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Tim Daly answers questions at the Q & A following the screening of Bereft at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. In the background are (left to right) Ari Graynor, Sam Daly, Clark Mathis, Vinessa Shaw and Peter Ferland.

Molly, Vinessa Shaw

Vinessa Shaw garnered considerable attention for her performance as Domino, the young prostitute who catches Tom Cruise’s eye in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. In addition to playing the lead character of Molly in Bereft, she will be seen later this year with Will Ferrell in Woody Allen’s new comedy Melinda and Melinda. She starred with Sean Penn as a naïve Norwegian immigrant in 1871 for director Kathryn Bigelow in the Lion’s Gate drama The Weight of Water, and starred opposite Josh Hartnett in the Miramax romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights. Her other film credits include roles in Wayward Son with Harry Connick Jr., Fathers and Sons, Corky Romano, and L.A. without a Map.

Her television credits include starring roles in the highly rated NBC miniseries “The 70’s” for producer Denise DiNovi and in Steven Soderbergh directed episode of the Showtime film noir anthology series “Fallen Angels.”

Dennis, Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson starred as the third member of the triumvirate in the Coen Brothers’ acclaimed hit O Brother, Where Art Thou? along side George Clooney and John Turturro. O Brother was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy. In addition to starring in the film, Nelson recorded a song for the O Brother soundtrack which he won a Grammy Award.

He recently starred in the film Wonderland with Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow and Dylan McDermot, and in Andrew Davis' Holes opposite Sigourney Weaver and Jon Voight. Nelson plays a cameo role in Warner Bros’ upcoming Scooby Doo 2 and will also be seen this year starring in Helmut Schleppi's A Foreign Affair, Saving Grace opposite Natasha Lyonne and Lorraine Bracco, The Last Shot, co-starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin and Toni Collette. His other acting credits include Finn Taylor's Cherish, and Miguel Arteta's The Good Girl opposite Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly and Zooey Deschannel. Additionally, Nelson starred in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report co-starring Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell, Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line, Mike Newell's Donnie Brasco, Hal Hartley's Amateur, Nora Ephron's This Is My Life and Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk.

Nelson is also an accomplished director. He wrote and directed the feature film The Grey Zone based on his award winning play. The film starred Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Mira Sorvino, David Arquette, Allan Corduner and Natasha Lyonne. The National Board of Review (2002) honored The Grey Zone with a Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression award. He directed O, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello for Lions Gate. The film premiered at the 2001 Seattle Film Festival, where Tim was awarded Best Director. He wrote and directed the film Eye of God, which was selected for the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and released theatrically in the United States later that year. The film received the top award at the 1997 Seattle Film Festival, as well as the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo Film Festival.

Lloyd, Edward Hermann

Tony and Emmy Award winning actor Edward Hermann boasts an impressive career that spans more than 30 years in the theatre, in film, and on television. His feature film roles include Nixon, Richie Rich, The Purple Rose of Cairo, A Little Sex, The Great Gatsby, Annie, Reds, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Day of the Dolphin, Critical Care, Overboard, The Big Business, Mrs. Soffel, Takedown, The Paper Chase, Double Taje, The Cat’s Meow, Down, The Emporer’s Club, and the Coen Brothers’ Intolerable Cruelty. He was recently seen in Welcome to Mooseport, with Ray Romano and will be seen in the upcoming Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator, with Leonardo DiCaprio.

He appeared on television in a six episode story arc of The Practice, which earned him a 1999 Emmy Award. He also guest starred in the 200th anniversary episode of Law and Order, and in a recurring role in OZ. Herrmann received additional Emmy nominations for his work on St. Elsewhere,the movie Concealed Enemies, and Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years.,

His work on Broadway includes Mrs. Warren’s Profession, for which he won a Tony Award, The Philadelphia Story, for which he earned a Tony nomination, Plenty, and The Love Letter. He performed in Neil Simon’s new play The Dinner Party, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and at The Williamstown Theatre Festival in Educating Rita directed by Bruce Paltrow.

