakespeare Company and Co-Founder of the Teen Shakespeare Conservatory. In 2020, Katie and her team, under the banner of Yonder Window, worked to create Stagepunch.com, a platform for mentoring young artists pursuing a performing arts career.

For a full bio, including selected directing credits, visit yonderwindow.co/katiemchugh

Jackie Leibowitz (Stage Manager) is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist based out of New Jersey. She is a freelance actor, stage manager, dramaturg, and Musical Theatre Historian among many other jobs. She holds a BA in Theatre and MA in Musical Theatre Studies from Temple University and currently runs her own Broadway-themed Etsy shop, Broadway Dork Designs. Some favorite roles include Hope Lennon (Finding Hope – World Premiere, Philly Young Playwrights), Rona Lisa Peretti/Olive’s Mom (Spelling Bee), and Queen Aggravain (Once Upon A Mattress). When she’s not working on shows professionally, she loves to split her time in NJ community theatre or working at her alma mater, Cedar Grove High School, on their musicals each year.

You can find out more about her at JackieLeibowitz.com or check out her shop @BroadwayDorkDesigns.

Originally from Montreal, Quebec, James is a multi-hyphenate musician and theatre artist with a career spanning 4 decades. He lives in New York City, and is a faculty pianist at AMDA. Off Broadway: Me The People, Old Jews Telling Jokes, Living With Henry; NYC (selected): Goddess Wheel by Galt McDermott, The Gefilte Fish Chronicles (also performed at the White House), Astoria Stories, Follies (APAC), Ludwig Live as Beethoven (Subculture), The Drowsy Chaperone, Company, Sunday In The Park With George; Regional (selected): sound design and original music for Gladstone Hollow, and Violet and Me (both by Dorothy Lyman), Music of the Night (North Shore Music Theatre), Candide, Cabaret, South Pacific and dozens of others!

Visit his (rarely updated) website at iamjameshiggins.com!

Patrick Oliver Jones thoroughly enjoys new works and is grateful to be a part of this reading with such a talented cast and creative team. Previously, he was part of the pre-Broadway production of First Wives Club as well as the national tours of The Addams Family and Evita. Off-Broadway world premieres include The Extraordinary Ordinary, Church & State, and The Magdalene. Regionally, Patrick has starred in Man of La Mancha as Quixote, Fun Home as Bruce (Henry Award Nominee), Crazy for You as Zangler (SALT Award Nominee), and Light in the Piazza as Naccarelli. He's also host and producer of the award-winning podcast Why I'll Never Make It and the new theater history podcast Closing Night that just completed its first season. Thanks to God for continued blessings and family for their constant love and support!

IG: @pojnyc

TRICIA MARCIEL (Anna Appletree) is honored to be working with Yonder Window Productions on this reading of Thanksgiving. Other regional credits include From Here to Eternity (Ogunquit Playhouse), The King and I (Anna Leonowens, Diamond Head Theatre), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, Diamond Head Theatre), Les Misérables (Fantine, Diamond Head Theatre), and God of Carnage (Annette, Manoa Valley Theatre). Many thanks to the cast, crew and artistic team for the warm welcome and to Roxedge Talent Casting for the opportunity. All the love to her supportive friends and family, especially ND. Always for you, Mom and Dad.

@stagedoortribeka

Claire Marie Miller is a Louisiana native and a year-long New Yorker. Select Regional: Into The Woods (Cinderella), Sound of Music (Maria), Perpetual Sunshine (Albina), and South Pacific: In Concert directed by Andy Einhorn. Proud Baldwin Wallace University MT grad. Claire would like to thank her family, friends, and Henderson Hogan for their constant support.

@squarechair

Steven recently starred as Lesh in Harmony: A New Musical on Broadway. National Tour: The Book Of Mormon. Off Broadway: Harmony (NYTF). Concerts: Carnegie Hall (New York Pops 40th Gala), Radio City Music Hall (Barry Manilow in concert). Education: Elon University.

Madeline Brennan most recently finished a 9 month National tour with Bartlett Sher's My Fair Lady playing Mrs. Pearce. Prior to that, she's been acting in NY and regional theatres for many years. Favorite roles include Dr. Livingstone (Agnes of God), Aunt March (Little Women), Clairee Belcher (Steel Magnolias), Elaine Fitzpatrick (Five Women), Dr. Faber (Fahrenheit 451), Miss Hannigan (Annie), Eva Peron (Evita). Madeline also directs, teaches, sings jazz and writes music.

www.madelinebrennan.com

Nadina Hassan is overjoyed to join the Thanksgiving team. Nadina was last seen starring as Regina George in the 1st National Tour of Mean Girls the Musical all over North America. She also recently starred in the 92NY concert series Lyrics and Lyricists honoring the late and great Howard Ashman. She hails from Ann Arbor, MI and is a proud alum of Baldwin Wallace University’s MT program. Select credits include: Cabaret (Sally), Tick, Tick… BOOM! (Susan), West Side Story (Maria), and Be More Chill (Brooke).

nadinahassan.com
@nadinahassan