Kai Leah Nikol in the Limelight

Kai Leah Nichol returns to the stage she once enjoyed as a young girl as a member of the cast of E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre.

Kai Leah Nikol appears in ...AND Company Theatre's production of the stage play E-mail: 9/12 at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm.

Nikol is currently a junior at Rider University, and she hadn't been involved in a stage production since she was a freshmen in high school. When she heard about the play E-mail: 9/12 being performed in Philadelphia, PA by ...AND Company Theatre, she thought it was a great opportunity to get herself back into acting.

As a young girl, Nikol knew she wanted to be in show business, so she took acting classes through middle school and was often involved in her school productions. Her role as a member of the ensemble cast in E-mail: 9/12 marks her return to the stage. "I want the audience to enjoy the performance," Nichol explains, "and I hope to get insight and feedback on how I can improve as an actress through this show."

E-mail: 9/12 is the dramatization of how individuals connected through cyberspace in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. When they weren't able to reach one another by phone, they used e-mail to comfort and communicate with each other.

...AND Company Theatre presents the play E-mail: 9/12 with performances on September 24, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

Announcing Walter DeShields

Penn State alum Walter DeShields joins the ...AND Company Theatre cast of E-mail: 9/12

Walter DeShields is an experienced actor both on stage and on screen. On September 24, 2011, he'll be performing in ...AND Company Theatre's production of E-mail: 9/12 at 3pm and 7pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre in Philadelphia.

The play E-mail: 9/12 tells the story of how people were able to connect with one another via e-mail on the day after the September 11th attacks. On a day when phone communications weren't always working, friends and family used e-mail to keep in touch, to encourage one another, to grieve with each other, and to support those they love.

"I think this show gives a glimpse of humanity at one of its darkest moments, yet those affected shine the brightest," says DeShields.

About his part in the stage play E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre, DeShields explains, "I feel honored to tell this story. It so much more than a role, I truly feel these individuals' experience."

DeShields is a graduate of Penn State with a BA in Theatre and English. Among his film roles are parts in the movies Can't Judge a Book, Coochie Wars and The Playstation Killed the Puppet.

DeShields also regularly appears on stage in the greater Philadelphia and New York City areas. He appeared in the role of RICH in the stage play VI degrees. Most recently he portrayed WALTER LEE in the play Raisin in the Sun.

Performances of E-mail: 9/12 are scheduled for ONE DAY ONLY, Saturday, September 24th, 2011. 3pm Matinee and 7pm Evening show. Venue: Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

On Stage with Kyle Paul Dandridge

E-mail: 9/12 cast member Kyle Paul Dandridge is no stranger to the Philadelphia area stage.

Kyle Paul Dandridge is part of the ensemble cast of ...AND Company Theatre's production of the stage play E-mail: 9/12. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm.

Dandridge has acted in many stage productions in the Philadelphia area, including plays written by Shakespeare as well as by modern playwrights. He's performed at The Stagecrafters, Old Academy Players, Allens Lane and The Drama Group. Kyle Paul Dandridge is pictured in this post in the role of Joaquim from the Stagecrafters production of "Mud, River, Stone" in April 2011.

"My first play was when I was age seven," says Dandridge. "I played a Pilgrim who died on the Mayflower. But, it wasn't until I was 14 that I knew I really wanted to be an actor."

In E-mail: 9/12 Dandridge takes on a number of different the roles as part of the ensemble, so he wears many hats on stage - literally. Among the characters he portrays in the play are a firehouse cook, a train conductor, and even a slightly mischievous 9-year-old boy.

The play illustrates how people connected through e-mails on the day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Through the use of the ensemble, the ...AND Company Theatre cast are able to re-enact the characters' stories of survival, grief and hope.

When asked what he would like the audience to take away from the performance, Dandridge answers, "I would like to audience to walk away feeling they got a different perspective on September 11, and realize that we are at the tip of exploring that day through art and artistic expression."

Performances of the play E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre are on September 24, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

Get to Know Andre Brown

E-mail: 9/12's director Andre Brown is also the founder of ...AND Company Theatre.

Andre Brown directs the stage play E-mail: 9/12, being performed on September 24th, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre in Philadelphia, PA.

“Once I read the script, it haunted me,” states Brown, “but I felt it needed to be expressed on stage. These are stories that need to be told.” Brown adds, “The events are still surreal after all these years, but we’re all still feeling the effects of what occurred on September 11, 2001.”

E-mail: 9/12 was written by Brown's mentor Midge Guerrera and is based on her own experiences connecting via e-mail on the day after the terrorist attacks in NYC and the nation.

