BIOGRAPHY

 

SETH BLOOM: is a founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre and co-creator and performer of The Pearl. He is the founder and director of Full BloomTheatre. He has ten years of independent and international experience performing, teaching, and directing. He specializes in: physical theater, solo performance, original works, circus arts, community building, and working among diverse cultures. Seth brings to his expertise his education at the London International School of Performing Arts (MFA); the Dell Arte School of Physical Theatre (Certificate); Wesleyan University (BA); the Ringling Brothers Clown College (BFA--bachelor of fun arts). He has lived internationally in India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and has traveled to twenty-two countries and throughout the USA. He has worked--acting, directing, and/or teaching-- in Afghanistan, Japan, Canada, England, and the USA.

ANDREW GRUSETSKIE: is a founding member of Split KnuckleTheatre, and helped create and perform their production of The Pearl, a new play based on the novel by John Steinbeck. An Associate Artist with the New York-based ACTIVE EYE Theater Company. Andrew has appeared in its productions of Hard Lovin’ Ever After (as Sam Nash), Woyzeck (as the Doctor) and Senjo (as Ryu), and wrote the adaptation of Dojoji, which premiered at the Cleveland Public Theater in 2004. Also in New York, he has performed in Misogamy (HERE), Life is a Dream (Edge Theater Co.), and the Noh drama Izutsu (HERE/Lincoln Center Directors Lab). His regional US credits include The School for Scandal and The Odyssey at the McCarter Theatre, and Proof, Stones in His Pockets and Rough Crossing, all at Northern Stage. Andrew is a graduate of Yale University and the London International School of Performing Arts.

JUAN MORA:is a founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre and co-creator and original director of The Pearl. He's been performing and creating movement theatre since 1992. Past appearances include THE RIDE ACROSS LAKE CONSTANCE which premiered in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in 2002 and NOTHING, an adaptation of Samuel Beckett's TEXTS FOR NOTHING, performed at Pennsylvania's Eastern State Penitentiary. He has been
translating plays into Spanish since 1997. Juan currently lives in Buenos Aires, where he is co-founder of a Research Laboratory on Movement Theatre. He is also a volunteer for the Art of Living Foundation and a certified teacher of The Art of Living Course.

MICHAEL TOOMEY :is a founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre and co-creator and performer of The Pearl. Michael has been a member of the Nationally Acclaimed Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA since 1998 playing in such roles as: Macbeth (title role), Julius Caesar (Caesar/Octavious), Coriolanus (Brutus), Twelfth Night (Fabian) Hamlet New England Tour 2000(Polonius/Horatio), Henry V (Bardolph), Taming of the Shrew (Bianca) Merchant of Venice (Salerio) Triumph of Darkness (Grisben), Henry V New England Tour (French King/Nym) Michael has also appeared on PBS’ Brush Up Your Shakespeare an Evening at the Pops (Mercutio) and BBC4 Radio American Heavy (Hank). Michael is a fight choreographer/teacher for the company and is Senior Education Artist for Shakespeare & Company’s Education Department This program reaches over fifty thousand students a year. Michael has recently written/directed an adaptation of Shakespeare’s long poem Venus and Adonis with an all female cast and is currently working on a clown show called Francis goes to War (this ain’t the boy scouts anymore) Michael is a graduate from LISPA and holds an MFA in Lecoq based actor created theatre from Naropa University.

EVA SIRP: is a founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre and co-creator and performer of The Pearl. Eva has appeared in productions in London, including An Enemy of the People, by Ibsen, (Union Theatre), King John, by Shakespeare (Grange Court Theatre) and Exit the King, by Ionesco, (Lion and Unicorn). She is a graduate of both Drama Studio Londonand the London International School of Performing Arts. She lives in London and apart from creating theatre teaches movement and improvisation.

GREG WEBSTER: is a founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre and co-creator and performer of The Pearl. He has worked as a performer, teacher, and choreographer from Broadway to the West End. He is currently on the faculty of LISPA from where he graduated. Beginning fall 2006 he will be taking a position as visiting professor in residence of movement based on the pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq at the University of Connecticut's Professional Acting Training Program. He holds a black belt in Aikido and is a former Golden Gloves boxer.

COLLABORATORS
TOMOKO KOMURA:
is a graduate of LISPA. She is a classically trained pianist and joins Split Knuckle as the musician for their run of The Pearl at the fringe festival in Edinburgh Scotland. She has worked as an actress, teacher, and musician in Japan, the U.K., and the USA. She is a member of Theatre Group "OCT/PASS" based in Sendai Japan.