Al Nazemian* (festival founder/producer/actor) has performed in the Arab-American Comedy Festival for the last three years and on NY stages for the last eleven years, including at Lincoln Center in Shirin Neshat’s production of “Logic of the Birds.” On film, Al acted in “Teknolust” with Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Davies and Karen Black, in the indie hit “Love” (produced by Jim Stark), which screened at the Tribeca and Venice film festivals, as well as in “Nola” with Emmy Rossum & Mary McDonnell. Al has also appeared on “Law & Order,” “Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien’ and “Saturday Night Live.” Behind the scenes, Al produced Bob Sickinger’s musical “Platinum Taps” & assistant directed Ray Yeate’s one-man show “The Tramway End,” directed by Jim Jermanok. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in theatre and further trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. www.alnazemian.com

Nora Armani* (festival co-producer & director) is an actor/director/producer with an international list of theatre and film credits. Her acclaimed award-winning self-penned stage creations include: On the Couch with Nora Armani (now on DVD), Sojourn At Ararat (with Gerald Papasian) (now on CD), Snowflakes in April in addition to her other TV (Casualty-BBC, Al Asdiquaa-EgyptTV), Film (The New Eve, Last Station-co-directed, Haifa-co-produced and Labyrinth-for which she has won the Best Actress award) and Stage (Beyond the Veil, The Lover, La Fete Virile) credits. Her films have been seen at the Berlin, Rotterdam and Cannes film festivals. She graduated with a B.A. in English and Sociology from AUC, and an M.Sc. from LSE (Univ. of London). Her theatre training includes: RADA, UCLA, Theatre du Soleil and Complicity Theatre. Nora is an Honorary Actor Member of the National Theatre of Armenia. She is a published poet and playwright. www.noraarmani.com

Kathryn Kates* (actor) has recently returned to New York after spending over 25 years in Los Angeles where she was a Founding Member, Producer and Actor with the award winning Colony Theatre. She has received several acting awards and nominations, including a DramaLogue Best Acting Award for her work in Marsha Norman’s GETTING OUT. She has appeared in films opposite Bette Midler (in JINXED as Miss Nina), Carol Burnett (in BEATRICE, THE LIFE OF THE PARTY) and she has worked in television, including guest starring roles on LAW & ORDER S.V.U.,  JUDGING AMY, CAROLINE IN THE CITY and a recurring role on LIZZIE MCGUIRE as the neighbor, Mrs. Carrabino. However, Kathryn is probably best known for her recurring role on SEINFELD as "The Babka Lady." Since relocating to New York, she has appeared at The Public in the Suzan-Lori Parks 365 Days/365 Plays; at the Classic Stage in the 2006 NYC Fringe Festival winner HERMANAS, in 2 shows at the HERE Arts Center; in WAXING WEST, which was performed both at La Mama and in Romania; and most recently, in EXPECTING ISABEL with The Barrow Group.

Sharon Freedman* (actor) has worked with The Shakespeare Theater of NJ, The Hangar, The O'Neill, New Dramatists, EST, Rattlestick, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Primary Stages, Young Playwrights and The 24Seven Lab, of which she is the Co-Creator and Company Manager. Favorite roles include Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Lisa (Private Eyes), and Ellen July (The Asthma Conspiracy). Film credits include It's Your Birfday (with Keith David), Ladies Room (official selection of Slamdance) and The Ski Trip (LOGO Network). She has done numerous commercials, industrials, and voiceovers. She is a member of Partial Comfort Productions. With Partial Comfort she has been in ...a matter of choice, The Bigger Man, and The Welcome Mat Series. She was Co-Creator and Exec. Producer of PCP's Battle of the Bards. She is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Playwrights Horizons Theatre School.

