DOS WORLDS

A new drama titled Dos Worlds reunites writer/director Maya Milenovic Workman, jazz legend Reggie Workman, and actress Ayana Workman.  Joining them is Mary Chang and Anthony Pearlman.

MAYA MILENOVIC WORKMAN - WRITER, DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER,

"... In sound I found a specific junction across impulse produced by live jazz music and movement....My chief ambition in life is to call for justice and integration through the arts!" 

She innovate stories, and works on and off stage through interactive theater that brings forth creative and critical thinkers. Her students and audiences must become active! In the process she seeks original expression while all forces that are established are equal between one another and at the same time can oppose one another. The forces can also cancel each other out right in front of the audience.  Violent or idealized circumstantial thought processes and evidence of real issues become a physical experience and a new emotional language!

Maya was born in Yugoslavia (Slovenia). In collaboration with Regghie Workman she created original projects: Come and Go, HP Madame, Jus Al’ Mae, Mother Courage, Closed Door, Tristan and Isolde, First Day 47, Ogun's Ardor, Footfalls, Abstractions, Streams, and more. Their notable productions were at Carnegie Recital Hall, Cathedral of Saint John The Divine, Washington Square Church, Cooper Union Great Hall, Gowanus Arts Exchange and European State Theaters in Maribor, Ljubljana, Serbia, UK, and Italy.  Their most recent collaboration has been the children's book titled Ms. G Clef’s Party. Doc Feature is Perfect Blend, Ophelia and Dos Worlds. Latest I Hear With My Eyes, Guernica Continuum, Virtual Truth. Currently, Maya teaches, writes, directs and produces between Slovenia, New York City, and New Jersey. Methods: "Eight Steps to Creativity,” Moving Theater Stories. Her students develop a sense of leadership and confidence.  She is writing her first novel, "I'm Not Your Immigrant".

REGGIE WORKMAN - BASSIST, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR

Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey.

Workman was a member of jazz groups led by Gigi Gryce, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter and Red Garland. In 1961, Workman joined the John Coltrane Quartet, replacing Steve Davis. He was present for the saxophonist's Live at the Village Vanguard sessions, and also recorded with a second bassist (Art Davis) on the 1961 album, Olé Coltrane. After a European tour, Workman left Coltrane's group at the end of the year. Workman also played with James Moody, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Mann and Thelonious Monk. He has recorded with Archie Shepp, Lee Morgan and David Murray. Workman, with pianist Tommy Flanagan and drummer Joe Chambers, formed The Super Jazz Trio in 1978.

He is currently a professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, and is a member of the group, Trio 3, with Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille.

MARY CHANG - THE VOICE

Painting, printmaking, theater and movement are amongst Mary's favorite art forms. Theater credits include La Mama Experimental Theater,  Immigrants Theater Project actor/ co-writer, Werk Theater of Basel Switzerland, actor and co-writer. Manhattan By Numbers at The New Directors Film Festival (MoMA) and the Lincoln Center Film Festival.  Various productions in the tri-state area. Mary has exhibited at MoCada, Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts,  Graphics, Casa da Gravura, Sao Palo, Brazil, and various cultural centers and galleries throughout the tri-state area.  

AYANA WORKMAN - BLUE

Ayana Workman is an African American-Slovene actress, dancer, and writer who was born and raised in New York City. Through her father (Reggie Workman) and mother (Maya Milenovic Workman), Ayana was exposed to jazz music and avant-garde theater at a young age. Her professional theater debut was in 2012 playing the role of Bahia in Guernica Continuum of the European Cultural Capital Festival. Ayana has just finished playing, Perdita in The Public Theatre's Mobile Unit, Shakespeare's "Winter's Tale", and Juliet in Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet in Washington DC, and Juliet in The Public Theatre's Mobile Unit production of Romeo and Juliet Her TV/FILM credits include: Jesica Jones, Person of Interest, Echos (Short), Guernica Continuum (Short), Ophelia (Short), Dos Worlds (Experimental), and the Globe Theater Promo Commercial.

ANTHONY PEARLMAN - THE BLIND PIANIST

Interested in all kinds of music, but specifically focused on jazz, Pearlman has been greatly influenced by musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Barry Harris, and Lennie Tristano to name a few. As a result, he has performed at multiple popular NYC venues, including Cornelia St. Cafe, Shapeshifter Lab, Shrine, The Frick Collection. Now, in his acting debut, Pearlman will be playing the role of a blind pianist, a somewhat unique circumstance for a musician.

KARLA CHEE-A-TOW - PRODUCER

Karla Chee-a-tow’s background has primarily been in the performing arts. She began working in marketing for the Royal Shakespeare Company, led by artistic director Adrian Noble and principle associate director Michael Attenborough on world renowned plays including, Macbeth, As You Like It, The Herbal Bed and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the seasons cast that included Joseph Fiennes, David Tennant and the late Corin Redgrave.
She went on to work at the ad agency the Eliran, Murphy Group in New York City representing Broadway and Off- Broadway productions, such as Roundabout Theatre’s Cabaret, as well as places of historical reference, of which include the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.
She then went on to create and become the Director of the Lifestyle Marketing Department at V2 Records, part of the Virgin Group, creating cross-promotions and strategic alliances with magazine companies such as Elle, Vanity Fair, and Spin as well as fashion designers and companies including Carmen Marc Valvo, Todd Oldham, Diesel, Levi’s, Urban Outfitters to name a few.
She created and executed lifestyle marketing opportunities for artists including, Moby, Stereophonics, Elbow, Alex Gopher & Grandaddy. She has been an artist / product manager for artists including, Billy Crawford, Aphrodite, Afu-Ra, Tragedy Kadafi and Pete Francis Heimbold of Dispatch. She now manages musician Jann Klose and is producer to the multimedia artist Maya Milenovic Workman.
She worked with the production company Sodium Entertainment in marketing the release of the film Last Dispatch. She worked with Sundance Film and Berlin International Film festival awards recipient director Heather Lyn MacDonald on the premier of the film Been Rich All My Life and worked on post-production for the film Honeydripper from Oscar nominated director John Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi.
In addition she has worked for Universal Buzz Entertainment Marketing Company, AM Only Booking Agency (now part of Paradigm Talent Agency) for music artists that included Tiesto, Carl Cox and DJ Dan. She acted as a consultant to Bulldog Communications, UK, a Broadband Service provider, creating a grassroots marketing campaign for the launch of the consumer service. She has also worked at the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
More recently she devised and implemented the Cultural Outreach campaign for Dreamscape Theatre’s WWI theatrical production In Fields Where They Lay and has worked as the U.S. Representative for Clouds Hill Recordings the German recording studio in Hamburg.
She has a B.A. (Hons) in Arts Management & Performing Arts from De Monfort University (UK), an M.A. in Music Business from New York University, an M.S. in Law with a Specialty in Intellectual Property from Champlain College (VT) and attended the British Record Industry Trust (BRIT) School for
Performing Arts and Technology (UK). She is a member of the Trinity Church Wall Street Congregational Arts Council and Volunteer Youth Leader.