Horse Trade presents A Counting Squares Theatre production of Bigger than i by Counting Squares Arts Collective
Tickets $18 $15 Stu/Sen Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7pm June 4-20 2009	"With the popularity of confessional websites, blog culture, and the advent of the technology age, Counting Squares Theatre examines the cause and effect of our increasingly stark interpersonal relationships. Counting Squares asks the question: Why can’t we deal with each other and really be ourselves out in the open. Through the use of scene work, song, dance, and multimedia we expose how our inner secrets cause our outward fears." UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st & A) www.countingsquarestheatre.org

The Cast and Crew
	Michael Barringer (Writer; Actor; Multimedia) has trained at the University of Michigan, Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, and in New York City. Theatre work includes: A Christmas Carol: A New Musical (Vortex Theatre Company), Away With Her: Cymbeline + Measure for Measure (Quality Meats/Chashama), Locker Room Talk (NOMADS/Cherry Lane Theatre), Leaves of Grass (The Cell Theatre). U of M performances in A Doll's House, Titus Andronicus, and The Seagull. Later in June, he will be appearing in a new operetta, On the Cranial Nerves of Barbarians (Panopoly Performance Lab), at Manhattan Theatre Source.
	Shannon Beeby (Company Member; Writer) Shannon has been part of the Counting Squares family since it was a wee fetus at University of Central Florida. And has since, married fellow company member, Ryan Jones, traveled the world dressed as a wolf, directed Carpe Tunnel, and collaborated in the process of writing Bigger Than i.
Jessica M. Burgess (Company Member; Lighting Design) is Resident Lighting Designer for Theatre East and Counting Squares Productions. She has designed for Alden Moves Dance Company and The Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City; Skyline Theatre Company out of New Jersey; The Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, and The Tyler Junior College Apache Belles in Texas. Her Off Broadway debut was Harvest for the Alchemy Theatre Company at Theatre Row. Off Off Broadway credits include: Martin Sherman's Bent at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre, Boys' Life at The Kraine Theatre and Woyzeck at Under St. Mark's. Design credits from the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina include The Magic Flute, The Mikado, Little Women the opera, Floyd's Susannah, Candide, Camelot, and La Boheme. Jessica received her Masters for Lighting Design from Purchase College. Her Purchase design credits include Dark of the Moon, By the Bog of Cats and The Coronation of Poppea. She has assisted NYC designers such as Dennis Parichy, David Grill, and Andrea Boccanfuso as well as was Assistant to the Designer to Brian MacDevitt on Broadway's The Color Purple.
	Edward Davis (Company Member; Writer; Actor) This is Edward Davis' third show with CST. His credits include: OFF-OFF Broadway; Rudy Hennings in Bent at Thirteenth St. Rep., Phil in Boys' Life at Nicu's Spoon Theatre, Barrington Andrews in Ghosts at Abrons Art Center. OFF-Broadway; not opposed to it. Broadway: Someday (sigh). Edward would like to thank his mother for her enduring support despite her desperate wish that he will come to his senses and be an archetectural engineer. ( Mother it’s just not in the cards).
	Michelle Foytek (Company Member; Writer) was seen last in the Counting Squares Theatre production of Carpe Tunnel. Since then she has performed in Romeo and Juliet with the Bushwick Shakespeare Repertory and is currently in rehearsals for The Imaginary Invalid set to be a part of the Planet Connection Theatre Festival opening at the end of June. She is excited to be a part of such a creative and explorative process with her fellow Counting Squares company members and is thrilled to see these ideas come the life on stage!
	Kantarama Gahigiri (Multimedia) was born in Geneva, Switzerland. There she studied Theatre, Music and completed a Masters in International Relations. While in Switzerland, she worked in theatre and in TV production. She moved to New York to study film and received a Masters Degree. She is now directing films and works on various projects in the production department. CHECK, her first short film has been screened at the NewFilmmakers Festival in New York (USA), the Bare Bones Film Festival (USA), the Cannes Short Film Corner (France) and the Worldwide Shortfilm Festival Marketplace (Canada). Leila, another of her shorts has been screened at the Tank Magazine / Swarovsky Laboratory for young directors (UK). She is currently in preproduction for her next film. She is excited to participate in the Bigger Than i journey and to collaborate for the first time with Counting Squares Theatre.
	Joshua Chase Gold (Founder; Production Manager; Sound Designer) is happiest here, with his family at Horse Trade Theatre Group and CST. Joshua is thrilled to see Counting Squares expanding as we welcome new people to our family, and continue appreciating those already with us. With Counting Squares: Camp Wanatachi (Lighting Designer), Woyzeck (Director), Carpe Tunnel (Scenic & Sound Designer), Boys’ Life (Scenic Designer) and Bent (Director). Other favorite works include directing and designing productions of Ruthless! The Musical, Medea, Spring Awakening, Once on this Island and Pippin. Additionally, Joshua is a reviewer for nytheatre.com and an adjudicator for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. He would like to thank the CST Family, Horse Trade and Ryan & Dena. Lastly, Joshua would like to acknowledge his mother for birthing him. Ouch! And raising him. Yikes! Dad helped too, even if he can’t use a microwave properly. True! Sit back, relax and laugh!
