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DIRECTORS: 
EILEEN CONNOLLY (Artistic Director) is a director and graphic artist who has worked as a professional actress Off-Broadway, at the Meadow Brook and Birmingham Theatres in Detroit, the Royal George in Chicago, the Walnut Street Theatre and the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia. Her favorite, and most bizarre role, was understudying Charles Busch as the leading lady in Little Me. She was honored to assist Betty Comden and Adolf Green on their revival of A Doll’s Life at the York Theatre, and has directed and designed all of Wallis Knot's theatre productions. She created the movement for the Irish Repertory Theatre's production of Beowulf. For the University of Vermont, she was commissioned to co-author an adaptation of Aristophanes’ The Birds and Don Marquis’ Archy and Mehitabel (which she also performed with co-writer Mark Alan Gordon). With an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in Theatre and Dance from DeSales University, Eileen is the Program Director of the Theater Program at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Theater, Film & Television (www.sft.edu) where she teaches Voice, Shakespeare and Theater History. She has taught Voice at The New Actors Workshop and AMDA. Additionally, Eileen has had a career as a graphic artist and fine arts painter, with clients such as Theatre Communication Group/American Theatre magazine and New Plays, Inc. She was commissioned to paint a cow for New York Cow Parade 2000 which was displayed in Rockefeller Plaza. She has had art exhibits in Philadelphia, New York City, and Brooklyn. And, thanks to a very talented friend, musician/producer Rob Arthur, she has created a music cd of originals and covers which were featured in Wallis Knot's productions of Seeing Andre Gide and The Dracula Journals/Dance With Me, Harker. Eileen has conceived, designed and directed all of Wallis Knot's theatre productions. For NYCDA, where she runs the theater program, Eileen has directed Macbeth and is preparing for next year's Duchess of Malfi.
MICHAEL CONNOLLY (Designer) is a watercolor painter, who has exhibited in Manhattan at the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue. His work can be seen at www.ConnollyWatercolor.com. Michael is also an architect who has worked at the NYC firm of Holzman Moss, where his projects included the Columbia Public Library in Missouri, and the Amarillo Performing Arts Center in Texas (See our "Travel" page for photos and links). Michael is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He has been a visiting design critic at Syracuse University's graduate architecture program, and has taught a design workshop for both graduate and undergraduate students at City College of New York. In addition, Michael designs sets for his sister Eileen, most recently for her production of Macbeth, and for NYCDA's production of I Am A Camera. His upcoming theater designs include Aedin Moloney's upcoming production for Fallen Angels Theater. He and his wife, Silvia Saponaro, have started a design and architecture company called CoSa Design, for which they are currently working on their first home renovation project.
SILVIA SAPONARO
(Designer/Performance Artist) is handmade in Italy, and is currently
working as an architect in New York City (at Arquitectonica) but prefers
giving her time to the art of ceramics. Silvia studied architecture
in Venice and went on to receive her M.A. in Architecture at The Bauhaus
University in Weimar, Germany, where she also studied Drawing and
Painting. She has numerous ideas about fashion projects which she
does not finish. This is true. Although she was recently seen
dashing about town in a stylish skirt of her own design featuring
appliqued butterflies. She has also studied the art of knitting
at FIT. As a performance artist, Silvia appeared in the German film
Die Kure as a Romanian nurse in an insane asylum.
Continuing with this theme, she appeared onstage in Wallis Knot's The
Dracula Journals as the saucy and serene Italian Nun, Sister
Addolarata Crocifissa (pictured at right), and reprised the role at the
New York Fringe Festival. Silvia is proud to announce she can express
herself in five languages and that she is currently striving to break the
world record in swimming as a member of the Red Tide team in NYC. CAROL VAN KEUREN (not pictured) (Consultant) is currently the Director of Advertising for Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the American theatre whose mission is to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. Prior to joining TCG, Ms. Van Keuren worked at the Pennsylvania Stage Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival, Jewish Repertory Theatre, American Place Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Circle in the Square, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. She also served as the Press Representative for the Broadway productions of The Kentucky Cycle and Inherit the Wind. Company Members: 
JOSEPH GOODRICH is a New Dramatists alum and Edgar Award winner. He recently had two plays published by Samuel French, Panic and Smoke and Mirrors, both available at Drama Bookshop in NYC. Joe is responsible for finding the wonderful theatrical plays used in Wallis Knot's "Closed Out of Town" series, and is currently working on an Ellery Queen project. Stay tuned for more news on our favorite playwright!
