Lauren Flanigan (Sa’ida)

Named by TIME Magazine as “the thinking man’s diva” and awarded by ACSAP and the Center for Contemporary Opera for her commitment to performing the works of living composers, soprano Lauren Flanigan has firmly established herself as a unique musical presence in the world today. She has been featured on the telecast “Live from Lincoln Center” in performances of I Lombardi (opposite Luciano Pavarotti), The Richard Tucker Gala, Lizzie Borden and Central Park which was written for her.

She has performed at many of the world’s leading opera houses including La Scala, Teatro San Carlo, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera. With American Opera Projects, she created the starring role in the premiere of Marina: A Captive Spirit by Deborah Drattell, and a workshops of Best Friends, by Mrs Drattell with a libretto by Wendy Wasserstein/Christopher Durang. She most recently performed at New York City Opera the role of Myra written for her by Stephen Schwartz in his first opera Seance on a Wet Afternoon , which was developed by American Opera Projects.

David Margulies (Joachim)

David Margulies has acted in major roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in Regional Theatre, and in films. On Broadway he was in Herb Gardner’s Conversations with My Father, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Trevor Griffith’s Comedians, and two plays by Neil Simon, Ira Levin, Eugene O’Neill, Elie Weisel and others. Off-Broadway, he was in plays by Lauren Yee, Amy Herzog, Tony Kushner, Corneille, Murray Schisgal, Jules Feiffer, Alan Ball and others. In Regional Theatre he acted in plays by Shakespeare, Goldsmith, Sheridan, Moliere, Arthur Miller, Clifford Odets and others. His film roles include Ghostbusters I & II and Fading Gigolo (opening this Spring). He also just completed work on A Most Violent Year. His major television role was in The Sopranos as Tony Soprano’s lawyer, Neil Mink.

Robert Stattel (Caliph)

Robert Stattel has been a successful actor for over 50 years.  He has appeared on Broadway in over a dozen productions, including Dr. Watson in the Royal Shakespeare production of “Sherlock Holmes” and JB in “Philadelphia Here I Come.”  He was a member of the original repertory company at Lincoln Center, where he played Edgar in Lee J. Cobb’s production of “King Lear” and Camille in “Danton’s Death.”  Off Broadway he was a member of the CSC Repertory and received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actor for his performance of King Lear, and played an array of classical roles from Dr. Faustus to Oedipus.

For the Roundabout Theater he appeared in over a dozen roles, including Cromwell in “A Man for All Seasons” and Nixon in “Bunker Reveries.”  At Theater for a New Audience, under the direction of Julie Taymor, he was Prospero in “The Tempest” and Titus in “Titus Andronicus” for which he received the Calloway Award.  Robert has performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie, the Hartford Stage, and the ART among others.  After completing the Broadway run of the musical “Little Women” and its national tour, he decided to devote most of his time to his painting.  His work can be seen at robertstattel.com.