About Us

Painted Bird Productions is a bold, new theater company whose goal is to produce new and classic drama that will provoke thought, stimulate emotion, and motivate discussion.

William Roudebush (Artistic Director) has been directing for over thirty years at such theatres as Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Cleveland Play House, Syracuse Stage Company, Theatre Virginia, The GeVa Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Mum Puppettheatre , The Miami and Palm Beach Opera Guilds, and many others. In New York he was artistic director for the Ten More By Noonan series at the John Houseman Theatre, as well as directing for Ensemble Studio Theatre, The American Folk Theatre, The Mint Theatre Company, The Actors Outlet, Pulse Ensemble Theatre, The Samuel Beckett Theatre and the Village Gate, where he researched his soon to be produced new musical Village Gate Follies. Bill has been based in Philadelphia for the past twelve years, where he works as a freelance director/writer. His 2002 revival of Equus was nominated for eight Barrymore awards and won five including Best Overall Production of a play, Best Ensemble and Best Director. Most recently he adapted and directed a new musical based on the works of singer/songwriter Harry Chapin called Remember When the Music, which played for six sold out weeks in Philadelphia. Bill is also an educator, having taught at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, The University of Memphis, The University of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, along with being Theatre School Director for the Walnut Street Theatre for four years. He is currently director of musical theatre for the Performing Arts Institute in Kingston, Pa. His recently published book Acting By Mistake is available by logging onto XLIBRIS.COM.

Sonja Robson (Producing Artistic Director) was born in New York and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. She has been performing both on stage and film since 1990. She holds a B.F.A. in acting from The University of The Arts.

She has appeared on stages across the Philadelphia area, but favorite roles include Donna in Patience at The Wilma; Sarah in The Lover and Mrs. Almond in The Heiress at the Walnut Street, Old Woman in The Chairs with Eureka Theatre and Olivia in Twelfth Night at The Lantern. In 1998 she received a Supporting Actress Barrymore nomination for her role in The Lover/A Kind of Alaska.

Sonja recently appeared in the TV series Hack. She has also been seen in numerous national and local commercials: Termidor, AOL, Philadelphia Inquirer, Carpet One, Jefferson Hospital, and Christiana Care, among others.

David Robson's (Resident Playwright) plays include After Denmark, Out of Place, Why I Want a Wife, A Few Small Repairs, and Man Measures Man. His work has been presented by Florida's New Theatre; Rebel Theatre; Great Plains Theatre Conference; Acme Theater; Theatre One; Madhouse Theater Company; Alaska's Last Frontier Theatre Conference; Off-Broadway by the Lark Theatre; InterAct Theatre Company; the Shubin Theatre; the Brick Playhouse; City Theater; and the Mid-America Theatre Conference.

Excerpts of his plays appear in Audition Arsenal for Men in Their 30's, Best Stage Scenes 2000, and Best Men's Stage Monologues 2000 (Smith & Kraus Publishers). David is the recipient of two playwriting fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts. He was a recent playwright in residence at the Lark Theatre Company in New York City.