Album Notes

Actors Scene Unseen's CD production of Gilgamesh – A Verse Play by Yusef Komunyakaa and Chad Gracia with a musical score by Rahim AlHaj was just nominated for Best Storytelling Album in the 2009 Just Plain Folks Awards.

With over 42,000 albums and 560,000 songs from 80 countries submitted, Just Plain Folks is the largest music awards in world history. Here's what Just Plain Folks says about how the nominations were determined … "The judges were given 1 criteria to judge: Does the music move you? If you're reading this (or representing an artist who is nominated) that means you moved a lot of people to make it all the way to the nominations from the largest body of music ever considered". Winners will be announced at the awards show to be held Saturday, August 29th in Nashville, TN.

The Gilgamesh Epic is the oldest piece of narrative literature in the world. It is
the archtype for all hero quests including Star Wars and the Greek and Roman epics. The
characters and sounds in this rich audio adaptation will transport you back to ancient Uruk,
the cradle of civilization. This CD is a masterful adaptation of Gilgamesh replete with love, monsters, battles, and redemption.

"Gloriously directed by Ph.D. co-founder of Actors Scene Unseen Elizabeth Peterson-Vita and set the lovely compositions of the Grammy Recognized Composer Rahim AlHaj this story springs to life with depth and precision. A company founded in 2003, Actors Scene Unseen has developed a reputation for extraordinary theater produced for listeners and viewers with the use of technical expertise, and with the engineering skills of James Vita, and this latest adaptation will only strengthen that reputation." - Metro Spirit, 2008

The Award-Winning production company, ACTORS SCENE UNSEEN teams Pulitzer Prize
winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa with Grammy Nominated Composer and Oud Master Rahim
AlHaj to create this definitive audio adaptation of the Gilgamesh epic.

Gilgamesh
A Verse Play

Poetry by
Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet
Yusef Komunyakaa

Concept and Dramaturgy by
Chad Gracia

Directed by
Elizabeth Peterson-Vita

Musical Score by
Grammy Nominated Musician
Rahim AlHaj

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by
James Vita

Produced by
Actors Scene Unseen

The city of Uruk is tormented by its self-absorbed and cruel king, Gilgamesh. In answer to the prayers of the people, Enkidu appears to confront him. The rivalry of these two heroes unexpectedly evolves into an epic friendship as they determine to rid the world of the monstrous evil Humbaba. When Gilgamesh is confronted by his mortality, he defies all who counsel resignation and sets off on a pursuit of eternal life. In this epic quest, he learns what all of us must. His journey reveals humanity's obsession with mortality and hints at how we might ultimately make peace with this dread necessity.

Starring
Joseph Klosek as Gilgamesh
David G. Holland as Enkidu
Rachel Jeffreys as Ninsun

With
Reid Dalton, Brian Daye, Ted Delorme, Susanne Kenny Gallagher, Carrie Anne Hunt, Tamara Ivins, Amy Laughter, Eric Martin, Brett Mason, Gretchen McGinty, Catherine Rutledge, Tom Scott, Angela Shannon, Tosha Thompson, Calvin Walton, Dael Waxman

ACTORS SCENE UNSEEN is the winner of numerous awards for its audio and stage production and its streaming media.

2007 - Winners of Best Production and and Best Male Actor and Nomination for Best Director for its production of Nijinsky's Last Dance (Special Event Category - Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA), Charlotte, NC).

2006 - Nomination for An Original Radio Drama: The Battle of Alcatraz for Best Album in the Spoken Word Category (Just Plain Folks)

1999 - 100 Hot Best Interactive Site

1997 - Progressive Networks 100 Best Streaming Media Sites for the Synchrocast (R) of the Winter Solstice Celebration by Paul Winter and National Public Radio (NPR), live from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City