The Creative Team for NOT THAT ILLEGAL by Yusuf Yildiz: Program

NOT THAT ILLEGAL

By Yusuf Yildiz
Directed by Ayse Eldek-Richardson

Time:  2018.
Place:  Scene 1: The home of Dylan and Ali.
Scene 2:  United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Office Los Angeles, California.

Characters in order of appearance:

Ali Can……………...Yusuf Yildiz
Joseph Doing……..Dylan Combs
Mr. Humphrey…….Joshua R. Pyne

Who’s Who

Yusuf Yildiz (Playwright /Ali Can) has been a farmer, pharmacist apprentice, computer engineer, software scientist, actor, and author. He has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and moved to the United States after spending 20 plus years filled with mathematics and science in Turkey. He secretly kept writing love poems while his classmates tried to prove the Riemann hypothesis. Writing or making people laugh have kept creative juices flowing while the practical world pulled him in the other direction. Everything has changed once he stepped on stage as a thespian. He currently resides in Los Angeles and continues to act, write, and code for a software company. He most recently was seen as Ali Can in his first brainchild play called Not That Illegal. Not That Illegal was nominated for Best Play in the Strawberry One-Act Festival, thanks to his team and their utmost dedication. He’s very excited to go on stage with this brilliant creative team again and always thankful for every acting and writing opportunity.

Dylan Combs (Joseph Doing) is a New York based actor and massage therapist. Having graduated from Ohio University with a B.F.A., he has been a part of the New York theater scene for nearly a decade. Some of his more notable roles include Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Laertes in Hamlet, and the much lauded, though seldom viewed, performance of Beowulf in Beowulf: A Comedy. Dylan is also a company member of the New York Madness theater company. Alongside his talented cast-mates, he is proud to boast having made it to the final four of the 2019 Strawberry One-Act Festival. 

Joshua R. Pyne (Mr. Humphrey) Recent New York credits include: Dr. Jared Katz in Hanging Cow's The Accidental Awakening; Ralph in Storm Theatre's The Shoemaker's Holiday; Dr. Ryan Detropolick in Hanging Cow’s An Awkward Inheritance; Sheriff Grace in Toady Hoad; Wayne Collins in Buick City, 1:00 AM; and Sergei in Storm Theatre's Collaborators. In addition to cutting his teeth in Michigan regional theaters, Josh was baptized quite early as a passionate acolyte of DIY & shoe-string budget (mainly, though not exclusively, horror) film, hailing from a former sundown town just west of Flint, Michigan. He holds a BA in Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. Josh would like to take this time to reaffirm his allegiance to our Dark Lord, Baphomet, though whom all things are possible.

Ayse ( i-shea) Eldek-Richardson (Director) was born and raised in Turkey. She came to USA in 1997 to pursue acting. She attended Harvard Extension Drama and HB Studio for her performing arts education. She appeared in many film and TV productions including MARVEL's The Defenders, Blacklist, David Letterman Show, What Would You Do?, Sex and The City, Damages, Rescue Me, David, The Book Of Truth and Book Of Lies, Oh Boy (written by Ayse Eldek which showed in Cannes 2008 Short Film Corner). Her theater credits include Cellophane by Mac Wellman directed by Jim Simpson, O Jerusalem by A.R. Gurney directed by Jim Simpson, Oh Boy by Ayse Eldek directed by Trudy Steibl, To Love... by Ayse Eldek directed by Zishan Ugurlu, Anna Asli Suriyah and recently the Turkish cabaret called The Three Apples in NYC. She directed Emre Ozpirincci’s The New Yorkers, Ayse Eldek’s Bald Boy The Musical, Ed Stevens’ Bellini and The Sultan Reading. She founded the Turkish American Repertory Theater and Entertainment in 2010 and she has been busy acting, writing and directing with her core members of her company. Her scripts she has written include Oh Boy, To Love…, Bald Boy The Musical and The Diner. Ayse is a professional voice-over artist as well. Her voice has been in many Turkish and International commercials including Wella, Johnson& Johnson, Apple, Caillou, Vice News, 60 minutes. She also does transcripts, translations and editing professionally. Some of the projects include, Apple Zorlu Center, Turkish commercials, 60 minutes...etc. She is very happy to be able work with Yusuf Yildiz on his project.

The Best Play From The Strawberry One-Act Festival
At the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95^th Street, NYC

Performances:
Fri, February 7^th at 7:30pm      Buy Now
Sat, February 8^th at 7:30pm     Buy Now
Sun, February 9^th at 7:00pm    Buy Now

Tickets:  $40 General Admission; $35 for Senior Citizens and Students with I.D.
Tickets:  www.SymphonySpace.org
Box Office:  212-864-5400

Gala Reception on Sunday, February 9th CAFE VICTORIA
70 West 107th Street, NYC at Columbus Avenue.
Time:  4:00pm - 6:30pm
Tickets:  $75 before February 1st; $85 after January 31st.

Buy Gala Tickets Now