The 2016 NYC Artist Team
STEPHEN TYLER DAVIS (Artistic Director) is a theatre artist originally from Huntsville, Alabama. He is the author of plays, poetry, and original musicals such as Bad Kiss, Huckleberry Haywood, and Monkey Boogers. He graduated with honors with a BA in Theatre from the University of Alabama in 2006. He is currently earning his MFA in Theatremaking at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY while also serving at the president of the Graduate Student Senate. Stephen has worked as a writer, performer, director, and designer for the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He toured the country for two seasons for TheatreWorks USA, and can be found on Broadway day and night as the singing hologram of Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum in Times Square. Stephen is a founder of Blue Plate Broadway, now going into its 6th season. He is a proud member of ASCAP and the Actors Equity Association.
HEATHER SHIELDS (Executive Director) was born and raised outside of Atlantic City in South Jersey. She attended the University of Richmond, studying Vocal Performance and Pre-Law. After working steadily as an actress and singer in NYC, she graduated from Columbia University in 2013 with her Masters in Arts Administration. Along with producing dozens of concerts, fundraising events, six Blue Plate Broadway camps, she has also served as a co-creator and Executive Producer of Huckleberry Haywood: A Spunk Rock Musical (NYMF 2011). Most recently, she produced The Crack in the Ceiling (Best Overall Production of a Musical, FringeNYC 2015), served as General Manager and Producer for Cloned! (NY Times Critics Pick @ NYMF 2014, "Best in Fest"), as well as Madame Walker and the Divine Dream and Crack in the Ceiling (NYMF Developmental Reading Series 2013). Heather was the Creative Development Associate and Administrative Assistant for Dede Harris Productions from 2012 through 2014. She served as Interim Executive Director at the Astoria Performing Arts Center in 2015. She now works with Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis, and Josh Fiedler as an Associate at the prestigious Aged in Wood Productions office.
RENÉE MCCURRY (Executive Producer) is proud to be producing Blue Plate Broadway for the 7th season! She is an original producer of BPB and has also served on the board of directors for the Alabama State Thespian Festival. She is the Owner/President of Red Carpet Productions and co-founder of YankeeBelle Productions. She has worked as a producer in NYC for Pee Wee Herman on Broadway as well as associate producer of the Drama Desk Awards. Renee' studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Although she loved her time in the New York theatre community (where she was a part of the National Arts Club, the Dutch Treat Club, and the Noel Coward Society), she is happy to spend most of her days back in the sweet home supporting the arts.
KRISTINE BOGAN (Assistant Director/Head Instructor) first graced the professional stage at age seven in The Sound of Music and internationally in the Broadway tour as Annie. After years of coping with the aftermath of child stardom, Kristine decided to ditch her theater roots and obtained her B.A. in Film Studies and Production at Hofstra University. Kristine has since produced a bevy of commercials, music videos, web series, and award winning films, most recently Colin Hearts Kay (2010). Kristine has received awards for “Best Director” for her debut film, Faking It, and The Adrienne Shelley Award for “Most Promising Female Director” at the Long Island Film Festival. She is delighted to return to the theatrical roots with Blue Plate Broadway.
ABBY BURKE (Assistant Director/Head Instructor) is a true southern lady hailing from the great city of New Orleans. She moved to New York City 6 years ago where she graduated from the only professional theatre training program that uses a real Broadway Theater as a classroom, the acclaimed Circle in the Square Theatre School. Some of Abby's favorite roles include Georgeanne (5 Women Wearing the Same Dress), Ruby Rae (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), Lucy (You're a Good Man Charlie Brown), Diana (Lend Me a Tenor), Nellie (Floyd Collins) and Mary Jane (Big River). She’s thrilled to return to Alabama for her 6th summer!
ANDREW BARRY FRITZ (Head Instructor) Originally from Minneapolis, Andrew moved to New York to pursue a life upon the wicked stage when he was 18, where he studied musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatics Academy. Since then, he has performed around the world in national tours, regional theatres and on cruise ships. Recently, Andrew has been seen in such shows as "The Full Monty", "Funny Girl" and "A Little Night Music".
Under the heading of 'Special Skills', Andrew lists Trick Roping, Hula Dancing and Yodeling as some unusual talents he possesses.
GRACE WALL (Head Instructor) is an LA Weekly Award winning actress who has been seen all over the country from children's theater to the Hollywood Bowl to Disney’s newest workshop the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most recently she was streamed live as a soloist in Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. Grace has frequented the concerts, workshops, demos, and readings of popular rising composers Ben Toth, Brian Feinstein, and Ryan Scott Oliver. She recorded the introductory song for a film Canary starring Catherine Curt this spring which debuted at the Lincoln Center Film Festival. She also enjoys traveling the world singing 30’s and 40’s jazz with her group The Manhattan Dolls performing for military events, private parties, and air shows. She is so glad to be be back in Alabama with her Broadway babies.