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 Zach Karem (The Batman) and Mark Anthony Montalvo (Robin The Boy Wonder) both graciously stayed behind after their rehearsals this afternoon to shoot a series of STUNNING publicity images for the FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT Official Press Release. Take a look at these beautiful photos in our GALLERY!
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 It seems that the fickle "FINGER" of fate is once again working overtime to bring FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT to the stage this spring! Having lost its intended previous auditorium performance venue at Bronx Community College due to administrative changes, last month, the FOTDK producers scrambled desperately to find a suitable replacement venue in order to raise its curtain without delay.  Having learned that the Grand Auditorium at the Bronx's DeWitt Clinton High School Campus was available for performance use, Playwright and Producer Roberto Williams quickly fired off a letter to the school's Principal Mr. Santiago Taveras telling him all about the FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT stage production, and two of the play's central figures (Batman mythology co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger... BOTH famous graduates from DeWitt Clinton High School's class of 1933!!) The school administrator was thrilled at the prospect of bringing FOTDK to his school and he invited Williams to the school to personally meet with him and his staff, and to view the breath-taking auditorium space.  During the meeting, the excitement for the production's presentation at DeWitt Clinton HS was electric, and Mr. Taveras and his aides generously pledged all their full support behind the ambitious venture!  Featuring elegant turn of the century old-world styling, the Grand Auditorium at DeWitt Clinton Campus is the PERFECT venue for a gothic period-piece play like FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT! The space features hanging chandeliers, an impressive 30-foot wide proscenium stage, and a seating capacity of 1900 !!
 The FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT production team is absolutely thrilled and honored to announce the casting of 25 year old Zach Karem in the role of Bruce Wayne / The Batman!
This ambitious and enterprising young man graciously responded to an urgent casting call put out by Roberto Williams for the re-casting of the iconic Caped Crusader in his upcoming stage play. When Zach visited with the Playwright and listened to his ideas for how the character would be presented, he became excited at the possibility of becoming involved in this ambitious production and stepping into the role of a lifetime! With his wit, charm, humor, tremendous acting skill, and print model good-looks, Mr. Karem is the perfect embodiment of the legendary classic comic book hero. His inclusion in the cast is certain to elevate the excitement of this stage presentation for Batman fans everywhere! Read all about Zach's incredible accomplishments on his Bio Page!  In what is sure to be yet another triumph of casting, Mr. Nick Byrne has joined the cast of FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT in the pivotal role of The Batman's aide and trusted confidante Alfred Pennyworth! This passionate animal-rights activist is a veteran of several stage and screen roles, and he brings dignity, gravitas, and student enrichment to the predominantly youthful cast. Read all about some astonishing acting accomplishments on Nick Byrne's Bio Page and on his listing on IMDB !
 On the afternoon of Saturday, March, 29th, 10 year old Mark Anthony Montalvo concluded a long-exhausting day of rehearsals for FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT by test-fitting his brand new ROBIN THE BOY WONDER costume and modelling it for playwright / Director Roberto Williams and the rest of the cast!
For weeks, the young actor had inquired about the status of his costume fabrication for the upcoming stage play, wondering if he would be able to model it soon. Mr. Williams, meanwhile, was deeply involved with the design and creation process of the costume , working as quickly as possible to get it completed before the end of March. The Director and his talented Production Seamstress Doreen Hunter collaborated for months to come up with just the right combination of fabrics, textures and tones for the Boy Wonder's uniform. The process involved a lot of trial and error. But in the end, it occurred to Williams that with the character's original inspiration being the classic character ROBIN HOOD, the dominant costume textures should be similar to those of the period characters from Sherwood Forest! That meant leathers and suedes (face mask, vest tunic, shorts, gauntlets, utility belt, and pixie boots). These thick, organic textures became a much more natural, practical, and logical approach for an outfit like this since they are NOT synthetic fabrics, and they offer some mild protection against sharp slashing things. By contrast, Robin's golden silk cape, with its sharp, neat collar, reflects the elegant dress garmentry of Medieval-period warriors and their young squires who would go off into combat in service of their king. In a tiny bit of "creative license", Mr. Williams designed Robin's "R" monogram insignia out of a thin piece of rigid plastic. The idea (once again) was to reflect the Medieval concept of the family crest amulets often worn by knights and squires on their battle gear or weapons. In a nod to the 1966 TV series Robin costume, Williams elected to reproduce the "R" monogram in an identical font to the one seen on actor Burt Ward's outfit. And in another homage... this one to the future generations of Boy Wonders... the monogram created for this uniform is suggested to be removable for use as a throwing weapon (similar Tim Drake's insignia from the comics). After the lengthy rehearsal for the upcoming stage play, the playwright surprised his youngest cast member with the surprise that he would be allowed to fit most of his stage costume for the very first time! The excited young man eagerly slipped into the iconic costume and presented himself as The Boy Wonder for the first time to his father and thrilled co-stars. Mark Anthony marveled at the slick and comfortable feel of his new costume as the cast and crew admired the perfect custom-fit! As a series of reference photos were taken, Mark Anthony happily posed and showed everyone why he was the perfect choice to be cast in the role of the swashbuckling Boy Wonder! Check out some additional photos of Mark Anthony's costume fitting on the Rehearsals/ Costume Fittings/ and Makeup Tests page!  HAPPY 75th ANNIVERSARY TO THE BATMAN !!
