FRINGE BENEFIT SERIES READING

FringeNYC celebrated its 15-year history with presentations of some its 15 most well received productions including Urinetown, Dog Sees God and THE BOYS UPSTAIRS.

Under the brand new direction of Darren Katz, The Boys Upstairs was presented as a staged reading on June 9th at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The cast include two-time tony nominee Robin De Jesus (La Cage Aux Folle, In the Heights), Zachary Booth (tv's Damages, Me, Myself, & I), Ven Daniels (Legally Blonde, Tarzan), Michael Zahler (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Boy in the Bathroom), and Mark Fisher (Little Dog Laughed, Wallenberg)

Robin De Jesus (Ashley) B'way/NY credits include In the Heights (Tony Nomination, Drama Desk Award for best ensemble) La Cage Aux Folles (Tony and Drama Desk Nomination) Rent; Lonnie/Jake; Kingdom; Kander, Ebb and Stein's All About Us; Stephen Schwartz' Captain Louie; Zorba; Mask. Regional: Godspell, Nilo Cruz' A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings. Also the Public, the York, NYTW, NAMT, Barrow Group, McCarter, Paper Mill, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ. Film/TV: Camp, Pet the Goat, Fat Girls, How to Make It In America and coming soon Elliot Loves and Gun Hill Road. Proud member of Actors' Equity.

Ven Daniel (The Boy) was most recently seen in the World Premiere of Cutman: A Boxing Musical. Broadway: Legally Blonde (Kyle the UPS Guy), Disney's Tarzan. Broadway Tours: Legally Blonde (1st National), Saturday Night Fever (Double J/ u.s. Tony Manero), Swing! European Tour: Grease. Favorite Roles/Regional: Orin Scrivello DDS in Little Shop of Horrors (Theater Under the Stars), Luke in Altar Boyz (Actor's Playhouse), Goodspeed, Marriott Lincolnshire, Downtown Cabaret Theatre, La Mirada Theatre, Westchester Broadway. Ven loves all-you-can-eat crab legs and chicken wings.

Zachary Booth (Seth) Theatre: Off-Bway: Me, Myself & I, Prayer for My Enemy (Playwrights Horizons), Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen (Womens Project), Spine and Penecost (Barrow Group Theatre). Film: Dark Horse, Blue Eyes, The Beaver, White Irish Drinkers, Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist, Taking Woodstock, The Mark Pease Experience, Assasination of a High School President, Venice. TV: Damages, Royal Pains, Law & Oder: SVU, New Amsterdam, What Goes On. Received a BFA from University of Michigan Dept of Theatre and Drama. Member of the Actors Center Workshop Company, the Barrow Group theatre community and Peterborough Players community.

MARK FISHER (Eric) is delighted to help celebrate the anniversary of the NY Fringe Festival by taking part in this reading for the Fringe BENEFITS series.  Favorite credits include "Brigadoon" (Tommy), "Guys and Dolls" (Sky), "The Little Dog Laughed" (Alex; Kline Nom.),  "Thoroughly Modern Milie"  (Jimmy), "Bertrand Priest" (Bertrand), and "Food Chain" (Serge).  You also may have seen him getting his day ruined by Mr Mayhem on a recent All State commercial.  Regional appearances include Paper Mill Playhouse, TUTS, St. Louis Rep, Maine State Music Theater, Arkansas Rep, Fulton Opera, and Drury Lane Oakbrook. BFA Syracuse University.   Proud member of AEA and SAG.  When Mark isn't playing pretend, he also enjoys making people hot.  www.markfisherfitness.com

Michael Zahler (Josh) is overjoyed to join THE BOYS UPSTAIRS, having been part of its very first reading.  He originated the role of David in the award-winning musical THE BOY IN THE BATHROOM and toured the country as Leaf Coneybear in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (First National company)  He spent three summers at the St. Louis MUNY and has been part of several other new works including LAVENDER SCARE (by Peter Duchan, dir. Sheryl Kaller), THE RED BOX (also by Jason Mitchell), and BEDBUGS!!! (A Sci-Fi Thriller Comedy Rock Musical - dir. Sam Buggeln).  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a born-and-raised New Yorker.  Love and thanks to Darren Katz, David Krasner and Ben Sands, and Jason for the chance to join this incredible cast.  Visit him at www.michaelzahler.com for fun news and pics!

DARREN KATZ (Director) currently Resident Director for THE LION KING on Broadway.  Recent directing credits include YOU SAY TOMATO I SAY SHUT UP by Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn (New York, Detroit and West Palm Beach), I GOT SICK THEN I GOT BETTER at New York Theatre Workshop (co-directed with James Lapine), THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (2nd National Tour) and the development of original shows at Pace University and NYU/Strasberg Studios. He is directing and developing numerous new theater pieces, including ELEANOR & HICK by Tom Wilson Weinberg and Peggy Stafford; SEXURITY by Yuval Boim (Joyce Soho); THE BIRTHDAY BOY by Wes Webb; and THE WASP WOMAN by Phillip Chernyak and Blake Hackler (NYTE).