Herrmann also carries a full schedule of recording books on tape having recorded over fifty thus far, including the latest Tom Clancy Net Force series. In 1999 he was awarded an AUDIE Award for his work in the complete reading of the King James Bible.

Helen, Marsha Mason

Marsha Mason began her film career in Paul Mazursky’s Blume in Love. Her second film, Cinderella Liberty, earned her an Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe Award. She received her second Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe Award for her work in The Goodbye Girl. She was later nominated for Academy Awards for her work in Chapter Two, and Only When I Laugh., Other feature credits include Max Dugan Returns, Heartbreak Ridge, Nick Of Time, and 2 Days in the Valley., She can also been seen in Miramax's Bride and Prejudice: The Hollywood Musical, which was directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham).

Her theatre credits include Norman Mailer’s The Deer Park, Israel Horovitz’s The Indian Wants the Bronx, Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor, and King Richard III., In 1996, Ms. Mason starred on Broadway in Night of the Iguana, and the following year in the Bluelight Theatre production of Michael Christofer’s Amazing Grace., In 1999, she was reunited with Goodbye Girl, co-star Richard Dreyfus and writer Neil Simon in Duncan Weldon and Emanuel Azenberg’s production of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, at The Haymarket Theatre in London. She currently can be seen in Charles L. Mee's Wintertime, at the Second Stage theatre in New York.

In addition to theatre and film, Ms. Mason recently appeared in Showtime's Dead Aviators, NBC's Life with Judy Garland, and was featured on several episodes of Frasier, and just completed production on the Hallmark Channel's Dear Mr. God.

Ms. Mason's autobiography Journey was released by Simon & Schuster, which she wrote from her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Louise, Ari Graynor

Ari Graynor first became known as Caitlin, Meadow Soprano’s roommate, on HBO’s hit show The Sopranos. She made her film debut in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-Nominated Mystic River. Ari can soon be seen in the Sundance Dramatic Competition selection, Book of Love, with Bryce Howard and Gregory Smith. Other film credits include Imaginary Heroes starring Sigourney Weaver. Ari’s television credits include a riveting guest starring role on Law and Order: SVU.

Jonathan, Michael C. Hall

Michael C. Hall is best known for his work on HBO’s hit series Six Feet Under, which is currently in production on its fourth season. Michael was nominated for a 2002 Emmy Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Drama Series, the 2002 AFI Male Television Actor of the Year Award, and with the rest of the cast, won the 2003 Screen Actors Guild Award for Performance By an Ensemble in A Drama Series, for which they were also nominated in 2002 and are currently nominated for the 2004 awards.

Michael was recently seen co-starring opposite Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman, Aaron Eckhardt, and Joe Morton in Paramount Pictures’ action thriller Paycheck, for director John Woo.A North Carolina native, Michael first came to New York to study acting at New York University where he received his Master of Fine Arts degree. He subsequently starred in multiple off-Broadway plays including Macbeth, opposite Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett, Cymbeline, opposite Liev Schreiber, Timon Of Athens, Henry V, The English Teachers, and Terrence McNally’s controversial Corpus Christi. He later starred on Broadway as the Emcee in Cabaret, for director Sam Mendes and as Billy Flynn in Chicago.

Jody, Amy Van Nostrand

Amy Van Nostrand made her Broadway debut was in Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse., She has been featured onstage across the country in theatres including The Guthrie Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre, The George Street Playhouse, Huntington Theatre, Pittsburgh Public , Westport Playhouse, The Pearl Theatre, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company (Board of Directors), and the Coast Playhouse in Los Angeles where she won an L.A. Dramalogue Award for Outstanding Actress in The Colorado Catechism. Her film work includes roles in Deception, Outside Providence, Partners In Crime, The House Of Mirth, Execution Of Justice, Say You’ll Be Mine, Landslide, and Bereft. Her television credits include featured appearances on Frasier, The Practice, The Fugitive, HBO’s War Stories, Family Album, One Life To Live, and M.O.W.’S; ,The Flood, Kids Like These, Dangerous Heart.

