The Scarlet Letter is a collaborative work of five co-authors: Stacey Mancine, Daniel Koloski, Simon Gray, Michael Bahar, and Eric Braverman.

Ms. Mancine and Mr. Koloski, a writing team with extensive artistic and production experience in the Washington area, first drafted the work in 1996 and then revised it in workshop over the next four years. Mr. Gray, Mr. Bahar, and Mr. Braverman later joined the writing team in 2001 on the occasion of The Scarlet Letter’s first production in Edinburgh.

Stacey Mancine created the concept for our adaptation of The Scarlet Letter in 1995. In addition to The Scarlet Letter, Ms. Mancine's writing credits include several one-act plays, short stories, and a full length ensemble piece, Canterbury Trails - a young-audience adaptation of Chaucer's classic work-which premiered and toured in 1996. Ms. Mancine has devoted much time over the years to nurturing young artists and has directed, assistant directed, and stage managed a variety of productions in support of aspiring playwrights. She has also independently produced and directed several world premiere readings of new plays, including the pre-New York premiere of acclaimed novelist Robert Boswell's first play, Tongues, in 1995. She has served as a professional playwriting adjudicator for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Theatre Association of Pennsylvania, allocating funding to promising American playwrights, and is a longtime state one-act play adjudicator for the Pennsylvania High School Speech League. She studied playwriting at Susquehanna University and has worked for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Theatre J in Washington, D.C. Current writing projects include a new musical based on the construction of an 11th century cathedral.

Dan Koloski has worked at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Arena Stage, Theatre J, and with the Choral Arts Society of Washington; his original music and arrangements have been heard in venues throughout the United States. His composition credits include music for the D.C. premiere of Tomorrowland and the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage Daily Internet Broadcasts, as well as many individual pieces for small vocal and instrumental ensembles. Mr. Koloski has also performed with and directed various ensembles throughout the United States, including the orchestra for the first American revival of Rags, in New Haven, Connecticut. In addition to The Scarlet Letter, currently Mr. Koloski is working on the new musical Saturday Night at Sophie's. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, and currently serves as Director of Strategy for the software firm Empirix.

Simon Gray is a composer, lyricist, conductor, pianist and a passionate advocate of new musical theatre. He was musical supervisior and for the UK première of Adam Guettels Myths And Hymns (Edinburgh), music director for the West End première of Bill Russells Pageant (Vaudeville), music director for the London premiere of Michael John LaChiusas Lucky Nurse and Other Short Plays (Finborough) and assistant on the first UK production Mr LaChiusas Hello Again (Bridewell). He has conducted productions of A Little Night Music (Tunbridge Wells), Company, Assassins, Into The Woods (Edinburgh) and the Asian première of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The Forum (Kuala Lumpur). As pianist: Jesus Christ Superstar (UK tour), Candide (Royal National Theatre), Sunday In The Park With George (Sevenoaks), Cats (New London). Simon composed additional music and lyrics for The Scarlet Letter (Edinburgh and Theater Row, New York), provided original songs for Dick Whittington (Eye, Suffolk), On War (Young Vic), Peter Pan (Horsham Arts) and he composed incidental music for Night Sky (Old Vic). He provided orchestrations for Beggars Opera (Cochrane), Bridges and Harmonies (Bridewell), Robinson Crusoe (Newbury Corn Exchange) and the gala opening of the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Simon is a member of the BMI Workshop in New York. He is a film journalist for close-upfilm.com and 6degreeesfilm.com.

Michael Bahar directed the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter in Edinburgh and is the artistic director and co-founder of Blue Line Arts. He has also directed Assassins twice and Merrily We Roll Along, among other productions. His writing credits range from the annual Harvard Law School Parody to law review articles, most recently on naval anti-piracy operations. As an actor, his credits include The Balladeer in Assassins, Joe Josephson in Merrily We Roll Along, The Baker in Into the Woods, as well as The Russian in Chess, and Whizzer in Falsettos. Mr. Bahar is a graduate of Yale and Cambridge Universities and Harvard Law School. After one year as a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York City, Mr. Bahar was called to active duty as a Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG), where he currently serves in the Pentagon.

Eric Braverman produced the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter in Edinburgh as well as the original cast recording of the show. Mr. Braverman has in his individual capacity produced hundreds of performances of various kinds in the last ten years, including the European premiere of Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns. Mr. Braverman's writing experience spans fiction and non-fiction, including not just short stories but also speechwriting for testimony before the United States Senate and assistance with Vice President Gore's legal briefs before the United States Supreme Court in the 2000 election. He trained in law at the Yale Law School and is currently a leader of the public sector practice of McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm, where he serves as an advisor to the leaders of international corporations and government on issues of strategy, organization, and operations.

 

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