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Spirit Wing
Once you hear one of Spirit Wing's impassioned performances you will not soon forget their intense respect for their people and the history of Native Americans or that they have become one of the most popular Native American acts in the Middle Atlantic States.

Spirit Wing's performers are: Barbara Gregg Andrews-Christy; vocals, flutes, percussion, Barry Lee; vocals, guitar, Chris Hawley; bass, percussion and Doug Penglase, percussion.

Spirit Wing was a finalist for a Native American Music Award in both 2006 and 2007.

Since the year 2000, Spirit Wing has appeared at many Native American Festivals within Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. They are also a popular feature at Coffeehouses and Folk and Acoustic music festivals .

A small sample of their prior appearances include; Bethlehem Musikfest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Nassau Community College Folk Festival, Delmarva Folk Festival, Two Moon's Memorial Powwow, Southeastern Cherokee Powwow, Forksville Folk Festival, Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival, Penn's Landing, Hickory Fest, etc.

Their music comes from a strong folk/acoustic music tradition along with traditional Native songs that date back hundreds of years. All four members of Spirit Wing have performed in various types of bands and ensembles that feature Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, and Country music.

Kathleen Mulhearn
Kathleen has performed in several productions in the Philadelphia area for over 15 years. Some of her favorite roles include Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Sarah in Stop Kiss, Amanda in The Food Chain, Chorus in Medea, Mabel in The MostFabulous Story Ever Told, Emma in Pterodactyls and Dorine in Tartuffe. She shifted her focus to solo performance while in the Master of Theatre program at Villanova University. Her one-woman shows, Through the Ring of Fire and Uncharted Waters, aremotivated by creating a universal human experience through the telling of personal stories that focus on the blundering, deeply personal and often humorous moments in life.

Marilyn Yoblick
Marilyn Yoblick's directing credits at the Stagecrafters Theater in Chestnut Hill include: Mauritius, Don't Dress for Dinner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, A Raisin in the Sun, A A Soldier's Play, Jitney, Bus Stop, A Shayna Maidel, Born Yesterday, Sherlock's Last Case. Her acting credits at this theater include roles in: The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Superior Donuts, Quartet, A View From The Bridge, The Cemetery Club, Rumors, The Odd Couple, Crossing Delancey. Marilyn was President of Stagecrafters from 2005 through 2010. Marilyn has performed at other theaters in the area. Her film credits include: Shadowboxer, Rocket Science, Happy Tears, The Greek American, The Tolltaker, Fallen, Unbreakable.

Henri Mikol and Patty Reutemann
Henri Mikol, on chromatic button accordion, and Patty Reutemann, on guitar and bass fiddle, play French musette music. This music hails from the cafes and dance halls of the Parisian working class near the turn of the 20th century. It evolved to include musical influences from Italian, German, Argentinian, American jazz, and Roma. You will hear lively waltzes, tangos, paso doble, and songs of Edith Piaf and popular French standards.

Henri grew up in France post WWII in the Alsace Lorraine area where his father insisted all his children learn to play an instrument. Henri has always loved playing his accordion and continues to expand his repertoire, skills, and knowledge of Musette music.

Patty, for decades, has played back up rhythm guitar for Appalachian Old Time music, Cajun, Contra Dance, Folk and Country, and what ever fun can be had making music with others. She also enjoys playing the bass, piano, and drums..