Zach Fischer* (writer/actor) Zach is honored to have TRIGGER HAPPY be a part of the Noor Festival, after having originally staged the piece right here on the WIngs stage in December as part of Tax Deductible Theatre's "Dare Project" series. In addition to remounting the play for the Noor Festival, Zach is busy developing the screenplay and raising the funds to make TRIGGER HAPPY into a short film for submission on the festival circuit. Special thanks to Al Nazemian for his belief in TRIGGER HAPPY and his vision of its potential. Love and gratitude to co-star and co-conspirator Kevin Dwyer, uber director Scott Casper, and extraordinary wife, Julia Tobey-Fischer. And thank YOU for making tonight possible.

Tracey Toomey (actor) is an actor and writer living in NYC. After graduating from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she appeared in the Oscar winning film, "A Beautiful Mind" as well as "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" and played Linda on "All My Children." Tracey has been featured in several independent films and theatrical productions around the city. She co-authored the books "The Perfect Manhattan," & "Cocktail Therapy," and freelances for several magazines and newspapers.

Sarah Siadat (actor) is a recent graduate of Marymount Manattan College with a BA in theater performance. She is very excited to be part of the first annual Noor Festival and thanks Al and Nora for the opportunity.  Her recent credits include, The Best Party, the 5th annual Arab American Comedy Festival, and can now be seen on YouTube in the Beirut Hills short.  Enjoy the show!

Jay Rhoderick (actor) is an improviser with the group Centralia and studied acting at the William Esper Studio.  He loves politics and yearns for better examples of it in our country.

Yousef Jawaid Khan (actor) was raised mainly in the Middle East (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E.). Both his parents are from Pakistan. Besides English he can speak basic Arabic and Urdu/Hindi as well. He moved to the U.S.A. in September 2006 to finally 'professionally' try to achieve the career he has been striving for and to attend college. Many artists and film actors have encouraged him to pursue a show business career. "Stars" is his New York debut.

Phyllis Kramer (actor) is making her first NY appearance since relocating back from L.A., where she appeared in over twenty independent short films and numerous stage productions.   THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE YOUR MOTHER’S BUTT…and OTHER ACTS OF INSPIRATION by Alan Ball,  LEND ME A TENOR,  THE MUSIC MAN, MAME, DANCING AT LUGHNASA, BLITHE SPIRIT and TWELFTH NIGHT.    Ms. Kramer was a member of the L.A.’s West Coast Ensemble, serving as associate producer for their critically acclaimed production of “The Grapes of Wrath”, winning the LA Weekly Award for Best Revival.   Ms. Kramer received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.  Acting studies include Brian Reise, Christy Dooley, The Groundlings, Amerc. Acad. of Dram. Arts and HB Studios.  She is represented by Kolstein Talent Agency.

Drummond Doroski (actor) has a BA in Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz and has been acting in the city for a little over a year now.  He's currently the lead in an upcoming Independent film "On Impulse", and also recently played Pinhead in the soon to be released fan-film "Hellraiser: Winter's Lament".  His last appearance on stage was as Alan in the Castillo Theater's production of "Outing Wittgenstein" last winter and he's happy to be back.

Jon Freda* (actor) - recent principal roles have been in the Korean (SBS) TV series, THE LOBBYIST (Abdullah), and in the Lions Gate Films release of THE BROS (Les).  Jon also appeared in the New York off-Broadway premiere of ON A DARKLING PLAIN (George) by Norman Beim. Other New York credits include FAMILY VALUES (Andrew) THE LOWER DEPTHS (Kostilyoff), and A HOMELESS ANGEL AT GROUND ZERO (Tony). In addition, Jon is the executive producer/writer of ALIEN ADVENTURE: THE ADVENTURE, an audio sci-fi comedy distributed by audible.com, and co-writer of the comedy feature, WHO WANTS TO MARRY MY HUSBAND, distributed by Echelon Entertainment. Jon is a proud member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA.

MORE BIOS COMING SOON, including: Neil Potter, Bethel Caram, Kevin Dwyer, Emil Mequita, Melody Jones, Spelman & more.

* Member of Actor's Equity (AEA)