Fritz Michel has joined the cast of Stephen Gaghan's geo-political thriller SYRIANA starring Geroge Clooney, Matt Damon and Amanda Peet.

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The "Makemba" episode of NBC's ER (guest-starring Fritz Michel) was nominated for a 2004 Humanitas Prize which honors work which "honestly explores the complexities of the human experience and sheds light on the positive values of life."

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Fritz Michel stars in a pair of short films directed by David Harrison. In LETTING EDDIE GO, Eddie (FM), a nervy accountant plays possum to save his job from a predator boss. In THE TAPEWORM, which blends live action and animation, Fritz voices an adulterous Eastern European tapeworm who hungers for life's decadent pleasures, if only his host would cooperate.

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A short film written and directed by Jim Berry and co-produced with the Interactive Visual Media Group in Microsoft's Advanced Research Division, has been selected by The Siggraph Animation Festival. It will screen in Los Angeles, August 2004. See also: www.siggraph.org/s2004/.

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The Young Allies production of Oren Safdie's "Private Jokes, Public Places" at Elephant Stageworks was named one of Los Angeles' top ten theater productions in 2003 by Theater 2K.

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Trapped between The Covenant and Agent Sidney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), Fritz guest stars on ALIAS as "Guy Dilan". The episode ("Blowback") airs on Sunday, February 22nd at 9PM on ABC.

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Fritz Michel will be playing Belgian dermatologist Dr. Walter Leurquin on the ER (NBC) episode titled "Makemba". Newly arrived to volunteer with the Alliance de Medicines Internationales, Walter finds himself overwhelmed by the AIDS epidemic ravaging patients at the clinic in Kisingani, Congo. He seeks out the assistance of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wylie). Carter helps Walter find his bearings and teaches him the harsh realities of medicine in sub-Saharan in Africa. The episode airs on Thursday, December 11 at 10 PM.

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Young Allies produced a film of Oren Safdie's new comedy "Private Jokes, Public Places". The film was made possible by a grant from the Graham Foundation. Founded in 1956 from a bequest by Ernest P. Grant, a prominent Chicago architect, it is the mission of the Graham Foundation to nurture and enrich an informed and creative public dialogue concerning architecture and the built environment. Shot on location in New York City, the production team included producer Fritz Michel and Director of Photography Erik Ryerson.

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The New York premiere of Oren Safdie's new comedy about architecture "Private Jokes, Public Places" received glowing reviews during it's run at La Mama E.T.C. in May, 2003. The production starred David Chandler (Erhardt), MJ Kang (Margaret), Graeme Malcolm (Colin) and Fritz Michel (William) and was directed by Craig Carlisle.

"An X-Acto blade sharp new comedy" -- The New Yorker

"Biting and mesmerizing, inspired and astonishing. A battle of wits between four sharply defined characters. An hour and a quarter of laughter." -- The New York Times

A new production of the play innaugurated the Theater at the Center for Architecture in the fall of 2003. See www.private-jokes.com for deatils.

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Young Allies Productions has acquired the film rights to WILD WIVES by Charles Willeford.

The adaptation of WILD WIVES, written by Jim Berry and Fritz Michel, is a brutal tale of love, deceit, and murder in the classic tradition that Willeford helped define.

Other adaptations of Willeford's books that have made it to the big screen are Monte Hellman's COCKFIGHTER (1974) starring Warren Oates and Harry Dean Stanton, George Armatage's MIAMI BLUES (1990) starring Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Robinson Devor's THE WOMAN CHASER (2000) starring Patrick Warburton.

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Fritz Michel will be reprising the role of William in the New York premiere of Oren Safdie's critically-acclaimed play PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES directed by Craig Carlisle. PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES captures the character of architectural discourse -- in all its subtleties and foibles -- and gives the public a disturbing and humorous glimpse inside today's architecture schools.

"Safdie rivals (Yasmina) Reza in wit and often outstrips her in intellectual heft" -- LA Times, Critic's Choice.

"Raises just about every issue that has kept design offices, coffeehouses and university hallways in conversation for the past century - then makes us laugh knowingly at ourselves for taking them so seriously" -- Metropolis Magazine.

"Brainy, funny, and provocative ... Catch it -- you won't forget it." -- Theatre 2K

The play runs May 1-18 at La Mama, 74a East 4th Street, New York City.

For tickets, call (212) 475-7710 or visit www.lamama.org.

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