Neil Elliot Prussel
Neil Elliott Prussel has been performing his unique brand of stand up poetry, comedy and spoken word pieces in many theaters, galleries, cabarets, schools and coffee houses locally, as well as in New York and LA. Neil describes his material as, "basically observational,mostly comedic vignettes with lyrical or poetic overtones. He has accumulated about two hours of proven material that can be broken down into ten, fifteen or twenty minute sets or done as a complete evening in the theater. His shows also incorporate music, unique forms of percussion and sound effects. After performing his one man show, "Life, Always A First Date", at The Arts Bank, The Philadelphia Inquirer said, "Poetry can be funny. Comedy can be poetic. This is territory covered by Neil Elliott Prussel ". His original solo piece, "Verbal Brush Strokes", was also well received at the Nuyorican Cafe in New York's East Village. Neil has also taught a spoken word performance workshop at the Mt. Airy Learning Tree in Philadelphia, as well as the Philadelphia Northeast Regional Library. He says, "I receive great joy in sharing my work as both performer and teacher". Neil claims that some of his greatest influences were many of the icons of the beat fifties and early sixties such as Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Mort Saul, Lenny Bruce and Bob Dylan. Later came Eric Bogosian, Spaulding Grey, Laurie Anderson and Tim Miler. Back in the seventies I thought I wanted to do stand up comedy", he says, "but I soon grew tired of always having to go for the laugh or payoff. I simply wanted the luxury of not having to be funny all the time. There are things I need to express, funny or not. However, the light touch still seems to prevail in my work." An awardee of the 1997 Performance In An Intimate Space Grant, he further states," I realized a long time ago the futility of trying to be all things to all people. However, my intention has always been to try to create crossover material that can be accessible to both the artistic and mainstream audiences. I derive a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in being able to reach that little old lady from Iowa as well as the loft dwelling Soho artist. Profoundly simple need not be a contradiction. Neil recently released a collection of poems entitled, "Fine Lines To Ponder And Cross", and is currently expanding his artistic efforts by working with Sacco E Vanzetti, two accomplished musicians, composers and educators from the Princeton, New Jersey area. JenJaynes_MichelaBirdWestover_ColtMorris_DebbieBello_NeilPrussel Their upcoming project combines spoken word, music, multi media and a "brief whiff" of the theater. Neil also keeps his acting chops oiled by performing with Without A Cue Productions in murder mystery dinner theater shows throughout the Philadelphia, Bucks County and New Jersey areas. Neil admits to having a definite sense of mission. He says," I know that the time is at hand for me to broaden both my vision and my work."

Robert Quintua
Robert Quintua brings a fresh perspective to his music, combing his DJ background with todays cutting edge Electronica. He also combines his expertise playing Saxophone, Vocals and Blues into many of his compositions as well. Robert will be joining Neil adding his musical voice in the form of some 'mean' harmonica playing!

Sally Foster Chang
A Nurse Practitioner and Occupational Health consultant by day, Sally has studied voice and theater her entire adult life. Though her performing credits include: Mother Hicks, in “Mother Hicks”, Nellie in “South Pacific, Emily in “Our Town” Vi Shaw in “Footloose”, Nancy in “High Button Shoes” and Sharon in “Finian’s Rainbow”, she also enjoys the classical and operatic genre. A soloist for four local churches, Sally has directed (stage and vocal) since 2004 for Narberth Community Theatre (Jane Eyre, the Musical, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cabaret and South Pacific) Rose Valley Chorus and Orchestra (Ruddigore, My Fair Lady), Bala Cynwyd MiddleSchool (Our Town, Suessical, Footloose, Inherit the Wind) and the Wolf Performing Arts Center (Wizard of Oz, A Year with Frog and Toad, Suessical).

Judith Large
Judith Large, accompanist, received her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Virginia. She earned a Master’s degree in piano performance from Temple University, where she studied with Adele Marcus, Harvey Wedeen and Lambert Orkis. She has worked as an opera coach/accompanist for the Mississippi Opera Festival, assistant to the Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Opera Theater; accompanist to the Thomas Jefferson University Chorus, accompanist for The Swarthmore Chorale in Swarthmore, PA, and since 1984, as accompanist of the Philadelphia Chorus. She has also appeared as guest pianist with various organizations, including the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Montgomery County Community Chorus and Bucks County Community Chorus.

