David and Goliath in America
David and Goliath in America is a play about William Kunstler’s reflections on his experience of the 1960s. In 1961 at 42, Jewish New York lawyer William Kunstler, stepping away from his usual law practice with his brother, began defending civil rights activists pro bono.
William Kunstler – Matt Gottlieb
J. Edgar Hoover/Judge Julius Hoffman – Michael Scheer
Sandy Seagull/Secretary – Amy Buffington
Jack Young/Bobby Seale – Curtis C
Mississippi Sheriff/David Dellinger – Paul Braden
Freedom Rider/Malcolm X/Rap Brown – Jeffrey A. Yarbrough
Sulley/Marshal – Joel Mahr
Lotte Kunstler/Court Reporter – Kelly Warren
Martin Luther King/Fred Hampton – Charls Sedgwick Hall
Lenny Bruce/Jerry Rubin – Tripp Pickell
Abbie Hoffman – Sal Rendino
Michael Kunstler/Witnesses – Dennis Gersten
Richard Schultz – Paul Witten
Understudies – Soraya Andrade, Jaymes Bevard, Dean Bruggeman, Gary Collier, Dean Farrell, Patrick Faucette, Kelly Godfrey, Michael Hubbard, Carl J. Johnson, Bill Mendieta, Steve Reisberg, Roger Toussaint, and James K. Ward.
Director – Ken Sawyer
Supervising Producers – Cynthia Ava & Marci Hill
Assistant Director – Matt Kirkwood
Set Design – Desma Murphy
Lighting Design – Robert L. Smith
Sound Design – Wav Magic
Costume Design – Mary Jane Miller & Lars
Hair & Make-Up Design – Nancee Waterhouse
Prop Design – Jennifer Bowman
Production Stage Manager – Jason Goldberg
Lead Set Construction – Shaun O’Hagan & Tripp Pickell
Assistant Stage Manager – Bill Mendieta
“The ensemble work is generally excellent, highlighted by Rendino’s magnetic portrayal…” – Daily News
“Director Ken Sawyer assembled an exceptionally talented cast… a moving, insightful and thoroughly memorable experience… a brilliant look at a slice of American history… an important and timely production…” – NoHo News
“… intriguing story of power, injustice and corruption… compelling script… Sawyer fills the stage with cinematic imagery and visual poetry… fine performances… the excellence of acting is matched by the physical design…” – Frontiers
“Under the gritty, fast-paced direction of Ken Sawyer, the entire cast gave gutsy, high energy performances… anyone who remembers the insanity that ran amock in the 60s will get a lot out of this theatrical production.” – The Tolucan Times
“Well-produced, directed, coupled with extraordinary talents of Matt Gottlieb, Michael Scheer, Amy Buffington, Curtis C, Paul Braden, Jeffrey A. Yarbrough, Bill Mendieta/Joel Mahr, Kelly Warren, Charls Sedgwick Hall, Tripp Pickell, Sal Redino, Dennis Gersten, and Paul Witten.” – American Eagle News
