Sleeping Hero Productions

Sleeping Hero Productions is a New York based independent film company founded in 2003. Specializing in heightened aesthetics and inspired by the Mythic Structure of the Journey of the Hero as specified by Joseph Campbell, Sleeping Hero strives towards creating a deeper awareness in the human condition in our community. The company is currently creating The Story of a Mother as a short film in 3D computer animation, and will combine it with two other tales, each from a different cultural context and each focusing on a different aspect of life. The three short stories will be combined and released as full feature.

James David Hart (Director/Executive Producer):

James David Hart is currently directing and producing The Story of a Mother, which he adapeted from the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same title.

As an actor, he has performed regionally at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Yale Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Dallas Theatre Center, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, where he received the Judy Award for his performance of Puck, Theatre Alliance in D.C., and Internationally in St. Petersburg, Russia and Taichung, Taiwan. He recently returned from a year in South East Asia from a Fox Fellowship for studying ritualistic Mask Dancing with village master teachers in Bali and India. He extended this grant to include stays in India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Hart is Artistic Director of the emerging New York-based theatre company Etudes Workshops, which explores multi-cultural, theatre forms of the Fantastic. He currently teaches Mask Work in NYC and has taught at Yale University, the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Tufts Univ., Univ. of Alaska at Anchorage, New York University, Fu Ren Univ. in Taipei, Taiwan, Harlem School of the Arts, Capital Hill Arts Workshop in D.C, Classical Theatre of Harlem, University of Massachusetts, and at the Jorrun Kirkenaer Ballet School in Oslo, Norway. Currently Mr. Hart can be heard in various radio commercials. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

Andrew Mendelson (Producer):

Andrew Mendelson’s combined skills — theater and television production, art and design, music and knowledge of the latest in technology — make him an invaluable asset to The Story of a Mother.

A founder of Sleeping Hero Productions, Mendelson’s production skills were honed at MTV Studios and the Joseph Papp Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival. His skills in this area include digital video editing (Avid), video camera operation, compositing and motion effects, matt painting, lighting design and installation, set design and construction, and broadcast studio light board operation. A skilled artist, designer and techie, Andrew has amassed a portfolio including web site designs and online corporate identities, paintings, apparel designs, and 3-D computer models. It was his interest in computer generated 3-D animation that led to the digital medium that is used for The Story of a Mother.

Mendelson recently returned from India where he was awarded the title of Classical Instrumental Music Champion, the prestigious Sur Sadak award, at the All Rajasthan Shri Mahendra Bhatt Memorial Music and Dance Competition in Jaipur, India — the largest music competition in Rajasthan.

In addition to The Story of a Mother, Mendelson will be producing and directing a documentary entitled A Cricket in the Court of Akbar based on his musical adventures in India.

Chris Henry Coffey (Producer):

A founding member of Sleeping Hero Productions, Mr. Coffey's passion for storytelling has resulted in extensive experience both in front and behind the camera, as well as on stage in some of the most respected theaters in the country. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1999 and as an actor has been seen in such films as Thirteen Days, Hocus-Pocus and Wind. Additionally he will be appearing in two independent features being released in the spring of 2004 entitled Walking On The Sky and June. Selected stage experience include the title role of Hamlet (Williamstown Theater Festival-Act 1) A Midsummer Night's Dream, A View From The Bridge (Alley Theater, Houston), Hedda Gabler (Dallas Theater Center) and Measure For Measure and Galileo (Yale Repertory Theatre).

In addition to his acting credits, Mr. Coffey spent time working in research and development at WGBH, Boston, responsible for overseeing viewer response to current public television programming in the GBH Viewing Lab. Initially headed towards TV Production, Coffey was also an active member of Boston's cable access television, producing music videos, documentaries and news programs. Currently, he is in development along with Mendelson and Hart on two additional animated tales to be featured alongside The Story of a Mother, as well as focusing on Sleeping Hero Productions' Documentary Division.

Aaron Day (Legal Advisor):

Aaron Day graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2000 with the objective of changing the fundamental relationship between the "suits and the artists" in the music business. In furtherance of this goal, he established the Austin based independent record label, Auslander Music, with his partner Keith Wahrer. Auslander Music serves as a showcase for Austin's progressive music scene supporting musicians through album production, promotion, and distribution. Auslander Music has also provided sound design services to clients including the Austin Music Network and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Aaron is currently working as a lawyer in Washington D.C., dabbling in politics, and expanding the reach of Austin's music.