Liz Chang
Liz Chang was selected as the 2012 Montgomery County Poet Laureate by Kathleen Sheeder Bonnano. Chang published her second book of original poems and literary translations with Book&Arts Press What Ordinary Objects in 2012. Her work is forthcoming in an anthology of Pennsylvania Laureates.

Chang's poems have recently appeared in Philadelphia Stories, Breakwater Review and Apiary. Her translations of the French Surrealist poet Claude de Burine were published in The Adirondack Review. Chang received her MFA in Poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is an Assistant Professor of English at Delaware County Community College.

Liz lives with her family, two cats and a hive of honeybees outside of Philadelphia.

* Photo by Sweetwater Portraits

Bill Nixon
Bill Nixon is one of the most diverse violinists you will ever encounter. He has the rare ability to securely move across a multitude of musical genres, to include Classical, Gypsy Jazz, Irish/Celtic, Blues, Traditional Jazz, Swing, Bluegrass, Kirtan, Contra, Cajun/Zydeco and Folk/Roots.

Born to a church organist mother, Bill’s initial (and pre-natal) musical influence was Johann Sebastian Bach. Subsequently, Bill began playing piano at age 5, violin at age 7, and bass at age 15. He first studied violin at the Settlement Music School with famed Hungarian classical violinist Edgar Ortenberg. However, his musical career took on a new tone (literally), when in high school, he and his friend Mark Kramer (now a world famous Jazz pianist) started their first band. Bill played bass and piano, and began studying jazz piano to help develop his skills.

More recently, Bill has studied with acclaimed classical Romanian violinist Dolly Koritzer. Additionally, every year at the Django in June Gypsy Jazz Festival, Bill works intensely with internationally renown Dutch jazz violinist Tim Kliphuis to continue refining his technique. A well rounded musician, Bill gives back as much as he absorbs, having taken on the professional mentorship of Blues and Jazz vocalist Selina Higgins.

Bill is currently a featured violinist with the Rose Tree Pops Orchestra. He is a member of a variety of bands that cross many genres: La Pompe Attack, Djangoholics Anonymous, Zazous, and the Hot Club Canaries (Gypsy Jazz); Goose Creek Pioneers (Bluegrass); Cantabile, The Tarantulas (Contra). He's the violinist for noted Kirtan artist Yvette Om, in concert and on her CD, "In The Arms of Love." He is also featured on the recently released W & E Swing CD, “Moonshine”. Previously, he also played with the Bryn Athyn Orchestra, the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, the Audubon Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra and Adult Chamber Players of the Settlement Music School.

So get ready for a unique musical experience ranging from the sophisticated sounds of Classical and Jazz violin, to the down and dirty rumblings of Blues and Bluegrass fiddle!

Marilyn Yoblick
Marilyn Yoblick's directing credits at the Stagecrafters Theater in Chestnut Hill include: Mauritius, Don't Dress for Dinner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, A Raisin in the Sun, A A Soldier's Play, Jitney, Bus Stop, A Shayna Maidel, Born Yesterday, Sherlock's Last Case. Her acting credits at this theater include roles in: The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Superior Donuts, Quartet, A View From The Bridge, The Cemetery Club, Rumors, The Odd Couple, Crossing Delancey. Marilyn was President of Stagecrafters from 2005 through 2010. Marilyn has performed at other theaters in the area. Her film credits include: Shadowboxer, Rocket Science, Happy Tears, The Greek American, The Tolltaker, Fallen, Unbreakable.

Susan Giddings
Susan Giddings has worked with Theatre Horizon (The Credeaux Canvas), South Camden Theatre (Last Rites), Flashpoint Theatre (boom), Amaryllis Theatre (Rock Doves), HATG Theatre (Wit), Theatre Exile (Princess Yvona), Lantern Theatre (A Doll's House), and Iron Age Theatre (A Skull in Connemara and The Cripple of Inishmaan), among others.Susan directed Brilliant Traces, performed at PCS,Swarthmore, and The Theatre of the Seventh Sister, in Lancaster.