Joel, Patrick Burleigh

Patrick Burleigh was born in New York City and grew up in Los Angeles. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Dartmouth College and was awarded Dartmouth's Campbell Scholarship to earn his Masters in Irish Literature and Theatre from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Dublin performances include All That Glisters, and Metamorphosis, and in Los Angeles, most recently at Write Act Rep in Falfurious. He won the Eleanor Frost Playwrighting Competition at Dartmouth for his one-act, Word. Subsequently, his one-act monologue play, Casual Comedy, was featured in the 2002 Oscar Wilde Centre New Playwrighting Festival in Dublin. Word, and Casual Comedy, were both featured in the 2002 Dublin Fringe International Theatre Festival. His new full-length play, Dupont Circle, will receive its world premiere later this year in Los Angeles.

Happy, Co-Director/Producer, Tim Daly

Bereft marks Tim Daly’s directing debut. As an actor his film credits include Diner, The Object of My Affection, The Associate, Basic, and Denise Calls Up, which won the Camera D’or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2004 he will be seen in the feature Against the Ropes, with Meg Ryan and The Sopranos. He stars with Aidan Quinn, Kelly Preston, and Connie Neilsen in the upcoming Billie August film, Return to Sender. He won the Golden Satellite Award and was nominated for both a TV Guide and SAG Award for his work in the CBS series The Fugitive. He starred in the critically acclaimed series Almost Grown, created by David Chase, the Emmy Award winning mini series From the Earth to the Moon, Queen, and Storm of the Century. On the New York stage he won the Clarence Derwent Award for most promising actor and a Theatre World Award for his work in Tina Howe’s Coastal Disturbances, and an L.A. Dramalogue Award for his performance in Colorado Catechism. Other television films include Ambush in Waco, in which he played David Koresh, The Outsider, with Naomi Watts, and the award winning Execution of Justice, which he also produced with Red House Entertainment partner Steve Burleigh.

Producer, Steve Burleigh

Steve Burleigh and Red House Entertainment producing partner Tim Daly produced Edge of America, directed by Chris Eyre which was honored as the Opening Night Film of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. He and Daly received the 2000 GLAAD Media Award for Best Television Movie for the adaptation of Emily Mann’s play Execution of Justice, a Showtime Original. The film was also named one of the years’ five best TV Movies by the L.A. Times. His producing credits include the teleplay Dinky Dau, for Public Television, which he also directed, and the award winning Los Angeles premiere of Vincent Cardinal’s play, A Colorado Catechism. As an actor, he has appeared in plays on and off Broadway, regional theatres, and numerous television shows.

Co-Director/Cinematographer/Editor, Clark Mathis

Clark Mathis has been a professional cinematographer for fourteen years. He was nominated for a 2002 A.S.C. award for his work on Birds of Prey,, the tale of Batman and Catwoman’s illegitimate daughter. His ability to convey a story visually and emotionally is grounded in his experience working as an editor for ABC news while still in high school. He quickly made the transition to cinematography and has since photographed both studio and independent features, recently completing The Perfect Score, for Paramount. He has collaborated with directors Chris Eyre on Edge of America, ,Mikael Salomon on CBS’ The Fugitive, and is slated to shoot Don Roos’ upcoming feature, Happy Endings.

Screenplay, Peter Ferland

In 2004, Peter Ferland will be included in an anthology of the best humor pieces of McSweeney's,edited by Dave Eggars and published by Knopf. His work can also be found on the Comedy Central webletter Delete Me First and Virginia's Punchline newsweekly. He wrote for the CBS sitcom Bram and Alice (starring Alfred Molina) and has worked as a writers' assistant on the NBC sitcom Frasier. Bereft is his first screenplay. A native of Vermont, Peter now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.