ANNALISA CHAMBERLIN is a graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Film & Television. Annalisa appeared as the tragic, singing and dancing Ophelia in Wallis Knot's adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet entitled the next to the last hamlet on the left, and she was featured in a modern dance / samba-infused performance piece in the 2008 spring dance concert WET: Shakespeare as well as the 2009 spring dance concert PAPER where she revived her role as Ophelia in a dance version of the classic play, also starring Andhy Mendez as Hamlet.
CONNIE ROTUNDA is a
Guild-Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner, and on the
faculty of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic
Arts, School of Film & Television. She holds an MFA
from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. A professional actor and director, she
has worked regionally and off-Broadway, created and performed sketch
comedy with Alarm Dog Rep, as well as performed and taught as a guest
artist. Connie appeared as Gertrude, the Queen, in Wallis Knot's the next to the last hamlet on the left. She was last seen as Sally Bowles mother in the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts production of I Am A Camera directed by Barry McNabb at the Hudson Guild Theater in NYC.
RICHARD OMAR was last seen as the lead CSI agent in Wallis Knot's the next to the last hamlet on the left. He has been featured in Late to the Republique, Seeing Andre Gide and The Dracula Journals. Richard also reprised the role of Dracula in the revamped production of Dance With Me, Harker presented in August 2005 at the New York International Fringe Festival. Richard is the Director of Education and teaches Acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Film & Television. He received his training in New York from theatre legends Uta Hagen and Bobby Lewis. He has played Shakespeare with Austin Pendleton, comedy with Julie Halston, and danced onscreen with Leslie Caron.
DAVID DEL RIO is a graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Film & Television. He appeared as a CSI agent in Wallis Knot's the next to the last hamlet on the left. David made his television debut on Law & Order: SVU and is currently on location in Canada shooting a new television series for Nickelodeon. He has acted in such plays as The Rover, The Odyssey, Hell to Pay, Cosi, Rumors, and as John Merrick in The Elephant Man. He has directed, written, and starred in films under his production company, Endurance Entertainment, such as A Solid Emotion, The Proudest Monkey, Lost in the Wild and in the Mind, and Chimera.
KYLE QUIRING is a graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Film & Television. He appeared as Laertes in Wallis Knot's the next to the last hamlet on the left.
Recent Contributors: 
SEAN ROSCHMAN
is a graduate of New
York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Sean began his dance
training at age 11. Since then he has studied Ballet at the Joel Hall
Dance Center of Chicago
and Modern Technique at various studios across New York
City and Chicago.
He has also studied under Master Teacher for New
York University's Graduate Dance Program, Deborah Damast. Upon
graduation, he performed with Damast and Dancers in the retrospect
CityLife presented at the Alvin
Ailey Theater. Sean appeared as the Uber Agent of Death in Wallis Knot's new adaptation of Hamlet entitled the next to the last hamlet on the left. Sean choreographed new works for both the 2008 & 2009 spring dance concerts and choreographed several numbers for Macbeth: Let It Be, the premiere theater production at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, directed by Eileen Connolly.
TYLER GATTONI is a student at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Tyler wrote and directed Bang! a short film about two warring gangs; with deep regret a short film about honoring the death of a friend killed in war, and the film projections for a modern dance piece, Her Underwear Drawer, that he co-choreographed with Eileen Connolly as part of the spring dance concert WET: Shakespeare. Tyler appeared as Macduff in Eileen's production of Macbeth: Let It Be for which he also choreographed the combat sequences and directed/edited all of the film projections. Tyler creates actor film reels for marketing purposes. (tgattoni@mac.com)
ANDHY MENDEZ is a student at the New York Conservatory
for Dramatic Arts. Andhy performed and
co-choreographed a modern/samba dance for the spring
2008 dance concert WET: Shakespeare; he also starred in Eileen's dance version of
Hamlet in the 2009 spring dance concert PAPER.
Andhy starred in the title role of Macbeth: Let It Be, the premiere theater
production at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, for which he
also choreographed the salsa dance for the Saigon bar
sequence.
QUENTIN MCQUISTON is a graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and appeared as Hamlet in the next to the last hamlet on the left.
TAMARA VAN LEEUWEN is a graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Tamara appeared as the Other Woman in Late to the Republique. She originated the role of the multi-lingual Vampire Bride in Wallis Knot's production of The Dracula Journals which she reprised at the New York International Fringe Festival production of Dance With Me, Harker. Tamara was born in Holland and raised in Curacao in the Caribbean.
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(as
Macbeth)