	Matt Greenabaum* (Company Member; Actor) is excited to work on his second project with Counting Squares Theatre. He was last seen in their original production, Carpe Tunnel, last spring. Prior to his arrival in New York, Matt spent three years at The Barter Theatre in Virginia as a member of their resident company. Regionally, Matt has worked with Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, The Renaissance Center, Blowing Rock Stage Company, and The Broward Center Performance Project. He holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from The University of Central Florida. Matt is also a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. Find out more about Matt at www.mattgreenbaum.net.
	Dena Kology (Founder; Company Manager; Actor) is so proud to be working with this talented group of Squares! As Company Manager and Co-Founder of Counting Squares she has enjoyed a busy past season, during which they were awarded The People Of The Year Status by NYTheatre and met with great reviews. She is so thrilled to have worked to bring Bigger Than i to life and into the Counting Squares Family. You may have seen her recently as Marie in Woyzeck, Jana in Camp Wanatachi, Maggie in Boys Life and she worked as a writer, director and actress in the smash Carpe Tunnel. Past favorite roles include Eliza in My Fair Lady, Nora in Nora, Sara Jane Moore in Assassins, Gwen in 5th Of July, and Laura in Look Homeward Angel. Check out the CST website www.countingsquarestheatre.org to stay tuned for next years incredible season! She sends huge thanks to all of the Company Members and other folks who bring such drive, passion, and dedication to this Company.
	Ryan Nicholoff (Founder; Artistic Director; Actor) is so happy to bring this beautifully collaborative labor of love to the NYC stage and to be in residency here at Horse Trade Theatre and theirs spaces. As the founder and artistic director of Counting Squares Theatre Ryan is thrilled to be working with this cast and honored to share the stage with such wonderful and talented people. Ryan was last seen as the title role in Woyzeck, various roles in the Counting Squares production of Carpe Tunnel, Jack in Boys’ Life at the Kraine Theater and Max in the Blue Asphalt Productions/Counting Squares Theatre's critically adored production of Martin Sherman's Bent off-Broadway at the 13th Street Repertory Theater. Past roles include: Austin in True West, Ray in Lonestar, Bentley Summerhays in Shaw's Misalliance and Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins. Ryan attended The University of Central Florida, where he received his BFA in musical theatre, as well as four Irene Ryan nominations for his performances. Ryan reviews theatre for nytheatre.com and is also a singer/songwriter. He has composed scores for such productions as Death of a Salesman, Look Homeward, Angel, and Bus Stop. In his spare time Ryan enjoys traveling, getting lost in the city and eating good food. Ryan would like to thank his family, friends, and Dena for being the best person on Earth. Enjoy the show!
	John O’Malley (Company Member; Movement & Choreography) is glad to be joining Counting Squares Theater for another show. John's choreography was seen in Counting Squares’ productions of Carpe Tunnel and Woyzeck. He also serves as the Creative Development Representative. New York collaborations and performing credits include Craig Stevens Guide to Making it On Broadway Series (The Laurie Beechman), The Next Stage Project (NY City Center) and Baby Steps (Bowery Poetry Club). Regional Credits: Gateway Playhouse, Westchester Broadway, The Kennedy Center, Carousel Dinner, Seaside Music Theater, Disney and Holland America Cruise Lines. John is the owner of Organized.By.O'Malley; an organizing and solutions company serving the arts community. He is also an active volunteer with The Chase Brock Experience and Dance Theater Workshop. To learn more check out his blog: LOOK AWAY NOW, PLEASE.(www.lookawaynowplease.wordpress.com)
Emily Owens PR (Press Rep) is an NYC-based public relations agency specializing in independent theatre. Clients include Horse Trade Theater Group, terraNOVA Collective, The Brick Theater, Flux Theatre Ensemble, Rachel Klein Productions, Theatre of the Expendable, Disgraced Productions, and The Vagabond Theatre Ensemble. Emily has also previously worked on the critically acclaimed Hostage Song: the new indie-rock musical, and The New York FRIGID Festival. www.emilyowenspr.com
Nick Sprysenski (Company Member; Director) This is Nick's 2nd production with Counting Squares. His first was on last year's original production, Carpe Tunnel. He'd like to thank all of his friends here for being so supportive and kind, and generous beyond the call of duty. It really means a lot. And as a director, he would like to put a special thank you in to Kanta and Mikey, without whom, a lot of the wonder and heart of this show would be lost.
	Chris Worley (Company Member; Actor) is totally jazzed about working with his "family" on another show. He has been a part of all of CST's productions so far, excluding one, and it gets better everytime. When he (I don’t know why I am typing this in the 3rd person but it's too late to change now) isn't performing with CST, he's drinking with them. And when he (I) isn't doing that he (I) enjoys performing improv, stand-up, sports, and staring contests with babies on subways. He (I) hopes that you (you) enjoy the show as much as we (us) enjoyed making art jump from the page right into your freakin' (expletive) laps. Copious amounts of love to my "family" and Dera. Cheers!

