Robert Bailey
Writer/Performer
Robert Bailey was awarded a Samuel Arnold Fellowship upon graduation from Brown University to work with renowned theatrical innovator Jerzy Grotowski at the Polish Laboratory Theatre in Wroclaw. He subsequently became a founding member, actor, director and teacher at the Washington Theatre Laboratory. After relocating to New York, he was associated with Circle Repertory Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, American Place Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Actors Studio, often working on first productions of new plays and garnering praise from the New York Times and the Village Voice.
In Los Angeles, he earned critical acclaim for his direction of John Bishop’s Borderline (winner of six DramaLogue Awards), Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, Eugene O’Neill’s A Touch of the Poet and Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero; and for his performances as an actor in Frank Wedekind’s Lulu, J.T. Rogers’ Madagascar, David Rabe’s A Question of Mercy, and Charles L. Mee’s Big Love.
Robert Bailey has been on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts since 2010. He has performed In Some Dark Valley in multiple California venues and at the White Bear Theatre in London, and was awarded Best Solo Performance 2025 by both the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Stage Raw.
Billy Siegenfeld
Director
Billy Siegenfeld is a rhythm-charged actor-dance-singer; the director, playwright, movement-maker, and music-arranger of the theatre company Jump Rhythm®; a professor of theatre at Northwestern; and an author of essays and two books-in-manuscript, Democracy’s Energy and How to Make Gravity Our New Best Friend.
His work and life are guided by the idea he calls Standing Down Straight® (SDS). SDS is an anatomically fact-based, relaxation-grounding, rhythm-driven approach to both performing arts training and body-mind wellness. The currently touring two-character play he wrote is titled Enough Is Enough – a play about a rehearsal for a variety show on the old theme, how awful and wonderful life is.
He received a B.A. in literature from Brown University; an M.A. in jazz studies from NYU’s Gallatin Division; an Emmy® Award for the documentary Getting There: Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. He acted-danced-sang in off-off-Broadway shows and in the Broadway production of Singin' in the Rain.