Edgar L. Gillies III, born in Pasadena, California, second of three children, was hit by the acting bug in his junior year of high school when he played “Big Daddy Washington” in the junior varsity shows adaptation of “The PRICE Is RIGHT”. Soon after, he landed his first television commercial for “Coca-Cola”. In 1990, going on to receive a full football scholarship to Cal State Fullerton, kept him off the street when he was a youngster. This experience took him to the National Football League (NFL) where he played for the Dallas Cowboys for a time. Side tracked he got into body guarding top celebrities while the acting bug marinated for a few years. He moved to the bay area to get away from all the “Bull S- -” that he had brought upon himself, shortly after the move he found out the “Bull Sh- -” moved up here with him. He checked himself into the New Bridge Foundation and graduated. Then went on to enroll in the “Shelton Theater Acting School” there he appeared in such plays as “Of Mice And Men”, “Zoo Story”, “American Buffalo” and “Private Wars”, Now, here he is am. Mr. Gillies says “a good friend of mine once told me the the world needed me clean…so here I am.” (www.edgillies.com)
Anthony Haynes was born and raised in the Bay Area. He has been acting since the age of nine, starting in Theatre and slowly migrating into film where he has done the majority of his work over the past 8 years. His move into film came after a long hiatus from the world of acting all together. The break, he calls “a temporary period of insanity – school, fun, a number of other early age (20’s) experiences that removed me from my passion.” “Well eventually, the monkey was on my back once again”, he states. “I could not live without my passion” and he has not stopped ever since. Acting is life to him. Growing up an only child and spending the majority of his alone time as an array of different characters, doing voices and figuring out additional ways to pass “By myself” time, it was only a natural progression that he move into the world of character building and make believe professionally. Over the past eight years, Anthony has performed in a number of live productions in addition to being cast in over 20 films, a combination of features and short, playing an array of types from leads to supporting.Anthony is currently in rehearsal for the play The Spot, a play written and directed by Geoffrey Grier in which Anthony plays Lex, a young man whose street corner decisions land him 10 years in the penitentiary. In addition, Anthony is working on a solo full length play in addition to a role in a film called Oakland B Mine, a film by award winning writer/director Mateen Kemet.
Eric Ward is a San Francisco native and a man of many talents. Mr. Ward wrote, directed and starred in his first theatrical production for his Mother at age 8 and has been involved in the performing arts ever since. Mr. Ward has acted, directed and coordinated events in local theaters and performance spaces throughout the Bay Area. An accomplished artist, Mr. Ward's illustrations have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and in the children’s book "Lucille Nadine Alexander's Birthday". Mr. Ward's watercolor paintings are shown prominently online in John Aiello's "Electric Review" and he proudly serves as the web journal's "Principle Staff Artist." Also a Crooner, Mr. Ward was recently a finalist in "Martuni's Cabaret Showcase Showdown" and is now researching and writing material to fuel his musical comedy character, Eric Ward: YOUR American Original. (www.theamericanoriginal.com)
Pam Coates, Returning to performance after a 20-year absence, Pam has become a regular performer in SFRT's "Night at The Blackhawk". She recently landed a part in the annual Sparklight One-Act Festival and is about to go into rehearsals with San Jose's Arclight Repertory Theatre. Her first stage appearance was with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain in 1964. There followed 25 years of work with several theater companies in the UK, including a 5-year stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she appeared in plays ranging from Richard III to Speed the Plow. Her stage work in the US includes Hedda Gabler, I'm Not Rappaport, Love Letters and Shirley Valentine. She is an alumna of the Academy of Live & Recorded Arts (London) and has had the privilege to work with a number of stage and screen iluminati such as Christopher Reeve, Diana Rigg, Ben Vereen, Matthew Broderick, Paul Winfield, and Eric Burdon. She also counsels tenants through SF's SRO Collaborative and is currently training to be a domestic violence counsellor.
ACTOR BIOS
Nicole Harley, this veteran actress takes the “craft” seriously and professionally. She attended the School of the Arts in San Francisco and has taken classes at the American Conservatory Theater and Jean Schelton’s Actors Lab. Nicole had also studied with the late great Mel Stewart and at the Joanne Baron, D.W. Brown Studios in Santa Monica and with Amy Lyndon in Los Angeles. You have recently seen her in “The Bluest Eye” and the movie “Flying Saucer Rock-n-Roll”. Look for big things from her.
Vernon Medearis, a native San Franciscan celebrating 25 years on stage in and out of the greater Bay area. Last seen as Bono in "Fences" at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre and as the Duke in "Cinderella". Many thanks to Lewis Campbell and the Multi-Ethnic Theatre. I thank God for my continuous career on stage.
Stefon Williams was born in San Francisco, CA the oldest of seven sons, he and his brothers all persued a musical career. Stefon majored in Performing Arts at San Francisco City Collage from 1982-84. He was introduced to the theatre stage by Mr. Ed Bullins in 1981. Ed Bullins heard Stefon’s voice at a social gathering and offered him an opportunity to audition for a play of his called, "Daddy" and he got the part and was bitten by the theatre bug on opening night. Since then he has written and performed in a number of plays. To name a few; "The Legend of John Henry Superman," "Slave Ships," "High John The Conqueer," "Dr. Geechy & The Blood Junkies," "Fall & Rise of Jackie," "Singing Cross," "Church On Trial," "The Waiting Room," "Dream With Your Eyes Open," “The Black Nativity” and for the past four years Stefon has been the musical director as well as an actor in the stage production of “The Spot”. He's also casted for "A Soldiers Story" (the play). Stefon says he loves the phrase "Break A Leg" because he knows what it means.
Charles Houston began his acting career in 1966 in New York City where he performed in both Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions. He studied acting with the Actors’ Studio which was directed by Lee Strasberg, American actor, director and one of the best-known acting teachers in theater and film. He pursued technical studies at the Herbert Berghoff Studio under the tutelage of Catherine Siragala. Mr. Houston’s off-Broadway credits include performances with the Negro Ensemble Company and various roles with the Lafayette Theater. His Broadway credits include Bubbling Brown Sugar, Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death and performances with the New York Shakespeare Festival, founded by American theatrical producer and director Joseph Papp. After Mr. Houston moved to San Francisco, his acting credits included a role in Adam King with the Everyman Theater, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with the Little Fox Theater, Evolution of the Blues with the legendary vocal team of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Mr. Houston also acted in film productions with appearances in Shaft, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back Charleston Blue, Across 110th Street, Bermuda Triangle, Urban Cowboy and Dr. Doolittle. Mr. Houston continues to reside in San Francisco.