THE BRUTES at The Players

Sara Fellini

SARA FELLINI is an award-winning playwright, director, actress, and skilled artisan. Her play HAZARD A LITTLE DEATH was nominated for six awards at the 2014 Planet Connections Theater Festivity including Best Production of a New Play and Best Lead Actress (Sara Fellini), and won Best New Script. She performed as Nannerl in the monodrama THE OTHER MOZART written by Sylvia Milo at The Players Theatre in New York City and toured the production through the Southern US (*winning Cat5 magazine’s Best Theater Production of 2015, “the voice of a crystal bell, Fellini is captivating” –NOLA Defender), and created the role of Maeve Shourd in a site-specific production of IN VESTMENTS, a play of her own writing and winner of two NYIT awards, nominated for Outstanding New Full-Length Script, earning her theater company the prestigious Donn Russell grant, and acclaimed by the NY Times as "wrenching and visually eloquent". She has appeared as the titular character in another play of her own writing, THE EXECUTION of MRS. COTTON (called "darkly humorous" and "deliciously ghoulish" by the NY Times) at IRT Theater as part of their 3B Residency, she played Mary Shelley in MARY’S LITTLE MONSTER by Thomas Kee at the Mudlark Public Theater in New Orleans, Davenport Theatre in NYC as part of the Davenport space grant, and upcoming off-broadway at The Players Theatre. She played Artemisia Gentileschi in her play NEC SPE / NEC METU at The Tank’s July 2017 DarkFest and at Theater Row as part of the United Solo Festival, and Asia Booth Clarke in THE BRUTES ("irresistibly dramatic, legitimately upsetting" - The NYTimes) by Casey Wimpee at The Flamboyan as part of The 10th Anniversary Planet Connections Festivity, nominated for 8 awards including Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Costume Design (both Sara Fellini). THE BRUTES was then specially invited to The Players, the historic club in New York City founded by Edwin Booth, the performance presented by players and members of The Booth Family. She is the Artistic Director of theater company spit&vigor and designs costumes and props for various theater companies in and around NYC.

Adam Belvo

ADAM BELVO is a Brooklyn based actor and theater producer. Recent New York acting work includes Edwin Booth in THE BRUTES (2019 NYIT Outstanding Lead Actor Nominee), John Polidori in MARY's LITTLE MONSTER, Azra Todd in THE EXECUTION OF MRS. COTTON, Danny in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, Father Nathan Shourd in the NYIT Award winning IN VESTMENTS, K.Bus and Muskie in Aztec Economy's BUTCHER HOLLER HERE WE COME (NYIT 2016 Outstanding Lead Actor nominee), Jack in OVER, Georges in HAZARD A LITTLE DEATH (Planet Connections Festival 2014: Best Actor Award Winner), Jaques in AS YOU LIKE IT, El Spectro in COLOR TVs IN TIJUANA, Ryszard in PONTIAC FIREBIRD VARIATIONS (Ice Factory 2011) and Vanya in UNCLE VANYA. Regionally, Adam has toured and performed as K.Bus in BUTCHER HOLLER HERE WE COME (Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2013, New Orleans Fringe Festival 2013, Out-of-the-Loop Festival 2014-Dallas, Revolutions 2016-Albuquerque, NM, Hollywood Fringe 2019, others), he has worked with MTB productions to produce and star in HELPLESS DOORKNOBS (New Orleans Fringe 2012) and as The Stranger in MY AIM IS TRUE (New Orleans Fringe 2011). He is Executive Producer of the Brooklyn based theater company spit&vigor (www.spitnvigor.com), and a collaborating member of Working Man's Clothes Productions and Aztec Economy. His work has been showcased at The 14th Street Y, The Tank, 3LD, The Ohio Theater, The New Ohio Theatre, The Davenport Theater, WestPark Presbyterian Church, The Abingdon Theater (Dorothy Strelsin and the June Havoc,) American Place Theater, Under St. Marks, and IRT Theater, among others.

Nick Thomas

NICHOLAS THOMAS is an actor, writer and director from Melbourne, Australia. As an actor/producer he has studied at HB Studios has self-produced three full length plays, two of them written himself. He produced The Dreamer Examines His Pillow by John Patrick Shanley at the PIT LOFT, and his sketch comedy troupe has produced two web series and multiple television shows at MNN Studios. He also writes, produces and directs original online content with his company Blunderbuss. Phoenix Reign: Nominated Best Dark Comedy Screenplay, Oregon Short Film Festival (2019); Nominated Best Comedy Television Episode Screenplay, Portland Comedy Film Festival(2018).Return Of the Green Dragon: Semi Finalist The Comedy World Network International Film Festival, (Las Vegas 2018) Businessman ShowdownNominated New York Indie Film Fest 2016. He was the Director of Operations at the Peoples’ Improv Theatre (The PIT) for six years, working as the senior house manager, stage manager, head of Intern program, and a little bit of everything else. He also taught intro-level improv classes and was a member of multiple PIT House Improv Teams.

