Jonathan Judge Russo Interview: Someone Who'll Watch Over Me

Animus continues its fourth full theatrical season with the New York Revival of

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness

November 15 – December 9 (Thursday – Saturday @ 7 and Sunday at 2)

(No performances on November 22; but a special matinee on November 24 @ 2)

Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets, New York City.

Visit http://animustheatre.org/ for more info. Tickets can be purchased directly at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1001209.

Animus Theatre Company (Jonathan Judge-Russo, Founding Artistic Director), an ensemble of young, dynamic artists exploring the resilience of the human spirit through new and under-represented works, continues their fourth full season with Frank McGuinness’ gripping drama about ideologies held hostage, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, directed by the acclaimed theatre professional, Alan Langdon.

An American doctor, an Irish journalist, and an English academic are being held captive abroad, but their captors aren’t the only reason for tension.  The cramped confines of their cell intensify their national biases and prejudices, fostering internal resentments and recriminations. They must band together and build a world of fantasy to help keep their sanity… and focus their fight.

Earlier this season, Animus mounted the New York premiere of Leslye Headland’s Surfer Girl at the Foley Gallery as well as their 12-Hour Beth Henley Festival at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre.

Past Animus productions have included: at the famed Cherry Lane Theatre, Bob Glaudini’s Dutch Heart of Man (directed by Company Member Alan

Langdon); Collected Shorts by Theresa Rebeck (directed by Pamela Adlon); and John Patrick Shanley’s Where’s My Money?; Other Animus Productions have included Collected Shorts by Tennessee Williams at Theatre Row (directed by Company Member Matthew Lillard); Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre at Walkerspace (directed by Edward Berkeley); at Broadway’s Circle in the Square: John Patrick Shanley’s 12-Hour Reading Marathon, and Leslye Headland’s Sin Cycle Festival.  Committed to promoting new plays as well as lesser known works by established writers, Animus has had the pleasure of collaborating with the following artists: Nnamdi Asomugha, Alexis Bledel, Lynn Cohen, James Badge Dale, Cote de Pablo, Trieste Dunn, Ben Foster, Jared Gilman, Grace Gummer, Jill Hennessey, Andre Holland, Carol Kane, Virginia Kull, Christine Lahti, Margarita Levieva, Andrew Lippa, Natasha Lyonne, Keith Nobbs, Joe Pantoliano, Stephen Pasquale, Piper Perabo, Vincent Piazza, Bill Pullman, Michael Rispoli, Paul Schneider, Margo Seibert, Alia Shawcat, Sarah Steele, Aida Turturro, and many others.

JONATHAN JUDGE-RUSSO is a Helen Hayes Nominated actor from Brooklyn, New York and a graduate of Circle in the Square.  He recently completed filming Woody Allen’s 2018 Feature A Rainy Day in New York with Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, and Jude Law, as well as a return to “Law & Order: SVU”.  Other select acting credits include: Off-Broadway: Drama Desk Nominated Falling (Minetta Lane); Beyond the Horizon (Irish Rep); Somewhere with You (Signature); Treasure Island (Irondale); Ask/Tell (LAByrinth Barn – directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman); Snapshot (LAB Barn); La Fanciulla del West (Lincoln Center); Wozzeck (Lincoln Center); The Christmas Revels (Symphony Space); The Enlightenment of Mr. Mole (Sheen) as well as Collected Shorts by Theresa Rebeck (Cherry Lane – directed by Pamela Adlon); Where’s My Money? (Cherry Lane); The Irish Play (directed by Theodore Mann); Nesting (SoHo Rep); A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and The Seagull (directed by Alan Langdon).  First National Tour: Echoes of Ireland. Select regional work includes Music City (CFRT); Jumpers for Goalposts (Studio Theatre); Downtown Race Riot (NYS&F); Smile (Deane); Othello (BSF); and with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Troilus and Cressida (GBTA Award); Comedy of Errors; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In London, Mr. Judge-Russo appeared in The Philanderer and Twelfth Night.  Other select TV and Film credits include: Jeremy in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”; “Law & Order: SVU”; “Elementary”; “White Collar”; “Black Box”; Eat Me; A Slice and A Sandwich; The Aftershock; and the upcoming feature, Chess.  Jonathan is also a producing partner with Noble Heart Films.

Mike is a freelance director, scenic designer, and arts administrator. He has been the Managing Director of Animus Theatre Company since 2017. He received his BFA in Directing and Scenic Design with a minor in Art History from Columbia College Chicago. He was an ensemble member and managing director of Strawdog Theatre in Chicago, from 2011-2017.  Mike has had to pleasure to work with Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Steep Theatre, Sideshow, Trap Door Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Red Tape Theatre, The Artistic Home, and Interrobang Theatre. www.mikemroch.com