This is the playbill for Action Fiction - The Screenplay Edition, on Thurs, June 6, 2013.

"The Woman Next Door”

written by Laurie Ann Doyle, performed by Gillian Eichenberger

Laurie Ann Doyle is a fiction writer who likes to mix it up occasionally with a little poetry and nonfiction. Her latest story, “Or Best Offer,” was a finalist for the Rick DeMarinis Short Story Award and appears in Arroyo Literary Review, Spring, 2013. An earlier piece, “Wings Raised Up,” won the Alligator Juniper National Fiction Prize and was nominated for a 2012 Pushcart Prize. Other stories, poems, and essays have been published in Midway Journal, Farallon Review, Stone’s Throw Magazine, Dogwood Journal, The Express, and elsewhere. During her MFA program at University of San Francisco, she was nominated for Best New American Voices  (Mariner Books). She's taught writing at UC Berkeley since 2007 and lives just south of campus with her husband and son. Read more at laurieanndoyle.com. 

Gillian Eichenberger is a local actor and recent graduate of the Theatre Arts program at San Francisco State University. Usually a song and dance kinda gal, she is proud and excited to be reading at her 4th Action Fiction. Many thanks to Laurie for donating her haunting story, and to her family (especially her Mom) for providing her with support and inspiration. Let's be friends! facebook.com/Gillian.eichenberger.

“Babette”

written by Gabriel Leif Bellman, performed by Jen Terry

Gabriel Leif Bellman graduated from USC's Cinema School before going to work at MTV in New York. As a television Producer, Mr. Bellman helped start the 'True Life' series at MTV.  He received his M.A. from New York University, and his J.D. from U.C. Hastings.  Gabriel has directed several successful documentary films, and is the co-founder of the Frozen Film Festival. He was a featured speaker at the International Film Festival Summit in Las Vegas on the "Future of New Media and Narratives."  He has written two feature operas, performed at Juilliard and by NYC Opera, and has performed slam poetry around the U.S., notably hosting the Blah-Blah in Brooklyn.  He has performed in LitQuake Festival, and had plays in Theater Pub.  Gabriel practices law in San Francisco, where he is a certified mediator.  He has been known to enjoy the surfing and the skateboarding. Read more at zennyrun.com.

Jen Terry's bio is forthcoming.

“The Shfit”

written by Mary Kalin-Casey, performed by Judy b

Mary Kalin-Casey has a background in entertainment journalism and served as Managing Editor at Reel.com and Editor-in-Chief at Clerkdogs.com. She is co-author with her husband, the artist John Casey, of the collaborative story-and-drawing collection Call & Response. Her blog is kalincasey.wordpress.com. 

judy b will make her big-screen debut in The Spinster, written and directed by Kristin Tieche, in October 2013. The short horror film follows a woman bike mechanic through San Francisco as she navigates the dark side of romance. A writer and musician before she was an actor, judy b. also is the author of the fiction collection Stories for Airports and has read her work throughout the Bay Area, including twice at LitCrawl. Read more by and about judy b. at www.onzeproductions.com.

15-min intermission

“Stranger in Barcelona”

written by Bobby Bell, performed by Jimmy Cross, Robert Thomas, and Jim Lynch

Bobby Bell is the author of a feature length screenplay "A Stranger In Barcelona" which he is currently expanding into a novel, a novella "Another Smashing Victory or Espionage and the Art of Angry Pantomime", and several short screenplays and short stories. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Political Science from James Madison University and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego. He is an attorney with a solo practice focusing on criminal defense and immigration. His self-published novella is available (under a pseudonym) on Amazon here. 

Jimmy Cross is useful. His horn needs no tooting. It has been tooted. Read about his usefulness at Jimmycross.wordpress.com

Robert Thomas, when not bringing short fiction to life at Action Fiction, dons his secret identity as One Of Those Dot-Com Assholes Who Is Ruining San Francisco.  A resident for just long enough to feel possessive of the City, yet trapped in a gilded cage of rent control, he lives in the Sunset with his girlfriend, their two cats and two parrots.

