NCS Logo
Production NavigationProduction NavigationProduction NavigationProduction NavigationProduction Navigation
Why Torture is Wrong:
Who's Who in the Cast
Leonard: Paul L. Nolan*
Luella: Marcia Saunders*
Zamir: Sam Henderson
Felicity: Ginger Dayle
Hildegarde: Sonja Robson
The Voice: Ed Swidey*
Reverend Mike: Russ Widdall*
*Appearance courtesy of Actor's Equity Association.

Paul L. Nolan (Leonard) has many stage credits, from nearly 100 productions, including: The Homecoming, Endgame, The Hothouse, Hamlet, The Birthday Party, Richard III, The Tempest, White Christmas, Our Town, Blue Window, A Chorus Line and Of Mice and Men. His most recent performance was the role of Charlie in the Arden Theatre production of August: Osage County. He received Awards for Outstanding Performance from The Hollywood Drama Logue for his work in The Real Thing and Speed-The-Plow. Film and TV includes: My One and Only, The Wire, America's Most Wanted, Ocean's 11, Homicide, Animal Factory, Contact and Signs. For more information, please visit: paulnolanactor.com

Marcia Saunders (Luella) is delighted to be making her first appearance with New City Stage. She was just seen playing Loretta in Fly Me to the Moon for A Play, A Pie and A Pint produced by Tiny Dynamite. Her most recent work with People's Light & Theatre Company: Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Lucille in Dividing the Estate. Over her long tenure with People's Light she's enjoyed appearing in numerous productions, playing such roles as Amanda in The Glass Menegarie, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Claire in A Delicate Balance for which she won the 2004 Barrymore award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She also received a Best Actress nomination for The Man From Nebraska and numerous nominations for her roles in A View from the Bridge, A Flea in Her Ear, Hard Times, My Mother Said I Never Should and Six Characters in Search of an Author. For the Arden Theatre, she was nominated for her roles in Molly's Delicious and Sideways Stories. Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theatre Company's production of The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. She is the recipient of an Emmy award for her narration of Teacher TV for the Discovery Channel.

Sam Henderson (Zamir) is making his New City debut. Recent performances include: New Jerusalem: the Interrogation of Baruch De Spinoza, The Birthday Party, King Lear (Lantern Theater), The Aliens (Theatre Exile), The Arabian Nights, Bunnicula, Candida, Much Ado About Nothing, The Chosen (Arden Theatre), Indian Ink (Wilma Theatre). Look for him this spring in the Wilma Theatre's revival of Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class.

Ginger Dayle (Felicity) is happy to be back on stage after producing the New City Fringe sleeper hit Savage/Love and Tongues. She is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of New City Stage, previously appearing in Pterodactyls, Miss Witherspoon, Unidentified Human Remains…, Talk Radio, Extremities and others. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and works as a dance teacher and choreographer in Philadelphia and Allentown. She is also a grantwriter and fundraiser for New City, as well as many other non-profit organizations.

Sonja Robson (Hildegarde) Sonja Robson is happy to be a part of this extraordinary cast! She was last seen in Idopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium's Empire Builders and will be appearing in their next show Marriage by Nikolai Gogol. She has been performing in area theatres for the last 20 years (or so). Her favorite role is Little Alice in A Few Small Repairs written by playwright husband David Robson. She was nominated for a Barrymore for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Harold Pinter's The Lover/ A Kind of Alaska at The Walnut Street Theatre.

Ed Swidey (The Voice) is thrilled to make his New City Stage debut. Recent roles include: Wladek in the Wilma Theater's acclaimed production of Our Class, Angus in the Wilma's Macbeth (where he also stepped in as an unplanned understudy for Macbeth himself, playing a full week in that role), Philippe in Hell, Vampire Professor in Artaud Unbound, and Hamm in Endgame with Egopo Classic Theatre, Lucas in Lidless at InterAct Theatre, Jazzbo in It's a Wonderful Life with Delaware Theatre Company, and Roger in She Stoops to Conquor and Rio Rita in The Hostage as a guest artist with the Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware. Ed will return to the Wilma in the spring as Ellis in Curse of the Starving Class, and Simpatico Theatre Project will be producing his original play Meep in January at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. Ed is also a passionate teacher of young actors, working with the Wilma Theater's outstanding education outreach programs, among others. He spent this past summer directing his own theatre camp in its first season in Westport, MA - visit summeronstage.com for info. Ed received his MFA in Acting from the University of Delaware.

Russ Widdall (Reverend Mike) last appeared with New City in Sam Shepard's Savage/Love and Tongues during the Philly Fringe Festival. He played Carlson in Of Mice and Men at the Walnut Street Theatre (Barrymore Award - best play) and recently played Mr. Van Daan in EgoPo's The Diary of Anne Frank. Other credits include Polaroid Stories for UArts/Philly Fringe, Henry IV: Part I at Lantern Theater and When You Comin Back, Red Ryder?, Miss Witherspoon and Unidentified Human Remains…all with New City Stage. He has extensive commercial experience and was recently seen annoying Patriots fans for DirecTV. Television includes The Wire, Hack, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Film credits include Game Change with Julianne Moore (coming soon to HBO), National Treasure 2, and My One and Only (where he got to push Renee Zellweger out of a limo). Russ has over 20 years of acting experience and is a Temple University graduate. Russ also serves as Co-Artistic Director here at New City



programs

Click image to view larger.



© Copyright 2018 New City Stage Company. All rights reserved.
Administrative Offices: 2008 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103