Becky Byers is a indie theater powerhouse.  She was named one of nytheatre.com’s People of the Year-2010.  Not only is she in rehearsal for our show, but she’s currently performing in Retro Productions’ “DEAR RUTH” by Norman Krasna. If you could bottle up this girl’s energy I’m sure you could run an entire city off of it for a year.

I’ve been a fan of Becky since I first saw her in Nose Dive Productions’ “Blood Brothers: The New Guignol”.  I’m so excited that she is bringing her amazing talents to our show.  Ladies and Gentleman, I give you Beck Byers….

Q: HI THERE!!
A: Hi yourself!

Q: TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, BECKY.
A: Okay, well, I’m an actress currently living in New York City, but I’m
originally from Buffalo, NY. I’m a diehard Buffalo Sabres fan (that’s hockey,
folks), and I think the greatest television show ever created was Firefly. I love to
read, drink coffee, dance, pet cats, and take walks. I graduated from The
University of the Arts with a BFA in dance in Philadelphia, PA. Yadda yadda
yadda, etc…;)

Q: ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF “GALACTIC GIRL in: ATTACK of the STARBARIAN”?
A: Stoked. What girl *doesn’t* want to be a bad-ass superhero?

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THEY SEE
THE SHOW
A: I think people can look forward to a fun ride. It’s very fast-paced with some cool fights. I think you’ll also find a group of actors who are just enjoying every minute of being on stage. Hopefully, we’ll leave ‘em begging for more!

Q: ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK THEATER FESTIVAL?
A: Very. I think it’s a fantastic idea for a festival. There are so many people (myself included) who can completely dork out during this. I’m predicting a lot of clever and imaginative interpretations of heroes and villains-particularly origins, powers, weaponry, stage combat. The indie theater community is crazy inventive.

  Q: ARE YOU A FAN OF COMIC BOOKS? IF SO,WHAT COMIC BOOKS DO YOU 
LIKE?
A: I am a fan of comic books! I mostly read “girly” ones as a kid-Archie comics and Sailor Moon manga. Whenever my cousin Billy would visit, we’d look through all of his Batman and X-Men comics and eventually we’d just start role-playing. Those are some of my best childhood memories.

Q: TELL US A JOKE!
A: Um….There are two muffins in an oven. One muffin turns to the other and  says, “Sure is hot in here.” Then the second muffin exclaims, “HOLY SHIT A TALKING MUFFIN!”

Q: THAT’S FUNNY.
A: Liar.

Q: WHO ARE YOU PLAYING IN “GALACTIC GIRL”? WHAT DO YOU THINK
WILL BE SOME CHALLENGES PLAYING THESE CHARACTERS? WHAT WILL
BE MOST FUN?
A: I will be playing Moxie-5 in Galactic Girl. I think the intricate fight choreography will be the most challenging AND the most fun!

Q: HOW DOES ONE PREPARE FOR A SHOW LIKE THIS?
A: Personally, I am looking to up my workouts both for my costume AND for the stamina. Other than required line-learning, the rest is just practice.

Q: ANYTHING YOU CARE TO ADD?
A: 2+2=4 I kid. All I have left to say is please come to see Galactic Girl! Thank you! :)

Stephen Heskett is like basil.  He’s the ingredient you add to any show to make it that much better….like basil makes food taste better.  See the simile there?  Did that not work?

ANYWAY!  I’m over joyed that Stephen is part of this show.  It was the all-star of Vampire Cowboy’s Saturday Night Saloon Series this past season, having major roles in not ONE but TWO of the episodic plays.  He also starred in Raising Cane: A Family Portrait, as part of Fight Fest at the Brick Theater, which is also fight choreographed!!  Stephen can do it all, comedy, combat, drama….dancing?….we shall see, we shall see :)

Ladies and Gentlemen.  Stephen Heskett:

Q: HI THERE!!

 A:   Well heya!

 Q: TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.

 A:   I’m an actor who has was born on leap year, has been dumpster-diving in Canada and testified in front of state governments as part of his day job, who once was hit on by Kathy Lee Gifford, and enjoys brussel sprouts.  Only one of those items is a lie.

Q: YOU SEEM LIKE KATHY LEE’S TYPE, ANYWAY, ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF “GALACTIC GIRL in: ATTACK of the STARBARIAN”?

 A:   Of course!  I’ve been a fan of the people involved for a while, and I love the chemistry we have.  I can’t wait to do a full show with them.  It will be like eating candy for dinner.

 Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THEY SEE THE SHOW

 A:   Action, comedy… fancy boots and Valuable Life Lessons™ …  They can also look forward to plastic surgery bills because we will ROCK THEIR FACES!

 Q:  ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK THEATER FESTIVAL?

 A:   I think it’s amazing that there’s a community of “nerd artists” in New York that make such a thing possible.  I remember my first few years living in New York lamenting the fact that I had left all my nerdy friends behind.  I’m really lucky to have found people who love and respect this stuff without irony.  

Q: ARE YOU A FAN OF COMIC BOOKS?  IF SO, WHAT COMIC BOOKS DO YOU LIKE?