Perri Yaniv

PERRI YANIV (Mr. John Sleeper “Sleepy” Clarke) is a born and bred New Yorker who has most recently appeared on NBC’s “The Blacklist” and acclaimed NY troupe Bedlam Theatre’s webseries. He has performed in over 35 theatre productions locally, regionally, and internationally. In addition to previous presentations of The Brutes, other recent credits include Spit&Vigor’s production of Mary’s Little Monster at Torn Page, Blessed Unrest’s Refuge (BPAC), Barefoot Theatre Company's revival of Joe Pintauro's Raft of the Medusa for which the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity which awarded him Outstanding Featured Actor, Claire Beckman's The Plantation (adapted from Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard for Brave New World Rep and performed on Governors Island). Huge thanks to the Spit&Vigor crew for all they do. www.perribazyaniv.com

Eamon Murphy

EAMON MURPHY has appeared as Grant in Agnes Borinsky’s Ulysses S. Grant in the New New World (PAM Residencies); Theseus/Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Little Flame); Jaques, As You Like It (Columbia School of the Arts); the Ghost, The Brutes (spit&vigor), Camillo, The Winter’s Tale (South Brooklyn Shakespeare); Orsino, Twelfth Night (Old Hat); Donald Rumsfeld, Oh What a Lovely War on Terror (Edinburgh Fringe); King Henry, 1 Henry IV (Clare College Cambridge); and Prince Edward, Richard III (PA Shakespeare Fest).

Peter Oliver

PETER OLIVER Peter is a NYC-based actor, writer, musician and educator. Theater credits include Handsome in THE BRUTES, Dionysus in THE BACCHAE, Brandon in SLAUGHTER CITY, Jack in IN VESTMENTS and Richard in RICHARD III. Film and TV credits include Marriage Story, The Boy Downstairs, Law & Order: SVU, The Deuce, Blue Bloods, and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. His play, HIT YOUR MARK DIE BEAUTIFUL was recently produced by SpitnVigor at the New Ohio Theater. He holds a BA from Hamilton College where he graduated Phi Beta Crappa. He has studied under Wynn Handman, Anthony Abeson and Norman Taylor.

Xandra Leigh Parker

XANDRA LEIGH PARKER (Herald, Brute #3) studied at Maggie Flanigan Studio Conservatory, Colorado State University and Perry Mansfield. She has appeared in Mary’s Little Monster, The Brutes, and Luna Eclipse with Spit&Vigor. Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Pizza Man, Italian American Reconciliation, Three Penny Opera, La Llorona, As You Like It, The Tempest, as well as many others. She also has worked on many independent films, cabarets and is the lead singer of Just Fabulous.

Samantha Haviland

SAMANTHA HAVILAND (Brute #4 - Fontaine) is a proud actor and playwright, and a graduate of Hofstra University with a BFA in Performance. As an actor, she goes back and forth between performing in new works and classics (a combination that perfectly fits The Brutes); some favorite roles to date include Niobe in the new play, Doubt That the Stars Are Fire, Ophelia in Hamlet, Celia in As You Like It, and Medea herself. As a playwright, her first full-length play (co-written with Laura Erle), Three Sisters, Four Women, is coming to NYC soon, with many more twists on well-known stories already in the works. Samantha can be found on Instagram @samdehaviland and online at samanthahaviland.com.

Caitlin Dullahan-Bates

CAITLIN DULLAHAN-BATES is an actor, writer, and director from NYC. She holds a BFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied at the Atlantic Acting School and Stonestreet Studios. Caitlin was most recently featured in spit&vigor’s production of ECTOPLASM (The Players Theatre) and the New York Times recommended Fucked-Up Play Fest! (Caveat NYC). Last October, she wrapped production on Hell Wanted (Irving Pictures), in which she'll make her independent feature film debut. Her upcoming short film, of which is both the screenwriter and director, Hyacinth Girl, is currently in pre-production. Caitlin is thrilled to work with the spit&vigor company again and join the cast of The Brutes as Mary/Brute #1!

Kelsey Bentz

KELSEY BENTZ (Brute #2 / George) is an actor and live-stream producer. She originally hails from the farmlands of Portland, Oregon and is now a proud New Yorker. Most recently Kelsey was seen in Literally Alive’s production of Beauty and the Beast (The Player’s Theatre), and spit&vigor’s production of Ectoplasm (The Player’s Theatre). Favorite regional credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Heathers, and Promenade. Kelsey is a proud graduate of NYU Tisch & Stella Adler Studio. In 2020 she created, produced and starred in a 40-episode virtual artist interview series called Avenue A, where she was honored to interview the likes of Alice Ripley, Melissa Errico and Michael McElroy. Very thankful to be on stage again during these uncertain times, and to join spit&vigor once again. Love to my family. www.kelseybentz.com

Drew Reilly

DREW REILLY (John Wilkes Booth) is an actor and writer based in Brooklyn. He is back working with spit&vigor after playing Callum Holes in their production of Ectoplasm. Other credits include Male Actor #3, And Away We Go (Gallery Players); Jared, Body Awareness; and Rosencrantz, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. He has also written and performed in several two-person sketch comedy revues that went on to tour festivals such as Out of Bounds (Austin, TX), PortFringe (Portland, ME), NY SketchFest and Chicago SketchFest. He studied at the Second City Conservatory in Chicago as well as iO and The Annoyance. Next up he will be playing Lombard in a production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None at the Players Theater.