Jim Lynch had a review published in the mid-1970s in a suburban New York newspaper and decided that he would pursue a career as a music journalist, as his own chances at rock stardom were doomed by a disturbingly relative relationship to pitch. In college, he wrote often for Columbia University’s newspaper and many indie magazines around the country. Soon after that he detoured into concert promotion and artist management. Always comfortable onstage, he emceed many of the events he produced, and hosted the Transfigured Night radio program on WKCR-FM for over six years. After Columbia he was hired by The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, and began to immerse himself in the dual tracks of music and technology that would guide the rest of his career. He’s built several startups, managed developers at major enterprise-class companies, and consulted for several cutting edge music technology firms here in the Bay Area.

“The Woodcutter's Wife”

written by Ben Black, performed by Caroline Scippa

Ben Black's work has appeared in Identity Theory, New American Writing, theNewerYork, and Smokelong Quarterly. He recently completed his MFA at San Franciso State University, where he also teaches. His story "We Are All Wearing Jackets" won the 2012 FOGcon student writing contest and his story "The Members of the Board" was a finalist for the Calvino Prize.  Find out more at benpblack.com, or read "The Woodcutter's Wife" at Smokelong Quarterly: http://www.smokelong.com/flash/benblack40.asp.

Caroline Scippa is yet another college theatre major forced to get a real job following graduation. The college was UC San Diego; the love is still theatre; the living is travel-related (which really isn't so bad). She relishes getting up in front of an audience when she can, and spends the rest of her time at work in San Francisco, at home is Sausalito, at a yoga studio in Mill Valley, and flying to and from South and Central America.

“The Visit”

written by Cary Tennis, performed by Sara Renauer

Cary Tennis writes Salon's advice column, leads writing workshops and creative getaways, and is still working on his novel. Learn more about his writing workshops at carytennis.com. 

Sara Renauer is a relative newcomer to the Bay Area. A veteran performer, she has been seen locally tearing up the stage with Leela Improv's all-female troupe True Medusa. She has also worked locally with Actor's Ensemble of Berkeley, No Nude Men Productions, and Subterranean Shakespeare. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Northern Kentucky University. Say hello at facebook.com/sarasaurusrex985. 

“Do you really want to know what happened to my eye?”

written by Colleen McKee, performed by Mantra Plonsey

Colleen McKee is the author of 9 Kinds of Wrong, a book of fiction, memoir, and poetry that will be published at the end of the summer. She is also author of two chapbooks: My Hot Little Tomato, and A Partial List of Things I Have Done for Money. Additionally, she is co-editor of Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak About Health Care in America. She lives in Oakland, and teaches art and English. She'll be reading at Viracocha SF on June 25, and at Beast Crawl in Oakland on July 6. Read more at colleenmckee.blogspot.com.

Mantra Plonsey's play ARTHUR IN UNDERLAND was produced in 2011 at CounterPulse. Several collaborative projects in residency were created and premiered at Baryshnikov Arts Center, PS 122 and The Joyce Theater, and at The Garage, ODC and Noh Space. She wrote the libretto and performed in the opera "Leave Me Alone", with graphic novelist Harvey Pekar. Plonsey's extended vocal technique appears on soundtracks by Maurice Jarre and Jerry Garcia. She provides the theme vocal for City Arts and Lectures, and acted in several films for directors Rob Nilsson and William Farley. She sang with Kitka, collaborated and performed with George Coates and Dandelion Dancetheater and was the chief editor and feature writer for the 'zine which became the SF Weekly. She is honored to have assisted the irascible visionary Les Blank for two years-- (sort of a record.) She is Artistic Director of Sugarglass Consort. Withinward, the first entry in her live action film anthology THE INNER ROOM will premiere July 27 2013 at Foundry Nights #10 in Berkeley. Make friends at facebook.com/mantra.plonsey.