Whitebridge Founders
Ernest Thompson
Ernest Thompson has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Writers Guild Award and a Broadway Drama Guild Award for Best Play. His work has been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His more than 35 plays have been seen in theatres around the world. The most enduring, ON GOLDEN POND, has been translated into 30 languages, Arabic the newest, and played in more than 40 countries on six continents. Other plays include THE WEST SIDE WALTZ (starring Katharine Hepburn and Dorothy Loudon), A SENSE OF HUMOR (Jack Lemmon and Estelle Parsons), AX OF LOVE, AMAZONS IN AUGUST, MURDERING MOTHER, WHITE PEOPLE CHRISTMAS, THE ELIXIR, HUMAN BEINGS, and his newest, SOME PARTS MISSING. His soon to be released anthology of 25 short plays contains the collections THE PENIS RESPONDS, ANSWERS and VALENTINES FOR TWO, as well as THE ONE ABOUT THE GUY IN THE BAR and AMERICAN TERRORIST. His films include ON GOLDEN POND (Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda), SWEET HEARTS DANCE (Susan Sarandon and Jeff Daniels), THE LIES BOYS TELL (Kirk Douglas), 1969 (Robert Downey Jr. and Bruce Dern), THE WEST SIDE WALTZ (Shirley MacLaine and Liza Minnelli), OUT OF TIME (James McDaniel and Mel Harris), and the live ON GOLDEN POND (Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer), the last four of which Ernest also directed, as he has his latest films, TIME AND CHARGES and HEAVENLY ANGLE, both produced with his partners in Whitebridge Farm Productions, Morgan Murphy and Lori Gigliotti Murphy. In the theatre, Ernest had directed many of his plays, most recently ON GOLDEN POND in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, close to where his iconic film was shot. For his first time directing the play on stage, Ernest collaborated with longtime composing partner Joe Deleault to create two new songs, THE FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE, written with and performed by Carly Simon, and the anthemic ON GOLDEN POND, composed with and featuring the extraordinary Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster. Never having acted in his own play, Ernest got to see it from the inside out by taking on—to wild success—the role of Charlie the mailman. He has directed the world premieres of his plays THE ELIXIR, AX OF LOVE, ANOTHER SUMMER (the ON GOLDEN POND musical), and his darkly funny collection POLITICAL SUICIDE, opening on Primary Night in New Hampshire 2012. He partnered with Rock the Vote for productions of POLITICAL SUICIDE around the country and will again for the next round of elections. With his partners, Ernest conducts his internationally-renowned workshops for writers, actors and directors at his farm in rural New Hampshire, and offers private coaching to actors and public speakers and one-on-one script analysis. This summer Ernest will direct and act in Whitebridge Farm Productions’ third film, an adaptation of his play HUMAN BEINGS, and in the fall Ernest will direct ON GOLDEN POND in Dublin and London. Learn more at www.ErnestThompson.us.
MOrgan Murphy
Morgan Murphy (AEA/MFA) is co-founder of Whitebridge Farm Productions, a film and theatre production company he started in New Hampshire with his wife, Lori, and Academy Award winner Ernest Thompson. Murphy served as Executive Producer and Producer for several feature and short films including: Whitebridge’s TIME AND CHARGES and HEAVENLY ANGLE; A SUMMER’S TALE; PATTERNS; PANOPTICON; and GAINING MILES, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and Best Narrative at the MiniDV Festival in Hollywood, among other awards. Two recent music videos he directed and produced (DRIVEN and BEG 2 DIFFER) for the Gold Record band Sevendust (Asylum/7Bros Records) had their world premieres on MTV’S Headbanger’s Ball and were released world-wide . He is currently producing and directing the documentary film A LIFE IN ART featuring Hans Guggenheim. Theatre credits include producing the world premiere of Thompson’s new play POLITICAL SUICIDE in New Hampshire and directing Bebe Neuwirth and Mathew Modine in the first reading of Charles Evered's play ADOPT A SAILOR at NYC’s Manhattan Theatre Club. Other credits include directing FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Palace Theater in New Hampshire, POSTCARDS FROM WORLD WAR I at the Lyric Stage in Boston and HIGH SCHOOL VOICES for BBA in NYC. Recent screen acting credits include the roles of Bryan Taney and Mayor Mooch in the feature films TIME AND CHARGES and HEAVENLY ANGLE, respectively. Recent stage work includes Bill Ray, the dentist, in the first production of ON GOLDEN POND directed by the author. Last year Murphy was selected in the editor's pick list in IMAGINE MAGAZINE (March 2013, pages 20-31) "Talented New England Actors." Murphy has designed and installed training programs and held administrative, teaching, and consultant positions in the arts at the University of Connecticut, Whitman College, Plymouth State University, Stanwich School, St. Paul's School, New Hampton School, St. Martin's School and New Open Group in Chongqing, China, among others. He was founding Artistic Director of Performance PLUS, a New England training conservatory that served professional artists and students in the creation of original work from 9 countries and 22 states. Holding A.A., B.A., and M.F.A. degrees, Murphy completed his undergraduate work at Whitman College and his Master’s degree at the University of Connecticut. He also holds Training Certificates from National Shakespeare Conservatory, New York International Film and TV Finance Summit, Neighborhood Playhouse/Meisner Carville School of Acting (with Sanford Meisner) and the Film Finance Workshop. Murphy received the Young Alumni Award from Whitman College, where he was also a President Scholar. He currently serves on the boards of trustees of the Global Character Institute, is a past board member of the New Hampshire Theatre Awards and was an appointed member of the New Hampshire State Film Commission.
lori gigliotti murphy
Producer, director, vocailist, and actor Lori Gigliotti Murphy holds a B.A degree from Lehigh University and completed a two year Meisner training intensive with Michael Howard Studios in New York City. Murphy served as Executive Producer for several short & feature films including: Whitebridge's TIME AND CHARGES & HEAVENLY ANGLE; A SUMMER'S TALE; PATTERNS; PANOPTICON; & GAINING MILES, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in New York City, Best Narrative at the MiniDV Festival in Hollywood, CA and was recognized by the International DV Awards with the Outstanding Achievement in Digital Video Production award. As Producing Director of Allied FilmWorks, LLC she helped to produce two music videos (Driven and Beg 2 differ) for the Gold Record band Sevendust. (7Bros Records/Asylum). Both videos premiered on MTV2. Murphy was founding Producing Director of Performance PLUS, a New England performing arts summer conservatory focusing on film, theatre, music, dance and technical production that served professional artists and students in the creation of original work from 9 countries and 22 states. She served for 10 years in Admissions at New Hampton School in NH recruiting students worldwide, and also served as the Director of Admissions for several years at an independent PreK-12 school in Greenwich, CT. Murphy currently serves as the Director of Admissions at the legendary Professional Children's School at Lincoln Center in New York City. She is a recipient of Lehigh University's Cultural Achievement Award and she is a four-time beneficiary of Lehigh University's Williams Award. Murphy has performed extensively as an actress and vocalist in the New York City area. She holds training certificates from the Film Finance Workshop and the New York International Film and TV Finance Summit. In addition to Executive Producing, Murphy also plays the role of Margo in Whitebridge's TIME AND CHARGES and the role of Destinee del Ray in Whitebridge's HEAVENLY ANGLE. She also served as producer and played the role of Chelsea in over 90 stage performances of ON GOLDEN POND directed by Thompson.