Ryan Desaulniers

Ryan Desaulniers is a recovered teacher from Massachusetts now living in Brooklyn. Ryan loves all manner of nerdy media and role-playing games. His recent credits include playing an 1880's lumber baron in Implied Consent at the Access Theatre, numerous roles for the Negro Ensemble Company, and also appearing naked in the middle of Prospect Park as the lead for Torn Out Theater's production of The Rover. He attained his MFA in acting at the East15 School in London and is very happy to join spit&vigor.

Sean Shannon

Sean Shannon is a Brooklyn-based actor and musician from the Midwest via the West Coast. Theater: Sonny Under The Assumption, Balm In Gilead, Tango, The Rimers of Eldritch, Henry IV, and Romeo & Juliet. TV: NBC's Law & Order: SVU, Comedy Central's Alternatino, and TBS's The Last O.G. Film: Denture Adventure, Rejectors, Chet & Elzie Go Cartooning.

Sara Fellini

SARA FELLINI is an award-winning playwright, director, actress, and skilled artisan. Her play HAZARD A LITTLE DEATH was nominated for six awards at the 2014 Planet Connections Theater Festivity including Best Production of a New Play and Best Lead Actress (Sara Fellini), and won Best New Script. She performed as Nannerl in the monodrama THE OTHER MOZART written by Sylvia Milo at The Players Theatre in New York City and toured the production through the Southern US (*winning Cat5 magazine’s Best Theater Production of 2015, “the voice of a crystal bell, Fellini is captivating” –NOLA Defender), and created the role of Maeve Shourd in a site-specific production of IN VESTMENTS, a play of her own writing and winner of two NYIT awards, nominated for Outstanding New Full-Length Script, earning her theater company the prestigious Donn Russell grant, and acclaimed by the NY Times as "wrenching and visually eloquent". She has appeared as the titular character in another play of her own writing, THE EXECUTION of MRS. COTTON (called "darkly humorous" and "deliciously ghoulish" by the NY Times) at IRT Theater as part of their 3B Residency, she played Mary Shelley in MARY’S LITTLE MONSTER by Thomas Kee at the Mudlark Public Theater in New Orleans, Davenport Theatre in NYC as part of the Davenport space grant, and upcoming off-broadway at The Players Theatre. She played Artemisia Gentileschi in her play NEC SPE / NEC METU at The Tank’s July 2017 DarkFest and at Theater Row as part of the United Solo Festival, and Asia Booth Clarke in THE BRUTES ("irresistibly dramatic, legitimately upsetting" - The NYTimes) by Casey Wimpee at The Flamboyan as part of The 10th Anniversary Planet Connections Festivity, nominated for 8 awards including Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Costume Design (both Sara Fellini). THE BRUTES was then specially invited to The Players, the historic club in New York City founded by Edwin Booth, the performance presented by players and members of The Booth Family. She is the Artistic Director of theater company spit&vigor and designs costumes and props for various theater companies in and around NYC.

Casey Wimpee

Casey Wimpee (playwright) is a co-founder and the resident playwright of Ad Hoc Economy, née Aztec Economy, out of Brooklyn. His full length plays include LAVAMAN (Ice Factory 2009, Ohio Theatre, NYC), MARFA LIGHTS (Theatre Synesthesia, ATX), NATIONAL DIET OF JAPAN (P.S. 122, NYC), PONTIAC FIREBIRD VARIATIONS (Ice Factory 2011, Ohio Interrupted @ 3LD, NYC, Museum of Human Achievement @ Austin TX), COLOR TVS EN TIJUANA (Brooklyn Fireproof), KILL DEVILL HILLS (Collaboraction/Chicago), and BUTCHER HOLLER HERE WE COME, for which he won the 2018 BroadwayWorld Austin award for Best Writing of an Original Work. His play ARMS & THE OCTOPUS (Ohio/Galapagos, NY) was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre award for Outstanding Original Short Script, and THE QUEEN IS DEAD, and AMPHIBIANS were Samuel French finalists, respectively. Other short plays produced nationally include: KANSAS CITY BOOK OF THE DEAD, TAKE OUT CHINESE, BRING ME THE HEAD OF JOHN FORD, ANTIGONE WITH THE WIND, and HOT DAMN. Originally from Texas, he currently lives in New Orleans. KIND OF BLOOD, MORE SONGS FROM THE NEOFASCISTS…, CONSTELLATION GOLF or THE MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY, ADVENTURES IN THE OK SKIN TRADE.