Having been involved in the theatre since he was 11 years old, 2011 marks Brown's 20th year in the business. He studied Musical Theatre at both the NY and LA campuses of the American Musical Dramatic Academy, and joined Actors Equity in 2004.

The production of E-mail: 9/12 marks the debut performance for ...AND Company Theatre, a semi-professional theatre company Brown founded in late 2010. The productions by ...AND Company Theater “offer an opportunity for audiences to experience new theatre and new stories,” states Brown. The innovative format, employing multi-media techniques on stage also explores the fusion of the world of television and the world of theatre.

In addition to E-mail: 9/12, ...AND Company Theatre's season includes Son of a Preacher Man by Kellie Turner & Dominique Denman on Nov 25th & 26th, 2011; Black! by Andre Brown on Feb 24th & 25th, 2012; and a New Playwright's Festival from June 5 - 9th 2012.

Performances of E-mail: 9/12 are scheduled for ONE DAY ONLY, Saturday, September 24th, 2011. 3pm Matinee and 7pm Evening show. Venue: Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

Meet Colleen O'Brien

E-mail: 9/12 cast member Colleen O'Brien also handles PR for ...AND Company Theatre

Colleen O'Brien plays the role of MARGARET in ...AND Company Theatre's production of the play E-mail: 9/12. Her character starts the play by sending an e-mail to all of her family and friends at three o'clock on the morning on September 12, 2001.

The role is based on the real-life experience of the playwright, Midge Guerrera, and the premise of the play is based on the e-mail responses she received that day.

"It shows how one person touches so many lives," says O'Brien. "As a result of show, I hope the audience realizes the positive impact they have on others, and others have on them. And I hope they continue to do so all the time, when times are good, not just when tragedy strikes."

O'Brien has been a professional actress since 2002. While her primary focus is acting on-camera, she often performs live as an 18th Century historical interpreter or a standardized patient. Last December, she appeared as Mrs. Claus at the Park City Center in Lancaster, PA.

Acting is actually O'Brien's second career. She had previously worked in the IT industry, having earned her Master's Degree in Computer Science from Villanova University. She recently contributed an article to Yahoo! News about how the events of 9/11 changed her and resulted in her changing careers.

Heading up the Public Relations effort for ...AND Company Theatre means that many of the e-mails O'Brien sends out contain press releases. Mail to pr@andcompanytheatre.org goes to her. She also edits and writes the content for the official blog. "That's right," she confirms, "I wrote this blog post about myself in the third person."

Performances of the play E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre are on September 24, 2011 at 3pm and 7pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

Advanced Ticket Discounts for E-mail: 9/12 - Limited Time Only!

Discount tickets to E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre are available online now. The discount is valid for a limited time only.

Currently tickets bought in advance are $20 each. Tickets may be purchased online from Brown Paper Tickets (small convenience fee may apply).

Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the show on a cash only basis for $25 each.

...AND Company Theatre performs E-mail: 9/12 on Saturday, September 24th, 2011, at 3pm and 7pm in the Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.

Introducing Jennie Cupcakes

...AND Company Theatre's cast of E-mail: 9/12 includes cake designer, pin-up model, and actress Jennie Cupcakes.

Yes, there really is a woman named Jennie Cupcakes. And she really bakes cupcakes. She works as a cake designer at the Gallo's Bakery in Mount Laurel, NJ. She's also a member of the ensemble cast of the play E-mail: 9/12 presented by ...AND Company Theatre.

Cupcakes has only been acting for about six months prior to her audition for the play. She admits, "I surprised myself when I actually got the role!"

She always wanted to be an actress, but when she was younger her mother had encouraged her instead to go after a "real career." Cupcakes gave up her acting dreams in favor of cake design, but recently felt compelled to give acting a try again.

"When I stepped out during the first rehearsal, something in me clicked," Cupcakes explains. "This is where I belong: on stage."

"I am so lucky to be making my debut acting performance in such a powerful play," she continues. "My monologues are truly heartbreaking and I feel so blessed to be able to tell the stories of the 9/11 survivors. I hope the audience can feel the raw and true emotion that I will be trying to bring to the stage with the characters that I get to play."

Although baking and acting keep Jennie Cupcakes fairly busy, she's also a print model. Thanks to a haircut which featured Betty Page looking bangs, Cupcakes has been able to pose for pin-up style photos. Her work is included on her website at www.jenniecupcakes.com.

Performances of E-mail: 9/12 are scheduled for ONE DAY ONLY, Saturday, September 24th, 2011. 3pm Matinee and 7pm Evening show. Venue: Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre located at 20 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tickets, $25. Discounts available in advance online. Tickets at the door will be sold on a cash only basis. More info: www.andcompanytheatre.org or 609-891-7555.