About ‘Beirut’

Play Synopsis:
We’re in New York, in the near future where Torch, a young man from the Bronx has been quarantined and tattooed after testing positive for a deadly disease. Blue, his girlfriend from Queens, won’t let that keep them apart and chooses to risk her life in order to be with him. ‘living without love is death itself if you’ve got love in your life, the true thing, then you’ve got everything’.  Defying a ruthless political regime, these two must now find the freedom that exists in their ultimate commitment to one another.

About the Author:
Born in 1945, Alan Bowne authored several plays, most of which were produced Off-Off Broadway. They include: Beruit (1987), Sharon and Billy (1987), A Snake In the Vein (1985), and Forty-Deuce (1981). Mr Bowne authored two screenplays for filmmaker Paul Morrissey: Mixed Blood (1984) and Throwback (1988). He also wrote a novel, Wally Wonderstruck. He received the Arthur Foundation Prize in 1986, and was a member of New Dramatists. Alan Bowne succumbed to AIDS on November 24 1989, at the age of 44.

Play History:
First Production of this One Act Play (Off-Off Broadway): March 23, 1987 by the Manhattan Class Company, directed by Jimmy Bohr, and starring Michael David Morrison (Torch), Marisa Tomei (Blue) and Terry Rabine (Guard).

Second Production: (Off Broadway): June 9, 1987, at the Westside Arts Theatre, starred the same cast, except for Blue, who was played by Laura San Giacomo.

Cast and Crew Bios

Michael Tayles, Director
This is Michael Tayles’ first directing endeavor. A native of Alberta, Canada , Michael discovered his passion for acting in numerous productions at the Central Alberta Theatre and in U of A Summerstock projects.

He was introduced to television audiences on Chris haddock’ series Mom P.I., co-starring opposite Stuart Margolin. He went on to have a recurring role on the Alliance/Atlantis television series Destiny Ridge, as Walt Pernecki. Other TV credits now include The L Word and Battlestar Galactica. His film debut was in the Frank Marshall/Kathleen Kennedy feature film Alive playing Pancho Delgado opposite Ethan Hawke. The Ranger the Cook and a Hole in the Sky was another pivotal project for Michael in his portrayal of Red, in this biographical story of writer Norman Maclean (author of A River Runs Through It), working alongside Sam Elliot and Director John Kent Harrison.

Michael starred as Tyler, In The Bed directed by John Penhall an independent short film invited to over 20 festivals including: Montreal, Vancouver, Palm Springs, Newport Beach, Portland, Melbourne, Lisbon and Oxford, where it won best short. The Bed was also nominated for 6 Leo awards and was sold to the CBC.

He took time out to backpack throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Asia Pacific. He trained at the Lyric School of Acting with Michelle Longsdale-Smith and has also worked with Ivana Chubbuck and David Rotenberg. Presently, he studies with Warren Robertson.

www.michaeltayles.com

Mylène Dinh-Robic , Blue
Mylène Dinh-Robic grew up in Montreal where she first performed with the independent Queen Mary Theatre company, namely in their productions of Noises Off, Lady Windermere’s Fan and Pygmalion. She more recently performed in Vancouver at The Beaumont Studio’s one act play festival in Different and in the Screaming Weenie Productions’ The Well of Horniness. She remains committed to the stage and continues to train and work in live performance.

Mylene’s screen debut was a guest starring role in an episode of DaVinci’s Inquest in 2003. Other credits now include Battlestar Galactica, Smallville Stargate Atlantis and The 4400. She most recently was a series regular on DaVinci’s City Hall, starring opposite Nicholas Campbell as city handler Rita Mah. She reprises the role in the upcoming CBC movie The Quality of Life. 

She was directed by Ross Weber in the recently released Vancouver feature film Mount Pleasant and by Spencer Maybee in the indie short L’oiseau Mort.

Dinh-Robic graduated with Distinction from Concordia University’s Communications Studies program, studied acting with Gilles Plouffe at Montreal’s John Strasberg Ateliers and furthered her technique with Nancy Sivak at Vancouver’s Lyric School of Acting. She continues to hone her craft at Benjamin Ratner’s Studio and Warren Robertson’s Workshop.   

Adam Lolacher, Torch
Originally from Ottawa, where he graduated with a BA in Theatre at the University of Ottawa. Adam has been involved with Vancouver Theatre/Film for almost 4 years.

A character actor at heart, Adam has studied with the likes of Mel and Karen Austin Tuck, Nancy Sivak, Andrew Mcilroy and continues training with Ben Ratner.

He is always ready for the next challenge and continously improves his craft by hard work and dedication.

Favourite Stage Credits Include:

Wreckage (BIG MAN) Playwrites Theatre and WCT
The Seagul (Konstantin) United Players
Less Ado About Nothing (Benedick) Pacific Th.
Rope (Brandon) Genesian Th. (Australia)
Nesting (Pete) Vancouver Fringe
Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom (Rene/Ian) Havan Theatre
Six Degrees Of Seperation (Rick) Pres.House/Performance Works.
Trans-Canada Highway (Slim) U. Of Ottawa

Adam has also jumped into the film/tv world this past year just booking a principal role on "The Andromeda Strain" for A&E this fall. He has also appeared in numerous shorts and Indie features such as "Yumi In Love" and "Zero Hour".

Adam is currently filming a short entitled "Tea". He will resume studies with Mr. Ratner in the fall and is very excited to be a part of this production.

He is represented by James Moore @ Principals Talent.

Russ Ball, Guard
Russ is an aspiring actor who has trained with Frank Cassini at Lyric for the past two years. No stranger to the stage, he has performed both as a musician in Newfoundland folk festivals and more recently as  Sergeant O'Connor in Metro Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie's Cards on the Table. He also stage managed several other plays at Metro Theatre. He has performed in two independent feature films, a Movie of the Week titled Under the Sycamore Tree and a Jonas Quastel horror film called Scourge. Russ is absolutely thrilled to be participating in Beirut and is proud to be working with such talented cast mates and director.