colin spoelman

After graduating from Yale University in 2002 with a degree in Theater Studies and American Studies, Jackson moved to New York where, within months, he landed his first Off-Broadway role with Pan Asian Repertory performing as a principal in the world premiere of Legacy Codes, a retelling of the Wen Ho Lee controversy. Since then, he has worked with a number of established theater companies including, the New Group, Ma-Yi, NAATCO, Vital Theater, Riant Theater, Food for Thought, and Desipina and Co. among others. Beyond the stage, Jackson co-hosts Movies for the Imaginasian, for IATV, a new cable network dedicated to 24-hr Asian American programming. Since the network’s launch in November 2004, he’s hosted over 50 episodes of the program, which airs in the network’s primetime slot.

You can see Jackson everyday in the Los Angeles and San Francisco metropolitan areas, with a New York broadcasting deal in the works. His other television credits include appearances on The Sopranos, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Saturday Night Live. He’s also appeared in a number of commercials including those for Nickelodeon, CBS Sports, TimeWarner, Spike TV and Monster.com. Additionally, he’s worked extensively with RockStar Games and can be heard as characters in the popular video games Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (for Playstation and their new PSP version) and The Warriors, a soon to be released gaming experience based on the 1979 cult film with the same namesake.

Most recently, Jackson wrapped production in a supporting role for Quarter-Life Crisis, an independent feature film with appearances by Manu Narayan, star of Broadway’s Bombay Dreams, popular Canadian comic Russell Peters, and Bollywood/Hollywod starlette Lisa Ray.

Kevin Thoms ("Jesse")

Kevin Thoms recently starred in the new Mario Van Peebles, Sony Pictures film Hard Luck, starring Wesley Snipes, Cybill Shepherd, and Luis Guzman. Kevin has also appeared in such films as Riding in Cars with Boys, Brooklyn Rules, A Gentleman's Game, Underground, Campfire Stories, Making the Team, Coming Down The Mountain and the Gordon Parks Award winning film Malfunction. His TV credits include guest starring roles on Law & Order: SVU, Ed, and Queens Supreme.

Michael Beck ("Ed")

Michael Beck has been based out of the New York area for the past two years. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University and has since been performing in regional theater throughout the country. Highlights include the West Coast premiere of Terence McNally’s Corpus Christi at the New Conservatory Theater Center and Terence’s The Brothers. He is a founding member of 16 Tons Theater Company, a Brooklyn based ensemble which is devoted to creating original and multidisciplinary works. Their most recent production Ghost Stories just completed a well received run in both Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He is also a founding member of the Manhattan based theater company, the Ontik Ensemble, which has performed revivals of such works as Bertolt Brecht’s Baal, Elmer Rice’s The Adding Machine, and Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck. Underground marks his feature film debut.

Julie McNiven ("Julie")

Julie has worked professionally in NYC for the past two years. She graduated from Salem State College with a BFA in Theatre and has since studied with Circle in the Square Theatre School and Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires. Recent Film credits include Hungry Ghosts, Dangerous Crosswinds, and Doses of Roger. She's played Lady Percy in Hal, Harry, Henry with Shakespeare East, and also appeared as Plateta in Eastcheap Rep's production of Friction. TV credits include a recurring role of the 1st season of Showtime's new series, "The Brotherhood" airing this summer.

Visit her website.

Michael Arden ("Sam")

Michael Arden played Tom Sawyer in the Broadway production of Big River, the 2004 recipient of the Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in Theatre, Encores Bash! At City Center. Michael appeared as Coyote in Twyla Tharp and Bob Dylan’s new musical: The Times They Are A-Changin’ on Broadway in fall 2006 after it’s run at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, CA.

His Los Angeles stage work includes PIPPIN (as Pippin), a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Nom. Off-Broadway credits include: Swimming in the Shallows, BARE; a pop opera, It’s Only Life; The Music of John Bucchino, and Harold and Maude. Outside of New York, he has appeared in God of Vengeance, Falsettoland (WTF), The Common Pursuit, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale (Juilliard), West Side Story and Songs for a New World. Michael was also seen as both Pippin and Dickon in the World AIDS Day benefit concerts of PIPPIN and The Secret Garden, respectively. Film credits include The Good Shepherd, and Underground. Michael is also a composer; his works include Easter Rising, As You Like It and Ripley. Michael is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and trained at Interlochen and Juilliard.

Jody Lee Lipes (Director of Photography)

Jody is a 2004 graduate of NYU, where he received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Cinematography on Morning Glories. Other films include The Paperboy, which was selected as a Wasserman finalist for best picture, and Fore New York was an east coast finalist for the Student Academy Awards. Since graduating, Vacationland, shot on 35mm was selected as a finalist in the 2005 Independent Film Project, short film winner at the Maine International Film Festival, and official selection of the Starz Denver International Film Festival. In 2006 Lipes was again honored by NYU by being chosen as the official selection for submission to the American Society of Cinematographers Student Heritage Award. Currently a short form documentary lensed by Lipes, Prom Date, screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival, 2006.

Lipes has recently completed shooting 4 music videos. "Give Me Every Little Thing" the music video for the band The Juan MacLean signed to DFA Records, was produced and directed by Waverly Films. "Tv Fever" (co-directed and co-shot by Lipes) a music video for the band Sam Champion signed to Razor and Tie, another Alphabet Cinema production, recently won the Super 8 Film Festival 2006. He just wrapped principle photography on his third feature, The Heart of Jesus, and his first nationally syndicated commercial as DP was just aired on Nickelodeon. Currently Lipes has work in collaboration with NY based artist Brock Enright screening at the Cynthia Broan Gallery.

View Jody's reel.