 A:   Oh yup.  More so in the last few years.  I don’t like super-hero comics very much unless there’s some spin on it.  My favourite ongoing books right now are The Walking Dead, Scalped, The Boys, and Northlanders.  I also love a book called Wonton Soup, but he won’t freakin’ write more of them!

 Q: TELL US A JOKE!

 A:   Knock knock…

 Q: THAT’S FUNNY.

 A:   I don’t think you understand how knock knock jokes work.

 Q: HUH? WELL, WHO ARE YOU PLAYING IN “GALACTIC GIRL”?  WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE SOME CHALLENGES PLAYING THESE CHARACTERS? WHAT WILL BE MOST FUN?

 A:   I will be playing Addler and Vurp.  I will also be playing random victims of the horrible violence that Team Galactic Girl inflicts on innocent bad guys.  What’s always a challenge in playing multiple roles is making them each distinct, and of course… comedy is always hard. There’s also going to be a lot of great fighting in this, which I really enjoy, but can be physically demanding.

Q: HOW DOES ONE PREPARE FOR A SHOW LIKE THIS?

 A:   Well, you have to remove all fear.  You must stare into the void… and embrace it as its coldness washes over you.  You must drink protein.

 Q: ANYTHING YOU CARE TO ADD?

 A:   I’m really excited to get people who don’t normally go to see theatre in our audiences.  I think the people and energy behind this show will really be something special and I’m hoping afterward the audience will demand to see another “issue” in our series.

Be Sure to catch Stephen and the rest of the cast of Galactic Girl in: Attack of the Starbarians as part of the Brick Theater’s Comic Book Theater Festival!!  This June!!

We are keeping the cast spotlights going!!  Today we meet, Mr. Temar Underwood.

Temar is a Jack-of-all-trades.  He is a Writer, Actor, Producer, Fighter, Director as well as a Recording Artist.  I met Temar back in 2008 while performing in Vampire Cowboys’ FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD, one of their most crowd-pleasing and critically acclaimed shows to date.  That near it won the NYIT award for Outstanding Ensemble. Soon after, I had the privilege to work on Temar’s play The Brokenhearteds, which he wrote, produced & acted in.  It was inspiring to see him work so hard and I can defiantly say that I’ve tried to emulate his work ethic while getting this play up and running.

Temar is also in pre-production for his next project!  His play, Lady Drug Dealer and the Heisthas been accepted into the New York International Fringe Festival.  If you’d like to help him out he is currently raising funds for the show.  Click HERE for more details.

And now, may I present, Mr. Temar Underwood:

Q:  HI THERE!!

A:   Sup

Q:  TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.

A:   I am perfection.

Q:  OH NICE WWE REFERENCE!….WELL ALRIGHT THEN!  ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF “GALACTIC GIRL in: ATTACK of the STARBARIAN”?

A:   It would be funny if I said “Umm, No. Hoche is making me do it. Help me. Help me.” But alas I am excited.

Q:  WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THEY SEE THE SHOW

A:  Badassery. And Sweet Chin Music to Stephen Heskett’s umm chin.

Q:  BAM! WWE REFERENCE #2!!  ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK THEATER FESTIVAL?

A:  It’s a really cool concept and should be a great deal of fun.  

Q:  ARE YOU A FAN OF COMIC BOOKS?  IF SO, WHAT COMIC BOOKS DO YOU LIKE?

A:  To be honest, I am foreign to the comic book world, although I have been in numerous comic book inspired plays. They always have to explain the jokes to me. I’ve never seen any of the Star Wars movies either.

Q:  WOW! You might want to keep that on the down low…..TELL US A JOKE!

A:  Did you hear about that man? That man in Milwaukee that cut up them people in his house. They found a head in his refrigerator. Now you know that give a whole new meaning to, “Want some head?”

Q:  THAT’S FUNNY.

A:  Stop it. STOP IT! You’re embarrassing me.

Q: WHO ARE YOU PLAYING IN “GALACTIC GIRL?

General Fu Fu, Kermugen, some aliens and shock troopers.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE SOME CHALLENGES PLAYING THESE CHARACTERS?

Working with Stephen Heskett. Also without giving away too much, acting with a video of myself. The video isn’t going to give me anything. I hate you video Temar. You are a bad actor. It’s all about you you you.  

WHAT WILL BE MOST FUN?”

Beating up Stephen Heskett. And as an actor I find solving and overcoming challenges most fun, so I would say acting with a video if myself. I also think this is an extraordinary cast with an awesome director…so being up there with these ladies and gents is going to be a real pleasure. 

Q:  HOW DOES ONE PREPARE FOR A SHOW LIKE THIS?

A:  Count your blessings, cut your loses, and follow the yellow brick road.

Q:  ANYTHING YOU CARE TO ADD?

A:  Jon Hoche is the real deal.

Thanks Temar!!  Be Sure to catch Temar and the rest of the cast of Galactic Girl in: Attack of the Starbarians as part of the Brick Theater’s Comic Book Theater Festival!!  This June!!