*Member of Actors’ Equity

Director’s Notes
Everyone has a secret. Everyone. Even if it’s a pithy, possibly insignificant secret, it is still this guarded piece of forbidden information; exciting and shameful, exultant or just bizarre. Secrets and the consequent need to share this knowledge, or to receive some absolution as a validation of one's very existence- these are universally shared experiences by mankind. Perhaps this is why the idea of kept knowledge is so riveting and compelling. Speaking in the dramatic sense, there is no better fodder than this.

As technology continually expands, engulfing the very crevices of our everyday lives, people have been given a new anonymity. People, through the Internet, now have the choice to construct the facets of their identity at a whim, changing parts of their subjective reality, which may same unsatisfactory to the individual, into a more pleasant "reality." Or at least this is how they wish the world to perceive their reality. This is a mask. And the very purpose of a mask is to conceal.

Why do we keep secrets? Why is it that we feel the need to divulge our secrets? What are the ramifications of such actions? Is it to selfish ends that these feelings are borne into? Or is there more to the story?

Counting Squares Theatre would like to extend a special thank you once again to the brave real people who poured out their secrets to us on camera. Having shared this experience with them, I can honestly say that it's funny how not alone we really all are. It just seems that a lot of times no one has the courage to ask, to reach out and see if anyone might take their hand.

Please enjoy yourselves tonight. If you let it happen, you may see a little of yourself onstage.

Notes from Counting Squares Theatre

To Our Amazing Patrons,
This past year has been a very exciting one for us. We had our first year of residency with Horse Trade Theatre Group, we received the 2008 New York Independent Theatre People of the Year Award and we have had the wonderful opportunity to expand our pool of artists to even more actors, directors, designers and playwrights.

As we look into the future of our 2009-2010 Season, we have even more excitement in store for you. With our 2009-2010 Season, “with reverence to the new, to the classics, and to ourselves,” Counting Squares Theatre will adopt a unique and interesting formula for theatergoers in New York: a new play, a classic play, and an annual devised piece built from the ground up by us!
In the fall, kicking off our season, we will present the new play Spanky and Spry by Ayla Harrison. Ever since their parents’ death Susanna Parks has held it together. Her sister Spanky…hasn’t. So when Spanky lands herself in a mental ward and falls for the effervescent lunatic Spry, sparks fly as she prepares to leave Susanna behind. Suddenly the sister with all the answers has none. In this new video-driven dark comedy two sisters’ worlds unravel, converge, pause and rewind as they try to find that place where crazy meets love.

In the winter, for your comedic enjoyment, Counting Squares Theatre will proudly present Oscar Wilde’s classic, The Importance of Being Earnest. This masterpiece, arguably the most famous of all comedies, revolves wittily around the most ingenious case of “manufactured” mistaken identity ever put into a play. In a world where people can invent their identities and be anything they want, this story speaks to the current times.
To close out the year we will present our Third Annual Devised Project (you are watching the Second Annual Devised Project tonight!). For two years now, Counting Squares Theatre has taken source materials, analyzed them, and used the raw elements to write our own show. In the past we have dealt with interpersonal relationships, religion, love and secrets. Our unique perspective inspects the greater issue of how our community deals with a variety of issues. Stay tuned for the exciting announcement!
We would like to thank you very much for your patronage and hope you enjoy tonight’s show. For more information on Counting Squares Theatre and our 2009-2010 Season, please visit us at www.countingsquarestheatre.org
Cheers,

Ryan Nicholoff Joshua Chase Gold Dena Kology
Artistic Director Production Manager Company Manager