The son of one of the men who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima, James Bradley is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Flyboys and Flags of Our Fathers. He lives in New York.

http://jamesbradley.com/

Roger Dingman is Professor of History at the University of Southern California, where he teaches American international, military, and naval history. His research and teaching focus on the history of American relations with the nations and peoples of the Asia/Pacific region, especially Japan. Published widely in English and Japanese, his work focuses on the origins, conduct, and consequences of the Second World War in the Pacific. He is currently completing Bridge to the Rising Sun, a study of US Navy and Marine Corps Japanese language officers during and after the Pacific War.

Susan Griffin’s latest book, Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen, is about the inner life of democracy. Among her eighteen published books The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues, explores a hidden side of women’s history; Woman and Nature, inspired eco-feminism, and A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Award. Named by Utne Reader as one of a hundred important visionaries for the new millennium, she has been the recipient of an NEA grant, a Macarthur Grant for Peace and International Cooperation, an Emmy award and this year, a Guggenheim Foundation award. She has completed a play to be set to music called “Canto” and is at work now on The Book of Housewifery.

www.susangriffin.com

Louise Steinman is curator of ALOUD at Central Library and co-director of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities, USC. She is the author of two books: The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father's War and The Knowing Body:The Artist as Storyteller in Contemporary Performance.

www.louisesteinman.com

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage

Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center

1310 11th Street

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Box Office: 310.434.3200

thebroadstage.com

Twyla Tharp, one of America's greatest choreographers, began her career in 1965, and in the ensuing years has created more than 130 dances for her company as well as for the Joffrey Ballet, the New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, London's Royal Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Working to the music of everyone from Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart to Jelly Roll Morton, Frank Sinatra, and Bruce Springsteen, she is a pioneer in melding modern dance and ballet with popular music. In film, she collaborated with Milos Forman on Hair, Ragtime, and Amadeus. For television, she directed Baryshnikov by Tharp, which won two Emmy awards. For the Broadway stage, she directed the theatrical version of Singin' in the Rain, and in 2003 won a Tony Award for Movin' Out, which she conceived, directed, and choreographed to the songs of Billy Joel. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. In 1993, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and in 1997 was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives and works in New York City.

http://www.twylatharp.org

Terry Teachout is the drama critic of the Wall Street Journal and the chief culture critic of Commentary. He played jazz professionally before becoming a full-time writer. His books include All in the Dances: A Brief Life of George Balanchine, The Skeptic: A Life of H. L. Mencken, and A Terry Teachout Reader.

www.terryteachout.com

Founded on Cinco de Mayo, 1984, in San Francisco's historic Mission District, Culture Clash is Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza. Now based in Los Angeles, the trio uses "performance collage" to bring history, geography, "urban excavation," "forensic poetry" and storytelling together in a contemporary, movable theater narrative through a Chicano point of view – what Guillermo Gomez-Pena describes as "reverse anthropology."

The company has recently completed their cycle of California plays: “Chavez Ravine”, “Zorro in Hell” and “Water & Power.” Culture Clash's theatrical work also includes “The Mission,” “Unplugged,” “Capra Clash,” “Bordertown,” “The Birds,” “Anthology,” “Mission Magic Mystery Tour,” “Señor Discretion Himself,” and “Culture Clash in AmeriCCa.”

www.latw.org

http://cultureclash.com

Mike Sablone is the Literary Associate at CenterTheatre Group (CTG). He has served as the dramaturg on several world premiere productions, including Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman's BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, David Henry Hwang's YELLOW FACE, and Culture Clash’s PALESTINE, NEW MEXICO at CTG; John Belluso's HENRY FLAMETHROWA at Trinity Rep; and Paul Grellong's RADIO FREE EMERSON at the Gamm. Current projects include Matt Sax and Eric Rosen’s hip-hop musical VENICE, Itamar Moses and Michael Friedman’s musical adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, and Greg Marcks’ film adaptation of Lethem’s YOU DON’T LOVE ME YET. He was the dramaturg on the film adaptation of BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, served as Taffy Master for the motion picture THE LOVE LETTER, and is thanked in the credits for the movies 11:14 and ECHELON CONSPIRACY.