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BRYAN BATT is a native New Orleanian, actor, author, designer, and civic activist. Most known for his 2 time SAG award winning portrayal of “Salvatore Romano” on AMC’s critically acclaimed dramatic series Mad Men.
Broadway leading and principal roles include: La Cage aux Folles, Beauty and The Beast, Seussical The Musical, Sunset Blvd., Saturday Night Fever, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, and Cats. Off Broadway: created the role of Darius on stage and in the film of Paul Rudnick’s ground breaking comedy Jeffrey. Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back, Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act (Drama Desk Nomination). Regionally Bryan originated the role of “Gould” in the Los Angles premiere of Grey Gardens where he first worked with director Michael Wilson.
Films: 12 Years a Slave, Funny People, Jeffrey, Spike Lee’s Tales From The Hood II, among many more. TV: The Blacklist, Tales of the City, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Ugly Betty, Mayor Quin Maddox in the MTV cult series Scream. As an author, he’s penned a “momoir” She Aint’ Heavy, She’s My Mother and décor book Big, Easy Style, for Random House, and Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair.
In 2003 Bryan and his spouse, Tom Cianfichi, opened HAZELNUT, a fine gift and home accessories shop (Featured in the NY Times, Town & Country, House Beautiful, In Style, Traditional Home, Elle Décor, and more) – www.hazelnutneworleans.com
MICHAEL WILSON (SDC, DGA) is a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award-winning director working on Broadway, off-Broadway, and at major theaters across the country.
On Broadway, he directed the 2013 revival of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Condola Rashad, Vanessa Williams and Cicely Tyson, who won the Tony Award for Best Actress. Other Broadway productions include the 2012 Tony Award nominated revival of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (starring Candice Bergen, James Earl Jones, John Larroquette, Angela Lansbury, Eric McCormack, Michael McKean and John Stamos); the Tony nominated Best Plays Dividing the Estate (starring Elizabeth Ashley, Hallie Foote and Gerald McRaney); and Enchanted April (starring Jayne Atkinson and Molly Ringwald), for which he earned his first of two Outer Critics Circle nominations.
Wilson made his screen directoral debut with the 2014 Lifetime/Ostar television film adaptation of The Trip to Bountiful, which was nominated for two 2014 Emmy Awards — including Outstanding Television Movie – as well as a DGA Award for Outstanding Direction of a Movie or Mini-Series for Television. Among the film’s many awards are the 2015 NAACP/Image Awards for Outstanding Actor (Blair Underwood) and Outstanding TV Movie, and the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast, which included Keke Palmer and Clancy Brown.
His first indie film, the award-winning Showing Roots (produced by Michael Mailer Films in association with Bill Haber, starring Uzo Aduba, Maggie Grace, and Elizabeth McGovern) was acquired by Lifetime where it had its television premiere in 2016.
Off-Broadway, his production include Signature Theater Company’s revival of Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy starring Richard Thomas, which was subsequently filmed by BroadwayHD (2015); Desire, the Acting Company’s premiere bill of plays by Elizabeth Egloff, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, David Grimm, John Guare, and Beth Henley based on short stories by Tennessee Williams; Roundabout’s revivals of Landford Wilson’s Talley’s Folly starring Danny Burstein and Sarah Paulson (2013) and Tennessee Williams’ The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore starring Olympia Dukakis (2011); and the epic three-part, nine-hour Orphans’ Home Cycle.
Internationally, he directed both parts of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for the 1995 Venice Biennale.
Recent projects including the American Repertory Theatre revival of The Night of the Iguana starring Bill Heck, Dana Delaney, James Earl Jones, and Amanda Plummer (2017); CTG/Ahmanson Theater’s Los Angeles premiere of Grey Gardens: The Musical starring Betty Buckley and Rachel York (2016); and the Alley Theatre workshop of the new musical Tender Mercies (2018).
Treasurer of SDC since 2015, Wilson was Artistic Director from 1998-2011 of Hartford Stage, where he commissioned and developed the Pulitzer Prize winning Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes.
DEAR MR. WILLIAMS is a passionate, authentic, and wonderfully theatrical coming-of-age one man play set in the colorful, sensuous, and magical city of New Orleans. Told both through the humorous and sometimes heartbreaking voice of its native son author, Bryan Batt, as well as through the celebrated works of Tennessee Williams. Drawing from the iconic writer’s noted classic plays to his more obscure poetry and short stories, an enthralling tale of discovery is woven as Tennessee’s masterful words inspire the narrative celebrating exciting revelations and undeniable truths.Life’s mysterious and magical journey can be a turbulent roller coaster ride, but its so much more thrilling with Tennessee Williams as your guide.
NOLA.com (2021): Bryan Batt’s ‘Dear Mr. Williams’ melds playwright’s words with coming of age tale to reopen Le Petit
NOLA.com (2021): Bryan Batt opens Le Petit Theatre’s season with one-man show ‘Dear Mr. Williams’
Playbill (2021): Bryan Batt’s Dear Mr. Williams Will Launch Le Petit Theatre’s 105th Season
Broadway World (2019): DEAR MR. WILLIAMS: Bryan Batt Mesmerizes at The Curtain Call Lounge
NOLA.com (2019): Get to know actor Bryan Batt in ‘Dear Mr. Williams’
Playbill (2018): Bryan Batt Brings His Dear Mr. Williams to NYC for Industry Reading