Today, March 30th marks the official 75th Anniversary of The Batman's First Appearance!! National Periodicals Publications (today known as DC Comics) published the May issue (issue #27) of Detective Comics. This was the first issue that featured a brand new character called "The BAT-MAN", in a story called "Case of the Chemical Syndicate", written by Bill Finger and with artwork by Robert Kane. This issue hit newsstands on March 30th, 1939! The rest, as they say, is history...  Just as Bob Kane and Bill Finger suggested when they wrote that Bruce Wayne "... trained his body to be in top physical condition...", Mark Anthony Montalvo in the role of Robin The Boy Wonder (pictured here) and the cast of FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT have been undergoing grueling workout training sessions in preparation for their iconic roles!
Under the stewardship of Production nutritionist / personal trainer Anthony Cuevas, the performers have pushed themselves to the limits of physical endurance to build their strength, increase their stamina, and develop the optimal look for their physiques when dressed in their classic comic book outfits! No movie armor for this group!! Only good old-fashioned hard work and sweat! Check out the stunning images and video footage on the Rehearsals/ Costume Fittings/ Makeup Tests page !  From the earliest stages of the conception of FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, Playwright / Director Roberto Williams imagined a moody night time sequence on the rooftop of Gotham Police headquarters, with Commissioner Gordon flashing the famous BAT-SIGNAL to summon the Dynamic Duo into action. The fabrication of the Bat-Signal stage prop's 60-inch in diameter Main Reflector is therefore a major milestone in the production!
Seen here with Production Documentarian / Script Consultant Charles Grant, the Main Reflector's basic cylindrical shape is being constructed from finished 1/2 inch thick plywood, making for a very strong finished stage prop and production artifact! Read all about the conceptualization, development, and construction of this incredible stage prop on The Batsignal Page under Production Designs!  Do you LOVE The Batman? Do you LOVE Karaoke? Do you LOVE a good cause? Then look no further for THE EVENT that combines them all!!! It’s the FUNDRAISER OF THE DARK KNIGHT!!! Join LION’S ROAR KARAOKE ENTERTAINMENT and the city’s biggest BATMAN fans as you sing your favorite karaoke tunes and help raise funds for the exciting student stage production FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT!!! Where: Hurley's Saloon 232 West 48th Street, NYC When: Friday, March 21th, 8PM ADMISSION: $12 at the door! Special Discount Admission for advance online ticket purchases: ONLY $10 !! Log on to Eventbrite for tickets NOW!!! ***Can’t join us at our fundraiser but you still want to help FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT? Log on to our gofundme page and give what you can. Any little bit helps!***  On Friday, March 14th, Comic Book Art Historian Arlen Schumer will be lecturing on Comic book art history at the Parsons / New School Comic Book Club! He will be presenting an overview of his twin careers as both comic book historian and comic book-style illustrator! The event is FREE and open to the public, with free refreshments! This is your chance to meet the genius artist behind the FATHERS OF THE DARK KNIGHT theatrical one-sheet poster! Parsons / New School is located at 6 East 16th St. 12th floor.  |
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“Fathers Of The Dark Knight” © 2011-2013 Do not use any image without permission. |
Batman and related characters are the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Fathers of the Dark Knight” is a non-profit, student cosplay stage production that is in no way sponsored, approved, endorsed, nor licensed by DC Comics, Warner Bros. or any of their affiliates.
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